Bet big, Tom Brady. It's time to take your talents to Vegas.

Should Tom Brady and the New England Patriots end their 20-year relationship with an amicable divorce in mid-March, there will be no shortage of suitors for the 42-year-old free agent's services. As luck would have it, the team that appears most interested in pursuing Brady is also the best fit.

The Las Vegas Raiders want Brady, and if they get him, it will be a boon for everyone involved. Brady would instantly turn the Raiders into a serious contender and guarantee that football booms from Day 1 in the desert.

New England might be the betting favorite for Brady’s services, but he and Bill Belichick have nothing left to prove together in Foxborough. Six Super Bowl wins in nine trips and an astounding eight straight AFC Championship Game appearances from 2011-2018 secured their legacy. Belichick is already the greatest coach in NFL history, and Brady its greatest quarterback.

It’s time for both to see what they can do apart. In Brady’s case, it’s also time to finally get top dollar for his services, something he never did in New England, which is a major reason the Pats were able to stay atop the league despite having to deal with the salary cap. Las Vegas can make it happen. Incumbent starting QB Derek Carr’s contract is not a major issue. Cutting him this season would result in a $5 million dead cap hit for the Raiders, per Spotrac, but that’s a far cry from the $21.5 million he is owed if he’s still on the roster.

Not only can the Raiders pay Brady top dollar, they can pair him with Jon Gruden, whose legendary intensity and work with quarterbacks should appeal to the GOAT.  Pro Football Focus’ Bruce Gradkowski, who played two seasons for Gruden in Tampa Bay, told me Brady was only "so-so" in 2019.  His PFF offensive grade was 80.4, eighth among quarterbacks with at least 350 dropbacks in 2019. 

"You could tell he was lacking weapons around him," Gradkowski said " ... But I also noticed that he would tend to get very antsy when pressure got near him and would just throw the ball away with no one around, and didn’t want to get hit.”

But Gradkowski doesn’t think Brady is finished.

“I think he has a few years left in him if he wants to, especially because he might have a chip on his shoulder, particularly if he leaves New England," he said. "If another team gets him, I think it could be really good for them, and for him. He’s still unique because of his mindset -– it is so far and away above everyone else’s. He does need weapons around him, because he can’t elevate everyone else’s game physically, but he can definitely elevate it mentally.”

The Raiders have weapons. Running back Josh Jacobs (1,150 rushing yards) had a strong case for Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019. Brady loves throwing to his tight ends, and Darren Waller (90 catches, 1,145 yards in 2019) is one of the best, and most underrated, at the position.

Las Vegas also has two first-round picks in the 2020 Draft, and while the Raiders need defensive help, adding a top-flight wide receiver in a draft flush with talent at the position would be tempting and wise if Brady is in the fold.

As for coach-quarterback dynamics, Gradkowski thinks Gruden would work well with Brady.  "It would be a cool fit because Gruden gives quarterbacks a lot of tools on the tool belt, a lot of room for audibles, and I think Brady would love that," he said. "And Gruden would customize the offense around what Brady likes to do. He’s also a great teacher, loves the game, and his passion for the game motivates you.”

Would Gruden, legendary for being tough on quarterbacks, risk rubbing Brady the wrong way?

“Playing for him as a rookie, he was a little harder on me, but I think he has a different level of respect for veterans, and if he and Brady hooked up, Gruden wouldn’t be cussing him out from the sideline," Gradkowski said. 

Brady to the Raiders would mean the league’s biggest star playing for one of its most tradition-rich franchises, in the newest, glitziest NFL city. He’d have two dates a season against Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, and the Raiders’ road date with New England would immediately become the biggest game of the 2020 regular season. 

Oh, and he’d also be teaming with the coach who was on the wrong side in the "Tuck Rule" game.

Break up with the Patriots, Tom, and take your talents to the desert. 

It’s best for you, the fans, and the NFL.