How Much Does Tom Brady's Decision This Offseason Impact Free Agency?

Tom Brady's decision this offseason is unquestionably a big one. Becoming a free agent is something he has never experienced during his two-decade tenure in the league, which makes it all more exciting for those who might want to see an old face in a new town. But for those rooting for the New England Patriots, the days couldn't couldn't come and go any slower leading up to March 18, which is when free agency begins and Brady becomes a free agent.

The decision to stay put in New England or play elsewhere will no doubt impact how the rest of Brady's career plays out. Brady could continue his dominance as one of the winningest QBs in NFL history, or his reign could sizzle out. The same can be said for the Patriots, who could have their run over the last 20 years come to an end if their 42-year-old QB decides he wants to wear a different uniform in 2020, or they could try to reload and compete for a championship next season with Brady at the helm.

While the impact on Brady and the Patriots is obvious given what we've seen them do together since New England drafted him back in 2000, one concept that isn't as clear is how Brady's looming decision could impact free agency as a whole. With several big-name QBs hitting the market this offseason, along with plenty of other big names at other positions, the six-time Super Bowl champion's decision this offseason could massively impact what other teams decide to do in terms of acquiring talent from the free-agency pool.

Take for example some of the teams that are rumored to be interested in Brady: the Raiders, Chargers, Titans, and (obviously) Patriots. Each of those teams, with the exception of New England, has quite a bit of money to spend during free agency, but their decision to sign the veteran QB could impact what they ultimately do with their money.

Take Las Vegas for example; if the team were able to convince Brady to become the face of the newly-moved franchise, you can bet that they would spend as much of their $54 million in cap space as they could to bolster the rest of their team and compete for a championship in 2020. That may also cause a team like Los Angeles, who is in the same division as the Raiders and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, to take a step back and rebuild for the future in the post-Philip Rivers era. However, if the roles were reversed and the Chargers signed Brady, the Raiders may try and acquire someone like Ryan Tannehill and could still compete despite having Patrick Mahomes and Brady in their division. Las Vegas has been building for a couple years now, so the idea of them doing anything besides competing for a championship seems out of the question for GM Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden, who will have all eyes on them in Las Vegas.

For the Titans, they may decide to try and sign Brady instead of keeping Tannehill. If they are successful in their rumored goal, then Texans GM/head coach Bill O'Brien may have no choice but to spend all his money in free agency so he can compete with the Titans, who would have an edge over their division opponent with Brady quarterbacking the team.

The Patriots' options may be ones that New Englanders don't want to hear. If Brady stays, they will continue to be in contention for a championship. But if he doesn't stay, then the Patriots could dabble with the idea of rebuilding an aging roster, which would seemingly hand the reigns over to a division opponent like the Buffalo Bills, who showed they could beat New England with Brady, let alone without him and a rebuilding roster.

Am I saying that these are the exact scenarios that would play out if Brady were to join/re-join/not join those respective teams? No. But they are one of the many scenarios that could take place if the 42-year-old QB decides to leave the Patriots. These are just gauges for how Brady's decision this offseason could impact what other teams around the league decide to do during free agency, and even during the draft.

So buckle your seat belts; because if Brady does pack his bags and leave New England, it could shake up the entire NFL.