Pats and Wilfork close to a deal for an extension?

signbabybrady said:

I think you have seen this 100 times over the last week/months.

Anyone who has said he should be cut instead of letting this play out to see if the Patriots and Vince can agree to something.

Click to expand...

Speculating that he likely won't be worth a $7.5M base salary is miles away from calling him useless.

To be clear, do you believe that we would make any different decisions in the next two weeks (or the last week) if we had $7M more cap room available?

We need to understand that waiting is a choice, a choice with consequences.

So, sure, we can wait until the evidence is in, sometime in August. Is that what you are suggesting? $7.5M is a lot of cap room to sit on.

mayoclinic said:

All of this is ridiculous until there is actual evidence that Wilfork can play at a meaningful level. I would presume nothing, and do nothing at this point.

Click to expand...

mgteich said:

To be clear, do you believe that we would make any different decisions in the next two weeks (or the last week) if we had $7M more cap room available?

We need to understand that waiting is a choice, a choice with consequences.

So, sure, we can wait until the evidence is in, sometime in August. Is that what you are suggesting? $7.5M is a lot of cap room to sit on.

Click to expand...

If you don't need the cap space (or can make do without it) you wait. If you absolutely need the cap space, you cut Wilfork. It's simple. Don't make it complicated.

What you don't do under ANY circumstances is give Wilfork any new money until you have clear evidence that he will be able to perform at a reasonable level.

mayoclinic said:

If you don't need the cap space (or can make do without it) you wait. If you absolutely need the cap space, you cut Wilfork. It's simple. Don't make it complicated.

What you don't do under ANY circumstances is give Wilfork any new money until you have clear evidence that he will be able to perform at a reasonable level.

Click to expand...

Cutting the man who's been your best defensive player since at least '09, when he might still be able to play, is every bit as complicated as what you suggest mgteich's idea to be.

The amount of people ignoring that in the quest for a few dollars that could be spent on whatever stiffs are hanging around is telling, I think.

there is no one left on the market so cutting wilfork to save 7 million for a bunch of JAG's would not be the best move, the pats will drag it out until every team has filled there holes that way if they have no choice but to cut him he will see there is not a market for him and maybe he will sign back with the pats

If this is true I would be very happy. Vince is a Patriot and defines the Patriot Way.
Even if he isn't the same player, he is a great leader and role to the young guys and it isn't totally done imo he is a good plug still imo.

He will never be back to the old Vince but still can be very good

Deus Irae said:

Cutting the man who's been your best defensive player since at least '09, when he might still be able to play, is every bit as complicated as what you suggest mgteich's idea to be.

The amount of people ignoring that in the quest for a few dollars that could be spent on whatever stiffs are hanging around is telling, I think.

Click to expand...

Obviously, which is why the Pats appear to be sitting tight for now. I used the term 'if you absolutely need the cap space'. I think it would have been one thing to cut Wilfork before FA started in order to make a move on someone like Lamarr Houston or Linval Joseph, but to do it now is probably not necessary. So you sit tight. But again, I would NOT under ANY circumstances give Wilfork more money without knowing to what degree he will be able to come back effectively.

patsfan-1982 said:

there is no one left on the market so cutting wilfork to save 7 million for a bunch of JAG's would not be the best move, the pats will drag it out until every team has filled there holes that way if they have no choice but to cut him he will see there is not a market for him and maybe he will sign back with the pats

Click to expand...

You do not consider Alex Mack to be a good addition to the OL that currently has no starter at center......or is he just a JAG.....Chose between Wilforks question marks.....or Alex Mack as a shore starter at C for the next 4-6 years...I lean towards Mack as a shore thing.....

part-timer said:

You do not consider Alex Mack to be a good addition to the OL that currently has no starter at center......or is he just a JAG.....Chose between Wilforks question marks.....or Alex Mack as a shore starter at C for the next 4-6 years...I lean towards Mack as a shore thing.....

Click to expand...

Obviously Bill Belichick disagrees.

PatsGuy said:

Volin mentioned in a prior piece that Wilfork's overall play in the three games prior to the injury was simply not good. Whether the heel (pre-injury) contributed to it who knows. It was obvious however that he was not at all "stout" Going forward, I'd be concerned.

Click to expand...

I suspect Wilfork was hurt before the regular season began, but gave it a go anyway.

part-timer said:

You do not consider Alex Mack to be a good addition to the OL that currently has no starter at center......or is he just a JAG.....Chose between Wilforks question marks.....or Alex Mack as a shore starter at C for the next 4-6 years...I lean towards Mack as a shore thing.....

Click to expand...

The Browns tagged Mack. We'd have to give Mack a contract the Browns wouldn't match. IOW we'd have to overpay Mack like crazy just to have a shot of the Browns not matching. Ain't gonna happen.

BB doesn't break the bank for interior OL from other teams. Even Mankins was an aberration. And frankly, to me, giving Mankins that contract a few years ago isn't looking like the best idea in retrospect.

ATippett56 said:

Obviously Bill Belichick disagrees.

Click to expand...

No one knows how BB thinks......don't you know that by now.......

But we do know that he is not satisfied with the VW situation...

hwc said:

Assuming his achilles has healed, then Wilfork could be worth keeping for two or three more seasons. Probably not as the every down player he has been, but as a rotational player. Bring him in on the run down package. Obviously, you don't want to be paying $8 million a year for that, but when you factor in his veteral leadership, there is some price that makes him an attractive role player going forward.

You don't want any D-linemen playing all the snaps. You would sacrifice ultimate talent just to keep rotating fresh legs into the game. Certainly, Vince Wilfork, even as an older player, offers more in that capacity than a JAG.

Click to expand...

FreeTedWilliams said:

I can only hope they bring Vince back. He is a special player, he has taken over games, AS A NOSE TACKLE! He got hurt in week 5, so I'm assUming that he is healed by now. The only thing that remains to be seen is what kind of shape he is in. With an achilles, you basically can't do much during your rehab.

The guy stuck around all last season to help out his younger less experienced teamates, you can't just dump a guy after doing that. LEt Vince play a couple more years and then take over a d line coach.

I can always wera my #54 Bruschi jeresey and I I never want to have to retire my #75 jersey either! Vince needs to be a Pat for life. SO make it happen!

Click to expand...

The voices of reason.

part-timer said:

No one knows how BB thinks......don't you know that by now.......

But we do know that he is not satisfied with the VW situation...

Click to expand...

Not only have the New England Patriots not placed an offer sheet for Alex Mack, the New England Patriots have not invited Alex Mack for a visit.

Not sure what anyone's surprised about a lack of interest in Mack at that kind of money.

We're already paying Mankins, Vollmer, and have Solder on deck for big payouts. On top of that, Connelly is seriously overpaid as well. You can only allocate so much money for one position, and a guy like Mack is obviously going to command a ton of it.

Peachhead said:

The Browns tagged Mack. We'd have to give Mack a contract the Browns wouldn't match. IOW we'd have to overpay Mack like crazy just to have a shot of the Browns not matching. Ain't gonna happen.

BB doesn't break the bank for interior OL from other teams. Even Mankins was an aberration. And frankly, to me, giving Mankins that contract a few years ago isn't looking like the best idea in retrospect.

Click to expand...

My point to the poster I replied to was that there are still excellent options out there....Not just JAGs....

As to your point starting center is the worst need....We got killed on the A gap last year with Wendell and Connolly.....Making an offer is just good business....But the timing is not right yet.....1 Mack has not signed the transition tag.....2 The tag may still be withdrawn......and 3 he may still be a FA if the team withdraws the Tag and releases him rather than pay the 10 mill....These are details that we are not privy to and will take some time to play out...

Think about it..... no starting center....not one center brought in for a try out(and there have been a few good ones in FA)....Something must be brewing....

part-timer said:

My point to the poster I replied to was that there are still excellent options out there....Not just JAGs....

As to your point starting center is the worst need....We got killed on the A gap last year with Wendell and Connolly.....Making an offer is just good business....But the timing is not right yet.....1 Mack has not signed the transition tag.....2 The tag may still be withdrawn......and 3 he may still be a FA if the team withdraws the Tag and releases him rather than pay the 10 mill....These are details that we are not privy to and will take some time to play out...

Think about it..... no starting center....not one center brought in for a try out(and there have been a few good ones in FA)....Something must be brewing....

Click to expand...

Why not move Connolly back to Center and spend\draft a guard?

All22PatsFan said:

Why not move Connolly back to Center and spend\draft a guard?

Click to expand...

He is over priced and lacking in talent....He is and always was a back up...
No one can see that Connolly and Wendell were the problem with the offence...

part-timer said:

He is over priced and lacking in talent....He is and always was a back up...
No one can see that Connolly and Wendell were the problem with the offence...

Click to expand...

He was paid to play Center, injuries forced him to play Guard. When he played Center he was more than starting caliber. I'm just saying I would rather spend on a guard than a Center. Guards offer way more an pass-pro.

Triumph said:

The voices of reason.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, we don't know if Wilfork is open to reason, i.e. transitioning to fewer reps as a role player in order to extend his career and being paid like a role player.

Ike Taylor said that he looked at being asked to take a pay cut as a positive: at least it meant that the Steelers still wanted him on the team. If they didn't, they'd just cut him.