PatsFan37
2nd Team Getting Their First Start
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- Sep 13, 2004
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From the National Football Post:
The impact of Dockery and Walker took a year. The impact of Samuels on Sheppard only took a few months. We know the Jets locker room is a mess with all the money flying around, and it's not going to get any better.
The point is, the next time you hear someone say the Pats are cheap for not paying big money to some departing free agent, or for staying out of the first few days of free agency, it's worth keeping in mind the impact outside of the cap. Having and maintaining a salary structure has value that's only visible in its absence.
When they pay the big bucks, it has to be to a player who clearly demonstrates their value on the field. T.Brady. A.Thomas. R.Moss.
An interesting take, though I think they moved down because they could, not out of respect for Brady. Everyone knows rookie salaries are crazy. I also loved Brady's comment recently where he was asked if he felt underpaid and he laughed and said no. Even if he is underpaid relative to other star players, he doesn't want to insult the common man and you have to respect that.I know the Bills are upset with Jason Peters, but there is a cause and effect of paying big money to outside free agents. You always have to keep in mind how the locker room will react. If you don’t take that into account, the first time something bad happens the locker room is a mess. The signings of Dockery and Walker last year are the reason why this hold out is occurring. I told this exact same thing to Bill Parcells during his last year with Dallas when he lost Flozell Adams due to injuries. Teams cannot recover from losing an offensive left tackle. There are not many great left tackles sitting on the bench in the NFL.
No one would ever enter the Patriots locker room and make more than Tom Brady. The Patriots know the importance of his role with the team and will not allow anyone to mess with that structure. This goes even for a rookie contract resulting from a draft, hence the reason for their move down. And everyone is up in arms about what might happen if the Pats lost Brady for an extended period of time. What about the Colts and Payton Manning? How do you think that would work out for Indy? The reason they make the big money is because they are worth it and they have an IMPACT on the outcome of the game.
The impact of Dockery and Walker took a year. The impact of Samuels on Sheppard only took a few months. We know the Jets locker room is a mess with all the money flying around, and it's not going to get any better.
The point is, the next time you hear someone say the Pats are cheap for not paying big money to some departing free agent, or for staying out of the first few days of free agency, it's worth keeping in mind the impact outside of the cap. Having and maintaining a salary structure has value that's only visible in its absence.
When they pay the big bucks, it has to be to a player who clearly demonstrates their value on the field. T.Brady. A.Thomas. R.Moss.