Patriots Notes: Gronk, Brady
- Tom Brady‘s cryptic Instagram post turned out to be fodder for a Super Bowl commerical in which he told fans that he’s “not going anywhere.” That means the Patriots star will return to the field, but not necessarily with the Pats. When Brady explores free agency, he’ll find tons of interest from other clubs, including the Raiders and Dolphins. Meanwhile, the Patriots are willing to give the superstar $30MM/year to stay.
On Super Bowl week, former Patriots star Rob Gronkowski explained just how dejected he was during his final season on the field.
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.
Patriots Prepared To Pay Tom Brady $30MM/Year
Tom Brady and the Patriots could very well extend their remarkably fruitful relationship into 2020 and beyond, and New England is prepared to do whatever it can to make that happen. Per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Pats are willing to pay Brady $30MM or more per season to get him to stay in Foxborough (video link).
That would bring Brady more in line with the pay of elite QBs around the league, but in addition to the size of his own contract, Brady wants the club to pony up some cash and/or draft capital to bring in more talent to surround him. The Pats were carried by their defense this year, and their general dearth of weapons at wide receiver and tight end proved to be costly down the stretch of the 2019 season and played a major role in their wildcard round defeat.
We have long heard that the Chargers could be among the non-Patriots suitors for Brady, and Rapoport confirms that the Bolts are expected to make a strong push for the legendary signal-caller. RapSheet notes in a written piece that the Chargers, who are prepared to move into an extravagant new stadium in LA, could incorporate Brady’s TB12 workout facility, which is important to Brady. Rapoport also mentions the Titans as a potential landing spot (depending, of course, on what they choose to do with Ryan Tannehill).
Meanwhile, the Patriots are working on contingency plans just in case they cannot convince Brady to rejoin them. One such option includes a trade for a veteran QB, and there could be several viable players on the trade market, including Cam Newton and Andy Dalton.
This Date In Transactions History: Pats Sign Player To Unprecedented Futures Deal
When we add entries to the “This Date in Transactions” series, we generally don’t focus on players without an NFL appearance, especially when said transaction is a usually-anonymous futures deal. However, on this date in 2013, one of the more unusual futures contract was signed.
On February 1st, 2013, the New England Patriots officially signed Armond Armstead to a futures contract. The defensive tackle had once been a top prospect at USC, but the school’s medical staff refused to clear him for the 2011 campaign after learning of a major heart issue (Armstead would later sue the school, saying the team doctors’ use of painkillers contributed to the heart issue and ultimately compromised his earning potential). With the lineman being forced to miss his senior season, he ended up going undrafted in the 2012 Draft.
Armstead later took his talents to the CFL, where he earned an All-Star nod after compiling 43 tackles and six sacks en route to a Grey Cup Championship. Following his standout campaign, the lineman requested (and was granted) his released so he could pursue an NFL gig.
It didn’t take long for him to find his next deal, as he inked a futures deal with the Patriots on February 1st. So what’s so unusual about the contract? Well, let’s first review the standard futures deal. These contracts tie players to a teams’ roster throughout the offseason, and it counts towards the salary cap and 90-man camp roster for the subsequent season. These deals are usually one-year, minimum-salary, non-guaranteed deals. In fact, in 2011, the NFLPA filed a collusion suit against the league claiming that front offices were conspiring to keep these values especially low (among other, more notable salary-cap machinations).
Armstead’s deal was one of the few futures contracts that offered anything of substance, with the total value being practically unprecedented. The team signed the lineman to a three-year futures contract that included $655K in guaranteed money (the deal could have been worth up to $1.48MM). This kind of commitment by the Patriots proved that the organization was high on the prospect and there was probably some competition for his services.
Unfortunately, the deal didn’t end up working out. Armstead required surgery to treat an infection during the 2013 offseason, leading to his placement on the reserve/non-football injury list. He didn’t see the field during his rookie campaign, and he ended up announcing his retirement during the 2014 offseason.
While Armstead’s NFL career didn’t work out, he still has this interest footnote (as well as $655K) to fall back on.
Latest On Tom Brady, Dolphins
Tom Brady sparked a frenzy earlier this week when he posted a cryptic photo of himself to Twitter. Although Adam Schefter of ESPN soon clarified in a tweet that it wasn’t a statement on his impending free agency, that didn’t stop the rumor mill from churning. 
The potential new team for Brady “that continues to get the most buzz” is the Dolphins, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. While Brady going to a team that was in a full-blown rebuild this past season wasn’t something anybody has expected, there are at least some connections. Dolphins head coach Brian Flores spent 15 seasons with Brady in New England, and there are other ex-Patriots on staff.
Florio also highlights the presence of Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’ business partner Bruce Beal. Florio writes that there has been talk of “Beal buying the team and selling a sliver of it to Brady.” One league source told Florio “that a sale to Beal is possible not long after” Miami finishes hosting the Super Bowl. All that being said, Ross himself quickly threw some cold water on all the speculation.
Responding to the report he might sell the team, Ross said “I have no interest in selling the team. Zero. Got it? People can write what they want to write. I’m going to own it until I die,” per David Wilson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Beal still appears to be Ross’ successor as owner, but it doesn’t sound like he’s selling anytime soon. Ross, 79, also didn’t sound overly enthused about the possibility of adding Brady.
Ross said “we’re building” and that “people are writing about it. People need something to write about,” when asked about the Brady rumors, via Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). It would’ve been very entertaining to see Brady stay in the AFC East and play the Pats twice a year, but it doesn’t seem too likely as of right now.
Patriots’ Jason McCourty To Continue Playing
Twins tend to think alike. On Friday, Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty confirmed that he’ll continue playing in 2020 (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
Jason’s declaration comes just days after Devin McCourty told reporters that he will also suit up for another year. However, it’s worth noting that their contracts aren’t in sync. Jason is signed through 2020 and scheduled to count for a $5.7MM cap figure, though the Pats could save $4MM with just $1.75MM in dead money if they wanted to release him. Devin, meanwhile, will be a free agent in March.
Both McCourtys say they’ll be on the field in 2020 – even if its not with the Pats.
“I’m pretty wide open. When you play 10 years somewhere, it’s not always a definite to return,” Devin said.
Jason appeared in 12 games (ten starts) at cornerback last year, notching 39 tackles, one interception, and a solid 74.4 score from PFF that positioned him as the No. 17 ranked CB in the league. Meanwhile, Devin started all 16 games for the fourth consecutive year, logged five interceptions — his highest total since the 2012 campaign — and allowed a completion percentage of 54.3 as the nearest defender in coverage.
When the twins turn 33 in August, they’ll be in training camp. It’s just not certain that it’ll be in New England.
Patriots Rumors: Videotaping, Brady, Gronk
The league’s investigation into the Patriots’ videotaping incident is still ongoing, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed on Wednesday. The process has already taken roughly two months and Goodell says he won’t rush things along.
“Our responsibility is to make sure we’re being extremely thorough,” Goodell said (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI). “We have a responsibility to 31 other clubs, we have a responsibility to partners, we have a responsibility to fans understand all of what happened, and to make sure that something that we don’t know happened didn’t happen. And so, from our standpoint we want to make sure we are being thorough. Our team has been on it. We have been focused on this. I think it has not been that lengthy of time. We obviously put the focus on it, but we are going to get it right. When we come to a conclusion, we’ll certainly make sure that people are aware of it.”
When the investigation finally wraps, the Patriots may face fines and/or the forfeiture of a draft pick.
Here’s more from New England:
- During his Super Bowl week media availability, Rob Gronkowski was, predictably, asked about the possibility of returning to football. The longtime Patriots tight end, in turn, gave a predictable answer that won’t do much to silence the speculation. “Oh, man, I don’t know,” Gronkowski said when asked if he’ll ever come out of retirement. “I’m a young guy — 30 years old. I still love to workout, stay in shape. Like I said, I’ve answered this question many, many times. I will never say complete no, because I love playing sports. I love competing.”
- Meanwhile, Gronk says he supports Tom Brady‘s desire to explore free agency this offseason (via Nick Goss of NBC Sports). “He’s going to be a free agent for the first time ever. Good for him,” Gronk said. “Test out the market, and then do what’s best for himself. That’s the decision he has to make — what’s best for himself, what’s best for his family, what he feels like he’s going to love.”
- Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia announced that he will retire this offseason. Scarnecchia spent 34 years on the Pats’ staff and served as an assistant for ten of their eleven Super Bowl appearances.
Patriots’ Dante Scarnecchia To Retire
The Patriots will lose their acclaimed offensive line coach to another retirement. After Dante Scarnecchia‘s return from his previous retirement coincided with three straight Patriots Super Bowls, the 72-year-old assistant will step away again, he confirmed Tuesday (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss). Former Patriots tight end Christian Fauria, now with WEEI, was the first to report of Scarnecchia’s intention to retire again.
Scarnecchia initially retired after the 2013 season but was coaxed back to the sidelines in 2016. The Patriots perennially field one of the league’s top offensive lines, and their longtime staffer’s presence was certainly no coincidence in that trend. Despite center David Andrews missing the entire season and left tackle Isaiah Wynn out for much of it, Scarnecchia’s latest group rated in the top 10 in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards and pass-protection metrics.
While Scarnecchia’s second stint in New England helped the franchise secure its fifth and sixth championships, he spent 34 years on the Pats’ staff. Scarnecchia was a Patriots assistant for 10 of their 11 Super Bowl appearances and 48 of the team’s 59 playoff games, beginning his run with the team in 1982. After a brief stay as the Colts’ O-line coach (from 1989-90, following former Pats coach Ron Meyer to Indianapolis), Scarnecchia spent most of the 1990s as the Pats’ special teams coordinator. He began serving as their offensive line coach in 1999 and held that job for the better part of the next 20 years.
“It was a privilege to coach with Dante for so long,” Bill Belichick said. “I knew that long before his initial retirement and throughout a second act of continued excellence. Dante is among the very best assistant coaches ever.”
Belichick is one of six Patriots HCs with whom Scarnecchia has worked. The Pats replaced Scarnecchia with Dave DeGuglielmo during his 2014-15 sabbatical and will again have to fill some big shoes in filling their 2020 staff.
This also marks the latest veteran coach to leave New England. The Pats lost longtime defensive assistants Matt Patricia and Brian Flores over the previous two offseasons and lost multiple offensive assistants when Flores took the Dolphins’ HC job. While Tom Brady‘s status looms as the top Patriots uncertainty heading into next season, Belichick will need to make a key hire to replace one of the few organizational fixtures whose New England arrival predates Brady’s.
49ers Notes: Shanahan, Lynch, Garoppolo
The trade that sent Jimmy Garoppolo from New England to San Francisco has turned out to be one of the most important swaps in recent NFL history, with Tom Brady‘s former backup set to start in Super Bowl LIV. Despite other suitors believed to be in the mix for Garoppolo in 2017, Bill Belichick alerted Kyle Shanahan he was willing to part with the former second-round pick for a second-rounder. The 49ers quickly accepted but did so after initially being willing to offer the Patriots more for the then-fourth-year passer, Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com reports. But Belichick, despite previous refusals to trade Garoppolo, was not posturing when he indicated he would take a Round 2 pick for his contract-year quarterback.
It ended up costing the 49ers only the No. 43 overall selection in 2018 to land their starting quarterback. While this process was murkier on the Patriots’ end, it helped the 49ers construct a rebuild that has them in their seventh Super Bowl.
A week away from the 49ers’ Super Bowl matchup with the Chiefs, here is the latest out of San Francisco:
- Going back to when this rebuild began, Shanahan did not mince words about the state of the 49ers during his interview for their top coaching job. Early in the then-Falcons OC’s 2017 interview, he told team CEO Jed York the roster left over from the Trent Baalke era at that time was “horrible,” Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area notes. This led to a gradual rebuild that did not get far off the ground before this season, with the 49ers going 10-22. But York was on board with the process, viewing 2019 as the first real season on which the Shanahan-John Lynch regime could be judged, Maiocco adds. York gave the HC-GM duo six-year contracts because of the team going through three coaches in three years from 2014-16.
- Lynch’s hire came about because he cold-called Shanahan with an offer to pair with him in San Francisco, Wickersham adds. A recommendation from Mike Shanahan, who coached Lynch in Denver, helped seal the deal for his son. Lynch had spoken at length with Kyle Shanahan on the phone in preparation for games he would call as a broadcaster, per Wickersham, and hoped for a chance to return to football. Shanahan did not have much familiarity with the other finalists for the 49ers’ GM job — Vikings assistant GM George Paton and Cardinals VP of player personnel Terry McDonough — and the decision to hire a GM out of the broadcast booth has helped the 49ers return to the Super Bowl.
- Despite dealing with a dislocated shoulder that induced pain preventing him from walking off the field last weekend, Tevin Coleman has received good news about his status for Super Bowl LIV.
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.