2017 Patriots Off-season

Last time a team gave up a first round pick for a restricted free agent was 2003, WR Cole to Washington from Jets. It just barely happens and that's the point. You can't just sit back and let a team sign him if you want to trade him. You have to engage in trade talks.

As to the whole smoke thing, I guess you missed the word "usually"

If it were up to me I would either keep him on the tender amount or make the Saints sign him and decide if you want to match the contract. I would not trade him.

I think that actually seems like what's gonna happen, if what Bob Kraft said today is any indication, but the best thing is, I think, that the Patriots have a lot of flexibility to go any which way they want with any offer for either Butler or Garoppolo now, and they'll just go with whatever they like best!

And that's what I think is great about all this. They've given themselves a lot of room to do anything.

I still don't think they will trade Jimmy but nothing will surprise me, other than them trading him for a package that doesn't include a good first rd pick.

If there's any truth to the reports saying Brown's are willing to offer #12 this year and 2-3 second round picks over next two years. I just don't see how you don't trade him.

Yea those are rumors as is all of it. But the simple argument of why Bill wouldn't is because he's obsessed with winning, is not convinced that Brissett is the next guy just yet, thinks Jimmy can be and knows the QB is the most important position on the field so no draft picks are worth giving up that QB security.


I know franchising a backup QB is "crazy" but there is one GM in the league that just doesn't give a F#[< and he happens to work in Foxboro.

Anyways I know the argument for taking that package and I agree with it but I agree with the alternative too.

That GM who doesn't give a A*^@&^ might also be the only GM with the balls to do something completely unexpected and unrumored and trade Tom Brady.

If his true objective is to build something that actually lasts, then that is the move he should be pulling, if he feels Garoppolo is a good enough QB to replace Brady with.

I can see Garoppolo being traded, but I can also, given Tom's age, see Belichick being the one GM in the NFL who would not give a *&%@&^@! about the media and just trade Brady for even better picks and just keep going with Garoppolo.

And you know, I could also see Belichick simply deciding that one year of Garoppolo at a very cheap year -and- franchising him another year would be worthwhile to live with to make sure he's safe if Brady goes down.

I think that's why Belichick basically doesn't have to do a dang thing if he doesn't want to unless the Browns -really- pay up that it's worth riding with Brissett as a backup.

But dang, I -could- see him completely zagging and trading Brady out of nowhere to, say, San Francisco.

Yeah, good point.

Won't happen. Overthinking the whole 'out of nowhere' thing.

I think people are letting their emotions get in the way of their thinking if they believe there is no chance Brady plays for another franchise. Even he knows that's a distinct possibility. If you look back at the history of the NFL two things are clear:

1. No NFL QB has had more than one great season 40 or older EVER.

2. A lot of great players even QBs who are the faces of their franchises play for another team at the end of their careers. See Manning, Farve and Montana.

Great players usually take longer to accept their skills are declining and not coming back. It seems like everyone here has this confidence that Brady has 3-5 years left in him and he's going to be very good to great that entire time and then the moment things start to slip he's going to know and walk away before it gets too bad.

I can't say what is going to happen with Brady, maybe that scenario plays out but the only reason to have confidence in such a scenario is heavily rooted in blind optimism.

You're letting your love for Jimmy cloud your judgement. The greatest QB ever playing for Patriots for his whole career has major value to the franchise.

Tom Brady has done things other greats have never done his entire career. I will never bet against Brady. He also takes care of his body in a way few do. His diet is textbook and he's in great shape. He also has no nagging injury problems.

Tom Brady will not be traded and he will not play for another team. It's just not going to happen. Few things are certain in Sports, Tom Brady not being traded is one of them! Manning, Farve and Montana situations were very different. Manning and Montana suffered major injuries. Farve while great in his last season had already started to decline. His two prior years were not good. Also the QBs that replaced them were a HOF QB, a guy on his way to HOF and the highest rated QB prospect since Manning. I really like Jimmy, I see a young Romo type QB. Thing is that's not close to a Young, Rodgers and Luck.

You have to remember Kraft would have to sign off on this and he never will. He looks at Brady like he's his son. Brady is the guy that won him 5 titles and made Kraft one of the most powerful NFL owners.

Eh... don't get me wrong, I would love to see Brady play his entire career for the Patriots. It's just that it's such a rare situation under Bill Belichick... I think, offhand, only Tedy Bruschi and Troy Brown played their entire careers as Patriots under him.

Belichick just seems to, however, not like being caught without depth, and trading Garoppolo would seem to do that, since I'm not terribly sure Brissett is ready. If Garoppolo were to be traded, I'd think, it'd depend on Belichick's assessment of Brady -and- Brissett's being able to hold down the next few years.

On the other hand, if you keep Garoppolo (and that would be highly dependant on whether they believe he -is- a Super-Bowl caliber QB), you could keep things going longer than what Brady would give you, in which case, you cannot keep Brady because the time window for keeping Garoppolo is narrowing. And to be frank, Belichick is the one person out there who would trade Brady without concern for the wrath of fans.

Watching this QB picture play out over the next few months (or maybe another year) is gonna be interesting as heck.

My guess here is that unless the Patriots are -really- overwhelmed by the offer for Garoppolo, they'll hold on to him until at least once they see how Brissett does in training camp. And if they -do- trade Garoppolo, they'll probably use another high pick on a QB, and shift the 'Brady heir' discussion a few more years, rather than go all-in.