Originally Posted by fgssand

Interesting stuff here (following my thoughts)

I seriously think Patriots are preparing for this and best way to do it is through the draft along with signing their own (next year).

I think it would work to our advantage, we know how to draft AND we are a franchise that has money.

We also have an awesome organization with great ownership, coaching and scouting, not to mention serious talent on the current team to boot.


Watch out players...I don't think you'll win here.


The National Football Post | National Football Post Diner News


FROM PAUL DOMOWITCH OF THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS…“An uncapped system is not going to hurt us,” chimed in NFLPA president Kevin Mawae. “The sky’s the limit.” That remains to be seen. While it’s easy for Mawae and (Richard) Berthelsen to talk tough now and suggest that an NFL world without a salary cap would be a utopia for the players, the truth is that won’t necessarily be the case. While no cap would mean teams could spend as much as they wanted on free agents, it also means they could spend as little as they wanted. There would be no salary-cap ceiling or floor. For every big spender like the Cowboys’ Jerry Jones, there will be a tightwad like the Bengals’ Mike Brown. Then there are the restrictions in the CBA that accompany free agency in an uncapped year. Most significant, the number of service years to qualify for unrestricted free agency jumps from 4 years to 6. In addition, the eight teams that make it to the divisional round of the playoffs are restricted as to the number of free agents they can sign the following year. The four teams that make it to the conference championship games can’t sign a free agent unless they lose one. “The biggest negative is the shift from 4 years to 6 years to be eligible for unrestricted free agency,” said longtime agent Jerrold Colton. “That is just a huge difference. There will be so many players that have either a significant delay in getting to free agency, or never actually hit it. I mean, 6 years is almost twice the average NFL playing career.”
What fans don’t realize about the uncapped year is that it will be a bonanza for the owners, not the players. Not having to spend a minimum level will allow owners to put a budget on player costs, field very competitive teams and make money. Free agency at six years instead of four is another benefit for the owners because most players do not reach six years in the league, and those who do will be re-signed well before they hit the potential free-agent date. I realize that I’ve always been in the management part of the NFL, but when I look at the uncapped year, I see a huge benefit for the owners.
In free agency, you should spend money on great players and spend very little on role players. Where teams make mistakes (and I’ve made them myself) is when they pay top dollar for a second-level player. Overpaying for mediocrity is a cancer for teams in the UFA market.
Instead of spending big money for free agents, owners would benefit more if they built a first-class scouting department that could be on the cutting edge of finding players. Much like the drug companies invest millions in research and development, NFL owners should invest more money in scouting rather than view it as a way to trim costs.

Originally Posted by fgssand

Interesting stuff here (following my thoughts)

I seriously think Patriots are preparing for this and best way to do it is through the draft along with signing their own (next year).

I think it would work to our advantage, we know how to draft AND we are a franchise that has money.

We also have an awesome organization with great ownership, coaching and scouting, not to mention serious talent on the current team to boot.


Watch out players...I don't think you'll win here.


The National Football Post | National Football Post Diner News


FROM PAUL DOMOWITCH OF THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS…“An uncapped system is not going to hurt us,” chimed in NFLPA president Kevin Mawae. “The sky’s the limit.” That remains to be seen. While it’s easy for Mawae and (Richard) Berthelsen to talk tough now and suggest that an NFL world without a salary cap would be a utopia for the players, the truth is that won’t necessarily be the case. While no cap would mean teams could spend as much as they wanted on free agents, it also means they could spend as little as they wanted. There would be no salary-cap ceiling or floor. For every big spender like the Cowboys’ Jerry Jones, there will be a tightwad like the Bengals’ Mike Brown. Then there are the restrictions in the CBA that accompany free agency in an uncapped year. Most significant, the number of service years to qualify for unrestricted free agency jumps from 4 years to 6. In addition, the eight teams that make it to the divisional round of the playoffs are restricted as to the number of free agents they can sign the following year. The four teams that make it to the conference championship games can’t sign a free agent unless they lose one. “The biggest negative is the shift from 4 years to 6 years to be eligible for unrestricted free agency,” said longtime agent Jerrold Colton. “That is just a huge difference. There will be so many players that have either a significant delay in getting to free agency, or never actually hit it. I mean, 6 years is almost twice the average NFL playing career.”
What fans don’t realize about the uncapped year is that it will be a bonanza for the owners, not the players. Not having to spend a minimum level will allow owners to put a budget on player costs, field very competitive teams and make money. Free agency at six years instead of four is another benefit for the owners because most players do not reach six years in the league, and those who do will be re-signed well before they hit the potential free-agent date. I realize that I’ve always been in the management part of the NFL, but when I look at the uncapped year, I see a huge benefit for the owners.
In free agency, you should spend money on great players and spend very little on role players. Where teams make mistakes (and I’ve made them myself) is when they pay top dollar for a second-level player. Overpaying for mediocrity is a cancer for teams in the UFA market.
Instead of spending big money for free agents, owners would benefit more if they built a first-class scouting department that could be on the cutting edge of finding players. Much like the drug companies invest millions in research and development, NFL owners should invest more money in scouting rather than view it as a way to trim costs.

Originally Posted by JoeSixPat

While I have no doubts that the Patriots will continue to field competitive teams without a salary cap, I can't understand anyone trying to convince themselves that the Patriots are better off abandoning a system that punished teams for making unwise personnel and salary cap moves.

Take the Jets. They made quite a few questionable and expensive views, and if not for Favre's voluntary retirement, would be in serious cap hell right now.

Can someone explain to me why letting them out of such a salary cap box they put themselves in would be a GOOD thing for the Patriots?

A portion of the credit due to Belichick comes by way of his skill in making wise choices in the salary cap era. That helped make the Patriots 3 time Super Bowl winners - and created a significant and often lasting divide between the Patriots and teams that made poor choices - especially bad teams that wasted huge bonus money on top pick busts.

Now an owner of a team that has condemned an organization to long-term cap hell can dig out of that hole simply by writing a big check.

How is that good for the Patriots?

Originally Posted by JoeSixPat

While I have no doubts that the Patriots will continue to field competitive teams without a salary cap, I can't understand anyone trying to convince themselves that the Patriots are better off abandoning a system that punished teams for making unwise personnel and salary cap moves.

Originally Posted by JoeSixPat

While I have no doubts that the Patriots will continue to field competitive teams without a salary cap, I can't understand anyone trying to convince themselves that the Patriots are better off abandoning a system that punished teams for making unwise personnel and salary cap moves.

Take the Jets. They made quite a few questionable and expensive views, and if not for Favre's voluntary retirement, would be in serious cap hell right now.

Can someone explain to me why letting them out of such a salary cap box they put themselves in would be a GOOD thing for the Patriots?

A portion of the credit due to Belichick comes by way of his skill in making wise choices in the salary cap era. That helped make the Patriots 3 time Super Bowl winners - and created a significant and often lasting divide between the Patriots and teams that made poor choices - especially bad teams that wasted huge bonus money on top pick busts.

Now an owner of a team that has condemned an organization to long-term cap hell can dig out of that hole simply by writing a big check.

How is that good for the Patriots?

Originally Posted by fgssand

We are very fortunate to have a great owner, a franchise that is profitable and the best coach / GM in football.

We will continue to thrive if agreement is reached OR in an uncapped world. I have no doubt preparations and decisions are being made for either scenario.

Originally Posted by JoeSixPat

As to the quality of our coach and owner... well, yeah, I don't see anyone suggesting otherwise. But what "preparations" are you talking about?

The issue isn't what OUR organization will do - it's the fact that other teams that make perpetually stupid personnel moves suffer an adverse consequence... and under an uncapped NFL, they can erase those bad moves by writing a check.

Compared to the current system that rewards good moves and punishes bad ones, by definition that makes things worse for the Patriots - not better.