An article about AV...gone...

[Pats726]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/local/orl-nflsep0206mar02,0,1226846.story
Not good news if you are an AV fan.....talking about NE in past tones..

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

Just heard EEI talk about, very depressing him talking in the past tense.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

This is a surprise to whom? Only to those who haven't read any of the salient posts here regarding Adam's iminent departure for a bigger contract. No news.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

"I really enjoyed my 10 years with the Patriots. It's been a great time and I have a lot of good memories there," he said. "The New England Patriots are bigger than I am. There have been other people who have been released, and others who have been brought in, and that team's been good no matter what."

I think Adam gets it on one level. And while he was upbeat about being a UFA, if the landscape doesn't change radically he may be far less excited about that prospect very soon. And that might just work to the Patriots advantage. If he has to settle for a lot less than he's been hoping for, he might just end up right back where he started. Some of the teams who were rumored to be potential suitors are at or above the cap, so even with slicing and dicing they may not be in a position to blow a FA kicker away. And most of the teams with lots of cap space this season are teams with needs but low revenue facing an uncapped future. They'll have lots of UFA's to look at, but will be faced with the reality of paying them in 2007 and beyond as well.

I think how that shakes out is part of what BB is waiting to see.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

"I really enjoyed my 10 years with the Patriots. It's been a great time and I have a lot of good memories there," he said. "The New England Patriots are bigger than I am. There have been other people who have been released, and others who have been brought in, and that team's been good no matter what."

I think Adam gets it on one level. And while he was upbeat about being a UFA, if the landscape doesn't change radically he may be far less excited about that prospect very soon. And that might just work to the Patriots advantage. If he has to settle for a lot less than he's been hoping for, he might just end up right back where he started. Some of the teams who were rumored to be potential suitors are at or above the cap, so even with slicing and dicing they may not be in a position to blow a FA kicker away. And most of the teams with lots of cap space this season are teams with needs but low revenue facing an uncapped future. They'll have lots of UFA's to look at, but will be faced with the reality of paying them in 2007 and beyond as well.

I think how that shakes out is part of what BB is waiting to see.

This is my thinking as well.

I'm sure the Pats plan is to let the market decide what Adam's worth is and then decide whether or not Adam is worth that market cost to the team.

 

[hwc]

I don't know why anyone is surprised. When Vinatieri forced the Pats to franchise him last year, it was perfectly obvious that Adam's number one goal was to get to unrestricted free agency. When a player is determined to do that, there is nothing a team can really do about it, unless they are willing to grossly overpay the player as a pre-emptive move.

Same with Givens.

The smart teams must resist the urge to overpay players.

 

[Pats726]

I did think it was news, considering many thought NE had a chance to sign him. From what Felger has said there IS a multi year contract making him the highest kicker on the table now. THAT is news!! The discussion was that with him being a UFA, a team liek GB or Cleve who have cap room could overpay for him. I do NOT think NE will...that simple. It is sad...but there are still a few days that a deal can be done. Hopefully, it can. It was also pointed out that with AV using words like that, it might just be a ploy to have NE raise the stakes a bit. Not sure about that one.

 

[JOhnnyBravo]

I don't know why anyone is surprised. When Vinatieri forced the Pats to franchise him last year, it was perfectly obvious that Adam's number one goal was to get to unrestricted free agency. When a player is determined to do that, there is nothing a team can really do about it, unless they are willing to grossly overpay the player as a pre-emptive move.

Same with Givens.

The smart teams must resist the urge to overpay players.

They're saying Adam will take less money to stay in New England. How does that mean his number one goal is to get to free agency?

 

[PatsSteve1]

The Patriots paid Adam 2 mill in 2004 and 2.5 mill in 2005. I'll be surprised if any team gives him a deal that averages over 2 mill a year. Considering the Patriots paid him what they did the last 2 years, if the Patriots want him back, whatever he's offered may be something the Pats will be willing to also pay and maybe he'd take it to stay where he'd remain an icon. I'm not predicting anything here, but I don't really think he's going to get some blockbuster deal. If there's no CBA, there's not as much cap space for teams.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

The Patriots paid Adam 2 mill in 2004 and 2.5 mill in 2005. I'll be surprised if any team gives him a deal that averages over 2 mill a year. Considering the Patriots paid him what they did the last 2 years, if the Patriots want him back, whatever he's offered may be something the Pats will be willing to also pay and maybe he'd take it to stay where he'd remain an icon. I'm not predicting anything here, but I don't really think he's going to get some blockbuster deal. If there's no CBA, there's not as much cap space for teams.

Would that it were true, to quote John Forbes Kerry, but then I doubt it.

 

[mikey]

Would that it were true, to quote John Forbes Kerry, but then I doubt it.

Who is John Forbes Kerry??


.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I did think it was news, considering many thought NE had a chance to sign him. From what Felger has said there IS a multi year contract making him the highest kicker on the table now. THAT is news!! The discussion was that with him being a UFA, a team liek GB or Cleve who have cap room could overpay for him. I do NOT think NE will...that simple. It is sad...but there are still a few days that a deal can be done. Hopefully, it can. It was also pointed out that with AV using words like that, it might just be a ploy to have NE raise the stakes a bit. Not sure about that one.

I heard Felger today too and he was pretty certain about his information. Said the deal on the table would make him the highest paid in a long term deal - the per year stuff varies from year to year but overall contract value that is currently Janakowski who got 5 years $10.5M. The hangup could be that the Pats offer is either for less years (3-4) or has less signing bonus money up front - I think $3M is what Rackers got up front in his 4 year $6.5M deal. Or Adam simply is determined to see how high highest can be.

Tuna is right, hope Adam read his comment. His marketability here, especially post career, will be impossible to replicate anywhere else. Of course if a new deal is signed there will be a few more bidders for his services - probably then including Tuna. If the Pats have no qualms about his being the highest paid, I'm with Felger in that a kicker is someone you can afford to overpay because that overpayment is measured in hundreds of thousands rather than millions.

Emotion aside, I was surprised at how adamant Felger was in his conviction that Adam was still head and shoulders better than anyone else out there - including even his beloved Packers soon to be former kicker Longwell.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

I guess we'll find out if this was a mistake or not when Jose Cortez or some other fill in the blank stiff lines up to kick the game winner against the Colts or someone else in a big game next season.

This is a team that finds itself in a lot of close games. The idea of going into a season with someone without AV's track record in clutch situations isn't going to be, as the Eagles sing, a peaceful, easy feeling.