Patriots 2019 Season

[PhoSita]

Brady is done as a top tier QB.  I said it all week before the game, which only solidified that.  He just doesn't have that extra gear anymore.  He is 42 and finally looks like it.  He isn't going to get better as he ages, only worse.  He could game manage his way to a title, on a team with an elite defense and elite running game (much like Peyton did his last year), but that is the only way they Patriots are winning another Superbowl with Brady.  He just isn't good enough anymore to win at least 3 tough games in a row.

I agree with the above. He’s a mid-tier QB at this point.  He could win in the right situation, but he’s not going to be carrying the team with 350 yards and 3 TDs in the playoffs.

I am going to be very curious to see how the Pats handle this off-season. Do they manipulate their salary cap to go all in for one final shot at a title or do they start to look to the future?

Personally I don't think a total reboot is in the offing, or necessary, but I definitely want them to start building toward the team they're going to be 3-4 years from now instead of trying to make this version of the team last one more year.

Even last year, which ended well, this version of the Pats has been slow, methodical, overreliant on defense and opponent mistakes, and frankly kind of boring to watch.

I miss the days of hurry up offense, Gronk overpowering defenders, multiple pass catching backs making big plays with small openings, and Edelman having the juice to catch 12 passes for well over 100 yards.  I miss the multiple tight end sets and the occasional QB sneaks.


This Pats team has been boring and painful to watch more often than it hasn't been.  I'm tired of that, which is part of why I've felt so down on them the last couple of years, even when they were winning in the playoffs.  It felt unlikely last year -- like they just didn't have enough juice.  Last year I was wrong, though the Super Bowl was a true slog.  This year it was painfully, obviously true.


Let's start moving toward the next exciting, fun to watch version of this team.

Let Brady go play in a dome, as somebody else suggested, on a team with lots of weapons.

[gouki88]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7D5twlB76Y/?hl=en

Caption indicates he’s coming back, right?

[PhoSita]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7D5twlB76Y/?hl=en

Caption indicates he’s coming back, right?

To play football?  I think that's quite clear.

I don't think it implies anything about where he's going to be playing, though.

[gouki88]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7D5twlB76Y/?hl=en

Caption indicates he’s coming back, right?

To play football?  I think that's quite clear.

I don't think it implies anything about where he's going to be playing, though.

I thought it was quite clear “And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove.“ was in reference to Gillette Stadium

[PhoSita]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7D5twlB76Y/?hl=en

Caption indicates he’s coming back, right?

To play football?  I think that's quite clear.

I don't think it implies anything about where he's going to be playing, though.

I thought it was quite clear “And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove.“ was in reference to Gillette Stadium

He says:

"In both life and football, failure is inevitable. You dont always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again."


After that comes the "that's right where you will find me."


I don't think he's specifically talking about Gillette.


I feel like this is an announcement to the effect that he's not going to retire, which is what pretty much everyone assumed.  It is an open question where he plays next year, and I expect that it's going to depend on what the Patriots are able to do in the off-season as well as how much they're willing to pay him versus how much other teams offer him.

[Jiri Welsch]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7D5twlB76Y/?hl=en

Caption indicates he’s coming back, right?

To play football?  I think that's quite clear.

I don't think it implies anything about where he's going to be playing, though.

I thought it was quite clear “And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove.“ was in reference to Gillette Stadium

It was in reference to “the football playing arena” and conspicuously not Gillette. So I’m holding my breath. Idk if he knows yet where he’s going.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Him playing somewhere is a given. I hope it's New England. But I really think it's going to come down to 1) will the Pats give him enough money? and 2) will the Pats give him enough weapons? I don't know the Pats cap situation, but if they can somehow give Tom $20M-$25M, along with a legit deep threat and a decent tight end, he'll be back.

[gouki88]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7D5twlB76Y/?hl=en

Caption indicates he’s coming back, right?

To play football?  I think that's quite clear.

I don't think it implies anything about where he's going to be playing, though.

I thought it was quite clear “And that’s right where you will find me. Because I know I still have more to prove.“ was in reference to Gillette Stadium

He says:

"In both life and football, failure is inevitable. You dont always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again."


After that comes the "that's right where you will find me."


I don't think he's specifically talking about Gillette.


I feel like this is an announcement to the effect that he's not going to retire, which is what pretty much everyone assumed.  It is an open question where he plays next year, and I expect that it's going to depend on what the Patr >:(iots are able to do in the off-season as well as how much they're willing to pay him versus how much other teams offer him.

Yeah, maybe (or more likely probably) you’re right. I’m likely just hopeful that he stays.

[RPGenerate]

So the question is, if Brady leaves, what do we do for our QB situation? Do we ride it out with Stidham, or do we try to find someone in free agency?

[nickagneta]

One thing about if Brady leaves...if he does the Pats have a $13+ million cap hit next year. Now if he re-signs I think the cap hit can be worked into his next contract, but if he doesn't, well giving a free agent a $15 million a year contract means spending $28+ million on the QB position. My guess is you can probably get a multi year deal with Brady at less than that $28 million figure and that Brady would play better than any guy you get for $15 million a year.

[gouki88]

So the question is, if Brady leaves, what do we do for our QB situation? Do we ride it out with Stidham, or do we try to find someone in free agency?

This is what I’m afraid of. Not sure about Stidham. Liked him in college, but unsure about him now.

One thing about if Brady leaves...if he does the Pats have a $13+ million cap hit next year. Now if he re-signs I think the cap hit can be worked into his next contract, but if he doesn't, well giving a free agent a $15 million a year contract means spending $28+ million on the QB position. My guess is you can probably get a multi year deal with Brady at less than that $28 million figure and that Brady would play better than any guy you get for $15 million a year.

Agree wholeheartedly. I want us to try and retool around Tom

[PhoSita]

One thing about if Brady leaves...if he does the Pats have a $13+ million cap hit next year. Now if he re-signs I think the cap hit can be worked into his next contract, but if he doesn't, well giving a free agent a $15 million a year contract means spending $28+ million on the QB position.

I don't really understand the NFL salary cap ... can you explain why this is?

It doesn't make sense to me that a guy is an unrestricted free agent and if he signs with another team, the team he was with before still has a hit on their salary cap.

[PhoSita]

So the question is, if Brady leaves, what do we do for our QB situation? Do we ride it out with Stidham, or do we try to find someone in free agency?

My guess is that they look for somebody in the draft, unless they really believe in Stidham.  It sounds like it wouldn't make sense cap-wise to spend big money on a free agent since they'll be taking a cap hit from Brady whether he's on the team or not.


Big picture, whether Brady leaves or not, the next major and fascinating question for the Pats is how they find the next franchise QB, and who that ends up being.

The story of the NFL for a long time now is that your team is pretty much in the wilderness until you find a guy to play QB who can secure himself as the unquestioned starter.  You can have an otherwise really talented team and still be really up and down if you don't know for sure who is your long term answer the QB position.

[GreenFaith1819]

My dream is that Brady goes back to NE and he can get a few players that can help him.

I'm not even a fan of NE (Diehard Washington Fan) but NE without Brady doesn't seem right.

NE out of the playoffs THIS EARLY leaves an empty feeling for me....it is like The Justice League without Batman.

NFL needs its villains and New England has played that role well for roughly 20 years.

[nickagneta]

One thing about if Brady leaves...if he does the Pats have a $13+ million cap hit next year. Now if he re-signs I think the cap hit can be worked into his next contract, but if he doesn't, well giving a free agent a $15 million a year contract means spending $28+ million on the QB position.

I don't really understand the NFL salary cap ... can you explain why this is?

It doesn't make sense to me that a guy is an unrestricted free agent and if he signs with another team, the team he was with before still has a hit on their salary cap.

I am not entirely sure but I think it has something to do with the way the league amortizes signing bonuses over years to figure out total salary cap hits. Haven't the Pat's on a few occasions re-worked Brady's deals to convert guaranteed money to signing bonus money, thereby kicking the amortized amount down the road over several years? This might be the product of that but to be honest, it's a guess. I had heard about why this happens years ago, but can't remember the details.