Let's say McCourty walks. What is the plan?

[Bruins29]

Top 10? He is top 5 FS and arguably top 3 FS

 

[JackBauer]

There's also fairly decent portion of posters on this site who viewed McCourty as the worst player ever after his rookie season, and would never be convinced otherwise.

He's not a HOFer, but he's a top 10 safety in this league. Maybe that says a lot about the lack of safeties. Maybe it just says we don't know how to evaluate secondary players. But the list of better guys starts with something like Earl Thomas, when-healthy Eric Berry, ummm...maybe Chancellor. Then.............

He's not the best guy in the league. He's not going to Canton based on his production so far. But he's a top 10 guy. And there are at least 25 teams that would give him a starting job tomorrow if they could afford him.

To your point, and with the disclaimer that I don't agree 100% with this ranking (Chancellor too low, Saints safeties criminally overrated)...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000392284/article/earl-thomas-tops-list-of-nfls-best-safeties

There just aren't many safeties of McCourty's caliber in the league today.

 

[Oswlek]

McCourty is just butt-hurt that they didn't franchise tag him. Tagging him would have been stupid. Paying absolute top dollar on a one-year deal with the worst possible cap hit. There's no benefit to the Pats in tagging him at all. If they want to pay him $9 million a year, they would do a 5 year $45 million deal and at least be able to spread the cap hit out. It never made any sense to tag a safety at $9 million.

This isn't remotely the case. Why would Devin be upset about missing out on $9mm when it assures him he is going to get at least 3X that amount? That makes no sense. And McCourty being tagged doesn't stop NE from subsequently being able to sign him to the longer deal, it just gives them exclusive rights for the next year.

 

[slash83]

Not sure about the rest of you but I'm really surprised we haven't really heard much of anything between the pats and Revis/mccourty.

 

[Oswlek]

Belichick decided that he wasn't paying $9.5m for safety. Isn't it that simple?

Why does it have to be? What if Bill just thinks he has a better shot at extending McCourty than Ghost? Or that he has a better backup plan in the even of Devin leaving than Ghost? Or he's willing to pay McCourty that amount, but he wants to play the odds that the market will come in a little lower.

There are a number of reasons why Bill would tag Ghost over Devin aside from simply refusing to pay that amount.

 

[luuked]

But the list of better guys starts with something like Earl Thomas, when-healthy Eric Berry, ummm...maybe Chancellor.

Chancellor is a completely different type of player. You can compare them as much as you can compare Gronk and Graham. Yes both have TE as their position but that is about it.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Chancellor is a completely different type of player. You can compare them as much as you can compare Gronk and Graham. Yes both have TE as their position but that is about it.

Just to clarify, I wasn't restricting to just the FS position, and I think you know that. We're talking safeties, and I think he's on the list. Feel free to remove him, and it only strengthens the earlier point about McCourty being in the top 10, and personally, my top 5. You could talk me into top 3.

 

[1960Pats]

As a matter of fact 1959. I attended my first game on 9/9/1960.

You have to forgive him. He's a little on edge about the Bruins' lack of scoring.

I was a Pats fan back then too, but I didn't get to a game until years later, San Diego at Fenway Park.

 

[condon84]

Harmon is probably the plan if McCourty isn't back.

He's been in the system long enough to know the responsibilities and he's shown that he can play the ball well.

 

[luuked]

Just to clarify, I wasn't restricting to just the FS position, and I think you know that. We're talking safeties, and I think he's on the list. Feel free to remove him, and it only strengthens the earlier point about McCourty being in the top 10, and personally, my top 5. You could talk me into top 3.

I am not disagreeing about your point. I consider DMac together with Weddle and Thomas to be a tier 1 safety.

 

[IllegalContact]

you know.......Butler reads things pretty well........he could replace mccourty

 

[RobertWeathers]

I am not disagreeing about your point. I consider DMac together with Weddle and Thomas to be a tier 1 safety.

I don't think people see DMC on the same level as those two players. Part of the reason is that DMC is asked to do different things here and part of it is physical ability.

The question is do the Patriots see DMC on the same level.

 

[luuked]

I don't think people see DMC on the same level as those two players. Part of the reason is that DMC is asked to do different things here and part of it is physical ability.

The question is do the Patriots see DMC on the same level.

True. I totally agree that media/people don't see him on the same level. I think they are all wrong about it but that's only my opinion.

I think we already saw the answer whether the Pats want to compensate him on the same level. If they'd be ok paying him somewhere close to 9m a year I think we would have a done deal. The way that DMac was fine with getting the franchise tag suggests to me that he'd be fine with an extension somewhere around that number.

 

[RobertWeathers]

True. I totally agree that media/people don't see him on the same level. I think they are all wrong about it but that's only my opinion.

Yep. Thats the thing. Some players are all-pros in any system. Some are all-pros in specific systems. I thin Weddle & Thomas would be that in any system. DMC...not sure. The question is do the Pats see him as all-pro in theirs. Not sure.

I think we already saw the answer whether the Pats want to compensate him on the same level. If they'd be ok paying him somewhere close to 9m a year I think we would have a done deal. The way that DMac was fine with getting the franchise tag suggests to me that he'd be fine with an extension somewhere around that number.

Not sure. Maybe they didn't do the $9m tag b/c they financially were unable? DMC is most likely ok w/o getting tagged b/c he'll get a signing bonus north of that.