The New England Patriots undoubtedly want to retain Tom Brady in free agency and it isn't going to be cheap to prevent him from leaving. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Patriots could offer as much as $30 million per year to keep Brady.

Over the course of Brady's illustrious career, he's been known to accept less money to help New England build a better roster around him. But with Brady's career winding down, he isn't going to give the Patriots a discount again.

This season, Brady had one of the worst seasons of his career in New England. The veteran signal-caller finished the year by completing only 60.8 percent of his attempts for 4,057 yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Brady's 60.8 completion percentage was the lowest in his career since 2013.

While Brady faltered, most of the blame could be placed on the weapons around him. In addition to wanting to pay Brady, the Patriots would also need to spend money to better the offense if they hope to convince Brady to stay.

Before the offseason begins, New England is projected to have $44.1 million in cap space, per Spotrac. Given that, the Patriots are going to have to make a few roster moves to create more cap space. Not to mention that New England is going to have to let some of their marquee free agents depart in free agency.

Even at 42-years-old, Brady believes he can still play at a high level in the NFL. Regardless of where he plays next season, Brady is likely going to receive the most lucrative contract of his career.