Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Locked On Patriots - August 12, 2019: A Very Brady Deal

Episode Date: August 12, 2019

Join host Mike D’Abate as he breaks down Tom Brady’s new deal with the New England Patriots and how his durability will help him play beyond 2019; and why it will be in New England.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all you Foxborough faithful and welcome to another edition of Locked On Patriots, your daily home for news, notes, analysis, and the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champion, the New England Patriots. Locked On Patriots, as always, is a part of the Locked On Podcast Network. My name is Mike DeBate and I cover the Patriots for FullPressCoverage.com, which is also where you can find my written work and you can also reach out to me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. I hope that everyone had a great weekend and I'm excited for today's show because I wanted to take the opportunity today to address some of the stories surrounding Patriots quarterback

Tom Brady. We're just a little over a week removed from Tom's 42nd birthday, and shortly after that, the news broke about his contract, and then news broke about him having his home listed for sale. And there's a lot of narratives about him out there, and I wanted to offer my take, and hopefully some insight, on what this all means for the Patriots in 2019 and beyond. So stay tuned and I'm looking forward to breaking that down for you today.

But first, like locked on Patriots, the New England Patriots are back to work this morning on the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The team will be holding a practice which is open to the public and will begin at approximately 9.45 a.m the pats are coming off of a 31 to 3 victory over the detroit lions on thursday and this week they prepare for another familiar face on the coaching bench old friend mike vrabel and the tennessee titans welcome the new england patriots to nashville the two teams will face off on saturday august 17th at 7 p.m. at Nissan Stadium.

Like the Patriots, the Titans are coming off of a win in preseason game number one, a 27-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. And we'll get into the Patriots-Titans game throughout the week. But in the meantime, here are some items to be watching for this week as the Pats return to action. Ryan Hoyer did his best to show Patriots Nation that reports of his demise might be greatly exaggerated. Hoyer went 12-14 for 147 yards and two touchdowns in his preseason debut on Thursday. However, Hoyer's roster spot has been the subject of much speculation lately. Some have wondered whether or not he might even make the team in 2019. The emergence of rookie quarterback Jared Stidham has placed Hoyer's spot on this roster in jeopardy. Despite the fact that he is a savvy veteran and a very key cog in the Patriots scout team offense,

Stidham's performance has people wondering whether or not Bill Belichick may want to use that extra roster spot in a different location other than quarterbacks. Belichick is no stranger to carrying two quarterbacks on the roster, and if Stidham can continue to improve and show his ability to be able to run the scout team offense as well as be a guy that they could possibly have to rely on should something happen to Tom Brady, then you may see the Patriots carry two quarterbacks. It will be very, very interesting to see in practice this week who gets the reps, who gets the snaps.

If Stidham's time increases on the field and Hoyer's decreases a bit, that could be a telltale sign. So definitely keep an eye on that. Keep an eye on media. If you're up at Gillette, definitely keep an eye on that. Keep an eye on media. If you're up at Gillette, definitely keep an eye on that this morning because you'll want to see whether or not the Patriots are going to be using Stidham and Hoyer similarly to where they have in the past, or if Thursday's performance changes that a little bit for Bill Belichick and company.

In addition, I also know that some of you were wondering where Damian Harris and the running backs were on Thursday. They were present. They did use some running packages in the game on Thursday, but it wasn't a featured part of the Patriots offense. They really went very heavy on wide receivers. Guys like Maurice Harris, Jacoby Myers, Braxton Berrios, Nikhil Harry, Gunnar Olszewski. These guys got reps during Thursday's game. Damian Harris, Sonny Michel, obviously Rex Burkhead. A lot of the running backs were not either featured or some were held out of the game completely. Look for a much heavier dose of the running backs on Saturday.

This is a team that they may want to look to run against, meaning the Tennessee Titans. So at the very least, I would definitely look for a great dose of Damian Harris in this game. You might even see a little bit of Rex Burkhead. If he's feeling up to it and he's healthy enough, it could be an opportunity to see these two guys go head-on-head. Harrison Burkhead might actually be battling for a roster spot, so keep an eye out for

these two. And the wild card in all this is Sonny Michel. If Sonny is feeling up to it, he's been used in practice quite often now as a pass catching option out of the backfield. If they're looking to get Sonny some in-game action, the Titans may be the team against whom they'd like to get him that action. So it might be interesting to see if he suits up in this game. You may see him catching some passes out of the backfield, either from Stidham, from Hoyer, or possibly from Tom Brady. We don't know if he suits up in this game. You may see him catching some passes out of the backfield, either from Stidham, from Hoyer, or possibly from Tom Brady. We don't know if he's going to actually take any snaps in this game, so it could be interesting to see. If Brady is in there,

you definitely may see Sonny take some snaps out of the backfield, assuming he's feeling up to it. And speaking of feeling up to it, there are a couple of injury concerns to keep your eye on this week. In Thursday's game, rookie wide receiver Nakheel Harry had a couple of very athletic and impressive pass catches. However, he did limp off the field and was walking very gingerly toward the sideline. We know that he battled a little bit of a problem with a hamstring last week. It's going to be interesting to see how he's practiced this week and what type of time he gets. If Harry doesn't practice this week that much, then it's possible he might not see action

on Saturday night. If there's a good part of this, it's that he was shown on the sidelines, looked to be affable, didn't look to be hindered that much. He's been tweeting out a lot this weekend about having one preseason game under the belt. So at this point, looks a little more optimistic than not on Nikhil Harry, but they may err on the side of caution when it comes to this kid. They want to make sure he's healthy for the regular season. No need to put him in if he's not 100%. You might want to keep a sharper eye on tight end Matt Lacoste. Lacoste made a catch in traffic, which was very impressive and made people realize that maybe they can still get some prolific catches out of the tight end position this year.

However, he did pull up a little bit and left the game in the second quarter with an apparent leg injury. Lacoste is a guy that we don't have a whole lot of information on yet. It hasn't been announced about his injury status, what happened in the game, or whether or not that's going to continue to hinder him going forward. A lot of eyes are going to be on Lacoste this morning and to find out whether or not he's practicing in the lower fields. If he has a non-contact jersey, there's a lot of different possibilities that could

happen with Matt Lacoste. So keep an eye on him and see what happens throughout the week, and I assume we'll have more information on him going forward about whether or not his status for Saturday night is up in jeopardy or even beyond. Right now, cautiously optimistic on Lacoste, but all will be revealed within the next couple of days, especially when we see him on the playing field today at Gillette. I began the show today by saying that we were going to talk about quarterback Tom Brady,

and I will get to that in a moment. However, before we get to the topic of the day, I wanted to take a few minutes to address the guys out there, and what is always a hot topic of conversation, sex. That's right, I said it before, and I'm saying it again. Guys, remember the days when you were always ready to go? Well, now you can increase your performance and get that extra confidence in the bedroom. Listen up.

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Just one day later, it was reported that Brady had signed a contract extension that seemingly looked like it would keep him in New England through his 44th birthday. Fans all over applauded. Let's face it, Tom Brady is a legend in the New England area, probably the biggest sports legend in the New England area of all time. And that's saying an awful lot, folks. You take a look at the sports figures that have come through New England throughout the years, names like Bill Russell, Ted Williams,

David Ortiz, Larry Bird, Bobby Orr, Raymond Bork. These are indelible figures in Boston sports. And Tom Brady is at the top of that list. And he's head and shoulders above the rest. And there's a reason for that. He's played in nine Super Bowls, winning an unprecedented six. That's the most of any football player in NFL history. However, things started to get a little uneasy in New England

as details of the contract started to emerge. All of a sudden, a three-year deal became a one-year pay increase with two voided years at the end. And a lot of people started to realize that essentially what this did was it bumped up Brady's salary for the current year, but come March 2020, we would be exactly back where we started from, wondering whether or not Tom Brady would be back for another year of football in 2020 and beyond. So what exactly does Brady's contract look like? Well, per Nick Underhill of The Athletic Boston,

who really did a great job of breaking this down, it starts off with a $1.75 million base. That's fully guaranteed. There's a signing bonus, which is prorated, of $ 1.75 million dollar base that's fully guaranteed there's a signing bonus which is prorated of 6.75 million there are also two renegotiated signing bonuses one of 7 million and the other of 5 million the other roster bonuses that are built into this contract are 62 500 per game that he is active the The cap number on the contract is $21.5 million. The two years at the end, the 2020 year and the 2021 year, automatically void on the last day of the league year. So to sum it all up, Tom Brady gets his raise for 2019. For the Patriots, they now have the ability to walk away from the deal if they feel that Brady is not worth

a huge salary or if Brady refuses the renegotiation and chooses to walk elsewhere. Keep in mind that the options for 2020 and 2021 are a part of this deal. They're actively a part of this deal. They don't void until March of 2020. So if Brady is having a good year or has a good year the Patriots have the ability to kick that placeholder in and they can get Brady at a lesser price than what would have been the franchise tag he would be under contract for 30 million in 2020 the franchise tag would have been 32.5 so it is a bit of a savings there with the placeholders and the raise, Brady gets the promise that he won't be franchised. And let's face it, players don't like the franchise tag for a number of reasons, but most of all because of the restriction of freedom that it entails. But it's also noteworthy

that this is a concession on the part of the Patriots as well. They gave up the leverage of the franchise tag, which shows the respect they have for Tom Brady. They don't just do that for anyone. But in the end, as much as Brady has done for the Patriots, and is beloved and appreciated by the fans, and of course by Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick, there's business to be done. And football philosophies always take precedence in New England. And neither Kraft nor Belichick were willing to commit to long-term guarantees for a 42-year-old quarterback that is really in uncharted territory.

And I'll get to that in a little bit. But essentially, what this means is Tom Brady is definitely here for 2019. He will be here on a $23.5 million salary. Beyond that, quite frankly, we're actually not sure Tom Brady's gone on record several times that he wants to play until he's 45 we've heard that number over and over again this contract only guarantees that he will be in New England for the 2019 season so if he's going to play until he's 45, or at least 43 or 44, those placeholders will either have to kick in, or Tom Brady will be playing football somewhere else, which is an unfathomable thought for most Patriots fans.

The good news for Patriots fans is, I do not believe that's something the Patriots fans will have to endure. Yes, Tom Brady is 42, and he is headed into quote-unquote uncharted territory, but this is not a guy that's unprepared for that type of territory. His conditioning, his discipline, and his ability to make plays when he needs to has put him in great shape to be able to navigate troubled waters both in this year and beyond. I've used the phrase uncharted territory a lot this morning, and it may sound cliche, but it is pretty appropriate for the type of situation that the New England Patriots and Tom Brady face going into this season and beyond into 2020 and 2021.

I thought we might take a look at exactly how rare the air is that Brady is about to breathe as he takes his first snaps of 2019 and prepares to go into this season. This also might help fans to understand why the void years are present in his contract and maybe even help them to understand why Brady was willing to sign them. It's a very common question and a good question and there is a reason for it. The fact that he did sign them, I will say, does show a ton about his confidence and his character, and both of them are very high. Bluntly, no 42-year-old position player in the NFL

has ever started all 16 games in an NFL season. Tom Brady is looking to be the first to do that. He does it at the most marquee position in the game today there are only seven non-specialists quote-unquote meaning that there are only seven non-skill players I guess is the best way to put it who have started a game after their 42nd birthday that's no easy task and let's not forget that Brady is doing this in an age where athletes have either already broken down or they're starting to break down. And Mike Reese of ESPN on Sunday put up a great piece where he chronicled the insight

of two individuals that also played with Brady, by the way, but they did play the quarterback position at an age greater than 42, and they are Doug Flutie and Vinny Testaverde. Flutie gave some very high praise to Tom Brady, and well-deserved, there's no question about it, and he essentially reiterated what we already know. Tom Brady is as comfortable behind center as anyone who has ever played the game. He has a total mastery of the offense. He knows when defenders are coming free. He's one of the best, if not the best, at knowing the timing of not only having to get the ball out, but also where the open guy is and where he's supposed to be according to coverage. That's the combination of smarts and skill that

Brady has always brought to the position. And that is essentially Flutie's point. That is something on a quarterback that does not age. He continues to prove that no matter the situation, he can adapt to it. And because he can do that, it makes Tom Brady that much more effective on the field of play. Brady's football acumen is as high as anyone who's ever played the game. So if anybody is worried about his field intelligence, they need not be. Brady continues to prove time and time again that he is more than capable of leading his team on the field. That being said, Brady's doubters are not so much questioning his mental prowess as they are his physical ability to be able to do the things he's always done on the football field. With the exception of missing the 2008 season with an ACL injury,

Brady's been remarkably durable throughout his NFL career. He's started 16 games in a season 15 times. He's done that in 9 of the past 10 seasons, the lone exception there being 2016 when he served the 4-game NFL suspension. He has a meticulous focus on conditioning and nutrition, and while some may roll their eyes at the mention of the TB12 method, show me another 42-year-old athlete that is as pliable and as durable as Tom Brady. You can't do it. In fact, in Reese's article, Vinny Testaverde raved about Tom Brady's

arm strength. And just last year, analysts, and I use the term loosely, guys like Max Kerleman and Rob Parker, and guys whose opinion I don't put a whole lot of stock into basically wanted to compare Brady's arm to a noodle and say that he was throwing ducks out there and that he was washed up and he was completely past his prime. Testaverdes played the position and he played the position at a very high level for a very long time. He marveled at Tom Brady's arm strength and basically said that Brady does not get the credit that he deserves for the strength of his arm. And he doesn't simply because he makes a lot of short passes. That's part of Brady's game. That's not a weakness.

It's a strength. For so many years, it was the most efficient way for Brady to run his offense. But make no mistake about it, he can still get the ball down the field. Even recently, just a few days ago at training camp randy moss was a guest at training camp and he and brady were seen throwing the ball back and forth to each other and at one point brady was throwing 50 plus yard bombs to randy moss who by the way still looks like he can get the job done i would still love to see him suit up and i think he'd be good as as good or even better as any

of the wide receivers in the league out there. So anybody questioning Tom Brady's arm strength, I've seen it in action. He's going to be just fine in that department, folks. According to Testaverde and Flutie, the only thing that could potentially derail Tom Brady this year is if he's unable to step up in the pocket and take the hit when he has to throw the ball with a defender bearing down on him. In those cases, Brady is going to need to rely on his footwork, which he has worked on and is second to none when it comes to footwork in the pocket. He's not the fastest guy in the world. He's not going to win any sprinting contests, folks. But let's face it, Tom Brady's speed was never a big part of his game.

When you hit your 40s, speed is going to automatically wane. So at that point, Brady is going to rely on his intelligence and his movement in the pocket to be able to elude defenders. If he can do that, it will be very, very difficult for the Patriots to walk away from Tom Brady, knowing what he can bring to the table and the familiarity that he has in terms of being able to bring a championship team to Foxborough. So could 2019 be the swan song for Tom Brady? Well, it's definitely possible. There's plenty of evidence of the rare circumstances surrounding his ability to play the game and the team's willingness to commit to him. Brady signed this deal for one reason and one reason only. He's confident enough

to bet on himself. He wants the security and you can't blame him for that, but the team wants security too and you can't blame them for that either. Brady's game is predicated on three tenets. Clutch performance on the biggest stage stage an innate sense of timing in the passing game and patience to make the right throw thus far there's been no indication that any of these three either have or are likely to diminish if he can show that same ability in each of these phases it's almost impossible to imagine a scenario where Brady wears anything but patriot blue in in 2020. Like I said, it's possible he could once again become a free agent in March, but I believe the two sides are going to be willing to be flexible about the future of that deal. They can reach new terms before the

contract voids to avoid free agency and to spread out the dead money. Keep in mind, the Patriots would essentially be eating $13 million in dead money against the cap in 2020 if they choose to walk away from Brady. So in my opinion, that's a strong motivation to get a resolution. Despite its characterization, the Brady restructure is actually a really smart agreement in which each side gave a little bit of bargaining power, but they ultimately showed a great deal of faith in one another. And that's what I believe will be the catalyst for a new deal to get done before this deal voids.

But in the final analysis, it comes down to this. If Tom Brady plays at or near Tom Brady level, he will be back in New England for 2020. And in my humble opinion, that's exactly what should and probably will happen. Before I sign off today, I just wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for some of the kind messages that I have received, welcoming me to the show and providing feedback on my first three days on the job. Taking the ball from a true professional like Mark Schofield is a daunting

task, but your feedback and your encouragement means so much to me, and I will continue to work hard to give you my best each and every day. I will be back tomorrow with a recap of Monday's Patriots practice, and we will start to look ahead to Tennessee this weekend. Make sure to join us each and every day on the Locked On Patriots podcast, and subscribe to Locked On Patriots via your favorite podcast provider. Thank you so much for listening today. Have a great day, everybody.