RFA Emmanuel Sanders visits Pats 3/16; signs offer sheet 4/10, sheet matched 4/14

[Brady6]

Emmanuel Sanders, a RFA, visited the Pats. Has signed 1-year tender

That did occur to me, but then you have to think that the Pats must feel pretty confident in their ability to resign him, otherwise its a big gamble.

If the Steelers decline the one year offer sheet can we change to a long term contract without having to submit it for them to match?

 

[Huckleberry1]

Re: Pats submit offer sheet for Emmanuel Sanders

Yeah, well, how many WRs have the Pats taken in the first half of the draft that never panned out? This guy is a known quantity and *likely* will be around longer than one season.

I do think they probably have some kind of agreement with the agent for a longer deal if this gets through but may have been concerned it was structured in a way that Pitt may have found agreeable and didn't want them to match it.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Pats submit offer sheet for Emmanuel Sanders

Have to wonder about the mentality behind giving up a 3rd for an one year deal.

The mentality is that New England currently has, arguably, the worst crop of WR's in the NFL and that they will trade down (and possibly out of the first round) if they obtain Sanders' services. They'll also be in a better spot to negotiate with him in the future. I love it the move, personally.

 

[Hazy]

No way the Pats give up a 3rd for a one year loan of a player. We gave up a 4th for a premier CB for a one year loan of a player, no way we give up more for a above average WR.

TBH i'd prefer Lloyd over Sanders...hopefully both

 

[Rob0729]

Is there any limitations or time period on when you can restructure/extended a player after a contract is signed? Could it just be a huge 1 year that will just get redone once the Steelers decline to match it? Once the Steelers decline that offer sheet can he sign a different contract term or does that have to be submitted too and declined also?

You are allowed to redo any contract once a year. I assume that includes a new contract signed that year. If that is the case, they can redo Sander's contract any time after he is acquired.

 

[n8wood]

I believe they'll be able to renegotiate his contract immediately after Pit declines to match. I think the only limitation is that the new contract will have to pay him less than or equal to the prior contract would pay for this year.

Which means next week they could be signing him to a long term deal with a lower base salary for '13 and a large signing bonus. A win for both sides.

 

[Brady6]

Emmanuel Sanders, a RFA, visited the Pats. Has signed 1-year tender

The mentality is that New England currently has, arguably, the worst crop of WR's in the NFL and that they will trade down (and possibly out of the first round) if they obtain Sanders' services. They'll also be in a better spot to negotiate with him in the future. I love it the move, personally.

Probably best discussed in a different thread but this move makes me believe there is something in the works for Mallett to gather draft picks. Maybe you get 68 the Browns 3rd and 4th/5th worst case but can't see BB going into the draft with 2 picks in the first 4 rounds.

I like this move though. I still draft a bigger outside WR but this allows us to rely less on that player.

 

[Brady2Moss]

Good move, weakens the Steelers makes us better. Can't wait for the media **** storm about how BB is cheating the RFA system if indeed we can restructure him this year hahah

 

[Huckleberry1]

If they can get this done and then take one of the top WR's in this draft on day 1 or 2 then the WR unit should be in really good shape going forward. I would love to see them add Sanders and then take Keenan Allen, Robert Woods, Hopkins, or a number of the top ranked WR's-Hunter, Wheaton etc.......


I'm really curious as to what the deal was and looking forward to hearing the numbers

 

[Brady6]

Emmanuel Sanders, a RFA, visited the Pats. Has signed 1-year tender

You are allowed to redo any contract once a year. I assume that includes a new contract signed that year. If that is the case, they can redo Sander's contract any time after he is acquired.

Can they change the initial offer without opening it up to be matched by the Steelers once this one is declined?

 

[PP2]

Re: Pats submit offer sheet for Emmanuel Sanders

The mentality is that New England currently has, arguably, the worst crop of WR's in the NFL and that they will trade down (and possibly out of the first round) if they obtain Sanders' services. They'll also be in a better spot to negotiate with him in the future. I love it the move, personally.

Agreed; I believe the Pats made up their mind to move out of the 1st round before making the offer to Sanders. Otherwise if we did succeed in signing Sanders, we'd only have 3-4 picks left, IIRC (since our 4th and 5th's are gone)? I don't think that would go over well in Foxboro.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Sanders, Jones, Amendola, (Allen-e.g..), and Jenkins would give them a very good WR corps going into 2012.

 

[everlong]

I believe there's an NFL rule that you cannot restructure a player within one year of the signing of a deal. I'm not sure how that plays into players who receive a tag and if there's one set of rules for a team tagging their own player and a team signing a player from another team.

 

[Miguel]

The CBA says:
"The player and the New Club may not renegotiate such Player Contract to reduce the Salary in such contract until after the end of the first regular season covered by the Contract. Neither the player nor the New Club may exercise an option in such Player Contract that reduces Salary in the first League Year of such contract until after the end of the first regular season covered by the Contract."

(i) Salary, which shall consist only of
(a) the fixed and specified dollar amounts the New Club will pay, guarantee or lend to the Restricted Free Agent and/or his designees (currently and/or as deferred compensation in specified installments on specified dates) in consideration for his services as a football player under the Player Contract (i.e., signing bonus, Paragraph 5 Salary, and reporting and roster bonuses); and
(b) Salary that is variable and/ or is subject to calculation only upon the following bases:
(1) based upon the performance of the Club extending the Offer Sheet (only those incentives which are "likely to be earned" by the player if he enters into a Player Contract with the New Club, pursuant to Subsection (c) above, must be matched by the Prior Club for the purpose of exercising a Right of First Refusal, and such incentives may not exceed 1 5 % of the Salary in the Offer Sheet); and (2) League honors listed in Exhibit C to Article 1 3 ;

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Pats submit offer sheet for Emmanuel Sanders

That did occur to me, but then you have to think that the Pats must feel pretty confident in their ability to resign him, otherwise its a big gamble.

Eh, I don't agree with the gamble part. The two options are either bring in the veteran Sanders who has proven that he can do it at the NFL level, or draft two rookies and hope both can contribute immediately. To me, going to the draft needing to bring in two rookies would be the bigger gamble.

Rookies now are coming out of college systems that are completely different from what the Patriots run, for the most part. Learning the Erhardt-Perkins quickly enough to not only be able to contribute, but to also be on the field in the hurry up would prove to be very difficult. Sanders at least has experience, has proven he can do it, and if signed, would be brought in with enough time to develop a rapport with Brady.

Also, if the Sanders comes aboard, the team can also take the pick where it most likely would have looked at another WR, and use it on another pass rusher (which the defense desperately needs, IMO).

 

[Don_the_patfan]

Here's the answer as to why a one year deal from packers ex-gm:

Andrew Brandt ?@adbrandt 10m
One-year offer sheet meant as disincentive for Steelers to match; to not mortgage more contracts for guy leaving next year.

I still hope they have a side deal for a long term contract. Not comfortable with a one year for a 3rd at all.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Re: Pats submit offer sheet for Emmanuel Sanders

Agreed; I believe the Pats made up their mind to move out of the 1st round before making the offer to Sanders. Otherwise if we did succeed in signing Sanders, we'd only have 3-4 picks left, IIRC (since our 4th and 5th's are gone)? I don't think that would go over well in Foxboro.

I don't believe Belichick ever makes that decision until the offers are on the table. I agree that he would do it if he sees the value in the move but we all expected them to move the I-Dowling pick but they never had an offer good enough and he decided to take the player rather than take a deal he didn't like. In hindsight it hasn't worked out that well to this point but I still believe that he doesn't lock himself into a move until all the pieces are evident.

 

[PP2]

If the Steelers decline the one year offer sheet can we change to a long term contract without having to submit it for them to match?

Steelers can only elect to match the initial offer. Once they decline to match, that's it. Afterwards we can then try to restructure Sander's contract into a multi-year one, but again, this still requires his consent (since he has all the leverage at that point).

That's the big question I am asking- we'll see how it plays out.

 

[chasa]

The CBA says:
"The player and the New Club may not renegotiate such Player Contract to reduce the Salary in such contract until after the end of the first regular season covered by the Contract. Neither the player nor the New Club may exercise an option in such Player Contract that reduces Salary in the first League Year of such contract until after the end of the first regular season covered by the Contract."

(i) Salary, which shall consist only of
(a) the fixed and specified dollar amounts the New Club will pay, guarantee or lend to the Restricted Free Agent and/or his designees (currently and/or as deferred compensation in specified installments on specified dates) in consideration for his services as a football player under the Player Contract (i.e., signing bonus, Paragraph 5 Salary, and reporting and roster bonuses); and
(b) Salary that is variable and/ or is subject to calculation only upon the following bases:
(1) based upon the performance of the Club extending the Offer Sheet (only those incentives which are "likely to be earned" by the player if he enters into a Player Contract with the New Club, pursuant to Subsection (c) above, must be matched by the Prior Club for the purpose of exercising a Right of First Refusal, and such incentives may not exceed 1 5 % of the Salary in the Offer Sheet); and (2) League honors listed in Exhibit C to Article 1 3 ;

So as long as the new contract has equal to or more first year money its okay?

 

[n8wood]

The CBA says:
"The player and the New Club may not renegotiate such Player Contract to reduce the Salary in such contract until after the end of the first regular season covered by the Contract. Neither the player nor the New Club may exercise an option in such Player Contract that reduces Salary in the first League Year of such contract until after the end of the first regular season covered by the Contract."

(i) Salary, which shall consist only of
(a) the fixed and specified dollar amounts the New Club will pay, guarantee or lend to the Restricted Free Agent and/or his designees (currently and/or as deferred compensation in specified installments on specified dates) in consideration for his services as a football player under the Player Contract (i.e., signing bonus, Paragraph 5 Salary, and reporting and roster bonuses); and
(b) Salary that is variable and/ or is subject to calculation only upon the following bases:
(1) based upon the performance of the Club extending the Offer Sheet (only those incentives which are "likely to be earned" by the player if he enters into a Player Contract with the New Club, pursuant to Subsection (c) above, must be matched by the Prior Club for the purpose of exercising a Right of First Refusal, and such incentives may not exceed 1 5 % of the Salary in the Offer Sheet); and (2) League honors listed in Exhibit C to Article 1 3 ;

So they can renegotiate if the salary would be increased. I had it backwards.