ctpatsfan77

As a useful starting point, according to Miguel, these are the players the Patriots have under contract as of 2/15/09 (in order of decreasing cap hit):

QB (4) Cassel, Brady, O'Connell, Gutierrez
RB (4) Faulk, Maroney, Morris, Green-Ellis
WR (4) Moss, Welker, Washington, Aiken
TE (3) Watson, D. Thomas, DeVree
OL (10) Light, Koppen, Neal, Mankins, Kaczur, Yates, O'Callaghan, Connolly, LeVoir, Wendell
Total: 25

DL (6) Seymour, Green, Warren, Wilfork, Smith, Adams
LB (10) A. Thomas, Vrabel, Mayo, Bruschi, Crable, Guyton, Redd, Ruud, Craig, Robertson
CB (5) Hobbs, Wheatley, Wilhite, Slater, Richardson
S (2) Meriweather, Spann
Total: 23

K Gostkowski
P Malone
LS ????
Total: 2

Total Players Under Contract: 50

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AzPatsFan

With these fifty signed Miguel estimates $3.8 million in cap space. The rookie pool wil merely substitute several cheap rookies for someof these players.

For example, if the Pats draft a LB high, is it hard to envision Tedy not making the Team? Cap Savings $2.007 million. If the Pats draft a OL linemen on the first day, is it really hard to envision Yates not making the team for a cap savings of $683,000 ?

The total cap savings would then be 3.9 + 2.69 million or $6.59 million less the CAP cost of two rooks.

mgteich

OFFENSE (25)
This group is about ready to go. We do need a wide receiver and a FB/STer, and have one too many OL's and QB's. Re-sign Gaffney and Evans and we are fine. Of course there is room for upgrade.

DEFENSE (25)
We are short a couple of safeties and could use upgrades in several areas.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)
We need a deep snapper.

BOTTOM LINE
This is about as good as it gets going into an off-season, especially given that this a good draft in which we have extra early picks.

mgteich

Let's see. Could I envision drafting a LB and an OG on the first day. Yes, I could. Could I see cutting Bruschi and Yates so that I could keep Ruud/Robertson and Connelly/Wendall? No!

signbabybrady

looking at that highlights the one true need....Safety.

top to bottom there is talent at every position obviously with only 50 players the proper depth isn't there but a lot of good starters....if we get one good safety even just Rodney back there isnt anything that can't be done thru the draft.

This is as far as just next year for the future when you figure next years expiring contracts and some guys age other needs may arise but the 50 we have under contract for this up coming season are pretty damn good and with a draft class easily look like a SB contender leaving the Cassell manuever and any FAs as a way to put together another dominant team a la 07.

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mayoclinic

Here's the current roster with players who's contracts expire after 2009 listed in bold:

So 62% of our current roster (31/50) have contracts which expire after next year with no CBA currently in place. That includes 3/3 TEs, 8/10 OLs, 5/6 DLs, 6/10 LBs, 3/7 DBs, and both our currently signed P and K. Not good. Some of those players are JAGs (I currently count 20 JAGs based on current contribution - Gutierrez, Green-Ellis, Washington, Aiken, DeVree, Yates, O'Callaghan, Connelly, Wendell, Levoir, Smith, Adams, Redd, Ruud, Craig, Robertson, Slater, Richardson, Spann and Malone - plus 4 potential retirees in Faulk, Bruschi, Vrabel and Neal, and 2 possible cuts in Morris and Green), and I'm not being alarmist, but that is an awful lot of contracts to expire in one year, and the lack of a CBA is not going to help (I think, since I don't really understand the CBA intricacies very well). Almost half of those (15/31) are starters or key backups: Cassel, Faulk, Watson, Thomas, Neal, Mankins, Kaczur, Seymour, Green, Wilfork, Vrabel, Guyton, Hobbs, Gostkowski and Malone. BB values continuity, and even if many of those players are replaceable that would probably be an unacceptable amount of turnover for the team.

This also suggests that some of our "urgent" needs for 2009 may be less urgent if we look at 2010. We need OL, DL and TE in order to field a competitive team after next year much more than we need LB or DB, even though those positions are the biggest holes to fill to make us better for 2009.

Again, without being alarmist, I think that solidifying the roster after next year may be our biggest challenge to continuing the tradition of SB contending teams. I hope we don't see a mass exodus and a rebuilding process reminiscent of Tennessee after 2006.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

ctpatsfan77

The simplest explanation for why it's not as dire as you make it out to be is "not all free agents are created equal."

• Few people expect Cassel to be a Patriot in 2010.
• Green-Ellis, DeVree, Wendell, Guyton, Redd, Craig, and Robertson, and probably LeVoir and Malone as well, are all ERFAs after 2009, meaning that they can't go anywhere if the Patriots offer them the minimum salary appropriate to their experience levels for 2010.
• If 2010 is uncapped, it'll take six years to reach unrestricted free agency. If that is the case, then these will be the Patriots' UFAs: Aiken, Bruschi, Faulk, Green, Light, Neal, Seymour, Vrabel, Washington, Watson, Wilfork. Still a lot of names, but not quite as daunting as before--plus there wouldn't be a salary cap to worry about, either. The remaining players will be RFAs, meaning the Patriots can offer them a one-year tender that requires significant draft pick compensation if they're signed away.

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Sean Pa Patriot

Do we still have to put Cassel in fron of Brady on the depth chart

Well i think this will be a boring FA this year.. Julius Peppers would be a nice addition, but I dont think that will happen, then again 2 years ago i did not think what would happen happened.. I think the whole cba thing is going to affect the way we do buisness this year..

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We going to take it one game at a time

ctpatsfan77

Heh. As I noted though, it's based on decreasing cap hits.

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"Momentum was quickly snatched away by New England, who once again proved that any Patriot, at any moment, can make a play." —Inside the NFL, Packers v. Patriots

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mayoclinic

I didn't say it was dire. In fact, I specifically said I didn't want to be alarmist. BUT it is somewhat concerning, and is a much greater number of contracts coming up than I can ever remember us having at one time. Combined with the CBA issue, it puts is in more uncertainty than I can remember.

No need to panic. But definitely something of keep in mind.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi