Patriots 2019 Season

[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.

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.

That sounds right --- if you do something to give yourself more room in the short term you take a hit later.  It's weird but I guess this is the kind of stuff you end up with when you have a hard cap.

[Neurotic Guy]

I'm not convinced that with better line play, a good tight end, a better running back and a better receiving group that Brady would not be a Top Tier QB.   I think when Brady trusts his line, trusts his receivers will get separation, and trusts his receivers know their routes, he is (may be) a different QB than what we saw much of this year.   

Bottom line for me though is that if I thought BB could get a better QB than Brady, I'd be fine with that.  If Jimmy G were still on this team, what would this thread look like?   My guess is lots of well wishes for Tom at his next stop.   I don't think there is anyone the Pats can get who would be better than Tom next year, so I am all in on hoping Pats deliver a lucrative offer (look, he needs the money) and secure him contractually for 2 seasons.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

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.

I think you're right.

The challenge, though, is that across all four major North American sports, quarterback is (IMO) the single hardest position to fill with a high-quality player. Literally half the teams in the NFL (maybe more) don't even have a good QB, much less a really good one. There just are very few people capable of being a high-quality NFL QB.

That's partly what makes it so amazing that we Patriots fans have been able to cheer for the greatest QB of all time for the last 20 years. Whenever Brady does leave New England (via FA or retirement), it's gonna be a definite and significant step down—and for at least a couple of years, likely longer.

[PhoSita]

That's partly what makes it so amazing that we Patriots fans have been able to cheer for the greatest QB of all time for the last 20 years. Whenever Brady does leave New England (via FA or retirement), it's gonna be a definite and significant step down—and for at least a couple of years, likely longer.

Yep, it's been such a privilege on so many levels to get to root for Brady for basically two decades.

The especially hard thing about finding a franchise QB is it's not like it's as simple as tanking for a top draft pick. 

Some of the best guys in the league were taken in the 1st round (e.g. Jackson, Rodgers, Mahomes, Watson), but then you also have guys like Brady (famously late pick), Wilson (3rd rounder), Jimmy G (2nd rounder), and Brees (2nd rounder).

None of those guys was #1 overall pick.  Also each year it seems like 3-4 QBs are taken in the top 15-20 and at best maybe 1 of them turns into a clear cut long term answer at the position.


It seems like the Pats are probably going to have to look for the next guy in the 1st round or early 2nd, but they might have to draft a few guys before they find one that pans out.

Oh well, that's just how it goes.  We'll have the warm memories of the dynasty to keep us comfortable during a hopefully short time spent in the wilderness.

[Roy H.]

None of those guys was #1 overall pick.  Also each year it seems like 3-4 QBs are taken in the top 15-20 and at best maybe 1 of them turns into a clear cut long term answer at the position.

As a Bears fan, this is quite true.

Imagine having the 3rd pick in the draft. Every fan in the country wants you to take Deshaun Watson, with maybe a few outliers saying to trade down and take Pat Mahomes.

So, the only logical thing to do is to trade up to #2 to take Mitch Trubisky.

[Neurotic Guy]

That's partly what makes it so amazing that we Patriots fans have been able to cheer for the greatest QB of all time for the last 20 years. Whenever Brady does leave New England (via FA or retirement), it's gonna be a definite and significant step down—and for at least a couple of years, likely longer.

Yep, it's been such a privilege on so many levels to get to root for Brady for basically two decades.

The especially hard thing about finding a franchise QB is it's not like it's as simple as tanking for a top draft pick. 

Some of the best guys in the league were taken in the 1st round (e.g. Jackson, Rodgers, Mahomes, Watson), but then you also have guys like Brady (famously late pick), Wilson (3rd rounder), Jimmy G (2nd rounder), and Brees (2nd rounder).

None of those guys was #1 overall pick.  Also each year it seems like 3-4 QBs are taken in the top 15-20 and at best maybe 1 of them turns into a clear cut long term answer at the position.


It seems like the Pats are probably going to have to look for the next guy in the 1st round or early 2nd, but they might have to draft a few guys before they find one that pans out.

Oh well, that's just how it goes.  We'll have the warm memories of the dynasty to keep us comfortable during a hopefully short time spent in the wilderness.

It's been a joyride that will never come close to occurring again.  Certainly not in my lifetime, but probably not even in the lifetime of the younger posters here.  You have to work to get a Parilli, a Plunkett, a Grogan, a Bledsoe.  Ok to decent QBs.  None anywhere near Brady.   Yeah, it's gonna be an interesting adjustment.   

[SparzWizard]

Matthew Stafford might be available

[Moranis]

Because it is somewhat relevant it is worth noting that all 4 starting QB's from the AFC this weekend were 1st round picks, however Tannehill was the only single digit pick at 8.  Mahomes went 10, Watson 12, and Jackson 32.  The latter 3 are all on rookie contracts and the former was a reclamation project so none of their teams have significant investment at QB (Mariotta is also on his rookie deal so Tennessee even accounting for him isn't hugely expensive at QB). 

The NFC is almost the exact opposite.  Only Rodgers was a 1st round pick with Garoppolo going in the 2nd, Wilson the 3rd, and Cousins in the 4th.  All of them are on pretty big contracts so the NFC teams all have pretty significant investment in the QB slot.  Also, aside from Wilson those 4 barely played their first 3 years in the league so they took time to develop into the players they would become which is again unlike the AFC.

Pretty fascinating when you think about the contrast from the final four QB's by conference, but it also shows there is no one way to do it.  The only thing that really matters is getting the right person at QB.

[Roy H.]

The Browns are hiring the Vikings OC. Sounds like Josh McDaniels will be back.

[SparzWizard]

The Browns are hiring the Vikings OC. Sounds like Josh McDaniels will be back.

Many Patriots fans' worst nightmare. NOOOOOOO 

[footey]

Because it is somewhat relevant it is worth noting that all 4 starting QB's from the AFC this weekend were 1st round picks, however Tannehill was the only single digit pick at 8.  Mahomes went 10, Watson 12, and Jackson 32.  The latter 3 are all on rookie contracts and the former was a reclamation project so none of their teams have significant investment at QB (Mariotta is also on his rookie deal so Tennessee even accounting for him isn't hugely expensive at QB). 

The NFC is almost the exact opposite.  Only Rodgers was a 1st round pick with Garoppolo going in the 2nd, Wilson the 3rd, and Cousins in the 4th.  All of them are on pretty big contracts so the NFC teams all have pretty significant investment in the QB slot.  Also, aside from Wilson those 4 barely played their first 3 years in the league so they took time to develop into the players they would become which is again unlike the AFC.

Pretty fascinating when you think about the contrast from the final four QB's by conference, but it also shows there is no one way to do it.  The only thing that really matters is getting the right person at QB.

Also the 4 best QB's in terms of performance and upside are high end athletes in Jackson, Watson, Mahomes and Wilson; the NFL GM's are probably going to pursue QB's in this mold going forward. 

[Roy H.]

Julian Edelman arrested in Beverly Hills for jumping on a Mercedes and damaging it. While socializing with Paul Pierce and Danny Amendola.

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-julian-edelman-arrested-after-jumping-on-the-hood-of-someone-elses-mercedes-161712215.html

[jambr380]

Julian Edelman arrested in Beverly Hills for jumping on a Mercedes and damaging it. While socializing with Paul Pierce and Danny Amendola.

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-julian-edelman-arrested-after-jumping-on-the-hood-of-someone-elses-mercedes-161712215.html

I love this. I understand that there may be damage (which I'm sure he'll pay for), but it's about the least offensive arrest in the history of sports.

Also, total bummer that the Pats were terrible to finish the season. If they had just taken care of Miami, the road to the SB would be so much easier with TEN taking out BAL. At this point, how can you not be rooting for TEN? They took out both the mighty Pats and the #1 seed.

[SparzWizard]

Julian Edelman arrested in Beverly Hills for jumping on a Mercedes and damaging it. While socializing with Paul Pierce and Danny Amendola.

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-julian-edelman-arrested-after-jumping-on-the-hood-of-someone-elses-mercedes-161712215.html

I love this. I understand that there may be damage (which I'm sure he'll pay for), but it's about the least offensive arrest in the history of sports.

Also, total bummer that the Pats were terrible to finish the season. If they had just taken care of Miami, the road to the SB would be so much easier with TEN taking out BAL. At this point, how can you not be rooting for TEN? They took out both the mighty Pats and the #1 seed.

The Pats weren't mighty this year, and they probably would've still lost in Foxboro to the Chiefs if they were the 2-seed.

[Neurotic Guy]

Julian Edelman arrested in Beverly Hills for jumping on a Mercedes and damaging it. While socializing with Paul Pierce and Danny Amendola.

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-julian-edelman-arrested-after-jumping-on-the-hood-of-someone-elses-mercedes-161712215.html

I love this. I understand that there may be damage (which I'm sure he'll pay for), but it's about the least offensive arrest in the history of sports.

Also, total bummer that the Pats were terrible to finish the season. If they had just taken care of Miami, the road to the SB would be so much easier with TEN taking out BAL. At this point, how can you not be rooting for TEN? They took out both the mighty Pats and the #1 seed.

The Pats weren't mighty this year, and they probably would've still lost in Foxboro to the Chiefs if they were the 2-seed.

The other Edelman news being the shoulder and knee surgery.  No one here will be surprised at that. 

He wasn't able to be himself over much of the last half of the season -- capped off by the missed 1st down catch that could have sustained a GW drive.  Whether it was the mobility in his shoulders and/or the reality that he was going to get clobbered again when his body had just had enough -- that drop was something we rarely see from Edelman.  Hopefully the off-season, the surgery, and the Mercedes stomp are enough to get him healthy, clear his head, and be ready for a huge 2020 season.