Pats free agents that have left for the $$$

[RIP#40]

Curtis Martin is one, but has any other Pats player left for the $$$ and done better or as good for his new team?

 

[spacecrime]

Curtis Martin is one, but has any other Pats player left for the $$$ and done better or as good for his new team?

A case could easily be made that Martin left to go with Parcells, not for more $$$, if you recall the RFA contract maneuvering that went on at the time. The Pats couldn't match the contract because of a term (now illegal) that parcells wrote into contract that Martin could break contract after one year.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

David Patten left for the money, so did Ted Washington.

 

[BelichickFan]

David Patten left for the money, so did Ted Washington.

So did Woody but he was asking if any of them did better after leaving the Patriots. The answer is no. The only guy I can think of who did better was cut, that's Greg Spires.

 

[shatch62]

Depends on your definition of “done betterâ€.

I think some of the players that have left have individually played as well as when they were here but the teams they have gone to have been bad.

Off the top of my head here is a list of players that have left:

WR Terry Glenn (traded to Green Bay) – Was OK in GB and has played well in Dallas. GB was 12-4 in the one year he was there and Dallas was gone 25-23 in his three years there. He played better this year then he did over his last several years with the Pats
QB Drew Bledsoe (traded to Buffalo) – Was a Pro Bowler in his first year in Buffalo then he and the team regressed. Was solid this year when given protection. His teams have been 32-32 over the last 4 years
S Tebucky Jones (traded to Saints) – Never that good as a Pat, same as a Saint/Doplhin
DT Ted Washington (signed with Oakland) – He has played well in Oakland but the team has been awful (9-23).
DE Bobby Hamilton (signed with Oakland) – He has played well in Oakland –career high 50 tackles - but the team has been awful (9-23)
S Lawyer Milloy (signed with Buffalo) – Played well in Buffalo and helped them have the #2 in 2003 and 2004. Has lost a step but can still be an in the box safty. Team has been 20-28 in his 3 years.
CB Ty Law (signed with New York Jets). VERY fat after not being able to workout because of the foot injury but still tied for the league best 10 INTs. Someone will overpay for him next year.
WR David Patten (signed with Washington) – His stats were way off (22 rec, 217 yards, 0 TDs) but the team went 10-6 and made the playoffs.
G Damien Woody (signed with Detriot) – Got the big contract and got way overweight. Team has gone 11-21 in his 2 years there.
G Joe Andruzzi (signed with Cleveland) – Played in 13 games this year and was his usual steady self. Team was 6-10
RB Antowain Smith (signed with Tennessee) Played one year in Ten before moving to NO. Both teams where bad. When Smith get 20+ carries he has been effective but it doesn’t happen often (3 times in 2 years).

There are guys on that list that I would take back on the team but obviously the Pats have done well without them. Have the players done “better†elsewhere? Not if you judge by championships but at the same time these guys have to get paid. Using Lawyer Milloy as an example I have no problem with him leaving. Remember, the year before the Pats went 9-7 and looked to be a one-year wonder. He probably thought the Pats were going to be like the Rams and the Ravens and only win 1 title. I’m sure if he had any idea that the team was going to go 28-4 over the next 2 years and win 2 more titles he would have taken the pay cut. I DO HAVE a problem with him talking about rings not feeding your family AFTER the Pats won two more. That is just him rationalizing and him being sour.

Now that the Pats are a dynasty there are players that I can see taking less to stay but only the guys that have gotten paid already. Brady’s deal was good but he took a little less to stay. Seymour I hope is a guy that takes a little less because he already got a big contract. Guys like Givens thou need to go and get the big pay day if he has a chance. This might be his only shot at a multi million dollar deal and that money he will be able to use to not have to get a real job when his career is over. I’m sure if he signs a 5 year, $19 million deal with the Texans and they go 3-13 every year while the Pats keep rolling he will feel some sense of loss but remember, he has his multiple rings and now is his shot at the big money. If he goes, I wish him well.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Just about all of the guys that left as UFA's made more $ than the Patriots offere. Otherwise, I don't think any of them would have left.

It can be argued that some teams overpaid for some of them.

 

[DaBruinz]

I think that Andruzzi is the only player that has walked away from the Pats and done as good or better, playing wise. I can't think of another person.

 

[kptmorgan04]

I think the bigger question would be players that we regret letting go for the money that the took with another team, and trying to analize who the pats would have had to let go in order to keep the guy who left.
IMO there hasnt been that player to date (spires being the exception as he was cut). I would have liked to keep andruzi, but we filled that position with youth and a potential to be a better player in the longrun.

 

[drew4008]

What about Traylor? I imagine he must have made more money with the Fins, or else why wouldn't we have re-signed him for insurance since we have little DT depth.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

I think that Andruzzi is the only player that has walked away from the Pats and done as good or better, playing wise. I can't think of another person.

How about Jermaine Wiggins? When the Pats signed Fauria and Cleeland, he signed with the Colts ending up the Panthers in SB 38 and the Vikings the last two years. IIRC he's had about 60-70 catches each of the last few years finally settling in.
It's good to see him getting a chance. After the Snow Bowl and his 10 catches, he deserves it.........
Just my $0.02,

 

[DaBruinz]

How about Jermaine Wiggins? When the Pats signed Fauria and Cleeland, he signed with the Colts ending up the Panthers in SB 38 and the Vikings the last two years. IIRC he's had about 60-70 catches each of the last few years finally settling in.
It's good to see him getting a chance. After the Snow Bowl and his 10 catches, he deserves it.........
Just my $0.02,

Wiggins doesn't fit the profile. Wiggins wasn't offered a new contract by BB. In fact, I thought he was cut, but I could be wrong.

 

[spacecrime]

What about Traylor? I imagine he must have made more money with the Fins, or else why wouldn't we have re-signed him for insurance since we have little DT depth.

Traylor wasn't that good for us in 2004. He didn't hardly play the last half of the year. IIRC, he wasn't a FA anyway. I believe we signed him to a two-year contract and cut him after one year. We had and have tons of DT depth.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Plunkett

ONe guy you have all forgotten is Jim Plunkett. He left shellshocked but eventually won a Superbowl or two...

 

[bucky]

I think if you look at guys the Pats wanted to keep, but didn't because of the $$$, there aren't that many in the BB era - Woody, Andruzzi, Tebucky, Law, Milloy, Ted Washington, Patten, Chad Eaton.

I would characterize them this way - some have been busts (Eaton, Tebucky), some have performed consistant with what they did for the Pats (Milloy, Andruzzi), but NONE have proven that they were worth the money they were given.