Unfortunately, Stinko hasn't cost us next to nothing.
He cost us $6M last season.
He took a spot on last season's roster over somebody - anybody - who maybe could have actually contributed something.
He'll cost us 2 draft picks over 2 years.
And he'll cost us almost $2M this season if he makes the 53.
Stinko has been a complete and predictable waste of money, roster space & energy.
The sooner this metal-mouthed attention whore is gone, the better for the franchise.
I totally agree about his negative impact on the team as a whole, and last yr was pathetic.
I think at this point though, looking at the present and future is what should be done. There's no crying over spilled (spilt?) milk, no use looking backwards. The money's spent, the draft picks are gone.
There will be 3 WR spots to fill after Lloyd, Welker, and Edelman (if Edelman plays on offense and is counted there), so the potential for him to make the team with 3 out of Johnson, Branch, Gonzalez, Underwood, and Stallworth (and maybe Slater depending upon him you'd consider him) should not be all that hard.
Put it this way---if he shows that he has learned the system and is able to catch 25 balls this year, wouldn't you still want him over a guy like Underwood? He still has obvious talent, and his work ethic has been great, but he does need to prove that he has learned the system.
I hated him last yr, but I will give him a chance now that it's a new game. We can't recover the picks, and can't recover the money, so it really comes down to risking a small affordable salary for a chance at a possible contribution.
I'm not sure that there are too many in the potential list of 3 remaining WR's who have more talent than him.