upstater1

This makes no sense when you consider the Patriots spend to the cap. We have been through this before. The Patriots spent mid-money n players like Bruschi, vrabel, troy Brown, which would have been impossible if they spent top dollar on Damien Woody and Lawyer Milloy. Most teams don't have a top earning middle class like the Patriots do. As long as they spend to the cap, you can't argue with it.

Keegs

no they aren't.

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upstater1

Wha??? Wilfork is not a Patriot?

mgteich

I will ignore your misunderstanding of the rules of next year's no cap spending. The details aren't the primary issue, in any case.

I do agree that a no-cap year will make it much easier to develop acceptable contracts with the six players you mention. I agree that it would be a good idea to try to sign all of them long-term.

OFFENSE
The no-cap window will provide additional flexibility to extend Brady. My guess is that the best way to help those negotiations along would be to also extend Wekler and Moss for at least three years. I don't think Mankins will sign for what the patriots will offer, but we should try. In any case, Mankins is ours though 2010 since he is an RFA. If someone takes him, we'll get a 1st and 3rd round draft choice.

DEFENSE
I suspect that both Wilfork or Bodden will find owners elsewhere offering more than the patriots. We should franchise Wilfork and keep him or 2 firsts. I think that we should make every effort to keep Bodden, and even overpay a bit.

SPECIALISTS
We should offer Gost a long-term contract. If not, he too will be given high tender. Anyone who want to can pay a 1st a 3rd for a kicker.
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Curiously, I think most of this would be doable with or without the cap. The best part of a no-cap year is that Mankins and Gostkowski have to stay as RFA's.

[QUOTE=upstater1;1652441]I would pay back the fans and insure that BB and Brady went out with a bang by unloading a bank on the following players:

Brady
Wilfork
Moss
Mankins
Welker
Bodden

MoLewisrocks

[QUOTE=mgteich;1653165]I will ignore your misunderstanding of the rules of next year's no cap spending. The details aren't the primary issue, in any case.

I do agree that a no-cap year will make it much easier to develop acceptable contracts with the six players you mention. I agree that it would be a good idea to try to sign all of them long-term.

OFFENSE
The no-cap window will provide additional flexibility to extend Brady. My guess is that the best way to help those negotiations along would be to also extend Wekler and Moss for at least three years. I don't think Mankins will sign for what the patriots will offer, but we should try. In any case, Mankins is ours though 2010 since he is an RFA. If someone takes him, we'll get a 1st and 3rd round draft choice.

DEFENSE
I suspect that both Wilfork or Bodden will find owners elsewhere offering more than the patriots. We should franchise Wilfork and keep him or 2 firsts. I think that we should make every effort to keep Bodden, and even overpay a bit.

SPECIALISTS
We should offer Gost a long-term contract. If not, he too will be given high tender. Anyone who want to can pay a 1st a 3rd for a kicker.
================

Curiously, I think most of this would be doable with or without the cap. The best part of a no-cap year is that Mankins and Gostkowski have to stay as RFA's.

They won't be extending anyone beyond Brady until the know for a fact there will be football played in 2011. They won't extend Moss specifically because he will be 34 in 2011. They won't extend Welker because he's signed through 2011 already and at his size and given the way he plays and the rate at which he's absorbing punishment it's not a given he can continue to play at this level beyond a couple of more seasons...

Paying a first and a third for a PK is suicidal so I don't think Gostkowski is going anywhere. I don't think Bodden or Mankins will have a top tier market. I think there is a reasonable chance they get the new CBA done before March, and if not they still get one done before 2011. I think any new CBA will revisit accounting for the uncapped year if there is one and that is why teams like the Patriots won't go nuts. They are fiscally conservative because the don't ever want to end up screwed because they took a shot in the dark.

They won't extend Wilfork unless he sees his market as they do. Much like Asante and even Branch before him (who had a great rapore with Brady but also was a twig with a red flag for durability that turned out to be substantial), they set a cap/contract value on these guys and they simply won't exceed it. I hope Vince doesn't regret not taking the bird in hand deal, and that had to have crossed his mind when he launched his helmut.

Which is why Peppers won't be here either. Too inconsistently focused a talent to invest that kind of cash in let alone if a work stoppage is still looming.

upstater1

Now that's a big Al Davis lawsuit waiting to happen. You can't retroactively make up new rules of the old CBA. 2010 is already part of the current CBA. The next CBA can't retroactively delve into the last year like that ESPECIALLY since the money paid in 2010 would count against the new cap and mean less money for players initially.

MoLewisrocks

You can collectively bargain just about anything. Considering there may be quite a few teams taking a step back financially next season with no cap floor, and more interested in revenue sharing and expansion than not, I doubt they will want to see the skids greased for the forseeable future for the usual handful of suspects. The way the 'Skins season has gone Snyder may be in a position to sign ALL the FA in 2010 to frontloaded contracts.

And he's really the only owner in a position to do so. FedEx is a cash cow. Jones new stadium will be but at the moment he's a little pressed since he couldn't even sell naming rights in this economy. Ditto the Giants and JETS with their new digs where PSL's aren't exactly flying off the shelf. Guys like Paul Allen could dip into their own private fortunes, but that's not how they got rich and some of them are hurting because their non football holdings have lost value. Kraft is hip deep in development of Patriot Place in a down economy and still looking to develop additional land he owns. He's not going to spend any Kraft money on the Patriots. That's almost always bad business. Make it pay for itself. It has the pieces in place to do that for the forseeable future. Brady and Belichick manage to remain competitive even when they're woefully undermanned. Kraft would certainly wecome a couple of more Lombardi's in his lifetime, but he's got 3 in the case and he's not going to suddenly shift financial gears because a segment of the fan base thinks it needs another one right this minute.

upstater1

That's too bad if Kraft doesn't please me immediately with more Lombardis.

That being said, what better way to make Ralph Wilson rap his pants and settle for a deal than to show him the future if he doesn't sit down and shut up.

shmessy

As a resident just north of DC, I can tell you the folks down here have not had 1% of fun the past 10 years under the fantasy football idiot who owns the Redskins.

I find it hilarious how the OP wants Bob kraft to be more like Dan Snyder.

Open your eyes.

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jbb9s

I don't get it. All these players are on the team now and they are not even a top 3 AFC team? Don't they need to add to the team from FAs abroad?