Is this the worst FA period for the Pats in the last 10 Years?

[varjao]

This was a bad merge, that thread had it's own subject and purpose that it's a little different than this worst FA period etc..

This was my reply on BobDigital thread that I couldn't submit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The Patriots have their approach to FA that we all know and after a SB win I couldn't expect anything different than a reinforcement of that approach, but I agree with you in certain points that they might have been caught off guard in some situations, this was an unusual free agency with all the teams giving a huge middle finger to Goodell and making deals under the table, huge deals by the way, when the official FA period began it was already over with 80% of the attractive players all set.

So the Patriots usually pay low, the market have gone crazy with huge deals and the Pats did stay put so this delta became even broader. Anyway I expect other moves, I'm not pissed nor optimistic, I just drop my expectations a little bit, a month ago I expect the Patriots to be absolutely favorites to the SB again, retaining Revis, McCourthy, counting on a healthy Easley, adding maybe a Laffell type receiver, adding talented players through the draft to shore up the lines, maybe a couple talented vets wanting a championship ride... Now that a lot of those things didn't happen I expect us to be in the hunt like every other year but I admit I'm getting mental ready to see other QB's playing like Dan Marino against us every Sunday again.

Just out of curiosity check this thread on the Cowboys forum

http://boards.dallascowboys.com/topic/47998-dallas-copy-patriots-blueprint/

 

[RobertWeathers]

Are we 0-1?

No..but the sky is falling.

 

[BobDigital]

This is absolutely ridiculous. Do you really believe the team gave Nink a raise simply because they ran out of better options for the money?

No that is not what I believe. What I do believe is the plan was not all along to give Nink a pay raise this year. Maybe it saves them money next year. Maybe Nink was not happy with his contract and was going to leave after it was up if he didn't get a pay raise. I don't have all the details and said before this post would be opinion/conjecture. I think they could have used that money in a different way to help them this year.

I sense a whole lot of jumping to conclusions about the Ninkovich contract. Not every internal storyline goes public instantly (like the Michael Bennett news yesterday). There are a whole lot of explanations that make more sense than "they did something they didn't need to because they have no other use for their money."

Yes there is a fair amount of conclusion jumping here. I thought it would be interesting though and offer a slightly fresh take and get a conversation doing. Maybe that contract change will look good this year in retrospect. If I am wrong it would not be the first time. But I don't mind stepping out on a limb to throw this opinion out there cause the worst that could happen is it turns out to be wrong and no one is hurt. : P

 

[BobDigital]

This is the same poster that told me he was going to tell on me if I called him a name. So, consider the source.

No. I threatened to report you after you repeatedly insulted other posters. I did not make such a threat when it was directed at me. Please be accurate with your critiques of me In the future.

 

[Bruins29]

No. I threatened to report you after you repeated insulted other posters. I did not make such a threat when it was directed at me. Please be accurate with your critiques of me In the future.

 

[BobDigital]

This was a bad merge, that thread had it's own subject and purpose that it's a little different than this worst FA period etc..

This was my reply on BobDigital thread that I couldn't submit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The Patriots have their approach to FA that we all know and after a SB win I couldn't expect anything different than a reinforcement of that approach, but I agree with you in certain points that they might have been caught off guard in some situations, this was an unusual free agency with all the teams giving a huge middle finger to Goodell and making deals under the table, huge deals by the way, when the official FA period began it was already over with 80% of the attractive players all set.

So the Patriots usually pay low, the market have gone crazy with huge deals and the Pats stay put so this delta became even broader. Anyway I expect other moves, I'm not pissed nor optimistic, I just drop my expectations a little bit, a month ago I expect the Patriots to be absolutely favorites to the SB again, retaining Revis, McCourthy, counting on a healthy Easley, adding maybe a Laffell type receiver, adding talented players through the draft to shore up the lines. Now that a lot of those things didn't happen I expect us to be in the hunt like every other year but I admit I'm getting mental ready to see other QB's playing like Dan Marino against us every Sunday again.

Just out of curiosity check this thread on the Cowboys forum

http://boards.dallascowboys.com/topic/47998-dallas-copy-patriots-blueprint/

That's for saying that. I also think the merge was not needed cause I thought it was different enough (though admittedly in the same ball park in many senses).

I think your point has merit. In many years this approach has served them a lot better but this year was a little different. That "legal tempering period" was no friend to them. I do think other moves are coming but I also think they have lost much of their ability to be proactive and must now be reactive.

Interesting read on that Dallas board.

 

[Oswlek]

What I do believe is the plan was not all along to give Nink a pay raise this year. Maybe it saves them money next year. Maybe Nink was not happy with his contract and was going to leave after it was up if he didn't get a pay raise. I don't have all the details and said before this post would be opinion/conjecture. I think they could have used that money in a different way to help them this year.

Maybe if a bunch of guys had taken NE up on their offer, it would have pushed Nink back, but it was clearly on the table or else it wouldn't have been done now. If NE was simply looking for a place to throw money, you can be sure it would have been Jones, HT or Solder first.

NE's offers had nothing to do with Nink, they were based solely on the value NE placed on that player.

 

[manxman2601]

Why did they fail? Well first off we must accept things in FA happen fast and a lot is predetermined. You need to be aggressive if you want to land top players as half already have deals in place and the other half will go fast.

Well one reason is they had their eyes on a few players Lewis - CB, Mathis - G, ect.. I believe guys were among some of their main targets. However they got out bid or the price they were hoping to get was not there or the team's needs changed or other things happened making these deals no longer on the table. I don't know for sure. Whatever the reason is the Pats could not land them. While they failed to do these things top players were coming off the board.

Is there any evidence at all for this? Mathis is supposedly still available for trade and we've seen reports that the Patriots aren't interested, backed by the fact that they took a good long look at OG prospects at the combine. As for Lewis, I've not seen a single report linking Lewis to the Pats.

 

[BobDigital]

Is there any evidence at all for this? Mathis is supposedly still available for trade and we've seen reports that the Patriots aren't interested, backed by the fact that they took a good long look at OG prospects at the combine. As for Lewis, I've not seen a single report linking Lewis to the Pats.

I read the same reports you did. No one will ever have the whole story and if they did they certainly would not tell me. As I said this is opinion/conjecture. I do not claim to know for sure these are the facts but it is the case I believe to be true. Like I said before I could be wrong.

 

[BobDigital]

Maybe if a bunch of guys had taken NE up on their offer, it would have pushed Nink back, but it was clearly on the table or else it wouldn't have been done now. If NE was simply looking for a place to throw money, you can be sure it would have been Jones, HT or Solder first.

NE's offers had nothing to do with Nink, they were based solely on the value NE placed on that player.

You are right. If they were not at least willing to do it then it would not have gotten done. I don't think it was just throwing money. There was probably some reason or gain behind it we don't know. I do believe they could have used it better though.

Also I don't believe they are inclined to change HT and Jones' contract this year. That would open up too many cans of worms. Also Solder if anything would get paid less this year if extended. I don't think that would have happened.

 

[manxman2601]

I read the same reports you did. No one will ever have the whole story and if they did they certainly would not tell me. As I said this is opinion/conjecture. I do not claim to know for sure these are the facts but it is the case I believe to be true. Like I said before I could be wrong.

But you were being specific about the names and there isn't any evidence to support that. It's fine to speculate as to what BBs plan might be but you worded it as fact and that's what I had an issue with because it clearly isn't (a known) fact that BB planned on getting Keenan Lewis and Evan Mathis.

 

[BobDigital]

But you were being specific about the names and there isn't any evidence to support that. It's fine to speculate as to what BBs plan might be but you worded it as fact and that's what I had an issue with because it clearly isn't (a known) fact that BB planned on getting Keenan Lewis and Evan Mathis.

Well here is what i was going by for example.

http://nesn.com/2015/03/report-patriots-show-interest-in-trading-for-eagles-guard-evan-mathis/

Keenan Lewis did not have as strong a case but we heard he wanted to get out of New Orleans and there was a lot of speculation on this board and other places that a trade might have been a possibility especially considering how active the Saints have been this off season. That is out on a longer limb than Mathis admittedly with less to back it up. More just a bunch of whispers than a hard source.

And no it was not a clear fact in either case.

 

[dikembe]

Hi Dikembe

HELLO FRIEND

 

[FCB02062]

This has been an absolute train wreck dumpster fire of an off season....can't remember a super bowl champ ever having an post SB period filled with as many key losses in fa coupled with a bunch of head scratching decisions...
As fans wanting a repeat we can't help get discouraged when the 3 division opponents make positive additions (I don't care if Miami or buffalo is in "cap jail" two yrs from now; its this season we're concerned with) and our own team leaves us wondering what the plan is. Is it f the secondary and build a dominant pass rush? OK, is a guy from Cleveland who's #s have gotten worse each season the answer to generating a fearsome front 7? Is it screw it, we'll win with offense & outscore everyone? Well, is Scott chandler and tavaris Jackson mcadel whatever the f the jag from NOs name is the answer? Really? Not even talking about the two bums they signed at receiver...
I just hope the roster is much different come September cuz this roster has 9-7, 10-6 written all over it and a road loss divisional weekend...
GO PATS
think kraftys pot o gold is buried somewhere down rate 1 at Jonathan City? Perhaps outside Toby Keith's? Maybe under the ice at kraftys pay to skate postage stamp sheet of ice ($8 & $4 skate rental! Get it before the ice melts!)...my guess is buried 'neath victor kiams tomb....

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Great merge!
This thread is like flypaper for morons!

Oh, wait...

 

[VectorPrime]

This has been an absolute train wreck dumpster fire of an off season....can't remember a super bowl champ ever having an post SB period filled with as many key losses in fa coupled with a bunch of head scratching decisions...
As fans wanting a repeat we can't help get discouraged when the 3 division opponents make positive additions (I don't care if Miami or buffalo is in "cap jail" two yrs from now; its this season we're concerned with) and our own team leaves us wondering what the plan is. Is it f the secondary and build a dominant pass rush? OK, is a guy from Cleveland who's #s have gotten worse each season the answer to generating a fearsome front 7? Is it screw it, we'll win with offense & outscore everyone? Well, is Scott chandler and tavaris Jackson mcadel whatever the f the jag from NOs name is the answer? Really? Not even talking about the two bums they signed at receiver...
I just hope the roster is much different come September cuz this roster has 9-7, 10-6 written all over it and a road loss divisional weekend...
GO PATS
think kraftys pot o gold is buried somewhere down rate 1 at Jonathan City? Perhaps outside Toby Keith's? Maybe under the ice at kraftys pay to skate postage stamp sheet of ice ($8 & $4 skate rental! Get it before the ice melts!)...my guess is buried 'neath victor kiams tomb....

If you're gonna go on a rant at least use paragraphs.

 

[TomPatriot]

Actually, it has been the best FA period in more than a decade. Winning the SB might have something to do with that.

 

[Galeb]

Great merge!
This thread is like flypaper for morons!

Oh, wait...

I hear ya, there's a bunch of morons who keep posting in this thread.

 

[brdmaverick]

It would be tough to be worse than the offseason of 2013.

Do you remember the WR competition we had in camp for 2012? Welker, Lloyd, Gafney, Edelman, Branch, Stallworth...we were wondering who to keep.

In 2013 three rookie WR's made the team.

So we lost Welker, Lloyd, and Branch in addition to the arrest and release of Aaron Hernandez.
If you recall our biggest signing was Tim Tebow.

Ya, Tim Tebow.

 

[meatface]

No it is not