All this contract talk with Vinatieri and Givens...

[rookBoston]

...makes me appreciate Matt Light, Tom Brady, Tedy Bruschi and Troy Brown all the more. Those guys made a commitment to the franchise and to career stability. It almost certainly touched them in the wallet, but it locked their places in New England history. Undoubtedly, the Postons could have landed them better deals elsewhere.

And for those losing faith in Corey, lest we forget: he re-signed a contract extension for less money than he could have bargained for on the open market. He could easily have taken the Ted Washington approach and made a convenient exit.

I think BB plans to let a few Andruzzi's and Patten's go every year, in order to cash in on the Compensatory process. Damien Woody is a case in point; why bother making the offer? Woody's contract with Detroit earned us the pick which became Nick Kaczur. Between the cap savings and the draft pick, we really didn't do too bad, afterall. I'm confident that's precisely where the braintrust stands on all of our elite free agents: Vinatieri, Givens, Neal, Ashworth. If they sign big contracts elsewhere, we get a draft pick and cap relief. If they dont, they'll come back at a good price. Heads we win. Tails we win.

Plus, whenever possible, I think BB looks for Tebucky Jones or Terry Glenn situations, where he can generate some extra draft value for players that he's prepared to release anyway. That's just smart management. To that end, if a team like Arizona or San Francisco were to offer the Pats a first round pick for Richard Seymour, I wonder if BB would do it. The Pats could reload with Mario Williams and still have one of the youngest, most dominant DLs in the league -- at a fraction of the cost. That's how NFL-economics work and BB understands it better than anyone. Granted, Tebucky and Terry were both imperfect goods, and Seymour is our own Babe Ruth... but everyone has a price, and Seymour's contract demands have to be looming on the horizon. Bledsoe was in the prime of his career at the time he was traded.

In the end, it's the Jarvis Greens and Kevin Faulks of the world that BB is building this team around. Largely anonymous, not particularly special, but hardworking, reliable and willing to lock in and play for the long haul. Don Davis, Hank Poteat, Patrick Pass... the lifeblood of the team.

Now, the question is what road will Dan Koppen choose: Bobby Hamilton or Willie McGinest? Chad Eaton or Ted Johnson?

And Wilson? Daniel Graham? Or Asante once his number is up? Branch? Warren? The entire 2003 class will need attention.

 

[fgssand]

...makes me appreciate Matt Light, Tom Brady, Tedy Bruschi and Troy Brown all the more. Those guys made a commitment to the franchise and to career stability. It almost certainly touched them in the wallet, but it locked their places in New England history. Undoubtedly, the Postons could have landed them better deals elsewhere.

And for those losing faith in Corey, lest we forget: he re-signed a contract extension for less money than he could have bargained for on the open market. He could easily have taken the Ted Washington approach and made a convenient exit.

I think BB plans to let a few Andruzzi's and Patten's go every year, in order to cash in on the Compensatory process. Damien Woody is a case in point; why bother making the offer? Woody's contract with Detroit earned us the pick which became Nick Kaczur. Between the cap savings and the draft pick, we really didn't do too bad, afterall. I'm confident that's precisely where the braintrust stands on all of our elite free agents: Vinatieri, Givens, Neal, Ashworth. If they sign big contracts elsewhere, we get a draft pick and cap relief. If they dont, they'll come back at a good price. Heads we win. Tails we win.

Plus, whenever possible, I think BB looks for Tebucky Jones or Terry Glenn situations, where he can generate some extra draft value for players that he's prepared to release anyway. That's just smart management. To that end, if a team like Arizona or San Francisco were to offer the Pats a first round pick for Richard Seymour, I wonder if BB would do it. The Pats could reload with Mario Williams and still have one of the youngest, most dominant DLs in the league -- at a fraction of the cost. That's how NFL-economics work and BB understands it better than anyone. Granted, Tebucky and Terry were both imperfect goods, and Seymour is our own Babe Ruth... but everyone has a price, and Seymour's contract demands have to be looming on the horizon. Bledsoe was in the prime of his career at the time he was traded.

In the end, it's the Jarvis Greens and Kevin Faulks of the world that BB is building this team around. Largely anonymous, not particularly special, but hardworking, reliable and willing to lock in and play for the long haul. Don Davis, Hank Poteat, Patrick Pass... the lifeblood of the team.

Now, the question is what road will Dan Koppen choose: Bobby Hamilton or Willie McGinest? Chad Eaton or Ted Johnson?

And Wilson? Daniel Graham? Or Asante once his number is up? Branch? Warren? The entire 2003 class will need attention.

Rook - I agree with much of what you say - however, to me Seymour is as important to the dominating defense as Brady is to the offense. Certain key cornerstone players must be kept at just about all costs. Must keep the nucleous in tact,

 

[groundgame]

...Detroit earned us the pick which became Nick Kaczur. Between the cap savings and the draft pick, we really didn't do too bad, afterall. I'm confident that's precisely where the braintrust stands on all of our elite free agents: Vinatieri, Givens, Neal, Ashworth. If they sign big contracts elsewhere, we get a draft pick and cap relief. If they dont, they'll come back at a good price. Heads we win. Tails we win...(Qoute)






Vinitieri leaving will be a loss no matter what we save or end up with.

 

[flutie2phelan]

In the end, it's the Jarvis Greens and Kevin Faulks of the world that BB is building this team around. Largely anonymous, not particularly special, but hardworking, reliable and willing to lock in and play for the long haul. Don Davis, Hank Poteat, Patrick Pass... the lifeblood of the team.

Now, the question is what road will Dan Koppen choose: Bobby Hamilton or Willie McGinest? Chad Eaton or Ted Johnson?

And Wilson? Daniel Graham? Or Asante once his number is up? Branch? Warren? The entire 2003 class will need attention.

I benefit from a lot of common sense ... and superior knowledge ... that i read on this board.

Rarely, however, do i encounter eloquence - like this.