Evan Mathis released

[JMC00]

He'll end up somewhere no-one was thinking of, some team like Atlanta or Carolina who ends up overpaying him.

Dolphins are definitely a team that would give him whatever he wants because they need OL and love making the offseason SB signings and overpaying,

 

[Huckleberry1]

We go down this road a lot with older players we v think might want a ring but they usually end up going for the most money because they know it's the last time they will ever see a payday like this. Freeney, Abraham etc etc......., they go for the cash.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

absolutely......between the 2 of them there is a gob of potential.......I'm optimistic with the group as it is

About 650 lbs of potential hehe

 

[AzorianPats]

I dunno what our current cap situation is like, but if we have the space, I'd love to sign him to a good 1 year deal. He's up there in age, but he's one of the premier Guards in the game. Plus gives us time to groom Mason and Jackson.

 

[Zuma]

Save the $ for a DB WHEN one is available.

 

[JMC00]

Save the $ for a DB WHEN one is available.

Ya don't improve your OL in hopes that some CB that is worth paying comes available.

I mean or you can improve your OL which in return will improve the offense which will in return help the defense.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Ya don't improve your OL in hopes that some CB that is worth paying comes available.

I mean or you can improve your OL which in return will improve the offense which will in return help the defense.

In theory I agree but the team is still in talent eval mode which would enable it to better determine how dire the situation each position is in.

The belief is that Mathis will be looking for something north of $5m AAV. With $11m under the cap, the Pats can afford him but the question is when does acquiring a proven player at G become a priority over other positions and potential extensions for other players.

With that said, I don't think we are at that point- yet.

 

[Froob]

Save the $ for a DB WHEN one is available.

What big money DB is going to be available? Don't handcuff yourself waiting for something that might not happen.

 

[Zuma]

What big money DB is going to be available? Don't handcuff yourself waiting for something that might not happen.

I've handcuffed myself. It is what it is.

 

[Kontradiction]

Save the $ for a DB WHEN one is available.

Do both, should a DB become available. I, personally, can think of plenty of uses for an elite LG in an offense that features an aging and immobile (but elite) pocket passer.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Remember, if the Pats trade for a CB by midseason like Talib at the trade deadline (week 7?), they take on 10/17 his cap # I'm pretty sure. Considering we won't land one of tbe 10+ million cap CBs (teams aren't trading Sherman, Revis, Haden, Peterson), we could easily do both moves.

http://overthecap.com/player/sean-smith/718/

10/17 of 7.75 is about 4.6 million

 

[Deus Irae]

I've handcuffed myself. It is what it is.

What you do in your bedroom is your own business.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

i am not sure we really need him - we have tre jackson and shaq mason to fill the holes on the oline.

 

[Kontradiction]

Remember, if the Pats trade for a CB by midseason like Talib at the trade deadline (week 7?), they take on 10/17 his cap # I'm pretty sure. Considering we won't land one of tbe 10+ million cap CBs (teams aren't trading Sherman, Revis, Haden, Peterson), we could easily do both moves.

http://overthecap.com/player/sean-smith/718/

10/17 of 7.75 is about 4.6 million

Good call on Sean Smith. I could easily see him being pried away from KC in a early to midseason trade.

 

[patfanken]

Disclaimer: only read the last 2 pages, so pardon any redundancies in my thoughts:

Would adding Evan Mathis to our OL improve the quality of the talent? Of course it would. But there are several questions would need to be answered positively for that to happen.

1. The guy is going to be 36 IIRC, and he has been an elite OG as recently as 2 seasons ago. Father time always wins, so we have to be comfortable that he's STILL an elite player, not just a good to very good one?

2. One comment I read sparked this question. Mathis has excelled in "zone blocking" schemes. IIRC, we run more of a power blocking scheme. So the question is, are we putting a square peg in a round hole?

3. Now lets talk about money. When I first heard he'd been released my first reaction at what he'd be worth was around $5MM/yr, Clearly that is not going to be enough, or he still be in Philly. So the question is, is Mathis THAT good that he'd be worth north of $6MM at that age?

4. Given the lack of interest in Dan Connolly the question has to be asked, would bringing back Dan Connolly at $1-2MM/yr be a better value than having Evan Mathis at over $6MM. Mathis is clearly the better OG, the question becomes, just how MUCH better?

Last season the Pats proved that the OL is MORE than the individual parts that make it up. Starting with 2 above average OT's, the Pats showed improvement over 2013's OL and was good enough to win a championship without ANY interior OLmen that would make anyone's top 50% list at their position individually

So when you add this to the fact we drafted 2 well thought of rookie OG's and have the potential of upgrading Connolly and Wendell with existing guys like Kline, Cannon, or Flemming, if they continue to improve, you have to wonder if the Pats are even in the picture for a guy like Mathis unless his price come down significantly?.

I don't think this a an issue of the Pats looking to sign another aging star to a below market contract in the chase for a ring. Denver is a place more likely to meet his financial needs, and is considered one of league's top contenders for the AFC crown. Miami would be another. I think you have to file this under "Love to add him, but its not going to happen"

 

[Marqui]

i am not sure we really need him - we have tre jackson and shaq mason to fill the holes on the oline.

Except we have no idea if either of those guys are any good yet.

 

[JMC00]

immobile

eh little harsh to call him immobile. He is good at moving around in the pocket (I mean just look at your sig) and even once in a while he will pull it down and take off.

Drew Bledsoe was immobile.

 

[patsderoer]

i am not sure we really need him - we have tre jackson and shaq mason to fill the holes on the oline.

They haven't done anything in the NFL. How quickly people forget the first 4 games, when the OL was all over the place, and Brady looked like a mediocre QB. Don't want to see a repeat of that.

Hoping for a quality CB becoming available, that's wishfull thinking at its best. Quality CBs don't become available, they are signed to big $$$ by their teams.

Who knows what the rookies have. Mathis is quality proven G with loads of experience. Last season McCoy ran much better after Mathis came back from his injury. Keeping Brady upright and giving him time should be the first priority. This offense looks very good with a lot of weapons, but if the OL performs like in the first 4 games, the offense will struggle again big time.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Disclaimer: only read the last 2 pages, so pardon any redundancies in my thoughts:

Would adding Evan Mathis to our OL improve the quality of the talent? Of course it would. But there are several questions would need to be answered positively for that to happen.

1. The guy is going to be 36 IIRC, and he has been an elite OG as recently as 2 seasons ago. Father time always wins, so we have to be comfortable that he's STILL an elite player, not just a good to very good one?

2. One comment I read sparked this question. Mathis has excelled in "zone blocking" schemes. IIRC, we run more of a power blocking scheme. So the question is, are we putting a square peg in a round hole?

3. Now lets talk about money. When I first heard he'd been released my first reaction at what he'd be worth was around $5MM/yr, Clearly that is not going to be enough, or he still be in Philly. So the question is, is Mathis THAT good that he'd be worth north of $6MM at that age?

4. Given the lack of interest in Dan Connolly the question has to be asked, would bringing back Dan Connolly at $1-2MM/yr be a better value than having Evan Mathis at over $6MM. Mathis is clearly the better OG, the question becomes, just how MUCH better?

Last season the Pats proved that the OL is MORE than the individual parts that make it up. Starting with 2 above average OT's, the Pats showed improvement over 2013's OL and was good enough to win a championship without ANY interior OLmen that would make anyone's top 50% list at their position individually

So when you add this to the fact we drafted 2 well thought of rookie OG's and have the potential of upgrading Connolly and Wendell with existing guys like Kline, Cannon, or Flemming, if they continue to improve, you have to wonder if the Pats are even in the picture for a guy like Mathis unless his price come down significantly?.

I don't think this a an issue of the Pats looking to sign another aging star to a below market contract in the chase for a ring. Denver is a place more likely to meet his financial needs, and is considered one of league's top contenders for the AFC crown. Miami would be another. I think you have to file this under "Love to add him, but its not going to happen"

He will eventually be 36, but not for another 2 and a half years or so

 

[Todd Bradley]

If we could somehow sign both Mathis and Tarell Brown, that would solidly an amazing off-season, deflate-crap aside. We certainly have enough cap space to do it.

Revis leaving sucks, but Belichick was never giving him that money here.

Replacing Wilfork, Revis, Browner, Ayers, Vereen, and Wright with Evan Mathis, Tarell Brown, Sheard, Chandler, both Fletchers, McClain, Cox, Cadet, Malcolm Brown and all the rookies, would be a master stroke by Bill. Let's also not forget the return of both Dobson and Easley.

I don't understand how anyone could be disappointed in this offseason, even without Mathis and Brown, though they certainly would be nice.