The Patriot Way

Yawn.

Let's see how he does when Brady has to retire/gets hurt.

Matt Cassel led them to an 11-5 record.

That 11-5 team was loaded. This team, not so much.

 

 

Brady fell into his lap

http://profootballtalk.nbcspor...-logan-mankins-deal/

According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, Brady was “very upset” with the trade of Logan Mankins, adding that “he was not happy with the move.”

schism!

Of course the QB isn't happy to see his All-Pro protector. Belichick might always "sell high", but he doesn't make moves like this arbitrarily. As the article points out, Mankins appears to be on the decline and he makes a hefty salary...those are two things that smart GM's shouldn't tolerate. Smart GM's don't mind paying players a lot of money if they are getting their money's worth in production from the player. On the flip side you shouldn't pay a lot of money, even if the production merit's it, if you can get equal production from a cheaper player. I think Belichick realized he had a younger, cheaper option behind Mankins who could perform at a similar level. 

Perhaps Brady is next. 

I get the whole trading of the guy if he's expensive and on the decline, especially if he refused a pay cut.  What I don't get is doing this a week before the season starts.

Agree, JJSD. Belichik hubris. Even if you have a younger, cheaper guy behind Mankins, I bet Mankins has worked with Brady most/all of TC. Now you force Brady to use a different guy he's not as familiar with, and Brady's not happy about his all-pro guy leaving at this point in the year. Rodgers is being forced to do adapt; Belichik is forcing Brady to do it.

 

If you have a future HOF QB, your goal should not be to win division titles; it should be to win Super Bowls.  Over the last 10 years, they haven't won a Super bowl and I think the "Patriot Way" is why.  Brady has 2-3 years left and after that, the Patriots will fade away.  

Also has to piss Brady off that he has taken less than market value these last few years and all they've done is cut salary.  Yeah he makes plenty of money so no crying for him but his market value is higher than what he is currently getting and it's clear the Patriots are pocketing the difference, not using it to put a better team on the field.  That's gotta burn.  

The Ted Thompson Way.

 

Billy B buys designer hoodies with all the salary cap money he doesn't spend on players.

Agree.

It’s just another contract renegotiation that didn’t work. The same thing that happened with Randy Moss a few years ago, or last summer when they played hardball with Wes Welker.

I'd guess either there was an ongoing contract negotiation that hit a serious impasse. Or Maybe LM's decline or his replacement's improvement was significant during the later half of TC.

My guess is that they didn't think they had a better option than Mankins and someone has emerged after the 3rd preseason game. 

 

Don't forget the Patriots also got a young TE and Bellichump loves his multi-TE sets. Gronk can't stay healthy and the #2 is/was Michael Hooveryourmammacanchew and Tampa was fairly desperate for an upgrade at guard.

Maybe Bill held out for the trade he wanted. I don't know much about the tight end from Rutgers, but I heard some talking head say he has a chance to be really good in that offense.

According to the guys covering the Patriots, there is no apparent good replacement for LM. Also, they wanted LM to take a pay cut to 3.75 mil and LM told them to shove it. The Patriots are pocketing 6.25 mil for cutting LM. Remember, the Patriots are a private business. That money goes right into the owners' pockets. Others have said that perhaps they are trying to save the money in order to re-sign Revis. I heard Brady was pissed.

Brady whining? What else is new? Get him another box of Kleenex.

Some leagues, in particular the NFL, have a hard salary floor that requires teams to meet the salary floor every year, which helps prevent teams from using the salary cap to minimize costs.

 

 

 

According to the CBA's Article 12, Section 9:

A) For each of the following four-League Year periods, 201 3-201 6 and 2017-2020, there shall be a guaranteed Minimum Team Cash Spending of 89% of theSalary Caps for such periods (e.g., if the Salary Caps for the 2013-1 6 and 2017-2020 are$100, 120, 1 30, and 1 50 million, respectively, each Club shall have a Minimum Team Cash Spending for that period of $445 million (89% of $500 million)).

If a team fails to meet that standard, the CBA continues:

B) Any shortfall in the Minimum Team Cash Spending at the end of a League Year in which it is applicable (i.e., the 2016 and 2020 League Years) shall be paid,on or before the next September 15, by the Team having such shortfall, directly to the players who were on such a Team's roster at any time during the applicable seasons, pursuant to the reasonable allocation instructions of the NFLPA.

Shocking to see Thurston put on his green visor, make a pot of coffee and dig into the CBA in defense of Billy B.

 

Off the top of my head, players Billy has released:

Givens, Patten, Branch, Moss, Welker, Dillon, Muroney, Green Ellis, Ty Law, Seymour, Vrabel, McGinnest, Mankins, Vinatieri. I'm sure I'm missing some. 

 

Maybe he thought he is/was enough of a Super Genius to coach the kids through the loss of all that skill. 

 

Ive always viewed Brady as a bit of a winey bitch. But Billy has repeatedly ****ed Brady over for years. 

well, that and Bellicheat couldn't videotape other teams walkthrough practices anymore.  Ever since he got caught cheating, he hasn't won a Super Bowl.

 

Will there ever be another three time SB winning coach that desperately needs to win another SB? 

 

If Billy really cheated and his lasting image is David Tyree's last catch in the NFL pinned to his helmet then that's the highest order of middle finger karma to end a 19-0 dream. 

Well he's been to two, that he barely lost, and that was late 4th quarter stuff. Wasn't there a dropped pass in one where the guy was wide open?. So I think the whole cheating thing is blown out of proportion. Post spygate they've played in 4 AFCCs and 2 SBs.

 

I believe they also have a higher PPG post spygate.

Maybe the Patriot beat writers don't think there's an obvious replacement for Mankins, but I bet BB does otherwise he doesn't make the move. There may not be a "stand out" replacement, but there is someone who they feel comfortable with.

Literally took less than 13 seconds to Google "Salary Cap Floor".

I can't believe there are still people who think NFL owners and/or GMs just get to pocket the money when a player is cut or a contract is reduced.

How dare you interject logic into Billy B witch hunt.

 

Don't you know that 4 AFCCs and 2 close SB losses means the teams sucks since spygate?

I'm a former Patriot hater, but I have sort of joined the dark side.  I've become a Brady fan, and overally have come to appreciate what they have put together the past 13 seasons.  Belichick is an ass, but I respect his knowledge and accomplishments.  I think some of the reason I don't hate the Pats anymore is because they haven't won the big one in 10 years, and they probably should have won at least 1 of those 2 Super Bowls they lost

 

Make no mistake though, if the Pack and Pats meet in another Super Bowl, I'll go back to disliking them real quickly.  .

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's pretty hard to win a SB, that's why you don't see teams repeat any more. I think the mark of a good coach and GM is that their team stays consistently competitive every year. Teams like the Packers, Patriots, Saints, etc. have all had a very consistent level of success (except the year the Saints had without Payton) under their current head coaches and while they aren't winning SB's every year they have a better chance than most teams every year.

FreeSafety is right.   I just let my utter distaste for his past cheating ways blind the reality. 

 

It is extremely difficult for any team to get to a league championship game in the modern era.  Of course, it does help if you play in probably the worst division in the NFL over the past 15 years or so.

 

Well if the floor is 89%, then that is a little over $14 million to pocket.

I tend to think Belicheck over-emphasizes long term team quality and under-emphasizes putting close to the best team he can on the field for a specific year so as to really go after an NFL championship.

 

My guess is Brady feels the same way and with his age wants more emphasis on emphasizing the present.

 

One of the moves that really baffled me was his trading Seymour.

Always thought it resembled more of this:

 

Belichick is a huge history buff and all this crapola about the Patriot Way is just silly

 

Its actually the Lombardi Way and he just copied it ( pre-video tape)

 

They made Logan an offer he shouldn't refuse and when his agent naturally declined, they traded him.

 

Not unlike what allegedly happened in Lombardi's office with Jim Ringo and his new agent

Bill gives them a chance to stay, but he also knows the ego of the agent and player will never allow it. Bye Bye

If I was Tom Brady I'd be worried about BB trading me.  He too is getting long in the tooth and short on NFL years.  Keep bitching Tom and you'll soon find yourself in Jacksonville or Tennessee.

I used to think the day Brady left was the day Bill retired to marlin fishing in the Keys.

But you raise an interesting point. I wonder if a coach like Bill reaches a point after having all kinds of success and wants to wipe the slate clean and see if he can do it all over again.

Conversely, I wonder if Unfrozen Caveman Coach ever reaches burnout.