Re-signing our free agents

[mgteich]

IMHO, we would be a stronger team than this year if we were to simply re-sign all our free agents and sign our quota of youngsters from the draft, FA jags, and a mid-level free agent or two. I would note that the roster below contains 65 spots, approximately the right number of contenders for camp, even without free agents or jags. There is plently of cap money left for free agents, even after sign our free agents. The question is whether we'll sign any. Note that I never count the cost of veteran jags, UDFA's or sophomore free agents since the replacment cost is under $100K each.

The issue is the same as every year. Where is the NEED for a top free agent, or even a mid level one. Where are the holes, except to replace Samuel if we can't re-sign him? We don't like bidding wars. I doubt that we will compete much, except for our own.

I have six draftees listed: two wideouts, two linebackers and two corners. More could make the team, but six is enough for early projections.

OFFENSE (25)
QB (2) - Brady, Cassell
RB (3) - Dillon, Maroney, Faulk
FB (1) - Evans/Pass
TE (4) - Graham,Watson,Thomas,Mills
WR (5) - 5 of Caldwell,Gaffney,Jackson,Brown,Kight,Childress,draftee,draftee
C (2) - Koppen, Mruczkowski
OG (4) - Mankins, Neal, Hochstein, Yates
OT (4) - Light, Kaczur, O'Callaghan, Britt

This group is ready to go, with Graham signed or tagged.

DEFENSE (25)
DL (7) Seymour, Wilfork, Watson, Green, Wright, Smith, Hill/Thomas
OLB (3) Vrabel, Colvin, Banta-Cain
ILB (3) Bruschi, Seau, draftee/draftee
CB (3) Samuel, Hobbs, Scott
S (4) Wilson, Harrison, Sanders, Hawkins
ST (5) 5 of Andrews, Woods, Mays, Gardner, Jones, Mitchell, Baker, Mickens, Alexander, draftee cb, draftee cb

Samuel is the tough sign. We should be able to re-sign Banta-Cain. Re-signing the rest (or replacement jags) should be doable.

SPECIALISTS (3)
K (1) Gostkowski
P (1) Miller
DS (1) Paxton
====================================================

If we signed Samuel or not, my "dream" draft would include

Day One: 2 wide receivers, 2 linebackers, and 2 corners
Day Two: more of the same

No draftees are sure things. These are critical needs for the patriots, in 2007 and beyond. Solid value quantity will assure some quality, or so the theory goes.

 

[PATRIOTS-80]

Although this is not a popular opinion, re-signing TBC is important, even if we draft a DE/OLB. It can take quite awhile for a DE rookie who has never been in coverage before to adapt the game. The rookie will start on ST, probably play on nickel/dime packages with his hand down ... but look at how long it took Bruschi to become a full-time starter. LB is one of the tough positions in a BB defense.

 

[shirtsleeve]

No way I'm letting a post with this much thought put into it go unanswered.

A couple of differences. I would draft a rb to eventually replace Pass/Faulk now. Sorry Heath, time to go. That kid Brian Leonard outta Rutgers is too good to pass up in our system.Should be around with one of our compensitory picks.

It is my personal nightmare to see WR's drafted high. For every one that makes it, one doesn't, regardless of round. Second day for these.

Gotta grab a S high, even in the first. (Merriweather? please!) Someone to replace Geno at FS, and send him back to corner where he belongs. Or a very agressive SS to be groomed by Rodney, fed live puppies and kittens from burlap bags, with little holes in them so their little paws can hang out to entice his appetite. (Think pit bull here).

If there is good value at LT for a potential upgrade, pick him up.

We gotta get some ILB support. We gotta get some ILB support. We gotta get some ILB support....I wanted to go high and deep at LB last year when it was a target rich environment. I got hosed. We saw the results in the AFCCG. F$%K Wide F$#%King receivers!!! Have Brady hand the ball off 60 times a game for 3.5 yards. I'm FREAKIN ESTATIC! But we GOTTA be the biggest, meanest, smartest, fastest, most aggressive defense on the freakin planet, DAMN IT! :violent:

Wow! I just had a NEM moment...back now.

Which brings me to Asante. No way he signs for less than top dollar, so we sign Graham and tag Asante. He'd be silly to sit out for 1/16 of $7.8 mil. or approx, half a mil a game. So if we cant get the deal we want, when the time comes, we keep the guy.

Excuse the rant, but the SB teams weren't high powered flashy teams. The media hated us then cause we won boring. But opponents hated playing us because they left town frustrated, confused, befuddled, beat up bloody and sore from playing and losing to the DEFENSE, not some star studded flash and glory offense.

 

[PATRIOTS-80]

No way I'm letting a post with this much thought put into it go unanswered.

A couple of differences. I would draft a rb to eventually replace Pass/Faulk now. Sorry Heath, time to go. That kid Brian Leonard outta Rutgers is too good to pass up in our system.Should be around with one of our compensitory picks.

It is my personal nightmare to see WR's drafted high. For every one that makes it, one doesn't, regardless of round. Second day for these.

Gotta grab a S high, even in the first. (Merriweather? please!) Someone to replace Geno at FS, and send him back to corner where he belongs. Or a very agressive SS to be groomed by Rodney, fed live puppies and kittens from burlap bags, with little holes in them so their little paws can hang out to entice his appetite. (Think pit bull here).

If there is good value at LT for a potential upgrade, pick him up.

We gotta get some ILB support. We gotta get some ILB support. We gotta get some ILB support....I wanted to go high and deep at LB last year when it was a target rich environment. I got hosed. We saw the results in the AFCCG. F$%K Wide F$#%King receivers!!! Have Brady hand the ball off 60 times a game for 3.5 yards. I'm FREAKIN ESTATIC! But we GOTTA be the biggest, meanest, smartest, fastest, most aggressive defense on the freakin planet, DAMN IT! :violent:

Wow! I just had a NEM moment...back now.

Which brings me to Asante. No way he signs for less than top dollar, so we sign Graham and tag Asante. He'd be silly to sit out for 1/16 of $7.8 mil. or approx, half a mil a game. So if we cant get the deal we want, when the time comes, we keep the guy.

Excuse the rant, but the SB teams weren't high powered flashy teams. The media hated us then cause we won boring. But opponents hated playing us because they left town frustrated, confused, befuddled, beat up bloody and sore from playing and losing to the DEFENSE, not some star studded flash and glory offense.

I absolutely agree with you. Good post.

 

[shirtsleeve]

Huh, I was just gonna say the same about your comment about TBC.

 

[patsfaninpa]

No way I'm letting a post with this much thought put into it go unanswered.

A couple of differences. I would draft a rb to eventually replace Pass/Faulk now. Sorry Heath, time to go. That kid Brian Leonard outta Rutgers is too good to pass up in our system.Should be around with one of our compensitory picks.

It is my personal nightmare to see WR's drafted high. For every one that makes it, one doesn't, regardless of round. Second day for these.

Gotta grab a S high, even in the first. (Merriweather? please!) Someone to replace Geno at FS, and send him back to corner where he belongs. Or a very agressive SS to be groomed by Rodney, fed live puppies and kittens from burlap bags, with little holes in them so their little paws can hang out to entice his appetite. (Think pit bull here).

If there is good value at LT for a potential upgrade, pick him up.

We gotta get some ILB support. We gotta get some ILB support. We gotta get some ILB support....I wanted to go high and deep at LB last year when it was a target rich environment. I got hosed. We saw the results in the AFCCG. F$%K Wide F$#%King receivers!!! Have Brady hand the ball off 60 times a game for 3.5 yards. I'm FREAKIN ESTATIC! But we GOTTA be the biggest, meanest, smartest, fastest, most aggressive defense on the freakin planet, DAMN IT! :violent:

Wow! I just had a NEM moment...back now.

Which brings me to Asante. No way he signs for less than top dollar, so we sign Graham and tag Asante. He'd be silly to sit out for 1/16 of $7.8 mil. or approx, half a mil a game. So if we cant get the deal we want, when the time comes, we keep the guy.

Excuse the rant, but the SB teams weren't high powered flashy teams. The media hated us then cause we won boring. But opponents hated playing us because they left town frustrated, confused, befuddled, beat up bloody and sore from playing and losing to the DEFENSE, not some star studded flash and glory offense.

Our highest comp pick will probably be a 4th rounder. Around 130. Leonard will be long gone.



Ridiculous to say that only need to get wr's on 2nd day. 4th round or later.
if you like the guy you take him. How did that trading down and draft T.Matich pick work out for us? Jerry Rice could have been a Pat. Was
H.LDykes a bad pick? Yes. But, what if we had drafted M.Harrison with that pick? Not too bad.

Agree about Meriweather. S is a priority.

Only two decent lt's in this draft. J.Thomas and L.Brown. They will both be gone before we pick.

Agree about Asante and Graham. Need to keep both. While on the fa bane.
We should have enough to sign L.Fletcher or D.Edwards. A.thomas and L.Briggs will want too much for our needs.

 

[p8ryts]

I agree with signing our own free agents and also liked someone's suggestion about Donnie Edwards or London Fletcher as FA's. I disagree that WR's need to be a big target in the draft.

I say all defense on day 1, I like the idea of getting a safety and there should be good ones available when we pick in round 1 and move Geno to corner.

Day 2 get a QB, RB, WR

I have more faith in Light than most people. He is one of the better run blockers on the team and does a good job against everyone except the guy from Miami (senior moment) and Schobel.

I just think our run scheme needs to be re-evaluated. I like our players.

 

[LloydBraun]

Fre agency

re-sign Samuel, Graham, TBC, sign Fletcher. With Wilson, Rodney and Gay coming back, that is like adding 3 FA pieces to the secondary.

draft
Bowe is intriguing at WR, as is Chris Davis from FSU in the middle rounds. Davis is a good route runner, never had a really good in college to throw his way.

A CB in the middle rounds would be nice for depth.
Merriweather, as he likely drops, would be nice IF his background check clears. Let Rodney mentor him for a year or 2 in regards to life and fball.

RB- Brian Leonard has Patriot written all over him.

This will be a fun offseason for all Pats fans.

 

[NEPatriot]

Although this is not a popular opinion, re-signing TBC is important, even if we draft a DE/OLB. It can take quite awhile for a DE rookie who has never been in coverage before to adapt the game. The rookie will start on ST, probably play on nickel/dime packages with his hand down ... but look at how long it took Bruschi to become a full-time starter. LB is one of the tough positions in a BB defense.

I completely agree. He should be able to be resinged for resonable money. For his first year of significant non special teams playing time, I thought he did well. While he'll never be a super star, I see him continuing to improve.

 

[Jimke]

I agree with mgteich about the need to re-sign most of our free

agents even though it may result in the Pats over paying Daniel

Graham a little and franchising Asante Samuel. This is supposedly

a weak year for free agency. Once the initial signing frenzy is over,

it may be difficult to find good replacements for any players we lose.

 

[DarrylS]

Do not see this team anteing up 7.79 million for Assante unless it is to trade him. That number will completely throw out of wack our compensation for the other 51 players, Assante wants the money and it does not sound like he will negotiate. Some team will overpay for him and he will go, no matter what we all wish for. As far as Graham goes, he may come fairly reasonable(comparatively speaking).. and signing him would go along with the philosophy of this org.. pay for the guys in the trenches. TBC is another story, he is a situational player cast into a starting role, if he were to accept a situational player contract, sign him, if not he can move on also. Just about everyone is replaceable on this team, except #12 and #93.