New England Patriots thread (MOD WARNING - #4503)

eagle eye

Low risk gamble maybe but he could be a locker room cancer too. We won't take him on if he is that so I'll just wait and see if he comes here.

If Pete Carroll ships you out though I really don't have much hope that he has what it takes to be a Patriot.

kryogen

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000474257/article/deon-simon-draft-diary-20-surprise-belichick-meeting

Could he possibly plug a Vince Wilfork sized gap in the D Line?

Son Of A Vidic

kryogen wrote: »

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000474257/article/deon-simon-draft-diary-20-surprise-belichick-meeting

Could he possibly plug a Vince Wilfork sized gap in the D Line?

A man that can pump out 35 reps on the Combine bench press, is a powerhouse that deserves our attention. Even if Vince eats humble pie and takes a pay cut to free up cap space (I doubt he will) drafting a DT is a priority for me. I'd be quite happy to land Simon.

BizzyC

I honestly don't see Vince being a Patriot come the season.
While he's still useful in the run game, his presence just isn't worth the cap hit he's currently taking up.

If there isn't a renegotiation, I can see him getting shipped to someone in need of some help for a very low draft pick, if not released altogether...

Easley was a wasted pick, so I just hope we can get out of the habit of trying to get a bargain on injury problem players and get some healthy 1st round talent this year.

JaMarcusHustle

BizzyC wrote: »

I honestly don't see Vince being a Patriot come the season.
While he's still useful in the run game, his presence just isn't worth the cap hit he's currently taking up.

If there isn't a renegotiation, I can see him getting shipped to someone in need of some help for a very low draft pick, if not released altogether...

Easley was a wasted pick, so I just hope we can get out of the habit of trying to get a bargain on injury problem players and get some healthy 1st round talent this year.

I wouldn't agree with this at all. I think Vince still has a lot to offer, and though he may not be as disruptive as he once was he still required double teaming for the most part and that opens things up for those around him.

As for Easley, it's far too soon to write him off. Him being put on IR wasn't anything to do with a reoccurrence of his knee injuries, it was to give him extra time to get 100% for this season. He is the quickest off the ball interior lineman we have and I think we'll see him feature prominently next year.

Drafting someone with injury concerns is clearly a long term pick rather than someone you want to contribute immediately.

eagle eye

While it's well known that the Patriots can be ruthless they do look after players who have been loyal to the team and great leaders.

The likes of Tedy Bruschi and Troy Brown got contracts when they were past their prime. There are other examples too of that. It's the greedy ones who find themselves cut or traded like Mankins and Seymour. The Seymour trade was made because he was greedy and we had to make room for a new Wilfork contract, Mankins wouldn't restructure or take a pay cut to help the team so he got shipped out.

Wilfork has always stayed loyal, and been well paid for it, and he did restructure after his awful injury in 2013 and I'd expect him to be a Patriot until he decides it's time to retire.

JCTO

There was talk of the Patriots releasing Vince and then re-sign him to try get around the guaranteed money we owe him coming soon and then giving him the same decent contract. He is owed 4m March 10th and then 8m guaranteed this season coming. So cutting him before March 10th and re-structure to the same or similar contract can be done where both gain from it.

Mayo needs to be re-structured also. With a 10m cap hit we need to get him down. 2 injuries in 2 years it has to be done.

paulie21

http://www.patriots.com/news/blog/article-1/Vereen-laughs-off-report-of-5-million-hopes/515e967a-e495-43a6-8532-42474baebdd4

Straight from the horse's mouth

kryogen

paulie21 wrote: »

http://www.patriots.com/news/blog/article-1/Vereen-laughs-off-report-of-5-million-hopes/515e967a-e495-43a6-8532-42474baebdd4

Straight from the horse's mouth

I really hope a deal can be done for him at New England, feel he is only getting better and he has proved he is clutch as ****.

JaMarcusHustle

He's worth 3.5 mill max imo. Anything more than that would be overpaying. Having said that, it's not my money so it's not like I'm bothered if we overpay.

kryogen

JaMarcusHustle wrote: »

He's worth 3.5 mill max imo. Anything more than that would be overpaying. Having said that, it's not my money so it's not like I'm bothered if we overpay.

While I agree, I would be ok with them going to 4 or so, he was drafted in to the system, obviously loves it in New England and has come up big for the team.

eagle eye

Just on the RB situation and not talking about Vereen here but from all mock drafts its looking likely that one of Gordon or Gurley will be there at 32. I think you gotta take whichever one it is if they are still available, best player on the board by a country mile type situation.

I'd imagine though that the RB that Belichick loves in this draft is David Johnson who looks like he could play multiple positions. We all know how much BB loves those guys who can move around positions on the field.

JCTO

eagle eye wrote: »

Just on the RB situation and not talking about Vereen here but from all mock drafts its looking likely that one of Gordon or Gurley will be there at 32. I think you gotta take whichever one it is if they are still available, best player on the board by a country mile type situation.

I'd imagine though that the RB that Belichick loves in this draft is David Johnson who looks like he could play multiple positions. We all know how much BB loves those guys who can move around positions on the field.

Not a chance we take a RB round 1. Just no way considering our needs. I know Bill is unpredictable but I can't see even him wasting a pick on a RB. Way I see it we will most likely go OL to start and if the best OL isnt there we will trade down. And take shots in lower rounds and try find decent guys down there.

Realistically our pressing needs will depend on who we keep around. Right now Offensive line is really the only obvious need with or without new contracts being signed

kryogen

Ghost getting the tag must surely mean there has been something agreed with Mcourty? It would be so, so frustrating to lose him

JaMarcusHustle

kryogen wrote: »

Ghost getting the tag must surely mean there has been something agreed with Mcourty? It would be so, so frustrating to lose him

McCourty spoke yesterday and said he was surprised, that there's been no contact and he thinks this probably increases the likelihood that he may be playing elsewhere next year.

I think he would have got €9.4 million with the tag. For comparison, Earl Thomas is on €10 million. I hope we're not letting him test free agency, because someone will offer him stupid money. There's not much else at safety in FA or the draft.

As for Revis, we have to do something by March 10. Our options are continue with the current contract (not going to happen), negotiate a new deal or cut him. There is absolutely nothing at CB in FA this year. Maxwell, Flowers etc. would be the best of a bad bunch. We have to keep Revis imo.

I'd rather we keep those 2 than make any FA splashes tbh. Should be our number one priority because this team has been a decent secondary away from a Super Bowl win for a few years now. Last year proved that, so let's keep it in tact.

kryogen

They are almost as important to each other imo, they played so well together and I think Revis really helped McCourty to improve as a player. McCourty has said he would like to stay, that its his preference but that he is mentally preparing himself for the possibility it won't happen and he is starting to consider where else he would like to go. Tagging him for the year and working out a long term deal would surely have been preferencial to letting him go with nothing (that I can see) in the draft or FA to replace him.

With Revis it will come down to what he wants to do himself, I can see us offering him a 4 year deal with 15-17 million a year, he may get better elsewhere so it will probably be up to him. Hopefully he wants to return, McCourty is almost as important a priority to him though, penny pinching in this situation would be unthinkable surely

Son Of A Vidic

I never saw the Gost tag coming. But I did expect a McCourty tag if negotiations weren't heading toward a quick resolution. McCourty has all the makings of a lifelong Pat, we drafted him, he became a defensive QB, a captain and the guy just never misses a game. Keeping him with us should be a priority and tagging him if necessary seemed the logical move. McCourty has already said he would have been quite happy with the tag, since it would represent the entire value of his current 4 year contract given to him in the tag year.

McCourty is one of the best Safeties in the league and he is certainly the most underrated. In a year where he will be the best FA Safety on the market and a year with a very poor draft class of Safeties coming out. Not tagging him seems like an unceseecary risk. Because if a bidding war breaks out, we have no chance in keeping him. Mankins wouldn't take his pay cut last year to help the team, his play was dipping off and we shipped him out. I'm always behind and support those kind of front office decisions. Because they make sense for the team and for business. But risking the potential loss of McCourty makes no sense on any level.

Son Of A Vidic

JaMarcusHustle wrote: »

I'd rather we keep those 2 than make any FA splashes tbh. Should be our number one priority because this team has been a decent secondary away from a Super Bowl win for a few years now. Last year proved that, so let's keep it in tact.

I completely agree with you. Keeping together the core of a very good team should be the priority and Revis & McCourty are keep components. All we need to do is look at how good our Secondary was last year. And then look back to how bad it had been for the proceeding 3-4 years. Last year for once, key players stayed healthy and we ended up as SB Champs. We have the talent on the roster and any needs I see (OL & DT), well they can be easily addressed with the draft.

helimachoptor

It's going to happen..

bruschi

helimachoptor wrote: »

It's going to happen..

Jason is joining the Pats???!!! :eek:


But in all seriousness, I' would be very pi$$ed off if Devin doesnt get resigned with the Pats. A lot more annoyed than if Revis goes. Revis was brought in, pretty much on a one year deal, so if it couldnt get worked out with him, then it was not that unexpected. But McCourty is different. He has been here a long time, and as Corvus says, is engrained with the Patriots. If he is to be let go now, it will be seriously disappointing.

helimachoptor

Jason has said he is trying hard to get his brother to sign, Griffin is cutable with very little impact to the cap if we do sign Jason.

Yea he's not going to win anything in the next couple of years with the Titans, but playing with his brother, cash, chance to make a huge impact may sway him.. Hopefully anyway

Son Of A Vidic

helimachoptor wrote: »

but playing with his brother, cash, chance to make a huge impact may sway him.. Hopefully anyway

helimachoptor

My mission this year is to get a picture of both Mccourtty Titans in Boston when I'm there

j8wk2feszrnpao

The more I look at it, the cutting of Wilfork, which would lead to $8m in saving; the more I see that used to resign Revis and McCourty.
Mayo's dead money ($6m) is probably preventing him from being cut.
This is assuming that Wilfork/Mayo don't restructure.

I just don't see either being worth their cap hit; and I don't see other teams paying them that type of money.

eagle eye

Its a good year to do a deal with Vince I think, you've got Suh, Fairley and Knighton all hitting FA so the price for somebody of Wilfork's age might drop.

Hazys

Unfortunately i don't think Vince is going to be very flexible when it comes to his contract considering the fiasco last year.

As unreasonable as it sounds, I think its keep Wilfork at his current cap hit or cut him.

Son Of A Vidic

I think Mayo will do a deal because we've had two seasons lost to injury and his cap hit is way too high. But like some of ye, I also don't think Vince will. But the ball is in his court, he understands the business and the needs of the team and if he isn't flexible, then he could be going the Mankins route.

j8wk2feszrnpao

Hazys wrote: »

As unreasonable as it sounds, I think its keep Wilfork at his current cap hit or cut him.

Given the two options, I'd cut him.
I wouldn't have an issue with Vince taking the 'business' approach and wanting his pay. "It's a business" is something that he and Bianca have stated many times in the past. The Pats don't owe him anything (he's been very well paid in the past), and he doesn't owe the Pats (he's always given it his all). The Pats Hall of Fame awaits him.

bruschi

Good luck Vince . . . .

https://twitter.com/wilfork75/status/573482158439940096/photo/1

j8wk2feszrnpao

bruschi wrote: »

Good luck Vince . . . .

https://twitter.com/wilfork75/status/573482158439940096/photo/1

Gone, but will never be forgotten.

That cap hit was always an issue. Will be interesting to see where he now goes. Also, I really hope the Pats use that money to keep Revis/McCourty.