[Old 2020 thread] NFL Free Agency/Trade Rumors:

[venecol]

I would not mind signing either Godwin or Allen Robinson. Both of these guys are good character guys.

Sure but do you think Bill will give them $18-20M apy? I don't.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Doesn't seem like the most durable player, but LB is a position of need. Would love to upgrade Bentley and Copeland. Hopefully Hightower is back, but I'd love to keep Uche and Winovich as primarily rush players. Milano would give us someone else in the middle.

Milano is a 220 lb linebacker/safety. He will not upgrade Bentley at 255lbs or Copeland at 260lbs. You might be confusing different types of linebackers with different roles.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Go after Trey Hendrickson, guy is a Mammoth with speed.

View attachment 30671

This would be great.

 

[upstater1]

Sure but do you think Bill will give them $18-20M apy? I don't.

No one will.

The cap!

 

[scott99]

To say Belichick is miserly is ********. When he has the money he spends it. 2014 he went and got Revis, Browner, etc. 2017 he spent a lot on Gilmore. When he has the money, he spends. But how many times have the Pats had BIG cap space ?

 

[venecol]

No one will.

The cap!

Someone will. Jaguars could to give Lawrence weapons. They have cap space.

 

[Triumph]

Rumored Deshaun Watson Suitor Clearing Cap Space For Texans Star

It's going to take quite a haul to land Deshaun Watson in a trade, and one of his suitors reportedly is clearing the decks.

nesn.com

 

[Triumph]

I would not mind signing either Godwin or Allen Robinson. Both of these guys are good character guys.

Robinson is a stud.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Milano is ok but I’m hoping he’s a plan b to Lavonte David. If we’re gonna pay for a LB mine as well attempt to sign the better one.

 

[Deus Irae]

To say Belichick is miserly is ********.

Miserly is a strong term, but the patriots have not been big spenders.

When he has the money he spends it. 2014 he went and got Revis, Browner, etc. 2017 he spent a lot on Gilmore. When he has the money, he spends. But how many times have the Pats had BIG cap space ?

It has been reported that, in the last 5 years, the Patriots are dead last in actual spending. Not in playing cap games, but in actual dollars paid out. I haven't verified that, but it wouldn't be the first time that the honks around here thought the team was paying out a lot more than it actually was.

 

[jah]

Milano is a 220 lb linebacker/safety. He will not upgrade Bentley at 255lbs or Copeland at 260lbs. You might be confusing different types of linebackers with different roles.

Eh. Part of our problem might be using 255 pound guys as standup linebackers in the year 2020. The game is evolving and we lack speed in the middle of the defense. Maybe Milano himself is a bit too light, but I think we need to start looking at 230-240 as the "baseline" weight for a stand up linebacker.

 

[upstater1]

Miserly is a strong term, but the patriots have not been big spenders.



It has been reported that, in the last 5 years, the Patriots are dead last in actual spending. Not in playing cap games, but in actual dollars paid out. I haven't verified that, but it wouldn't be the first time that the honks around here thought the team was paying out a lot more than it actually was.

Actual dollars paid is not a stat I'd put emphasis on. If you're way over the cap and owe a lot of dead money in the future then yes you paid more money over the last several years than others. But it's only a short window. If you measured the same thing 2 years ago, the Patriots would have been one of the big spenders as they paid big bonuses to several players (Brady, Gilmore, Hightower, McCourty, Mason, Cannon) and all that money would have put them ahead most of the league.

Then they have a year like last year and this one with so little dead money and a heap of cap space, and so many teams surpass them in terms of dollars paid out.

 

[Deus Irae]

Actual dollars paid is not a stat I'd put emphasis on.

???

It's the only number that actually matters. The so-called cap dollars are just accounting placeholders.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Eh. Part of our problem might be using 255 pound guys as standup linebackers in the year 2020. The game is evolving and we lack speed in the middle of the defense. Maybe Milano himself is a bit too light, but I think we need to start looking at 230-240 as the "baseline" weight for a stand up linebacker.

2000, 2010 or 2020 the inside linebackers have to stack and shed offensive guards. The guards are getting bigger and faster, I doubt using smaller inside linebackers is the way to go. Watch Hightower and you will see.

Remember how we would consistently run over the Colts in the playoffs. Wonder how we always did it even though they knew it was coming? Look at their 230 lb linebackers.

 

[TomPatriot]

2000, 2010 or 2020 the inside linebackers have to stack and shed offensive guards. The guards are getting bigger and faster, I doubt using smaller inside linebackers is the way to go. Watch Hightower and you will see.

Remember how we would consistently run over the Colts in the playoffs. Wonder how we always did it even though they knew it was coming? Look at their 230 lb linebackers.

Of course, the best is to have big, quick and fast ILBs. Pretty tough to find though.

 

[jah]

2000, 2010 or 2020 the inside linebackers have to stack and shed offensive guards. The guards are getting bigger and faster, I doubt using smaller inside linebackers is the way to go. Watch Hightower and you will see.

Remember how we would consistently run over the Colts in the playoffs. Wonder how we always did it even though they knew it was coming? Look at their 230 lb linebackers.

So many teams use 230 lb linebackers that it doesn't really mean much to use one game as an example (also, that season was longer ago than it might seem). But if we want to do that, how about Lavonte David and Devin White, both weighing in under 240? They seem perfectly capable of playing the position, even in run support. If the player can't handle that duty, it's a problem, but there are lighter linebackers who can handle it and they're also more likely to be able to handle coverage better than a heavier linebacker. The coverage is more important now than it ever has been, and that's why they're getting lighter.

 

[venecol]

2000, 2010 or 2020 the inside linebackers have to stack and shed offensive guards. The guards are getting bigger and faster, I doubt using smaller inside linebackers is the way to go. Watch Hightower and you will see.

Remember how we would consistently run over the Colts in the playoffs. Wonder how we always did it even though they knew it was coming? Look at their 230 lb linebackers.

Not questioning you but how do Bucs get away with using Devin White who is 6' 237# and Lavonte David at 6'1" 233#.

Those guys are very fast and White had 9 sacks and 10 stuffs. Are those off the edges maybe.

Edit: just saw @Elijah using same 2 lbs above.

 

[upstater1]

???

It's the only number that actually matters. The so-called cap dollars are just accounting placeholders.

Over a very long period, yes. Over a short time window, no. I just listed 6 big ticket contracts that would have put the Patriots near the top, if you were looking at a 5 year window ending in 2018. If your 5 year window ends in 2021 when the Patriots are shedding, they're at or near the bottom. Doesn't tell me much.

For instance, pretend the cap is $120m in year 1 and raises $10m each year:

TEAM 1
1. $120m
2. $140m
3. $150m
4. $150m
5. $160m
6. $170m
7. $170m
-----------
$1.060b total
$720m over first 5 years : $144m average
$800m over second 5 years: $160m average

TEAM 2
1. $110m
2. $120m
3. $130m
4. $150m
5. $170m
6. $190m
7. $190m
-----------
$1.060b total
$680m over first 5 years : $136m average
$840m over second 5 years: $168m average

Depending on what 5 year window you're looking at, either team could be said to spend more. But the total is the same.

Where are the Patriots over the last 10 years ending in 2018?

 

[Deus Irae]

Over a very long period, yes. Over a short time window, no. I just listed 6 big ticket contracts that would have put the Patriots near the top, if you were looking at a 5 year window ending in 2018. If your 5 year window ends in 2021 when the Patriots are shedding, they're at or near the bottom. Doesn't tell me much.

For instance, pretend the cap is $120m in year 1 and raises $10m each year:

TEAM 1
1. $120m
2. $140m
3. $150m
4. $150m
5. $160m
6. $170m
7. $170m
-----------
$1.060b total
$720m over first 5 years : $144m average
$800m over second 5 years: $160m average

TEAM 2
1. $110m
2. $120m
3. $130m
4. $150m
5. $170m
6. $190m
7. $190m
-----------
$1.060b total
$680m over first 5 years : $136m average
$840m over second 5 years: $168m average

Depending on what 5 year window you're looking at, either team could be said to spend more. But the total is the same.

Where are the Patriots over the last 10 years ending in 2018?

The cap number means ****. It literally never matters, in any season.

 

[skinnydog]

Actual dollars paid is not a stat I'd put emphasis on. If you're way over the cap and owe a lot of dead money in the future then yes you paid more money over the last several years than others. But it's only a short window. If you measured the same thing 2 years ago, the Patriots would have been one of the big spenders as they paid big bonuses to several players (Brady, Gilmore, Hightower, McCourty, Mason, Cannon) and all that money would have put them ahead most of the league.

Then they have a year like last year and this one with so little dead money and a heap of cap space, and so many teams surpass them in terms of dollars paid out.

Actual dollars spent over a 3-5 year time is the truest metric of how much a team spends on its players. The cap is an accounting mechanism. It can be gamed. Real dollars spent over a 3-5 year period if time can’t.