The New England Patriots have consistently been one of the top teams in the NFL over the past decade and one reason has been the willingness of quarterback Tom Brady to put the best interests of the team ahead of his own, something he did once again this week when he agreed to restructure his contract.
Brady working on his deal with the team has freed up cap space for the Patriots and it may give them the flexibility they need to sign free agent wide receiver Wes Welker as well as a number of other players, possible Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace or the Packers' Greg Jennings.
Brady worked with the team to restructure his deal, signing a three-year, $27 million contract extension that keeps him with the team until 2017 and also frees up at least $15 million in cap space for the Patriots over the next two years. Brady turned some of his contract money into guaranteed dollars, including a $30 million signing bonus, according to league sources that spoke to ESPN.com.
"I really do just want to win, and that has and will continue to be the reason that motivates me and is the biggest factor in my decision-making process," he wrote in an email to WEEI host John Dennis, who was hoping to get Brady to call into Wednesday morning's show.
Brady's new deal also pays him a guaranteed $57 million from the Patriots even if he is injured and he now sets up the team to be players in free agency if they would like to go down that route.
"I don't want to talk about this on the radio or anywhere else for that matter," Brady wrote, according to WEEI. "Athletes are always talking about money at a time when everyone else is struggling so badly to make it. We all make way more than our fair share. And I just think it reflects poorly on myself and my teammates."
The Patriots now have the cap space if they want to re-sign Wes Welker to a long-term deal, something they have been reluctant to do in the past. Welker and Brady have a great relationship and the two have connected on a number of big plays for the Patriots over the years. Last season Welker was the leading receiver on the team after making 118 receptions for 1,354 yards and six touchdowns and although Belichick has shown resistance to signing guys like Welker long term, it could have been one of the factors in why Brady fixed up his deal.
Mike Wallace could also be another target for the team, as he is one of the fastest receivers in the NFL and has proven to be an agile playmaker. The team may not want to shell out big bucks for him, but after Brady's deal, they can afford to be a bit more generous with their payroll.
Having both Wallace and Welker would give Brady more weapons than he is used to an it could open things up even more for tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.
