Poll: Who Will Tom Brady Play For In 2020?
As expected, Tom Brady‘s name has become a mainstay in NFL headlines as we creep closer to the opening of free agency in March. Even as the 2019 season was in progress, his future in the league was often discussed, and several teams were rumored as potential landing spots if he should continue his playing career and elect to leave the Patriots.
And while Brady put an end to any retirement drama immediately after New England’s ouster from the playoffs by saying he would return to the field in 2020, the question of where he will play is still very much unsettled.
The Chargers, long rumored as a possible fit, were definitively linked to Brady just last week, when Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirmed that the Bolts would make a push for the six-time Super Bowl champ. Given the talent that LA boasts at the skill positions and the fact that the club could incorporate Brady’s TB12 workout facility into its brand new stadium — not to mention Brady’s connections to SoCal — a Chargers-Brady partnership is a logical one.
But LA’s division rival, the Raiders, are also planning to pursue the future Hall of Famer. Adding Brady at this point in his career would not necessarily represent a slam-dunk upgrade over Derek Carr, but it would make a ton of sense from a marketing perspective for the Las Vegas-bound outfit and for Brady, and if the Raiders improve their receiving corps — which they are fully expected to do — they could compete for a wildcard berth in 2020.
The Colts and Titans have been more speculative fits than anything else, but the Colts hung around the playoff picture for much of the 2019 season, the AFC South looks like it will be up for grabs again in 2020, and Brady could be the boost that gets Indianapolis back to the postseason. The Colts are also flush with cap space, so they could afford to sign Brady while also providing him with a couple of additional weapons, though they already have a few talented pieces at the skill positions.
Of course, the Titans were the team that ended the Patriots’ 2019 playoff run, and they advanced to the AFC Championship game behind a dominant running game and good defense. Ryan Tannehill was more of a game manager in the playoffs than he was in his regular season renaissance, and recent reports have suggested that Tennessee may not be as committed to him as was once believed. If Brady is interested, the Titans may be, too.
And then there’s the Patriots, who became one of the all-time great dynasties in sports with Brady under center. Owner Robert Kraft has made it clear that he wants Brady back, but some around the league believe the 42-year-old will leave Foxborough, leaving the Pats without a definitive answer at QB for the first time in 20 years.
So what do you think? Will Brady remain with the only team he has ever known, or will he play out the remainder of his career trying to bring glory to another franchise? Vote in the poll below and show your work in the comments.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/6/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Quentin Poling
Salary Guaranteed For Raiders’ Tyrell Williams
Today, Tyrell Williams‘ $11MM base salary for the 2020 season became fully guaranteed, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) notes. Before Wednesday, the wide receiver’s salary was guaranteed for injury only, meaning that the Raiders could have cut him without any fiscal penalty. 
After an injury-riddled season, Williams was not a slam dunk to return to the Raiders in 2020. Playing through plantar fasciitis in both feet, Williams didn’t have the sort of breakthrough campaign the Raiders were expecting when they handed him a four-year, $44 million deal last year.
Williams’ 42 grabs for 651 yards and six touchdowns were roughly in line with his previous work, but it wasn’t the sort of production that you’d want out of an $11MM/year player. He did provide glimpses of potential, however. Williams kicked off the year with six catches for 105 yards against the Broncos and later torched the Texans for a seemingly easy 46-yard touchdown – an emphatic statement following a multi-game absence.
The Raiders’ infatuation with Jets receiver and soon-to-be free agent Robby Anderson is well-known, but Williams’ presence could slow their pursuit. Instead, the Raiders could use one of their two first-round picks on a rookie WR, and they’ll have a bevy of top-end talents from which to choose. Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs III, and Tee Higgins are among the players that headline this year’s crop of receivers and depending on how the early picks shake out, they could all be on the table at No. 12. Even if there’s an unexpected run on receivers early, at least one of those players should be available at No. 19.
For now, Williams and Hunter Renfrow are slotted in as the Raiders’ top targets.
Raiders To Re-Sign Jalen Richard
The Raiders are keeping Jalen Richard. On Wednesday, the club agreed to re-sign the running back to a brand new deal, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The new contract will pay him $7MM over two years, with the potential to earn up another $1MM through incentives. He’ll also see a full guarantee of $4.6MM.
[RELATED: Raiders To Pursue Tom Brady]
Richard lit up the stat sheet in Jon Gruden‘s first year at the helm by finishing 2018 with 68 catches for 607 yards, plus an average of 4.7 yards per carry in a limited sample size. Last year, the numbers weren’t quite as flashy, but he still showed value as a solid third-down running back with soft hands. Richard caught 36 passes for 323 yards in 2019 and added another 145 yards on the ground in 39 carries.
Last year, Richard earned roughly $3.1MM on a deal that he inked in April. This time around, he’s found security in a fresh pact far in advance of free agency.
As the Raiders move from Oakland to Las Vegas, they’ll continue to feature Josh Jacobs as their primary tailback. As a rookie, the Alabama product amassed 1,150 yards in just 13 games while averaging 4.8 yards per tote.
2020 Draft Order
Super Bowl LIV is in the books, which means the order for the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft is set. By virtue of their 31-20 win Sunday night, the Chiefs will have the final pick in the first round. The 49ers dropping to 5-2 in Super Bowls will result in the NFC champions approaching the podium at No. 31.
Here is the full first-round order:
1. Bengals (2-14)
2. Redskins (3-13)
3. Lions (3-12-1)
4. Giants (4-12)
5 Dolphins (5-11)
6. Chargers (5-11)
7. Panthers (5-11)
8. Cardinals (5-10-1)
9. Jaguars (6-10)
10. Browns (6-10)
11. Jets (7-9)
12. Raiders (7-9)
13. Colts (7-9)
14. Buccaneers (7-9)
15. Broncos (7-9)
16. Falcons (7-9)
17. Cowboys (8-8)
18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)
19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)
20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)
21. Eagles (9-7)
22. Bills (10-6)
23. Patriots (12-4)
24. Saints (13-3)
25. Vikings (10-6)
26. Dolphins (via Texans 10-6)
27. Seahawks (11-5)
28. Ravens (14-2)
29. Titans (9-7)
30. Packers (13-3)
31. 49ers (13-3)
32. Chiefs (12-4)
Raiders To Pursue Tom Brady
The Raiders are preparing to make a run for Tom Brady this offseason, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter hears. The Raide
rs have been less-than-thrilled with Derek Carr, and Brady would represent a major step up at the quarterback position.
Brady, for the most part, has kept mum about his future plans. His Super Bowl commercial on Sunday, however, indicated that he’ll continue playing in 2020.
The Raiders already have Derek Carr signed through the 2022 season, but they’re not necessarily stuck with him. If they release him midway through his five-year, $125MM deal, they’ll be left with just $5MM in dead money versus $16.5MM in cap savings. That money could be redirected towards Brady, who can command one of the highest salaries in the NFL.
The Patriots are prepared to give Brady a deal worth $30MM per annum, which would at least put him in the range of his true market value. The Raiders, meanwhile, can offer him something in the same neighborhood by clearing most of Carr’s salary from the books.
Brady may be past his prime, but that sort of thing has never dissuaded Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. Brady, 42, would give the Raiders a proven winner and tons of star power in their inaugural Las Vegas season.
The competition for Brady figures to be fierce and will extend beyond the Patriots and Raiders. The Chargers, Dolphins, and Titans (depending on how things shake out with Ryan Tannehill) figure to be just some of the teams that will weigh the future Hall of Famer this offseason.
AFC Notes: Ravens, Brady, Mosley
We heard at the end of December that the Ravens are prepared to slap pass rusher Matt Judon with the franchise tag if they cannot work out a long-term deal with him, but recent comments from head coach John Harbaugh suggested Judon could be suiting up elsewhere in 2020. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic says Baltimore may be disinclined to use the tag, as it would take up a big chunk of their cap and could alienate the emotional and outspoken Judon.
On the other hand, Judon is the only proven pass rusher on the team, and there’s no guarantee the Ravens can win a bidding war for one of this year’s top FAs or land a player at the bottom of the first round of the draft who can make an immediate impact, so GM Eric DeCosta will have to carefully weigh a number of factors.
Let’s round up a few other AFC items, starting with several more nuggets out of Baltimore:
- The Ravens and veteran CB Jimmy Smith have mutual interest in a reunion, per Zrebiec. However, if Baltimore brings back Smith, it’s unlikely that CB/S Brandon Carr also returns. Meanwhile, the Ravens will almost certainly cut safety Tony Jefferson.
- Regardless of what they do with Judon, the Ravens will have to add three or four starting-caliber players to their front seven, so Zrebiec expects the team to focus on those areas heavily in the draft, and he fully expects DeCosta to draft a WR or two.
- Add Jay Glazer of The Athletic to the list of pundits who believe a Tom Brady–Raiders partnership makes sense. Like others, Glazer thinks the Chargers are an obvious non-Patriots landing spot, but given the international presence that the Las Vegas outfit is expected to have, both Brady and the team would stand to benefit from a Sin City marriage.
- In a recent interview with Eddie Paskal of the team’s official website, Raiders GM Mike Mayock said he believes the move to Las Vegas will help the club attract top free agents, even those not named Brady. The fact that Nevada does not have a state income tax will obviously be appealing, as will the sleek new stadium and the general excitement surrounding the franchise. Mayock also noted that he will look to add wide receiver help this offseason.
- Jets LB C.J. Mosley had to undergo groin/abdominal surgery about six weeks ago, but he expects to be ready for the team’s offseason program this spring, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. One of last year’s biggest free agent fish, Mosley played in just two games for Gang Green, and he has started a vegan diet in the hopes of giving himself an edge.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/24/20
We’ll keep track of today’s futures deals here:
Las Vegas Raiders:
- LB Te’Von Coney
An undrafted free agent from Notre Dame, Coney finished the season on the Raiders’ practice squad.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/23/20
We’ll keep track of today’s futures deals here:
Las Vegas Raiders
- DB Ken Crawley
- DE Kendal Vickers
Tennessee Titans
Raiders Sign Nevin Lawson To Extension
The Raiders have signed cornerback Nevin Lawson to a one-year extension, worth $3.29MM, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The new deal will keep him in the fold through the 2020 season, allowing him to build off of a solid second half in which he joined the starting lineup. 
[RELATED: Raiders GM Mike Mayock On Antonio Brown, Jon Gruden, Derek Carr]
Lawson was originally drafted by the Lions in the fourth round back in 2014. He spent the first five years of his career there, and became a full-time starter in Detroit for the last three. The Utah State product has started 50 games over the past four years and is still only 28, so he still offers upside.
Earlier this month, Lawson was hit with a one-game suspension for using his helmet as a weapon in the season finale against the Broncos. Therefore, he won’t be on the field when the Raiders play their first game as the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
Last year, Lawson earned a subpar 60.8 overall score from Pro Football Focus. He didn’t have enough snaps (301) to qualify for a ranking at his position, but in larger sample size, that would have placed him somewhere around the No. 70 CB in the NFL.