Tommy Kelly asked to be released

[Onedaful]

Not sure if you guys have seen this yet but here is the story being reported.

Tommy Kelly Asked to be Released from the Patriots | Pats Pulpit - 9/8/2014

Playbook study making sense to Arizona Cardinals DT Tommy Kelly | ESPN - 9/3/2014

 

[mayoclinic]

First reported by a PatsFans poster, then re-tweeted by Miguel, now picked up by the media and posted on PatsFans. The circle of life.

 

[borg]

Probably knew the 3-4 would get blitzkreiged

 

[JMC00]

But apparently according to some this is still BB's fault because Kelly agreed to a restructured deal 5 months prior that would have paid him at least double then what he is set to make in Arizona.

 

[BradyFTW!]

If I was a competent NFL defensive tackle, I would be offended by being asked to split snaps with Ray Vellano too. The guy is sub-replacement level.

All joking aside, though, I find it weird that he didn't foresee being asked to take a reduction in snaps, being in his mid-30s and coming off of an ACL tear and whatnot. Seems like a purely pride-driven move, and for better or worse (and I do think it's for worse oftentimes), guys like that tend not to last on Belichick's Pats once their production dips even a little.

 

[james87654]

But apparently according to some this is still BB's fault because Kelly agreed to a restructured deal 5 months prior that would have paid him at least double then what he is set to make in Arizona.

is this true even if he hadnt reached the incentives/escalators?.....serious question.......im not up on his contract with the cards or what it was with the pats

 

[JMC00]

is this true even if he hadnt reached the incentives/escalators?.....serious question.......im not up on his contract with the cards or what it was with the pats

Here is the breakdown of the deal Miguel has

• Signing bonus: $100,000
• Base salary: $955,000
• Roster bonuses: $800,000 ($50K per game he's on the 46-man active list)
• Total value: $1.85 million

The deal also includes the following playing-time incentives:

• 20 percent -- $95,000
• 30 percent -- $195,000
• 40 percent -- $345,000
• 50 percent -- $495,000
• 60 percent -- $645,000

So he would have made $1.85m if healthy all season and had playing time incentives he would have hit.

Spotrac and Overthecap have Kelly's Arizona salary at $955k

 

[mgteich]

I don't think Kelly wanted Vellano's role.

I believe that Vellano played a lot because Easley isn't 100% yet and Chris Jones was out. If both of these players were near 100%, Vellano might have been inactive, or at best spent almost all the time on the bench.

In any case, the team SEEMED to have a role for Kelly that he didn't want to play.

And yes, Belichick thinks that AS OF NOW, Vellano is a better last choice DT on the roster. Worthy was a developmental prospect. Vellano already was "ready" to be a backup and play a lot when needed.

And yes, i agree that Vellano probably would not even be on the team if Jones, Siliga and Easley were all healthy going into the season. In that case, we might have preferred a developmental player.

The BOTTOM LINE is that the 5th DT had to be willing to play any role on the DL, including being inactive. Kelly wasn't the man for that role. Vellano is.

 

[Brady6]

The BOTTOM LINE is that the 5th DT had to be willing to play any role on the DL, including being inactive. Kelly wasn't the man for that role. Vellano is.

I do not follow the #5 DT logic you are spitting here, Vellano started yesterday’s game. Kelly only would have been the #5 DT if he was outplayed by 4 other DT.

I do not see it being a role; I think that if Kelly were here he would have been a top 3 DT. If Kelly was playing at a high level, still he is a better player than Chris Jones, Sealver Siliga, and Joe Vellano. I am not sure what you are trying to suggest here but it does not make any sense to me, it was not him or Vellano.

 

[JMC00]

I am not sure what you are trying to suggest here but it does not make any sense to me, it was not him or Vellano.

Ya not sure how anyone can come to that conclusion. Kelly was used like a starter in the preseason. Kelly deciding to stay probably means Vellano is on the PS right now. Which means it was never Kelly or Vellano. It was more like Vellano vs Will Smith.

 

[Brady6]

I do not know if this is true but if it is than it is much worse than us just cutting him because we felt his performance was not enough. If we felt Kelly was still a valuable player that we wanted to keep and failed to manage the relationship with him properly, that is simply unacceptable. Belichick and his staff should not have players asking to be cut because their communication with them is so poor that they are thinking that the team is intentionally trying to screw them out of a few hundred grand.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Maybe they should ask him to come back?

 

[Brady6]

Ya not sure how anyone can come to that conclusion. Kelly was used like a starter in the preseason. Kelly deciding to stay probably means Vellano is on the PS right now.

I think they could have kept all 6 if they wanted to, or they could have put Jones on short-term injured reserve, there were plenty of options, they could have kept Kelly without an issue and they should have. Especially if they want to run a 3-4 because Kelly was the only player on the team outside of Wilfork who could play DE in a 3-4 effectively.

The bold part of your post is the biggest issue, when did this become a place that players were demanding to be cut from. That is Oakland Raiders personnel management right there.

 

[FalconHeavy]

I do not know if this is true but if it is than it is much worse than us just cutting him because we felt his performance was not enough. If we felt Kelly was still a valuable player that we wanted to keep and failed to manage the relationship with him properly, that is simply unacceptable. Belichick and his staff should not have players asking to be cut because their communication with them is so poor that they are thinking that the team is intentionally trying to screw them out of a few hundred grand.

BB has always been ruthless when it comes to roster decisions. But man, I don't know what players go through emotionally. Is this having an impact on their ability to put their bodies through the rigors of NFL career? There was a time when players used to dream about playing for the Pats. Now they are refusing to sign up for practice squad. We do have to work on the emotion and communications part a bit would be my 2 cents !

 

[RayClay]

Obviously, Kelly signed it early. My interpretation is, he sniffed out that he was being prepped to play early, then bypassed by younger players as the season progressed.

That's just my thought. Besides the trio from last year and Easley, they've looked at a bunch of DTs and i think everyone was 25 or younger

 

[patsfan-1982]

I wish the guy the best of luck but he was getting blown off the ball in preseason vs back ups so I have no problem with him being gone even after sundays game

 

[RayClay]

BB has always been ruthless when it comes to roster decisions. But man, I don't know what players go through emotionally. Is this having an impact on their ability to put their bodies through the rigors of NFL career? There was a time when players used to dream about playing for the Pats. Now they are refusing to sign up for practice squad. We do have to work on the emotion and communications part a bit would be my 2 cents !

Yeah, we'll never get player like Revis to play here with our cheap, ruthless reputation...oh wait.

I do remember those days in the 60' and 70s when players dreamed of playing here, though.

 

[FalconHeavy]

Yeah, we'll never get player like Revis to play here with our cheap, ruthless reputation...oh wait.

I do remember those days in the 60' and 70s when players dreamed of playing here, though.

Let us see what BB does to Revis in a few years if he stays here a on a longer contract

 

[Deus Irae]

But apparently according to some this is still BB's fault because Kelly agreed to a restructured deal 5 months prior that would have paid him at least double then what he is set to make in Arizona.

Team demands a restructure.
Restructure is made based upon playing time.
Team cuts player's playing time.
Player asks for his release.
White Knights blame player.


Gotta love that.

 

[juny]

Assuming Kelly wants to play beyond this year, he knows the only way to get a decent contract after this year is to show it by playing well on the field. If he feels like he won't be able to show that here because of limited snaps, then I don't blame him looking elsewhere. No ill feelings toward Kelly, hope he does well in AZ