Tom Brady - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Notes: Brady, Thompkins, Mankins

October 5th, 2014 at 10:28am CST by Ben Levine

Cardinals defensive tackle Tommy Kelly was cut by the Patriots in late August, but the veteran doesn’t seem to have any hard feelings. In fact, he actually sounds like he’s happier not playing in New England, and the 33-year-old questioned the team’s motivation in an interview with Darren Urban on the Cardinals website:

“I couldn’t take busting my tail every day getting to a game and them taking me out of the game for someone who I know isn’t better than me, because he’s a cheaper option. Are we worried about money here? Or are we worried about winning?”

Kelly isn’t the only player reportedly questioning the Patriots decision-making. Read below to find out who else may have issues with Bill Belichick and company…

According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com), quarterback Tom Brady is “uncomfortable” with some of the Patriots’ personnel and coaching changes.
If the Patriots continue to scuttle, the team will have an interesting decision to make with their franchise quarterback, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. If Brady is on the roster for the last game of this season, the final three years of his contract become fully guaranteed. When that inevitably happens, the Patriots will have to decide how much longer they want to roll with the future Hall of Famer.
According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, the Patriots asked Logan Mankins to take a pay cut not long before ultimately trading the Pro Bowler. The writer questions whether Belichick was “exacting a measure of payback” for Mankins’ 2010 holdout.
The decision to cut Kenbrell Thompkins was less about the player’s talent and more about flexibility for the Patriots, writes CSNNE.com’s Tom E. Curran.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Dolphins, Brady

October 1st, 2014 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few Wednesday updates from around the AFC East, where every team except the 1-3 Jets is tied for first place at 2-2….

In addition to working out fullback John Conner, who signed with the club, the Jets auditioned center Thomas Austin, tackle Michael Bamiro, and center Lemuel Jeanpierre this week, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds (via Twitter) that the club also tried out linebacker Chris Young.
The Dolphins worked out several players as well this week, according to Wilson, who tweets that linebackers Kaelin Burnett, Uani Unga, and Paul Hazel, along with defensive end Steven Means, were among the participants.
While Tom Brady‘s subpar September is hardly a reason for the Patriots to panic, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (writing for The Sporting News) outlines possible strategies for the club if Brady’s struggles continue. The former MVP’s contract ensures that his salaries for 2015, 2016, and 2017 will become fully guaranteed if he’s still on New England’s roster at the end of the 2014 season.
As Albert Breer of the NFL Network notes (via Twitter), Brady provided an interesting answer today when asked whether he felt the Patriots have the offensive weapons he needs to win: “We’ll see. We’ll see here in a couple months.”
Tight end Brandon Barden tried out this week for the Bills, tweets Wilson.

East Notes: Donnell, Dolphins, Brady, Jets

September 30th, 2014 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

After losing Brandon Myers to the Buccaneers, the Giants kicked the tires on a number of free agent tight ends this past offseason, including Brandon Pettigrew and others. However, the team ultimately didn’t make any major additions at the position, and that decision looks like the best one the front office made all year. As Peter King of The MMQB.com details, new No. 1 tight end Larry Donnell has been a revelation during the first few weeks of this season, racking up 25 receptions and four touchdowns already, just three years removed from going undrafted and unsigned out of Grambling State.

As we look forward to seeing if Donnell can keep up his impressive play throughout the season, let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two East divisions….

Defensive end Emmanuel Dieke, who was cut by the Giants last month, is working out for the Dolphins today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Pointing out that the remainder of Tom Brady‘s contract remains “insanely team-friendly,” Ben Volin of the Boston Globe wonders if the Patriots would ever get to the point where they’d consider trading their longtime signal-caller to a team in need of a quarterback.
Rex Ryan‘s job as the Jets‘ head coach may hinge on whether or not he decides to continue to rely on Geno Smith as the club’s No. 1 quarterback, writes Steve Selby of the New York Post.
Mark Bullock of the Washington Post takes an in-depth look at why Redskins outside linebacker Brian Orakpo isn’t proving to be worth his large 2014 salary in the early going this season.

Pats Notes: Brady, Gronk, O-Line

September 28th, 2014 at 10:12am CST by Rory Parks

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes that, although the league’s quarterbacks have seen a general uptick in overall statistical performance through the first three weeks of the 2014 season–standard small sample size disclaimers apply–those numbers are not being driven by the traditionally elite signal-callers. Among the under-performing big names is the Patriots’ Tom Brady, who as Volin notes, has produced “head-scratchingly bad” statistics.

Those stats include a 58.8 completion percentage, 5.5 yards per attempt, and 210.7 passing yards per game. There are, of course, reasons for those numbers: Brady is clearly uncomfortable throwing the ball downfield and has little faith in his receivers and his offensive line. Nonetheless, Brady will, as Volin points out, have to pick up the slack if the team is to make its yearly run to the playoffs, even though the AFC East is shaping up to be just as weak as it always is.

Here are a few more Patriots tidbits to pass along this morning:

Speaking of Brady’s struggles, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald writes that analysts like Trent Dilfer and Matt Hasselbeck point out the flaws in the Patriots’ roster to explain some of Brady’s problems, along with Brady’s increasing penchant to take the safe throw rather than force the issue. Nonetheless, both believe that Brady will be able to overcome his early-season woes and put up solid numbers yet again.
One thing that would certainly help a Brady resurgence is the continued good health of Rob Gronkowski. Phil Perry of CSNNewEngland.com observes that Gronkowski should be able to become the middle-of-the-field threat that the team needs him to be sooner rather than later, which would open up the passing game for the rest of the team’s receiving corps.
As noted above, the offensive line has been a big problem for New England. Adam Kurkjian of the Boston Herald writes that the Pats will go into Monday’s game against Kansas City with Nate Solder at left tackle, Bryan Stork at center, Dan Connolly at right guard and Sebastian Vollmer at right tackle. Kurkjian notes that left guard remains unsettled, with Marcus Cannon and Ryan Wendell as possibilities. Perry has the same suggestion in a video post.

Tom Brady Talks Mankins, Pats, Future

September 2nd, 2014 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

A report last week suggested that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wasn’t too happy with the team’s decision to trade Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins to the Buccaneers with less than two weeks until the regular season got underway. Appearing on WEEI this morning, Brady didn’t deny being upset, though his comments indicated that he has already moved past it. Here are the highlights from Brady’s radio appearance (links via ESPN.com):

On Mankins’ departure:

“I love Logan. Logan was a great friend of mine. Nobody stood for Patriots football more than him. … I dealt with whatever feelings I had last week, but I’ve moved on. I have to move on, because that’s what this team expects me to do.”

On whether it has gotten any easier to rationalize how the business side of the NFL works:

“Absolutely not. I’m a very person-to-person type of person, a very emotional person. I don’t think those things have ever gotten easier for me. I don’t think they ever will. But you have to come to grips with it also, and learn to deal with things in a mature way. We, as players, it’s the business side of things. We’re out there to play, we’re not out there to run businesses. We’re there to enjoy the camaraderie with our teammates, enjoy the playing experience with our teammates, and play for one another. And you deal with whatever comes up and then you move forward. I think that’s part of the sport. … I know it’s going to happen next year too, I know it’s going to happen the year after that, the year after that. For as long as you continue playing, you’re going to be dealing with this.”

On the possibility of staying with the Patriots for the rest of his career:

“There’s nowhere I’d rather play, I know that. I love playing for this team and I love representing this team and hopefully I can do that for as long as I can. When I suck, I’ll retire, but I don’t plan on sucking for a long time. So hopefully that leads me to being here and there’s no place I’d rather be.”

On considering retirement and weighing how long to continue his career:

“You know, you’re expected in this business to perform. That’s what football is about. This is not a personality contest. This is a very highly competitive game where your physical skill set and what it means to the team, they place a value on that. If that value fits within the range, then great. If it doesn’t, they don’t want you and then you go somewhere else to play. Once no one else wants you, or you don’t want to play anymore, that’s when you retire. Some guys make the decision to retire early. So I like working hard at it and I’m going to try to be the best I can be for as long as I can be that. Hopefully the team values that and if they don’t, then I’ll probably have a tough day at some point. But that’s what football is all about.”

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Jets, Wilson

August 10th, 2014 at 6:11pm CST by David Kipke

The Patriots should be happy with rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo‘s performance in his preseason debut against the Redskins, writes ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss. Reiss believes the Eastern Illinois product could have already surpassed Ryan Mallett to become Tom Brady‘s backup. Let’s look at some other news from around the AFC East:

The Patriots remain uncertain regarding a return date for All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. Although his once-torn ACL was medically cleared for practice before the start of camp, the University of Arizona product has yet to participate in any full-contact work.
Jets cornerback Dee Milliner has suffered a high ankle sprain, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. As we reported earlier, Milliner, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2013 draft, was one of two Jets corners to be cut down by injury today. Rookie corner Dexter McDougle left practice to discover that he had torn the ACL in his left knee.
Elsewhere in the Jets‘ secondary , rookie safety Calvin Pryor is planning on making his NFL debut on Saturday against the Bengals, after being held out of the first preseason game due to a concussion.
As our own Rory Parks surmised earlier today, Jimmy Wilson will likely be the Dolphins‘ starting safety heading into September following incumbent starter Reshad Jones‘ four-game suspension. An AP report stated that Wilson took most of the snaps with the first team during today’s practice.

AFC Notes: Gilbert, Hill, White, Bills

August 2nd, 2014 at 12:56pm CST by Matt Feminis

Buried underneath the news of Shaun Suisham‘s contract extension, Triblive.com’s Mark Kaboly notes the Steelers have been talking with agent Drew Rosenhaus about a contract extension for offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert, who is in the final year of his rookie deal. Gilbert “always possessed the natural talent to excel in the NFL,” writes Ray Fittipaldo in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Now, he believes he has developed the off-field habits that will help him take the next step in his career.”

Read on for several more AFC news and notes:

Texans No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney caused a minor stir when he left practice early and spent time icing his leg on the trainer’s table, but the Houston Chronicle’s Brian T. Smith caught up with head coach Bill O’Brien, who said the team is just managing the rookie’s “pitch count.
The Jets traded up to draft Stephen Hill 43rd overall (two spots ahead of Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery), but the talented wide out’s first two seasons have been plagued by inconsistency and injury, writes the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta, who calls Hill an “enigma who leaves you wanting more every time you see him.”
Status quo for Dolphins running back Knowshon Moreno, which means continued uncertainty, writes Adam Beasley in the Miami Herald.
ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss relayed Bill Belichick quotes from an interview the Patriots head coach did with Sirius XM NFL Radio, and NESN’s Doug Kyed quoted quarterback Tom Brady. Both men were speaking about rookie running back James White, is making a strong first impression thanks to his versatility and maturity, seemingly earning trust as a three-down back.
In a preview of the Browns, CBS’ Pat Kirwan says he wouldn’t be surprised if four rookies start — including third-round linebacker Christian Kirksey, who is already getting some first-team reps — and two more (running back Terrence West and cornerback Pierre Desir) play important roles.
Bengals stalwart left tackle Andrew Whitworth is nursing a strained calf muscle, but he’s being patient, writes Cincinnati.com’s Paul Dehner.
“The sale of the Buffalo Bills has evolved into an event Ringling Bros and Barnum & Baily would have been proud of,” in the opinion of Forbes’ Mike Ozanian.

AFC East Notes: Philbin, Wilkerson, Brady

July 25th, 2014 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills did a little roster shuffling earlier this afternoon, picking up cornerback Bobby Felder and waiving defensive tackle Colby Way. While none of Buffalo’s AFC East rivals have made any signings or cuts yet today, there’s still plenty of news coming out of the division, so let’s round up the latest….

There has been some speculation that Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin will be in danger of losing his job this year if the Dolphins miss the postseason again. Asked today about that possibility, owner Stephen Ross said that he expects Philbin to remain with the team “for a long time,” but conceded that you want to see improvement every year (Twitter link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald).
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com agrees with what Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News wrote last night, tweeting that an extension for Muhammad Wilkerson should be the No. 1 priority for the Jets’ front office. However, according to La Canfora, there has been “no real progress” on that front so far.
On the set of SportsCenter today, former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi suggested he thinks Tom Brady could play for four more years, to which Brady jokingly replied, “You’re out of your mind” (link via ESPNBoston.com). While Brady may have taken mock offense to Bruschi’s estimate, the star quarterback has four years left on his current contract, so if he intends to play longer than that, it would be on a new deal and it would be into his 40s.
Sources tell Gary Myers of the New York Daily News that when Darrelle Revis was cut by the Buccaneers earlier this year, his first choice was to return to the Jets. However, New York wasn’t interested, and the standout cornerback ultimately landed with the division-rival Patriots.

AFC East Links: Brady, Satele, Trump

June 29th, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Rory Parks

Ben Volin of The Boston Globe notes that there are seven Patriots players set to make more money than Tom Brady this year, whose $2MM base salary is tied for eighth-most on the club. Of course, Brady did receive $33MM as a result of last year’s extension that pushed his contract into 2017. However, if Brady honors that deal, he will be making a total of $27MM over the course of the next three seasons, just $9MM per year when the going rate for franchise quarterbacks is at least twice as much.

Brady’s contract situation has made Volin wonder if there was any subliminal meaning to head coach Bill Belichick‘s statement, “we know what Tom’s age and contract situation is” after the team drafted Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round of last month’s draft. Although neither side has mentioned anything about a contract dispute, Volin opines that the Patriots could be preparing themselves for one just in case.

Now some more notes from the AFC East:

In a video segment for CSNNewEngland, Tom Curran, Mike Giardi and Phil Perry discuss the success of the Patriots‘ two first-round picks in 2012, Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower. They agree that the team needs to decrease Jones’ workload a bit to ensure his continued effectiveness, and they also note that 2014 is a “pseudo-contract year” for both players. As first-round picks under the new CBA, they will be under club control for two more seasons (assuming that New England picks up the fifth-year option for both, which is probably a given). Nonetheless, the Patriots do like to get contract issues resolved early, so 2014 may well be the best time for Jones and Hightower to boost their leverage.
In their continuing search for a replacement for injured center Mike Pouncey, the Dolphins will bring in Samson Satele–who spent the first two seasons of his career with Miami–for a workout on Monday, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson adds that the team will bring in two other linemen as well, but it is unclear who those players are at this point.
Although the Jets‘ competition is not an open one–Geno Smith is expected to take 70 to 75 percent of the first-team reps in training camp–it is not an entirely closed competition either, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Normally, a veteran starter takes about 90 percent of reps with the first team.
As our Luke Adams wrote last week, Donald Trump, one potential bidder for the Bills franchise, believes he is the only bidder who would keep the team in Buffalo. Phil Perry of CSNNewEngland writes that if Trump were to purchase the club–which is a dubious proposition at best–he has indicated that the Bills would need a new stadium, perhaps within the Buffalo city limits.

Extra Points: OTAs, Packers, Titans, Brady

June 22nd, 2014 at 9:12pm CST by Peter Sowards

Minicamps are finished. The 2014 NFL season awaits.

Players have left their respective clubs until the opening of training camp, and as ESPN.com’s John Clayton notes, coaches now will cross their fingers that they don’t receive the 3 a.m. phone call alerting them of the star player’s transgressions.

Clayton, the Worldwide Leader’s senior NFL writer, outlines seven things learned from the offseason programs, with No. 1 being the lack of readiness for rookie quarterbacks. Reading into Clayton’s words, he believes that no rookie quarterback will open the season as the team’s starting signal caller. Teddy Bridgewater is the most pro-ready, Clayton says, but Matt Cassel will get the first snap on opening day.

Taking a page out of Pete Carroll‘s playbook, Clayton writes that teams around the league are gravitating toward taller defensive backs. Case in point, the Kansas City Chiefs, who released 5-foot-9 cornerback Brandon Flowers in a cap-saving move. They’ll look to replace Flowers with 6-foot-1 Phillip Gaines, 6-foot-2 Marcus Cooper and 6-foot David Van Dyke, each of whom are first- or second-year players.

Other news and notes from around the league…

Among the 10 Packers stories to watch before training camp opens by Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is peace of mind at backup quarterback. It wasn’t pretty for the Pack at QB when Aaron Rodgers went down in a Week 9 loss to the Bears, but coach Mike McCarthy should feel better about this year’s situation with Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien backing up the All Pro, Dunne writes.
Quarterback Jake Locker, receiver Kendall Wright and the defense’s front seven are all things Titans fans should feel good about, The Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt writes. Locker should be at 100% coming off foot surgery in November and had started the 2013 season with a bang, while Wright will team with Nate Washington and Justin Hunter to ease Locker’s return to health.
Tom Brady‘s private quarterback coach, Tom House, admitted in an interview with SiriusXM radio that the three-time Super Bowl champion has struggled as of late to connect on the deep passes. “As he’s getting a little older you lose a little strength, you lose a little flexibility,” House said. “And what was happening was he was noticing that his accuracy and his long ball weren’t what they were three or four years ago. So we ran him through the computer, compared him to the models we have created for movement efficiency, and there were really, really small things that were causing his issues.”