Bruins Legend Ray Bourque Gives His Take On Tom Brady’s Free Agency

Ray Bourque spent 21 campaigns with the Boston Bruins before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche in March 2000. In other words, he knows pretty much everything about spending the final years of a career playing for a different team.

A month after Bourque was traded, the Patriots selected quarterback Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

These two events have nothing to do with each other. However, Bourque can relate to TB12 on some level 20 years later as the GOAT gets ready to enter the open market for the first time in his career.

The Bruins legend couldn’t even imagine leaving Boston. Well, that changed.

“For me, I never thought I would leave Boston and I never would have to leave Boston. 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,” Bourque said on “Extra Sauce with Greg Hill” few days ago. “His situation is different in terms of respect and maybe in terms of money, and what he’s been able to do compared to the other quarterbacks who are making $30 million or close to $40 million, where Tom is thinking about the team a lot.

“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. That will certainly come into play. And other teams that have things set up for him to have success will come into play.”

Ray Bourque may be right

Bourque noted that their situations are different. He was sent somewhere else at 39. Brady has six Super Bowls under his belt. So, yes, it’s sort of different.

But it’s interesting to hear Bourque’s take. Is Brady confident with the team? This is really important. He needs to take that into consideration before making a decision.

“It will be interesting because I think he will get to free agency, and from that point on, all bets are off,” Bourque added. “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. 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.

” … I certainly would love to see him come back and finish his career here in Boston. This is where he belongs, but like I said, things have to look right for him in terms of what he’s coming back to.”