Wilfork or Mayo - Who isn't a Patriot next year?

mgteich said:

I don't understand why folks don't understand that Mayo is a huge upgrade over Ayers, and will give us one of the very best set of linebackers in the NFL. And yes, the presence of Mayo will also help the play of the defensive line..

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As a 3 down player in TN early in his career, Ayers did some good things. He also did some good things here. I view he and Mayo as different players and Mayo a superior one.

mgteich said:

We worry about the HUGE decline of our run defense if Wilfork is gone. I'm not so sure at all. Siliga, Branch, Jones, Easley and a 1st or 2nd round draft choice is a pretty good DL, especially with Mayo, Collins and Hightower as linebackers. Personally, I would like Wilfork to play for another year, but he isn't worth anywhere near $8.5M.

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Agree completely. Having Mayo makes the base defense BETTER. Just imagine the exotic things they can do with Collins, HT, Jones, Nink...it would be 2003/2004 all over again.

There is still a place for VW on this team but its not like the 2013 season when he got hurt the run D went to hell. With Mayo and the players you call out, they'll be fine.

I have no doubt they are drafting a DT. They need more of a push up the middle.

"According to the Denver Post, the Raiders "are expected to pursue" free agent NT Terrance Knighton.
The Post floats five years and $30 million as a potential price tag for Knighton, who is one of the NFL's premier run stuffers. Knighton will be 29 before the 2015 season."


http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nfl/306893/raiders-expected-to-pursue-terrance-knighton


If Knighton, at 29 years old, is worth only $6 a year over 5 years....what is a 34 year old Wilfork worth over 1-2 years? Certainly not $8.5M.....I'm thinking $3-4M tops and probably closer to $3M.

To state the obvious, the patriots should be interested in Knighton for 5/$30M.

Both will be back.

Don't be so quick to run Mayo out of town. He was having an excellent year before the injury. We need quality depth. What if Hightower or Collins goes down next year?

Sounds like Mayo will stay. He was basically a defensive assistant coach from the looks of it when he wasn't playing. Won't blame Vince if he doesn't want to take a paycut. He played at a high level for numerous seasons under his rookie deal. If he wants to leave I thank him for helping us win two rings and say good luck to you. Wilfork is a Pats hall of famer no doubt no matter what happens.

RI Patriots fan said:

"According to the Denver Post, the Raiders "are expected to pursue" free agent NT Terrance Knighton.
The Post floats five years and $30 million as a potential price tag for Knighton, who is one of the NFL's premier run stuffers. Knighton will be 29 before the 2015 season."

http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nfl/306893/raiders-expected-to-pursue-terrance-knighton

If Knighton, at 29 years old, is worth only $6 a year over 5 years....what is a 34 year old Wilfork worth over 1-2 years? Certainly not $8.5M.....I'm thinking $3-4M tops and probably closer to $3M.

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I don't know the guy but if he's quality and this is accurate, I'd sign him and cut Wilfy.
Pats would have a few million extra to allocate to Revis, McCourty...

And it's not what Wilfork is worth, it's what he'll accept which I believe is $8.5 M from the Pats.

Apologies to Bianca.

Is someone out there gonna pay wilfork 8.5 million? I have my doubts. He needs to keep an open mind and not be stubborn about this.

They should just cut him then and when no one pays him what he's scheduled to make he'll come back for peanuts.

They probably can't cut mayo until he passes a physical as 4m of his salary has an injury guarantee.

PatsWickedPissah said:

I don't know the guy but if he's quality and this is accurate, I'd sign him and cut Wilfy.
Pats would have a few million extra to allocate to Revis, McCourty...

And it's not what Wilfork is worth, it's what he'll accept which I believe is $8.5 M from the Pats.

Apologies to Bianca.

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Unfortunately, with our current cap situation, I'm not sure we can sign anyone who would require a substantial cap hit.

I think someone would over-pay Wilfork just to help get their locker room in order. Maybe a team like the Browns or Jags

FredFromDartmouth said:

Don't be so quick to run Mayo out of town. He was having an excellent year before the injury. We need quality depth. What if Hightower or Collins goes down next year?

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He suffered a pretty bad injury..who knows if he will ever be the same again

MrNathanDrake said:

I think someone would over-pay Wilfork just to help get their locker room in order. Maybe a team like the Browns or Jags

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Didn't the Brown sign Willie McGinnest too?
How did that turn out.

If the people on this board ran the Patriots, Willie Clay & Chris Slade would still be playing defense. Belichick knows when they are done & unlike Theo Epstien, he does not pay going forward for past performances.

#75 will be gone. He's at the spot in his career where Bill cuts guys.

Is trading either one an option? Mayo is a fit on all teams.

MrNathanDrake said:

I think someone would over-pay Wilfork just to help get their locker room in order. Maybe a team like the Browns or Jags

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I don't think a contending team like GB, SEA, NO, SF overpays him though; if he wants to be on a contender that's not the Patriots, I doubt he gets more than 2 years at 3m per or 1 year at 4m at his age.

If he wants his last 1-2 seasons to be depressing then he might get 5-6m at a crappy to average team; but he'd be a fool to reject the Patriots at 4m with a chance to win a 3rd and closeout his career in rare (single team) fashion; and take someone likes the Browns at 6m just so he can make an extra 2m that will mean nothing to him given all he's already made.

voluntarysaftey said:

If he wants his last 1-2 seasons to be depressing then he might get 5-6m at a crappy to average team; but he'd be a fool to reject the Patriots at 4m with a chance to win a 3rd and closeout his career in rare (single team) fashion; and take someone likes the Browns at 6m just so he can make an extra 2m that will mean nothing to him given all he's already made.

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Turning down a lower offer from the patriots would be more about pride than cash. It isn't an easy thing to quantify (for us, Wilfork's agent should be capable of doing it) but I would bet that the Endorsement opportunities and appearance fees he would get here in New England both during the contract and after retirement could easily make up the 1-2 million a year difference in salary. Playing out a 2 year contract here and retiring with another ring would cement him in with the Patriots legends. He could make a second career out of used car commercials.

RI Patriots fan said:

Unfortunately, with our current cap situation, I'm not sure we can sign anyone who would require a substantial cap hit.

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Uh, that suggestion would be a cap SAVINGS

PatsWickedPissah said:

Uh, that suggestion would be a cap SAVINGS

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I understand that cutting Wilfork would be a cap savings. I'm saying that even with the cap savings from cutting Wilfork, there are few opportunities to sign anyone with a high cap hit if we want to resign our own free agents.