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Tom Brady

AFC East Notes: Brady, Marrone, Polian, Jets

January 22nd, 2015 at 4:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady adamantly denied that he had any involvement in the deflating of footballs during New England’s victory over the Colts in Sunday’s AFC Championship game. “I didn’t alter the ball in any way,” said Brady. “…I was surprised as anyone on Monday morning when I heard what was happening…I have no knowledge of anything…I’m very comfortable saying that” (Twitter links via Albert Breer of NFL.com). Furthermore, Brady stated that NFL has not yet contacted him as part of their investigation, but allowed that they might do so, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) — per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Brady would be the last person the NFL speaks to, based on Rapoport’s knowledge of the how the league conducts its probes. Here’s more from the AFC East, including a little more on DeflateGate:

  • Patriots head coach Bill Belichick also spoke to reporters earlier today, and one league source found it “shocking” that Belichick shifted the focus of the scandal to Brady, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Of course, Belichick didn’t accuse Brady of anything improper, but he did say that “quarterbacks…know a lot more than I do,” which struck many as odd.
  • Some league insiders believe that ex-Bills coach (and current Jaguars OL coach) Doug Marrone and Jacksonville executive Chris Polian could be a head coach/general manager pairing in 2016, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link via Mike Rodak).
  • Packers assistant offensive line coach Steve Marshall is expected to join the Jets, presumably continuing to work with the offensive line, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett interviewed with the Dolphins on Wednesday, and the former Wildcat says the meeting went well, per James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Lynn, Brady, Bills

December 30th, 2014 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

As the AFC East’s only playoff team takes a week off before preparing to host its first postseason contest, let’s round up the latest notes from out of the division….

  • We can add an internal candidate to the Jets‘ list of potential head coaches, according to Kristian Dyer of Metro New York, who tweets that Anthony Lynn will interview for the position. Lynn, who has served as the team’s running backs coach and assistant head coach for the last three seasons under Rex Ryan, is likely being interviewed to help the Jets satisfy the terms of the Rooney Rule.
  • When it was first reported yesterday that Tom Brady had agreed to restructure his contract with the Patriots, it was presented as simply a matter of converting guaranteed salaries into salaries guaranteed for injury only, but that’s not the only change that was made to Brady’s deal. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com explains that the Pats also added $1MM to each of Brady’s base salaries for the next three seasons.
  • Brady’s willingness to rework his contract has been presented as a magnanimous gesture that will allow the Patriots to be more flexibility when they negotiate with other players, but Bill Barnwell of Grantland.com doesn’t quite see it that way. As Barnwell outlines, the fact that Brady essentially gave up his guaranteed money makes it easier for the Pats to part ways with the quarterback in the next three years. That could benefit Brady as well, since allowing the club to cut him without swallowing a ton of guaranteed money would allow him the freedom to pick his next destination in unrestricted free agency. Of course, presumably both sides would prefer for Brady to maintain his current high level of play for the next few seasons, allowing him to finish this contract without any drama.
  • With Kyle Orton retiring and E.J. Manuel likely not the long-term answer in Buffalo, John Kryk of the Toronto Sun wonders if the Bills could explore the trade market this offseason. In Kryk’s view, Robert Griffin III would make a better target for the Bills than Jay Cutler.

AFC East Notes: Brady, Jets, Bills, Polian

December 29th, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after his base salaries for the next three seasons – totaling $24MM – became guaranteed over the weekend, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has agreed to rework his deal so that those salaries are now guaranteed for injury only, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Facebook link). While it doesn’t change Brady’s cap hit, the move allows the Pats to free up some cash, since the team no longer has to put $24MM for Brady in escrow right away, as PatsCap.com explains (via Twitter). That could allow the team to be a little more flexible this winter when discussing extensions with a handful of free-agents-to-be.

Here’s more from out of the AFC East:

  • Earlier today, Jets owner Woody Johnson told reporters that he’d “love” to have Darrelle Revis back in a Jets uniform in 2015. Considering Revis remains under contract with the Patriots, that comment could easily be viewed as tampering, which Johnson must have realized, since he has since backpedaled. Johnson’s latest statement, via the team: “I misspoke today when I commented on Darrelle Revis. I would never interfere in the contractual relationship of a player with another team and should not have used those words. I called [Patriots owner] Robert Kraft this afternoon to emphasize those points” (all Twitter links).
  • According to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter), the more he hears, the more he’s inclined to believe that Bill Polian will indeed return to the Bills. However, Graham cautions that there are no guarantees at this point. On Saturday, Polian refuted a report indicating that he was returning to the organization for which he was once the general manager.
  • On the heels of Kyle Orton‘s retirement announcement, Bills general manager Doug Whaley acknowledged that his team will have to add at least one quarterback, and maybe two. Whaley added that Buffalo will leave all its options open when it comes to acquiring a QB, so as not to put the team in a corner “or show our hand” (Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).

 

AFC East Notes: Rex, Dolphins, Patriots

December 28th, 2014 at 11:45am CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve already passed along the news of front office executive Nick Caserio’s extension with the Patriots and a batch of Jets notes, but there’s more news from the AFC East…

  • As we’ve heard, the Jets are expected to fire GM John Idzik this week, but Rex Ryan might still have a chance to save his job. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the Jets are open to letting the club’s next general manager decide Ryan’s fate. Ryan hasn’t been told that he’s fired, but he’s already cleared out his office. And per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk), New York contacted Ryan’s agent to determine the interest of a separate client in the Jets job, so it would be a surprise to see Ryan return.
  • Sources tell Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald that Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle’s performance will be assessed after season, leading to speculation that he could be let go. Head coach Joe Philbin declined to give Coyle a vote of confidence last week after it was announced that Philbin would return to Miami in 2015. Under Coyle’s leadership, the Fins finished 10th in defensive DVOA, but 19th in weighted DVOA, meaning the unit got weaker as the year progressed. In a separate piece, Salguero speculates that Ryan could be a fit as the club’s new DC.
  • As Joel Corry of CBS Sports points out (on Twitter), Patriots quarterback Tom Brady‘s base salaries for 2015-17, which total $24MM, are now guaranteed for injury and skill because he’s on New England’s roster for Week 17.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe lauds the work done by Bill Belichick, noting that Patriots head man has excelled both in his coaching responsibilities and his front office role. While allowing that this year’s draft class hasn’t produced much so far, Volin writes that nearly every free agent signing or trade orchestrated by Belichick has worked out this season.
  • Deep into his Sunday notes piece, Volin rounds up the various performance escalators that are on the line for several key Patriots today.
  • After speaking with agent Brian Ayrault, Florio reports (via Twitter) that Ayrault won’t be taking a job with the Bills. Florio had speculated as much earlier in the day.

Joel Corry On Worst Salary Cap Situations

December 25th, 2014 at 10:18am CST by Rob DiRe

On Christmas Eve, Joel Corry of CBS Sports took a look at a few NFL teams who have the worst salary cap situations going into 2015. He picked out the five organizations stuck deepest in salary cap hell:

  1. New Orleans Saints – $23.07MM over the cap
  2. Arizona Cardinals – $6.44MM
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers – $2.901MM
  4. New England Patriots – $1.945MM
  5. San Francisco 49ers – $928,000

Here are some of the highlights of actions Corry suggests that would help them get under the cap in order to have a successful offseason:

Saints

  • Pass rusher Junior Galette could see his contract restructured to open up $10MM, despite signing the extension this past offseason.
  • Another contract doled off last offseason that can be restructured is of prized free agent Jairus Byrd, which could open up $5.6MM in cap space.
  • A third contract from last offseason that can be restructured is that of tight end Jimmy Graham. That move could save $4.77MM in cap space.
  • Both of their Pro Bowl guards are suddenly highly paid luxuries as they have seen their performance drop, and Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs are candidates for release. If cut, they will free up $6.6MM and $3.6MM, respectively.
  • Veteran receiver Marques Colston holds a $9.7MM cap number, and has seen a sharp decline in his play. It will be a tougher cut, but is a candidate to be released.
  • The team could restructure Drew Brees‘ contract again, although they will only push their cap problems into the future in exchange for immediate relief.
  • Releasing linebacker David Hawthorne will free up $2.99MM in cap space if he is released before his $2.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year.

Cardinals

Steelers

Patriots

  • The obvious move for the Patriots would be signing Darrelle Revis to a long-term deal, which would create substantial cap space. The team is unlikely to keep him in 2015 at his current number. They will open $20MM in cap space if they do not keep him on the roster.
  • The Patriots could open up $4MM in cap space by restructuring Tom Brady‘s contract.
  • The team will likely ask linebacker Jerod Mayo to take a pay cut, or they may release him. Corry writes that his $4.5MM injury guarantee will be the only thing that potentially saves him from being released.
  • Danny Amendola will be expendable, and cutting him will free up $2.1MM in cap room or $4.5MM if he is designated a post June 1st cut.
  • Vince Wilfork could also become a cap casualty, as the team will have to decide whether to guarantee his contract for 2015 and 2016. Releasing him will free up $7.566MM in cap room.
  • The team could also recoup some money from Aaron Hernandez‘ signing bonus if the grievance ruling comes back favorable for the Patriots.

49ers

  • The 49ers could restructure Colin Kaepernick‘s contract to lower his 2015 cap number.
  • Linebacker Ahmad Brooks may be released, freeing up a little over $4MM in cap room.
  • Another staple of the team, Vernon Davis, could be released as performance has dropped. The team would gain $4.95MM from releasing him.
  • If Aldon Smith‘s off-field troubles are too much for the 49ers, the team could decline his 2015 option and pick up $9.754MM in cap space.
  • The team could pass on re-signing Michael Crabtree, and will likely cut Stevie Johnson and save just over $6MM unless they lose Crabtree and replace him with Johnson.
  • The team will most likely not seek to bring Frank Gore back to the team, unless it is at an extremely reasonable number.

Patriots Notes: Salary Cap, Brady, Cannon

December 13th, 2014 at 11:55am CST by Rob DiRe

The Patriots still have $5.9MM in cap space this season, reports Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). He writes that they will likely lose some of that after incentives this season, but will likely roll the rest over into next season.

Here are some more notes surrounding the Patriots financials:

  • Assuming the Patriots do not cut Tom Brady before Week 17 (a pretty safe assumption by Volin), his base salaries for the next three years become fully guaranteed (via Twitter). This seemed like a bigger deal in early October.
  • Volin also came up with a few details on Marcus Cannon‘s extension (via Twitter). He writes that the $3.2MM signing bonus will be split over three seasons, and he will have base salaries of $1.2MM and $3.4MM the next two seasons.
  • For those looking at a more in-depth look of the Cannon extension, Field Yates of ESPN.com provides a comprehensive breakdown of how the contract is structured.

AFC East Notes: Ayers, Brady, Jets, Pryor

October 24th, 2014 at 10:23am CST by Ben Levine

Akeem Ayers finds himself in a much different situation with the Patriots than he with his previous team, the Titans. The former second-round pick apparently fell out of favor with Ken Whisenhunt and his coaching staff, but the 25-year-old is happy for a chance to contribute in New England. Via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald…

“I’m pretty much just happy to be here. Obviously, I wasn’t playing there, and I just happened to get in a good situation here,” Ayers said. “As I’m learning the playbook, I’m trying to simplify things as much as I can and the coaches are helping me out with that. We’re trying to keep things simple and try to learn to the best I can to play as fast as I can when I’m on the field.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC East…

  • ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss believes Tom Brady will finish his career with the Patriots. However, based on the team’s previous handling of franchise players, Reiss warns that it isn’t a guarantee.
  • While Bill Belichick has received some criticism for releasing veteran Tommy Kelly, Reiss points out that the veteran didn’t put forth much effort in the team’s preseason opener. The writer opines that Kelly wanted out and forced Belichick’s hand.
  • Following an eight-win season in 2013, the Jets should have done a better job of addressing some of their weaknesses in free agency, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Entering the season with the league’s second-highest salary-cap surplus is an “embarrassing truth,” the writer opines.
  • Among the Jets disappointments this season has been first-rounder Calvin Pryor. Coach Rex Ryan attributed the rookie’s struggles to a missed interception earlier in the season. “Probably started with the first game when he dropped that pick-six. But, he hasn’t had the impact necessarily that I think all of us had expected, but quite honestly, our defense has been played a little differently than maybe we had anticipated,” Ryan said (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “So, I think we’ve had to make some of those adjustments along the way. It hasn’t gone according to plan so to speak.”

AFC East Notes: Smith, Ryan, Pats, Pegula

October 12th, 2014 at 8:51am CST by Rory Parks

The Jets have opened the 2014 season with a 1-4 record, a disaster at the quarterback position, and a dearth of optimism for an imminent reversal of fortunes. The two starring figures in the team’s disappointment, of course, are head coach Rex Ryan and second-year quarterback Geno Smith. However, as Conor Orr of NFL.com writes, the ultimate fate of those two men could be quite different if and when their respective tenures with the Jets are over.

Citing NFL Media’s Michael Robinson, Orr writes that “a defensively starved team would absolutely pay Ryan handsomely to return to his former role as a coordinator,” but teams would be much more hesitant to give Smith another shot. Orr adds that, unless Smith shows more comfort against top-tier defenses, it is difficult to imagine any sort of market developing for him, even among coaches with strong backgrounds in quarterback development.

Now for some more notes from around the AFC East:

  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that, despite the Jets‘ woes, a midseason firing of Rex Ryan or GM John Idzik is highly unlikely and that owner Woody Johnson will reevaluate his personnel after the season. Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that there is no “litmus test” for Ryan to keep his job, as the team could finish the 2014 season strong and opt to bring Ryan back. After all, the Jets worried after the 2013 season that he would be immediately rehired as a head coach elsewhere and make them pay, and that fear still exists among the team’s front office.
  • With the Broncos coming to town this week, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com takes a look back at the Jets-Broncos trade that brought Tim Tebow to the Meadowlands. Although the fourth-round pick that New York shipped to Denver turned out to be center Phillip Blake, who is now out of the league, the Broncos used the sixth-rounder on Danny Trevathan, their starting weakside linebacker: Advantage: Denver.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes that, although the proliferation of doomsday articles concerning the Patriots‘ dynasty–which quickly disappeared after the team’s performance against the Bengals last week–contemplated a premature end to Tom Brady‘s days in New England, Brady’s contract suggests that he will remain under center for at least the 2015 season.
  • Despite the Patriots‘ throwback blowout of the Bengals last Sunday, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News is unimpressed by the team’s long-term prospects and believes the dynasty is indeed fading.
  • Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News discusses the “eerie” coincidences surrounding new Bills‘ owner Terry Pegula‘s purchase of the team, and Sullivan wonders if the symbolism will continue with a Buffalo upset of New England later today.

Extra Points: Vikings, Brady, Fitzpatrick, Cowboys

October 11th, 2014 at 12:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s check out some assorted whispers from around the league on this Saturday afternoon…

Poll: Will The Patriots Trade Tom Brady?

October 10th, 2014 at 10:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

The tension between Tom Brady and the Patriots’ coaching staff has become one of the strange ongoing stories of this NFL season. If it continues it could influence whether he finishes his career with the team. The Patriots have quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who was drafted in the second round and could serve as Brady’s successor.

Now the word is that the move could happen as early as this offseason. Some have gone as far as to say that the Patriots will shop Brady around this offseason. Brady remains committed to the team.

“I love all those guys, my coaches,” said Bady. “I’ve never had any tension with them, truthfully. It’s unfortunate that some things get said and talked about, especially when they don’t come from me, and I think that’s the — when you’re in the middle of an especially tough week with our team to deal with things that are really outside football that are very personal — very personal relationships that I’ve built up for a long time.”

The team just came off a big win against the Bengals, and despite some struggles, are still looking to be a powerhouse in the AFC. However, if a team comes to the Patriots with a huge trade offer, some think the team would entertain a deal.

With all that being said, it is hard to imagine Brady ever playing with another franchise. He has said he wants to play another four or five years, and it would be a surprise if he didn’t remain with the team he won three Super Bowls with for the entirety of his career. Still, head coach Bill Belichick has a reputation for getting rid of star players before they decline, but Brady would probably like to think he is the exception to that rule.

How Will Tom Brady's Career End?
Brady retires as a Patriot 62.94% (287 votes)
Brady gets traded this offseason 22.81% (104 votes)
Brady signs as a free agent with another team 14.25% (65 votes)
Total Votes: 456

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