Would you want Brady back?

Do you want Brady back?


  • Total voters
    299

Deathofthebambino

Drive Carefully
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Apr 12, 2005
41,946
I agree that they'd need to show Tom a plan to upgrade his weapons here. 100%.

But I disagree about the "toys" comment. Obviously they were trying to win a certain way early in his career, and that worked (2001-2005) until it didn't (2006). And that's when BB went out and got Moss and Welker, which were pretty damn good toys. Then we drafted Gronk/Hernandez and transitioned from Welker to Edelman. Also great weapons (no pun intended in the case of AH).

Agree that BB dropped the ball in terms of toys in Brady's last couple seasons, but prior to that I think BB properly allocated resources and got him what he needed.
Drafting and developing talent is far, far different than going out on the free agent market and "getting him toys." Brady ain't coming here and waiting 4 years to turn Edelman, the 7th rounder, into a stud slot receiver. Gronk and Hernandez were draft picks that were pretty good as rookies, but they weren't GRONK yet. Welker was a trade giving up a late 2nd rounder (and 7th).

Randy Moss is the single big exception to the rule, IMO, but that was 16 years ago now. They certainly hit on some picks, Gronk being the big one, but Brady isn't coming here hoping the Pats hit on some picks in the 2023 draft. He did that dance, year after year. This team hasn't hit the broad side of a barn with a WR draft pick since like 2009 at this point. Yes, he had his weapons, still not convinced in most cases, it wasn't Brady turning them into weapons in his prime, but he's not that guy anymore. He had Evans and Godwin this season, along with Gage and Miller, an exponentially better receiving group than what the Pats had this year in New England, and we saw the frustration from Brady. BB has shown basically no interest at upgrading WR/TE through free agency in his time here, and I doubt Brady is going to take his word for it that he'll get it done.

The Agholors and Parkers and Bournes and corpses of Josh Gordon aren't going to cut it for Tom anymore.

And then, of course, there's the O line.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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I mean, the question isn't whether Brady would come here. It's whether WE *want* him to come here.
 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
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Well to DOTBs point, they could use* a receiving weapon whether it’s Tom or Mac or Jimmy or Carr or Zappe.

*understatement
 

8slim

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Drafting and developing talent is far, far different than going out on the free agent market and "getting him toys." Brady ain't coming here and waiting 4 years to turn Edelman, the 7th rounder, into a stud slot receiver. Gronk and Hernandez were draft picks that were pretty good as rookies, but they weren't GRONK yet. Welker was a trade giving up a late 2nd rounder (and 7th).

Randy Moss is the single big exception to the rule, IMO, but that was 16 years ago now. They certainly hit on some picks, Gronk being the big one, but Brady isn't coming here hoping the Pats hit on some picks in the 2023 draft. He did that dance, year after year. This team hasn't hit the broad side of a barn with a WR draft pick since like 2009 at this point. Yes, he had his weapons, still not convinced in most cases, it wasn't Brady turning them into weapons in his prime, but he's not that guy anymore. He had Evans and Godwin this season, along with Gage and Miller, an exponentially better receiving group than what the Pats had this year in New England, and we saw the frustration from Brady. BB has shown basically no interest at upgrading WR/TE through free agency in his time here, and I doubt Brady is going to take his word for it that he'll get it done.

The Agholors and Parkers and Bournes and corpses of Josh Gordon aren't going to cut it for Tom anymore.

And then, of course, there's the O line.
But why would we have signed a bunch of expensive free agent “toys” when we had acceptable weapons for much of his time here? Up until the end it really was the rare season where then cupboard was bare in that regard.

Look, Brady’s not coming back so this is all a thought exercise anyway. And I said I agree that we’d have to upgrade the O to his liking. But that’s a different conversation than saying he rarely had weapons at his disposal here. He did.
 

InstaFace

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Sep 27, 2016
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I think not only would it be a lot of fun, but it would also improve the team in the short term. I'm not all-out on Mac just yet, but neither am I so sold on him that I'd turn down the upgrade to Brady just to keep him around.

I suspect that a reunion would see both Brady and Belichick chastened a little bit by having gone a few years without the other to rely on, and be a little more tolerant of each other. Would they appreciate what each other brings to the table at this point, having had a 3-year look at what living without that looks like?

Mac likely has trade value, as a proven NFL starting QB. Can he be a top-15 or even top-10 QB? Seems unlikely at this point, but with 2 full years in the league his floor is a lot higher. I think you can trade him for meaningful value. Or don't! Brady will need a good backup anyway, and Hoyer and Zappe are way worse.

Also, Brady and Belichick have it within themselves to rip the heart out of some team with high aspirations and just stomp on it, at least once more. And everyone but that team would enjoy it.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Sep 10, 2017
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Cocaine heartbeat. I think Mac is going to be a meh starter and Belichick won't let the team suck badly enough to get a top of the draft QB. I'd say run it back. The Celtics KG/Pierce deal was mentioned above, but that was a perfect storm where the team could convert "back 9" stars into potential top 5 draft picks (plural). If there was no other willing dance partner to make that trade with, I think the old guys would have been thrown back out on the court with trades for better surrounding pieces pursued in the absence of a possible future savior.

Part of this calculus is also that if the Patriots and Brady are not seeing the offense performing to expectations, neither side will have any qualms about stepping away after a year. While you'd probably not keep Mac around if Brady comes aboard, you have Zappe as a backup and hold onto him in this occurrence.
 

BusRaker

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Aug 11, 2006
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I think it would probably end up hurting the BB TB legacy (I watched a lot of Tampa and NEP this year and I don't think he will take us from mediocre to contender) but it sure would make next season more fun for me and the Sports Media industry.
Going with Mixed Feelings
 

Marciano490

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Nov 4, 2007
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Maybe a season interning for Brady would be good for Mac’s development. Has he ever been under a top NFL QB in college or the pros?
 

FL4WL3SS

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Jul 31, 2006
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How do one day contacts impact the cap? Like, what's to prevent a team from just resigning someone to a one day contact in perpetuity for salary cap reasons?



I know, it's ridiculous.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Jan 13, 2021
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I say sure, if he wants it, just for legacy reasons, but would it really be fun? I’m not so sure, I don’t think anything that caused the Brady / Belichick relationship to deteriorate has really changed and would expect a disappointing season, and then he’d actually retire, and then what?

The idea that he’d come back and all would be well again feels like pure fantasy. Although I’d certainly take that minuscule chance because I’m not sure the Pats have anything to lose.
 

djbayko

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Jul 18, 2005
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Hard pass. I think it's a bad idea, even if Mac isn't the future (and he probably isn't). The team needs to figure out where it's going without Brady, and I worry there will be pressure to make personnel moves they otherwise wouldn't have if they didn't have a HOF QB nearing retirement to keep happy.

I also think this has almost no chance of happening, and if it did, it would probably be a sign that Kraft isn't letting Bill run the ship 100% (which would also probably mean Bill is gone).
 

8slim

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Maybe a season interning for Brady would be good for Mac’s development. Has he ever been under a top NFL QB in college or the pros?
Maybe he’d have a change of heart in his old age, but I don’t think Brady is known for loving doing the mentoring thing.
 

Seels

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Jul 20, 2005
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I love Brady.

I don't think it's a fit. Our Oline is a mess, tight ends are garbage, and WR has a lot to be desired. If you're Brady, why would you? If you're BB, doing this effectively ends Jones tenure here, for what, a year or two out of Brady?

I don't know. I wouldn't say no but wouldn't love it. Think it could only hurt his New England legacy (not his NFL legacy, if that makes sense)
 

RG33

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Nov 28, 2005
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I voted "hard pass". I'm kind of done with him. The drama, the botox, the sour-puss. I'm enjoying the post-Brady rebuild -- want to see if Mac can regain his mojo with BoB, and really want to see BB win one without Brady so that those narratives die off before he does.
 

lexrageorge

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Jul 31, 2007
18,095
I voted other. My answer: not enthralled with the idea.

I'm past having any sentimental value in "running it back". Sure, it sounds great in theory, but unclear to me there's really a there there. Bringing in Brady impacts what the team can do in their other positions of need. Seems likely to end up 9-8 with a narrow miss in the playoffs or a first round exit, with fans bemoaning another lost season by the end. And at some point the wheel of time will catch up to Brady; would really suck if it happened if he was a member of the Pats in 2023. And there is no realistic chance of either Edelman or Gronk coming back and being effective.

Not willing to go full "hard pass". If Bill decides to bring him back, I have enough confidence in BB to believe it's because Belichick, who has obviously forgotten more football than I or anyone else here will ever learn in 1000 lifetimes, has decided doing so gives the team the best chance to win in 2023.

Finally, just to note: Belichick invested quite a bit in resources in the WR position in the post-Moss years: Brandon Lloyd, Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Brandon LaFell, Aaron Dobson, Josh Gordon, Antonio Brown, and Malcolm Mitchell were reasonably significant investments for a team that already had Gronk and Welker/Edelman as their #1 pass catching targets. And it's been noted many times that the team was all in for the 2019 season to become the first team in 15 years to successfully defend a Lombardi; the moves just didn't work out for variety of reasons.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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I voted "hard pass". I'm kind of done with him. The drama, the botox, the sour-puss. I'm enjoying the post-Brady rebuild -- want to see if Mac can regain his mojo with BoB, and really want to see BB win one without Brady so that those narratives die off before he does.
I'm okay with botox, but otherwise, this is pretty much where I am as well
 

Ferm Sheller

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Mar 5, 2007
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I say no because I've decided to give Mac a mulligan for last season and to blame Matt Patricia entirely for the offense's woes, and because Mac stepping up and becoming a very good QB is what's ultimately in the best interest of the organization.
 

E5 Yaz

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I voted "hard pass." Many of the reasons already have been stated by others. The overriding point for me is that I'm ready, as an interested observer, to see this franchise move forward ... and not reach back to rekindle some faded glory.
Mac might not be the answer, and that''s fine -- they'll just go back into the market and try a different solution.
But I've made my peace with the end of The Brady Era and am ready to move on.
I hope the Patriots are as well
 
Last edited:

cornwalls@6

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Apr 23, 2010
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I went other as well. Not opposed to the idea in theory, but just don’t think the rest of the offense has enough weapons to make it work real well this year, and I think Brady is at the point where he is not carrying a mediocre supporting cast. But, the hiring of OB adds some intrigue to the idea, and if they could somehow accelerate a significant upgrade of offensive personnel, maybe it could work……….. of course, this is all just a thought experiment. I think BB and Brady are done with each other, and in fact if I had to guess, I think he retires for good this time.
 

BigSoxFan

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May 31, 2007
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I voted other. My answer: not enthralled with the idea.

I'm past having any sentimental value in "running it back". Sure, it sounds great in theory, but unclear to me there's really a there there. Bringing in Brady impacts what the team can do in their other positions of need. Seems likely to end up 9-8 with a narrow miss in the playoffs or a first round exit, with fans bemoaning another lost season by the end. And at some point the wheel of time will catch up to Brady; would really suck if it happened if he was a member of the Pats in 2023. And there is no realistic chance of either Edelman or Gronk coming back and being effective.

Not willing to go full "hard pass". If Bill decides to bring him back, I have enough confidence in BB to believe it's because Belichick, who has obviously forgotten more football than I or anyone else here will ever learn in 1000 lifetimes, has decided doing so gives the team the best chance to win in 2023.

Finally, just to note: Belichick invested quite a bit in resources in the WR position in the post-Moss years: Brandon Lloyd, Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Brandon LaFell, Aaron Dobson, Josh Gordon, Antonio Brown, and Malcolm Mitchell were reasonably significant investments for a team that already had Gronk and Welker/Edelman as their #1 pass catching targets. And it's been noted many times that the team was all in for the 2019 season to become the first team in 15 years to successfully defend a Lombardi; the moves just didn't work out for variety of reasons.
How dare you omit Sanu…
 

Reverse Curve

New Member
Sep 11, 2021
76
Hard pass for me, and I love Brady. Yes, he's still putting up elite QB numbers, but the team needs more focus on OL and greater offensive 'weaponry' now. I'm not sold on Mac by a long shot, but I do want to see:
- What kind of influence BoB has on the offense in general.
- How Mac responds.
- Whatever other positional coaching changes (QB, OL) have on the performance and flow of the offense.
I've just moved on from TB...
 

Hoya81

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Feb 3, 2010
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Do we know for sure Tom’s going to ask for a ton of money? He’s got $350 million waiting for him and I’m not sure he cares about the NFLPA at this point (not that he seemed to before Deflategate when he was underpaid most seasons).
I'd be interested as to how much the FTX collapse and the divorce cut into his nest egg.
 

Bowser

New Member
Sep 27, 2019
399
Cocaine for me. Brady plus BOB and a few key additions on offense puts us right behind the Chiefs and Bills. I'm supposed to say "no" to this? Because Mac? Pats dynasty 3.0 can only be built from a position of strength, not irrelevance. Game plan:
  • Sign Brady.
  • Trade Mac for a top 100 pick.
  • Draft QB of the future.
  • Pay Orlando Brown; move Trent Brown to RT.
  • Move Marcus Jones to WR.
  • Bask in relevance.
Alas, it ain't happening.
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
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Nov 4, 2007
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Yeah I doubt he spent or invested must with for any more than he spent on Uggs. The quickness with which the divorce went through makes it seem like both parties just left with their own shit and won’t have any future interests in each others’ earnings. But, if he was money motivated, he would’ve stayed married to the world’s most successful supermodel who’s also an international business titan instead of trying to win more. So, if he already watched $300 mil walk out the door, why would he care about year’s salary in deciding where to go win?
 

Brand Name

make hers mark
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Moving the Line
What Mr. Kraft wants, Mr. Kraft gets. Bill will have to give Tom a few days off. Who's coaching the O line at Alabama?
Eric Wolford. Last year was his first year after coming from Kentucky, decent success given an honestly relatively poor (by Alabama standards) talent line aside from RT JC Latham. Very well liked from what I gather. He won't happen.
 

DJnVa

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Dec 16, 2010
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We talk about wanting to see guys go out on top, not struggling. You'd have a hard time convincing me that watching Brady next season here would be much different than watching the last season he played here.

I guess if the Pats go out and trade for Tee Higgins, sign Meyers and Smith-Schuster or something, but absent that...
 

8slim

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We talk about wanting to see guys go out on top, not struggling. You'd have a hard time convincing me that watching Brady next season here would be much different than watching the last season he played here.

I guess if the Pats go out and trade for Tee Higgins, sign Meyers and Smith-Schuster or something, but absent that...
That team was crushing it the first half the season. If AB didn’t go full AB who knows how it turns out. The biggest issue is that the OL was excellent that year IIRC. We need to fill 2-3 starting spots in 2023 and add depth.
 

Devizier

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Tom Brady is a deeply weird person and has been for a while now. There’s no nostalgia play for me, but he would probably be the best option for the short term at QB and if it can work out then why not.
 

Jimbodandy

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I voted hard pass, but I wouldn't boycott the team if it happened.

I'd rather see any posters in this thread play QB for the NEP than Aaron Rodgers though.

Edit: except myself, unless we pick up 2 tackles.
 

j44thor

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Aug 1, 2006
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I think Brady's contract is going to be a cap killer where ever he lands mostly because he himself doesn't know if he will play 1, 3, 5 more years and he is done taking "team friendly" contracts. I'm guessing he signs a 1-2 yr contract with 1-2 fake years for cap purposes or something like the Bucs contract with void years. Brady is taking up 15% of Bucs cap next year not to play for them a 35M hit they have no avenue not to fully absorb unless he retires or returns. I don't think this team is a Brady away from competing with KC/BUF/CIN and the after effects of his contract would assure it for years to come.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Apr 12, 2005
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How dare you omit Sanu…
Or N'Keal Harry, or Josh Boyce, or Taylor Price or Brandon Tate....

The issue has never been about them not trying to invest in the position through the draft, it's that they have pretty much sucked at it and if not for a generational talent like Gronk and the greatest QB of all time, they managed to get away with those mistakes. Going out and grabbing the AB's and Josh Gordons and Parkers and Agholors and Bournes and UDFA's like Meyers can work when you have Tom Brady and Gronk and Edelman/Welker.

That same strategy at skill positions doesn't work when you don't have Tom Brady or Gronk or an offensive coaching staff that knows what the fuck they're doing. And it certainly ain't going to work with a 46 year old Tom Brady, no offensive line and no Gronk, no matter how good BoB is at his job. That's why I don't think nor want to see Brady come back here, without at least one stud #1 receiver and another guy (either a good #2 or a stud TE) and a completely overhauled offensive line. I just don't know how the cap works to accomplish that and pay Brady.
 

BigSoxFan

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May 31, 2007
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Or N'Keal Harry, or Josh Boyce, or Taylor Price or Brandon Tate....

The issue has never been about them not trying to invest in the position through the draft, it's that they have pretty much sucked at it and if not for a generational talent like Gronk and the greatest QB of all time, they managed to get away with those mistakes. Going out and grabbing the AB's and Josh Gordons and Parkers and Agholors and Bournes and UDFA's like Meyers can work when you have Tom Brady and Gronk and Edelman/Welker.

That same strategy at skill positions doesn't work when you don't have Tom Brady or Gronk or an offensive coaching staff that knows what the fuck they're doing. And it certainly ain't going to work with a 46 year old Tom Brady, no offensive line and no Gronk, no matter how good BoB is at his job. That's why I don't think nor want to see Brady come back here, without at least one stud #1 receiver and another guy (either a good #2 or a stud TE) and a completely overhauled offensive line. I just don't know how the cap works to accomplish that and pay Brady.
Yup, agreed. They’ve been very good about getting quality 2/3 WR types, guys like Meyers, Parker, Bourne, Brandon Lloyd, Brandon LaFell, etc. for relatively cheap dollars but finding that #1 has been really hard outside of Moss, which was a unicorn situation.

I don’t really know what the solution is here. FA ain’t it this year. An impact trade seems unlikely although I would go after Hopkins if he won’t reject it because of BoB.

Otherwise, I see more of the same in 2023 as we saw in 2022.