Pays to Stay? Ochocinco and New England Talk Contract

Pays to Stay? Ochocinco and New England Talk Contract
By: Derek Havens

The New England Patriots and Chad Ochocinco experiment did not go as planned in the 2011 NFL season and according to a report by Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal, Ochocinco has been asked to restructure his contract. ...

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Frankly I don't get it. I read either Chris Price or Greg Bedard say that at the combine they heard that the team doesn't EVER expect Chad to get it at this point based on what transpired last season, but because he is well liked in the locker room and didn't cause any problems and is fun to have around... they might bring him back on a reduced deal with the expectation he would likely be cut before the season.

Who has stolen Bill Belichick and what have they done with him???

Hmmmmm... maybe the Pats want Ocho to compete with Branch in camp and they'll keep one of them as the senior guy. Clearly this position needs at least one WR to stretch the field. One would think Ocho still has the physical skills to do this but this past year his mental ability to understand the scheme apparently held him back. Or maybe it's just an insurance policy in case the Pats aren't able to reel in any blue chip talent during the draft. I agree with the other readers - I don't quite get this. But we've seen the Pats restructure and sign guys during the offseason only to make them compete during camp and then release them.

Hard to believe they dont bring branch back. i know everyone wants to put him out to pasture, but hes got great chemistry with Brady and that goes a long way, even though branch has declining skills, his intelligence on the field shows up when the pats need it most, he is an asset, nothing more, nothing less.

As for Ochocinco, he really got a bad rap last year, what people dont understand about him is that he didn't really have a place on the field, with 2 TEs on the field permanently and usually a runningback in as well it only leaves room for 2 WRs, one of whom, Welker is never coming off the field, which means OC had to beat out branch, a guy who would always managed to get open when the patriots had to have it.

Going into next year, whoever they bring in here will have to beat out branch. im not saying that is impossible to do or anything, but Belichick has shown again and again that when it comes down to talent or intelligence on the field, he will chose the later, so for example, if the patriots bring Brandon Lloyd in here and he doesn't understand or execute his job, branch will beat him out as well.

As far as I can tell, he's due to make $3MM this year under his restructured contract (correct me if I'm wrong on that). That's rich for a guy with his performance last year but probably not for a guy with his potential.

IMO, the Pats have to look at that and decide how much, if any, of it he is worth to them, probably with some incentives, and then either cut him or make him an offer.

At that point, if the Pats offered him a watered-down deal,the question for 85 would be whether he thinks he'd be worth more in another scheme.

I kind of like him and hope he stays, but, as they say, it's a business.

I dont want him back. Why bring him back?

How does be make the Pats better?

PatsFanSince74 said:

As far as I can tell, he's due to make $3MM this year under his restructured contract (correct me if I'm wrong on that). That's rich for a guy with his performance last year but probably not for a guy with his potential.

IMO, the Pats have to look at that and decide how much, if any, of it he is worth to them, probably with some incentives, and then either cut him or make him an offer.

At that point, if the Pats offered him a watered-down deal,the question for 85 would be whether he thinks he'd be worth more in another scheme.

I kind of like him and hope he stays, but, as they say, it's a business.

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Why do you like him? Personally, I prefer players who can perform within the system stay... And the team seems to believe that the odds are Chad never will.

Personally I'd prefer Brady spend his valuable and limited time either fine tuning his rapore with his existing WR's with whom he already has achieved some or building it with a youngster who may yet achieve some...

Hopefully Chad's agent has a line on some team willing to pay him more than minimum salary because that is obviously what they will dangle for him to return. Could be they are making a gesture to indicate to other teams they have no issue with Chad beyond he can't grasp the system here. In hopes someone will give him a shot and take them off the hook. I doubt he has any trade value, but you never know. And if they are so enamored of the personality maybe they just want to make sure not to hurt his feelings or remaining prospects...

Bill, Bill, Bill...

Im just thankful that the Pats have team first players.

Because I'd be pixxed off if I was Wes Welker playing my guts out for less than what Ocho was paid last season for doing almost nothing.

Heres something else too. Every dollar spent on Cinco is less money to spend on guys that deserve it.

with Welker and branch both being FA's and not knowing what the market is for guys like Lloyd or who will be there on Draft day it's just a back up to keep ocho at lest untill camp, but even with that said he was geting less playing time then Tiquan Underwood it dont get any worst then that

This has to be a April fools joke...oh wait we are almost in March. I said i will never question BB decisions again but i might seriously recant on this one. How can they even fantom bringing that bum back? what so he can learn another play from our playbook? Now that would be two whole plays in two years oh whoopee.

MoLewisrocks said:

Why do you like him? Personally, I prefer players who can perform within the system stay... And the team seems to believe that the odds are Chad never will.

Personally I'd prefer Brady spend his valuable and limited time either fine tuning his rapore with his existing WR's with whom he already has achieved some or building it with a youngster who may yet achieve some...

Hopefully Chad's agent has a line on some team willing to pay him more than minimum salary because that is obviously what they will dangle for him to return. Could be they are making a gesture to indicate to other teams they have no issue with Chad beyond he can't grasp the system here. In hopes someone will give him a shot and take them off the hook. I doubt he has any trade value, but you never know. And if they are so enamored of the personality maybe they just want to make sure not to hurt his feelings or remaining prospects...

Bill, Bill, Bill...

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Everything you say makes sense. I guess I'd spin it a little differently.

I think that a guy who's contributed to the league's brand and, let's face it, to the rarely seen "fun" side of the NFL and who has been a very good player under another system (as in, "Run down field and I'll throw it to you" vs. "Run precisely 14.552 yards down field, pause for a beat and then either cut across the middle or keep running down field depending on where the Safety is playing") deserves a chance to "save face" as he exits an organization like the Pats.

And, if he's willing to play for a little above scale plus incentives, I'd still keep him...at that level, all we need from him is one big game-changer in one big game. Otherwise, I can't disagree with you on the substance.

How much does he have to pay? Is Kraft broke or something? I could see it if Billy Sullivan was still the owner.

LOL.............some of the people here who think they 'get it' miss out on an extremely simple notion. It hurst nobody to keep ocho here for now. Its not like there's a line of prospects on the bench who are not getting an opportunity, and what's more, welker and branch are currently free agents, so holding onto him is a smart move. I do believe that he will not be on the roster come the start of next season, but where this is a lesson learned is from the 2006 season and the WR fiasco from then. he will be let go, but not until he either refuses to reneg, or the pats sign others.

I don't understand why people are whining about this. It certainly doesn't hurt to keep him around and bring him to camp. And even if he does stick on the roster, I doubt he's liable to be any worse than the median #4 or #5 receiver in the league.

I'd rather see Hines Ward (who I hate with a passion) on this team than a wasted roster spot on this twitterholic Hollywood POS.....and that is saying something.

Belichick is on crack if he keeps him on his roster.

PATRIOTSFANINPA said:

I'd rather see Hines Ward (who I hate with a passion) on this team than a wasted roster spot on this twitterholic Hollywood POS.....and that is saying something.

Belichick is on crack if he keeps him on his roster.

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What I don't understand is what he's done to deserve the type of vitriol he gets from people like you.

All I can say is WTF?!

Please, football Gods, rid the Pats of Chad Johnson. Let him be someone else's huge disappointment.

MoLewisrocks said:

Frankly I don't get it. I read either Chris Price or Greg Bedard say that at the combine they heard that the team doesn't EVER expect Chad to get it at this point based on what transpired last season, but because he is well liked in the locker room and didn't cause any problems and is fun to have around... they might bring him back on a reduced deal with the expectation he would likely be cut before the season.

Who has stolen Bill Belichick and what have they done with him???

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I'm alot of fun. Bring me into camp. I'll run bad routes, Tweet. I'll pretend to live with a fan. Vet minimum....but just happy to get the weekly stipend and have access to the cafeteria. Maybe get Bon Jovi's autograph

IllegalContact said:

LOL.............some of the people here who think they 'get it' miss out on an extremely simple notion. It hurst nobody to keep ocho here for now. Its not like there's a line of prospects on the bench who are not getting an opportunity, and what's more, welker and branch are currently free agents, so holding onto him is a smart move. I do believe that he will not be on the roster come the start of next season, but where this is a lesson learned is from the 2006 season and the WR fiasco from then. he will be let go, but not until he either refuses to reneg, or the pats sign others.

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Those are good points that I hadn't considered in my support of 85. I guess the key is whether they can renegotiate the contract, which is too big for his production in the Pat's system.

PatsFanSince74 said:

Those are good points that I hadn't considered in my support of 85. I guess the key is whether they can renegotiate the contract, which is too big for his production in the Pat's system.

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I also think that he can connect with brady better than we have seen. there was too much productivity from the like os kitna, frerotte, palmer throwing to him to just assume it can't work here