Tired of hearing the Pats are cheap

[LloydBraun]

I am tired of hearing from the John Clayton's and Peter King's of the world about how the Pats are cheap.

This team paid Brady and Seymour big money, which they deserved. The O-linemen got fair money, as did the LB'ers. But, they did not get "crazy" money thatthey could get on the market.

This team chooses not to OVERPAY, there is a difference. Givens, Branch and Vinatieri for example did not deserve elite money. Vinatieri is still an elite kicker, but his weaknesses are hid in the dome.

These so called sports writers should realize that the Pats are built to compete year in and year out. They do this buy spending wisely and building depth.

We have plenty of cap room and draft picks this year. The team has quality depth on both lines, in the backfield and at the TE position. Now is the time to load up at LB, WR and the secondary.

I am excited to see what this team looks like during training camp.

 

[wdkantro2]

Never listen to anything Clayton says. He is a know it all who actually doesn't know much. He thinks just because the Pats don't go out and sign multiple free agents to huge deals every year it means they are cheap. He doesn't realize they were close to, if not over the cap in 2006.

 

[psychoPat]

Right you are here again, Lloyd.

And i've been wishing to say that
i find your other recent posts exceptionally sensible.

 

[vyrago]

He did make the point in his last column that the smart teams wait till the hubbub of free agency is over and pick up what they need at reasonable prices and he listed the Pats as one of those teams, so though I don't hink he's any genius, he does seem to be paying attention.

 

[Yankees/Colts]

Vinatieri for example did not deserve elite money.

Yeah, right.

Anyway, he's making less with the Colts than he was with the Pats and less than Vanderjagt was making. Right?

BTW, did you see his new Reebok commercial with the Da Bears crew? Has he ever had a national commercial before? I don't remember one. Many Patriot fans noted the numerous local sponsorship opportunities he might be losing by going to Indianapolis. I think he might probably gladly trade the local car dealership for a national Reebok spot.

 

[bradmahn]

I'm almost positive Vinatieri's contract is the highest for a kicker in the history of the NFL. And read the rest of what the post said, particularly the part about a dome. I seem to remember him shanking a fairly easy kick in the rain against the Bears.

And considering that the Pats brought in a kicker who was more than competent as Vinatieri's replacement, and for a much, much smaller salary, they didn't have to pay him "elite money."

 

[Fixit]

Anyway, he's making less with the Colts than he was with the Pats and less than Vanderjagt was making.

You're right, except for the part where you're completely wrong. 5-yr/$12.5M + a $3.5M bonus = the largest contract ever for a kicker.

Nice try, though.

 

[LloydBraun]

Yankees/Colts, wow, a person that roots for BOTH of those teams. Man, you are the bizarro Lloyd Braun. Just kidding, lol.

But, Vinatieri did not deserve elite money from the Pats. His leg was getting shorter on kickoffs and they were continually bypassing long FG's due to his leg strength. It was a good business move for NE.

That being said, it was also a good business move for Vinatieri and Indy. Everybody seems to have won in this situation. The IDEAL transaction.

In regards to endorsements, I think Reebok should have signed him sooner. He made some unforgettable kicks with the Pats.

A Yankee and Colts fan.......... SERENITY NOW !!!!!!

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Peter King thought Ben Watson was a Pro Bowler this year. Well he wasn't, maybe next year he will be.

 

[Yankees/Colts]

You're right, except for the part where you're completely wrong. 5-yr/$12.5M + a $3.5M bonus = the largest contract ever for a kicker.

Nice try, though.

Vinatieri 2005 Pats salary: 2.759 million
Vinatieri 2007 Colts salary: 2.070 million

I couldn't locate the 2006 salary, perhaps Miguel has it, but I'm pretty sure it was less than the 2.759 million he made the year before with the Pats. He signed for far less with the Colts than most people were predicting and came as a relative bargain for the Colts. I believe he either made less in 2006 than Vanderjagt did in 2005 or he made less than Vanderjagt was scheduled to make in 2006.(The guy who had the Colt salary page shut it down, I believe, so I'm not exactly sure.) To clarify again: I believe he made less in 2006 and is making less in 2007 than he did in his final year with the Pats and made less in 2006 than Vanderjagt did in 2005 or was scheduled to make in 2006 with the Colts.

And read the rest of what the post said, particularly the part about a dome. I seem to remember him shanking a fairly easy kick in the rain against the Bears.

He missed one kick in the playoffs, and that was in a driving rain... and was still 3 for 4 in that game. He had his best postseason ever, 14 for 15, and may have had his best season ever overall.

He set an NFL record for points in a postseason with 49.

Also, you guys keep talking about the dome. This is his last season playing in a dome.

 

[Steamer86]

Yankees/Colts? - I am sure he used to be a Bulls fan too, but now he likes the Mavs and Suns...

 

[rtunstal]

Also, you guys keep talking about the dome. This is his last season playing in a dome.[/QUOTE]

I didn't know the colts were leaving the dome and playing outdoors now. When did this happen they would give up there cozy dome for the cold out doors, wow this is a shock. where is this new facility. I'm not being a jerk just wanted to know.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Tired of hearing people being tired of hearing the Pats are cheap.

Some player made some wisecrack last offseason, and that's the last I've actually heard of this assinine point of view.

They spend to the cap every year, one way or another... even if you spend now to have money later, that does not make you cheap -- it means you have plans that will scrape against the cap ceiling some other day. They're a team that struggles to stay under (and spend smart,) not a team that's routinely under the cap when it's all said and done, and by now everybody says exactly that about it.

PFnV

 

[Fixit]

To clarify again: I believe he made less in 2006 and is making less in 2007 than he did in his final year with the Pats and made less in 2006 than Vanderjagt did in 2005 or was scheduled to make in 2006 with the Colts.

Oh, please. A) That's not what you said, and B) even if you did, it's misleading. He signed the richest kicker contract in NFL history.

 

[Fixit]

Also, you guys keep talking about the dome. This is his last season playing in a dome.

I didn't know the colts were leaving the dome and playing outdoors now. When did this happen they would give up there cozy dome for the cold out doors, wow this is a shock. where is this new facility. I'm not being a jerk just wanted to know.

I was wondering this myself. Next year they have 10 dome games (8 home + HOU and ATL). Their outdoor schedule consists of the frozen tundra in CAR, JAX, SD, TEN, and OAK. Their only cold-weather game is BAL, and I bet they play that one in early September.

 

[DaBruinz]

Yeah, right.

Anyway, he's making less with the Colts than he was with the Pats and less than Vanderjagt was making. Right?

BTW, did you see his new Reebok commercial with the Da Bears crew? Has he ever had a national commercial before? I don't remember one. Many Patriot fans noted the numerous local sponsorship opportunities he might be losing by going to Indianapolis. I think he might probably gladly trade the local car dealership for a national Reebok spot.

What national Reebok spot? How do you know its "NATIONAL". I watch TV and have yet to see Vinatieri in a Reebok commercial.

 

[DaBruinz]

Vinatieri 2005 Pats salary: 2.759 million
Vinatieri 2007 Colts salary: 2.070 million

Vinatieri probably got around a 1 million salary, but he also got that nice 3.5 million signing bonus. Which clearly means he was paid in the 4.5 - 5 million range for the 2006 season.

I couldn't locate the 2006 salary, perhaps Miguel has it, but I'm pretty sure it was less than the 2.759 million he made the year before with the Pats. He signed for far less with the Colts than most people were predicting and came as a relative bargain for the Colts. I believe he either made less in 2006 than Vanderjagt did in 2005 or he made less than Vanderjagt was scheduled to make in 2006.(The guy who had the Colt salary page shut it down, I believe, so I'm not exactly sure.) To clarify again: I believe he made less in 2006 and is making less in 2007 than he did in his final year with the Pats and made less in 2006 than Vanderjagt did in 2005 or was scheduled to make in 2006 with the Colts.

BTW, Vinatieri did NOT get PAID 2.759 million in 2005. That was his total CAP HIT. His salary was 2.509 million. But, who cares what his salary is. Salary is only part of the picture. The Salary cap HIT is the main consideration.

He missed one kick in the playoffs, and that was in a driving rain... and was still 3 for 4 in that game. He had his best postseason ever, 14 for 15, and may have had his best season ever overall.

He set an NFL record for points in a postseason with 49.

Also, you guys keep talking about the dome. This is his last season playing in a dome.

No, its not. The NEW STADIUM has a roof that can open and close, but everyone knows that Pansy Peyton, Vinatieri, and Pyschotic Polian won't allow the roof to be opened after October 1st. Also, it will be a field turf stadium, just like many other places have.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Also, you guys keep talking about the dome. This is his last season playing in a dome.

If that's the case, then I almost feel sorry for you already.

Vinatieri's kickoffs in 2006, playing mostly indoors: 65.8 yards
Vinatieri's kickoffs in 2005, playing mostly outdoors: 61.6 yards
Gostkowski's kickoffs in 2006, playing mostly outdoors: 65.5 yards

Somehow, I don't think Vinatieri got significantly stronger between 2005 and 2006.

 

[RPCity]

What national Reebok spot? How do you know its "NATIONAL". I watch TV and have yet to see Vinatieri in a Reebok commercial.

That was my original thought too.....but as I was reading the thread I saw the commercial with him and the SNL "Da Bears" fans. It's actually pretty funny. You can see the whole thing here:

http://www.rbk.com/us/football/

 

[Yankees/Colts]

No, its not. The NEW STADIUM has a roof that can open and close, but everyone knows that Pansy Peyton, Vinatieri, and Pyschotic Polian won't allow the roof to be opened after October 1st.

The roof opens as does the side. The Colts will be playing outdoors probably about 80% of the time.

Also, the pansies? You're talking about the same pansies who just won the Super Bowl in a monsoon and the slop in Miami against the physical, 3 yards and a cloud of dust Bears, while you watched on TV wondering how you pulled off the biggest big game choke in NFL history? Those pansies? The same pansies who beat the Ravens physically and held Larry Johnson to 30 some yards? If you're looking for pansies, put in a tape of the AFC Championship game and watch your team from the second quarter on. Pay particular attention to the group of pansies who gave up 32 points in the 2nd half.

I can understand, however, why you would want the elements involved in a Colts/Pats game. Your defense cannot stop the Colts at all unless snow is involved. You cannot beat the Colts straight up, man-to-man in clean weather and on a clean field. Hey, win a regular season game once, and you might get one back in the snow.

Also, I realize you need to create these silly myths in your heads and reasons for hating teams. You have plenty of them. But, the retractable roof is not being put on for the Colts. It's not being added because the Colts do not want to play outdoors. The Colts wanted an open air stadium. The retractable roof is put on for the Final Four and the thousands of other events the venue can then host. That's why New York wanted one. No dome is built because of a football team, so that team can play indoors. They are built for the massive amounts of alternative revenue they can generate from other events. You have this silly myth in your heads concerning the Colts and the dome, but the RCA Dome was built before Indianapolis had any idea the Colts would even be moving there for Christ's sake. The Colts only play there 8 times a year while it hosts hundreds of other events.

Also, it will be a field turf stadium, just like many other places have.

Yeah, just like you have. It was funny how many Pats fans always called the Colts a pansy turf team, then the Jets beat you because of, in some of your minds, the sloppy field, and all of a sudden all of these Pats fans were calling for turf. And now you have it.