Beyond the Baloney

[AzPatsFan]

Lets look at reality. When it became obvious to Belichick that the old team had to be stripped down and rebuilt after the 2007 season or the 2008 possibly.

He calculated if he accumulated lots of draft choices, and cut the old stars, plus stripped out the old reserves and replaced them with a new younger generation of [cheaper] youngsters he could rebuild in about three years, doing the work of a 5 Plus year Plan. Bill needed large Numbers of good players. He also needed some impact stars.

But he would still have a problem. Lots of players that he would like to keep, would cost millions more than the CAP would allow.

So he made a list of who he had to give new contracts and budgeted likely prices for them; It added up to more than he had.

So He knew some would have to go.
He wanted the young NT as key to D- line.
He wanted the QB who got them there.
He wanted the young leader of the O-line and key to the O-line.
He wanted to keep some other lower priced good contributors.

BB drew up a list of keepers and a list of not-keepers.

Bruschi, Harrison, Seau, Rosey, and regrettably Vrabel and Cassell had to be paid off. Most were losing it, and would never last till the Pats were rebuilt. The last two could not be afforded.

Richard Seymour and his $12 million could no longer be afforded. He had to go.

Brady had to be re-signed and was.
Woolfork had to be re-signed and was.
Mankins was offered a resigning but he didn't accept, [yet].
Others were re-signed for budgeted dollars. Warren, and Neal, and Light, and Kaczur, and Gostkowski.

The O-line scrubs were let go. Hochstein is prospering elsewhere. Receiving reserves Gaffney and Williamson, and Peters were let go. As was Gay and Hobbs at DB.

Moss could be kept and re-signed if he resigned for much lower dollars.

Then the owners decide to reject the CBA and demand a rookie cap and also a reduction in the CAP. Perhaps $10-12 million/team/year.

Now he had a new problem. The only way was to reduce the future budgets by $10 million more. Moss had to go when his contract finished.

When he told Randy, Randy pleaded and then held a press conference alternately pleading, or saying he wanted to be fully paid, and would play hard and hope, (that Bill would change his mind). But Bill's hands are tied and he couldn't change.

That set the stage for Randy to brood, get angry, feel self-pity, and take self destructive actions.

It doesn't require good guys or villains. It's not personal. It's just business.

 

[weswelker#83]

At the end of the day, it is just business. I completely agree with your statement.
Some people won't like this kind of business, but someone has to do it.
For the long term success of the franchise with limited budget (Quality/Price), this is the way to go. Sacrifice the present to feed the future

 

[MoLewisrocks]

This wasn't about the money, except for Randy... Your tortured efforts to make it about secret strategies and cap and cba or anything other than what it is is the baloney.

None of this has anything to do with cap or cash. It has to do with diminished returns, that is the only reason BB casts you out. He can afford to keep or acquire anyone he chooses, he simply chooses based on value to this team and this system. Moss is gone not because his skill's have diminished, although they have, or because there is no CBA or because he's unaffordable, he's gone because he chose to become a disruptive pain in the ass at a time when his concrete value was beginning to diminish. They were NEVER going to extend him a third time. He provided tremendous value the first time. He provided sufficient value during the first half of the second deal. It was all slowly inching downhill from there, and he was increasingly becoming less effective on the field and more draining to manage off it.

 

[upstater1]

I honestly can't even remember half the players you're talking about and I've watched the Patriots for ages. I can remember Clayton Weisuhn and Tim Goad and just about everyone who has ever played for this team.

 

[Moe]

I've been a fan since '75 and the only names that I don't recognize are Williamson and Peters, who were they, why worth mentioning?

 

[stinkypete]

I'm guessing you're referring to Washington?

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Whos this Woolfork guy? Is he taking Wilforks spot?

 

[AzPatsFan]

I've been a fan since '75 and the only names that I don't recognize are Williamson and Peters, who were they, why worth mentioning?

That is my failing memory I meant Kelly Washington, and Heath Shuler, and Mr. Wendy's TE David Thomas (?) and lots of others, like Snow Angel and Larry Izzo.

The names I quoted wrongly were just examples of a lot of guys who were good reserves but not quite starters, but not pure scrubs. The guy I meant is the starting TE for the new Orleans Saints in their Superbowl. Sorry, its my memory, not yours, that is going....

 

[AzPatsFan]

I'm guessing you're referring to Washington?

Yes, My mistake, but meant him as an example of lots of guys.

 

[AzPatsFan]

This wasn't about the money, except for Randy... Your tortured efforts to make it about secret strategies and cap and cba or anything other than what it is is the baloney.

None of this has anything to do with cap or cash. It has to do with diminished returns, that is the only reason BB casts you out. He can afford to keep or acquire anyone he chooses, he simply chooses based on value to this team and this system. Moss is gone not because his skill's have diminished, although they have, or because there is no CBA or because he's unaffordable, he's gone because he chose to become a disruptive pain in the ass at a time when his concrete value was beginning to diminish. They were NEVER going to extend him a third time. He provided tremendous value the first time. He provided sufficient value during the first half of the second deal. It was all slowly inching downhill from there, and he was increasingly becoming less effective on the field and more draining to manage off it.

That is right. They weren't going to re-sign him.. If money were no object, they probably would have kept him around. Why? Simply because the new, lower, CAP that is not even negotiated yet, doesn't afford the luxury.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

That is right. They weren't going to re-sign him. If money were no object, they probably would have kept him around. Why? Simply because the new, lower, CAP that is not even negotiated yet, doesn't afford the luxury.

They were not going to re-sign him because focusing this offense on him hasn't paid the kind of dividends Bill values. If he was OK with that they probably could have kept him around for the remainder of this season. He was making it increasingly clear to them he wasn't. He spoke to the issue multiple times, each time claiming it was the last he would have to say on the matter... The farther they moved away from him as a primary target, they more difficult it was going to become to live with him on a weekly basis. They waited until the season opened to see whether he was going to buy in to their plans for this season or not. Once it became clear he was not going to be able to...they pulled the trigger on a deal they knew since August would be there if they needed to make a move...which coincidentally coincided with the time they became comfortable with the fact that they would have the kind of alternatives on this offense that would allow them to move on.