Contract Extensions

mgteich said:

Suck it up.

Seriously, I expect us to be starting Ninkovich, Mayo and Hightower next year at LB.

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I'd be happy if we could get a 2nd or 3rd rounder for Spikes during the draft. I don't want Ninkovich back at LB, he's clearly best as a DE. I'd like to get a Will that can cover, move Mayo to MLB, and keep Hightower as the Sam.

mgteich said:

Suck it up.

Seriously, I expect us to be starting Ninkovich, Mayo and Hightower next year at LB.

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I'd take Mayo-Spikes-Hightower over your group.

JackBauer said:

I'd take Mayo-Spikes-Hightower over your group.

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spikes is a 2-down guy who can't cover to save his life

the pats simply need someone faster on the inside.....I don't believe that player is currently on the roster.....unless fletcher can last for more than a couple of practices

JackBauer said:

I'd take Mayo-Spikes-Hightower over your group.

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Spikes can't cover. He is a big weakness in our defense. Even if he can stuff runs very good.

SwedishPat said:

Spikes can't cover. He is a big weakness in our defense. Even if he can stuff runs very good.

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The weakness was not having a healthy cover LB. Hopefully Fletcher can be that guy. I also think Spikes' coverage woes are a bit exacerbated by lousy safety play.

Regardless, unless the demands are prohibitive I make space on my team for the most physically violent LB in the league. If you want a defense that can smash other teams in the mouth come playoff time, I don't see how getting rid of Spikes aids you in that.

At what price for the unsigned Spikes? $6M?

JackBauer said:

I'd take Mayo-Spikes-Hightower over your group.

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mgteich said:

At what price for the unsigned Spikes? $6M?

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Aren't they predicting a depressed FA market again next offseason?

The decision on whether to retain him, and thus accordingly his price, will be determined by his play this season.

PatsWickedPissah said:

We just re-signed Ninko to a 1 yr deal. Don't get why 30 days later we'd extend him.

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No we didn't we extended him in 2011 with a 2 year deal.

http://www.macsfootballblog.com/2011/09/patriots-lb-rob-ninkovich-signs-two.html

We resigned http://www.patriots.com/team/roster/niko-koutouvides/c5d806d9-9ea6-482d-aa99-bf57129109ac/ to a 1 year deal I think you're mixed up.

So, you understand why he is not on the extension list.

JackBauer said:

Aren't they predicting a depressed FA market again next offseason?

The decision on whether to retain him, and thus accordingly his price, will be determined by his play this season.

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mgteich said:

So, you understand why he is not on the extension list.

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Where was I taking issue with his omission from the extensions list?

JackBauer said:

The weakness was not having a healthy cover LB. Hopefully Fletcher can be that guy. I also think Spikes' coverage woes are a bit exacerbated by lousy safety play.

Regardless, unless the demands are prohibitive I make space on my team for the most physically violent LB in the league. If you want a defense that can smash other teams in the mouth come playoff time, I don't see how getting rid of Spikes aids you in that.

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Have you watched him play? There where many times where a player came into his zone and he just couldn't keep up with him. It had nothing to do with bad safety. It was just that he is to slow to keep up and can't cover people.

SwedishPat said:

Have you watched him play? There where many times where a player came into his zone and he just couldn't keep up with him. It had nothing to do with bad safety. It was just that he is to slow to keep up and can't cover people.

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I have seen him play, thanks.

And nothing you've really said changes my evaluation of him, so we'll just have to disagree and leave it there.

SwedishPat said:

Have you watched him play? There where many times where a player came into his zone and he just couldn't keep up with him. It had nothing to do with bad safety. It was just that he is to slow to keep up and can't cover people.

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Hightower is similar. Hope Fletcher is the coverage LB we sorely need...or Adrian Wilson fills that role on occasion.

PatsWickedPissah said:

Hightower is similar. Hope Fletcher is the coverage LB we sorely need...or Adrian Wilson fills that role on occasion.

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I think that Adrian Wilson could take the spot from Spikes on passing downs. He can tackle and he must be a better cover guy than Spikes.

Yes. Hightower have some of the same problems. But he is faster than Spikes, so I think that Hightower have a much higher celing as a linebacker who can cover than Spikes has. Hopefully Spikes will become a good 3 down linebacker who can stuff the run and also cover ok.

I hope that Fletcher is healthy enough to play.

PatsWickedPissah said:

Hightower is similar. Hope Fletcher is the coverage LB we sorely need...or Adrian Wilson fills that role on occasion.

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spikes.

love the player. Just think he's close to being the odd man out with the 1st rd. pick of Hightower and Mayo earning serious coin.

PatsWickedPissah said:

Would not extend Spikes. Like his play but slow ILBs abound in the draft at far lesser cap hits. ILB position cap $ goes to Mayo. Use any extension cap $ for Wilfie first, then McCourtney. It's gone by then.

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Agreed. I like Spikes, but if Hightower ends up replacing him as our thumper presence in the middle, with the added bonus that he can actually cover a little, then that's not such a bad thing. Wilfork and McCourty should be the top priorities, and maybe Talib, eventually, if they're satisfied that his head is on straight. If that means there's no money for guys like Spikes and Ninkovich, then I won't lose any sleep over that.

When you put Mayo, Spikes, and Hightower out on the field together, you're likely to get the defense that we had this year: excellent against the run, porous against the pass. Mayo's the only one of those guys who is even in the 'reasonably good' category for coverage.

mgteich said:

At what price for the unsigned Spikes? $6M?

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Wha?

Unless we're talking Patrick Willis, there's no 6M market for inside linebackers. I'd be surprised if it were much more than half of that on a 4 year deal.

I like Spikes, love the nasty attitude. But I would agree that he's replaceable, especially if BB is committing to the 4-3 for the near future.

upstater1 said:

Ah, I see. Thanks guys.

Wonder why they put that into the CBA. Why would they restrict teams and players from looking after their own interests?

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It's spelled "R - E - V - I - S".

I still believe that

"There are several players that the team might consider extending: Wilfork, McCourty, Wendell and Ninkovich sort of stand out in this regard'

Spikes is clearly questionable for lots of reasons. I think that the others are less questionable.