mgteich

We have lots of cap money left.

The patriots could simply exercise the option with Seymour and redo a couple of contracts to move more cap money into 2006. Obviously "sign" could be via trade. Also, we could have small rookie signing bonuses and higher rookie salaries than normal.

SOME OTHER OPTIONS

1. Sign Ty Law.

2. Sign a returner.

3. Sign a wide receiver.

4. Extend Koppen.

5. Extend Branch.

6. Extend Graham.

7. Extend Samuel.

8. Sign veteran backup #3 or #2 QB

8. Sign other free agents

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Remix 6

1. Sign Ty Law. - lets hope we can for reasonable price

2. Sign a returner. - we have a lot of capable returners that havent gotten to play..Andrews is good i hear..CJ or LoMo might..Childress? Theres options

3. Sign a wide receiver. - WRs will be brought in to compete and fill in a few last spots

4. Extend Koppen. - wait on his injury..see how he is before we go out and resign him

5. Extend Branch. - we really should but if he asks for way too much..im afraid it wont. i hope he comes back

6. Extend Graham. - would be nice but seems like we've planned ahead already..i was hoping it would be him and Watson as our future

7. Extend Seymour. - didnt we already do this?

8. Sign other free agents - Yeah..we might need to sign #3 QB..a WR or 2..an LB or 2 to compete

Pats726

I don't disagree...they could also sign another CB..not Law..A vet QB or TE..(there are only 4 on the roster; quite thin)..a punter will be needed (UDFA...short money) I agree...will be interesting to see how it plays out over the next 6 weeks.

flutie2phelan

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MoLewisrocks

Sorry but that is absolute unmitigated BS. He will spend the money or wisely roll what is left over (and it won't be more than $4-5M left) into 2007 via LTBE's if BB can't find anyone worth signing in 2006. That money will then be used along with the standard cap increase presumed to be $7M for 2007 to sign future FA including some of our own who could or should not be signed this year.

What do you want him to do - spend stupidly just to get up against the cap?

mgteich

I strongly disagree.

1) If Kraft only wanted money, he would have moved the team to Hartford, and he certainly wouldn't have built a stadium with his own money. The Krafts bought the team in order to build a competitive football dynasty in the Boston area. And just BTW, Robert Kraft is a billionaire and Jonathan a millionare many, many times over. They have little need to pocket a few million when it could have been used for the 2006 or 2007 cap to improve the team. That would be bad business. If there is anything left, he can apply it to Seymour's $20M option if he can't find any other way to roll the money into 2007.

2) Jonathan Kraft was probably the owner with the most influence in the drafting of the final CBA agreement. The CBA agreement is Kraft's agreement. The key element was for the league not to touch all the additional revenue sources that the Kraft's have developed to make money on the team. The Krafts got what they wanted.

flutie2phelan

How uncharacteristically intemperate, Mo !
It's just an alternative theory.

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rookBoston

1. Sign Ty Law. Not as excited about this prospect as most Pats fans. If it's cheap, I suppose I can support it. Personally, I think this is all manufactured buzz direct from the Postons. You know that none of the rumors are coming out of Foxboro. This is all posturing to get the best pricetag. A very mercenary approach to football.

2. Sign a returner. Actually, I like what we've got among the young players. I liked Hobbs in the kicking game, with the exception of the fumble against the Broncos. That said, if he hadn't lost the ball, that would have been a pretty solid return. I'm sure that BB didn't draft wee-Willie in the 7th on a lark. I expect this kid will turn heads in the kicking game.

3. Sign a wide receiver. Nah. Personally, I think we a have potential #1 receiver in Jackson. If that's true, and given my optimism re: Childress as a budding David Givens, plus the quality and depth that we have at TE, I'm just fine going with what we've got. If an opportunity presents itself, I'm willing to listen. But I like where we are. If WR is a question, my priority would be your item #5, below.

4. Extend Koppen. I would do this today, if we could come to terms. Injuries come and go. Dan is a young guy, a proven player and a great friend of Brady's. My only concern is that he's on record saying that he would take a hometown discount to be closer to Pennsylvania, where he grew up. We just may lose him. Bad, but not the end of the world. We got 5 starter's years out of him at rookie prices. With Dante running the ship, I bet we could draft another C in the 5th round next year, and put him right on the field as a starter-- just like Dan.

5. Extend Branch. This would be, hands down, my top priority of everything on your board. Actually, I think BB/SP are tru;y focused on making this happen. If it falls through, I think we'll see a very Lawyer Milloy impasse that reaches some sort of explosive crisis point. For Deon, BB will be willing to bend-- but only so far.

6. Extend Graham. Nice to have but less urgent. There will be TEs in the draft next year too. Graham has been a solid component of the O for years, but the offense does not flow through him. He's a great safety net to help us compensate for mediocre or young talent at OT. But BB like to let some of his veterans walk as a way to keep his cap balanced, by claiming a few Compensatory Picks and making roster spots available for younger players with cheaper contracts.

I see Graham in the echelon of talent that included Joe Andruzzi, David Patten, Bobby Hamilton, David Givens and Tebucky Jones... very good at some things, not so good at others. Unlikely to be stars, but solid contributors in the right system.

That said, I am very skeptical of any Leslie trade rumors that include Graham. I think observers who dont understand the Pats at the level of detail we do, see Watson on the verge of a breakout season plus two promising rookies, and conclude that Graham has been deemed expendable. They're wrong. That trading good, productive players before their contract is up has not been part of BB's MO-- I would be shocked. If that type of thing happens, it'll be next year and will involve a sign and trade deal.

7. Extend Samuel. Like Graham, I feel good knowing he knows the system and get his job done. But I wont break the bank for him. He's in the Givens category for me, too... a good player that we've been able to rely on but his success may be as much a product of the system as it is of his natural talent. If he needs to walk, well, I'm sure there will be CBs in the draft next year, too.

8. Sign veteran backup #3 or #2 QB I've been expecting this for a while, but I'm wondering if Cassell and Bramlett may not have exceeded expectations sufficiently to leave the staff feeling that they may not need to spend that money.

9. Sign other free agents I'd love to see a veteran ILB come into Foxboro. A trade for now-injurued David Pollack is an interesting concept. Trading for someone like Hunter Hillenmeyer from the Bears, or taking some LBtalent off the Houston scrap heap as they transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3, and need to liquidate all those 3-4 LBs. Other than QB, LB and DB, I cant see any position that could reasonably expect to find meaningful help in free agency.

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"We want to build a big, strong, tough, smart, fast, disciplined football team that will consistently compete for a championship."
-- Scott Pioli, from the Patriots scouting manual

smg93

Wow, this has got to be one of the dumbest things i've read on this board. This can not even be classified as a theory because you have to back theories up with facts.

maverick4

Exactly how I see those two players. Good to know you also thought similarly on this. Regarding the Lelie rumor, I am only for it if the Pats receive a mid-round pick on top of getting Lelie.