Tom Brady - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins Unlikely To Make Strong Push For Tom Brady

February 4th, 2020 at 9:21am CST by Zachary Links

Will Tom Brady join up with the Dolphins this offseason? Owner Stephen Ross says that’s not likely to happen.

“We’re a team that’s building, and I don’t know why he’d really want to come to the Dolphins,” Ross said recently (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). “He’s been one of the fiercest competitors there is and we’re at the stage with the Dolphins trying to really build a team for the future,” Ross said.

That’s more or less what you’d expect to hear from an owner who doesn’t want to deal with tampering accusations, but Jackson hears that Ross was telling the truth – he’s not expecting Brady to walk through that door and the Dolphins are unlikely to make a strong push for him.

For the last couple of weeks, there has been increasing buzz about the future Hall of Famer taking his talents to South Beach. The theory goes something like this: Brady is close to Bruce Beal, a business partner of Stephen Ross. Beal holds an option to buy the Dolphins from Ross and could, in turn, sell a minority stake in the team to Brady. Brady, potentially, could boost the value of the club in his twilight years by playing in Miami, but Ross, 79, says he plans on being the Dolphins’ owner for the rest of his life.

The Dolphins might not build their offseason around a Brady pursuit, but the Raiders are expected to make a strong push for him and there’s also buzz around the possibility of the Chargers making a play for him as Philip Rivers nears free agency. Meanwhile, the incumbent Patriots are prepared to pay Brady upwards of $30MM/year on his next contract, if he’s willing to stay.

Brady, 43 in August, completed just 60.8% of his throws last year – his lowest success rate since 2013. His 88.0 QB rating wasn’t anything to write home about, either, though he still managed to throw for 4,057 yards with 24 touchdowns against eight interceptions.

Raiders To Pursue Tom Brady

February 2nd, 2020 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are preparing to make a run for Tom Brady this offseason, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter hears. The Raiders 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

February 2nd, 2020 at 11:00am CST by Rory Parks

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.

Latest On Tom Brady, Dolphins

January 31st, 2020 at 6:06pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

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 Rumors: Videotaping, Brady, Gronk

January 29th, 2020 at 4:33pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

AFC Notes: Ravens, Brady, Mosley

January 26th, 2020 at 11:59am CST by Rory Parks

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.

Kraft: Patriots “Plan To” Keep Tom Brady

January 22nd, 2020 at 11:14am CST by Rory Parks

As expected, Tom Brady rumors have picked up steam over the past couple of days. It has been clear for some time that the chance of a split between the future Hall-of-Famer and the Patriots is as great as it’s ever been, but a return to Foxborough is still on the table.

And team owner Robert Kraft wants to see Brady back with the Pats for his age-43 season. Kraft was asked by a TMZ reporter on Tuesday if the Patriots are going to re-sign Brady, and Kraft said, “we plan to” (h/t Doug Kyed of NESN.com).

Of course, we recently heard that Brady is looking forward to exploring free agency, and even if he ultimately remains with the Patriots, it will not be before he has first had the opportunity to test the market. The Chargers continue to be mentioned as a possible landing spot for Brady, and the Colts and Raiders have also been named as speculative fits.

Brady is not the player he once was, but the fact that he is still playing is remarkable in and of itself. In 2019, the Pats were driven primarily by their defense, as Brady posted a fairly pedestrian 88.0 QB rating. But with a very underwhelming collection of talent at wide receiver and tight end, he still threw for over 4,000 yards and 24 TDs against just eight interceptions.

The Chargers boast much more receiving talent than the Patriots do at the moment, and they also have a running back in Austin Ekeler who is adept at catching passes out of the backfield (assuming the Bolts bring Ekeler back, which they almost certainly will). With a strong supporting cast, there is no reason to think Brady cannot play at a starter level for one or two more seasons.

Extra Points: Brady, Dalton, Dolphins, Lions

January 21st, 2020 at 9:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tom Brady news figures to be a rather common occurrence in this unusual offseason for the 20-year Patriots passer. Set for free agency for the first time, Brady is not expected to re-sign with the Patriots before free agency opens. The Chargers have surfaced again, with Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports noting that Brady will have the Bolts atop his list — if, in fact, he decides to leave New England. This is not the first Brady-Chargers link, but JLC adds that the 42-year-old quarterback would have a short list if he did legitimately decide to test free agency. The Chargers’ Los Angeles headquarters, which have not been especially beneficial to the franchise thus far, would appeal to Brady. The future Hall of Famer holds offseason workouts at USC and has previously lived in L.A. The Chargers are set to move into their new stadium, along with the Rams. Brady would certainly help on this front, with the team struggling to generate attention in its new market.

Here is the latest from around the league:

Andy Dalton and new Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor remain close, and JLC can envision this being a factor in how the quarterback dominoes fall during what could be a complex offseason at sports’ marquee position. Dalton “loved” playing for Lazor during his time as Bengals QBs coach and OC, per JLC. Although the Bears have committed to starting Mitchell Trubisky next season, he certainly has not lived up to his No. 2 overall draft slot and could be pushed like 2015 No. 2 pick Marcus Mariota was this season.
Patriots free agents Devin McCourty, Joe Thuney and Kyle Van Noy will likely have many suitors. One is expected to be the Dolphins, with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writing that Brian Flores holds McCourty in high regard and that the team will pursue Thuney and Van Noy. All three are unrestricted free agents-to-be. Van Noy and McCourty played under Flores during his time as de facto Patriots defensive coordinator (2018), linebackers coach (2016-17) and safeties coach (2012-15). Van Noy and Thuney may price themselves out of New England.
Raekwon McMillan‘s 2019 season also helped sell the Dolphins on his long-term stock, Jackson adds. The Dolphins are interested in keeping the linebacker around long-term. McMillan rated as an upper-echelon linebacker, per Pro Football Focus, this season and became extension-eligible at season’s end. Under the Flores-Chris Grier setup, the Dolphins have already extended a few holdovers from the previous regime.
Damon Harrison revealed at the regular season’s end he is considering retirement, and the Lions are still waiting. They will likely not know Snacks’ plans for at least another few weeks, per the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. Thanks to the one-year add-on the Lions gave him in August, Harrison is under contract through 2021.
The Lions are expected to promote defensive assistant Steve Gregory to secondary coach, Birkett adds. The Lions hired Gregory, who played under Matt Patricia in New England, in 2018. Detroit fired DBs coach Brian Stewart after the season.

Tom Brady Unlikely To Re-Sign With Pats Before Free Agency

January 19th, 2020 at 9:05am CST by Rory Parks

If the Patriots are going to re-sign Tom Brady, they would like to do it before March 17. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reminds us, Brady’s present contract voids on that day, meaning that his $6.75MM cap hits for 2020 and 2021 will accelerate onto New England’s 2020 cap. The same will be true even if the Pats and Brady re-up for one season, but if they agree to a two-year pact, the team could at least spread the dead money hit of $13.5MM over the next two seasons.

However, sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that it would be “extremely surprising” if Brady were to agree to a new deal with the Pats before March 17, and Brady is preparing to discuss a future with other teams. A reunion with New England is not out of the question, but it is far from a certainty at this point.

La Canfora says Brady, who will turn 43 prior to the start of next season, will “do his due diligence to assess all realistic possibilities,” and he is anxious to embrace free agency for the first time in his career.

Neither Volin nor La Canfora offered any speculation as to which teams could be interested in Brady, but the Chargers have frequently been mentioned as a possibility, and the Colts and Raiders also make sense to some degree. One way or another, the Pats legend wants to serve as a mentor to a young QB and leave whatever franchise he ends up with in good shape when he does decide to retire.

NFL Draft Rumors: Lions, Giants, Dolphins

January 9th, 2020 at 9:52am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller:

Miller would be positively stunned if the Bengals don’t draft LSU quarterback Joe Burrow No. 1 overall and the Redskins don’t grab Ohio State defensive end Chase Young with the No. 2 pick.
With that in mind, Miller feels the draft truly starts at No. 3 overall, where the Lions pick. Sources tell Miller that they’ll look heavily at Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah and Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown. Then again, it’s a prime trade-back spot – teams like the Dolphins, Chargers, and Panthers could move up to land a QB.
Unless new head coach Joe Judge sways him in a different direction, Giants GM Dave Gettleman is expected to look at edge-rushers, left tackles, and wide receivers with the No. 4 pick. “He can’t help himself with linemen, so slot your top-rated offensive tackle there,” one scout who previously worked with Gettleman said. Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr. and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas rank among the top tackles in this year’s crop.
No team has done more work on Oregon’s Justin Herbert than the Dolphins, who own the No. 5 pick and two more selections later on, Miller writes. The Dolphins will almost certainly go QB here, then shift their attention to offensive tackle, edge-rusher, and running back help.
The same source who tipped Miller off to the Cardinals‘ love of Kyler Murray last year says they’re wild about Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. But, internally, they also feel that the offensive line need is too big to overlook.
The Raiders, with two picks in the first round, are looking to go defense and wide receiver, Miller hears.
The Bills are already nervous about other teams leapfrogging them for wide receivers, Miller hears. The Bills own the No. 22 overall pick and nine total selections in the draft.
The Patriots are impossible to read, but none of Miller’s sources believe that they’ll draft a quarterback early on. Tom Brady has vowed to continue playing, but he’ll also explore his options in free agency.