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Monday, March 22, 2010
Kraft: We'll get deal done with Brady
By Mike Reiss
ESPNBoston.com
ORLANDO, Fla. -- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the team will continue to talk about a contract extension for quarterback Tom Brady, expressing confidence that the sides will strike a long-term agreement.
Brady
The 32-year-old Brady enters the final year of his contract in 2010 after signing a six-year, $60 million extension in 2005. "Let's put it like this: Tom Brady is going to be part of this franchise. He wants to be, we want him," Kraft told reporters early Monday. "Great things happen in life if you're flexible and not rigid. We have to find a way to satisfy him and the team, and have a team that can win big-time. That's what it's about."We're balancing a lot of different factors in an unknown environment. We're not sleeping. It's just complicated. It's complicated for everyone. We hope we do a satisfactory job, but we'll figure it out one way or another."Brady is not the only top-flight quarterback whose deal is up after this season. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is entering the final year of his contract as well. Like Kraft, Colts owner Jim Irsay talked openly about getting an extension done with his star, even saying he was planning on locking him into a record deal."You know it's going to get done," Irsay said during Super Bowl week. "I think it's clear, and we'll start on it this summer. That's been the way we do things [to hammer out an extension when a player is entering the final year of his contract]. And it'll be the biggest [contract] in history; there's not much doubt about that."Brady has not been present for the start of the team's offseason program, instead working out in California. Pictures have surfaced on the Internet in the last week showing Brady throwing a football on a practice field at UCLA and sparring at a gym. A source close to Brady laid out the Patriots quarterback's recent workout regimen: He'll do two hours in a gym at 7 a.m., then two hours of boxing every afternoon while his son is napping. The source also said Brady is in great shape and is at times joined by teammate Wes Welker, who had offseason knee surgery, and former teammate Matt Cassel. Kraft said he would rather Brady work out in Foxborough but he is not concerned with his star working out privately. Kraft also said he wouldn't be surprised if Brady was at team workouts by Wednesday.
"If you're asking me if I'd prefer he be here the whole offseason, yes," Kraft said. "It represents ... to me, he's the most unique, special leader and player in the NFL."But I wouldn't be surprised if before these meetings are over [Wednesday], he wasn't at the offseason workouts. They are voluntary. He has a family. Everything -- look at your lives. You've all changed. So it's priorities."There is no doubt in my mind he's working out hard. Would we be better as a team if he was in Foxborough every day between now and the start of training camp? Absolutely. Does it work for him? I don't know. I think he's balancing a lot of things. I hope he spends as much time as he can in Foxborough and I believe he will.""If you're asking me if I'd prefer he be here the whole offseason, yes," Kraft said. "It represents ... to me, he's the most unique, special leader and player in the NFL."But I wouldn't be surprised if before these meetings are over [Wednesday], he wasn't at the offseason workouts. They are voluntary. He has a family. Everything -- look at your lives. You've all changed. So it's priorities."There is no doubt in my mind he's working out hard. Would we be better as a team if he was in Foxborough every day between now and the start of training camp? Absolutely. Does it work for him? I don't know. I think he's balancing a lot of things. I hope he spends as much time as he can in Foxborough and I believe he will."
Mike Reiss covers the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter.
and the Jacksonville Jaguars (2009). Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
