NESN: Larry Fitzgerald could be available via trade

jmt57 · Feb 2, 2011

ctpatsfan77 said:
For the record, I haven't seen any stories saying the Patriots extended Branch. IIRC, they redid his deal so that his base 2011 salary is roughly the same as Welker's, rather than the $6M it originally was.

That's a good question. A big reason Seattle traded Branch was his salary: $5.47 million in 2010 and $5.95 million in 2011. He supposedly restructured his contract so it was about $2.2 million base with a chance to earn about $2 million in incentives in 2010.

The thing is this: my understanding is that the CBA does not allow for players to just flat out take a pay cut; for that to happen they would have to be released and then signed to a new contract. So where did all that other money get restructured to? Did they just write in a bunch of impossible incentives for 2011 in that new contract?

FredFromDartmouth · Feb 2, 2011

As much as I am adverse to Big Receiver envy this would be a spectacular move. He is a Patriots type of player and the missing piece for the offense. And I suspect that he does not have a full-length fur coat (although he might need it and it looked pretty good on Ty Law).

This is all fantasy at this point; if money was no object and the Patriots wanted to lock down the SB then trade for Fitz and sign Asomugha (another Patriots type of guy) and draft a pass rusher! Ha. I can only dream...

serifyn · Feb 3, 2011

Fitzgerald isnt going to say it Publically, but he wants to be a patriot, unfortunately he has one year left on his contract and the cards are going to want at least a first for him, and i just dont see belichick giving up draft picks and a ton of money for one player.

after 2011, Welker and Branch are FAs, it would be the perfect time to bring in larry because he would be a free agent then, but there are just too many problem bringing him in now as there will always be at least 2 tight ends in every offensive play going forward.

satz · Feb 3, 2011

He will be 31 and signing him to a monster deal does not sound right.
with brady being 35 next season i rather invest in a top pick in WR now so he can have him for rest of his career and not worry about the wheels falling off.

Froob · Feb 3, 2011

satz said:
He will be 31 and signing him to a monster deal does not sound right.
with brady being 35 next season i rather invest in a top pick in WR now so he can have him for rest of his career and not worry about the wheels falling off.

He'll be 28 when next season kicks off.

upstater1 · Feb 3, 2011

Fitzgerald saved Kurt Warner's career. That guy had a career built on Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Faulk and the little guy (forget his name), then went to Arizona to throw balls to Fitzgerald, Boldin and Bryant Johnson. In between, he looked like a stiff.

chicowalker · Feb 3, 2011

satz said:
He will be 31 and signing him to a monster deal does not sound right.
with brady being 35 next season i rather invest in a top pick in WR now so he can have him for rest of his career and not worry about the wheels falling off.

? if you want a WR for the rest of Brady's career, shouldn't you prefer Fitzgerald? He's a proven star in the NFL, and his decline shouldn't be sooner than Brady's.

Investing in a top pick is still a crapshoot in seeing whether they can adapt to the NFL at all -- and even if the player picked can adapt, it could easily be a year or two before they become a true threat.

Kid~Brady · Feb 3, 2011

chicowalker said:
? if you want a WR for the rest of Brady's career, shouldn't you prefer Fitzgerald? He's a proven star in the NFL, and his decline shouldn't be sooner than Brady's.

Investing in a top pick is still a crapshoot in seeing whether they can adapt to the NFL at all -- and even if the player picked can adapt, it could easily be a year or two before they become a true threat.

This is very true. Trying to rely on a brand new receiver from the draft isnt the best thing for Brady. He needs a proven NFL receiver thats in his prime and doesnt need time to mature in. Fitz is that guy. Not even speaking on his good manners and professional "patriot" way, he has all the skills that we need in a receiver.

He still managed to rack up over 1,000 receiving yards with a Derrick Anderson and a rookie passing the ball, thats what we need. Not once did the guy complain about the team. He played each and every game as hard as he could. Thats what seperates him from the likes of Randy Moss. No matter how the game is going, no matter how bad the situation, you'll get his all everytime.

PatsWickedPissah · Feb 3, 2011

Sign the beast.

Just THINK of all the wicked pissah Fitzy videos we'd get.

upstater1 · Feb 3, 2011

I don't like the idea of trading draft picks but the salary demands of players like Fitzgerald and Mankins don't phase me at all as a Patriots' fan worried about the salary cap.

Whatever decision is made about the CBA, the owners are about to experience a windfall. People like Kraft will be in a much better position than teams like the Jaguars, Bills or Bengals than they were prior to the CBA.

Plus, the Patriots are young.

By the time McCourty and Spikes and Gronkowski go seeking big contracts, their well paid vets will be in their last big years.

Draft pick concerns are real--this team needs a pass rush. Salary concerns are only relevant to me inasmuch as they might produce some hard feelings in the locker room (from Welker and the like).

townes · Feb 3, 2011

The Patriots have a load of picks and can address pass rush even if they trade 2 high ones to the cards. If possible i'd trade the #17 and the Patriots second to Arizona and sign Fitzgerald to a long term deal. He would give them a big physical presence in the red zoner and open everything up and make big plays downfield. Every now and then a big move is warranted and imo this is the right one.

JackBauer · Feb 3, 2011

If the Pats feel a huge splash in FA is warranted and the cost isn't prohibitive, I wouldn't be against it. There seems to be little risk involved.

Marqui · Feb 3, 2011

JackBauer said:
If the Pats feel a huge splash in FA is warranted and the cost isn't prohibitive, I wouldn't be against it. There seems to be little risk involved.

Fitzgerald isn't a free agent.

JackBauer · Feb 3, 2011

Marqui said:
Fitzgerald isn't a free agent.

I'm aware of that. I just framed it clumsily; I just meant free agency as the period in which to acquire players outside the NFL draft.

PatsFaninAZ · Feb 4, 2011

I know this is going to sound silly, but I think Fitzgerald is a bit overrated. Tremendous quality human and very good pro bowl football player, but from watching 8 Cardinals games in person every year, I feel as though Boldin was the better of that dynamic duo while it lasted.

Fitzgerald's YAC are not good. He goes down. (I admit, he had tremendous yards after catch on one play in the Super Bowl, but I'm talking about in general.) He's good for 5 or so catches a game and probably opens things up for the other receivers, but once he has the ball he's basically done. (Some fo that, to be sure, is that he was getting passes from crappy QBs this year, but still, he wasn't even in his conference's top 20 for YAC.) And much of the time he catches a ball it's for a first down, so that's all positive. But on the other hand, I'm just not sure someone who touches the ball that many times is really worth going crazy or giving up big draft picks.

Doonan24 · Feb 4, 2011

PatsFaninAZ said:
I know this is going to sound silly, but I think Fitzgerald is a bit overrated. Tremendous quality human and very good pro bowl football player, but from watching 8 Cardinals games in person every year, I feel as though Boldin was the better of that dynamic duo while it lasted.

Fitzgerald's YAC are not good. He goes down. (I admit, he had tremendous yards after catch on one play in the Super Bowl, but I'm talking about in general.) He's good for 5 or so catches a game and probably opens things up for the other receivers, but once he has the ball he's basically done. (Some fo that, to be sure, is that he was getting passes from crappy QBs this year, but still, he wasn't even in his conference's top 20 for YAC.) And much of the time he catches a ball it's for a first down, so that's all positive. But on the other hand, I'm just not sure someone who touches the ball that many times is really worth going crazy or giving up big draft picks.

I don't think this is a terrible point, but YAC yards aren't the greatest metric in the world. Moss (in 07) was not a guy who took a 5 yard slant 50 yards for a TD, but was still the most valuable member of that offense. It's also harder to accumulate YAC when you spend most of your time away from the slot, matched against number 1 corners, and with safety help at all times.

PATRIOTSFANINPA · Feb 4, 2011

159 posts and nearly 8,000 looks for a trade that will NEVER happen

The past 2 years shows the Pats like those mid 30s over the hill WR FAs (Galloway,Holt)...I don't expect it to change this year.

Look for a low priced mid aged WR to be available that the Pats pick up .... anything else like a prized WR in his prime and I will be shocked

A young new WR on this team will be via the draft...no big FA splashes in 2011 IMO...We were 14-2 with no big moves last offseason and it won't change despite the pipe dreams here at Patsfans

The great draft of 2010 will have Belichick and Co. trying to do the same again without paying big bucks that need to go to Mankins,Welker in the future ect:

zipster9 · Feb 4, 2011

townes said:
The Patriots have a load of picks and can address pass rush even if they trade 2 high ones to the cards. If possible i'd trade the #17 and the Patriots second to Arizona and sign Fitzgerald to a long term deal. He would give them a big physical presence in the red zoner and open everything up and make big plays downfield. Every now and then a big move is warranted and imo this is the right one.

IMO - Fitz is not worth a high-1 and a 2nd. I would give a high-2nd (33rd) and a 2012-2nd.

Maybe they will tag Mankins, and trade him and a 2nd, for Fitz?

mcsully · Feb 6, 2011

Adam scheftner tweeted fitz is part of the process of picking the next QB for Arizona.

Bottom line - he is not leaving

PatsWickedPissah · Feb 6, 2011

Mother's maiden name was Fitzgerald. Hafta get a jersey if we trade for him, 1% probability.

NESN: Larry Fitzgerald could be available via trade

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