Christopher Price shares some of his thoughts on ESPN's 'The Brady 6'.
1. Bolstered by exclusive interviews with five of the six quarterbacks (hence the name of the hourlong documentary) who were taken before Tom Brady in the 2000 draft (as well as Brady himself, his father, Patriots owner Robert Kraft and coach Bill Belichick), it provided some real insight into Brady’s fire, his motivation and what really makes him great. He’s had a chip on his shoulder about his abilities since he was in high school, and has turned that intensity into a surefire ticket to the Hall of Fame. And the shot of him tearing up when it came to his draft day wait was fascinating television. We’ve always known that he’s leaned on his family for support over the years, but for him to mention his father and mother and what they did for him in that moment was especially telling.
2. No one is better at seizing an opportunity than Brady. The quarterback was stacked against the six guys who were taken in front of him, and many of them — including Tee Martin and Spergon Wynn — confessed in Tuesday’s show that they were not ready when they were called upon as young quarterbacks. In addition, few are more confident in their abilities. Not in a cocky way, but especially confident. There was the oft-told story of his first meeting with Kraft, but Brady’s college teammate Aaron Shea recalled how Brady told him before the fall of 2001 he was going to take Drew Bledsoe’s job.
3. It was great to see the video of the 2000 Hall of Fame Game between the Patriots and 49ers. In a contest that was better known at the time as being the "Monday Night Football" debut of Dennis Miller, it was a game that served to illuminate the differences between Brady and Giovanni Carmazzi. Video from the game had Carmazzi scrambling to avoid sacks and generally looking unprepared. As for Brady, he looked smooth and relatively polished. The quotes from Belichick regarding that game were especially illuminating: "I think we walked out of that game feeling that we probably had taken the right guy."
4. The relationship between Brady and Belichick is always fascinating — over the years, the two have come to share an eerily similar mindset when it comes to football — and there’s a new layer revealed here. Belichick says that keeping Brady around in 2000 was a "wasted roster spot," but confessed to being worried that they would lose him if they did anything else with him like put him on the practice squad. In addition, Belichick said that Brady had a better training camp and preseason than Bledsoe in 2001, but that they went with Bledsoe to start the season because of Brady’s relative inexperience. ...
Jeff Howe notes Bill Belichick revealed what kept him from selecting Tom Brady earlier in the 2000 Draft.
While looking back to April 2000, head coach Bill Belichick appeared dumbfounded that Michigan quarterback Tom Brady could still be on the board when the Patriots were approaching their fifth-round pick.
But Belichick had to rationalize for a moment. He recalled Brady's collegiate career, in which he was a masterful quarterback as a junior and a team captain as a senior. Yet, Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr kept yanking the starting job away from Brady during his senior season, instead favoring highly touted prospect Drew Henson.
Belichick said he could only go by what he saw of Brady on film, but the fact that Brady couldn't keep his job was a red flag. Why, Belichick wondered, did they keep trying to replace him?
"We saw Tom time and again his senior year start the game off well, and so many times Tom would come back in, and rescue the situation, and pull out the win for Michigan against great competition, the biggest game," Belichick said Tuesday on ESPN's hour-long special, The Brady 6.
TEAM TALK
- Ask PFW: Shooting the breeze about the Draft.
- Andy Hart offers his thoughts on QB Jake Locker visiting New England.
- The New England Patriots' 2011 preseason opponents were announced Tuesday.
- Patriots.com points out it has come to their attention for those enjoying the slopes of Aspen, Colo., that there is a special homemade shrine for Patriots fans worth visiting.
- Patriots Today - 2011 Draft Preview: CBs. (3.58 min. video)
- Patriots Today - Pats' 2011 Preseason schedule. (1.34 min. video)
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PFW in Progress - 4/12/11: We discuss top draft prospects we feel could be Patriots, ESPN's upcoming special 'The Brady Six' and moreoffseason topics. (2 hr program)
LOCAL LINKS
- Mike Reiss offers his thoughts on QB Jake Locker's visit to Gillette Stadium.
- Tom E. Curran addresses the Jake Locker-to-the-Patriots rumor that has been gaining steam.
- Christopher Price offers a few quick notes on the Patriots preseason schedule.
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Greg A. Bedard breaks down where the 2010 opening day starters on each NFL team came from in the draft: DT/NT position.
- Mike Reiss gets Jim Schwartz' thoughts on the Patriots-Lions preseason matchup.
- Mike Reiss breaks down ESPN's power rankings, with Jerod Mayo ranking sixth in the linebacker position.
- Mike Reiss answers his weekly reader mailbag: Trying to guess Bill Belichick's draft plan.
- Mike Reiss focuses on the draft picks available at the running back position for the Patriots, beyond the first round.
- Mike Reiss analyzes Adam Caplan's first first mock draft and who he has the Patriots selecting in the first round.
- Shalise Manza Young scouts the Draft: CB Buster Skrine (Tennessee-Chattanooga).
- Jeff Howe gives us an inside look at the life of draft prospect OT Anthony Castonzo (BC).
- Tom E. Curran profiles potential Patriots draftee: DE/OLB Ryan Kerrigan (Purdue).
- Jeff Howe says Akeem Ayers (UCLA) might be the Patriots answer at outside linebacker.
- Ian Rapoport Patriots Notebook: Last year the Patriots wined and dined QB Tim Tebow, but this time it's Jake Locker (Washington) at Gillette for a 2-day visit; The Patriots also hosted DE Greg Romeus (Pittsburgh) who would be considered a "project".
- Jeff Howe thinks the Jets' interest in Randy Moss could be a fabrication, and 19 other Patriots thoughts.
- Mike Reiss reports the Pro Football Writers of America votes on awards each year, and there are candidates with Patriots ties in numerous categories this year.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Only one NFL exec called Michigan about Brady.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) "The Brady 6" highlights the inaccuracies of the Draft.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Green-Ellis trains on Ali's hallowed ground. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a Law Firm."
- Jack Bechta (Nat'l Football Post) Are NFL scouting departments underfunded?
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Not all linebackers created equal.
- ESPN Sources: Patriots hosting QB Jake Locker (Washington), Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Seth Wickersham (ESPN Magazine) A matter of perspective: Jake Locker, projected as the top pick in the draft last year,now could end up a third-rounder.
- Peter King (SI) MMQB: Mail: NFL teams hung up on strength issues of Iowa's Clayborn.
- Adam Caplan (Fox Sports) Post pro day mock draft. Patriots pick OT Anthony Costanzo (Boston College) at 17 and DT Phil Taylor (Baylor) at 28.
- Richard Deitsch (SI) ESPN downscales its draft coverage.
- Pat Kirwan (NFL.com) Ingram might be only hope for RB to be taken in first round.
- Pat Kirwan (NFL.com) Draft do-overs:Texans nailed their '06 first-rounder, but not many others did.
- Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Parcells kicks himself for drafting Pat White, picking Long over Ryan.
- Armando Salguero (Miami Herald) Bill Parcells content with status.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Report: Jets have no interest in Randy Moss.
- Fox Sports Top 10 most over-hyped draft picks in NFL history.
- Wes Bunting (Nat'l Football Post) The draft’s top five overrated prospects.
- Gregg Rosenthal (ProFootballTalk) For veteran players, Ross Tucker says missing training camp is "the dream".
- Joe Wertheim (SI) Marvin Miller on Barry Bonds, drug testing and the NFL labor situation.
LABOR LUNACY
- Gregg Rosenthal (ProFootballTalk) Mediation process gets started.
- Jon Krawczynski, AP (Yahoo! Sports) Legal team for NFL players meets with judge.
- Staff (Pro Football Weekly) Players' reps meet with Boylan.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Participants in court-ordered mediation still aren't known.
- NFL.com League: No one is telling players to skip NFLPA event.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) League denies effort to keep rookies from NFLPA draft events.
- Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Marvin Miller rips NFL union for ever agreeing to a salary cap.
- Rand Getlin (Yahoo! Sports) Cash-strapped NFL players seeking high-risk lockout loans.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Players seeking high-interest lockout loans.
- Josh Katzowitz (CBS Sports) Owners, predatory lenders have to be salivating.