Tom Brady: Why His New Contract Is Good and Bad For Patriots
Tom Brady reportedly signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the New England Patriots on Thursday. The deal guarantees Brady $48.5 million, making him the highest-paid player in the NFL.
Brady and the Patriots have been negotiating this extension for some time, but both parties wanted to ensure it was done before Sunday's opener.
Was the deal worth it? Here are five reason why it was, and five why it wasn't.
Bad Idea Five: It Damaged Brady's Relationship With The Pats
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These have been some of the most contentious talks between a franchise quarterback and his team in quite a long time.
Brady wanted to be the highest paid quarterback in the NFL, but the Patriots don't really give that kind of money to anyone. After all, this team tries to show that guys are willing to take less money to play here.
The relationship between player and ownership inevitably grew somewhat strained. While a deal got done in the end, it remains to be seen whether any permanent damage was done, or resentment will linger.
Good Idea Five: Show Of Good Faith
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Brady wanted a long term deal to prove that New England still trusted him. By giving him what he wanted, they've done just that.
In an age where franchise players can simply be shown the door after a career's worth of hard work (Tony Gonzalez, anyone?), to see a team stick with a player like Brady is a refreshing change of pace. Granted, it took a little longer than Brady would have liked, but in the end, a deal did get done.
Bad Idea Four: Logan Mankins
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Mankins is the Patriots' Pro Bowl guard. He's currently unhappy with his contract situation, and has not appeared with the team in training camp or during preseason games.
Why is Brady's contract so dangerous to Mankins' situation?
Because it shows that the team rewards those players they feel are valuable to the cause. Mankins has been a valuable asset for the Patriots, one of the anchors of their offensive line.
Now, he wants to be paid fairly, and it doesn't seem like the Patriots particularly want to do that. If they don't give him a deal, he will, in all likelihood, leave. That would be a major blow to New England's hopes in the next year or two.
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Good Idea Four: Randy Moss
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Why is the contract a good thing for Randy Moss, but a bad thing for Logan Mankins?
Because, after Moss recently said that he doesn't feel wanted by the Patriots, Brady said he supported Moss. That means he wants him around, which in turn means New England is much more likely to sign Moss to a deal to keep him there.
Moss is, without a doubt, one of the four or five best receivers in all of football. He's definitely the most talented option Brady has ever had to throw to, and there really isn't anyone else on the roster who can do the things he does.
Moss is 33, but hasn't showed signs of slowing down. There's no reason to think he can't continue to be successful for another three or four years, and the Pats could well pay him what he's worth to keep him.
Bad Idea Three: He Isn't Worth It
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Is Tom Brady really worth the money? Let's look at the facts.
Taking his lost season out of the picture, he saw his numbers drop across the board last season, although much of that can be attributed to Wes Welker's injury.
While, after the 2007 season, he was widely viewed as the best quarterback in football because of his titles and the stats he managed to accrue despite his supporting cast, he's now seen as the third- or fourth-best (or even fifth-best) passer in the league behind Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and possibly Aaron Rodgers and Matt Schaub.
Why pay a guy who's not the best quarterback in football anymore like he's still the best? It doesn't make much sense, does it? I realize he's still elite, but with two to four guys ahead of him, does he really deserve to make that kind of money?
Good Idea Three: He's a Winner
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Tom Brady is a winner. That has been the word most frequently used to describe his tenure in New England. Ever since he took over for Drew Bledsoe, Brady has been a winner.
You can't really quantify it in statistics, but Brady is the type of player who draws fans into the seats. Even if his stats slip somewhat, he's going to give your team a chance to win, meaning he's worth the extra cash to keep him.
Bad Idea Two: He's Getting Old
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Brady is 33 right now, and will be 37 by the time the deal ends. All historical evidence suggests he's on the downslope of his career. So why give him a record-breaking contract now, when he's probably already submitted his best season?
Brady says he wants to play until age 40, but you're paying him like he's a 25-year-old quarterback with his best years still ahead of him.
Good Idea Two: Bill Belichick
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The offensive system Bill Belichick runs is unbelievably complex.
It has multiple possibilities on each play that require the quarterback to audible from the line of scrimmage base on the defense he sees. This means it takes longer to get acclimated to than your standard NFL offense.
Brady is a perfect fit for the offense. With his IQ, arm, and knowledge of the system, it makes sense to keep him around until he can't play anymore.
Bad Idea One: Brady's Knee
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In the first game of the 2008-09 season, Brady suffered a catastrophic knee injury. He missed the rest of the season, and struggled early in the following year.
While the knee is, for all intents and purposes, healthy, Brady is getting older. If he takes another hit on the knee, there's a good chance his career will be over.
We still don't know if there are any lingering effects from the injury. If there are, they will show themselves this season. But if he re-injures the knee, it will start to break down.
As he gets older, the minor injuries he used to play through will linger longer and longer. Right now, everything's fine. But one hit, and things could change significantly, and the Patriots will be left holding the bill.
Good Idea One: He's The Team Leader
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Brady is the heart and soul of the Patriots.
He's talented, charming, women love him, and the team will follow him into the depths of Hell. You have to keep the face of the franchise around as long as possible. Even if the team stinks, people will come to see Brady be a leader.
With Tom Brady playing, this team won't quit. They won't fold, and they'll always have a chance, year in and year out. He brings something to the table that can't be quantified or measured, but is tangibly present.
More than anything else, it is Tom Brady's role as team leader that makes this contract beneficial to the Patriots.
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