ESPN Story Says Willie May be headed to FA

[dhamz]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2343094

Insider story from Len P

Sources told ESPN.com this week that McGinest's contract situation for 2006 -- he is due a roster bonus of $3.5 million in early March, and a base salary of $3.5 million too, in a so-called dummy season that was added to his deal to aid the Patriots in navigating past cap difficulties -- could well make him a cap casualty. It's unlikely New England will pay the $3.5 million bonus and, with negotiations making little or no progress in recent weeks, the Patriots could, regrettably, end the longtime relationship with a player who has seen the lowest lows and the highest highs of the franchise.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I'd hate to see him leave but for a fan of the franchise, it's all about value per cap dollar. Its not like any of these guys are hurting.

Me, I say Adam & Givens go, Willie stays.

I can understand Givens' motivations as he is not secure for life as Adam already is and still would be were he to stay.

 

[MrTibbs]

LMAO..........Willie isnt going anywhere. He will retire a Patriot. Why? He has a lot of other things going on in the Boston area including his 55 Entertainment Company. He's going nowhere so FAHGET ABOUT IT!

 

[BelichickFan]

IMO it'll be like Adam. He could well become a FA and will have to decide between a pedestrian offer from us of a bigger offer from a Parcells or Crennel.

 

[Alk]

LMAO..........Willie isnt going anywhere. He will retire a Patriot. Why? He has a lot of other things going on in the Boston area including his 55 Entertainment Company. He's going nowhere so FAHGET ABOUT IT!

For that kind of money, it would be very naive to think that it's not even in the realm of possibilty. There is alot more loyalty from fans towards these players than there is from the teams themselves. It's a business and if he's got to go, he's got to go. The fact that he has alot of other things going on in Boston really makes no difference unless he cares about them enough to renegotiate a lower salary in order to stay.

 

[MrTibbs]

None of us truly know but If I were betting my money leans heavily toward him staying.

 

[Alk]

None of us truly know but If I were betting my money leans heavily toward him staying.

I think he'll probably be here next season but I'm not going to say that there is no possible way he isn't cut. This is the same guy that we put on the expansion draft list not too long ago.

 

[RayClay]

I honestly don't think McGinest has great value on the free agent market.

Remember Hugh Douglas?

And where does he play in a 4-3?

I love Willie, but I can't see a sane franchise throwing big money at him expecting a big future.

If it can be negotiated with the Pats, it will be.

 

[dryheat44]

This really isn't worth commenting on. Is this anything we don't already know? If McGinest doesn't restructure, he could be cut. No sh!t. He's been in this position before, and has renegotiated each time. Willie should be concerned with two things right now, earning more rings, and enhancing his HOF chances. Both of those are best accomplished with Belichick.

When Brady's last year of his contract gets here, he can write the same thing. If Brady's contract isn't renegotiated he could be a free agent.

In fact you could take any player in the NFL, write "could be a cap casualty" and be right. And I could be the next Mr. Jessica Simpson. And could be the #1 pick in this years draft. And could have already won 10 million dollars in the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.

 

[italian pat patriot]

Willie Mc Ginest will retire in Patriot uniform and he will find a solution for playing one or maximun two years; i am sure and confident about it.

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

Dryheat is right, the answer here is very obvious. Willie is due $8.3mil for 2006 and the cap hit for cutting him is $1.3mil. You do the math...

 

[PATSNUTme]

I agree that an 8 mil cap hit his year is too much. However they can restructure and extend his contract a couple of years so he gets the same amount of money in his wallet and the cap is reduced by 2-3 mil.

I fully expect that to happen.

 

[BelichickFan]

I agree that an 8 mil cap hit his year is too much. However they can restructure and extend his contract a couple of years so he gets the same amount of money in his wallet and the cap is reduced by 2-3 mil.

Willie is bascially a UFA. It's just a question of whether he wants to make a few million or get one last big one because I don't think a big contract will be coming from the Patriots. I'm not sure they'll give him a big signing bonus over three years because if he slows down in a year they'll have an albatross contract.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Willie is bascially a UFA. It's just a question of whether he wants to make a few million or get one last big one because I don't think a big contract will be coming from the Patriots. I'm not sure they'll give him a big signing bonus over three years because if he slows down in a year they'll have an albatross contract.

You say that he is "basically an UFA". He's still under contract to the PAtriots through 2006 which means that the Patriots will have to release him in order to make him an UFA.

One report in the media does not make it so. I think it's much more likely to restructure his contract. Even if thye have to eat some "dead money" in the future (3 years out), they keep a good player and reduce the cap 2-3 mil this year.

That makes more sense than releasing him. But, it does take two to make a deal.

 

[CTPatsFan]

I'd hate to see Willie in another uniform. His age probably negatively effects his desirability in the FA market. At least I hope so.

 

[BelichickFan]

You say that he is "basically an UFA". He's still under contract to the PAtriots through 2006 which means that the Patriots will have to release him in order to make him an UFA.

Unless you think we'll pick up the option and have him count at $8.3M against the cap, he is a UFA. We will not pick that option up, no way. Which will make him a UFA. He may agree with us to a new deal before that happens and never reach the FA market but you could say the same thing about Givens who is a UFA.

 

[Feep_FLA]

Relax!

Willie will retire a Patriot...... Relax, Chill, Smoke a Rickie Williams doobie...... :rocker:

 

[BelichickFan]

Willie will retire a Patriot...... Relax, Chill, Smoke a Rickie Williams doobie...... :rocker:

Well no-one saw the Milloy cut coming just before 2003. If Willie plays the salary game, he'll retire as a Patriot. But he may want one last big payday.

 

[Willie55]

Well no-one saw the Milloy cut coming just before 2003. If Willie plays the salary game, he'll retire as a Patriot. But he may want one last big payday.

Willie and Lawyer are two completely different people. They shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breath.

And IMO, at his age, Willie will not get another big payday. He will retire a Patriot.

 

[ilduce06410]

something curious about this

This really isn't worth commenting on. Is this anything we don't already know? If McGinest doesn't restructure, he could be cut. No sh!t. He's been in this position before, and has renegotiated each time. Willie should be concerned with two things right now, earning more rings, and enhancing his HOF chances. Both of those are best accomplished with Belichick.
When Brady's last year of his contract gets here, he can write the same thing. If Brady's contract isn't renegotiated he could be a free agent.
In fact you could take any player in the NFL, write "could be a cap casualty" and be right. And I could be the next Mr. Jessica Simpson. And could be the #1 pick in this years draft. And could have already won 10 million dollars in the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.

call me a bleedng heart. i've whined about this before.
"if mcginest doesn't restructure, he could be cut." sure. that's ok, and players gotta be willing to do that in a cap-driven league.
but the patriots signed him to a contract. that contract called for him to be paid, at some point, a bonus of approx. $3.5 million, which willie has agreed to move around, hide, etc (it's shown as a roster bonus this year) to make his contract more cap-friendly.
it looks like all the capology tricks have been exhausted. IMO if there were more years in the CBA willie would continue to restructure. but this year, patriots either have to pay him the money IN HIS SIGNED CONTRACT, or RENEGE ON THE CONTRACT by simply giving him his release.
surely when the patriots signed willie's contract, it was clear that there would be a big cap hit during one of the years of the deal.
in baseball, they can't do what seems to be imminent. can't do it in basketball either. in both those sports, the team is required to do what is agreed to in the player's SIGNED CONTRACT, even if they cut him.
so the patriots will renege on the man's contract because they don't want to pay him a bonus that they committed to 4 years ago.
if they cut him in order to renege on the $3.5 million bonus that they agreed to contractually, willie will have a hard choice.
it seems to me that a player who returns to the franchise that reneged on his contract has to swallow a bagful of pride. this is a scenario where a player who says "it's not about the money, it's about respect" is addressing a basic truth.
we know BB wants him back, and has told him so. we know he wants to play for the patriots. we know that nobody will "beat him out" for the role he plays.
but the phrase "If McGinest doesn't restrure, he could be cut." seems to omit the context that exists here.