The day that some of us never thought would come has come. Tom Brady is done. Not with football but with the New England Patriots. The greatest quarterback of all time will not be riding off into the sunset as a Patriot. Instead, he will be taking his talents south to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It wasn’t suppose to end this way for Tom Brady in New England. We weren’t…
By Kevin J. Stone/@kstone06/@newftbj March 17, 2020 – a day that will live in New England sports infamy. Fittingly, snow was falling on Tuesday morning when Tom Brady stunningly announced he’d be continuing his football journey somewhere other than New England via instagram. The man who seemingly provided some of his best football in bad weather had one final dagger to throw through the snow, but this one wasn’t headed…
The Patriots placed the franchise tag on left guard Joe Thuney this morning. By tagging Thuney, the Patriots can either sign him to a long term deal or trade him. Thuney will make $14.7 million dollars in 2020. The Patriots released a statement announcing the move. “Joe has been a model teammate and an essential element to our success … Utilizing the franchise designation allows both sides more time to…
By Kevin J. Stone/@kstone06/@newftbj Even before the “legal” tampering period began for free agency on Monday, the Patriots were busy locking up two important veterans over the weekend. Special teams captain and locker room leader Matthew Slater (2 years) and safety/fellow locker room leader and captain Devin McCourty (2 years) each signed extensions. Of course, the biggest fish in the free agency pond not only for the Patriots but for…
By Kevin J. Stone/@kstone06/@newftbj Tom Brady. Six-time Super Bowl champion. And…Tampa Bay Buccaneer? With teams reportedly dropping like flies in the Tom Brady free agent sweepstakes, it appears as if the Bucs and Patriots are the last two teams TB12 has to choose from (although you can’t count out the Raiders just yet). What would it do to his legacy if he finished his career with a mediocre franchise? Well,…
When it comes to the re-signing Tom Brady, the numbers don’t add up for the Patriots. I know Patriots fans don’t want to hear that but unless Bill Belichick makes cuts elsewhere or gives Brady a longer term deal at less money, it will be tough to bring him back. The perception is Belichick doesn’t want Brady back but the reality is, the Patriots cannot afford to pay Brady what…
The Patriots have 17 free agents. 15 of them are unrestricted free agents and 2 of them are restricted free agents. The salary cap for the 2020 season will be $198.2 million dollars. The Patriots currently have roughly $26 million dollars to spend. That is not a lot of money so you can almost guarantee that they will make a couple big name cuts this off-season. Right tackle Marcus Cannon…
With free agency set to open next week, we examine 20 players that the Patriots could target in free agency. Our list is based on scheme fit and the team’s most pressing needs this off-season. All of this of course depends on whether or not the players vote for the proposed CBA on Sunday. Quarterbacks *Tom Brady should be priority number for the Patriots but we are going to take…
With free agency opening a week from Wednesday, we are going to start a week long look at the Patriots and free agency. Today’s focus will be on the Patriots top needs in free agency. Bill Belichick must use free agency to improve the the roster. He cannot simply rely on the draft. 1. Tight end: Ben Watson, Ryan Izzo and Matt LaCosse combined for 36 catches and two touchdowns…
By Kevin J. Stone/@kstone06/@newftbj There’s no chance in hell this really happens. However, with all the talk of San Francisco suddenly being a real player for Tom Brady in free agency it’s worth looking at the mind-boggling scenario. With numerous reports around the NFL from extremely credible sources, there has been legitimate chatter over the last few days – but really the last 24 hours – that would suggest the…