D Line after '09...Time to play GM

[borg]

Seymour is signed through 2009 with a a cap hit of $9.7 mill next year.
Wilfork is signed through 2009 as well with a cap hit between $1.4 mill and $6.4 mill depending on escalators.
Warren is signed through 2013 with next year's cap hit at $3.8 mill.
Green is signed through 2009 with next years cap hit at $3.5 mill.
Smith is signed through 2009 with a cap hit of $0.5 mill.
Wright will be off the books after this year.
(Thanks Miguel for salary #s)

2009 is D Day when we talk about the future of the Defensive line. Four players (3 key guys) come off the books after next year. Wilfork has postured that he will enter FA after 2009. Seymour will expect a major contract as well. If healthy, both will command maximum dollars. Green should be able to maintain his mid salary range with or without the Patriots. As we have discovered with our past high profile FAs, money talks and players will walk. Skill and the "Patriots Intangibles" have premium values with many teams.

Dollars or draft picks? That will be the decision facing the front office. Does BB/Pioili fork out a big cash bonus to Seymour after his 9th NFL season . I'm betting one of Seymour/Wilfork gets franchised and teams will line up to offer a top draft pick. (See Jared Allen) My bet is Seymour gets franchised if Pats can sign Wilfok early. Youth equals health.
Under this scenario, when do the Pats draft Big Sey's replacement? Drafting in next years draft could pose dissention among the future FAs, but enhance competition. Waiting until April 2010 gets you a rookie that may be placed on the front line very early. Draft position will most likely dictate much for the Patriots' D Line future. If the Pats falter down the stretch this year, we could see the latest BB D lineman in the first round. If the Patriots can extract a 1st rounder with the TAG, then the Pats could improve their selection slot significantly in 2010.

 

[pats1]

I think DL remains the top priority - the core of the team - and Wilfork and Seymour stick around.

 

[blackglass3]

I think Wilfork will be here for a long, long time. The Pats want him here and he wants to be here.

I imagine Seymour will stick around after 09. Just a feeling.

I think Green will leave for starter money and Wright will hopefully be back.

 

[Patslifer]

Wilfork will stick around. Sey needs to take a 35% pay cut, or he should be cut. There is no way he is worth 9 million per year,

 

[Fencer]

I strongly suspect Seymour doesn't much like BB. I think he'd like to move on.

Green is apt to get more money than he's worth.

I think they wrap up Wilfork early. They generally find it easier to find DEs than NTs.

And they look to reload.

 

[Richter]

I think Green is the likeliest to depart. Wilfork will get his money, he deserves it, and Seymour has started rounding back into form nicely after a stretch of disappointing play, so the Patriots will likely pay him too.

 

[BradyManny]

I strongly suspect Seymour doesn't much like BB. I think he'd like to move on.

Where'd you get that idea? I remember hearing Holley saying something about Seymour and BB had almost a father-son relationship, and even during the holdout, it was obvious the two were going to remain together. Seymour has been a beast this season, I'd def re-up.

 

[Brarrell]

In Bob Ryan's article in the Sunday Globe he stated that the Pats have the 29th highest payroll this year. If that's true it makes you wonder what the F is going on here. We should be going for it every year while Brady is still in his prime.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

IMO Wilfork is priority, he's a young, elite NT who's massive in this system.

 

[DaBruinz]

Not sure where you heard that Wilfork plans on testing Free Agency. The last I heard was Wilfork saying he wanted to stay in New England, but would go the free agency route only if an equitable deal couldn't be reached. And this was only a couple weeks ago.

I think that Wilfork will be back. I think that Wright will be back. Smith and Seymour are probably gone. Green may be back as well, unless he decides its time to move on.

I expect Seymour's replacement to be drafted this year.

 

[DaBruinz]

In Bob Ryan's article in the Sunday Globe he stated that the Pats have the 29th highest payroll this year. If that's true it makes you wonder what the F is going on here. We should be going for it every year while Brady is still in his prime.

You have to take what Bob Ryan says with a grain of salt. Ryan regularly twists the facts to make the Pats look bad. He's not much better than Ron Borges was.

The fact is that the Pats REGULARLY pay out quite a bit of money every year. So, while the "payroll (read SALARY)" is low, the actual money spent is significantly more.

If I remember correctly, one of the issues that the "poor" teams had is teams like the Patriots paying out "above the cap". In other words, being able to pay big signing bonuses and such. Ryan doesn't include those things in his "payroll"

 

[ayjackson]

I wonder if the Pats will pay Wilfork what he could command on the open market. He plays roughly half the defensive snaps - another 3-4 team might have him on the field a lot more.

 

[blackglass3]

I strongly suspect Seymour doesn't much like BB. I think he'd like to move on.

This makes absolutely no sense.

 

[Brarrell]

You have to take what Bob Ryan says with a grain of salt. Ryan regularly twists the facts to make the Pats look bad. He's not much better than Ron Borges was.

The fact is that the Pats REGULARLY pay out quite a bit of money every year. So, while the "payroll (read SALARY)" is low, the actual money spent is significantly more.

If I remember correctly, one of the issues that the "poor" teams had is teams like the Patriots paying out "above the cap". In other words, being able to pay big signing bonuses and such. Ryan doesn't include those things in his "payroll"

Thanks for the info. That Pats have already started changing there defense with Guyton , Mayo, Crable, Richardson, Wilhite, Wheatley, Hobbs and Sanders is the begining of the restructuring of the back seven. I expect another LB, db, wr, te and ol with there top five picks. As it stands they have there own 1,2 and 3 and also have SD #2 and I'm pretty sure a 3rd round compensatory pick for Asante I'm not sure about Stallworth. I also expect a few additions through free agency this year.

 

[TruthSeeker]

The money discussions that talk about actual cash paid out in any given year are next to worthless.

What is important is whether or not a team is using all their cap (say within 1 million dollars) every year. A number of teams do this including the Patriots. It's only if a team isn't doing this that money is being left on the table. Whether a team pays out the money in 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2009 is pretty irrelevant, but is what these "rankings" are based on. This will only become (somewhat) relevant if there is an uncapped year (which I seriously doubt will happen but is anyone's guess).

 

[LloydBraun]

In regards to the front 7, I like the possibility of having 2 OLB's that are 6-6, 270ish in a year or 2. Crable and Redd could create some nice options for the D.

 

[patsfan55]

Not sure where you heard that Wilfork plans on testing Free Agency. The last I heard was Wilfork saying he wanted to stay in New England, but would go the free agency route only if an equitable deal couldn't be reached. And this was only a couple weeks ago.

I think that Wilfork will be back. I think that Wright will be back. Smith and Seymour are probably gone. Green may be back as well, unless he decides its time to move on.

I expect Seymour's replacement to be drafted this year.

Agreed across the board, except for Green. Someone out there will pay him starter money, and he'll probably be gone.
I'm not sure I feel as though Seymour is the player he was when we first gave him his current deal, the injuries have clearly diminished his skills, and while he is having a great year is he really worth the money we'd have to give him?
They will pay Wilfork, but I'm not sure they will pay Big Sey 93. I'm nervous that you're right, and they will look to find his replacement early in this coming draft. Problem is we NEED an outside pass rusher BADLY.

 

[cincipatsfan]

Must have fried my brain today. I read the OPs post twice trying to figure out who GM was

:bricks:

 

[scout]

I strongly suspect Seymour doesn't much like BB. I think he'd like to move on.

.

Tom is that you?

 

[Fencer]

Where'd you get that idea?

1. Seymour's anger after his benching.
2. The holdout.
3. Seymour criticizing BB's coaching after the loss to Mangini -- which is no more than BB does himself, but which I've never heard another player do even so.

Plus I think Seymour is generally an angry guy, as is illustrated by his frequent personal fouls. I'm also biased because his father had fatal anger management problems, and these things are at least slightly hereditary.