Vince Wilfork asks to be released

Dear New England Patriots management,

***** or get off the pot.

Regards,

Patriots Nation

50-yard-line said:

Deleted my post - don't want an OT argument with you. Would appreciate it if you'd do the same.

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I'm not arguing, I'm stating fact, and everything I have said in this thread regarding tax policy as it relates to athletes is 100% true.

I don't blame wilfork. I don't blame the pats. The pats are being responsible. I think Wilfork's being unrealistic but who knows. Good luck to him. I hope he comes back for vet min plus incentives, loses 100 pounds and makes all pro. Then he can get a nice big contract.

So the roller coaster is now at the bottom of another hill....Godspeed, Big Vince.

Sorry if I took the OP off track. There is nothing more that I'd love to do than discuss the inequities in the Tax code, but I'd need a beer, a bar, and several hours of back and forth to do it justice. So lets get back on track.

On my way home this evening, I caught about 10 minutes of sports talk, and my head almost exploded. Predictably, they sided with Vince and were at the stage of talking about where he was going to play next year and how many teams will be bidding for his services. I screamed to no avail to my radio, desperately needing to ask them a simple question.

"is there anyone on the planet, including Vince, who knows if he is even going to be able to play this season? Has anyone seen him run? What's his weight right now? I mean OMG, they were speculating about Vince playing for another team for virtually nothing "just to show the Pats they made a mistake"

Thank god I only had a 4mile ride home. If it had been any longer I probably would have had a stroke.

OT- for no apparent reason I feel the urge to tell this little story.

Back in the mid 80's, I had a good friend who was the managing partner of a mid sized CPA firm in Boston (about 40 CPA's) They had just passed the Reagan Tax Simplification and the media was talking about how it lowered taxes, closed loopholes, and made everything easier for everyone. Well I called my friend because I was concerned, because if everything was as the media was reporting, then I figured it was going to hurt his business. Also I figured he would have actually read the entire bill, so I'd get more info on it.

Well when I finally reached him, he said he couldn't talk long because he and and his partners where busy hiring an addition 15 CPA's. The point being that the Reagan Tax Simplification Act, wasn't all that "simple". And every year since (about 30 years), its gotten progressively more complex and unfair.

BTW- there is not need to respond to this little story, unless you want to invite me to your local watering hole to discuss it. I just thought it might be an interesting anecdote for those of use who were adults in the 80's. Just the ramblings of an old man. Also thanks for those to responded to my original rant. I am always willing to listen and learn. Intellectually its a fascinating topic, especially since there are so many better ways to fund governments, that don't involve Lawyers and CPA's

Can anybody provide a summary on what the latest is? I was looking but the thread seemed to be quickly side tracked.

From what i can gather, "Sources" claim Wilfork has asked to be released, other "Sources" claim that he won't take a pay cut and that pats want him to.

But is that about all there is currently regarding the tangible news regarding this?


Now my $0.02. I'd like to keep him as i am an optomist and I think he can come back. In my head i see Wilfork, Kelly, Nink, Jones, Collinc, Mayo, Hightower, McCourty, Browner, Revis and Dennard all on the field together. Until i am told that won't be the case, that is what i am hoping for.

Sucks but its time to move on imo. He isnt work 7 or 8 million, not at his age and the injury hes coming off of.

patfanken said:

On my way home this evening, I caught about 10 minutes of sports talk, and my head almost exploded. Predictably, they sided with Vince and were at the stage of talking about where he was going to play next year and how many teams will be bidding for his services. I screamed to no avail to my radio, desperately needing to ask them a simple question.

"is there anyone on the planet, including Vince, who knows if he is even going to be able to play this season? Has anyone seen him run? What's his weight right now? I mean OMG, they were speculating about Vince playing for another team for virtually nothing "just to show the Pats they made a mistake"

Thank god I only had a 4mile ride home. If it had been any longer I probably would have had a stroke.

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You are lucky your ride is 4 miles. Mine is closer to 40 and the last few days have been a real challenge with the sports talk stations and tomorrow will clearly be more of the same given Wilfork's request.

Talib was great when he was on the field, but the reality was he wasn't on the field often enough to justify the big bucks and given the risk in his health and his personality it would be insane to pay him what Denver paid him. Anyone willing to step back and think it through for more than a second would have come to the same conclusion. It's clear the talk show callers would have none of that, and it's even more clear the ones screening the calls are looking for that kind of caller, which is why the sports talk scene in Boston is such a sewer these days.

Even worse, the ones picking the hosts seem to want the short term thinking knee jerk overreacting kind of host. It's appalling.

Fast forward to the Revis signing and the same hosts who vented their spleens saying how out of touch the Pats front office was a day ago now are all wanting to have Bill Belichick's love child. Just as appalling, if not more!

Glad to report my smartphone is loaded with podcasts to listen to tomorrow...

PittPatriot said:

If that is your argument, then any professional athlete who has been playing for more than 7 years should not worry about income because they are not "starving." It is not about eating. It is about securing your future and children's future...and perhaps even THEIR children. Family business's function this way...and the Wilforks may not have another 'baby Vince' coming up to earn tens of millions - this is all they will get (much less after taxes).
They have every right to move and do what is best for them (they have my respect for that).
He played above his rookie contract and "earned" this extension. He CARRIED the D-line for several seasons, making huge plays even when he was simply being asked to fill gaps. It is likely he only has 2-3 good years left in him and I don't disagree with him trying to secure his family's future to the best of his limited ability. I will miss the big guy.

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No that's not my position. I can understand guys looking for money. I just think Vince's expectations are unrealistic. Nobody is going to pay him that much. He's been here forever, why not take a cut and finish his career here where he has had so much success. Why end up in some ****hole for a little bit more?

The Patriots aren't all knowing and don't always make the best decisions, but they seem to have a nearly precognitive ability for guessing the market for players. Hate to say it Vince, but the Patriots are likely right about how much teams value you at right now.

I love big Vince and really want him back but everyone knew there was no chance he was going to play out 2014 with an $11mil cap hit. If he chooses not to restructure, which is well within his rights, I would release him but try to do it in a civil manner. If we can keep a friendly relationship (unlikely) with him we can release him, let him go out to the open market to see what he can get and maybe have a chance to re-sign him later. Nobody is going to give him the $8mil he would have made here on his contract but just how much someone will give him is unknown.

I don't see Vince getting a big deal on the market if/when he is released. We have already seen teams quickly move on from ageing players and add in the achilles injury I don't think he will get a lot of interest, not until he proves his health. I think there is a legitimate chance he decides retirement is the best option for himself. Unless he gets a decent chunk of money I don't think continuing on makes too much sense for such a big guy in his 30's coming off an injury. He may still feel like he has something to prove or want one final chance at a ring, but I just hope he doesn't risk his long term health.

Whatever happens I am and will always be a Vince Wilfork fan and am very grateful for everything he has given this organisation. (*I retain the right to change my mind if he signs with the Jets )

NormZauchin said:

If you want to be a bleeding heart, there are about 4 billion people on this planet who are more deserving of your sympathies than an athlete who has made more than 32 million dollars.

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True...and I am sure many of those people have received my sympathies and will continue to do so.
I was simply responding to a poster who (to paraphrase) felt an athlete like Wilfork has made enough to "not starve" so he should not make money a priority.
I felt the opposite. To me, Vince Wilfork has solidified his legacy (Pats HofF) as a top level D-lineman. Perhaps he wants to secure the future of his kids and possibly their kids. I don't fault a guy for that. Perhaps they aspire a better future than just 3 meals a day and "not starving?"

randomk1 said:

No that's not my position. I can understand guys looking for money. I just think Vince's expectations are unrealistic. Nobody is going to pay him that much. He's been here forever, why not take a cut and finish his career here where he has had so much success. Why end up in some ****hole for a little bit more?

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I don't disagree with that statement...and hope he sees it (eventually) the same way you do. Based on some of the contract, I wonder if someone pays him a ton on a short term deal and then cuts him 2 years into it and as some other posters have alluded, maybe VW returns to NE in few years. Regardless, thanks for straighten out your original comment.

Look at it from Wilforks perspective.

He and the Pats made an agreement on how much Wilfork would earn for his dedication and services. Now, the Pats want to change the terms of the agreement. I dont begrudge Wilfork making as much money as he can because only a select few people on this earth can do his job.

I can see the Pats wanting a price break and I can see Wilfork wanting what is owed to him.

Triumph said:

Look at it from Wilforks perspective.

He and the Pats made an agreement on how much Wilfork would earn for his dedication and services. Now, the Pats want to change the terms of the agreement. I dont begrudge Wilfork making as much money as he can because only a select few people on this earth can do his job.

I can see the Pats wanting a price break and I can see Wilfork wanting what is owed to him.

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That isn't how the contract works. It's structured so they can waive him at any time. He knew that going in. Which is the reason for the huge signing bonus. You can't compare it to a contract in private industry...If you can than Wilfork should take them to court. It's the structure the union agreed to.

Wilfork has every right to refuse a pay cut and if so the pats should release him ASAP so he can maximize his earnings on the open market. You could argue the pats should have raised this point with him weeks ago so he'd be a free agent at the start of this week.

BradyFTW! said:

I don't see any point in making it personal or assigning blame. Wilfork has done nothing wrong here. He signed a deal, he's willing to play that deal out, and he's not willing to make concessions on a deal that he had to play at an elite level and be underpaid for 6 years to get. Can you blame him for that?

Likewise, the Pats are pretty sure that his play this year won't be worth his $7.5M base salary, so they'd rather cut him than keep him at his current deal. They're almost certainly correct in their evaluation of what he'll bring to the table.

It's a crap situation, because I think everyone involved would have preferred that Wilfork remain healthy and playing at a level that would justify his salary this year, but that's not how it worked out. As it is, both Wilfork and the Pats are coming from defensible positions. Neither one of them is wrong. The Pats know he won't be worth his contract, and whatever they offered him in an extension is probably less than he believes he can get on the open market (and I'd bet that he's right). It is what it is.

And no, I don't for a second believe that this has anything to do with the Revis contract. The writing has been on the wall for months, and a ton of us here called something like this happening months ago.

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This is where the business end of the NFL really sucks sometimes. I can understand where both sides are coming from and, in the end, I empathize a lot with Wilfork. His initial deal when he came into the league was awful and he played it out without any complaints. That said, he's on the wrong side of 30, well over 300 pounds, didn't look good before the Achilles injury, and popped his Achilles officially (I say that because I think he was playing injured at the beginning of the season) in Atlanta. Guys that large have a hard time coming back and playing like their old self with an injury like that. Take all that and couple it with the fact that his total cap hit is north of $11M and you have this situation. Wilfork is a business man. He had to have seen the writing on the wall with this one, as most of us did. That said, if he's asking to be cut, the team should cut him and let him move on elsewhere while they use the savings to keep improving the defense and one or two of the four biggest need positions on offense.

Wilfork#75 said:

I love big Vince and really want him back but everyone knew there was no chance he was going to play out 2014 with an $11mil cap hit. If he chooses not to restructure, which is well within his rights, I would release him but try to do it in a civil manner. If we can keep a friendly relationship (unlikely) with him we can release him, let him go out to the open market to see what he can get and maybe have a chance to re-sign him later. Nobody is going to give him the $8mil he would have made here on his contract but just how much someone will give him is unknown.

I don't see Vince getting a big deal on the market if/when he is released. We have already seen teams quickly move on from ageing players and add in the achilles injury I don't think he will get a lot of interest, not until he proves his health. I think there is a legitimate chance he decides retirement is the best option for himself. Unless he gets a decent chunk of money I don't think continuing on makes too much sense for such a big guy in his 30's coming off an injury. He may still feel like he has something to prove or want one final chance at a ring, but I just hope he doesn't risk his long term health.

Whatever happens I am and will always be a Vince Wilfork fan and am very grateful for everything he has given this organisation. (*I retain the right to change my mind if he signs with the Jets )

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You would have to change your name too. May I suggest: ContradictioM?

PittPatriot said:

I don't disagree with that statement...and hope he sees it (eventually) the same way you do. Based on some of the contract, I wonder if someone pays him a ton on a short term deal and then cuts him 2 years into it and as some other posters have alluded, maybe VW returns to NE in few years. Regardless, thanks for straighten out your original comment.

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I doubt anyone would pay a soon to be 33 years old, 350× pound run stuffing dt coming off a torn achilles big money short term. They'd do what the Pats probably want to do. Low money high incentives. He has to prove he can still play.

Triumph said:

Look at it from Wilforks perspective.

He and the Pats made an agreement on how much Wilfork would earn for his dedication and services. Now, the Pats want to change the terms of the agreement. I dont begrudge Wilfork making as much money as he can because only a select few people on this earth can do his job.

I can see the Pats wanting a price break and I can see Wilfork wanting what is owed to him.

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This is the name of the game and Wilfork knows it. If he wants to be released and try to make more elsewhere, I understand that and I can't blame him for wanting to get as much money as he can.

for some reason I have found myself agreeing with Felger/Mazz the past few days :bricks:

But, Wilfork is NOT getting $7.5 million on the open market. this is about Pride. this is how it works in the NFL you aren't paid based on past performance. you are paid based on what you are projected to do in the future.

and Wilfork is a 350 DT on the wrong side of 30 coming off an achilles injury with no proof he will even return to the player he was prior to that injury. AND he has already recouped 32million$ on his contract. that is more than most NFL players recoup on their contracts.

Wilfork needs to suck it up and take a paycut or he will be cut. Becuase if you sink 11.5million$ of your cap in an injured DT. it's not good use of the money. especially if vince comes back and looks poor.