Tom Brady says he lies about how good some NFL defenders are for strategic purposes

• Tom Brady is probably lying to you.
• Speaking on HBO, Brady said that he would often talk up opponents he was ready to tear apart.
• "In my mind, I'm thinking, 'I'm going to go at that motherf----- all day.'," Brady said.

Tom Brady's gamesmanship is unmatched in the NFL.

Between his unflappable poise and selective trash-talking - and of course, his unbelievable physical ability - Brady has won seven Super Bowls and is looking to add an eighth ring to his collection this year.

But there is another skill that Brady finds quite useful to his NFL career: lying.

Speaking on HBO's "The Shop," Brady explained that during the NFL season, most of what he says is not to be believed.

"What I say vs. What I think are two totally different things," Brady said. "90% of what I say is probably not what I'm thinking."

Brady's coyness is all a part of his plan. Not only does it allow him to better control a narrative, it can also help lull his opponents into a false sense of security.

"From a strategic standpoint, I never want to give away what we're doing," Brady said. "I usually say the opposite."

"If I think they have a sh---- corner, I'll go 'That guy's unbelievable! I don't even know how they complete balls over there!' In my mind, I'm thinking, 'I'm going to go at that motherf----- all day.'"

Brady's deft use of language isn't all that surprising to those that are paying attention.

NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman recently called out Brady for not saying what he meant after the Buccaneers quarterback rallied players to skip offseason workouts during a call with the NFL Players Association.

"I was surprised to hear Tom Brady say the players need more time off. He was very vocal. It shocked me, because I know Tom well," Aikman said, appearing as a guest on the "Flying Coach" podcast.

"And then I realized, that's the greatness of Tom Brady, because I can assure you, he's not taking those days off, and that team is not taking those days off. And so he views it as a total competitive advantage. If teams are practicing less, and he's practicing more, that's going to give him a leg up on the competition, and I think that was really the whole motivation for those comments."

Even in the offseason, Brady is out there looking for an edge.

If you're an NFL defender who has received praise from Brady in the past, only to find yourself burned by the quarterback come Sunday, I'm sorry you had to find out this way. Brady probably never thought you were that good.