Early projection of the Patriots 2015 adjusted cap number

Ivan said:

I expect them to get the deals done with their guys and redo Mayo and Wilfork, but they won't be players in free agency, choosing to keep their guys instead.

I also expect Ridley back.

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If I'm Ridley, I'm running away from the Pats. We have Blount, Vereen and Gray. He can be a 1000yd back on another team.

RI Patriots fan said:

Wilfork has been decent this year...not spectacular. In no way, shape or form is a 34 year old Wilfork worth over $7m next year.
If you can, show me all the 34 year old NT/DTs in the NFL that are making $7M per year.

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Probably as many as there are HOF caliber NTs,

Ivan said:

Probably as many as there are HOF caliber NTs,

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Ok, so you can't name a single player. Not a surprise.
Also, what a player did in their career years ago means nothing when they eventually turn 34 years old.

Ivan said:

Cutting Wilfork to save money is crazy. Wilfork has basically returned to form and is one of the most important players on the team. If anything I would rework and extend his deal to lessen the cap hit while making sure he ends his career a Patriot. He has answered the questions about the achilles and can be a vital player for them for a few more seasons IMO.

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I've got to disagree here. He doesn't get very good push on the pocket most of the time. Something he did in his prime. He also gets pushed quite a bit and gets his body turned away from the play more than he did in his prime. He is good. But for $7.2M I want more than good from what is now mostly a run stopping NT.

It would make it easier for most of us if you all would call a pay cut what it is a "pay cut".

Also, for me, the focus is NOT on the cap hit. IMHO, each year a team makes decisions based on new money to be paid to the player. It is easier to understand transactions like that of Mankins if we focus on new money. Bonus monies are gone, sunk costs.
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We expect Brady to restructure; that is, move 2015 salary to a bonus, saving $4M of 2015 cap money. There is no cost to Brady of such a move. His cash flow is a bit better. The 2015 compensation is th same. A restructure is a cap accounting move, moving cap money from the current year to future years.

We expect Amendola to take a pay cut or leave. That is a different situation than a restructure.

That being said, there are folks who want Wilfork and Mayo to take pay cuts. The situations are very different.

Wilfork just signed a new contract and is performing as well or better than expected. There is no reason for Wilfork to take a pay cut, although a restructure is possible.

Mayo is approaching the high priced out-years of a seven year contract. He has also been injured severely two years in a row. I would expect that Mayo would be expected to sign a contract with a compensation
reduction over the next three years. However, I would expect him to have an opportunity to earn the same as the old contract in 2015, including signing bonus and game incentives. His 2016 and 2017 salaries would be lower than under the current contract.
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BOTTOM LINE
I expect Brady to restructure, and perhaps Wilfork.

I expect Mayo to take a pay cut over the 3 years of a new contract.

I expect Amendola to be a free agent. If he stays, the new contract will be significantly lower than his current one.

I expect Arrington to restructure and possibly extend his contract.

All five players are currently part of the 2015 cap calculations. I would expect a cap savings for each of these players in 2015, compared to current numbers. I expect all but Amendola to be back for the 2015 season.

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY
We also might have the opportunity to sign a new contract with Solder, saving a considerable amount over his one year salary of over $7M.

I don't think a restructure on Bradys contract is as clear as you expect @mgteich. We might not want to raise his cap hit in the future years. It's nice to have more cap space now. But I don't really see the huge need for that cap space and we will need cap space in a few years too, especially when Jones and Hightower are to be resigned.

The people talking about letting Wilfork go are the same ones who would have done so last off-season, and it would have cost them the season had they done so.

Ivan said:

The people talking about letting Wilfork go are the same ones who would have done so last off-season, and it would have cost them the season had they done so.

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The season.....LMAO. Which Wilfork are you watching.....the one from this season (where he's been largely average) or did you just get finished watching highlights from the 2007 season?

Again, I will ask two questions.....how many 34 year old NTs are making $7m a year in the NFL right now.....and.....show me the last time the Patriots have overpaid an aging veteran.

RI Patriots fan said:

The season.....LMAO. Which Wilfork are you watching.....the one from this season (where he's been largely average) or did you just get finished watching highlights from the 2007 season?

Again, I will ask two questions.....how many 34 year old NTs are making $7m a year in the NFL right now.....and.....show me the last time the Patriots have overpaid an aging veteran.

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Without Wilfork this DL would been torched, he has kept them stable and allowed them to run their sub packages. He is easily worth the money, but feel free to keep knocking him even though he's one of the best players they have ever had.

RI Patriots fan said:

The season.....LMAO. Which Wilfork are you watching.....the one from this season (where he's been largely average) or did you just get finished watching highlights from the 2007 season?

Again, I will ask two questions.....how many 34 year old NTs are making $7m a year in the NFL right now.....and.....show me the last time the Patriots have overpaid an aging veteran.

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Belichick apparently believes he is playing really well because he is meeting all his incentives, but w what does he know, he's not a make believe GM.

Ivan said:

Without Wilfork this DL would been torched, he has kept them stable and allowed them to run their sub packages. here easily worth the money, but feel free to keep knocking him even though he's one of the best players they have ever had.

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Well if you say so...who can argue with that? BTW, read the thread I am posting soon on who really made a difference last night on the DL. Oh, and thanks for answering both my questions by not answering both of my questions.

Are you one of those guys who screamed bloody murder after we traded away the aging and overpaid Mankins? How's that trade working for us so far?

Ivan said:

Belichick apparently believes he is playing really well because he is meeting all his incentives, but w what does he know, he's not a make believe GM.

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We're not talking about this season. We are talking about next season where Wilfork will be another year older and have a totally different compensation plan.

RI Patriots fan said:

Well if you say so...who can argue with that? BTW, read the thread I am posting soon on who really made a difference last night on the DL. Oh, and thanks for answering both my questions by not answering both of my questions.

Are you one of those guys who screamed bloody murder after we traded away the aging and overpaid Mankins? How's that trade working for us so far?

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Argue with Belichick. He is the one playing him despite your objections.

I supported the Mankind trade because it made sense, you don't.

RI Patriots fan said:

We're not talking about this season. We are talking about next season where Wilfork will be another year older and have a totally different compensation plan.

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And you are just as wrong as you were last off-season

Ivan said:

And you are just as wrong as you were last off-season

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I was right last season because they reworked his deal. And again, thanks for answering my questions by not answering my questions.

RI Patriots fan said:

I was right last season because they reworked his deal. And again, thanks for answering my questions by not answering my questions.

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Everyone agreed they should rework his deal, you wanted to get rid of him. I'm done with this. I have no interest in make believe GM nonsense.

And by the way. I am seeing the same Wilfork Belichick is. that's why he's on the field so much.

Ivan said:

Everyone agreed they should rework his deal, you wanted to get rid of him. I'm done with this. I have no interest in make believe GM nonsense.

And by the way. I am seeing the same Wilfork Belichick is. that's why he's on the field so much.

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If you have no interest in playing "make believe GM" then why "contribute" to this thread? You know what....don't answer that question either. At least you'll be consistent.

If Brandon Lafell has incentives in his contract, he is very likely to have earned them since he has reached career highs for receptions, yards, and TDs. If this is true, then the 2015 Patriots adjusted cap number will be lower than I have projected. Jonathan Kraft
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-england...61/jonathan-kraft-on-salary-cap-revs-cup-loss
mentioned that Lafell earned some incentives.

Correction to prior tweet - Jonathan Kraft mentions Brandon but does not say Lafell but it could be referring to Brandon Browner.

Ivan said:

The people talking about letting Wilfork go are the same ones who would have done so last off-season, and it would have cost them the season had they done so.

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Personally, I was one of the more vocal people talking about moving on from Wilfork last season, because I questioned his ability to come back from his injury. He's done much more than I expected, and I can't really see the team moving on before 2016 at this point. At his age, it's a year-by-year proposition, but unless something happens between now and March I don't see it.