New England Patriots jerseys quarterback Tom Brady is one of those guys. He's one of the few that shouldn't have to ask for a new deal; shouldn't have to talk about possibly not showing up at training camp; shouldn't have to worry about a franchise tag being put on him next year and shouldn't have to sweat out his future with the only NFL franchise he's ever known.
The man who has been at the helm of the most successful team in the country's most popular sport over the past decade or so should probably go into a season with a base contract a little higher than $3.5 million.
Brady will actually earn $6.5 million this season — the final in his front-heavy $60 million deal he signed in 2005 — as there's an added $3 million in roster bonuses.
Don't get me wrong, that's a lot of money. But shouldn't Wes Welker a three-time Super Bowl champion, two-time Super Bowl MVP, and league most valuable player make more in his base deal than, say, I don't know, Alex Smith, former backup Matt Cassel or dare I say, over the last few years someone like JaMarcus Russell?
But then again, I can't say that I'm much of a businessman!
Now I know New England has lived by that "team first" philosophy and has asked players to take Jerod Mayo less money in order to keep as many pieces to the wining puzzle in place as possible. Brady certainly did that five years ago, signing for well-under his value to give owner Bob Kraft and coach Bill Belichick some financial flexibility to bring in a supporting cast to make the Patriots even stronger.
"I'm like LeBron. I can go there and take less of a role, take less money and put everything aside and make it work."
Judging by the general lack of interest in T.O. this offseason, I imagine any offer the Patriots extend to the 36 year old veteran wouldn't be much of a pay cut.
Owens' troubles and his disappointing season in Buffalo last year have been well documented.
Yet despite that, T.O. managed 15.1 yards per catch last season, and broke 14 of his 55 receptions for 20+ yards, four of which went for 40+ yards.
One of the main struggles in New England last season was the lack of the big play. This was due in part to the lack of a clear third receiver, which often bottled Randy Moss up when he ran routes into the depths of the opposing secondary.
Patriots slot receiver Wes Welker is coming off of multiple offseason surgeries to repair torn ligaments in his knee as well as a torn rotator cuff, so naturally there are questions to his availability for the first few games of the season. Owens could prove to be a valuable stopper until Welker is 100%.
Once healthy, the Patriots wide receiving core could feature Moss, Welker, Owens, and veteran receiver Torry Holt, who joined the the Patriots this offseason. No matter how old they are, it seems to me that, theoretically, someone should always be open.
The Patriots have a history of converting former troublemakers into everyday citizens. (See Corey Dillon, Randy Moss). If T.O. was to come to New England, there will be no doubt that Owens will be on a very short leash, one that he is acutely aware of.
If you question T.O.'s understanding of his public image and his view of what his role would be in New England, I leave you with this
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