Would you want Brady back?

Do you want Brady back?


  • Total voters
    299

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
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Forget whether this is likely to happen. Pretend that Brady wants to come back on a 2 year, $50-60M deal, and that the Pats can make it work cap-wise with void years, etc. (I haven't looked into that aspect of it at all). Would you want him back as the starting QB of the Patriots in 2023 and 2024?
 

Dr. Gonzo

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Jan 8, 2010
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Not even remotely interested in seeing him come back here. The run here was incredible, and that is an understatement, but I've moved on and want to see what Mac and the team can do.
 

tmracht

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Aug 19, 2009
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I'd be disappointed, but if they think Mac isn't the guy, then fine, move him and go with a stop gap. Which is depressing to think about.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
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Wish there was the functionality to add a 2nd question: Brady or Rodgers.

FWIW I voted In a cocaine heartbeat. As much as I've soured on Brady in the last couple years, I'd love to see him end his career in NE the way he was supposed to, and his relationship with BOB would be a huge plus to me. I think they have enough talent on offense that he'd do very well, assuming they can figure out the offensive line situation (big assumption I guess). Parker, Thornton, Bourne, the TEs, the RBs... there is talent there he could exploit.
 

Mystic Merlin

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I don’t think Mac is the guy, so I’d be fine with it even though I have some fear that we’d have front row seats to Brady truly slipping as a player.

I agree that if you do think Mac could be a top flight QB, signing Brady to a 1-2 year deal makes little sense.
 

Marciano490

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Nov 4, 2007
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Yes, absolutely. They might win with Mac, but not because of them. Brady is a better QB next year than Jones, a better story and far easier to root for.
 

Dotrat

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Only if they’re convinced that Mac can’t be fixed or is simply not a good long-term solution. (I also doubt Brady has any interest in returning, but who knows?)
 

Jungleland

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Aug 2, 2009
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It almost certainly improves their chances of competing for a Super Bowl a year from now, so I guess so. But I'm not really interested in the nostalgia/heartwarming storyline it would have to have, and I would be wary of anything that really hurts the team's ability to complete long term. I would've said hard no after Mac's 2021, that we are staring QB no-man's land in the face is the only reason I'd really entertain it.
 

bougrj1

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Jul 14, 2005
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Brady won his first Super Bowl when I was a freshman in college. The longer he plays, the more I can pretend I'm still young. Even better if it's with the pats.
 

Ed Hillel

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Dec 12, 2007
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Hard pass. The team isn't close enough for Brady to take them to the promised land, and his return would prevent getting a better sense of what we have with the guys in house.
I'm not convinced this is true. If you put a top 10 QB on this team this year, they have a realistic chance at a Superbowl. With the ability to get like 75 million in cap space available, bringing on BoB, and having largely the same defense, I don't think it's at all outside the realm of possibility this could be a SB contender if things fall right. Especially considering Buffalo and Miami and in cap hell.

I don't know if I think it's the route I'd take, but I just don't think this is really a team that is definitively out of contention if they got better QB play and added a few weapons.
 

rodderick

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Apr 24, 2009
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I don't think Mac will be with the Patriots three years from now anyway and Brady even at 46-47 likely provides them with a better baseline of QB play for the next two seasons, so yes, I'd do it.
 

JM3

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Dec 14, 2019
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Eh, it's interesting, but naw. Here's the list of QBs who threw for at least 800 yards last year who had a worse yards per attempt than Brady...

Flacco/Kyler/Pickett/Wentz (37 such QBs were higher than Brady).

If he wanted to play for really cheap? Sure, but don't really see enough of a needle move to have to hamper the cap.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

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I do not believe in Mac whatsoever so I voted in a cocaine heartbeat. Bring in a real WR1 and LFG.
 

8slim

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Sure. It'd be entertaining and interesting.

But I'm someone who would've been fine with the Celtics running back Pierce and Garnett instead of trading them because I really loved them.
 

dcdrew10

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I'm on the fence. If the Pats did sign TB12, do they keep Mac? It would be selling super low, but see what you can get for Mac, trade him, use the pick for roster building (mid-rounds OL?). I also kind of feel like the Brady ship has sailed for me, so I am probably 51/49% no/yes.
 

sonofgodcf

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Jul 17, 2005
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The toilet.
I voted for cocaine, and for Brady to return. I think Mac is garbage, so I'd be doubly happy if this means Mac is dumped. I'm done watching the NFL (I think the product has turned awful and dislike the majority of ownership), but this would bring me back to see the two GOAT's finish their careers together.

I don't think Brady should though; I don't think NE has the pieces to win, and Buffalo isn't going anywhere. Brady finishing with the Raiders and maybe bringing them a championship would be an amazing way to bookend his career.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Apr 12, 2005
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If Tom Brady shit in my breakfast, I'd walk a mile barefoot on broken glass to eat it with a smile.

But I said, maybe with mixed feelings, because I don't think Tom Brady could succeed here with this offense around him. I don't think anyone could, and if you pay Tom 25mil, I don't see how they can surround him with the talent it would take to win in today's game.

Look at the 4 playoff teams remaining. Burrow is still playing under his rookie contract, and had a cap hit of like 11mil this season. Ja'Marr Chase, same thing at around 9mil this season. As a result, they can surround those guys with talent on both sides. The tough decisions will star next season for them.

Jalen Hurts has a cap hit this year of less than 2 million. Davonta Smith is on his rookie deal. As a result, they had money to go and get AJ Brown, and fill out the defense, etc.

In San Fran, you have Mr. Irrelevant playing for irrelevant money. They built that team before going and getting Trey Lance, also still on a rookie deal. They'll let Jimmy G. walk and resign Bosa with some of that savings this offseason.

Mahomes is obviously the outlier here, but his contract probably cost them Tyreek Hill. If it weren't for an all world offensive line, I think Mahomes, while still unbelievable, would have a much different season, and he's still nowhere guaranteed to get to the SB.

Josh Allen's cap hit jumps from 16mil to 40mil this offseason. Buffalo won't look the same this time next year.

There are short windows when you start paying guys this kind of money. Tom, who always took discounts, recognized that. But even his discounted price would result in the Pats not being able to surround him with the tools he needs. That's why you stick with Mac and hope he turns the corner, because it frees up the cash to go out and put a team around him vs. the other way around.
 

Justthetippett

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Aug 9, 2015
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Yes, let’s ride. End this the way it should have ended before he found a mistress in Florida for that little fling.
 

Toe Nash

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Absolutely, this is a top 5 defense and they have good RBs. You don't get points for degree of difficulty or for developing a meh QB. This also sets you up better for the future because it forces them to get rid of Mac and not sign him to a second contract which could leave you in purgatory for additional years.

I would try to not let him bring along the rest of the old folks' home unless they could really still play though.
 

Cellar-Door

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Aug 1, 2006
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Eh, it's interesting, but naw. Here's the list of QBs who threw for at least 800 yards last year who had a worse yards per attempt than Brady...

Flacco/Kyler/Pickett/Wentz (37 such QBs were higher than Brady).

If he wanted to play for really cheap? Sure, but don't really see enough of a needle move to have to hamper the cap.
Yards per attempt really? It's not a stat with any value... that's why Andy Dalton was 8th in the league

If you're going to use a random single identifier at least use ANY/A (Brady was 14th in the league), basically all the various all-in-ones (and PFF) think the same, he's in the 13-18 range of QBs this year.

Brady has slipped considerably as a QB, he's still a good starting QB in the NFL.

I don't think I'd be that interested in Brady, he's likely better than Mac, but I think his cost to production as a mid-level starter would be too high. I'd rather grab either a cheaper mid-level starter to compete with Mac (Brissett?), or go for a trade for someone closer to the top end, or even just roll with Mac and draft someone in one of the next 2 drafts. Brady is a declining asset for sure and I don't think paying him market would allow them to build a championship team.
 

Ed Hillel

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Dec 12, 2007
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If Tom Brady shit in my breakfast, I'd walk a mile barefoot on broken glass to eat it with a smile.

But I said, maybe with mixed feelings, because I don't think Tom Brady could succeed here with this offense around him. I don't think anyone could, and if you pay Tom 25mil, I don't see how they can surround him with the talent it would take to win in today's game.
The Pats are probably going to have about 65-70 million to work with this offseason. They could get him some toys, along with elite defense and coaching.

But I think it's more of a personality clash at this point than anything. Tom wouldn't be able to take 2 weeks off for a facelift (or whatever it was) with New England.
 

glennhoffmania

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I'm not convinced this is true. If you put a top 10 QB on this team this year, they have a realistic chance at a Superbowl. With the ability to get like 75 million in cap space available, bringing on BoB, and having largely the same defense, I don't think it's at all outside the realm of possibility this could be a SB contender if things fall right. Especially considering Buffalo and Miami and in cap hell.

I don't know if I think it's the route I'd take, but I just don't think this is really a team that is definitively out of contention if they got better QB play and added a few weapons.
Brady is still a top 10 QB?
 

JM3

often quoted
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Dec 14, 2019
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Yards per attempt really? It's not a stat with any value... that's why Andy Dalton was 8th in the league

If you're going to use a random single identifier at least use ANY/A (Brady was 14th in the league), basically all the various all-in-ones (and PFF) think the same, he's in the 13-18 range of QBs this year.

Brady has slipped considerably as a QB, he's still a good starting QB in the NFL.

I don't think I'd be that interested in Brady, he's likely better than Mac, but I think his cost to production as a mid-level starter would be too high. I'd rather grab either a cheaper mid-level starter to compete with Mac (Brissett?), or go for a trade for someone closer to the top end, or even just roll with Mac and draft someone in one of the next 2 drafts. Brady is a declining asset for sure and I don't think paying him market would allow them to build a championship team.
Eh, it's not an important stat, which is why I would still be somewhat interested at a cheap price, but I don't think he's a needle-mover the way he used to be & his counting #s were only so high last year because he threw 34 more passes than anyone else in the NFL (& a lot of them were to Mike Evans & Chris Godwin).

I was mostly just using it to illustrate an extreme point, but agree completely he's somewhere in that league average range as a passer at this point.
 

Deathofthebambino

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The Pats are probably going to have about 65-70 million to work with this offseason. They could get him some toys, along with elite defense and coaching.

But I think it's more of a personality clash at this point than anything. Tom wouldn't be able to take 2 weeks off for a facelift (or whatever it was) with New England.
Could they? Probably. Would they? I think Tom would need that evidence first. They basically didn't go and get him many toys in the 2 decades he was here, especially near the end. They tried to get him some in 2019 with AB and Josh Gordon, etc., but they likely don't have to do that if they don't waste the 2018 draft by taking Wynn/Michel in the 1st round, and then not coming back to offense until like Braxton Berrios in the 200's. That WR room at the end of 2018 was a mess, and Gronk was leaving.

Meanwhile, they traded up to get Duke Dawson a few picks in front of guys like DJ Chark and James Washington. It wasn't a great draft class at WR by any means, but at least make Brady think you're trying to do something. The Ravens traded down into the 3rd round to get Mark Andrews, we knew Gronk had retired, and the Pats tried to replace him with 7th rounder Ryan Izzo, the corpse of Ben Watson at 39 years old and Matt LaCosse....
 

glennhoffmania

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I think he's still top 5 TBH. I'd take the 3 AFC elites and then probably Brady, for a single season.
Oh Tim. Well in that case, sure give him $50m. As a fan of another AFC East team I'd definitely be in favor of it.
 

BigJay

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Jul 22, 2022
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Theoretically, I'd welcome back, but under conditions that would never happen. Being:

1. He only makes a pittance, less than $10 million
2. Mac is traded for a top 10 draft pick, or a mid round (11-20) first and multiple 2nd and/or 3rd round picks
 

8slim

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I think Tom would need that evidence first. They basically didn't go and get him many toys in the 2 decades he was here, especially near the end.
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.
 

Old Fart Tree

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Theoretically, I'd welcome back, but under conditions that would never happen. Being:

1. He only makes a pittance, less than $10 million
2. Mac is traded for a top 10 draft pick, or a mid round (11-20) first and multiple 2nd and/or 3rd round picks
On what planet is Mac bringing a top 10 draft pick? He wasn't one when he was drafted, and he took a bit step back this year.
 

Pandemonium67

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It all depends on how BB sees Mac. If he feels strongly Mac is not the one, get TB, see if Gronk can still cut it, and tell Slater and McCourty to lace 'em up one more season. Get the whole gang together for one last rodeo.

Use your cap space and draft to get one serious WR weapon and rebuild the O line.

Would this get the Pats to the Super Bowl? Not likely but at least possible. And it would be a lot of fun.
 

54thMA

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Theoretically, I'd welcome back, but under conditions that would never happen. Being:

1. He only makes a pittance, less than $10 million
2. Mac is traded for a top 10 draft pick, or a mid round (11-20) first and multiple 2nd and/or 3rd round picks
What team, or more to the point, in what world would a team offer the Patriots a top 10 draft pick for Mac Jones? Or more to the point; a mid round first AND multiple 2nd/3rd round picks?

I'm over Brady, he left here three years ago, best of luck to him wherever he ends up.

Unless it's Miami; if so, fuck him.

Edit; "Under conditions that would never happen".....................no, those conditions would indeed never happen.
 

Old Fart Tree

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Would this get the Pats to the Super Bowl? Not likely but at least possible. And it would be a lot of fun.

This is where I'm at. I think they're not likely to win the super bowl for a while regardless. But I don't really care! They fucking won six! As someone else put it, they had 60 years of success - and I'd argue it's more like 100 years of success - in 20 years! That's amazing!

So now, I just want to be entertained. I would be invested in each game, because I want him to succeed and go out on good terms. I would be very, very entertained.

Note: this is one of 572,000 reasons I'm not an NFL GM.
 

glennhoffmania

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You'd rather him on the Pats than Miami?
Considering the players, caps, and beyond 2023, absolutely. Even for only one year, definitely.
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.
I agree with this 100%. It's kind of silly to say that Brady never had a good supporting cast. He had some of the best at times. Other than Moss maybe he didn't have one of the premier guys with him but he almost always had a very solid and/or deep supporting cast. Plus he had some pretty good RBs along with the guys you mentioned.
 

P'tucket rhymes with...

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The Pats are probably going to have about 65-70 million to work with this offseason. They could get him some toys, along with elite defense and coaching.

But I think it's more of a personality clash at this point than anything. Tom wouldn't be able to take 2 weeks off for a facelift (or whatever it was) with New England.
Brady would presumably require a pretty good chunk of that cap space.
 

Marciano490

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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).
 

BaseballJones

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Oct 1, 2015
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Hell. Yes.

I love Brady. Yes he's weird. But he's still very good and as I posted in the other Brady thread, if they fix the OL, and with O'Brien running the offense, there's no reason, really, why this can't be a top-10 offense with Brady. Have a top-10 offense with this defense, and this team is a legit Super Bowl contender. Trade Mac for whatever you can get for him, then either draft the next guy to replace Brady in 2 years or, if you really think he's the guy, groom Zappe.
 

P'tucket rhymes with...

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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).
One would suspect that he'll either be looking for a boatload of money, or a plug-and-play offense ready to go SB hunting. We have neither, and a promise to retool the offense--which might or might not actually work--comes up short in comparison with teams that already have the goods.
 

Ralphwiggum

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Cocaine heartbeat. I'm not sure Mac's ceiling is the level that Brady is playing at right now, and I'm almost positive Mac isn't going to warrant picking up his option or a 2nd contract. Move on from him now, bring in Brady for 1-2 years and hopefully draft his replacement.

Probably not a solid plan but shit it would be fun, certainly a lot more fun than watching the garbage we saw from Mac this year.
 

Marciano490

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Also, we’ve won - both the Pats and Boston - so much these past two decades, and championships are so variable generally - I just want my sports teams to be fun and have people I like rooting for. Brady back to the Pats for another year or two would be a ton of fun and I’d love to root for Tom on the home team again.