Sign the Beast XII -- Report: Pats in the mix for DE/OLB Jabaal Sheard

[luuked]

If it comes down to Seattle or New England hope he learns from Kevin Williams mistake.

What mistake ? Both teams played in the SB and in the end our D made one more play. He was as close as it gets to getting his ring. Now, if he would have chosen the Bears or the Colts over us it would be a different story.

 

[IllegalContact]

unless it's for the minimum, I'd pass......he doesn't upgrade the starting lineup, and I think Ayers would already be ahead on the curve

 

[patchick]

He can play RDE, LDE and 3-4 OLB. He would make a very good rotation with Jones and Ninkovich, would be a possible Nink successor, and would provide insurance in case the Pats have to choose between 2 out of Jones, Hightower and Collins.

As we've been talking about on the draft board, rotation/depth at LDE is high on my mind. I'd love this move.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

I would have been a better pick than Dowling!

Technically anybody would have been better than Dowling in hindsight.

 

[OhExaulted1]

Don't want him. Why waste the money on a LB when what we really need is a tall fantasy/Madden type WR?

 

[mayoclinic]

As we've been talking about on the draft board, rotation/depth at LDE is high on my mind. I'd love this move.

Sheard would solve several problems:

1. A rotational DE with Jones and Nink.
2. A potential long term successor to Nink, who just turned 31.
3. A potential success to Jones at RDE, if the Pats can't afford to keep Jones long term along with Hightower and Collins.
4. Another 3-4 OLB option.

Ideally, I'd love to keep Ayers AND get Sheard, though I can't imagine that happening. But the versatility with that group would be ridiculous. You'd have 6 guys who could play on the edge in Jones, Ninkovich, Hightower, Collins, Sheard and Ayers. BB and MP could do some really creative things with that group. I'd probably rather have Sheard + Ayers over Mayo at this point. But I don't see both happening.

 

[mayoclinic]

Technically anybody would have been better than Dowling in hindsight.

Dowling was a pick who didn't work out, not a bad pick. He had the talent and skill set. None of the options at 33 (including Sheard) were particularly inspiring. But in hindsight, yes.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Dowling was a pick who didn't work out, not a bad pick. He had the talent and skill set. None of the options at 33 (including Sheard) were particularly inspiring. But in hindsight, yes.

Agreed. And I for one liked Dowling a ton hoping he would have been our Talib before we even had Talib.

 

[mayoclinic]

So far external FAs in whom the Pats have been rumored to have interest:

- EDGE Jabaal Sheard, Cleveland
- WR Percy Harvin, Jets
- WR Brian Hartline, Miami
- Move TE Lance Kendricks, St. Louis

Any of those could be very interesting additions.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

So far external FAs in whom the Pats have been rumored to have interest:

- EDGE Jabaal Sheard, Cleveland
- WR Percy Harvin, Jets
- WR Brian Hartline, Miami
- Move TE Lance Kendricks, St. Louis

Any of those could be very interesting additions.

I think Harvin could do wonders here on a one year boom or bust deal. Would instantly boost our kick return game on special teams and adds that speed perspective to allow guys like Edelman Gronk Dola (if here) more room in the middle.

 

[Danger Zone]

For those of you that watch House of Cards

Jabaal Sheard @jabaalsheard · Feb 27
My Friday night!!!! #HouseOfCards @HouseofCards it's about to be a late night

Jabaal Sheard @jabaalsheard · Feb 27
I need a Claire Underwood in my life! She's a keeper #HouseofCardsSeason3

Danger Zone ‏@Danger_Zones 7m7 minutes ago
@jabaalsheard @HouseofCards Come sign with the Patriots! Also, if Claire Underwood watched football, we all know she'd be a Patriot fan.

 

[JackBauer]

I think Harvin could do wonders here on a one year boom or bust deal. Would instantly boost our kick return game on special teams and adds that speed perspective to allow guys like Edelman Gronk Dola (if here) more room in the middle.

Harvin is the only player from mayo's list for whom I have zero interest whatsoever.

 

[JMC00]

Harvin is the only player from mayo's list for whom I have zero interest whatsoever.

Ya and it's not even the personality stuff. It's the fact that he hasn't played more than 8 games since 2011 and only has played a full season once.

 

[patfanken]

Both Sheard & Rubin from Cleveland would be nice signings.

ANY Browns FA is automatically going to be linked to the Pats because of the Lombardi connection, regardless of whether they have any true interest.

Sheard and Rubin, of course would generate some interest here, though no approximate $ estimates have been given. Skrine at 5'9 has no interest form me as a CB. When it comes to CB's, I am an admitted "heighist", with an extreme bias against short CB's. We already have one midget CB in Dennard. That should be enough to keep the ACLU, NAACP, PETA, and the Bnai Brith off our backs.

BTW- Until we know about possible cap costs none of this talk becomes relevant. In fact until we can get our own FA's and cap situation sorted out any FA talk is kind of premature, wouldn't you say?

 

[mayoclinic]

FWIW, I started a thread a couple of days ago on the Draft Forum about FA, the draft and approaches to roster and team building, where I argued that the majority of players in the NFL are interchangeable, and that the key is to plug holes with value signings while not over-paying, and to build through the draft without having to reach to plug holes:

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...m-building-free-agency-and-the-draft.1117697/

We're seeing some massive overpaying right now. Meanwhile the Pats are sitting tight and evaluating the market. They've re-signed McCourty, and I expect Revis to be re-signed as well. The rest of our FAs are replaceable. The Pats could potentially sign guys like Sheard, Kendricks, Hartline and Pierre Thomas and upgrade their roster, for low cost. It all depends on who the market sorts out, and not reaching to overpay for anyone.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

I wanted him in the draft! I hope we sign him!

 

[patsbrasilpatriotas]

Sheard would be an interesting alternative to Ayers, though I think he would be pricier. He can play RDE, LDE and 3-4 OLB. He would make a very good rotation with Jones and Ninkovich, would be a possible Nink successor, and would provide insurance in case the Pats have to choose between 2 out of Jones, Hightower and Collins. If the price range is reasonable, I'd be all for it.

And it has something to choose? Hightower and Collins undoubtedly ...

 

[mayoclinic]

ANY Browns FA is automatically going to be linked to the Pats because of the Lombardi connection, regardless of whether they have any true interest.

Sheard and Rubin, of course would generate some interest here, though no approximate $ estimates have been given. Skrine at 5'9 has no interest form me as a CB. When it comes to CB's, I am an admitted "heighist", with an extreme bias against short CB's. We already have one midget CB in Dennard. That should be enough to keep the ACLU, NAACP, PETA, and the Bnai Brith off our backs.

BTW- Until we know about possible cap costs none of this talk becomes relevant. In fact until we can get our own FA's and cap situation sorted out any FA talk is kind of premature, wouldn't you say?

Not really.

1. Besides the obvious Revis situation (which will likely either result in a $20M cap savings or a new deal with a $8-12M cap savings), the Pats have a lot of options to free up money in a hurry. Around $4M from a Mayo restructure, around $5M from shifting $7M of Brady's salary into signing bonus, around $4M from cutting Amendola with a post-June 1 designation, all according to Miguel. $1.2M from cutting Hooman. I wouldn't be surprised to see tweaks to deals for Vollmer, Browner and Arrington to free up money. Long term deals with Gostkowski and Solder would also save cap space, but will probably take more time. But I think the Pats have plenty of room to get under the cap.

2. Almost all of the signings being reported are big money deals with teams overpaying. 4 years/$36M for Orlando Franklin, 5 years/$44M for Rodney Hudson, 5 years/$45M for Jerry Hughes, $11M/year for Jeremy Maclin. The Pats aren't going to be pursing those kind of deals. Any of our own FAs (other than Revis, if he reaches FA) either won't go very quickly, or they will be gone because someone will be overpaying for them. Connolly, Branch and Casillas aren't going to break the bank. If Vereen and Ayers get big offers, they are gone. Most of the guys being discussed aren't going to break the bank, and if they do, they won't be a consideration for the Pats.

I personally think the Pats should be proactive to (1) get their house in order to free up cap space, (2) resolve the Revis situation, (3) monitor the FA market, and (4) identify potential external targets of interest and establish conversations with them through their agents to gauge interest and market range. I expect all of those things to settle within the next few days or the next week at the latest, and then I expect the Pats to be very active, whether it's re-signing players or signing new ones.

 

[OhExaulted1]

Harvin is the only player from mayo's list for whom I have zero interest whatsoever.

Paradoxically Harvin is the only one on that list I would be interested in if we got him cheap, mainly because of his return skills and burner speed. Sheard's pricetag is likely to high, while Hartline and Kendricks are redundant with Lafell and Wright already signed for cheap and are proven commodities.

 

[patfanken]

Not really.

1. Besides the obvious Revis situation (which will likely either result in a $20M cap savings or a new deal with a $8-12M cap savings), the Pats have a lot of options to free up money in a hurry. Around $4M from a Mayo restructure, around $5M from shifting $7M of Brady's salary into signing bonus, around $4M from cutting Amendola with a post-June 1 designation, all according to Miguel. $1.2M from cutting Hooman. I wouldn't be surprised to see tweaks to deals for Vollmer, Browner and Arrington to free up money. Long term deals with Gostkowski and Solder would also save cap space, but will probably take more time. But I think the Pats have plenty of room to get under the cap.

2. Almost all of the signings being reported are big money deals with teams overpaying. 4 years/$36M for Orlando Franklin, 5 years/$44M for Rodney Hudson, 5 years/$45M for Jerry Hughes, $11M/year for Jeremy Maclin. The Pats aren't going to be pursing those kind of deals. Any of our own FAs (other than Revis, if he reaches FA) either won't go very quickly, or they will be gone because someone will be overpaying for them. Connolly, Branch and Casillas aren't going to break the bank. If Vereen and Ayers get big offers, they are gone. Most of the guys being discussed aren't going to break the bank, and if they do, they won't be a consideration for the Pats.

I personally think the Pats should be proactive to (1) get their house in order to free up cap space, (2) resolve the Revis situation, (3) monitor the FA market, and (4) identify potential external targets of interest and establish conversations with them through their agents to gauge interest and market range. I expect all of those things to settle within the next few days or the next week at the latest, and then I expect the Pats to be very active, whether it's re-signing players or signing new ones.

I don't disagree with anything you said, with exception perhaps of your comment about DA. IIRC, Miguel has stated that should the Pats cut DA, we'd only get something like a $2.5MM cap benefit. I could be wrong. Also, I don't think the Pats can do anything with Mayo's cap number until he can pass his physical.

The key elements of your post that are worth repeating (in brief), are that aside from Revis, the Pats won't be participating in any of the first couple of weeks of the FA frenzy. I also agree that a there is a lot of potential for creating of cap space. Surely plenty of room for the Pats to participate in the 2nd round of FA after the draft. Or commonly know as the Filenes's Basement round.

But here's the hitch. Every year we go through this exercise and the Pats very rarely ever do more than half of what's ever available. I think that's because they have to look beyond this year, because some of the restructures and cuts that look so easy to us to do today, are going to be needed when the Pats have to do deals with the Jones', Hightowers', and Collins' of the world.

Unfortunately, one of the big problems in drafting as well as the Pats have done in the last 4 or 5 years, is that eventually those players get to their 2nd contract and want to be paid.