QB Notes: Tom Brady, Nick Foles, Andy Dalton

Tom Brady

Mike Freeman of B/R reports that team executives and coaches around the league rever Tom Brady and respect HC Bill Belichick.

“Tom can turn a non-playoff team into one and a playoff team into a Super Bowl team,” one NFC assistant coach tells Freeman.

The assistant added: “The Patriots will take several steps back if he leaves.”

• Freeman says several team sources have downplayed the possibility of Brady signing with the 49ers.
• Field Yates of ESPN mentions that the Patriots and Brady discussed a new deal during training camp last year including a multi-year extension. 
• However, Brady’s preference was to not add any years to his deal and instead position himself to test the open market, per Yates. 
• Yates explains that the next step in the process is for Brady to convey what he’s looking for in a new deal from New England and not the other way around. 
• Yates says that there’s still a chance Brady is back with the Patriots, but an important step in that process is an understanding of what he’s seeking in a new deal.

Nick Foles

• Mike Freeman of B/R says people around the league are shocked at how bad Nick Foles‘ first year with the Jaguars went.
• People around the league have been mixed on what the issue was for Foles in Jacksonville. He’s heard things like Foles’ inability to fit in with Jacksonville’s locker room to the lack of talent on the offense.
• According to Freeman, the most widespread belief is that “Foles simply had a lucky run in Philadelphia. A remarkable one. But a Cinderella story nonetheless.“
• Even so, Freeman wouldn’t be surprised to see a quarterback-needy team view Foles as a starter. Freeman assumes the Jaguars won’t be able to trade Foles and will cut him.

Andy Dalton

• Mike Freeman writes that he’s “stunned” at how much interest there appears to be in Bengals QB Andy Dalton, who is expected to be traded at some point this offseason
• According to Freeman, several teams have mentioned that the Patriots have “real” interest in Dalton and Bill Belichick believes he has “untapped potential and that it’s been hard to decipher how truly good or bad he is because he’s played in Cincinnati.”