Brady returning to Patriots is ‘not looking good’
The “Tom Brady 2020 watch” took a different turn on Thursday. All of a sudden, it appears the quarterback could be done with the New England Patriots.
According to the Boston Herald, as of Thursday, the Patriots still haven’t reached out to Brady. The Herald cited a source who said, “it’s not looking good.” That report is similar to the one by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington who said, “I’m now at the point where I would be stunned if Tom Brady went back to New England” on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
Brady’s agent Don Yee was at the Indiana Convention Center on Thursday morning. He met with a group of local reporters, but politely declined to comment on Brady and the reports about the quarterback.
Bill Belichick landed in Indy on Wednesday, so there’s still time for a meeting to happen.
The National Football League combine has been the place where deals come together. Here in Indy, is where the markets are set.
This year, however, things are a little different due to the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Combine that with a later start to free agency (March 18) and a lot of things are in a holding pattern when it comes to teams, players and their agents. That certainly could be the case with Brady, Belichick and the Patriots. However, it’s clear that Brady will have multiple suitors in free agency. Teams like Tennessee, Las Vegas, Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Chargers are expected to show interest and pursue Brady. This week in Indy has been full of rumours and speculation regarding the Patriots and their list of upcoming free agents.
According to a source, there is mutual interest between the Patriots and safety Devin McCourty. The two parties plan to meet to talk about a contract extension in the near future. It’s possible that McCourty still hits free agency due to the list of teams that are interested, but the Pats will get first crack.
It’s still unknown if the Patriots will pick up Jason McCourty’s contract option for 2020, per a source.
There’s been some contact between linebacker Jamie Collins and the Patriots, per a source. Collins is expected to have several teams interested in his services.
According to USA Today’s Patriots Wire, the Pats have had “minimal contact” with Kyle Van Noy. He is expected to land a big deal come March.
There’s been plenty of buzz around the combine about Joe Thuney. The guard is expected to set the market for his position and the market is expected to be robust. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Patriots need to fill his left guard spot next year.
The same goes for Ted Karras. He’s viewed as one of the best centres available in free agency and is expected to have a laundry list of teams interested in his services.
According to NESN, Phillip Dorsett’s camp has multiple meetings set up with prospective teams. It does seem likely, at this point, the receiver will be elsewhere next season.
Adam Butler will be a restricted free agent come March. It seems more than likely that he’ll be tendered by the Patriots, playing in Foxborough next season and then look for a new deal as an unrestricted free agent come 2021.
Of course, the Patriots plans could change depending on Brady.