Wilfork and his future

[Kid~Brady]

exPats

One of the logical options to do so will be addressing the $11.6 million cap number for Vince Wilfork this year. As CBS Sports Joel Corry notes, Wilfork has the second highest cap hit on the team (trailing only Tom Brady's $14.8 million) along with the fourth highest for his position in the league.

What do you think? Should the Patriots look to extend Wilfork? Get him to take a reduced salary and not extend? Or should the team cut him to save cap space?

 

[Fencer]

$200K is a workout bonus he won't get.
$300K is a weight bonus he may not get.
$3.6 million is unavoidable guaranteed money.
$7.5 million (plus maybe the $300K) is what's really at stake.

I'd tear up the contract and replace it with one that offers substantially the same money, but with incentives, which would for cap purposes be NLTBE. There's little downside for him to that vs. being cut, and it postpones other negotiations until everybody knows more about his recovery from injury.

 

[stevedogc]

Id cut him. Even if they extended or restructured him he'd still eat up 4-5 mil in cap space for 2014. I just dont see Vince being the type of force he was prior to the injury. He looked real slow before he got hurt. Not to mention he looks like he packed on a few pounds while injured. I like Vince as much as anyone and appreciate everything he has done in a Pats uniform. But Id let him walk. If he still wants to play Id tell him to come back with any offers he may get and do the best to match. I dont see any other team willing to take a chance. Maybe offer him a low salary deal with alot of incentives.

 

[SalemPats]

I know this goes against what others here are saying, but I would keep him and sign him to a nice contract because of the following reasons:

1 . NTs are hard to find, he commands double teams and his impact on the run game is enormous. Look at yards before contact with Vince and without.
2. His presence on the line will help our pass rushers out big time. We all know how J Smith made Aldon Smith. I think Jones will be a lot more productive with him in the lineup.
3. Veteran leader - This is a guy who fits the Patriots mold. He works hard and is a leader by example

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Id cut him. Even if they extended or restructured him he'd still eat up 4-5 mil in cap space for 2014. I just dont see Vince being the type of force he was prior to the injury. He looked real slow before he got hurt. Not to mention he looks like he packed on a few pounds while injured. I like Vince as much as anyone and appreciate everything he has done in a Pats uniform. But Id let him walk. If he still wants to play Id tell him to come back with any offers he may get and do the best to match. I dont see any other team willing to take a chance. Maybe offer him a low salary deal with alot of incentives.

Bianca is gonna be wicked pissed when she reads this. I hope you mask your IP address.

 

[50-yard-line]

Well, it is a big ? whether or not he'll ever be able to play again.

Fingers crossed - he shouldn't have to go out like that with some good years left. Restructure: add two years, put in plenty of incentive bonuses, and knock as much of that 7.5 off as possible for this year.

BB made an exception with Wilfork, allowing him to travel with the team even on IR. That speaks loudly. VW is the heart and soul of the Pat's D these last several years and I think he'll get some special treatment - I also think (hope) he'll play along.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him stick around after he retires - as a coach.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Clearly, restructuring is in order. Hopefully Wilfy and the team can reach a mutually acceptable cap reducing agreed incentive laden contract that lets him finish up as a Patriot.

I'm slightly disappointed to see him seemingly reach Goodyear Blimp proportions as he's on record saying that he's concerned about weight related diabetes and heart issues that killed his Dad early. He had said that upon retirement he intended to slim down considerably. Maybe lose a Welker or so. His off season workout regimen has consisted of doing mega laps in the pool for aerobic conditioning that has enabled him to have extraordinary stamina and stay in on D for most every snap heretofore. I had thought that even with the injury he could have resumed swimming, but perhaps not. Best wishes to the Wilfork family.

 

[RayClay]

I like Vince as much as anyone

Probably not.

 

[RayClay]

I wouldn't be surprised to see him stick around after he retires - as a coach.

I doubt it, that's a lot of work for not a lot of dough.

Look at the stiffs they stick on pregame shows etc. on the network. Vince would be a natural entertainer on those things.

 

[manxman2601]

A young defense needs leaders. I don't do cap estimates but if they can extend him and bring his cap cost down, then that's a no-brainer to me.

 

[Rob0729]

It will be up to Wilfork. The Pats will likely offer him an extension that will significantly reduce his cap hit, but I think it won't have much guarantees but offset that with playing incentives. At his age and coming off a significant injury, it will probably be a good deal. The question is whether he will feel that way because if the Pats gave him that type of deal three years ago it would be a major insult.

The Pats usually have a good grasp of the market for players. They will offer Wilfork around a market deal to renegotiate.

But I fear Wilfork may be too prideful to accept that he isn't going to get an elite deal. Many elite players can't accept that they are no longer worth the big dollars and end up forcing getting cut and end up signing less elsewhere.

 

[RayClay]

A young defense needs leaders. I don't do cap estimates but if they can extend him and bring his cap cost down, then that's a no-brainer to me.

I'll go a bit further and say, if he can walk well he's still our best lineman, easily.

What kind of pressure did our line put on Peyton? It was nice then went from a sieve to an interior line that could stop the run, but needed a one legged linebackers help. A healed Vince, even without his former mobility, is our best tackle.

Be that as it may, we still need a top tackle for the future.

 

[RI Patriots fan]

I'm glad that Bob Kraft is running the show and not our fans.

Cut Wilfork....he's done. He was bad at the beginning of this year. He's basically a shell of what he once was as a player.

Can you imagine if our front office signed a former all pro veteran who will be 33 years old next season and was coming off a bad season....oh and btw, was coming off a major season ending injury....lol? All for only $7.5 million!

We would freak out!

Vince Wilfork is not the answer. He's toast, done, finished. Vince from 2010 is not coming through that door. Vince of 2014 is going to be 33.... he is way, way overweight..... and is coming off an injury that ends most careers.

We need that $7.5 million to sign other players.

 

[Mike the Brit]

A young defense needs leaders. I don't do cap estimates but if they can extend him and bring his cap cost down, then that's a no-brainer to me.

:agree:

Who was getting packed to travel with the team to Denver and stand on the sidelines? The question, of course, is what he will bring next season. The team know far more about his recovery and progress than any of us. IBBIT

 

[SalemPats]

:agree:

Who was getting packed to travel with the team to Denver and stand on the sidelines? The question, of course, is what he will bring next season. The team know far more about his recovery and progress than any of us. IBBIT

If he's deemed to be healthy i hope we sign him

 

[RI Patriots fan]

So lets make sure that people understand this fact.....Wilfork did not play well this past season.




"He’s never going to wow with quarterback pressure, but he has been elite at taking on double teams and holding his gap against the run. Wilfork struggled mightily with that in the first two games, to the point that Jets guard Vlad Ducasse completely handled him on Thursday night."



Is Vince Wilfork dealing with an injury? | nePatriotsLife.com - New England Patriots Fan Site, Blog, T-shirts


Just for context, this gives you an idea of how good Ducasse is as a player:



"But they would be banking on Winters performing better over the long haul than Ducasse did during the first four games. Ducasse did not set a very high bar, though he was nonetheless disappointed Wednesday about his demotion."


Demoted Jets left guard Vladimir Ducasse can't explain reasons for penalties | NJ.com

 

[mgteich]

For me, there is a huge issue of timing. The team wants the cap relief on March 11th. They will not know how useful Wilfork will be until well after that date.

BTW, I would not be surprised to see him retire.

 

[Huckleberry1]

$200K is a workout bonus he won't get.
$300K is a weight bonus he may not get.
$3.6 million is unavoidable guaranteed money.
$7.5 million (plus maybe the $300K) is what's really at stake.

I'd tear up the contract and replace it with one that offers substantially the same money, but with incentives, which would for cap purposes be NLTBE. There's little downside for him to that vs. being cut, and it postpones other negotiations until everybody knows more about his recovery from injury.

Wow, an intelligent post on the subject, these days those are becoming harder and harder to find.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I'm glad that Bob Kraft is running the show and not our fans.

.

Me too, if the fans were running it they wouldn't be able to field a team and the entire cap would be taken up by Mike Wallace and Percy Harvin, "they're beasts..." I guess that's what happens when every player gets released for getting injured and the shiny new object is always the most important one.

 

[RI Patriots fan]

Me too, if the fans were running it they wouldn't be able to field a team and the entire cap would be taken up by Mike Wallace and Percy Harvin, "they're beasts..." I guess that's what happens when every player gets released for getting injured and the shiny new object is always the most important one.

I'd say at least half the fans have no idea about this thing called the "salary cap". In a perfect world, every poster on this board should be required to take a business math course as well as a course on "capology" before they can post. But alas, this is not a perfect world.