NFL Rumors: New England Patriots’ Plan To Keep Tom Brady Could Include Landing A.J. Green

The New England Patriots may be hatching a plan to keep Tom Brady that includes surrounding him with new talent — namely in the form of All Pro wide receiver A.J. Green.

As Matt Miller of Bleacher Report noted, according to NESN, the Patriots may be looking to beef up their offense by making a deal to land either Green or tight end Hunter Henry. As the NESN report added, adding either of those players — or both — would substantially boost New England’s offensive potential going into next season. The Patriots struggled down the stretch this year in large part due to the uneven play from Brady’s receivers, who were ranked near the bottom of the league in separation.

The report noted that adding Green would not be easy for the cash-strapped Patriots, however.

“The Patriots would need to do some salary-cap gymnastics to afford both Brady and a couple of star-studded offensive upgrades, especially if the veteran quarterback is unwilling to accept another hometown discount ahead of his age-43 season,” the report added.

There has been much speculation about where Brady will land next season, as he will be testing the free agent market for the first time in his career. Brady had already sparked rumors that he was ready to move on from the Patriots after he put his Boston-area mansion up for sale last year. He also refused to answer questions this year about whether he planned to return to the Patriots.

If the New England Patriots do intend to keep Brady, they may have some fierce competition. Reports have indicated that as many as a dozen teams are interested in the future Hall of Famer, including a recent report that the Las Vegas Raiders are willing to offer a two-year, $60 million contract to land Brady. That would jump him to the top of the league in annual salary, though Pro Football Talk noted that it would bring him to a team that may have a lesser chance of winning a title.

“For Brady, the bigger question will be fit, with team, coaching staff, city, and offense,” the report noted.

“It’s a new football city in a new football stadium and, for Brady, a new offense with a new coach who has a reputation for being more than a little aggressive with his quarterbacks.”

If Brady values winning another Super Bowl as much as recent reports have indicated, then a Patriots team re-loaded with A.J. Green and other talents could be a strong contender.