The Front Office has guaranteed that 2006 will not be repeated. We will never have another year without even one quality wide receiver. Stallworth and Welker are signed long-term. They are stars and the base for the future.
I see absolutely no reason to tear up Stallworth's contract because we were able to add Moss. Stallworth's contract is a fine contract. He can be one of our top receivers for many years. Stallworth has done everything asked of him, and then some. And yes, he is all-pro, who can add yards after the catch.
We COULD ask Washington to take a major cut or leave. I wouldn't. Washington also has done everything asked of him and is a PERFECT #5 receiver, a player who could step in as needed, but be a top special teamer when not needed as a receiver. We haven't needed him this year as a receiver. He hasn't whined. He has just done his job. This is just the kind of player that we should want to build our team around.
So we have a base of Stallworth, Welker and Washington for the next four years. That is AWESOME! The wide receiver position will NOT be a weakness for Brady again.
There are many unknowns. But these challenges make a solid group into a great receiving group. There is no reason to give up the base, just because we add quality. Moss may or not be re-signed, and who knows how many years he will play. Ditto for Gaffney. Jackson may give us value in 2008 and/or 2009, or not. The point is that we do not need rely on any of this. The Front Office saw the light, saw the gaping hole in the 2006 team, and solved it for the next several years!
For the handwringers with regard to the cap, please understand that the patriots are one of two teams who understand the cap better than anyone on the inside or outside (well expect for Miguel and Adam).
Please repeat after me. "We are not in cap trouble. We have not been in cap trouble since before the 2003 season, and we will not be in cap trouble for the foreseeable future." This is Kraft's promise to you. Please believe and understand that this is a constant, the constant that will guarantee competitive teams, teams with a shot at the playoffs and Super Bowl, every year that Kraft owns the team. I am not saying that we should discuss the cap and cap effects. Surely, I enjoying doing so. But, in the end, I know that this will never be a worry.
There are some things they could do in restructure that he might not mind, like paying some money sooner against scrapping some later. But they really don't have to. His cap hit once his option bonus and even roster bonus money is converted to signing bonus drops exponentially. If he's a $3.5-4M cap hit for 2008 and 2009, and then a $7-8M cap hit in 2010-2012, that's not necessarily unworkable. Moss is 4 years older than Donte and could easily be gone or wearing down substantially by 2010. And the AAV cap for #1 WR's by then will likely be double digits and a new TV deal will be looming. I'm just not sure you want to walk away from a 27 year old legit #1 signed to a reasonable deal for 5 more years and put all your eggs into the 31 year old Moss basket. Brady can do more with less, but the more you give him the more he can do, too. Can take substantial heat off a transitioning defense, too.
