Rex Ryan "We picked up O'Connell to be a QB not an assistant coach"

[nashvillepatsfan]

Oh no, KOC will tell them what Tom really means when he yells OMAHA

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I really wish we could go deep inside the head of Belichick to wonder why he did not hold onto Kevin a week longer and get a little compensation for Kevin,but I think we gave up long ago trying to figure out how Belichick thinks up deep in his cranium.

Well, the Packers did just as well with Brohm, and the Iggles just as well with AJ Feeley. . . .

 

[Tunescribe]

Rex Ryan makes Eric Mangini seem like a cool dude. No?

At least get the names right. Rex Ryan = Tubby Wrecks (T-Wrecks). Eric Mangini = Tubby Ratfink.

 

[BlitzFritz]

Stop, please , stop.

KOC: BB did not want him going to NYJ or Denver clearly, even tho they would have offered a measly 7th. He found out Detroit was interested but wouldnt offer a pick as they were first in line on waivers. So he cut him, to make sure he ended up in Detroit. Simple, not stupid.

Vrabel/Cassel: BB wanted to move Cassel fast. Pioli wanted him, even without the time to negotiate a long term contract. Pioli knew Vrabel was a "bubble vet" in BB's mind and extracted him as part of the deal. Simple, not a favor.

-- FRITZ

I think Belichick is pictured as cold and heartless and a business-only type of guy. I don't believe it for a minute. He has friends in the game, including players and coaches on many teams. He does them favors. They do him favors. He also has his enemies (one is NOT Mangini).

I think Vrabel was GIVEN to pioli as a favor to both pioli and vrabel. After all, this was a way to guarantee Vrabel his 2009 salary and his bonus. The alternative was to cut him and get a 5th or 6th the next week.

There have been many players he has cut early so that they would have time to catch on elsewhere. There are others who he cuts at the very last chance he has.

My guess with regard to O'Connell is that he pi$$ed off the coach with his performance or attitude that Belichick simply had someone get rid of him immediately. This is just like the old days where a kicker or player was cut after the game after screwing up. When that happens, folks pay attention.

The BOTTOM LINE is that Belichick uses and trades draft choices as well as any one in the league. But I don't think that he always tries to optimize and get the best deal.

And yes, I can imagine a comment made Seymour resulting in a call to Al asking if he still was interested in Seymour.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Stop, please , stop.

-- FRITZ

They can't... It's clear to them (because he's not doing what they recommend) that BB has lost his fastball and he's getting lazy and arrogant and if they don't continue to point that out he'll get away with it...

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Well, good for you Rex.

Next...

 

[lurker1965]

But O'Connell clearly isn't worth that or our top-notch, best-in-the-league, front office would have gotten at least the same as compensation instead of cutting him.

He went to Detroit, the first team that could take him off of waivers. Millen isn't there so the new guy saw he could get him for nothing on one hand. On the other was giving up a draft pick incase the Lions wanted him. I mentioned Matt Millen is gone, right?

 

[spacecrime]

But O'Connell clearly isn't worth that or our top-notch, best-in-the-league, front office would have gotten at least the same as compensation instead of cutting him.

Well, I know you are being sarcastic, butI believe that our front officce IS the best in the league.

However, the use of "clearly" is not indicated here.

THink:

a) The Jets offered teh Pats a 6th and BB declined to send KOC to the hated Jets

b) (more likely) the act of cutting a player sends a different message to a team than trading. It leads me to believe that KOC had coaching/attitude issues a la CHad Jackson, Doug Gabriel, etc

All are possibilities. But from the events, you can't say, "Clearly this must have been the case."

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Oh no, KOC will tell them what Tom really means when he yells OMAHA

That's why the '03 playbook that was circulated online was great for explaining the complexities of the playbook....
I wonder if they dumped him so early because they thought of the possibility of him being picked up by the Bills/Jets or some early season opponent and get pumped for info, so they cut him before installing the game plan????

 

[ctpatsfan77]

That's why the '03 playbook that was circulated online was great for explaining the complexities of the playbook....
I wonder if they dumped him so early because they thought of the possibility of him being picked up by the Bills/Jets or some early season opponent and get pumped for info, so they cut him before installing the game plan????

They don't install the game plan until the week of each game, so releasing him early wouldn't make a difference.

 

[Ice Cold Bruschi]

why would he even say that to the media everyone knows its a lie, why talk about it haha

 

[mgteich]

Our front office is the best in the league. We use draft choices better than anyone. However, Belichick in this instant (and many others) does not not try to get the max out of trades.

Apparently, folks here believe that if the jets wanted O'Connell for a 6th, the appropriate response was "no we won't take a pick from you scumbags". We'll have rather have nothing and you can give you tainted green pick to Detroit. Alternatively detroit and the jets were the only ones interested and neither would give a pick to the patriots for different reasons.

Well, I know you are being sarcastic, butI believe that our front officce IS the best in the league.

However, the use of "clearly" is not indicated here.

THink:

a) The Jets offered teh Pats a 6th and BB declined to send KOC to the hated Jets

b) (more likely) the act of cutting a player sends a different message to a team than trading. It leads me to believe that KOC had coaching/attitude issues a la CHad Jackson, Doug Gabriel, etc

All are possibilities. But from the events, you can't say, "Clearly this must have been the case."

 

[RobertWeathers]

They can't... It's clear to them (because he's not doing what they recommend) that BB has lost his fastball and he's getting lazy and arrogant and if they don't continue to point that out he'll get away with it...

Yep. When BB, Caserio and Reese look in the mirror, they see Dave Gavitt, Jan Volk and Rick "Renounce 'Em" Pitino. Sheesh.

I do think BB holds a grudge though. Maybe a little on the spiteful side but I don't think he lets that impact his football decision making thought process in a major way.

 

[shmessy]

Or front office is the best in the league. We use draft choices better than anyone. However, Belichick in this instant (and many others) does not not try to get the max out of trades.

I agree. Also, still scratching my head about the Casssel/Vrabel for a KC 2nd rounder. That one seemed egregious.

 

[Synovia]

But O'Connell clearly isn't worth that or our top-notch, best-in-the-league, front office would have gotten at least the same as compensation instead of cutting him.

20+% of the players in the league got cut that week.

 

[Synovia]

I agree. Also, still scratching my head about the Casssel/Vrabel for a KC 2nd rounder. That one seemed egregious.

Belichick has said multiple times, that KC was the only team with an offer on the table that was willing to sign RIGHT NOW. They needed the cap space to talk to Springs and Bodden, as well as tender some of their RFAs.

 

[mgteich]

I absolutely agree with regard to Cassel. We probably would have taken a 4th or 5th. We needed the cap room and no one but kc would deal for Cassel and his $14M salary in the hope that they could sign a long-tern deal. Belichick was willing to include Vrabel who he didn't think ws worth his bonus and salary, and the deal was done before the March 1st deadline.

Posters can post forever that Cassel was worth a 1st and a 3rd and that Vrabel was worth a third. It seems that no GM agreed with them, and the patriots weren't willing to tube their entire offseason to find out if they could get a better draft choice later.

Belichick has said multiple times, that KC was the only team with an offer on the table that was willing to sign RIGHT NOW. They needed the cap space to talk to Springs and Bodden, as well as tender some of their RFAs.

 

[Synovia]

Posters can post forever that Cassel was worth a 1st and a 3rd and that Vrabel was worth a third. It seems that no GM agreed with them, and the patriots weren't willing to tube their entire offseason to find out if they could get a better draft choice later.

I think, had Brady got hurt in 2007, and Cassel taken them to 11-5, they get a 1st and 3rd for Cassel, with his $800K salary. But thats not what happened.

They needed to move him, and quick.

 

[mgteich]

Agreed................

I think, had Brady got hurt in 2007, and Cassel taken them to 11-5, they get a 1st and 3rd for Cassel, with his $800K salary. But thats not what happened.

They needed to move him, and quick.

 

[Deus Irae]

I absolutely agree with regard to Cassel. We probably would have taken a 4th or 5th. We needed the cap room and no one but kc would deal for Cassel and his $14M salary in the hope that they could sign a long-tern deal. Belichick was willing to include Vrabel who he didn't think ws worth his bonus and salary, and the deal was done before the March 1st deadline.

Posters can post forever that Cassel was worth a 1st and a 3rd and that Vrabel was worth a third. It seems that no GM agreed with them, and the patriots weren't willing to tube their entire offseason to find out if they could get a better draft choice later.

Not specifically aimed at your post, but inclusive of it:

Was Vrabel offered around the league? Is Felger's source right when he says that Vrabel was gone because of reasons which weren't play-based and that Cassel only became part of that deal later, almost as a throw-in?

We don't know. As with so much of this stuff, we get little or no information, and then people begin playing the speculation game.