Boston Herald: Pats close to re-signing Vollmer

[Jimke]

Hooray! Miguel's Salary Cap Page is back.

 

[BadMoFo]

I'm not buying it until Erika Leigh tweets it.

 

[Kontradiction]

There is no way in HELL Vollmer should get $9M/year. If he was fully healthy, then I could see him pulling that in. But he's had chronic back issues. His contract should be heavily playing time incentive-based.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

If they were prepared to sign Vollmer for $9 million, wouldn't they have franchised him? Seems to me that if a guy is unsigned a week into free agency, you ain't paying him near his franchise number.

 

[BradyFTW!]

If they were prepared to sign Vollmer for $9 million, wouldn't they have franchised him? Seems to me that if a guy is unsigned a week into free agency, you ain't paying him near his franchise number.

Especially when the tag reflects left tackle salaries (since all offensive linemen are grouped together) and he's a right tackle. If anyone was willing to pay him $9M, the Pats would wish him well and then go and get 80% of his production for a third the price.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Good sign..hopefully he isn't going to break the bank and tie up the remaining $$ when we still need help on the pass rush side of things and at the WR position

 

[Ring 6]

15 million in cap space is not good....9 million for vollmer, 5 million for rookies, and 1 million leftover to sign a pass rusher. You can kiss dumerville good bye.

9 million? What total for 3 years?

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

LOL @ anyone who thinks pats will give Vollmer 9 mill a year...wow

 

[Ring 6]

You're also quoting the lower end of the market. While the poster you're responding to is insane to think that Vollmer will get anything close to 9 million, not to mention he's failing to take into acct the year one cap hit, there are other OT's who may be comparable to him who are making more.

Cherilus got 7 million aav 5/34.5
Andre Smith is still waiting and expecting something in the 8--8.5 range
Jake Long received 9 million aav 4/36
Brandon Albert got 10m on the franchise tag

I think it's possible that Vollmer sees himself closer to the higher end of the market than the lower end, so something in the middle would probably be appropriate and fair. I would expect that to be in the 7--7.5 m range (what he's looking for). Of course I don't expect the Pats to pay that though, and I think they are looking at something in your 6m range, possibly even in the 5.5m range. Hopefully they can reach something near your 6m proposal as meeting in the middle.

If vollmer sees himself as a 7mill a year guy, he may need to retire.

 

[Froob]

Hope we have him locked up for a while on a reasonable contract. I could see him doing what Talib did and gamble on being healthy this year and looking for the big bills next offseason.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

9 million? What total for 3 years?

Sheesh you guys, i just assumed jake long set the market....

 

[Froob]

And that's why the Rams are not a good franchise.

If they have a lot of cap room I dunno if it's that bad. They were going to ruin Bradford if they didn't make a move. I'm surprised nobody has ever tried to steal Dante from the pats(or maybe they have?).

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Cool sounds good. Then lets get a Pass Rusher, CB & wassup with Eman Sanders was he given an offer yet for Steelers to make a move?

 

[patfanken]

=
Nate Solder had a 1.55m dollar cap hit his rookie year in 2011, on a 4/8.5m deal. (1st round)

Ras-I-Dowling had about a 1m dollar cap hit in his rookie year in 2011, on a 4/5.3m deal. (2nd round)

How are 1.5 and 1.0 million dollar cap hits going to wipe out salaries/cap hits of the 3 lowest salaries on the top 51?

Cmon Supe, Solder was the 17th pick and Dowling the #33 in the draft, the Pats will be drafting at #29, 61 and 92 (or there abouts) . Player contracts for those areas will be considerably lower. Closer to the 2.5 area. So you deduct the $.8MM that those 3 picks will replace, the rookies this year on the 51 will be in the $1.7MM range. Certainly NOT in the $5MM as Howe claimed.

Given where the Pats are picking this year, those are apples and oranges you gave, buddy. I think the bigger issue in how much real money the Pats have to spend on FA, is the number they want to keep in reserve. Will it be $1MM, $2MM, $5MM??? I don't know.

 

[JMC00]

those 3 picks will replace, the rookies this year on the 51 will be in the $1.7MM range.

The cap hit will be closer to $1 million than it will be $2 million.

 

[supafly]

The cap hit will be closer to $1 million than it will be $2 million.

Right. It could possibly be about 1.25 or so if they chose a higher to mid round selection, based on your help in pointing out my mistake in not taking into acct the specific round placement of each individual player; therefore, Solder/Dowling etc are not relevant to the discussion.

Cmon Supe, Solder was the 17th pick and Dowling the #33 in the draft, the Pats will be drafting at #29, 61 and 92 (or there abouts) . Player contracts for those areas will be considerably lower. Closer to the 2.5 area. So you deduct the $.8MM that those 3 picks will replace, the rookies this year on the 51 will be in the $1.7MM range. Certainly NOT in the $5MM as Howe claimed.

Given where the Pats are picking this year, those are apples and oranges you gave, buddy. I think the bigger issue in how much real money the Pats have to spend on FA, is the number they want to keep in reserve. Will it be $1MM, $2MM, $5MM??? I don't know.

I addressed this several pages ago, and appreciate JMC00 for pointing out the difference in round placement. You must not have backread.

I initially had it projected at approx. 2--2.5 million, and my mistake was not taking into account the specific placing of the rounds and using past examples.

It will likely be no higher than 1 million, it could be 1.25 million if they choose an additional player in the higher or mid round.

 

[patfanken]

As to the OP, every is doing a lot speculating now that FA is taking a breath between flourishes, that includes reporters. Not much to write about now but speculation, and this article certainly qualifies.

As to the debate about what Volmer is worth, or what he can demand, I'm not expecting anything close to $9 or 10MM. Not with his injury history. Backs are nothing to be fooled with. Another factor is that I always laugh when some writes 4 for 36 or 5 for 35. What does that really mean.

Think about it. If the Pats come out and sign Volmer for 4 and 40, and only guarantee him $5MM, is it really $10MM/yr deal? It will be a 10MM/yr deal ONLY if Volmer plays to that level. Besides NO RT is getting top dollar. The top deals there are $8MM/yr....and once again the real commitment is in the guaranteed money.

I have no problem paying Volmer $8MM/yr IF he is healthy and playing to a top level. So a 4 and 32 deal would be fine if only a small amount is quaranteed. Personally I wouldn't be surprised to see Volmer look for a prove it deal. Either play for less this seasonn, and have the bigger money kick in if he proves he can stay healthy, or just go for a one year deal like Talib

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Pats are thinking that were they to pay Vol $8M then what happens with their more valuable and higher priced LT when his deal comes up. NFW will BB pay $7M for Volmer.

 

[Danger Zone]

Belichick has gone fishing..

Lets hope the seabass are biting!

 

[supafly]

Pats are thinking that were they to pay Vol $8M then what happens with their more valuable and higher priced LT when his deal comes up. NFW will BB pay $7M for Volmer.

That is certainly a concern that shouldn't be overlooked, especially considering that Solder comes up in 2 yrs and there's still a chance (albeit outside in my opinion) that Mankins will also still be here; thus having 3 high priced OL.

I would certainly assume that Vollmer and his agent are looking for something in the 7 million dollar range, and as you said--there's no way that Belichick would agree with that number even taking the whole Solder issue out of the equation. Vollmer is probably worth only 5 million or so max, maybe 5.5.

I still have serious doubts as to how this gets done unless it's a one year deal, despite whatever reporters are speculating today.