Do you want the Patriots and Wilfork to reconcile their differences?

[TyronePoole]

Um, nothing about Vince Wilfork's skill set is "obsolete".

you mean a big fat run-stuffing DT who can't rush the passer on a team that's now a base 4-3 in a passing league where the successful defenses are in nickel and dime with DLs that rush the passer the majority of the time is still awesome because HE OCCUPIES TWO BLOCKERS right? That's why the Pats pass rush has been so good when Wilfork was in the game because "he frees up everyone else to blah blah blah cliche etc"

tell me more about how we should break the bank for this elderly gentleman

 

[BradyFTW!]

I think honoring his request for a release is the best way to move forward. There's no way that the Patriots are going to pay him anything close to what his contract calls for this year, and it appears that he's unwilling to budge from that number. There's no compromise possible from that, and even if there was, I'm not sure that I'd want the Patriots to do it, because I think he's probably done as an effective football player.

There's really no fork in the road or conflict worth discussing here, no matter how much the media tries to make it into a story. He will be cut, that's the right move for the Patriots, and I believe that they'll do it sooner rather than later out of respect for him.

This isn't a soap opera. It's a common decision, the likes of which we see play out dozens of times every year in the NFL.

 

[patsfan13]

My thoughts on VW.

He will be in the Pats HOF someday no matter how this ends.

I wish/hope he can end his career in NE.

When the injury happened it was clear to many that he would either restructure/be cut. AGE + end of contract + inflated lat year cap hit dictated this. Like many NFL deals there was a 'phony last year that would result (absent injury) necessitate and extension/restructure.

I never begrudge and NFL player who wants more $$$ in the short run given the short careers in the NFL and how suddenly a career can end.

In this case there are no bad guys. What the Pats FO is doing is fair under the circumstances.

VW has been a great player and now if he thinks it will benefit his family to go elsewhere I wish him all the success and a full recovery.

 

[BradyFTW!]

MG if they had gone to him earlier they would not be 2-3 (whatever you want to call it) into UFA with a huge hole on their team and now less options on the market to fill it. You do not think it would have served them better to conclude when players like Bryant, Jones, Joseph, Soliai, and others were still options on the UFA market. I am the one who would interested in some land, seriously, what world does it make sense to release Wilfork now instead of 4 days ago in?

Why would Bianca and his agent plan for the day that he demands his release from the Patriots, and if that was the case and you a fan of the team could see that they were planning for it. Why did Belichick and the Patriots not see it and make sure he did not let it drag 2-3 days into UFA?

This was poorly handled by the Patriots, the Wilfork situation has been what it is today for months and they should have and could have been way in front of it. Instead, they are dealing with it now. If you seriously believe that this was well planned and executed by the front office, than I have some land you may be interested in over in Iceland.

We don't know when they went to him. Word got out to the media on day one of free agency (not 2-3 days in as you stated), but discussions could easily have started before then.

In any case, I don't believe for a second that the Patriots ever intended to pay Wilfork's $7.5M salary. The fact that they didn't sign any of the guys who are already gone in FA doesn't have nearly the significance that you're assigning to it, because that's true for every position except CB. They have just as big of a hole along the interior of the OL, and they haven't signed anyone there either.

In short, you're making a lot of assumptions.

 

[TyronePoole]

**** I hope this horrific divorce doesn't get any uglier! WHAT DRAMA. WHAT SPECTACLE.

 

[SB39]

you mean a big fat run-stuffing DT who can't rush the passer on a team that's now a base 4-3 in a passing league where the successful defenses are in nickel and dime with DLs that rush the passer the majority of the time is still awesome because HE OCCUPIES TWO BLOCKERS right? That's why the Pats pass rush has been so good when Wilfork was in the game because "he frees up everyone else to blah blah blah cliche etc"

Yeah. OK. Sure. Wilfork is "obsolete". We should've cut him 8 years ago.

tell me more about how we should break the bank for this elderly gentleman

I will as soon as you show me anywhere I said we should break the bank for him.

I'm 100% on board with cutting him from his current contract. I'm just hoping that if he is healthy, maybe we can give (and he will accept) 3 years, $13 million and structure it so that it is really 2 years, $8 million.

 

[Brady6]

We don't know when they went to him. Word got out to the media on day one of free agency (not 2-3 days in as you stated), but discussions could easily have started before then.



In any case, I don't believe for a second that the Patriots ever intended to pay Wilfork's $7.5M salary. The fact that they didn't sign any of the guys who are already gone in FA doesn't have nearly the significance that you're assigning to it, because that's true for every position except CB. They have just as big of a hole along the interior of the OL, and they haven't signed anyone there either.



In short, you're making a lot of assumptions.

Is there anything to gain from this happening today against last week or earlier? I'm not making assumptions I'm using logic. Even if discussion started before then a hard deadline should have been set for before UFA began so we had every option readily available.

If you have a reasonable reason for the timing of this I would love to hear it. Otherwise I'm going with poor planning, because nothing else makes sense.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Is there anything to gain from this happening today against last week or earlier? I'm not making assumptions I'm using logic.

If you have a reasonable reason for the timing of this I would love to hear it. Otherwise I'm going with poor planning, because nothing else makes sense.

Why did it have to happen before now? What have the Pats lost by not having the $7.5m available? They've only signed one FA at any position, so there's no evidence that this is the reason why they didn't get Jones, Soliai, or Joseph

 

[TyronePoole]

Yeah. OK. Sure. Wilfork is "obsolete". We should've cut him 8 years ago.
I will as soon as you show me anywhere I said we should break the bank for him.

obsolete

should've cut him 8 years ago

I'm 100% on board with cutting him from his current contract. I'm just hoping that if he is healthy, maybe we can give (and he will accept) 3 years, $13 million and structure it so that it is really 2 years, $7.5 million.

Look here's the thing, people who want him back 100% don't know what they're watching on the field or they would not want him back. Anything over like $1m/y is better spent on someone with a relevant skillset and that's before we even get to the discussion of whether he's the same guy. This is an obese athlete with many miles who was already sucking before a major injury.

Unless BB has become a total relic he will do what he has done which is feign interest with a joke offer and let him go to some incompetent retirement home like Oakland. It's not a knock on Wilfork it just is what it is, the game changes and guys get older and he's the perfect storm of a player style from yesteryear who's old and coming off injury. People love revisionist history but even our run defense didn't suffer until Tommy Kelly went down and run defense is a byproduct of overall defense which is built around the pass on both sides of the ball now.

Pretty similar story with Spikes (but he hits WICKED HAHHHD) we were suboptimal in both package and performance with them on the field which is why BB is moving on.

 

[SB39]

Look here's the thing, people who want him back 100% don't know what they're watching on the field or they would not want him back. Anything over like $1m/y is better spent on someone with a relevant skillset and that's before we even get to the discussion of whether he's the same guy. This is an obese athlete with many miles who was already sucking before a major injury.

You're entitled to your opinion but I assure you, it is in the extreme minority.

 

[TyronePoole]

You're entitled to your opinion but I assure you, it is in the extreme minority.

It would be hard for you to come up with a weaker indictment

 

[OhExaulted1]

Lol at this ridiculously stupid thread and poll. Stop listening to dumbass talk radio crap. There is no "divorce" or "reconciling." One side didn't want to pay an aging guy whose skillset is obsolete to begin with and the other thinks he has better business options elsewhere. Football fans are literally the dumbest people alive.

So you don't think Vince and Bill going to a couples retreat will patch things up?

 

[Brady6]

Why did it have to happen before now? What have the Pats lost by not having the $7.5m available? They've only signed one FA at any position, so there's no evidence that this is the reason why they didn't get Jones, Soliai, or Joseph

It's better to get in front of these things in my opinion. We struggled against the run in 2013 finishing 30th in the NFL, this is obviously an area of need. I like Siliga but I would have liked to see Joseph or another young DT as well.

All I can say is as a long time Patriots fan who loved Wilfork I am very sad to see the relationship end like this.

 

[IllegalContact]

Sure....it would be great if things were patched up

But I have no problem moving on

 

[TyronePoole]

So you don't think Vince and Bill going to a couples retreat will patch things up?

I think I can't wait until some snippets of some out of context statements are played on blabbermouth radio and this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy where Wilfork actually gets offended and Robert Kraft goes on some asinine media offensive with a mouth full of cotton balls and gin and tonic and everyone here clicks away to the next thread about "douchebag morning jock article says ____!" and the whole thing repeats itself again and again

 

[Brady_12]

Vince isn't what he was but he is still better than most. I think (hope?) this will get done.

 

[The Scrizz]

A big guy who isn't healthy enough to work out for teams isn't going to walk right up and get a contract. Healthy or not, he was not keeping that contract. It has always been extension or release. He had the misfortune to get hurt in a walk year but it happens.

Is there going to be a really good team in need of him when he is healthy is the question. There makes no sense for him to lock himself into something less than what he thinks he can get healthy. Time will tell, but has their been anything negative coming out of his camp?

He asked for his release is code for 'we respect you too much to release you, let it come from you'.

 

[patfanken]

Another ludicrous thread about NOTHING!.

In an nutshell:

1. The Pats were never going to pay Vince $8MM for 2014 BEFORE he was injured, just based on his age and production (or lack thereof) in the first 4 games. Add the critical injury, and Vince HAD to know this was coming.

2, Revis' deal helped create the need for some cap relief NOW.

3. Vince was the most obvious guy to go to for the myriad of reasons we've talked about ad nausium

4. I hope they release him tomorrow, Then there will be no reason to even discuss the matter unless or UNTIL Vince passes a physical saying he's fit to play professional football at a high level,

Until that happens there is no reason to even have a thread or especially ANOTHER thread on Vince Wilfork. Then finally we can go back to the daily Amendola thread or the one about ANY WR who becomes available. The good news is that there are still over 50 left and they all are better than what he have now, so that should keep us busy for a while

 

[supafly]

Revis' deal helped create the need for some cap relief NOW.

How did Revis help to create cap space?

He has a 7 million dollar cap hit for this year.

 

[Arrington Planet]

How did Revis help to create cap space?

He has a 7 million dollar cap hit for this year.

He means the opposite, that with the Revis deal the Patriots now need to create some cap space.