Free Agency - Week One

[mgteich]

Day Two is half over. I do expect decisions on some of the players below in the next week.
==============
OUR OWN
Will be re-sign any of the following?
FAULK
WATSON
BODDEN
BURGESS
GREEN
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FREE AGENTS
There is no rush except at WR. Will we sign MASON or someone else?

 

[BelichickFan]

FWIW I read on RealGM that Lito Sheppard wants to play for us. I know he's not great but he's decent.

Evidently it was said on Sirius, look about 2/3 down this page :

RealGM • View topic - NFL Wheelings and Dealings

or just search for Sheppard on that page.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

The keys to FA going forward, is getting 1 or 2 vet wr , resign faulk and bodden and get 2 pass rushers... Tight end also is a need..

The guy from the Eagles Chris Goeding , might just be a good fit for us..

Mason would be ok, but a guy who was retired, and is on the back 9 does not excite me..

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

Day Two is half over.
There is no rush except at WR. Will we sign MASON or someone else?

The Patriots were very interested in Mason the last time he was a FA but does he have anything left? He was about to retire last year and the Ravens who were (a couple of days ago) were hurting at WR went for Boldin. Vet min. I would think

 

[LoganMankinsPancakeBlocks]

The Patriots were very interested in Mason the last time he was a FA but does he have anything left? He was about to retire last year and the Ravens who were (a couple of days ago) were hurting at WR went for Boldin. Vet min. I would think

He was about to retire last year because McNair (former QB and close friend) was murdered, not because he thought he couldn't play anymore. He came back and had his 3rd straight 1,000 yard season so yes, he has something left and he'll definitely get more than the minimum.

 

[mgteich]

We need a top receiver to share the load with Moss until Welker gets back. I see no reason to be cheap in a no-cap year.

The Patriots were very interested in Mason the last time he was a FA but does he have anything left? He was about to retire last year and the Ravens who were (a couple of days ago) were hurting at WR went for Boldin. Vet min. I would think

 

[BelichickFan]

We need a top receiver to share the load with Moss until Welker gets back. I see no reason to be cheap in a no-cap year.

Who do you have in mind. Short of trading for the brain dead (Marshall) I am unaware of a top receiver who is available.

Moss-Mason-Edelman will do for me, with Tate the unknown and, presumably, a draft choice in the top two rounds.

Without Mason it gets a little icky.

 

[mgteich]

We'll see about other options if we don't get Mason. Reed and Branch come to mind.

Who do you have in mind. Short of trading for the brain dead (Marshall) I am unaware of a top receiver who is available.

Moss-Mason-Edelman will do for me, with Tate the unknown and, presumably, a draft choice in the top two rounds.

Without Mason it gets a little icky.

 

[cupofjoe1962]

Please do not sign Burgess !

Anybody but Burgess !

 

[JoeSixPat]

It's clear they typical fan doesn't understand that Belichick's priorities this year are to re-sign "his guys" over being active in free agency.

Now that those top priorities are taken care of I'd expect to see more activity among the middle class free agents.

 

[PatsChamp88]

It hasn't been a week yet

 

[Deus Irae]

It's clear they typical fan doesn't understand that Belichick's priorities this year are to re-sign "his guys" over being active in free agency.

Now that those top priorities are taken care of I'd expect to see more activity among the middle class free agents.

Neal wasn't going anywhere, Wilfork was already tagged and TBC made it clear that he wanted to return. Dealing with them, even tossing Bodden on the pile, should in no way have precluded the team from completing the trade for Boldin, for example.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Neal wasn't going anywhere, Wilfork was already tagged and TBC made it clear that he wanted to return. Dealing with them, even tossing Bodden on the pile, should in no way have precluded the team from completing the trade for Boldin, for example.

No, it wouldn't have precluded them from completing the trade for Boldin and his $8.3 million a year extension.

But do you really not see that trading for a player to the tune of $8.3 million a season might have had some impact on their negotiations with Wilfork, especially as the Patriots let Wilofk remain in limbo under the franchise tag while they were spending that sort of money?

The Pats made their play for Boldin - it wasn't in that ballpark, and they clearly decided that securing Wilfork at $8 million a year was a higher priority than signing Boldin at $8.3 million a year... if they even valued him that high currently, which I doubt they did.

In other words, if Wilfork and his agent watch the Pats trade for players and give them that sort of money, do you think that might possibly drive Wilfork's price higher? Or lower?

 

[Don Kipines]

Neal wasn't going anywhere, Wilfork was already tagged and TBC made it clear that he wanted to return. Dealing with them, even tossing Bodden on the pile, should in no way have precluded the team from completing the trade for Boldin, for example.

I'm just continually astounded by Patriots fans who look at yesterday and are mostly disappointed that we didn't sign Anquan Boldin in addition to locking up the top nose tackle in the NFL, an unrestricted ten-sack pass rusher, and our starting right guard.

The pessimism on this board is repulsive. You people don't deserve this team. They've put up, what, nine straight winning seasons? And they drop $60 million in one afternoon and you're all complaining that they're cheap and won't do what it takes to win? Jesus.

 

[fierce]

The pessimism on this board is repulsive. You people don't deserve this team. They've put up, what, nine straight winning seasons? And they drop $60 million in one afternoon and you're all complaining that they're cheap and won't do what it takes to win? Jesus.

Very well put.

 

[Deus Irae]

No, it wouldn't have precluded them from completing the trade for Boldin and his $8.3 million a year extension.

But do you really not see that trading for a player to the tune of $8.3 million a season might have had some impact on their negotiations with Wilfork, especially as the Patriots let Wilofk remain in limbo under the franchise tag while they were spending that sort of money?

The Pats made their play for Boldin - it wasn't in that ballpark, and they clearly decided that securing Wilfork at $8 million a year was a higher priority than signing Boldin at $8.3 million a year... if they even valued him that high currently, which I doubt they did.

In other words, if Wilfork and his agent watch the Pats trade for players and give them that sort of money, do you think that might possibly drive Wilfork's price higher? Or lower?

I think that $8 million for a wide receiver wouldn't have made any significant difference to a 3-4 NT's negotiations.

 

[Deus Irae]

I'm just continually astounded by Patriots fans who look at yesterday and are mostly disappointed that we didn't sign Anquan Boldin in addition to locking up the top nose tackle in the NFL, an unrestricted ten-sack pass rusher, and our starting right guard.

The pessimism on this board is repulsive. You people don't deserve this team. They've put up, what, nine straight winning seasons? And they drop $60 million in one afternoon and you're all complaining that they're cheap and won't do what it takes to win? Jesus.

There is nothing pessimistic about saying that money shouldn't have been the reason for not trading for Boldin.

As for what people deserve, that's just typical homer idiocy on your part.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I think that $8 million for a wide receiver wouldn't have made any significant difference to a 3-4 NT's negotiations.

Players and agents don't (or rather won't) look at it that way.

Do you really think that a Patriots player, who is told that he's a "top priority" and has had the Franchise Tag slapped on him, wouldn't get the slightest bit irked to watch, as he sits their tied up and tagged, as the team spends Tens of Millions of Dollars on other players?

Even the most stupid player and agent knows that every $8 million a year paycheck going out the door to a new player is going to make things that much more difficult for them to eek out another $8 million on the contract they aspire to.

It's not that they "couldn't have" signed Wilfork if they were active early in free agency. It's just that signign Wilfork to a reasonable long term contract was clearly a higher priority - and they knew signing Wilfork was only going to get more difficult after they'd spent signficant money in free agency.

 

[Fencer]

There is no rush

One of the top issues FA could be hoped to address.

 

[Fencer]

We need a top receiver to share the load with Moss until Welker gets back. I see no reason to be cheap in a no-cap year.

Interesting reason in favor of getting an "old" guy who might settle for getting big bucks on a one-year deal.