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Ian's Daily Blog - An interesting point made by Tom Curran this afternoon over at NBCSports.com is that the Patriots haven’t extended any of their veterans past 2010. After that season the current collective bargaining agreement will expire, and that could be a reason why guys like Vince Wilfork and others have yet to receive a contract extension. Curran [...]

wahwho

That's what I've suspected for a while now...I just hope it isn't going to come back and bite them later on when other teams are willing to venture a bit further out on the limb to get players in now. I seem to remember something about the Colts making contracts to keep their players that would have put them in cap hell the last time the CBA was under discussion but they knew/assumed the cap number would be going up and so they ended up perfectly fine.

Jimke

This was the Boston Bruin's plan a few years ago. Let all the

good high priced players go and reload with cheaper players. It

was a disaster and it has taken years to recover. Let's hope

Bob Kraft hasn't called Jeremy Jacobs for his master plan. I

would hate to see Brian Hoyer as the Pat's quarterback in 2011.

JoeSixPat

I don't think Tom Curran is breaking any real news here - aside from the interesting comments from Kraft and the particular details and implications of the next CBA having some impact

But I feel like this is all posturing by owners and players at this point to put forward the point to the players that the un-capped year has negative implications for them - as does life without a CBA, as does potential poison pills in the next CBA .... i.e. the lack of clarity does no one any good.

That being said, assuming next season is uncapped, what's the point of the Patriots constraining themselves by extending Wilfork this year when they can do it next year with potentially no salary cap implications?

Same with Brady - though in Brady's case - as with other franchise QBs - you're not going to get too cute about playing negotiation games... the overriding factor with Brady may just be to get his contract done before Rivers.

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jmt57

I don't know that we can compare Kraft to Jeremy Jacobs. For thirty years the Bruins business model was to be good enough to contend and make the playoffs - therefore keeping fans interested enough to come out and buy tickets - but don't spend what it takes to win, as that would be less profitable.

I have felt this was a large part of why certain Pats such as Wilfork haven't been extended, though I'm somewhat surprised to hear Kraft essentially admit that the CBA is the reason the extensions haven't happened. Perhaps BB can give him some pointers in how to say a lot without saying anything.

Reading between the lines I can see Kraft expecting the NFL to be taking a very hard line in these negotiations to scale back the salary cap.

The Pats don't have much of any room under the cap to offer extensions now, so in order to make that happen they'd have to re-do other contracts, shifting money against future years. If they expect that cap number to stop increasing, or even decrease, then perhaps the conservative approach does make a lot of sense. The philosophy has never been one of 'win now, forget about the future' but has instead focused on being competitive every year.

spacecrime

Disagree with this.

THeir philosphy is indeed win now. THat is why every year BB signs old vets who can help the team win THIS year.

Yes, they plan on being competitive every year, but never at the sacrifice at winning now.

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“When we look at the board, based on everything we want in a football player at that particular time, we evaluate them and take the player that fits best for our football team. That’s what we always do, and I think the last nine years we’ve put a pretty competitive team out there on the field every year. I think that’s how you do it – you get good football players. Sometimes they are not always at the No. 1 position, but I don’t think you pass up good football players to get the guys who aren’t as good just because they’re at a position that somebody feels you need.”
BB on his draft philosophy, April 2010

tanked_as_usual

is that why they had 6 draft picks in the first 3 rounds this year? is this why they have 3 2nd rounders next year?

jmt57

I didn't say the Pats don't want to win in this or any other specific year. The point I was making is that they don't let themselves get so caught up in a 'win now' frenzy that they will pay more than what they perceive a player to be worth, just to have him now so they can win now.

Having a chance to win every year is of more importance than attempting to win this, or any other year regardless of future ramifications; that's the Kraft-BB philosophy and business plan. The signings of Burgess, Galloway, Taylor, Baker, Bodden and Springs did not put them in to salary cap hell. The comparison I would make this year is how the Redskins and Panthers are managing their rosters and contracts, and the effect those will have in future years (assuming a new CBA is ratified.)

Miguel

It would have been nice if Curran had asked Kraft about the James Sanders and Mike Wright deals that were signed this offseason. Both of them are signed past the 2010 deal.

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MoLewisrocks

They aren't big ticket items. I have said all along that constructing a contract under the constraints of an expiring CBA is likely the holdup with Brady. With Wilfork it's more likely a reluctance to invest all the guaranteed money when there may well be a lockout in 2011 (combined with a difference in opinion on overall value).