kdko Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Wowsers. Kraft better hope Brady can play well into his 40's. Jimmy G looks like the real deal, and it seems like Belichick has less persuasion over ownership than Brady. If this is true, it's an ugly situation and I could see Belichick exiting NE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdko Posted January 5, 2018 Author Share Posted January 5, 2018 Garappolo* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaft Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Yeah, this story is circulating big time in a lot of the sport circuits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gourdeau Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 (edited) I could see it, 3 competitive egos, very possible. Happened to much higher profile superstars in the past, bands like Pink Floyd , Guns n Roses to name a few , eventually after years and years of success, egos can clash, i know Colin Cowherd is a knucklehead but his take here is pretty interesting https://twitter.com/ColinCowherd/status/949124622942810112 Edited January 5, 2018 by Gourdeau Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdko Posted January 5, 2018 Author Share Posted January 5, 2018 24 minutes ago, LordOpie said: Garra... Polo... I find the story unlikely I dunno. Hypothetically, if it was true, i'm sure the Patriots organization would try to put a lid on this kind of story as quickly as possible and it would be hard to discern the truth anyway. The more I think about it, the more reasons I can think of as to what it could make sense though. alert: With as talented as Garappolo has looked so far, and being Belichick's surprising 2nd round pick, he naturally has a penchant for him and might feel like he had seen enough to know he's the future of the franchise, and that you need to strike while the iron is hot. For all of Belichick's quirks, do you think he really cares about Brady's feelings, or legacy? The man is not human, and very well could be a psychopath. I could see him benching Brady for Jimmy G if he really felt like he'd give him the better chance of winning. Minus the acumen (which obviously counts the most), it's really hard to say how much Brady really has over Garappolo. Garappolo has been making a lot happen with even less weapons than Brady. Additionally, he won every game he started of in favor of Brady in his absence. In comes Brady, going over Belichick and straight to Kraft, working his looks and charm to ship off the only QB FA out there that could possibly replace him (as well as knowing the system). I dunno. That was fun to type and I wouldn't be shocked if some of it was true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdko Posted January 5, 2018 Author Share Posted January 5, 2018 Where is the Patriots homer with his take? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gourdeau Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 (edited) 10 minutes ago, kdko said: I dunno. Hypothetically, if it was true, i'm sure the Patriots organization would try to put a lid on this kind of story as quickly as possible and it would be hard to discern the truth anyway. The more I think about it, the more reasons I can think of as to what it could make sense though. alert: With as talented as Garappolo has looked so far, and being Belichick's surprising 2nd round pick, he naturally has a penchant for him and might feel like he had seen enough to know he's the future of the franchise, and that you need to strike while the iron is hot. For all of Belichick's quirks, do you think he really cares about Brady's feelings, or legacy? The man is not human, and very well could be a psychopath. I could see him benching Brady for Jimmy G if he really felt like he'd give him the better chance of winning. Minus the acumen (which obviously counts the most), it's really hard to say how much Brady really has over Garappolo. Garappolo has been making a lot happen with even less weapons than Brady. Additionally, he won every game he started of in favor of Brady in his absence. In comes Brady, going over Belichick and straight to Kraft, working his looks and charm to ship off the only QB FA out there that could possibly replace him (as well as knowing the system). I dunno. That was fun to type and I wouldn't be shocked if some of it was true. They haven't had a chance to put a lid on it yet, very fresh story and sudden quick turn around in terms of when this airing was announced to be in existence and when it is airing, to me that speaks volumes about the sources/ reliability of the intel. Very interesting. Edited January 5, 2018 by Gourdeau 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelredd9 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 (edited) I have trouble believing that it was Brady pitted against Belichick and that Kraft chose Brady. Brady only has 2 or 3 more years left in him at the most. Belichick could possibly be around a lot longer. But I could believe that Brady might have been pitted against Garappolo. That he might have met with Kraft to persuade him that he was going to play for a few more years and for Kraft to allow Garappolo to be traded. But I hope all of this hoopla isn't fake news and that Belichick does leave New England.................for the Packers! The Packers job is the best job in football. The most storied franchise with the most rabid fans and no pesky, meddling owner trying to interfere. And Aaron Rodgers. Edited January 5, 2018 by michaelredd9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever in debt to mo lewis Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 nothing like a good ole patriots playoff time "smear" piece I don't have much to say at this point...id like to think none of its true and all is good in patriot land....but wickersham pretty much nailed the guerrero story awhile back IMO, even as good as jimmy as looked, it was time to set jimmy free......its one thing if brady was injury riddled and looking broke down like peyton was.....but he still looks fine and could have another 2-3 good years in him which would make holding both useless.....its hard to jettison someone who has done as much as brady if he isn't obviously slowing down or injury riddled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelredd9 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 1 hour ago, forever in debt to mo lewis said: IMO, even as good as jimmy as looked, it was time to set jimmy free......its one thing if brady was injury riddled and looking broke down like peyton was.....but he still looks fine and could have another 2-3 good years in him which would make holding both useless.....its hard to jettison someone who has done as much as brady if he isn't obviously slowing down or injury riddled If Jimmy turns out to be the next Matt Ryan or Matt Stafford, then it'll look like the right move as long as Brady keeps playing at his current high level for a couple more years. But if Jimmy turns out to be a truly elite quarterback, it'll end up looking like a foolish move. Just think if the Packers had traded Aaron Rodgers for a second round pick to keep Favre for his last few years (2 of which were still really good years). Or if San Francisco had traded Steve Young to keep Joe Montana for those last two years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gourdeau Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 (edited) 6 hours ago, michaelredd9 said: I have trouble believing that it was Brady pitted against Belichick and that Kraft chose Brady. Brady only has 2 or 3 more years left in him at the most. Belichick could possibly be around a lot longer. But I could believe that Brady might have been pitted against Garappolo. That he might have met with Kraft to persuade him that he was going to play for a few more years and for Kraft to allow Garappolo to be traded. But I hope all of this hoopla isn't fake news and that Belichick does leave New England.................for the Packers! The Packers job is the best job in football. The most storied franchise with the most rabid fans and no pesky, meddling owner trying to interfere. And Aaron Rodgers. I would love to see Bill go to a shotty team like the giants or jets and completely turn them around and watch and see How the pats and thomas make out without him, could u imagine what he could do with Aaron or a team like pittsburgh Edited January 5, 2018 by Gourdeau Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever in debt to mo lewis Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 4 minutes ago, michaelredd9 said: If Jimmy turns out to be the next Matt Ryan or Matt Stafford, then it'll look like the right move as long as Brady keeps playing at his current high level for a couple more years. But if Jimmy turns out to be a truly elite quarterback, it'll end up looking like a foolish move. Just think if the Packers had traded Aaron Rodgers for a second round pick to keep Favre for his last few years (2 of which were still really good years). Or if San Francisco had traded Steve Young to keep Joe Montana for those last two years. I agree.....for the most part I love all 3...kraft, brady and belichick.....but at the end of the day if mr kraft feels some sentimentality(not even sure if that's a word) towards brady could you blame him....I mean...the 4th quarter against the seahawks....the 2nd half last year against atl(which wasn't perfect but still had some throws most other qbs cant make ie his first down throw to Hogan)......brady has had some rough games here and there but overall youre still getting very good qb play........and some incredible moments in the last 3 years still I look at this way....you took out insurance in the event that brady hit a sharp decline.....jimmy served his purpose.....and now the policy has just about expired...and you got a chance to get a full refund on that policy.....jimmy deserves his shot but it just wasn't destined to be here.....while im very intrigued and looking forward to seeing what jimmy can do with shannahan and an up and coming team I also think we may need to pump the breaks a bit on the jimmy love just a hair.....but the whole story line gets sensationalized because its the patriots.... ive always been on the side of trading jimmy...even before the season started....maybe its me wanting to hold on to something I hold dear.....but I was always for it.....I just hope it really doesn't cause the kind of rift that people are saying exists now...as they say "everything ends badly otherwise it wouldn't end"........to me the whole legacy that is at stake here with brady and belichick is worth sending jimmy out of town........even if it stunts a future 2-3 years from now what are you going to do? hold brady and franchise jimmy at the end of the year? trade brady after 2 superbowl wins in 3 years and a 13-3 record? the pats were in a catch 22 here and had to do something...to me they chose the lesser of two evils Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever in debt to mo lewis Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 5 minutes ago, Gourdeau said: I would love to see Bill go to a shotty team like the giants or jets and completely turn them around and watch and see How the pats and thomas make out without him, could u imagine what he could do with Aaron or a team like Pittsburgh I could honestly see him taking over a team like the giants and winning that division and making them a 12 win team if he could fix that offensive line....if he brought scarnechia with him....theres a ton of talent on that offense...and some on that defense......but of course bill leaving will also cause another wave...who will go with him and who will stay and pledge allegiance to the organization or take a chance on staying and becoming the chief? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gourdeau Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 7 minutes ago, forever in debt to mo lewis said: I could honestly see him taking over a team like the giants and winning that division and making them a 12 win team if he could fix that offensive line....if he brought scarnechia with him....theres a ton of talent on that offense...and some on that defense......but of course bill leaving will also cause another wave...who will go with him and who will stay and pledge allegiance to the organization or take a chance on staying and becoming the chief? Ive always believed that Bill is the key to their success and that he gets knocked too much for his Cleveland failures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever in debt to mo lewis Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 like I said...at the end of the day you have jimmy coming up in free agency you trade a cult hero who has 2 superbowl wins in the last 3 years and a 13 win regular season....brady the icon....? you franchise jimmy and commit that kind of money to a guy that will be sitting and rob him of another year/years of a chance to be the starter? you run the same risk when you trade brady.....brady goes somewhere else and wins 12 games.....jimmy starts and only wins 11 games and doesn't get homefield and the local guys are still whining and crying just cause that's what they do I realize wickersham is not boston media...so this article doesn't relate to it....but the boston sports media is the absolute worst....the local talk stations are just terrible...full of fans that are never happy....full of writers and reporters that are always trying to find big crisis...or be the smartest person in the room and be the one who is "right"....its a manureshow for instance...all weve heard this year is...."Gilmore stinks belichick blew that one"..."hey can we find a sign of tom brady getting old yet"...."bradys crossfit trainer aint allowed on the sidelines anymore omg"..."pats 3rd down defense stinks how will they ever win like this or fix it"...."omg jimmy g is the greatest qb who ever lived how could they only get a 2nd for him and why on earth did we trade him at all" meanwhile dion lewis averaged 5 yards a carry....made PFF 2nd team all pro behind gurley....ranked first in PFFs "elusive" stat which measures yards gained beyond where blockers help...led nfl backs in catch percentage...no fumbles on 212 touches....0 dropped passes and finished 6th in PFFs pass blocking rating.... but nobody cares or writes about that stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever in debt to mo lewis Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Just now, Gourdeau said: Ive always believed that Bill is the key to their success and that he gets knocked too much for his Cleveland failures. his Cleveland failure had a lot to do with, what he believed, was a meddling owner...which he swore he would never have again....and to this point kraft has let him do his thing....which means that it def could be the end if bill really feels slighted.....at the same time...if he was slighted, you have one time in 17 years he was overruled....that's not too bad....and I cant blame kraft for overruling if he indeed did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 10 hours ago, kdko said: Where is the Patriots homer with his take? Why would I comment on something that nobody can corroborate or really has any idea about unless they have direct inside knowledge? A better question: do you dream about me at night? I seem to be on your mind 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Regarding the Garappolo trade, the take this AM on Toucher and Rich, by Rich, was that his reliable source in the Patriots organization tells him that trading Jimmt G was all Bill. Maybe he thought about it like this: in the Offseason, they were trying to sign JG to a contract that would work for the team. JG would not sign. At the time they wanted to keep JG because there was no knowing if Brady had found the cliff that everyone eventually falls off. They traded Brissett because they needed WR help. They only traded JG because a situatuin came up where they could get a back-uo QB that they knew could run the offense and get up to speed very quickly. As for the rest of it, who knows. There is definitely rumor that Alex Guerrero was getting way out of bounds conflictinf with the training staff, so that had to be reigned in. I think the media is making a bigger deal of that than it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 12 minutes ago, Caveman_Nick said: Why would I comment on something that nobody can corroborate or really has any idea about unless they have direct inside knowledge? A better question: do you dream about me at night? I seem to be on your mind I dreamed about you last night 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever in debt to mo lewis Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 5 minutes ago, Caveman_Nick said: Regarding the Garappolo trade, the take this AM on Toucher and Rich, by Rich, was that his reliable source in the Patriots organization tells him that trading Jimmt G was all Bill. Maybe he thought about it like this: in the Offseason, they were trying to sign JG to a contract that would work for the team. JG would not sign. At the time they wanted to keep JG because there was no knowing if Brady had found the cliff that everyone eventually falls off. They traded Brissett because they needed WR help. They only traded JG because a situatuin came up where they could get a back-uo QB that they knew could run the offense and get up to speed very quickly. As for the rest of it, who knows. There is definitely rumor that Alex Guerrero was getting way out of bounds conflictinf with the training staff, so that had to be reigned in. I think the media is making a bigger deal of that than it is. that's what the media, especially locally, does with the patriots...make a bigger deal out of stuff than it really is...or try to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 56 minutes ago, Big Country said: I dreamed about you last night ❤️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever in debt to mo lewis Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 (edited) 13 minutes ago, LordOpie said: that's my point about it not being true. I agree with what you say, especially about the part of belichek just wanting to win and not caring about anyone's legacy or feelings. what are the odds that Kraft said, "Bill, trade G or you're fired?" Doesn't Bill have final say on everything (except his own job)? Would kraft threaten Bill? Couldn't Bill get a job with a dozen teams yesterday? Also, any rumors that NEP offered G a contract extension? If not, then I don't believe any of this. If they thought that much of G, then they would've tried to extend him at the beginning of the season, yeah? I do believe the pats probably tried to extend jimmy g...and that it was before the season started....but he likely rejected it as it wasn't "starter" money and there was no guarantee when his day to start would have come you have to remember jimmy g and brady have the same agent....its likely that don yee advised jimmy to turn down the offer it just makes sense...even if the patriots offered him 7-8 mil to be a backup would you take that knowing that you might be 28-29 by the time you got a chance to be a starter and build something? and now look at him...hes going to get at least double that from san fran...at least Edited January 5, 2018 by forever in debt to mo lewis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever in debt to mo lewis Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 FYI pats have issued a joint statement from kraft, brady and belichick shooting it all down...which I would expect them to do anyway even if the rumors had any truth but personally I don't buy the whole piece from wickersham......even here in boston there are writers in the last week writing pieces like "I have a theory...that deflategate cost the patriots jimmy g" with a whole explanation that since kraft didn't feverishly defend brady at every turn and backed off his aggression towards the league that somehow he was making things up to ole tommy for it.......with the local media it can never be the simplest explanation.....jimmy wanted to start and isn't going to resign with the patriots anyway.....it was time to get a refund on your insurance policy...the pats got a full refund on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboysDiehard Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 11 hours ago, kdko said: I dunno. Hypothetically, if it was true, i'm sure the Patriots organization would try to put a lid on this kind of story as quickly as possible and it would be hard to discern the truth anyway. The more I think about it, the more reasons I can think of as to what it could make sense though. alert: With as talented as Garappolo has looked so far, and being Belichick's surprising 2nd round pick, he naturally has a penchant for him and might feel like he had seen enough to know he's the future of the franchise, and that you need to strike while the iron is hot. For all of Belichick's quirks, do you think he really cares about Brady's feelings, or legacy? The man is not human, and very well could be a psychopath. I could see him benching Brady for Jimmy G if he really felt like he'd give him the better chance of winning. Minus the acumen (which obviously counts the most), it's really hard to say how much Brady really has over Garappolo. Garappolo has been making a lot happen with even less weapons than Brady. Additionally, he won every game he started of in favor of Brady in his absence. In comes Brady, going over Belichick and straight to Kraft, working his looks and charm to ship off the only QB FA out there that could possibly replace him (as well as knowing the system). I dunno. That was fun to type and I wouldn't be shocked if some of it was true. I hate the Cheatriots and therefore dig every word of this! Let's run with it...maybe Belicheat can get out of NE before the Niners sign Garappolo...then they can join forces back at the Dawg Pound in 2018 to take down Brady and Kraft in the 2018 playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcat Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 the article has dropped. A fascinating read. For Kraft, Brady and Belichick, is this the beginning of the end? play 0:36 / 3:16 1:25 Seth WickershamESPN Senior Writer Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print comment THE PROBLEM WITH living your life under the spotlight is that the camera captures only the public eruption, not the months of silent anger. On Dec. 3, when the New England Patriots played the Buffalo Bills, Tom Brady walked to the sideline after throwing late and behind receiver Brandin Cooks on third down, ending a first-quarter drive. Brady was angrier and more irritable than usual, as has often been the case this season in the eyes of some Patriots players and staff. As he unsnapped his chinstrap, Brady passed offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on the sideline. "He was wide open," McDaniels said to Brady, referring to Cooks. EDITOR'S PICKS Tom Brady's most dangerous game The Patriots legend thinks he can play until he's 45 without sacrificing body, mind or integrity. But his future is not just in his hands. Brady impressed with Garoppolo's 4-0 start New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been impressed with his former understudy, Jimmy Garoppolo, who has posted a 4-0 record in his first four starts with the San Francisco 49ers. Barnwell's NFL playoff preview: A guide to all 66 possible matchups Injuries have left the NFC wide-open. A Steelers-Patriots rematch in the AFC? Don't be so certain. Bill Barnwell lines up the many potential postseason scenarios. Brady kept walking, and glaring at McDaniels, so the coach repeated: "We had him open." Brady snapped, pivoting to McDaniels and yelling at him, "I got it!" Everyone within earshot, including head coach Bill Belichick, turned to watch as Brady screamed. He removed his helmet, and as a Patriots staffer held him back -- and with McDaniels' father and legendary high school coach in Ohio, Thom, in the stands behind the bench -- capped off the exchange by yelling, "F--- you!" Video of the scene went viral, with many rationalizing it as a symptom of Brady's legendary competitiveness. Brady would later apologize to McDaniels, who dismissed the incident to reporters as "part of what makes him great." After all, many in the Patriots' building knew that Brady's explosion wasn't really about McDaniels. It wasn't about Cooks. And it wasn't about the Bills game. It was about the culmination of months of significant behind-the-scenes frustrations. For almost two decades, Belichick has managed to subvert the egos of his best player, his boss and himself for the good of the team, yielding historic results. This year, though, the dynamics have been different. THE PATRIOTS ARE in uncharted territory. They haven't just won games and titles. They've won at an unprecedented rate and over an unprecedented span, which makes the feelings of entitlement creeping inside Gillette Stadium unprecedented as well. The Patriots, in the only statement anyone associated with the team would make on the record for this story, responded to specific questions by saying that there are "several inaccuracies and multiple examples given that absolutely did not occur," though they declined to go into detail. But according to interviews with more than a dozen New England staffers, executives, players and league sources with knowledge of the team's inner workings, the three most powerful people in the franchise -- Belichick, Brady and owner Robert Kraft -- have had serious disagreements. They differ on Brady's trainer, body coach and business partner Alex Guerrero; over the team's long-term plans at quarterback; over Belichick's bracing coaching style; and most of all, over who will be the last man standing. Those interviewed describe a palpable sense in the building that this might be the last year together for this group. Brady, Belichick and Kraft have raised expectations and possibilities so high that virtually no other team in the Super Bowl era could truly comprehend what it's like to be them. Brady and Belichick weren't only pushing the boundaries of what a team could accomplish. They also were challenging basic understandings of how a group of high achievers escape the usual pulls of ego and pride. For 17 years, the Patriots have withstood everything the NFL and opponents could throw their way, knowing that if they were united, nobody could touch them. Now they're threatening to come undone the only way possible: from within. Brady's body coach and business partner, Alex Guerrero, has found a spot in the quarterback's famously small group of advisers. He persuaded Brady to find the time to establish the TB12 Method. Elsa/Getty Images THE CRACKS FIRST revealed themselves in early September. The season had just started, and Guerrero was once again becoming an issue in the Patriots' building, just weeks before the release of Brady's first real book, "The TB12 Method." It was more than a fitness and diet guide. For Brady, a self-described "loner" who always seemed most comfortable surrounded by family or on a football field, the book represented a move to extend his brand beyond the game -- and beyond the Patriots. Until a few years ago, he seemed uninterested in ever doing so, content to be a father and husband and son and brother and transcendent quarterback, knowing there wasn't time for much else. Guerrero persuaded Brady to find time. The two men had worked together for years, with Guerrero having found a spot in Brady's famously small group of advisers, eventually becoming a godfather to one of his sons. Guerrero has a history of controversial methods -- in 2005, he paid a judgment to the Federal Trade Commission to settle allegations that he had claimed dietary supplements could help cure cancer -- and he believed he had discovered a way to revolutionize how athletes train. In his book and in the building, Brady was offering opinions not only on training but also on lifestyle, writing that he envisioned a world populated with TB12 Sports Therapy Center franchises. Few in the building had a problem with Brady's method -- mostly based on stretching with bands, eating lots of vegetables, drinking lots of water, getting lots of sleep and, most of all, achieving peak "pliability." They did have a problem with what Brady and Guerrero promised the TB12 Method could do. They claimed it could absolve football of responsibility for injury: "When athletes get injured, they shouldn't blame their sport," Brady wrote. The method also was so consuming and unwavering in its rules and convictions that, while it helped some players, it felt "like a cult" to others, one Patriots staffer says. The way TB12 began to creep into Brady's life worried people close to the QB, many of whom were suspicious of Guerrero. "Tom changed," says a friend of Brady's. "That's where a lot of these problems started." Brady and Guerrero's training beliefs introduced an unspoken pressure in the building, with players wondering where they should work out. In August, receiver Julian Edelman blew out his knee, costing him the season, and there was "hypersensitivity" among players, in the words of a Patriots coach, over who would take his place. New players felt the surest way to earn Brady's trust was to join Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and others by seeking advice from Guerrero at his TB12 clinic -- and not team doctors, which Belichick preferred. Guerrero says he wasn't pressuring players to adopt his approach. "Players have always decided to come or not come on their own," he says now. But according to multiple sources, players openly discussed with Patriots coaches, staff and trusted advisers whether to follow Brady or the team, leaving them trapped: Do we risk alienating the NFL's most powerful coach or risk alienating the NFL's most powerful quarterback? EARLY THIS SEASON, Belichick wanted to discuss all these issues with Brady. Guerrero had been around the team for years, mostly as an unthreatening outsider who worked with former linebacker Willie McGinest and, starting in 2004, Brady. On the author page in his 2004 book, "In Balance for Life," Guerrero says he received a degree in traditional Chinese medicine from the now-closed Samra University of Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles, and later opened a sports injury, rehabilitation and performance-enhancement center, also in Los Angeles. In 2013, Belichick had welcomed Guerrero into the New England fold, giving him free rein in the building and, sources with direct knowledge of the situation say, access to meetings in which medical records for Patriots players were discussed (Guerrero denies ever having seen any records). The coach figured that, because Guerrero had Brady's best interests in mind, he probably had the Patriots' best interests in mind too, and could be trusted. But Guerrero often would blame Patriots trainers for injuries, while offering few insightful opinions of his own, and Belichick quickly realized inviting him had been a mistake. And so in 2014, he eliminated Guerrero's access to those meetings while keeping him on as a team consultant. That was the same year Brady and Guerrero decided to market their business as revolutionary; the same year that Brady began to speak unwaveringly about playing into his mid-40s; and the same year that Belichick drafted Jimmy Garoppolo out of Eastern Illinois -- the first sign that Belichick was invested in a future that did not include the quarterback who had changed his life and legacy. 2017 NFL Playoffs • Schedule, coverage » • Primer: Bracket, Super Bowl paths » • Barnwell's preview: A guide to all 66 possible matchups » It was also the same year that the Patriots would go on a run toward their fourth Super Bowl win, altering the team dynamic in fundamental ways that would come to a head this fall. During their 10-year championship drought, Brady and Belichick had come up just short together and could only dive back into the redemptive power of work, trying to slim the margins between defeat and victory. In beating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, the two men drew strength from different touchstones. Belichick found virtue in his idea of the Patriot Way -- the demanding, football-first culture with an emotionless pursuit of victory -- and Brady found virtue in his Method, which he believed helped him thwart the inevitability of time, reinforcing his belief that he was still not on the downside of his career and deserving of a new contract. In 2016, Kraft and Brady's agent, Don Yee, began negotiating a new deal; Belichick and other Patriots staff had to abruptly leave the NFL combine in Indianapolis to be part of the process. Brady's two-year contract, with a $28 million signing bonus, was designed to set up 2018 as a key year, when the team could, in theory, look at a 41-year-old Brady and his $22 million cap hit and decide if it made sense to transition to Garoppolo. A year later, after another Super Bowl win -- the Brady-led, historic comeback from 28-3 to defeat the Atlanta Falcons -- Brady's stature in the organization had grown to the point that he was considered management. New players often address him as "sir." As Brady gained power, so did Guerrero, who became an even more divisive force in the building. One player visited TB12 under what he perceived as pressure, and declined to allow Guerrero to massage his injured legs. Instead he asked to keep treatment limited to only his arm, out of fear that one of Guerrero's famous deep-force muscle treatments would set back his recovery. The Boston Sports Journal would report on another player who was told by Patriots trainers to do squats but later instructed by Guerrero to not do them. Brady would tell teammates, "Bill's answer to everything is to lift more weights" -- a claim that many staffers and players felt was unfair, given the team's dedication to soft-tissue science and a healthy diet. And so after several such incidents, Belichick explained to Brady in early September that many younger players felt pressured to train at TB12 rather than with the team, and asked the quarterback what was going on. Brady said he didn't know anything about any such pressure, according to people briefed on the exchange, and the two men left the meeting without any resolution. Belichick felt the need to permanently clarify Guerrero's role, drawing sharp boundaries. After the brief discussion with Brady, Belichick emailed Guerrero to let him know that while he was welcome to work with any players who sought out TB12, he was no longer permitted access to the sideline or all of the team headquarters because he wasn't an employee of the Patriots (a point that Belichick would resoundingly make clear when reporters asked about Guerrero). An email designed to solve problems only created more of them. Guerrero texted some of the Patriots players who were clients and specified, he says now, "that I would need to treat them at the TB12 Sports Therapy Center." But several players told staffers and coaches that Guerrero gave them the impression that Belichick would no longer allow them to work with him. In the view of many Patriots, it was an example of Guerrero trying to split the organization by turning players against Belichick. All of this happened as Brady, serving as TB12's test case, continued to reiterate publicly and privately his goal of playing into his mid-40s. In October, he again explained to Kraft and Belichick his plans to play a few more years. The question was whether Brady had earned long-term security from the Patriots, or if he would finish his career somewhere else. Belichick drafted Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014 as a future successor to Brady but traded him to San Francisco this season under orders from Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire BELICHICK HAS FAMOUSLY staked his entire career on the idea that long-term security doesn't exist in the NFL. Fear, paranoia, the irrelevance of yesterday and tomorrow, and acceptance of Belichick as the ultimate authority are as much a part of the Patriot Way as selflessness and sacrifice. For years, Brady stood as the perfect model for Belichick's system, a future Hall of Famer who could withstand tough and biting coaching. Brady always knew the hits were coming during Monday morning film sessions -- "The quarterback at Foxborough High could make that throw," Belichick often would say after replaying a Brady misfire -- but he could take it, secure not only in the knowledge of his singular impact on Belichick's career but also in the theater of it all, that the coach was doing it in part to send a message that nobody was above criticism. "Tommy is fine with it," his father, Tom Brady Sr., said years ago over dinner in San Mateo, California. "He's the perfect foil for it." Brady is less fine with it this year. People close to him believe that it started after last year's playoff win over the Houston Texans, in which Brady completed only 18 of 38 passes and threw two interceptions. Belichick lit into him in front of the entire team in a way nobody had ever seen, ripping Brady for carelessness with the ball. "This will get us beat," he told the team after replaying a Brady interception. "We were lucky to get away with a win." The criticism has continued this year, as Brady has been hit a lot and battled various injuries. Atypically, he has missed a lot of practices and, in the team's private evaluations, is showing the slippage of a 40-year-old quarterback even as he is contending for MVP and is as deadly as ever with the game on the line. Injuries to his shoulder and Achilles have done more than undermine claims that the TB12 Method can help you play football virtually pain-free. Subtle changes have at times hampered the offense and affected the depth chart. On a fourth-quarter play against the Los Angeles Chargers, for instance, Brady had a clean pocket and a first read open deep, possibly for a touchdown. But Brady got rid of the ball quickly over the middle to receiver Chris Hogan, who had nowhere to run and was hit hard, injuring his shoulder. He missed all but one game of the rest of the season. "Tom was trying to get it out quick," a Patriots staffer says. "As fragility has increased, nervousness has also increased." At the same time, as his age has increased, Brady has become an advocate of positive thinking. Belichick's negativity and cynicism have gotten old, Brady has told other Patriots players and staff. He feels he has accomplished enough that he shouldn't have to endure so much grief. Patriots staffers have noticed that, this year more than ever, he seems to volley between unwavering confidence and driving insecurity. Brady has noted to staff a few times this year that, no matter how many game-changing throws he makes, Belichick hasn't awarded him Patriot of the Week all year. Those who know Belichick and Brady well are amazed that they've co-existed this long, two ruthless and proud self-made men, both secure though still unfinished in their legacies, both loved and hated, both having received stiff penalties for cheating, both motivated by ego, humility and -- as much as anything -- doubt. Belichick is famously secretive, creating an entire system in which knowledge flows directly to him and only he decides how to deploy and exploit it. And Brady is famously unhelpful toward his backups -- or, at least, a threat like Garoppolo. The two quarterbacks were friendly, but Brady -- like Joe Montana to Steve Young and Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers -- didn't see it as his role to advise Garoppolo, even on matters as trivial as footwork, as nobody had helped him during his climb. Garoppolo played well in 2016, starting in place of the suspended Brady, and Belichick began to see Garoppolo as the final piece of his legacy, to walk away in a few years with the Patriots secure at quarterback. But after Garoppolo was knocked out of his second start because of a shoulder injury, he set up a visit at TB12. As he later told Patriots staffers, when he arrived, the door was locked. He knocked; nobody was there. He called TB12 trainers but nobody answered. He couldn't believe it, Garoppolo told the staffers, and that night ended up visiting team trainers instead. Guerrero vehemently denies ever refusing to see any player, and Garoppolo was eventually treated at TB12 -- but it was two weeks after he showed up for his original appointment, and only after a high-ranking Patriots staffer called TB12 to inquire why Garoppolo hadn't been admitted. Several times this past October, Brady met with Kraft to discuss playing longer. That same month, he also met with Belichick, who was skeptical of a long-term contract extension but was content to start Brady as long as he was the best quarterback. Belichick understood how much Brady had meant to the franchise, and had always insisted privately that he wouldn't move on from Brady unless he could convince the coaching staff of it. But the reality was that no quarterback has ever played at a championship level into his 40s. The meeting ended in a "little blowup," according to a source. Complicating matters was that Garoppolo would be a free agent at the end of this season. Complicating matters more was that Brady and Garoppolo share Yee as an agent. And complicating matters even more was that Belichick didn't want to trade Garoppolo. He had passed on dealing him last spring, when Garoppolo was in high demand. In early September, Belichick did trade third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the Colts for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett. "If we trade Jimmy, we're the Cleveland Browns, with no succession plan," one person inside the organization said earlier in the year. The Patriots repeatedly offered Garoppolo four-year contract extensions, in the $17 million to $18 million range annually that would go higher if and when he succeeded Brady. Garoppolo and Yee rejected the offers out of hand, for reasons that remain unclear, and the Patriots knew they couldn't make any promises to Garoppolo about the timing of a transition at quarterback without it getting back to Brady. Two weeks before the Nov. 1 trading deadline, Belichick met with Kraft to discuss the quarterback situation. According to staffers, the meeting ran long, lasting half the day and pushing back Belichick's other meetings. The office was buzzing. The meeting ended with a clear mandate to Belichick: trade Garoppolo because he would not be in the team's long-term plans, and then, once again, find the best quarterback in the draft and develop him. Belichick was furious and demoralized, according to friends. But in the end, he did what he asks of his players and coaches: He did his job. One morning in late October, Belichick texted San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and asked him to call. Belichick had long admired Kyle's father, Mike, who not only had been one of the NFL's smartest tacticians but had also personally defended Belichick to commissioner Roger Goodell during the Spygate scandal. At the combine this past February, Kyle, weeks into the 49ers job after being the offensive coordinator for the Falcons, met with Belichick for hours to learn from his team's humiliating Super Bowl loss. Belichick believed that Garoppolo would excel under Shanahan, and when he and Shanahan connected on the phone, Belichick offered the quarterback for a second-rounder. It was a steal, leaving Patriots staffers stunned and confused. Why would the game's shrewdest long-term strategist trade two backup quarterbacks in a two-month span when his starter was 40 years old and banged up? And why did Belichick practically give away a quarterback whom the coaches saw as a potential top-10 player for much less than he could have gotten last spring? It made no sense. Belichick handled the trade as he always does, by not explaining it to the coaches and by burying them so deep in work that they didn't have time to gossip. Most in the organization understood that it was an extreme case, with extreme personalities, but they felt that Belichick had earned the right to make football decisions. Belichick, having always subscribed to the philosophy that it's time to go once an owner gets involved in football decisions, left the impression with some friends that the current dynamic was unsustainable. Brady, though, seemed liberated. Kraft hugged Brady when he saw him that week, in full view of teammates. A few days later during practice, some players and staffers noticed that Brady seemed especially excited, hollering and cajoling. Brady was once again the team's present and future. His new backup, Brian Hoyer, was a longtime friend and not a threat. The owner was in Brady's corner. "He won," a Patriots staffer says. In the Patriots' private evaluations, Brady is showing the slippage of a 40-year-old quarterback even as he contends for MVP and is as deadly as ever with the game on the line. AP Photo/Charles Krupa NOBODY IS BUDGING now. Kraft, Brady and Belichick were supposed to meet in late December to clear the air, but that never happened. It probably won't until after the season. Those interviewed describe a lingering sadness around the team, as if coaches and staff know that the end might be near. Both McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia are expected to become head coaches; other assistant coaches might leave to join their staffs or for college jobs, or even retire. The imminent exodus raises the question going forward: Is it possible that Belichick would rather walk away than try to rebuild the staff with a 41-year-old Brady and another year of Guerrero drama -- all while trying to develop a new quarterback? Belichick being Belichick, those around him know nothing of his plans. He has always been a football genius, artfully letting situations play out. The looming uncertainty has taken a toll on everyone, even as the Patriots finished 13-3 and earned the top seed in the AFC playoffs. "Bill's done a phenomenal job of holding the building together," one Patriots official says. 2018 NFL DRAFT When: April 26-April 28Where: Arlington, TexasNFL draft home page » | Projected order » • 2018 draft QB class primer » • Todd McShay's Mock Draft 1.0 » • McShay's Top 32 » • Mel Kiper's Big Board » • Kiper, McShay answer 25 questions » • Underclassmen who have declared » Now 76 years old, Kraft ultimately will attempt to broker a solution. He has paid both Brady and Belichick tens of millions of dollars, won and lost some of the greatest games in NFL history with them, and has stood by both at their lowest moments. He apologized in front of a room of owners for Spygate. And he stood by Brady during Deflategate, even after he backed down and accepted the NFL's penalty. Kraft did so even though many staffers in the building believed there was merit in the allegation, however absurd the case. The team quietly parted ways with both John Jastremski and Jim McNally, the equipment staffers accused of deflating footballs -- they've never spoken publicly -- and Belichick reorganized the equipment staff. Kraft has privately told associates he knew that he went too far in his attacks against the league. "I had to do it for the fans," he has told confidants. A fifth Super Bowl triumph healed some of those wounds, but there's no guarantee that a sixth will fix the rest. Something has to change, that much everyone knows. Many Patriots players and staff believe that Brady is a good man who has a hard time saying no to Guerrero. They've noticed that he seems to be searching this year, as if reaching the pinnacle of his profession is as fleeting as it is rewarding, manifesting itself in outbursts like the one at McDaniels. Belichick seems to be grinding harder than ever, as if more than a sixth championship is at stake. Before the Patriots played the Steelers in December, he told players, "I brought you here for games like this." But Belichick also has taken a longer view, as though he sees pieces of his impact leaguewide. He's preparing assistant coaches for job interviews elsewhere, which he didn't always do in years past. He has taken pride in Garoppolo's 5-0 record in San Francisco -- and in the fact that Kraft has confessed to people in the building that trading Garoppolo might have been a mistake. He reset a toxic relationship with the Colts with the Brissett trade. He has even become good friends with Goodell. The two men had a long and private meeting during the off week after the regular season, when the commissioner visited Foxborough. Belichick always had a vision for how, after more than four decades in the NFL, he wanted to walk away, beyond setting up the team at quarterback. He wanted his sons, Brian and Steve, both Patriots assistants, to be established in their football careers. And he wanted the winning to continue without him, to have a legacy of always having the best interests of the franchise in mind. Both Brady and Belichick have redefined how much influence a coach and quarterback can have on a team game. But this year has shown that the legacy of football's greatest coach, like the game itself, is beyond his control. A FEW HOURS before the Patriots played the New York Jets in the regular-season finale, Belichick walked straight out of the locker room and out to the field. It was 13 degrees before kickoff with subzero wind chill, the coldest regular-season game in team history, but he was wearing a short-sleeve T-shirt, shorts and receiver gloves. Pictures of him went viral, and for a moment it was reminiscent of a legendary playoff game 16 years earlier, when the Patriots played the Raiders in the snow. That night, Brady once recalled in an NFL Films interview, he took the field for warm-ups wearing a sleeveless T-shirt in the thick snow. He was 24 years old, at the beginning of a career only he saw coming. He wanted to send a message to everyone watching that nobody was tougher, both mentally and physically, than this California kid. That night, Brady showed that he was immune to the stage, a deficit, the weather and a stout defense. It was clear that the Patriots had something special, both at quarterback and under the headset, and it created a moment, both emboldening and addictive, that has lasted far longer than anyone could have expected. On Sunday, the moment -- their moment -- seemed as alive as ever, to the outside. Belichick ordered the field crew to hang thermometers in the hallway outside of the Jets' locker room, just to mess with a franchise he still hates so much that he barely mentions his years there in the Patriots' media guide. The game unfolded like many have for the Patriots this year, with Brady looking mortal at times and like an MVP at others. As usual, the Patriots won. It didn't look like Belichick's last regular-season game as the Patriots' head coach, but several coaches and staffers later remarked to one another that it felt as if it could be. As Brady and Belichick left the field, bundled up in the cold, the only thing clear was that the beginning of the end started a long time ago, masked by success and the joy and pain of the rise, leaving both men this year's playoffs and their collective will to stave off the fall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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