I don't have a twin (as far as I know) but from everything I've observed over my lifetime, when it comes to twins, they are a different type of person. That's why when you saw that Jason McCourty was returning, you had to feel like it was a lock that Devin would be back too. For an example of how close the McCourty brothers are, they share a Twitter handle which is only slightly less absurd than it sounds. Jason is a servicable pro and while nobody would describe Slater as a star, he is very good at his limited on-field role (as the multiple Pro Bowls on his resume would tell you) but a true Hall of Famer off the field as cheesy as that sounds. Of these three, Devin is the real standout since not only has he been a nine-time captain but he's also been to four Pro Bowls and most importantly, won three Super Bowls. Like Slater, Devin has only ever played for the Patriots in his entire NFL career. You know who else has only known one pro franchise? A certain all-time greatest quarterback/player in NFL history.
More than anything after an off-season of non-stop drama and uncertainty, these moves show that no Foxborough isn't completely burning to the ground and Bill Belichick-the greatest head coach in league history but also an average GM-hasn't lost his way. Clearly, if Brady finally leaves here (and it's reportedly down to the Buccaneers and the Patriots) we will be singing a different tune but it has to mean something that these dependable, mature veterans all decided to stay with New England rather than start over somewhere else. No matter if it's after an epic win or a heartbreaking loss, Slater and Devin McCourty are always two of the go-to players on the Pats for the media. Furthermore, you always see them in the middle of every locker room celebration video after a Patriots victory (Slater voice). They are adults and it's easy to see why they have been captains seemingly forever here. No doubt, they would have had other choices of places to go but I'm sure after consulting with their families, teammates and agents and honestly assessing the entire situation, they realized that this remained the best spot for them to continue to play at a high level and compete for championships year after year which is what winners like them care about the most.
The Coronavirus has wiped away all other sports in the world for the forseeable future so I'm happy that the NFL hasn't deviated from its normal league calendar: legal tampering starts tomorrow at noon (wink wink) and then free agents can officially begin signing with teams on Wednesday. Even going into his age-43 season, Brady is still the biggest domino to fall in the NFL so you feel like once his decision is mercifully made, a flurry of other QB moves will be finalized around the league shortly after that. Going to the Titans made plenty of sense for Tom at least on the surface (good team, his buddy Mike Vrabel as the head coach, a fun market, etc.) but you can cross them off the list after they completed a stunning reach of a move tonight: re-signing Ryan Tannehill to a four-year deal worth a whopping $118 million dollars. Yes that's right folks, a team that improbably reached the AFC Championship Game last season after upsetting the Patriots and top-seeded Ravens on the road, chose the fluky Tannehill (who picked the right two months to play the best football of his life) over a few years of a very motivated Brady. In 2020 with the world falling apart before our eyes, somehow this made perfect sense. With that said, seeing Brady play for any other team would be devastating (as utterly painful as this whole excruciating process has been at times), particularly for such a rinky-dink team like Tampa Bay.
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