Patriots Are 'Pretty Mediocre' After Tom Brady's Exit for Buccaneers, Says Agent

One NFL agent does not expect the New England Patriots' reign over the AFC East to continue much longer after Tom Brady's departure.

The agent told Ben Standig of The Athletic that the Patriots look "pretty mediocre" heading into 2020:

"I guess for me, it's the same one everybody’s going to talk about. Not because the contract was so monumental, just that there's been a seismic shift with (Brady). And all of a sudden, the Buccaneers are good, and the Patriots are bad. And I don’t know that any single player ever had that dramatic impact in free agency. Now, we have to play the game still, of course. But one downtrodden franchise is among the best on paper and the other historically, fantastic dynasty franchise on a 20-year run has all of a sudden gotten pretty mediocre. Now, there's more to it than just that. But it was Tom that instigated the whole thing."

Standig noted that most of the quotes were taken between June 15 and June 30, so it's unclear if the comments were made before or after the Patriots signed Cam Newton, though signs point to before.

From a pure talent standpoint, there is no reason to expect the Patriots offense to be worse with Newton under center than Brady. Newton, 31, is younger and more agile, and the last time he was healthy he was completing passes at a career-high clip.

Brady struggled in the second half of 2019, especially with his accuracy. In seven of Brady's last nine games in New England (including the playoffs), he completed less than 60 percent of his passes. Newton's far from the most accurate passer in football, but he spent most of his career playing in systems predicated on downfield throwing. 

The Patriots will probably supply Newton with more safe, easy throws than he's had his entire career, assuming the team keeps most of its scheme from recent seasons. 

New England will also return most of a defense that ranked as the best in the NFL in several categories last season, including yards allowed. Provided Newton stays healthy, the Patriots should not be significantly worse than they were during a 12-4 campaign in 2019.