Former Patriots Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Ty Law has always been one to speak his mind.
He did so as a player – sometimes to the chagrin of Bill Belichick during contract negations.
And Law continues to do so as a retired player who admits he’s still a Patriot at heart.
So it probably wasn’t all that surprising that Law had a brutally honest assessment of the 2020 Patriots when he joined WEEI’s Greg Hill Show Wednesday morning in conjunction with the Granite Communications Saving by Shaving Program to benefit Boston Children’s Hospital.
Law made it clear the Patriots were destined to struggle last fall, and it wasn’t just because Tom Brady was no longer New England’s quarterback.
“Last year, they were not going to go anywhere, I don’t care who the quarterback was because no one fears the receivers,” Law said. “And when you don’t fear the receivers you can stack everybody in there and, man, we’re just waiting to get picks. You look at that game and say you know what, I’m going to add to my stat sheet in this game.
“We’re licking our chops as defensive backs in the secondary. No one is going to run past you. You don’t have to worry about it. So you are playing in a different kind of comfort. Yes, they are all professional athletes out there, but I’m just being honest. Hell, right now and I know I can’t run and wouldn’t have been scared of none of them. Put me out there coach, I can hold up. That’s the difference.”
For that reason, Law was somewhat sympathetic to the spot Cam Newton was thrown into in his first season in Foxborough trying to replace the GOAT.
“It wasn’t the best season for the Patriots or Cam Newton. But I will continue to say that if you think it would have been that much different or that much further along with Tom, I’ll still say I don’t think so,” Law continued. “I don’t think they had the team surrounding him to bring out the best. Everyone had a challenging year due to the pandemic. But when you get eight guys (who opt out) and a lot of those guys were starters, Tom Brady’s gone who’s been the leader of the team, just the chemistry wasn’t there. I don’t care, because you need that stability in the locker room and a lot of those vets opted out that had that leadership. So I think if [Newton] was to be the quarterback this year they’d put some pieces around him to cater to his style of play and his athletic ability. They’ll be a lot better football team. But If Tom Brady was on the Patriots he wouldn’t be holding that Lombardi Trophy this year, I can guarantee you that.”
So there you have it, the 7-9 Patriots wouldn’t have been that much better with Bardy?
“I didn’t say that much better, don’t put words in my damn mouth,” Law said as only he can. “I said he wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl.”
While the Patriots continue to try figure things out moving forward, Law thinks his former teammate and future Hall of Fame bust brother Brady still has work to do of his own in his new title home of Tampa Bay.
“Tom’s just having fun. Now he’s surrounded by a group of guys that are going to do everything in their power to protect him, they are going to follow him. He’s walking into a locker room with guys that are hungry that want to win a championship,” Law said. “They won a championship. You think they don’t want to do it again? You think they don’t want to keep adding on to his legacy? So, I give Tom at least another three years if he wants to. I might have dropped the damn mic right now and walk off. But, Tom, I give him another three years before he finally says, ‘I’m done.’ But he’ll definitely go at least two.”
To hear the full Greg Hill Show interview with Law – including whether he thinks Belichick will make a big-money splash in free agency this offseason – listen below: