Last season, Brady was as quick and elusive in the pocket as he ever has been. To my eye, quicker. His deep passing has dropped off but not all other kinds of passing. And, he's smarter than ever and probably wants to win more than ever. There is no better team leader in any sport, IMO.
The dead money is what matters. Every dollar that gets paid to him today as a signing bonus will get taken from the cap in his age 40 and age 41 years, and it's basically irrevocable. A $20 million bonus would mean he has $20 million in dead money in 2018 and 2019 ($10x2). A $30 million bonus would mean $30 million ($15x3). Etc. So, basically, if you give him a $30 million bonus today, you have bet a significant part of the future on his ability to play 16 games a year when he's 40 and 41. If he gets injured, you are $15 million in the hole per year and need another quarterback. If after two years, he decides that he just cannot perform at a high level any more and wants to retire, you accelerate $30 million to your cap in 2018.
I'm pretty sure that the bonuse would be spent over the life of the contract--the signing bonus would be split four ways over the course of the 2016-2019 seasons, so a 20 million bonus paid now would be $5 million a year for four years.
I'm finding your point most elusive.
So if you draft a guy and he's the "next guy" then say it's 20 mil to Brady. The going rate for QB's now is about 20 million. If the worst happens and you eat Brady's full $10-$15m each year with a guy on a rookie contract, you're still not in terrible shape. It's not ideal, but it's not a terrible bet for 2 years of one of the GOAT who loves avocado ice cream.
I'm not a capologist, I'm just going by Miguel's examples, which are posted earlier in this thread. He seems to have the dead money on a $20 million bonus to be $10 million in each 2018 and 2019.
I'm 100% with you on the love for Brady.
All backup QBs are not created equal. RM happened to be bad at football and life.
If he doesn't play this year and they trade him I'd expect the return to be a low round pick.
From Miguel (@patscap) its not allowed due to the rookie pool, if they haven't traded for the pick before the selection, they won't have room in their rookie pool to afford the player.
Per Miguel, Brady is tied for just 13th in cap hit for 2016 with Osweiler and Romo. He's also 2nd in cash intake, but who cares.
Would trading him for Ryan Mallet be like putting matter and anti-matter together?
http://nesn.com/2016/03/tom-bradys-new-contract-is-one-of-the-biggest-bargains-in-sports/
The only complaints I've ever heard about Brady or Belichick from Pats fans, which weren't immediately shouted down, are of the small-bore tactical variety: not chasing some points on a last-minute-before-halftime drive in the Jets game, that kind of thing. His hit rate with draft picks, trades, coaches, and delivering on his organizational priorities (e.g. ball security, avoiding big plays, having smart players) is absolutely unreal.
Because we're worrying about him not being able to buy . . . exactly what if he lost a couple million?
You don't have to like it because of his buying power. I, for one, like that it's a slight middle finger to Goodell and co.
This is correct. Players who get fined have automatic deductions from their paychecks. Brady just wont get a paycheck during his suspension. (that doesn't answer the question of what happens to the money that Brady doesn't get paid. I suppose he and Kraft could agree to donate it somewhere.) I suspect Goodell is staying up late trying to figure out a way to convert the "suspension" to a "fine", or have the withheld paycheck somehow be based on the contract he was playing under when he committed the violation.
