NFL Trade Rumors: New England Patriots Eye Tom Brady Trade; Ex-Green Bay Packers Star Matt Flynn Out, Arizona Cardinals QB Ryan Lindley In

Aug 12, 2015 06:08 AM EDT

As one of the most widely popular and notable NFL teams, the roster of the New England Patriots for the upcoming season is undoubtedly highly-anticipated. With only four weeks until the trade deadline, every move made by the 2014 NFL champions is closely scrutinized. Apart from the pressure of forming a roster that would boost the New England Patriots' chances of dominating the league this season, the Massachusetts team is also in the middle of the "Deflategate" scandal that has the future of its star player, Tom Brady, hanging in the balance.

Taking all the aspects at stake into consideration, fans and followers of the New England Patriots are now dealing with a silent turmoil - one that could spell out the guaranteed success of the NFL team if the right decision is made. Should the New England Patriots just trade quarterback Tom Brady?

While Brady is an indoubtedly talented NFL player, the New England Patriots star may no longer be up to par in terms of the co-relation between what he has to offer and how much the NFL team is paying to keep him. Brady signed a three-year contract with the New England Patriots worth $27 million in 2013, according to Sporting News. While the agreement provided the NFL team some financial flexibility, the three-year extension secured the New England Patriots quarterback $57 million guaranteed money over the next five years. Should he suffer from injuries, the NFL star's salaries for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 would be $7 million, $8 million and $9 million, respectively.

Given this arrangement of the New England Patriots with Brady, the NFL star has effectively forced the team to build the roster around him until he turns 40. With the "Deflategate" issue coming into the picture, however, the New England Patriots might want to reconsider the agreement.

One of the things that could push the New England Patriots to place Brady in the NFL trading block would be the entrance of a promising quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo. Due to the four-game suspension meted out by the NFL against Brady, the New England Patriots have no other recourse but to search for a replacement for their quarterback.

Opting for the 2014 second-round draft pick, fans of the New England Patriots could expect a notable run from Garoppolo - that is, one that could be comparable to the performance of Brady himself. The absence of Brady though could prove debilitating for the New England Patriots as the NFL team will surely struggle to secure victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Speaking of quarterbacks, the New England Patriots once again made a change in their QB list as the NFL team decided to let go of veteran quarterback Matt Flynn. In exchange, the Massachusetts locker room welcomed Ryan Lindley from the Arizona Cardinals. According to ESPN, the New England Patriots opted to trade Flynn due to his injuries. Seeing his inability to recover within the NFL team's designated healing period, the New England Patriots found no other way to resolve the situation but to release the veteran quarterback. With Brady's future in the upcoming NFL season still unknown, the New England Patriots wanted to ensure that Garoppolo will have a reliable substitute if he unexpectedly suffers from an injury.