Willie wants to stay

[PatsRI]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/03/03/mcginest_prepared_to_get_sacked/


''I want to retire in New England," McGinest said. ''I'm hoping and wishing they do what's best for our team and secure the players we need to win another championship. I think I'd be part of that. I think I'm still a top-level type guy with a lot left in the tank. I'm pretty sure everyone knows where my heart is but I understand the business part of it, too."


It sounds like he wants to remain and as long as the Pats don't lowball him I think he will. It wasn't like he was surprised by this. Interesting comparision to Vinatieri who sounds more like he's gone.

 

[Pats726]

This is good news....yesterday many thought a Browns or a Cowboys might wish to pick him up....but THAT seems a bit out of the question now...I think it may be similar to Troy's was last year...although a restructure is certainly doable and maybe the best path. Considering how EEI had him released and gone, this is so much better.

 

[Willie55]

Sounds to me like they'll be able to get it done which is excellent news.

 

[marty]

This is great news! Hope Adam wants to stay too!

 

[BelichickFan]

This is very good, the tricky part though will be getting him the money he wants without being able to spread a bonus over too many years as we can't count on him playing at this level for too many more years . . . can we ?

 

[rookBoston]

Difference between Adam and Willie is that Adam easily has another 5-years left in his career, if he wants them, whereas Willie is down to his last few.

Adam is likely to get a big money offer, but on the FA market Willie will be looking at a Bobby Hamilton type of a situation and may end up at the veteran minimum anyway.

Willie will stay. The question is how much is BB prepared to pay him.

 

[PATSNUTme]

I'm sure that they can restructure his contract so it's acceptable to him and the team.

 

[mgteich]

There is no reason to believe that the team and Willie won't get it done. They have several times before.

 

[p8ryts]

Willie is the class act

I really appreciated the tone of his remarks in the piece. He is a class guy and I hope BB does right by him.

 

[Alk]

Well, they've restructured him before, hopefully they will do it again and keep him here for the rest of his career. What scares me is that maybe BB just doesn't think he fits into their plans anymore.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Willie has said this before...I was never worried about it. I expected to see him get cut to help the team if needed to get under the cap and then be resigned. or, get a new deal to accomplish the same.

So what if Willie just takes the roster bonus of 3.5 mil and the minimum salary...would he take that and save the team 3 mil on the cap? Perhaps even a multi year deal to spread out the bonus? He's done this before...no reason he won't again.

As a prototype 3-4'er..he has great value as a mentor...he doesn't appear to be resigned to that role except here during practices. The draft represents a major obstacle for him...a team could sign him and then draft a Willie clone and resign him to player/coach.....a loust scenario for him i think...take less money and go for a 4th ring.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/03/03/mcginest_prepared_to_get_sacked/


''I want to retire in New England," McGinest said. ''I'm hoping and wishing they do what's best for our team and secure the players we need to win another championship. I think I'd be part of that. I think I'm still a top-level type guy with a lot left in the tank. I'm pretty sure everyone knows where my heart is but I understand the business part of it, too."


It sounds like he wants to remain and as long as the Pats don't lowball him I think he will. It wasn't like he was surprised by this. Interesting comparision to Vinatieri who sounds more like he's gone.

Blegh! Come on RI, warn a guy if your linking to Borges! Slime all over my screen, yech!

 

[mgteich]

1) the patriots do not have player coaches. Position coaches get paid $100K or so a year. Starting OLB's get paid $2-5M. Even quality backups sometimes get a couple of million. Willie will make more on this last contract that if he coached for the next ten years. It's not happening anytime soon.

2) Willie wants to PLAY for a couple of more years. He has the talent to play for a couple of more years, If the patriots would rather play Eric Alexander or a rookie, he would be much better off in Cleveland, where there is at least one coach who knows that he can play.

Willie has said this before...I was never worried about it. I expected to see him get cut to help the team if needed to get under the cap and then be resigned. or, get a new deal to accomplish the same.

So what if Willie just takes the roster bonus of 3.5 mil and the minimum salary...would he take that and save the team 3 mil on the cap? Perhaps even a multi year deal to spread out the bonus? He's done this before...no reason he won't again.

As a prototype 3-4'er..he has great value as a mentor...he doesn't appear to be resigned to that role except here during practices. The draft represents a major obstacle for him...a team could sign him and then draft a Willie clone and resign him to player/coach.....a loust scenario for him i think...take less money and go for a 4th ring.

 

[dryheat44]

1) the patriots do not have player coaches. Position coaches get paid $100K or so a year. Starting OLB's get paid $2-5M. Even quality backups sometimes get a couple of million. Willie will make more on this last contract that if he coached for the next ten years. It's not happening anytime soon.

2) Willie wants to PLAY for a couple of more years. He has the talent to play for a couple of more years, If the patriots would rather play Eric Alexander or a rookie, he would be much better off in Cleveland, where there is at least one coach who knows that he can play.

I can't argue with any of that. In fact, this isn't really related to your post except sequentially. However, it's important to remember that
1) Romeo doesn't make personnel decisions in Cleveland
2) Assuming Romeo is trying to set up a New England Midwest, surely he's learned the value of cap management from BB as well as he's learned which players function well in the 3-4.

There's not going to be a 4-6 year deal for mega millions (as seems implied by dozens of posts over the past week) out there for a 34(?) year old linebacker. Not from a good team that understands the cap.

 

[Ring 6]

I was never concerned. Willie is not going to leave, and Willie understand 8mill isnt happening.
The only way Willie isnt back is if BB feels he is done and wont help this year, and that seems impossible to me.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Well, they've restructured him before, hopefully they will do it again and keep him here for the rest of his career. What scares me is that maybe BB just doesn't think he fits into their plans anymore.

Belichick is a firm believer in keeping leaders on the team,even if their skills have eroded a bit. Look at the keeping and now resigning of Don Davis. Ii'm not even sure Willie's skills have eroded in the Belichick system.

IMO, he has at least 2 more years and possibly three, in which he will be rotated and used on critical htird down pass rushing situations in the later years. But for next season he is still a full timer so he can be paid that way. If not for cap considerations, I think he is wirth $4 million, $2,5 million and $1,5 million per year divided up anyway you want between bonus and salary...

 

[fgssand]

I was never concerned. Willie is not going to leave, and Willie understand 8mill isnt happening.
The only way Willie isnt back is if BB feels he is done and wont help this year, and that seems impossible to me.

I agree - only way we possibly lose him is a monster deal from another team that is way under the cap - whichever cap ends up becoming real. If that happens, then good luck Willie and thanks for being such a class act. I do not think it will.
Funny, I do not feel the same way about Adam V., if he leaves for more money, I will feel resentment - weird.