Mazz's choice to be "Don't Trade Jimmy For Nothin!" guy is gonna get really, really old by the time the draft rolls around.
The idea the Patriots should turn down a top 15 pick because "if you think he's the guy, I'd rather let him walk away for nothing than make a bad trade" is... migraine inducing. Horses, show ponies, you're right Mike, oh my.
At least T&R brought back Naughty Massarotti (sort of) this morning, which makes him a mite more tolerable in the afternoons.
I don't hate this take. If one thinks Brady may not perform well into his 40s (or even fears it),and if one thinks Jimmy G is a franchise QB, than trading a franchise QB for a middling first round pick is not an easy decision. Maybe we get a very good pass rusher with the Browns #12 pick, and have him for 5 years. But if Brady gets a serious injury in week 2 and never plays again, we just shipped Jimmy to Chicago and have to rely on Brissett?
All of this assumes BB thinks Jiimmy G is "the guy," and Brissett is not, but the eye test sure favors Jimmy by a long shot. I won't freak out if BB trades Jimmy (and if Mazz does that will be annoying) because I trust BB better knows 1) liklihood of Brady performing well into his 40s; 2) how good Jimmy is; 3) what the options are beyond Jimmy.
But I am not of the opinion that hanging on to Jimmy through 2017 is a bad idea. Franchise QB insurance is more valuable than one rookie, when your QB is 40. If it turns out Brady decides to retire earlier than expected, gets hurt etc... they will have Jimmy. If not, the options aren't terrible: franchise and trade him, as they did with Cassell (less of a return, but still something); a possible comp pick,or (less likely but not impossible) maybe Brady puts a date on his career and they can try and work on an orderly succession.
But the worst case if we trade Jimmy may be that we have no franchise QB. Worst case if we keep him? We get less compensation when he departs probably (because his value is less with the tag, or whatever his contribution to the comp pick formula.
Nothing is more important than the future @ QB. I get why people want to trade him. It will be fun to pick earlier in the draft (possibly) and Brady is playing so well that I find it plausible he beats the odds on his age. But I don't think valuing Jimmy G over a top 15 pick is an insane take.