Jason Taylor or Kevin Faulk

[mgteich]

Without cutting players with major salaries, we will already need to have a restructure or two in order to sign the rookies and have the cap money to go into the season. That's fine. That's business as usual.

If we want Taylor, either he needs to play for about what Woods plays for or we will need to figure out where to get the cap monies.

One option is to cut Faulk and draft a running back or two to replace Faulk and Green-Ellis. Surely, Taylor AND Morris AND Maroney AND two rookies can handle the load and put us in good shaper for the future. Hopefully one of the rookies will turn out to be a major contributor.
===================

Well, I made the argument as best I can. My choice would be to extend Faulk and not worry about Taylor.

 

[BelichickFan]

Without cutting players with major salaries, we will already need to have a restructure or two in order to sign the rookies and have the cap money to go into the season. That's fine. That's business as usual.

I think we have a little to spare actually. Miguel is guessing we're around $4.3M under the cap with 50 players signed (if I counted right). The draft picks won't cost much, for an example #2, Wheatley's cap hit was $615K last year. And for the #1, Meriweather was $1.4M as a rookie. As we have 50 players signed, the hit to our cap will be those relatively small amounts minus a minimum salary guy at around $400K or so.

 

[spacecrime]

Without cutting players with major salaries, we will already need to have a restructure or two in order to sign the rookies and have the cap money to go into the season. That's fine. That's business as usual.

If we want Taylor, either he needs to play for about what Woods plays for or we will need to figure out where to get the cap monies.

One option is to cut Faulk and draft a running back or two to replace Faulk and Green-Ellis.

With the money we save by replacing BJGE with a rookie, the Patriots won't save enough to sign another cheerleader, never mind Jason Taylor.

I've never been a huge Kevin Faulk fan. The less he touches the ball, the lower my stress levels during a game. But I don't know about replacing him with a rookie for third downs. If he hadn't been suspended for the first game of the season last year, Pollard probably never makes it to Brady's knee.

Right now I think a good third down back is more important than Taylor.

 

[mgteich]

If Faulk were to go, I would want to use two draft picks to find a replacement. One would likely replace Green-Ellis.

With the money we save by replacing BJGE with a rookie, the Patriots won't save enough to sign another cheerleader, never mind Jason Taylor.

I've never been a huge Kevin Faulk fan. The less he touches the ball, the lower my stress levels during a game. But I don't know about replacing him with a rookie for third downs. If he hadn't been suspended for the first game of the season last year, Pollard probably never makes it to Brady's knee.

Right now I think a good third down back is more important than Taylor.

 

[Rob0729]

I don't see it being a problem getting Taylor signed without any major renegotiations or cuts. All they would need to do is convert some of Brady's and/or Light's base salary into a signing bonus. We aren't talking signing Peppers to a long term deal. We are talking signing Jason Taylor probably to a two to three year deal. We are probably talking a cap hit of $2-3 million this year for Taylor. Fred Taylor's cap number is only about $700k more than Woods and he is getting paid significantly more.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I don't see it being a problem getting Taylor signed without any major renegotiations or cuts. All they would need to do is convert some of Brady's and/or Light's base salary into a signing bonus. We aren't talking signing Peppers to a long term deal. We are talking signing Jason Taylor probably to a two to three year deal. We are probably talking a cap hit of $2-3 million this year for Taylor. Fred Taylor's cap number is only about $700k more than Woods and he is getting paid significantly more.

Remember, though, the 30% rule applies to renegotiated contracts, not just new ones. So, for example, if the Pats want to convert Brady's salaries to signing bonuses, they need to convert much of his 2010 salary, as well.

 

[Jackson 2]

I want Kevin Faulk on this team. Period.

 

[patsox23]

This is a totally false choice, IMO. We will have Faulk AND Taylor on this team if we feel like it. They are not even CLOSE to mutually exclusive.

 

[signbabybrady]

Why radomly oust Faulk?

He has such a key role and comes up so clutch time and time again....I just can't see us cutting Faulk.

 

[fnordcircle]

Why radomly oust Faulk?

It's because of that new rule forbidding teams who have players named Faulk on the team from signing a player named Taylor.

No seriously it's a bizarre choice because Kevin Faulk retires a Patriot.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

If I had to choose between them, im choosing Faulk. I don't know what the hell 'spacecrime' is talking about. Faulk has kept alot drives going over the years. Personally, i could care less if Taylor plays for us this year, or not. If BB wants him, he'll find a way to sign him, but it wont be at Faulks expense. Faulk is going nowhere. We do need to start looking at a replacement for him, so im not at all opposed to drafting rb's. He has less wear, and tear than some rb's, but he's still getting up there in age.

 

[primetime]

I've never been a huge Kevin Faulk fan. The less he touches the ball, the lower my stress levels during a game. But I don't know about replacing him with a rookie for third downs. If he hadn't been suspended for the first game of the season last year, Pollard probably never makes it to Brady's knee.

Right now I think a good third down back is more important than Taylor.

This makes sense. I've never been a huge Kevin Faulk fan but he's really good at what he does and all. Totally man.

I don't get the stress thing? He had fumbling problems earlier in his career but he has 1 fumble (and no lost fumbles) in the last 3 seasons, in which he has been the most important running back in the offense.

If it comes down between a large investment in an unsure thing and a guy who's one of the most important pieces on the offense (it wouldn't anyways), you take the latter. That's Faulk.

 

[SladeRider]

I think the Pats can get both without losing the other. But if I had to chose between the two, it would be Faulk everytime.

Faulk is an important cog in the offense, a great 3rd down running back who can catch out the backfield and make something happen to get the 1st down, he is a valuable weapon to have on offense and from the games I've seen of him (the last 2 seasons), there hasn't been any major problems.

 

[Fencer]

If there were a category for "shotgun RB", Faulk would be a Pro Bowler.

And the shotgun is huge for the Pats.

He stays.

 

[Patjew]

I can't handle losing any more of the 2001 guys this year. Plus I love that little Faulker.

But I think we end up with both.

 

[dhamz]

I declare this the official off-season let's cut Kevin Faulk thread! There is one of these every year on this board and it never makes any sense. I'm stunned there is still a segment of the fan base who can't see Faulk's production level.

Patsox23 summed up this thread perfectly - Taylor signing would not mean cutting Faulk and linking them together like this is just a false premise.

 

[Mack Herron]

Faulk is one of the most valuable players on the team, and probably the best on third down where he is also one of the best in the league. Our best receiver out of the backfield who consistently moves the chains and picks up the blitz. He has improved every year and nobody made more big plays last year than Kevin Faulk.

 

[Pats726]

I declare this the official off-season let's cut Kevin Faulk thread! There is one of these every year on this board and it never makes any sense. I'm stunned there is still a segment of the fan base who can't see Faulk's production level.

Patsox23 summed up this thread perfectly - Taylor signing would not mean cutting Faulk and linking them together like this is just a false premise.

I ahree with this as well...I think the team will have both!!

 

[fnordcircle]

Guys we can only have either Richard Seymour or Vince Wilfork cause the cap guys.

 

[Rossmci90]

Faulk is one of the most valuable players on the team, and probably the best on third down where he is also one of the best in the league. Our best receiver out of the backfield who consistently moves the chains and picks up the blitz. He has improved every year and nobody made more big plays last year than Kevin Faulk.

I agree, but i also think that Kevin Faulk deserves a mention