Robert Kraft: 'We Plan to' Keep Tom Brady in New England
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft hasn't held back from letting everyone know what he wants to happen this offseason in regards to Tom Brady's looming decision. The star quarterback is slated to become a free agent for the first time in his career, and reportedly is "prepared' to speak with other teams during the free agency window. Kraft said earlier this month that he hopes and prays that Brady does one of two things this offseason: 1) He stays with the Patriots 2) he retires. But the one thing Kraft doesn't want to see Brady do? Play for another team, of course.
However, based on a quick remark made to TMZ Sports recently, Kraft has apparently boiled his desires down to one option for the 42-year-old QB: stay in New England.
TMZ Sports caught Kraft as he was getting in his car in New York City on Tuesday, and asked the simple question, "Are we going to keep Tom in New England, Bob?!"
Kraft's answer: "We plan to!"
The Patriots, specifically Kraft and Bill Belichick, will likely have to break the bank if they want to retain Brady. The future Hall of Fame QB is reportedly "embarrassed" by the type of money he makes in comparison to some of the other QBs around the league, which has caused him to want to test free agency, and ultimately, seek out the biggest contract possible.
With a projected $28 million in salary cap space available for New England to use this offseason, there won't be a ton of wiggle room for the Patriots to sign some of their other free agents, such as Joe Thuney, Kyle Van Noy, Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater, and Jamie Collins, in the event that they do re-sign Brady. That also doesn't include any other talent they may want to sign during the free agency windows, which may include an offensive weapon or two to spice up their offense.
While it will definitely be interesting to see how New England's front-office goes about dealing with their cap space this offseason, what we can bet on is that their offseason personnel moves will begin with one person: Thomas Edward Patrick Brady.
