Earlier this week, Patriots Nation was in full panic mode when a now-disputed report surfaced on the WEEI morning show that Tom Brady’s suite had been unusually cleaned out and that his family was now living in Greenwich, Connecticut.
But the question keeps burning. Are the Patriots destined to part ways with the GOAT?
As last season progressed, the “Tom Brady is washed up” crowd’s voice became louder. Brady has had a significant production drop in recent years, but it is now more exposed because he doesn’t have top talent around him to keep him afloat. Gronk is gone, Edelman looks like a shell of himself, and we only saw the athleticism of Antonio Brown for one game. Brady was clearly a better QB with those pieces and now that he doesn’t have a legitimate safety blanket, he doesn’t look like the same old Tom.
The Patriots need Brady to help them transition to the post-Gronk era. They have done a fantastic job drafting young talent on both sides of the ball, but there is one hole that they haven’t filled: TB12’s replacement.
If Brady does leave New England, where could he end up? So many teams have young quarterbacks that are learning and growing at a surprising rate. Putting an old veteran ahead of them doesn’t make any sense. Are you really going to pull Baker Mayfield for a year or two? He is notoriously hot headed. He will demand a release and be on to better things. He only makes sense with teams that have a veteran that isn’t performing, like the Raiders or the Chargers.
The upcoming NFL draft is quarterback rich. Bill Belichick could get someone later like Jacob Eason of the Washington Huskies or Georgia’s Jake Fromm. Both of these guys have a wealth of potential and with time under Brady, could try to fill those massive shoes Tom left behind. It makes more sense for The Patriots to give Brady a bridge contract for a couple years, and bring in a young QB to take over when ready.