Tom Brady isn't on a career-long quest for an elusive championship. But Ray Bourque still can relate to what the New England Patriots quarterback is going through ahead of his first foray into free agency.
Bourque spent 21 seasons with the Boston Bruins before leaving in 2001 to join the Colorado Avalanche, who helped the legendary defenseman win his first Stanley Cup in his last NHL season.
Bourque found it very difficult to leave the Bruins after two decades in Boston. As such, he believes Brady's familiarity with New England will factor heavily into his decision to stay or leave.
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"It has to. It certainly does," Bourque said this weekend on WEEI's "Extra Sauce with Greg Hill." "Certainly just a comfort level of everything that goes on in terms of his preparation, the coaches, the players, the fans and family life as well. That all comes into play."
So, what could drive Brady to sign elsewhere on March 18? Bourque believes it could come down to the 42-year-old feeling wanted.
"I never thought I would leave Boston," Bourque said. " ... But the situation I was in, I had to leave Boston if I was going to play a couple more seasons. That was my case.
"His situation is different, but in terms of respect and maybe in terms of money, and what he’s done throughout his career compared to some of those other quarterbacks who are making $30 million or close to $40 million, where Tom is thinking about 'team' a lot, and not that he wasn’t making big bucks, but you look at him and he’s been the best for so many years. You would think that he would be on top of that list.
"So, that will certainly come into play. And other teams that have things set up for him to have success will come into play."
Our Tom E. Curran recently wrote how the "respect" dynamic between Brady and head coach Bill Belichick could sway Brady one way or the other, and Bourque seems to agree.
The Hockey Hall of Famer also would like to see the Patriots do for Brady what the Bruins couldn't do for him: surround the QB with championship-level talent.
"I would like to see the Pats sign a couple of guys to really make him see that he’s going to have some help and some weapons," Bourque said. "I think that would certainly go a long way if I were in his shoes, knowing that you are coming back to better and are back in the mix as far as fighting for a Super Bowl again.
"Not that they weren’t last year, but you could kind of see they might have been a couple of weapons short of pulling it off."
If the Patriots don't give Brady the money or offensive weapons he feels he deserves? The six-time Super Bowl champion could follow in Bourque's footsteps out of town.
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