Defense Signed Through 2016 (except for corners)

Hightower, Collins and Jones are signed through 2016.

Bostic and Freeny are on board to play base LB.

Of course, we rented some corners for the year.

No significant resources are needed to sign 2016 free agents.

The issues being worked will be possible new contracts for Hightower, Collins, Jones and/or Mayo.

2016 FREE AGENTS
Wilson
Ebner
Brown
B. Fletcher
Coleman (ERFA, so no issue)
Mayo (essentially a UFA since we are very unlikely to pick up his roster bonus)
D Fletcher (IR)
Siliga
Hicks
Johnson (ERFA, so no issue)

mgteich said:

Hightower, Collins and Jones are signed through 2016.

Bostic and Freeny are on board to play base LB.

Of course, we rented some corners for the year.

No significant resources are needed to sign 2016 free agents.

The issues being worked will be possible new contracts for Hightower, Collins, Jones and/or Mayo.

2016 FREE AGENTS
Wilson
Ebner
Brown
B. Fletcher
Coleman (ERFA, so no issue)
Mayo (essentially a UFA since we are very unlikely to pick up his roster bonus)
D Fletcher (IR)
Siliga
Hicks
Johnson (ERFA, so no issue)

Click to expand...

I believe Siliga is an RFA. Ebner could be re-signed at a modest salary to retain his special teams skills.

Guess the defense don't get a "Wow!" in the title.

BadMoFo said:

Guess the defense don't get a "Wow!" in the title.

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I gave a WOW for the offense because almost nothing needs to be done.

On defense, we need to sign a couple of corners as well deal with Mayo's bonus. In addition, the contracts of Jones, Hightower and Collins are a place where work needs to be done.

Jimke said:

I believe Siliga is an RFA. Ebner could be re-signed at a modest salary to retain his special teams skills.

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There seems to be some dispute with regard to whether Siliga is an RFA or a UFA.

mgteich said:

Hightower, Collins and Jones are signed through 2016.

Bostic and Freeny are on board to play base LB.

Of course, we rented some corners for the year.

No significant resources are needed to sign 2016 free agents.

The issues being worked will be possible new contracts for Hightower, Collins, Jones and/or Mayo.

2016 FREE AGENTS
Wilson
Ebner
Brown
B. Fletcher
Coleman (ERFA, so no issue)
Mayo (essentially a UFA since we are very unlikely to pick up his roster bonus)
D Fletcher (IR)
Siliga
Hicks
Johnson (ERFA, so no issue)

Click to expand...

Ye who intercepted da ball is signed thru 2016 and is a RFA in 2017.

Depending on how he does this year (which is only going to get better IMO) they may want to get him in a 3 or 4yr deal.

mgteich said:

There seems to be some dispute with regard to whether Siliga is an RFA or a UFA.

Click to expand...

According to http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/sealver-siliga/ he is a RFA in 2016.

Well Siliga appears to be a RFA so you have Brown/Easley/Siliga/Branch. Those 4 should put you in good position no matter what you do for Hicks/Thornton/whatever. It be nice to be more set here but this isn't bad.

CB is an interesting spot though. I think they will look to sign Tarell Brown back and i feel like no one is going to try to steal him away with a crazy offer. He is what he is at this point. a 30 yr old #2 CB. I feel like he can be had for 2-3M. I think he would like to finish his career here all things being equal or close to. Seemed to like being in 1 spot with SF and stayed when he could have tried to sign. After a year with the Raiders you would think he probably lost his appetite for FA.

Assuming we keep Brown the 3rd CB becomes the next biggest question. IDK if I want anyone we have. We will see how Coleman does but IDK. Ryan is proven to be meh and Fletcher seems to be worse than advertised. It would be nice if Darryl Roberts comes back and does well but I would not bet on it. It is the rare rookie that gets injured and picks up where he left off next year.

I think we should probably draft a guy high if one makes sense as well as look at some well price vets and hope we find another good short term rental.

As long as Pats can manage the cap and sign their core players, renting a CB for a year isn't the worst thing that can happen. Would love to see BB draft a CB early and have him be solid as a rookie but that isn't likely to happen.

BobDigital said:

Well Siliga appears to be a RFA so you have Branch/Easley/Siliga/Branch. Those 4 should put you in good position no matter what you do for Hicks/Thornton/whatever. It be nice to be more set here but this isn't bad.

Click to expand...

Is Malcom Brown the "whatever" ?

BlueThunder said:

As long as Pats can manage the cap and sign their core players, renting a CB for a year isn't the worst thing that can happen. Would love to see BB draft a CB early and have him be solid as a rookie but that isn't likely to happen.

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You say that renting a player a year isn't bad.

Well, this year we rented four: Brown, Fletcher, McClain, and Coleman.

For 2016, we can be sure of Butler. We will have Ryan, who many would not want as a starter.

I suspect that we will rent/acquire more than one CB. As of now, 3-4 seems like a good idea again.

The Patriots will create more cap space in 2016 by restructuring or releasing Mayo and Amendola.

Jimke said:

The Patriots will create more cap space in 2016 by restructuring or releasing Mayo and Amendola.

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or by extending Jones, or by extending Hightower

After all, Belichick creating space this year by extending Solder.

Any major 2016 cap problem is a problem in analysis.

What are the odds Mayo does not play for the Bills or Jets next season?

mgteich said:

Is Malcom Brown the "whatever" ?

Click to expand...

Meant to list Brown but listed Branch twice

Even for the free agent corners, they are guys we probably would not miss. (Maybe Brown but even then he probably wouldn't cost much at his age)