Tom Brady Is Playing You Fools for More Money

I wrote yesterday that Patriots quarterback didn't lose a penny when he restructured his deal to accommodate his newest toy, wideout Randy Moss. ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli has the details of the deal, but adds this interesting nugget:

Even if the league's spending limit increases to $116 million in 2008, as anticipated, Brady's cap charge [resulting from his newly-restructured deal], if untouched, would represent a whopping 12.6 percent of the New England budget. By comparison, his cap charge for 2007 is 6.7 percent of a $109 million cap. For owner Bob Kraft, such an excessive amount tied up in one player in 2008 would leave him little recourse.

He would almost certainly have to negotiate a new contract, which could be one of the most lucrative in NFL history, or extend the current deal.

There are two ways for teams to deal with such humongous cap charges: release a player -- and that ain't happening here -- or, in Pasquarelli's words, "go overboard with a huge contract."

In the wake of Yankee-lid Gate, some people, presumably Patriots fans, have called Brady selfish. This seems weird since he signed a relatively modest contract in 2004, one that allowed New England to keep their roster together. Next year, however, Brady could get paid ... like Michael Vick or Peyton Manning money. You know, the two NFL quarterbacks with one Super Bowl ring between them. And whatever he gets, he's earned it.