2011 Free Agency Thread

[BlueThunder]

Bill Shankly once said : "Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that." He was talking soccer, but we can all share the sentiment.

Hey...........Quit stealin my thunder

 

[Deus Irae]

Get Mankins back, content and with a lower cap hit
Sign Nicks
Sign Rice

Future "O"

Rice/Welker/Edelman
Gronk/Hernandez
Solder
Mankins
_________ (Koppen's replacement)
Nicks
Vollmer

BJGE/Woodhead/Rookie/player to be named


The offense would be all but set for the rest of Brady's contract (barring injury, of course), needing only a center and, perhaps, WR&RB depending upon development of those already on the team.


With any money left over, look for an OLB

 

[jays52]

Resigning Mankins should be priority #1 for the Pats. There's no logical reason why he shouldn't be retained and after screwing the guy regally they should pay him. After that I think it's really some minor tweaks. I don't see them going after one of the top tier receivers like Rice or Jackson, but Floyd would be a nice addition. James Jones would be a really nice add but he'll get too much money from someone. I'd love to see Ocho buy his number off Hernandez but I think the asking price from Cinci would be too high.

After that I'd look to add depth at the OL and maybe a special teams guy. Should be a pretty quiet free agency period for The Pats. Then again, they are technically "adding" Leigh Bodden, Ty Warren and Stephen Gostkowski to a team that went 14-2.

 

[Deus Irae]

Resigning Mankins should be priority #1 for the Pats. There's no logical reason why he shouldn't be retained and after screwing the guy regally they should pay him. After that I think it's really some minor tweaks. I don't see them going after one of the top tier receivers like Rice or Jackson, but Floyd would be a nice addition. James Jones would be a really nice add but he'll get too much money from someone. I'd love to see Ocho buy his number off Hernandez but I think the asking price from Cinci would be too high.

After that I'd look to add depth at the OL and maybe a special teams guy. Should be a pretty quiet free agency period for The Pats. Then again, they are technically "adding" Leigh Bodden, Ty Warren and Stephen Gostkowski to a team that went 14-2.

You've probably given it elsewhere, but what's your take on Herzlich? I didn't mention him in my post because he's a UDFA, but I'd personally like to see the team go after him.

 

[Off The Grid]

Nicks is an RFA, Deuce.

 

[BlueThunder]

if the TC roster is expanded to 90 as reported here......the Pats will have a few UDFA's on their radar I'm sure......Herzlich may be one....at least I'd hope BB gives the kid a shot...tons of heart and loves the game.....

 

[Bostonian1962]

After signing Mankins, I could see the Pats sign

WR/KR Brad Smith-Versatile
WR Donte Stallworth-Could be had cheap

RB Ricky Williams-Vet if no Faulk
RB Ronnie Brown-Vet if no Faulk

OLB Manny Lawson- Unfortunately not much of a pass rusher but has other skills
OLB Matt Roth-Experienced in the 3-4

DE Shawn Ellis

DB Richard Marshall-As a Safety
DB Jarrod Page-re-sign


Players I'd like to see:

One of:
C Ryan Kalil
C Olin Kruetz
C/G David Baas

And at least one of:

DE Haloti Ngata- I would give up 2 1st rounders for him but the Pats won't.
OLB Lamar Woodley- Won't be franchised, I'd offer good money.
DE/OLB Mathias Kiwanuka-More likely than Ngata or Woodley

You'd give up 2 first round picks for "DE Haloti Ngata". Well, he's a DT/NT, not a DE, and we have one of the best in the league at the same position in Wilfolk. Woodley WAS Franchised and signed his franchise tag in February.

 

[Ring 6]

I think there is a real opportunity here if they want to be aggressive. There is a really good chance the Patriots are more organized and ready for the coming free agency than many teams in the NFL and if they spent their time doing their homework they can outflank the competition and make moves that can put them over the top. Obviously the big names like Rice are out there and everyone wants something like that to happen but they could also make moves like they did with Vrabel where they go after guys who could be on the cusp of breaking out but aren't the top priorities for their current teams.

I realize that there MO has generally been cautious and deliberate but if they are prepared they can be aggressive and deliberate.

I think it is there choice to be cautious and deliberate. The opportunity to do something they don't wish to do may not interest them.
I think the early frenzy is going to be based on making 'don't let him leave the room' offers. Thats not BBs style. I think, as always, he will strike when the price comes in line. But, we should soon see either way.

 

[mgteich]

So, you're considering what to do with the leftover money after signing Mankins, Rice and Nicks?

OK, I'm fine with that plan.

Get Mankins back, content and with a lower cap hit
Sign Nicks
Sign Rice

Future "O"

Rice/Welker/Edelman
Gronk/Hernandez
Solder
Mankins
_________ (Koppen's replacement)
Nicks
Vollmer

BJGE/Woodhead/Rookie/player to be named


The offense would be all but set for the rest of Brady's contract (barring injury, of course), needing only a center and, perhaps, WR&RB depending upon development of those already on the team.


With any money left over, look for an OLB

 

[JackBauer]

Get Mankins back, content and with a lower cap hit
Sign Nicks
Sign Rice

Future "O"

Rice/Welker/Edelman
Gronk/Hernandez
Solder
Mankins
_________ (Koppen's replacement)
Nicks
Vollmer

BJGE/Woodhead/Rookie/player to be named


The offense would be all but set for the rest of Brady's contract (barring injury, of course), needing only a center and, perhaps, WR&RB depending upon development of those already on the team.


With any money left over, look for an OLB

Not that I'm not enamored with Nicks, but would you agree that the Patriots have designs for Cannon as a future starter at OG?

 

[Deus Irae]

So, you're considering what to do with the leftover money after signing Mankins, Rice and Nicks?

OK, I'm fine with that plan.

Well, we don't know what will be available yet, although there have been informed estimates made. We don't know what cap hit Mankins would make with a new deal, and we don't know what Rice and Nicks would get. Clayton has them estimated at only $7.57 million under, so those 2 players might be a pipe dream, but until I have the firm numbers, I'll guess a little higher rather than a little lower, and I won't worry about LT until I hear of something more concrete than a "fair" offer made to Light months ago.

 

[Deus Irae]

Not that I'm not enamored with Nicks, but would you agree that the Patriots have designs for Cannon as a future starter at OG?

Probably, but I'd take 2 arguably top 5 guards now, over having 1 top 5 guard and a hopeful. I'm just not comfortable with leaving Brady exposed this year, because I think this WR corps has the potential to get really bad in a hurry if Branch goes down and there's not a lot of development with Tate and Price, which could lead to the need for Brady to hold the ball longer in the pocket.

 

[jays52]

You've probably given it elsewhere, but what's your take on Herzlich? I didn't mention him in my post because he's a UDFA, but I'd personally like to see the team go after him.

I like his story but question his overall fit in the Patriots. He strikes me as a really nice fit in a cover-2 scheme where he will be spending a lot of time in zone. He seems to have lost a lot of his burst and that's a pretty critical component of playing linebacker, especially in a scheme like this one. I think that he's best placed in a scheme where he doesn't have to be the primary pursuit guy, can play with things in front of him, and can settle into zones where his height and awareness can be very disruptive. I think he'll make a starting quality Tampa-2 mike eventually.

Regardless of scheme fit, I also just don't see how much more depth the Pats have left at backer. A couple of ST'ers would be nice ways to sneak in an additional backer at inside and outside, and Herzlich just doesn't have the long speed to cover kicks.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

You'd give up 2 first round picks for "DE Haloti Ngata". Well, he's a DT/NT, not a DE, and we have one of the best in the league at the same position in Wilfolk. Woodley WAS Franchised and signed his franchise tag in February.

Well, he'd be a DE if NE signed him, Wilfork at NT, Ngata at DE. Why do I even have to take the time to explain this? And before someone gets all worked up about this, I listed it as something I would like to see happen, not something I expect to happen.

Baltimore Ravens 2010 Depth Chart - Base 3-4 D - ESPN
See how he's listed at DE in a 3-4, There are DE and NT IN A 3-4, No DT, hence the DE.



So Woodley signed his tender, more money to pay Ngata or maybe Kiwanuka.

 

[ay-yo]

You hear about how the team can clear cap space this year by restructuring contracts. Would this eat into cap space in future years?

I don't think the team will do much in FA. We have good depth across the board IMO. What we lack is starter (or better) quality talent at DE / OLB / WR. Considering the high price it'll cost I don't see the Pats blowing their load quite yet. Bill will want to let his picks mature a little more before cashing in on his cap space and excess of draft picks.

I hope we resign our own guys. Give them a lot of money up front so we can maximize cap space next year.

 

[ausbacker]

A lot will depend on what the Patriots do with signing our own guys. Outside of the normal names presented I like the proposition of Mike Sims-Walker. He's got good size and would be an excellent compliment (assuming we don't get Rice) to what the Patriots already have.

All that said anything that will improve the defense and return it to the halcyon BB days of bend don't break but totally dominate the **** out of the opposition offense would be fantastic. Whatever players are needed to get that done gets my vote.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

You hear about how the team can clear cap space this year by restructuring contracts. Would this eat into cap space in future years?

I don't think the team will do much in FA. We have good depth across the board IMO. What we lack is starter (or better) quality talent at DE / OLB / WR. Considering the high price it'll cost I don't see the Pats blowing their load quite yet. Bill will want to let his picks mature a little more before cashing in on his cap space and excess of draft picks.

I hope we resign our own guys. Give them a lot of money up front so we can maximize cap space next year.

By definition, restructuring involves turning non-guaranteed salary into guaranteed bonuses that can be prorated, so as a rule it almost always does.

 

[EJ Blitz]

lamarr woodley, but highly unlikely, because it would excite the fans.