Some comments on the comments (at least the last page)
1. Its been proven over and over again that DLmen often take a few years to incubate into what they will ultimately become. Even all time great DLmen need time to develop. Seymour was a "nice piece" in 2001, but none of the fan base knew what we had after just one year. Ty Warren wasn't even that good his rookie year, and he turned out to be a fine 2 gap, 3-4 DE. Off the top of my head, Donatre Poe was considered a flat out bust his rookie year (by some), and now he's a major force, and the list can go on.
2. Siliga belongs to a class of players who seem to get better every year. Some players take years to reach their potential (see Bruschi). Others just are what they are by their 2nd year. This where you find those "gems" that come out of nowhere. Things like the combine are just a snapshot in time....but time goes on.
Siliga looks like he is one of those players who falls into that category. But right now his resume is small enough that its difficult to make comparisons of who he plays like or who he is better or worse than. Time will tell, but if his road of progression continues, 2015 might be the year when Siliga comes out of obscurity and be recognized as a solid NFL starter at DT
3. All this goes doubly for Dom Easley. He had to endure all the vicissitudes of a rookie defensive lineman PLUS coming off 2 ACL's and playing through shoulder and knee injuries during the season. I'm not sure what people expected from Easley last season, but I saw a LOT that made me hopeful.
a. That he was willing to play through injuries
b That he showed position flexibility
c. The he showed occasional flashes of the explosiveness we were promised. But certainly not as consistently as we need to see in 2015
Donald and Jernigan both had better rookie years, but that was just a "snapshot in time". There isn't any reason to dismiss that Easley couldn't reach their level this season...or not. Again time will tell, but there is way too much, " l need instant" talk from people who want to dismiss guys like Easley and Dobson as disappointments.
4. As for Vince, his recovery from his injury in 2013 was nothing short of remarkable. To say his play didn't exceed my highest expectations, would be a lie. However, even though he played the snaps he needed to reach his incentives, to say that his productivity on the field equaled that of what he gave us in 2010-12 would also be a lie. Vince was NOT the immoveable force in the middle that he used to be when he EARNED that big contract The Vince Wilfolk we saw in 2014 was NOT an elite DT, and $8.5MM is still elite money.
5. So the question becomes, not if Wilfok needs to take a cut, but is he willing to do it, and under what conditions can it be done. The obvious way would be to create a contract that would pay him that $8,5MM if he meets the production goals that would mean he'd earned it, while giving the Pats about $3-4MM in cap relief now.
Many think he wouldn't be willing to do it again. I say why not. Does anyone realistically think anyone is going to just hand $8MM guaranteed to a 35 year old DT who, while being still decent, is no longer elite. It's the classic Logan Mankins metaphor.
So what you do is show "some" love. You give him something. You give him a $3MM bonus on 3/10, with a $1MM salary that becomes guaranteed on 9/1. That's about what his current value is right now. The rest he earns if he can reach an elite level again. That I think is a fair deal and show a level of respect for his past services.
Also don't underestimate the fact that Vince isn't just some player who spends a few month in NE, and goes home. He's pretty much entrenched in the Foxboro community, so unless his next move is to Miami, I wonder if Bianca is willing to uproot her family over a few more dollars or a perceived slight
6. All that being said, my #1 priority in the draft, with a bullet, is that 6'5 320 lb DT, whether or not Vince comes back
