Tom Brady on Shedeur Sanders's draft-day slide: I wasn't part of the evaluation

In the aftermath of the draft, some old comments from Tom Brady emerged, during which he advised quarterback Shedeur Sanders to "get his ass in the film room and spend as much time in there as possible and less time in the car and more time in the film room."

In an appearance on Impaulsive podcast, Brady was asked why Sanders went so late in the draft.

Brady stammered and struggled before offering up a general denial of involvement and, by implication, knowledge.

"There's . . . I — I — it's a good question," Brady said "I wasn’t a part of any evaluation process or to see that."

"Skip Bayless says otherwise," one of the hosts interjected.

"I know, well, everyone's got every, you know," Brady said. "That's the problem with media is everyone can just say whatever the fuck they want."

The clip then jumps to Brady saying this: "I actually texted Shedeur because I know him very well, and I said, 'Dude, like, whatever happens, wherever you go, like, that's your first day. Day two matters more than the draft. I was [pick number] 199. Yeah. So, who could speak on it better than me, like, what that really means? Use it as motivation. You're gonna get your chances. Go take advantage of it."

Right, but it becomes easier to take advantage of the chances if the player is drafted higher. Selections made on the first two days get at least a full year to prove themselves. The farther a player slides, the bigger the challenge becomes.

As to Brady's claim that he wasn't part of the evaluation process, many will not be buying what the GOAT is selling. In December, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media quoted Raiders owner Mark Davis as saying that Brady "will have a huge voice in the organization when it comes to picking the quarterback."

While, technically, the quarterback for 2025 (and perhaps beyond) has been selected, why wouldn't Brady's "huge voice" include participating in the evaluation of someone like Sanders — especially since Brady (as he said) knows him "very well"?

Meanwhile, Brady was clearly involved in the evaluation and selection of quarterback Cam Miller, in round six.

Common sense suggests that Brady was treading lightly, so as not to undermine his relationship with Sanders. Even if it means taking a position that directly conflicts with things his boss has said, on the record.

For the record, the Raiders passed on Sanders seven times, with their last non-Sanders pick coming only nine spots before his slide ended, at No. 144.