How about trading Mayo to LB-starved 49ers

[meatface]

What exactly do they have that we would want?

 

[IcyPatriot]

Wonder if players ever wander over here ... read a thread like this and say:

"How about trading your ass for some new Gatorade bottles".

 

[glm]

Why's that? We've been able to get it done without him, he's always injured, and he's eating up a lot of cap space.

More versatility for starters. Plus you don't have the slightest clue if he'll be injured next year so that is irrelevant

 

[Ivan]

I am curious. What do you think Mayo or Hightower is worth? Is it the same for both? What kind of deal would it take?

How about keeping them and having the best LB corps in football? Mayo has been out for almost two seasons there is zero value in getting rid of him, and Hightower has shown there making of a great player, I want them to strengthen the weaknesses but doing it by addition not subtraction. DL is good , LB is excellent, safety b is really good overall but CB is s need. Go get a CB our two, don't weaken LB to try and bolster CB.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

People forget that Mayo had a MCL injury in both 2009 and 2011 before the pectoral and patella injury.

He's played 12 games out of 37 games the past two seasons and he will be 30 years old next February.

On top of this, he has around a 10 Million cap hit this year and next year.

If this player's name was "XYZ" instead of Mayo, what would you give in terms of draft picks for this player?

I'd give...nothing. I don't care if XYZ turned out to be **** Butkus, if he can't stay on the field he is of no use to the team.

There is little to no trade value to Mayo right now and both the Patriots and Mayo know that.

If I was the Patriots, I would give him one of two choices (assuming he is given the ok to play)....significant reduction in compensation or release/trade.
And if comes back healthy, I would trade him next year when he might have some value.
Also, this year I would draft his replacement.

Fans have what I call...."previ-vision". They see players as they were and not what they currently are in regards to their value. Thank goodness Kraft looks forward and not back.

Wow.. they have zero reason to flat out release Mayo.. none.. They have plenty of cap space to sign their draft picks and still sign a couple players who may be June 1st cuts.. they also have other accounting moves they can do to free up even more cap space if needed...

Releasing Mayo outright would be nothing short of foolish. The ONLY way that releasing him would have made any sense whatsoever is if they desperately needed the cap room to keep Revis or someone like that, and since that isn't the case.. it would be a total blunder to release one of the best players on the team..

Mayo had a freak injury... but every single time hes been on the field he is one of the best players on the entire team.. 29 years old is not that old in linebacker years.. especially for someone as fresh as him who hasn't played much the last 2 season... Vrable, Bruschi, Seaue, McGinest etc all played well into their 30's... Mayo's deal takes him to 32 or 33 years old.. he can very easily maintain a high level of play until then, so again releasing him would be absolutely foolish. You get nothing in return, not even a compensatory pick for a Pro Bowl linebacker.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Well that is the rub really. I am pretty sure everyone would agree the right guy is worth trading Mayo/Hightower for but what is the right guy? What value is worth it?

Almost everyone on here would agree Mayo/Hightower are worth a top 15 CB.. Are they worth top 20? 25?

What is your persistence on trying to trade Hightower in some hypothetical trade? Hightower is a stud linebacker for us and hes like 24 years old.. we drafted him with the 25th pick in the first round... I just don't get where you're coming from... You want to trade a first round talent that has developed and produced at a high level for us.. for what? A CB? A high draft pick?

Its insane... Hightower is a PROVEN COMMODITY... you dont trade a young, talented and proven commodity for an unknown.

Hightower is a top 15-20 LB in the NFL... what do you think you're going to get trading him away? I just dont get it at all or why you keep bringing him up in some trade scenario...

 

[Boston Boxer]

I think this would be good way to free up cap space, and get a second round pick in return. There LB core is depleted. Mayo is still a good player but replaceable in New England. He still has some value as a pro bowl LB. Injury concerns but he could help them. What do you guys think?

i would say no at this point since we are a little thin at LB and Hightower is injured. I have no problem with trading Mayo, but i dont think this is a good time to do that

 

[JarOfMayo51]

I am curious. What do you think Mayo or Hightower is worth? Is it the same for both? What kind of deal would it take?

Im not even sure I would trade Hightower for TWO first round draft picks....

You use your 1st rounders to try and get a stud... and a lot of times teams completely miss.. or they don't get a stud, they just get an average starter... Hightower is a stud linebacker... You could spend 2 draft picks in the middle of the first round and come away with duds... You have a proven commodity in him... you don't go out of your way to try and trade away a young, proven commodity...

That is not how you build a successful team.. thats how you destroy it by gambling..

Ever heard the expression, a bird in the hand is worth more than 2 in the bush? That applies here.

 

[BobDigital]

What is your persistence on trying to trade Hightower in some hypothetical trade? Hightower is a stud linebacker for us and hes like 24 years old.. we drafted him with the 25th pick in the first round... I just don't get where you're coming from... You want to trade a first round talent that has developed and produced at a high level for us.. for what? A CB? A high draft pick?

Its insane... Hightower is a PROVEN COMMODITY... you dont trade a young, talented and proven commodity for an unknown.

Hightower is a top 15-20 LB in the NFL... what do you think you're going to get trading him away? I just dont get it at all or why you keep bringing him up in some trade scenario...

I don't think I persistently bring it up. I mentioned the idea in a few mocks and then saw this thread had decided to comment on it cause the topic is interesting.

I don't really feel a need to trade Hightower or Mayo. If something were to come up I would certainly consider it. Yes Hightower is a proven commodity. If we did go player for player I would need to get a proven commodity back. Like i said I would not like to down grade talent in any trade. I just don't take the idea off the table and if a good deal presents itself they should definitely consider it. If we can get a young cheap CB that is as good at CB as Hightower is at LB I would probably do it.

If you would not that is fine.

 

[BobDigital]

Im not even sure I would trade Hightower for TWO first round draft picks....

You use your 1st rounders to try and get a stud... and a lot of times teams completely miss.. or they don't get a stud, they just get an average starter... Hightower is a stud linebacker... You could spend 2 draft picks in the middle of the first round and come away with duds... You have a proven commodity in him... you don't go out of your way to try and trade away a young, proven commodity...

That is not how you build a successful team.. thats how you destroy it by gambling..

Ever heard the expression, a bird in the hand is worth more than 2 in the bush? That applies here.

For 2 I would probably do it depending on where the picks fall. It is a risk assessment. Sure it could blow up in your face or look really smart or anywhere in between.

With BB's history in the first I would be pretty confident it would work. I don't think they should go out of there way to trade him. They should not just throw his name out there and say "Highest bidder before the draft wins". If a team gives you an offer though it certainly be worth considering like any offer would.

Particularly since it is an area that you could theoretically absorb that kind of loss easier.

 

[Ivan]

Trading for the sake of trading makes no sense. There really is something to be said for building units and cohesion and this Patriots defense is young and has a lot of reps together. Hightower is a really good young LB who can play all sorts of roles in their hybrid defenses and has the brains to run them. Why the hell would anyone get rid of a young player like that? Mayo is a consummate team player and Belichick is on record that he's the Bruschi of this team, again, you don't get rid of that, especially for bargain basement prices.

I can understand why people want help at the corner but I think Belichick is planning his defense around his linebacking corps, and as they stand they should be excellent.

 

[RI Patriots fan]

Wow.. they have zero reason to flat out release Mayo.. none.. They have plenty of cap space to sign their draft picks and still sign a couple players who may be June 1st cuts.. they also have other accounting moves they can do to free up even more cap space if needed...

Releasing Mayo outright would be nothing short of foolish. The ONLY way that releasing him would have made any sense whatsoever is if they desperately needed the cap room to keep Revis or someone like that, and since that isn't the case.. it would be a total blunder to release one of the best players on the team..

Mayo had a freak injury... but every single time hes been on the field he is one of the best players on the entire team.. 29 years old is not that old in linebacker years.. especially for someone as fresh as him who hasn't played much the last 2 season... Vrable, Bruschi, Seaue, McGinest etc all played well into their 30's... Mayo's deal takes him to 32 or 33 years old.. he can very easily maintain a high level of play until then, so again releasing him would be absolutely foolish. You get nothing in return, not even a compensatory pick for a Pro Bowl linebacker.

Mayo isn't a "Pro Bowl" LB. He was a "Pro Bowl" LB...as in, past tense.

Now, he is a 4 time injured LB (not freak injured)...MCL (x2), Pectoral, and Patella......who is coming off his second season in a row with a season ending injury 6 games into the season.

You don't just pay someone because you have the cap money. You pay a player because they can provide value to your team. Mayo, and the injury risk that he brings, is not worth $10M in cap money...period. If you think so, show me one other player in the league who is costing his team $10M in cap this year after only playing 6 games or less in the last 2 seasons.
Just one....good luck finding him.

Mayo brought no value to the team last year yet he cost the team over $7M in cap. The LB corp looked fantastic without him and we won a Super Bowl completely without him.

It would be foolish to keep him if he doesn't take a substantial pay cut.

 

[ausbacker]

Mayo isn't a "Pro Bowl" LB. He was a "Pro Bowl" LB...as in, past tense.

Now, he is a 4 time injured LB (not freak injured)...MCL (x2), Pectoral, and Patella......who is coming off his second season in a row with a season ending injury 6 games into the season.

You don't just pay someone because you have the cap money. You pay a player because they can provide value to your team. Mayo, and the risk of wasted cap due to injury that he brings, is not worth $10M in cap money...period. If you think so, show me one other player in the league who is costing his team $10M in cap this year after only playing 6 games or less in the last 2 seasons.
Just one....good luck finding him.

Mayo brought no value to the team last year yet he cost the team over $7M in cap. The LB corp looked fantastic without him and we won a Super Bowl completely without him.

It would be foolish to keep him if he doesn't take a substantial pay cut.

How do you know Mayo brought no value to the team? What if he was a unifying locker room presence and a large driver of Hightower and Collins' development?

On the field Mayo offered little value. Off it, I dare say you're misinformed as to his value.

 

[RI Patriots fan]

How do you know Mayo brought no value to the team? What if he was a unifying locker room presence and a large driver of Hightower and Collins' development?

On the field Mayo offered little value. Off it, I dare say you're misinformed as to his value.

So we put aside $10M in cap money because he might be responsible for the LB corp development through coaching? Are you trying to be obtuse?

If he's that great at coaching people up, then by all means hire him as the new LB coach.

But on the field, he did nothing.....he wasn't there.

 

[Joker]

oh goody...competition for the "I Hate Amendola!" threads...can't wait for the summer threads...

 

[Miguel]

It would be foolish to keep him if he doesn't take a substantial pay cut.

Is there anyone who thinks that Mayo will be on the Patriots 2015 roster at his current cap number? I am pretty sure that pretty much everyone acknowledges that when Mayo gets healthy that he and the Pats will look to redo his deal.

 

[ausbacker]

So we put aside $10M in cap money because he might be responsible for the LB corp development through coaching? Are you trying to be obtuse?

If he's that great at coaching people up, then by all means hire him as the new LB coach.

But on the field, he did nothing.....he wasn't there.

You made a comment that Mayo brought no value to the team last season. I showed you how he could have brought value. Perhaps you should reconsider making broad sweeping statements without considering more than one factor.

 

[Marinlik]

I am curious. What do you think Mayo or Hightower is worth? Is it the same for both? What kind of deal would it take?

Hightower is worth more because he isn't coming off two season injuries, he's also younger and a rising star. Mayo on the other hand is coming off two seasons on IR he isn't that young. I like Mayo. But his value potential trade value has sunken a lot because of his injuries. I think he's worth more to the Patriots than to any other team right now.

I would have to take a lot if I where to trade Hightower, because he definitely play as a really good first round player, so one first round pick wouldn't cut it as the draft is a crap shot and we've already hit on Hightower. But really. It would have to be a real blow me away trade. I see no reason to trade our rising star, our young linebacker.

But I just don't see why would trade away a young stud that we can build our defense around.

 

[pdangle]

People are so quick to get rid of mayo. It's sad really.

I'd hope most here are above this. I hope it's just hypothetically, if NE NEEDED desperately to make room, Mayo would surely be a good candidate with a high cap #, and high value to other teams, especially SF.

But hey, with my favorite 1-year rental player gone, is cap space even still an issue this year. Next year maybe.

I'm actually excited, and hoping injury gods let it happen, what a healthy Mayo will add coming back to the front 7. This guy is top caliber. His injuries seem unlucky to me, more so than frailty.

Were gonna add 2 players to the existing LB/OLD core actually.

Aside from the incredible depth and injury protection BB is amassing at DE/OLB and LB, just imagine a siiiick rotation of the 3 LBs (collins, ht, mayo) and 3 DE's (nink, sheard, jones) into 4 spots (or 5 or even 6 i guess) a la SEA 2013, pre player drain SB #1 season. Remember how frenzied they were on D? How much motor? And gas left in the tank end of every game? That is all the result of fresh legs. This is what IMO BB is trying to achieve, and it's within the mad scientist's grasp if all goes healthily. Just think how much better on a play basis Jones could be if he got a little rest every now and then. These guys will be animals. Collins? You kidding me. Keep him primed and ready to unleash, but not, every play. I like what NE has right now.

 

[DarrylS]

The Pats probably have one of the best LB corps in the NFL and now fans want to trade him for a draft pick?? Probably late round.

Trades in the NFL: Brandon Marshall and a Chicago 7th rounder for a NYJ 5th; Haloti NGati for a 4th and 5th rounder... the trend seems to be for lesser value, and in Mayo's case coming off an injury even further diminishes his value.

Mayo is a lynchpin of this organization, both off and on the field, but he needs to adjust his salary and suspect that will take place.. but I would never trade him, he is one of those guys who has more value to the Pats than most other teams in the NFL..