REPORT: Vince Wilfork has already cleaned out his locker

[PatsFans.com Article]

REPORT: Vince Wilfork has already cleaned out his locker
By:

It sounds like Vince Wilfork wasn't kidding when he asked for his release recently....

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY​

 

[StackandShed]

I loved the fact that Vince fell to us in that draft, but at soon to be 33 years old coming off an Achilles injury. He isn't going to get a long term deal so you might as well restructure.

 

[Brady6]

I loved the fact that Vince fell to us in that draft, but at soon to be 33 years old coming off an Achilles injury. He isn't going to get a long term deal so you might as well restructure.

He is not soon to be 33; he turned less than four months ago. The Patriots signed Tommy Kelly last season to a two-year deal when he was the same age Wilfork is now. Ted Washington was 35 when the Patriots signed him and he was a key cog in the team winning a Super Bowl.

The Achilles is a legitimate concern but he had surgery nearly seven months ago so he should be fully recovered at this time so they should be able to properly assess it.

By the way, welcome to Patsfans :welcome2:

 

[50-yard-line]

Shoddy article. In the original piece quoted, it said Wilfork did this when he asked for his release BEFORE leaving Gillette.

Which means way back when.

 

[Dillon46]

Sounds like media driven sensationalism to get people to read an article in lieu of no FA signings and a quiet F.O. the past few days.....

I'm surprised though they haven't released him already.......they wouldn't keep him dangling there to have the market dry up on him, I believe there is too much respect within the organization for that nonsense.

I say they are working on one of two outcomes before resorting to the inevitable release:

a) Most hopeful for that they are in restructure talks and Vince and he retires a Patriot

or

b) They are negotiating a new contract as a sign and trade to a team with playoff potential (Texans maybe.......hope for Vince's sake not the Seymour route)

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I've always admired Wilfork and been happy he's a Patriot, but from the moment he tore his Achilles, I have never once had any vision of him ever playing for the Patriots again unless it's in a backup/rotation role with a highly reduced contract. He will never be the same player again, and even before the injury, there was speculation that he had lost a step. He had an excellent career and was a dominant force in the middle, but it's time to move on to try to find a younger replacement. I'm guessing the Patriots go after some interior linemen on both offense and defense in the draft.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Some people grow up in life and think they are still 24 years old. They point to their chest and say prideful things as if things are the same. Vince should be cognizant of this very reality. He probably feels betrayed with all the support he gave the team last year in being in every meeting and games despite being on IR. He feels the team is shafting him.
I love the guy, but not the end of the world to let him go.

 

[farn]

I've always admired Wilfork and been happy he's a Patriot, but from the moment he tore his Achilles, I have never once had any vision of him ever playing for the Patriots again unless it's in a backup/rotation role with a highly reduced contract. He will never be the same player again, and even before the injury, there was speculation that he had lost a step. He had an excellent career and was a dominant force in the middle, but it's time to move on to try to find a younger replacement. I'm guessing the Patriots go after some interior linemen on both offense and defense in the draft.

This. Age and injury. But also the arguably diminished importance of a run stuffer... I wonder if Vince was headed towards less playing time regardless. Either way : he played hard and for that, I cheer. But I won't cry about his departure, as I think he is not as important as he was a few years ago.

 

[patsfan-1982]

I would love for him to be back but I also would not mind if they cut him now and sign a pass rusher and maybe even make a push for Jackson if they think he fits

 

[Triumph]

Vince is playing hardball.

A Realtor will yank the "sold" sign out of the ground if the prospective buyers make unreasonable demands.

Id like to see him back because I dont like the idea of a rookie NT stepping in and dealing with his growing pains. Sure hes cheaper. Sure he younger, but will he be there down the stretch or sucking wind because of the rookie wall?

 

[Fencer]

I think Vince is a very difficult person for us as fans to read.

• On the one hand, he's the gentle giant, who seemed to be firmly under his wife's thumb, especially in his early years with the team.
• On the other hand, he's the beast who's frequently fined for rough play.

My GUESS is that he's the kind of guy who has attacks of temper and then is good at getting quickly back under control, before anything too bad has transpired. But the evidence in support of my view is scanty indeed.

 

[fnordcircle]

He'll be back because it makes no sense for anyone involved for him to not be here. The Patriots won't release him and they can't trade him.

I can definitely understand why he's upset and this is the sort of thing that I think the team contemplates when they consider signing people to big contracts. This isn't Madden, I'm sure Wilfork rightfully feels like he has sacrificed and gutted it out on behalf of the team and now likely interprets the team's actions as disloyalty after all the blood, sweat and tears he's spilled for the Pats.

That's why I think the complaints about the Pats not 'opening up the wallet' are always so off base. People never contemplate what a slap in the face it is to players like Wilfork.

 

[Joker]

sounds like you're saying he's bipolar...


My GUESS is that he's the kind of guy who has attacks of temper and then is good at getting quickly back under control, before anything too bad has transpired.

 

[supafly]

They are negotiating a new contract as a sign and trade to a team with playoff potential (Texans maybe.......hope for Vince's sake not the Seymour route)

I don't think his trade value would be too high at the moment myself, although they may be able to likely get a late round 6th/7th out of it from someone. My guess is that most teams would just be waiting for his release if they were actually interested. There's obviously the fact that no one even knows if he can play the sport of football again at the present time, and that won't be decided until months down the line.

As far as Richard Seymour's situation goes---I don't think he was remotely bothered by the fact that he went to Oakland and made 13, 14, 15 million dollars per year while there. He was a very good player while here, but he did have a bit of the selfish side as well. I don't think it bothered him nearly as much as some suggest, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Joker]

according to the tweets on OUR page here, Wilfork turned down a renegotiated contract tied to playing time/games played.

 

[supafly]

according to the tweets on OUR page here, Wilfork turned down a renegotiated contract tied to playing time/games played.

I think that makes sense from the team's standpoint, although I'd be interested in seeing some numbers leak out, as unlikely as that will probably be.

I'm guessing in the end, Vince is released and moves on, as much as I'd hate to see it.

 

[Fencer]

sounds like you're saying he's bipolar...


My GUESS is that he's the kind of guy who has attacks of temper and then is good at getting quickly back under control, before anything too bad has transpired.

First, I wasn't suggesting anything nearly that extreme. I was just contrasting him to, for example, the grudge-bearing Seymour on the one hand, and the permanently-sunny Bruschi on the other.

Second, I don't think what you said is a good match to the definition of bipolar.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

The key point, as I mentioned in the other thread on this article, is that this is a new discovery, but it is not a new development.

 

[DarrylS]

The issue with this "story" is that it seems to be based on hearsay and there are no time lines for this action... did it happen when I first spoke his peace or did it happen yesterday???

 

[SB39]

He'll be back because it makes no sense for anyone involved for him to not be here. The Patriots won't release him and they can't trade him.

I disagree that the Patriots won't release him. If he continues to take a hardline stance on restructuring, then releasing him is precisely what the Patriots will do.