TJ story effect on free agents ?

[SVN]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/02/05/super.bowl/2.html

2. New England (14-5). On a serious note, you can't tell me that the free agents New England tries to recruit this year aren't going to look at Bill Belichick and wonder: "Are those charges that Ted Johnson made true ... the ones about being coerced to play with a concussion?''

i know we will call peter king names here...but rationally..how much will it effect us, not mentioning all the BB bad image which has portrayed in the last few weeks ?

 

[Tunescribe]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/02/05/super.bowl/2.html



i know we will call peter king names here...but rationally..how much will it effect us, not mentioning all the BB bad image which has portrayed in the last few weeks ?

Two words: money, rings.

 

[fgssand]

Two words: money, rings.

I used to think "rings" matter - not anymore, with th emajority of players today.

One word ...money. If we offer it they will come.

 

[PromisedLand]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/02/05/super.bowl/2.html



i know we will call peter king names here...but rationally..how much will it effect us, not mentioning all the BB bad image which has portrayed in the last few weeks ?

I think probably most players learn of coach's reputations from other players and coaches, not from the media. And really, do you think other coaches are that different than BB when it comes to pushing players to practice?

This is a longstanding culture in the NFL. Remember the Vikings offensive lineman who collapsed and later died after being denied a chance to rest and get some water during training camp?

Yes, things have changed somewhat, but fundamentally coaches still push players to play and (some) players push back, and I think most players (and agents) understand that (a) the media (and Ted Johnson, perhaps) are making this into more of a story than it really is and (b) things are more or less the same at every NFL team.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

I don't think it'll make much difference. Belichick is a straight talker to potential FA and we've had (and got) plenty of vets who'll vouch for Belichick not intentional screwing his players over.

 

[cstjohn17]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/02/05/super.bowl/2.html

i know we will call peter king names here...but rationally..how much will it effect us, not mentioning all the BB bad image which has portrayed in the last few weeks ?

All the recent drama surrounding BB and the Pats reputation for not spending money has to enter the mind of FAs. In the end the Pats will get the FAs they want if the money the player wants is in line with the value the Pats pay. Put simply, when looking at the history of free agency in professional sports it comes down to money and opportunity. The strength of the Patriots has been to find players who are not stars and put them in a place where they can succeed (Vrabel jumps to mind). Their approach is not to sling it out for top FAs (ala the Redskins). I think the Patriots success and to some extent the recent Colts victory are examples of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. When players who really like playing football talk to BB they see someone who has had great success, understands the game and is surrounded by a first class organization.

Sorry, rambling a bit... bottom line - The negative vibe presented over the past month won't help things but I would be very surprised if a player decided not to talk to the Pats because their coach doesn't present himself as a "people person". It is in their economic best interest to talk to as many teams as possible, and if winning is important this is one of the 3-5 teams that can be looked at as having a real shot at a championship.

 

[NEPatriot]

I think very little. The players who are only chasing the money won't be coming here. Even if the story is 100% accurate, I don't think that this something that would only happen in NE. The one thing the story does do is put TJ's AWOL episode into prespective.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/02/05/super.bowl/2.html



i know we will call peter king names here...but rationally..how much will it effect us, not mentioning all the BB bad image which has portrayed in the last few weeks ?

As opposed to the Colts who chose NOT to pay Corey Simon for his illness by claiming a non-football injury versus the PAts who did not hesitate to say that they would pay Bruschi's salary when he had his stroke............

 

[aabtec]

Two words: money, rings.

two words..steelers and colts...we have not won the last two years...

 

[aabtec]

All the recent drama surrounding BB and the Pats reputation for not spending money has to enter the mind of FAs. In the end the Pats will get the FAs they want if the money the player wants is in line with the value the Pats pay. Put simply, when looking at the history of free agency in professional sports it comes down to money and opportunity. The strength of the Patriots has been to find players who are not stars and put them in a place where they can succeed (Vrabel jumps to mind). Their approach is not to sling it out for top FAs (ala the Redskins). I think the Patriots success and to some extent the recent Colts victory are examples of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. When players who really like playing football talk to BB they see someone who has had great success, understands the game and is surrounded by a first class organization.

Sorry, rambling a bit... bottom line - The negative vibe presented over the past month won't help things but I would be very surprised if a player decided not to talk to the Pats because their coach doesn't present himself as a "people person". It is in their economic best interest to talk to as many teams as possible, and if winning is important this is one of the 3-5 teams that can be looked at as having a real shot at a championship.

The Pats have signed tier one free agents..just look at colvin and harrison.

The question I have does BB "value chart" reflect the new CBA. I have heard BB say that Samuel was "coached up" by Pees. If that is the case and all of the players are "coached up" why didn't it work with Hobbs and some of the other players....

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

two words..steelers and colts...we have not won the last two years...

True but we've still won 3 this decade and have won 3 playoff games the past two years. Coming to NE doesn't guarantee a ring - for sure - but it does virtually guarantee a very good and legitimite shot at one which most teams can't say.

 

[patriotspride]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/02/05/super.bowl/2.html



i know we will call peter king names here...but rationally..how much will it effect us, not mentioning all the BB bad image which has portrayed in the last few weeks ?

it will have zero affect .if bb was so bad people would be leaving in droves .

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

If that is the case and all of the players are "coached up" why didn't it work with Hobbs and some of the other players....

With regard to Hobbs it's because he's got only about a year's playing time. He didn't play most of the first half of last year and missed a few games this year with the broken wrist. He has, what, 20 games started or so. He's coming along fine but he can't be compared to a 5 year vet.

 

[Gumby]

Although in general I believe you should never group people and make broad assumptions; .....


in this case I will break my own rule. In general I think at least half of these guys are coddled morons who don't really pay attention.

So sure this information will taint the free agent pool. I am sure some guys won't even give the Pats a chance because they believe the things that other guys have said.

Hell; it didn't take this story; the WR who remains "un-named" playing for the Seahawks was able to convince another player we wouldn't pay so he went to the Broncos. And the other WR wasn't even smart enough to figure out that the Branch was not an "unbiased info source" (ie Branch was trying to make sure he could max out the Pats and cut out the competition.)

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The difference between what players think and what Peter King thinks is on about the same level of difference as how fans feel and react vs. how players do. These guys live it, we just observe from a distance. And Peter isn't even an in the trenches locker room kind of commentator.

If you listen to guys like Smerlas and DeOssie (challenging as that may sometimes be) talk about the reality of the game, they will tell you that the TJ scene is replayed dozens of times a day all across the league. Teams need to know which guys they can count on, and the same ego that got most of these guys into the NFL drives them to prove they are one of those guys. There are multiple examples last season alone of players being pushed or pushing to return well ahead of schedule to earn or retain a job or salvage a teams season. Pennington, Culpepper, Palmer, Green and even Harrison. I think Rodney and Carson are examples of players who pushed, while Green is an example of one who was reluctant to but felt pressure based not on how badly his team missed him but rather by how well they were doing in his absence. Culpepper was pushed by a team who made an ill advised committment to him. Pennington saw his contract incentivized based on playing time, and agreed to it because the alternative was losing that job. On the Colts guys found out their GM not only pushes you he takes your salary away claiming your degenerative condition is not football related and the act of driving to work is not work related. Ownership here has shown it won't take that hardline stance in most instances.

I agree that by and large guys want two things - money and opportunity to keep making it or increase their capacity to make it (here or elsewhere). Guys like Reid and Klecko can grouse about us not paying them this season, but if not for BB they'd be out of football today instead of being fitted for rings elsewhere and Deion Branch would likely be just another nice second or third had BB not matched him up with a QB like Brady. We're generally not going to be in the market for the big ticket FA because most of them are overpaid to some extent and we simply won't knowingly do that. And at the end of the day BB only really wants guys who want more than money - self motivated and preferably unselfish guys who do still crave the ring or desperately want the opportunity to prove they are more than they appear to be perhaps mired in a situation where it's hard to look good. BB and Pioli readily admit it's a small gene pool from which to select, which can be frustrating for fans and even teamates at times, but selecting outside of it is a waste of time and effort, not to mention money.

 

[PonyExpress]

The players know Johnson's claims are bull$h1t. Only the media and ignorant fandom are being taken in.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

two words..steelers and colts...we have not won the last two years...

Two teams we aren't competing with for FA because it's their policy to avoid high priced FA's as part of their general principles. And two teams who don't pay to retain their own overpriced FA talent with few exceptions - although Polian will extend himself on maintaining a top tier offense.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The Pats have signed tier one free agents..just look at colvin and harrison.

The question I have does BB "value chart" reflect the new CBA. I have heard BB say that Samuel was "coached up" by Pees. If that is the case and all of the players are "coached up" why didn't it work with Hobbs and some of the other players....

Most of the experts (including those here who believe they are and some guy named Belichick) feel that it is working with Hobbs, not to mention he has more raw talent left to work with less than two full seasons in. How many 2nd year corners drafted in the mid rounds can start for a contending team and by and large play through a broken wrist? That's coaching and coachability at it's best. BB had the same issues with Ty that he has with Asante - in coaching a ball hawk the trick is putting him in the best position to make his plays without burning the team to the ground in the process. Ty had his picks in NY, but at what cost? He went to the pro bowl while his team went in the crapper in part because of his penalties outweighting his picks for most of the season. Not to mention the times he simple got burnt or juked out of his jock. BB will trade off the big play made if in the process it saves him a couple of big plays surrendered. He calls it bend but don't break.

 

[p8ryts]

Not if they are a real Patriot type player.

 

[DarrylS]

Go back to the TJ story, anyone who is in the NFL knows the Training Staff makes the decisions as to who can practice.. not the coach. So if he is on the field with a Blue Jersey, it is assumed he can practice. The McMullen story has so many holes in it is it like swiss cheese, any NFL player knows the reality of the NFL. The BMSW piece on this pokes more holes in the story as well.

I like Peter King but he must have been spending quality time with Borges this weekend, to write something like that. Makes no sense it is about the money and what fits for the player.