NFL Free Agency Thread

We got the FA fireworks we wanted! Just not on the same Tuesday as most other teams

The big things to be sorted out are Amendola and Cannon. I want to see what happens with both.

Those hoping for a couple WRs need to think about it a little. We can all agree in the NFL teams keep most often 6 WRs. We have..

1. Edelman
2. Hogan
3. Amendola
4. TBD*
5. Keyshawn Martin/Chris Harper
6. Matthew Slater

We don't have room for a couple. We have room for 1 MAYBE. Depends how much Belichick and company value Martin and Harper. I mean Harper can probably be stashed on the practice squad for another year but they signed Martin to a 2 year extension.

Don't forget Gronk, Lewis and the TE2 they sign eventually. The targets are limited and if the WR doesn't play STs his chances might be fewer.

I would be ok if we sign Washington and ok if we don't (I'd rather a LB honestly) either way if we do sign a FA they would have to be ok with being a role player with limited opportunities because they would likely be the 5th or 6th option.

BobDigital said:

We got the FA fireworks we wanted! Just not on the same Tuesday as most other teams

The big things to be sorted out are Amendola and Cannon. I want to see what happens with both.

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Cannon should take a sig pay cut and

Martellus Bennett + Blount + trade up for a legitimate tackle prospect (also cutting Cannon) then draft depth at RB, DT, LB and BOOM.

Why shoot for depth?
I want gems floor should be depth.

Gut tells me Cannon and Amendola restructures are coming in the next couple of weeks. There was really no rush because they didn't have any roster bonuses or options due which will free up at least another $5-$6m that they'll be able to use on extensions.

patsinthesnow said:

Martellus Bennett + Blount + trade up for a legitimate tackle prospect (also cutting Cannon) then draft depth at RB, DT, LB and BOOM.

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Bennett would be nice, for sure, some of the talk on the 670 station out of Chicago suggests that even though Coach Fox doesn't consider him a fit for whatever reason they're not willing to give him up for nothing. They re-signed their other two TEs this week but Bennett is a damn good player and if they were going to give him away for cents on the dollar I think it would have happened already. He's good enough to start almost anywhere so having him as the 2nd TE playing for what would likely be he last big contract would be awesome. Prob not a long-term solution, but likely a really excellent 2016 one.

Looks like Bennet is due $5m this season which is roughly the same as what Gronk is getting. I cant see that working for the Pats.

As for RB, im not sold on Blount. Id prefer to take a risk on Foster if he was willing to do a 1 year prove it deal or someone like Alfred Morris.

When you look at Ayers, Casilias, Hicks, Revis and many more. Im shocked more agents dont tell their players that if you are going to take a 1 year deal it should be with the Patriots.

breakin said:

As for RB, im not sold on Blount. Id prefer to take a risk on Foster if he was willing to do a 1 year prove it deal or someone like Alfred Morris.

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Alfred Morris has had fumbling problems and his inability to catch the ball out of the backfield is well documented.

Highly doubt the Pats sign him. Would be very surprised.

When it comes to RB, it looks like either Blount returns or Starks is signed. Maybe Foster is given a low risk/reward deal as well.

breakin said:

Looks like Bennet is due $5m this season which is roughly the same as what Gronk is getting. I cant see that working for the Pats.

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The Boston writers have been pounding the story on Gronk and Edelman's compensation, but while I admit it may not be a total non-issue, I'd be shocked if they would straight-up pass on a position they need to fill - not just as TE2, but as a backup starter because certainly having Bennett instead of Chandler/Hooman/etc if Gronk does miss a game or two is a pretty major upgrade - because the player in question might not make enough less (and it is less) than the starter at that position.

That being said, I do have my doubts in general about the 2nd TE being that big of a deal. If Chandler had caught every ball thrown to him this year it might have flipped HFA for the AFCCG, and that's big. But that was still in the Pats control even after the reg season Denver game. I think it's important to have someone competent in case of injury just like it's important to have a backup QB for the same reason. But much as we talk about it in passing Hernandez was a pretty unique talent, and if a similar player had been available to put on the field, BB would have done so. Bennett isn't that, he's more like Gronk-lite, so while I would love to see him on the team I don't think any good TE signing means we're back to the '11/'12 offense. Hernandez was the swiss-army knife that they could line up at TE, WR, FB, or HB and call plays for him and get results. That's a rare thing and even the whole "2 TE" offense was somewhat of a lie because of how much they could move Gronk and Hernandez around. TE was a roster designation that identified the two best skill position players on the Patriots for a couple years, not an offensive gameplan in and of itself.

But anyway, I think Bennett is a better player than any of the FA WRs left, so because of that he makes sense if they're considering that type of move.

What will they do with all this free space? ($17.8 million - potentially 20m w/ some restructures)

There's not many players out there worthy of filling that up and obviously they won't just spend for the sake of it. Maybe a few cheaper signings here or there + the draft picks - and it comes down to $10m at the least.

So would that carry over into the 2017 cap?

edit: Just found out it would. Browns and Titans carried over $20m this year.

Deus Irae said:

You've got to dial it down a notch, Captain. Holmes has had one mediocre season and 3 completely forgettable seasons. He's also 27 years old, which is not particularly young. When you're at a point where you're whining about him not getting signed, you're at a point where you're just tossing out every freakin' name that hits the internet, and your takes become completely useless.

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I haven't been tossing out every name that hits the internet. Andre Holmes was part of my 2nd/3rd level of UFA WRs; once those at my top level (Marvin Jones, Rishard Matthews, Jermaine Kearse) were no longer available, then I began to focus on more under-30 but less expensive possibilities such as Holmes, Rod Streater, Chris Givens & Leonard Hankerson. I had assumed that Hogan would be re-signed by Buffalo, so I hadn't given him as much consideration; and Nate Washington was grouped with the over-30s such as Anquan Boldin, James Jones & Marques Colston all of whom I still liked, at the right terms, provided that at least one or two of the younger ones above were signed.

I consider my approach more Next Man Up than Tossing Out Names.

TBR said:

What will they do with all this free space? ($17.8 million - potentially 20m w/ some restructures)

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Front-loading a contract for Collins or Butler would make sense. Or giving Jules or Gronk a raise since the local writers are telling them both to hold out lol. But really, if there isn't anybody worth paying out there, pay Jamie Collins instead.

Todd Bradley said:

Alfred Morris has had fumbling problems and his inability to catch the ball out of the backfield is well documented.

Highly doubt the Pats sign him. Would be very surprised.

When it comes to RB, it looks like either Blount returns or Starks is signed. Maybe Foster is given a low risk/reward deal as well.

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I think it all comes down to what kind of deal he'd be looking for.

His fumbling issues were pretty much in his first 2 seasons though. His past 2 years have seen totals of 2 and 0, so he seems to have addressed that issue on some level.

If the price is right, there's no reason to believe that he couldn't be a 1-2 year addition to the RBBC approach, although I'd still like to see a RB taken in the draft no matter who is brought in.

Brady&Springsteen FTW said:

Dude honestly you are literally the king of disagreements and arguments. Whenever I see the red dislike "X" under someone's post, I don't even really have to click ''List" to see who made the rating.

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No, actually, I'm not. Nice lies there. Do everyone a favor and go back to whatever rock you crawled out from under..

OH. And one other thing. IF I use the disagree button, I put a post as to why. But yeah, keep up your BS..

Brady&Springsteen FTW said:

Dude honestly you are literally the king of disagreements and arguments. Whenever I see the red dislike "X" under someone's post, I don't even really have to click ''List" to see who made the rating.

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This might be the truest comment I've ever seen on this website

DaBruinz said:

No, actually, I'm not. Nice lies there. Do everyone a favor and go back to whatever rock you crawled out from under..

OH. And one other thing. IF I use the disagree button, I put a post as to why. But yeah, keep up your BS..

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But see that's just thing, with how often you disagree with people, I'm not entirely sure that everyone would agree with you that I should go back under my rock.

Plus, the disagree button is overrated; passive aggressively clicking the "Funny" button when you disagree with someone and not explaining why, is where it's at.

Also, I never said that you didn't explain your disagreements, but it's fine.

I'm gonna go back under my rock and retreat for the night. You can join me if you'd like, but it's absolutely terrible; my black Ramones t-shirt, that literally every single human being seems to own is absolutely ruined from insects to soil, etc. Just call me in advance so I can tidy the place up; I'd feel really embarrassed if someone came to my rock and saw my mess.

Tom meets Kaepernick said:

This might be the truest comment I've ever seen on this website

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I know someone that's gonna come to my rock. See DaBruinz, I wouldn't be doing him a favor.

Todd Bradley said:

Alfred Morris has had fumbling problems and his inability to catch the ball out of the backfield is well documented.

Highly doubt the Pats sign him. Would be very surprised.

When it comes to RB, it looks like either Blount returns or Starks is signed. Maybe Foster is given a low risk/reward deal as well.

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You could say the same about blount. In his 2+ seasons with the pats he has like 16 targets while morris usually tops that a season. Also of morris has improved on the fumbles going from 5 to 2 to 0 over the last 3 seasons. I honestly think he is a much better fit than blount.

breakin said:

You could say the same about blount. In his 2+ seasons with the pats he has like 16 targets while morris usually tops that a season. Also of morris has improved on the fumbles going from 5 to 2 to 0 over the last 3 seasons. I honestly think he is a much better fit than blount.

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I tend to agree with you, but opinions on Blount are widely varied around here. Some are happy with his production, while others aren't.

In the end, I'd be fine with either guy here--or even a combo of Blount + (reasonable vet signing). Of course, if that happened, it may be unlikely that we'd be taking a RB in the draft, as well.