Matt Williamson: Pats will be "really involved" in trying to get Mario Williams

I would love to think Belichick will grab Mario Williams this off season but I don't think he will offer as much money as another team will. Bill seems to like depth in the roster. Rotating the right players acquired through the draft along with some cheaper veterans seems to have been his strategy. If the Pats have the chance to sign a few veterans or one really expensive elite player, I think they go with signing the veterans. I mean, just look at Carter last year.

I really do hope they go after Williams... It's a risk/reward thing. Adding depth to your roster is the safer thing to do but adding an elite player could really turn this defense around. The only major risk with Williams is that if he gets injured we will possibly be looking at an even worse defense that lacks depth. There is also the risk that he comes to NE and doesn't contribute but the chance of that happening in very low.

Dallas, which was considered a potential Williams' suitor, just franchise tagged Anthony Spencer. That could very well put them out of the picture in the Mario Williams bid-fest. Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, and Washington might be our main competitors, and none of whom are very attractive destinations for a player looking to win (if that is, in fact, a somewhat important variable to MW). I think the team to really look out for will be Cincinnati.
This could get interesting.

he is going to TB..they have what $60 mill this off season..yeah

Brady_to_Moss said:

he is going to TB..they have what $60 mill this off season..yeah

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There is a reason they have 60 mill of cap space, and there is no reason they have to use it.

There are a lot of attractive qualities for Williams that New England presents:

1. Playing for a consistent winner/contender for SB each year
2. The versatility of playing defense for BB
3. Having TB as his QB
4. Excellent ownership and facilities

Hard for the other 3 main contenders (who we believe to be) for his services to come close to matching these qualities. If they are anywhere close on money, I think it will be hard for him to leave Foxboro without a contract once he tours the place with Mr. Kraft and BB.

Brady_to_Moss said:

he is going to TB..they have what $60 mill this off season..yeah

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The Glazers are so behind it on their loan to buy that Man U I don't think there's any chance they'll be major players in the NFL, cap-wise for most of this decade.

Michael Ornstein is the name to know. As first reported by CBS’s Mike Freeman, Ornstein—a close friend and confidant of Sean Payton—Ornstein on at least four occasions pledged his own money to the Saints’ defense’s bounty fund. In 2009, $10,000 toward knocking an opposing quarterback out of the game. In 2011, two separate contributions to targeting the quarterback. And on at least one other occasion, Ornstein pledged his money in an email to Payton, which spelled out the details of the bounty program.

The NFL knows this because it has that email, a highly incriminating paper trail that makes it impossible for Payton to argue his innocence, or for the Saints to claim the bounty never left the locker room. It might be the single most damaging piece of evidence, based solely on Ornstein’s history.

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Meet The Convicted Felon Who Defrauded The NFL, Made Reggie Bush Ineligible, And Funded The Saints' Bounty Program

PatsDparty said:

There are a lot of attractive qualities for Williams that New England presents:

1. Playing for a consistent winner/contender for SB each year
2. The versatility of playing defense for BB
3. Having TB as his QB
4. Excellent ownership and facilities

Hard for the other 3 main contenders (who we believe to be) for his services to come close to matching these qualities. If they are anywhere close on money, I think it will be hard for him to leave Foxboro without a contract once he tours the place with Mr. Kraft and BB.

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We can hope. What a great addition he would be.

Brady_to_Moss said:

he is going to TB..they have what $60 mill this off season..yeah

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By the time they are done with free agency, they will still have $55 million left. The Bucs could have a billion dollars of cap space and they wouldn't go after a high priced free agent. The Jets have no cap space and I think they have a better shot at getting Williams.

Sorry to burst some bubbles but by 2013 teams (and not the league) have to start spending 89% of their cap, including any cap rollover. Tampa is going to have to spend at least $110M by then.

And fwiw Clayton is predicting that Super Mario will be looking for $16M+ AAV. Freeney is making $15M against the cap this year in the last year of his current deal and the Colts are likely going to have to extend him at that rate in order to free up some cap space. They just extended Mathis who is 32 for 4 years at $36M with $17M in year 1 and $24M through year 2.

Brady doesn't average $16M... He's at $15.7.

^^^ Not sure what AAV is but google told me:

Dwight Freeny's original contract 6 years and 72 million = 12
DeMarcus Ware got 6 years and 78 million = 13
Terrell Suggs got 6 years and 62.5 million = 10.4
Peppers got 6 years and 84 million = 14
Jared Allen got 6 years and 73.3 million = 12.2

So why would Williams get 16. Seems the going rate for a top notch defensive edge player is 6 years and 12 or 13 per. I'd offer Williams 6 years 70 million. I don't see him turning that down to take 6 / 80 from Tampa. He already made 54 mil on his last contract.

Re: Matt Williamson: The Pats will be "really involved" in trying to get Mario Willi

Real World said:

I'd cream my pants if the Patriots signed Mario Williams. However, I'd be satisfied if they at least invested the would be Williams money in an established safety, and some lives bodies who can get some pressure on the QB.

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Exactly the point really. Williams would be great and I'd love him here. But with the same money we can probably sure up our DB field and get someone to rush the passer. BB will most likely play it safe and get two players (or more) for the price of one.

Re: Matt Williamson: The Pats will be "really involved" in trying to get Mario Willi

I think at this point we need guys who can cover more than guys who can rush the passer. We weren't awful at getting pressure last year.

Re: Matt Williamson: The Pats will be "really involved" in trying to get Mario Willi

strngplyr said:

I think at this point we need guys who can cover more than guys who can rush the passer. We weren't awful at getting pressure last year.

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Now that the New England Patriots have placed the franchise tag on Wes Welker, where is all this supposed cap room available for Mario Williams?

The New England Patriots need to deal with the following free agents:

Bryan Hoyer (RFA) - Second Round Tender = $1.927 million
Kyle Love (ERFA) - Two years experience = $0.540 million minimum
Dan Koppen - ???
Dan Connolly
Deion Branch - ???
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Andre Carter - ???
Matt Slater
Tracy White

How about some under the radar type free agents?

James Sanders
Cory Redding

Re: Matt Williamson: The Pats will be "really involved" in trying to get Mario Willi

The Pats have right around $20M in cap room right now. That's without $1.5M that's saved by either releasing or restructuring Ochocinco, $3.5M by releasing Light (or him retiring), and over $7M that they could gain by restructuring Brady. So there's $11M right there, leaving them with right around $20M in cap room even after tagging Welker and tendering both Hoyer and Love..

Re: Matt Williamson: The Pats will be "really involved" in trying to get Mario Willi

Sciz said:

The Pats have right around $20M in cap room right now.

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Based upon what calculation?

Sciz said:

That's without $1.5M that's saved by either releasing or restructuring Ochocinco, $3.5M by releasing Light (or him retiring), and over $7M that they could gain by restructuring Brady. So there's $11M right there, leaving them with right around $20M in cap room even after tagging Welker and tendering both Hoyer and Love.

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The rest is PURE speculation on your part on what the New England Patriots organization could do as oppose to have done.

MoLewisrocks said:

Sorry to burst some bubbles but by 2013 teams (and not the league) have to start spending 89% of their cap, including any cap rollover. Tampa is going to have to spend at least $110M by then.

And fwiw Clayton is predicting that Super Mario will be looking for $16M+ AAV. Freeney is making $15M against the cap this year in the last year of his current deal and the Colts are likely going to have to extend him at that rate in order to free up some cap space. They just extended Mathis who is 32 for 4 years at $36M with $17M in year 1 and $24M through year 2.

Brady doesn't average $16M... He's at $15.7.

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Cap rollovers are voluntary not mandatory. The Bucs can finish this year with $40-50 million in cap space in 2012 and opt to not roll it over into 2013 and allow that cap space to disappear into thin air. That is what I am guessing they will do.

Not saying the Pats are going to or even should pursue Williams. I am just saying the Bucs are very unlikely going to pursue him.

If the Bucs are active in free agency, they are more likely to sign second and third tier free agents where they won't have to shell out as much real dollars up front. Many small market teams go this route and over pay these players because they represent a much smaller real dollar initial investment while eating cap space.

Add Peter King to the list of mediots who think the Pats will be seriously involved. Too lazy to find the link, but it was on my Droid Patriots app this morning. The consensus seems to be that a chance to win/ play with a good team > dinero with Williams.

I'm in the camp that fails to see where all of this cap space is though. Signing Williams to a big contract, unless it's seriously backloaded, is not going to leave a lot of room to sign Brandon Lloyd, Vincent Jackson, Randy Moss, and Jerry Rice.

Re: Matt Williamson: The Pats will be "really involved" in trying to get Mario Willi

Leemo said:

Exactly the point really. Williams would be great and I'd love him here. But with the same money we can probably sure up our DB field and get someone to rush the passer. BB will most likely play it safe and get two players (or more) for the price of one.

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Pass rush hide up poor secondaries. Rarely the other way around.

It all starts up front.

Re: Matt Williamson: The Pats will be "really involved" in trying to get Mario Willi

ATippett56 said:

Based upon what calculation?

The rest is PURE speculation on your part on what the New England Patriots organization could do as oppose to have done.

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Feel free to provide the rest of us with some of your own financial calculations rather than *****ing about those who are attempting explanation for possible cap moves.