5 starters and 3 captains set to hit the free agent market

Brady6 · Mar 8, 2015

I know the team is coming off a Super Bowl win so the level of concern is diminished by that recent success. That said there is legitimate reason for concern.

Ridley - starting RB
Vereen - starting 3DRB
Connolly - starting LG and offensive captain
Wilfork - starting NT and defensive captain

McCourty - starting FS and defensive captain

Baring some last minute contract these players are all going to hit the UFA market on Tuesday. I am truly shocked that we have gotten this point with McCourty and Revis, Devin should have been extended last offseason, his brother accepted an extension from the Titans so I do not believe this was a case where he was determined to hit the open market. Revis I do not understand, why put a $25M number on year 2 and let it get to this point? Now we will have $5M in dead money against the cap even if we sign him later in the offseason. Wilfork, I shocked we couldn't get him to take a pay cut, on top of that Siliga is RFA and Branch is a UFA so unless you have 2 smaller DT in Chris Jones and Easley on the roster.

I think it is interesting how many of us talked about the Broncos going all last season, but their cap situation is significantly better than us, and they still have their star CB under contract (Talib).

I know a segment of posters will read this OP and hit the dislike/disagree button, having been an active participant of this board for years I expect that there will be some who are for some odd reason fueled by anger for my recognition of what could easily be viewed as mistakes, mismanaged cap space, etc. For those of you who are able to see the reality of the situation, you are likely concerned, I know I am, so to you who are concerned the big question, how does this get fixed? We may lose 1A and 1B of our running game, the key to our run defense and the 2 key players in our secondary.

PATSNUTme · Mar 8, 2015

We don't know if Revis is going to "hit the FA market", so your thread title is wrong. I'll change it.

Brady_to_Moss · Mar 8, 2015

You can delete it yoursefl. Bottom right delete

Brady6 · Mar 8, 2015

PATSNUTme said:
We don't know if Revis is going to "hit the FA market", so your thread title is wrong. I'll change it.

Doesn't really make any difference. Revis not being considered a FA is a technicality at this point unless you think they are going to pay him $25M. My concerned remains the same.

patsbrasilpatriotas · Mar 8, 2015

Ridley wasnt starting RB last year. I mean 2013. Blount was the guy.

manxman2601 · Mar 8, 2015

Don't know why people are getting worried. BB always sets his price and waits for the market to settle down and this strategy always seems to work. I remember all the pants here last off-season because BB hadn't signed anyone on day one of FA. Let's see what happens before hitting the panic button.

BB's approach is why we have Julian Edelman at 4/17 rather than Randall Cobb at 4/40.

PATSNUTme · Mar 8, 2015

Brady6 said:
Doesn't really make any difference. Revis not being considered a FA is a technicality at this point unless you think they are going to pay him $25M. My concerned remains the same.

The Patriots have control, they could work out a long term deal. So factually it does make a difference. He is not a FA as your thread title stated as fact.

Brady6 · Mar 8, 2015

manxman2601 said:
Don't know why people are getting worried. BB always sets his price and waits for the market to settle down and this strategy always seems to work. I remember all the pants here last off-season because BB hadn't signed anyone on day one of FA. Let's see what happens before hitting the panic button.

BB's approach is why we have Julian Edelman at 4/17 rather than Randall Cobb at 4/40.

We aren't usually over the cap that's the difference.

Brady6 · Mar 8, 2015

PATSNUTme said:
The Patriots have control, they could work out a long term deal. So factually it does make a difference. He is not a FA as your thread title stated as fact.

I don't really care that you changed it, if that makes you feel better about the situation, so be it.

manxman2601 · Mar 8, 2015

Brady6 said:
We aren't usually over the cap that's the difference.

And if we extend Revis, we won't be this time either. We've just won a SB. We don't need to sign a bunch of FAs, we have the best team in the NFL anyway.

Brady6 · Mar 8, 2015

manxman2601 said:
And if we extend Revis, we won't be this time either. We've just won a SB. We don't need to sign a bunch of FAs, we have the best team in the NFL anyway.

We weren't the best team in the NFL by a big variance and it's not about signing other FAs it's about signing our own. I don't see us brining McCourty back for $9M and he will likely get that type of offer. Vereen is going to see Donald Brown type money, don't see that happening here. Oh and Revis, I mean the Jets could be willing to give him the stadium. How are you not concerned.

MassPats38 · Mar 8, 2015

The OP assumes, without more, that the team did nothing when it could have locked the players into deals. Ridley was injured, so I doubt either he or the team were looking to enter into a long-term deal. Everyone listed, given the increased salary cap and individual track records on the Pats, may have wanted to see what free agency offered, whether as leverage or actual money.

I wouldn't 'dislike' the post because you are criticizing management. I would disagree that there has been mismanagement unless/until you can point to actual facts (not speculation) that indicate management has made no effort to resolve any and all contracts before the players became free agents. Right now you appear to be offering baseless speculation that the Pats did nothing, and the players have been sitting by the phone just waiting for the Pats to call with an offer. If you cannot offer a statement of the player, his agent, or the team that supports your theory and establishes this is not the player's preference, then it is an assumption not worth getting excited about.

Luxusdk · Mar 8, 2015

Donno where to start really B6.

Revis: Trust me Patriots didnt make the second year, if they could avoid it. Patrios and BB wanted Revis and Revis wanted this option. They saved 5mill on Revis last year and Revind aint leaveing Money on the table. Remmeber Revis cost Patriots 7mill last year.

McCourty: Rumors are he wants 9 mill as safety... I Think BB moves Arrington back as FS, and for ½ of the Price. But the drop-off wont 50% as the cost. I beleave McCourty did benifit of the those around him, more so then McCourty makeing them better.

Wilfork: Run stoppers and 2down DTs aint worth 9mill in todays NFL, its a passer League. Vince at 33 wasnt worth that amount.

Broncos: You never win a SB in Marts or April, if so then Miami should have lifted Lombardi the last 2 seasons atleast. Elway gambled and lost BIGTIME.

Finally I do hope we fans loves the team, more then a player, even Brady...

mayoclinic · Mar 8, 2015

manxman2601 said:
Don't know why people are getting worried. BB always sets his price and waits for the market to settle down and this strategy always seems to work. I remember all the pants here last off-season because BB hadn't signed anyone on day one of FA. Let's see what happens before hitting the panic button.

BB's approach is why we have Julian Edelman at 4/17 rather than Randall Cobb at 4/40.

Great post.

I think there's a good chance that the 2015 team could be better than 2014. Different, but better. The trick is finding the values.

luuked · Mar 8, 2015

Not worried at all. Expect to retain Revis and DMac.

Wilfork is not worth his contract and most probably wants to see if he can get one last payday somewhere else. He had a mediocre 2014, which a year after his big injury was nothing short of amazing but the reality is that he was not worth the 8m last year.

Vereen is just the normal churn that we have at flexback. And Connoly can be replaced through the draft.

Dont see much reason to panic just yet. Have trust in the people that brought us Edelman at 4/17m or LaFell at 3/9m.

BSR · Mar 8, 2015

I'm not sure what the point of this thread is. Are you seriously saying that the team should never have any free agents? Do you think that is a tad unrealistic? The reality in this situation is that McCourty, Revis and Wilfork are all impending free agents because they wanted to be. They wanted to maximize the dollars and they have every right to do so. How do you not know this?

Brady6 · Mar 8, 2015

MassPats38 said:
The OP assumes, without more, that the team did nothing when it could have locked the players into deals. Ridley was injured, so I doubt either he or the team were looking to enter into a long-term deal. Everyone listed, given the increased salary cap and individual track records on the Pats, may have wanted to see what free agency offered, whether as leverage or actual money.

I wouldn't 'dislike' the post because you are criticizing management. I would disagree that there has been mismanagement unless/until you can point to actual facts (not speculation) that indicate management has made no effort to resolve any and all contracts before the players became free agents. Right now you appear to be offering baseless speculation that the Pats did nothing, and the players have been sitting by the phone just waiting for the Pats to call with an offer. If you cannot offer a statement of the player, his agent, or the team that supports your theory and establishes this is not the player's preference, then it is an assumption not worth getting excited about.

Does it really matter if they tried? I mean we had to use a franchise tag on our kicker, I'm not criticizing management I wondering what exactly they are doing because I find it hard to believe that we could not come to an extension deal with any of the players, not even our kicker.

manxman2601 · Mar 8, 2015

Brady6 said:
We weren't the best team in the NFL by a big variance and it's not about signing other FAs it's about signing our own. I don't see us brining McCourty back for $9M and he will likely get that type of offer. Vereen is going to see Donald Brown type money, don't see that happening here. Oh and Revis, I mean the Jets could be willing to give him the stadium. How are you not concerned.

1. I still think McCourty could come back

2. If he doesn't, we still have Harmon. I don't think there's $9m marginal upside for McCourty over Harmon.

3. Vereen is not the difference between a winning team and a losing team. Losing him doesn't really worry me, especially considering the depth in FA and the draft at RB.

4. Mainly though, I'm not concerned because I see this level of worry at the start of FA every year, and every year we win the AFC East and go deep into the playoffs. BB is the best GM in the league by far. I firmly believe everything works out well.

Bruins29 · Mar 8, 2015

Brady6 said:
For those of you who are able to see the reality of the situation, you are likely concerned, I know I am,

So your opinion is the reality and those who see it have to be concerned?

Ivan · Mar 8, 2015

The OP is right, Belichick has done a terrible job in this years free agency.

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