Would you all rather lock up and pay the best and most dominant young defensive lineman in the game or lock up a number 2 posession receiver in a spread it around offense, and a 34 year old linebacker with sure to be declining skills.
Don't get me wrong, Givens and McGinest were beloved Patriots and great leaders, and very good talents, but Richard Seymour is an all time type, first ballot Hall of Fame, defensive lineman that can absolutely dominate a game. He is the kind of player that only comes around every 5-10 years or so.
Where do you think the Patriots are going to get the money to sign Seymour ?
I will use the eight-year $66 million contract which includes a $16 million signing bonus that Jevon Kearse signed with the Eagles a couple of years ago as the starting point for Seymour. Seymour is twice the player that Kearse is.
The more likely scenario is that Seymour warrants a $20+ million signing bonus and 8-9 million a year for say 7 years.
Everyone is waiting for some kind of big splash in Free agency this year. I would be happiest to hear that Seymour and Deion Branch are signed up for the long term. These guys are the unique talents. A replacement for Givens will be found. McGinest will be replaced by Vrabel and the Patriots will find a middle linebacker.
This doesn't mean that it doesn't sucks to lose those guys, this is just the reality of doing business in the NFL. You can't pay everyone on your roster 4 million dollars !
Everything is going to be OK, and even better, everything is going to be better for the long run when we lock up Seymour and Branch.
One more thing. Don't be surprised if the Patriots sign Lavar Arrington. I remember when the Patriots signed Rosey Colvin 3 years ago, that came out of nowhere and I was amazed that they spent as much money as they did on him.
Don't get me wrong, Givens and McGinest were beloved Patriots and great leaders, and very good talents, but Richard Seymour is an all time type, first ballot Hall of Fame, defensive lineman that can absolutely dominate a game. He is the kind of player that only comes around every 5-10 years or so.
Where do you think the Patriots are going to get the money to sign Seymour ?
I will use the eight-year $66 million contract which includes a $16 million signing bonus that Jevon Kearse signed with the Eagles a couple of years ago as the starting point for Seymour. Seymour is twice the player that Kearse is.
The more likely scenario is that Seymour warrants a $20+ million signing bonus and 8-9 million a year for say 7 years.
Everyone is waiting for some kind of big splash in Free agency this year. I would be happiest to hear that Seymour and Deion Branch are signed up for the long term. These guys are the unique talents. A replacement for Givens will be found. McGinest will be replaced by Vrabel and the Patriots will find a middle linebacker.
This doesn't mean that it doesn't sucks to lose those guys, this is just the reality of doing business in the NFL. You can't pay everyone on your roster 4 million dollars !
Everything is going to be OK, and even better, everything is going to be better for the long run when we lock up Seymour and Branch.
One more thing. Don't be surprised if the Patriots sign Lavar Arrington. I remember when the Patriots signed Rosey Colvin 3 years ago, that came out of nowhere and I was amazed that they spent as much money as they did on him.
Last edited: