Hightower will not be given the tag, now a free agent

[TheRazorsEdge]

He has two rings... really really liked Collins.. (called him the best player he has known) he wants out.

We don't know that for sure.... Not saying you're wrong. At times it certainly feels like he wants to go play somewhere warm. At the same time tho, he almost backtracks and makes it clear that he would be dissapointed if the patriots didn't attempt to keep him.

 

[bormio]

For weeks I've felt Hightower was going to go the route of McCourty.. Test free agency...come back to Bill give him a shot to come close and if its respectable enough he would stick around.

So far that's on course...

The Patriots should be in the mix for him until the final hour .. I'm not concerned about that aspect ..

The great unknown is who Hightower is as a player/person... Until this year I would have sworn Hightower was cut from the cloth of a Bruschi or Mayo...team first guys, foundation guys...but ever since the Collins trade...I just don't know.

At times he sounds like he wants to leave town.. .... Other times he states how dissapointed he would be if NE let him go...

One of the more interesting FA stories of recent memory. I can't imagine we'd let him go but.... We let Revis walk for butler and LOTS of people lost their heads over that... Could they see something in Eladon Roberts that makes them ok with walking away from Zeus..

With the speed to run down Freeman in the SB, there is no reason this man cannot cover. He will learn. You cannot teach motor - and Roberts has this in spades.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

it matters quite a lot actually

EDIT: If you have been paying attention over the years, none of this has anything to do with whether you have other money left over. It is about not ever breaking your "rules" of not over paying.. It does not matter if they have 1 trillion in cap space.. they break their system by doing it.

I don't agree with that. Patriots gave Marcus Cannon a top 3 OL salary in NFL. Gave McCourty a record deal. Gave Hernandez a record deal. Gave gronkowski a monster deal. Gave mayo a top Lb deal. Gave Seymour and Mankins deals after they held out.

We have broken the "system" before and overpaid for players we really like

 

[mosslost]

They maintained status quo (and lost Charles). Nothing to improve. Denver will get a QB and KC will be lucky to make playoffs next year.

They could raise a "Status Quo" Banner perhaps

 

[mosslost]

We don't know that for sure.... Not saying you're wrong. At times it certainly feels like he wants to go play somewhere warm. At the same time tho, he almost backtracks and makes it clear that he would be dissapointed if the patriots didn't attempt to keep him.

it's more about BB than Hightower imo. BB wants to pay him like 1 to 1.5 million dollar less than what he could get.. that is how BB system works in the salary cap age. Heck, in this age, he probably would have waiting to get an LT until he was on is back nine and was a one year ring chaser.

 

[mosslost]

I don't agree with that. Patriots gave Marcus Cannon a top 3 OL salary in NFL. Gave McCourty a record deal. Gave Hernandez a record deal. Gave gronkowski a monster deal. Gave mayo a top Lb deal. Gave Seymour and Mankins deals after they held out.

We have broken the "system" before and overpaid for players we really like

Well you disgree with BB not me. We have not "overpaid" for anyone actually.

EDIT: Gronk and Hernandez deals were only records for such early renogitations.. when calculated out to where they would be (or have been in Hernandez case) they were well under their year 6,7,8 cap numbers could have been. BB strategy to get players like that locked up. It is like when Brady just won SB 36 and still had three years left on his rookie deal,, BB knew he has something good, and renegotiated though he did not have to. He made Brady "rich", (like 4 million a year or something) locked him up, but with a contract that would end up being so very far under value for what he would have been worth if he had let his rookie contract stay in force not renegotiated.

 

[zoostation]

What have the Chiefs won? Nothing.

1 championship ....... 47 phucking years ago ...... almost as long ago as the New Jersey Jets

 

[Ring 6]

HT may not be gone, but if he is it is because BB chose to pay Butler. And that was the right choice - #1 CBs do not grow on trees - and the league has huge WR talent. BB really seems to be fond of Butler - I think he likes his motor and drive. And he never causes any tumult on the team.

What if butler gets offered 16 mill a year as an rfa?

 

[SHOWTIME15]

It's funny how a completely blown block by Freeman in the SB upped the ante in the Hightower sweepstakes.

It gave us a super bowl so i don't care if it makes it harder to re- sign.

 

[bormio]

What if butler gets offered 16 mill a year as an rfa?

Depends on the details. Is he getting 4 years, 64 million guaranteed from NE? Obviously not. But a shorter obligation - who knows? They COULD pay it - whether they would is another matter. I think they would pay more for a #1 CB than a LB. Many here wanted to pay Revis that - and he was already declining. But if someone wants to throw stupid $ at him - they would let him go at some $ amount.

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

I think he wants more than that

He has two rings... really really liked Collins.. (called him the best player he has known) he wants out.

What is any of this based on?

 

[deroc5050]

I was hoping Hightower would be one of the anchors of the new "dynasty". I don't like this either, but I do think he is gone partly because BB does not believe in having that much of the cap tied up in one player. The thing I don't get though is he gave McCourty a big deal with a cap hit over 10mil. I agreed with that too. I thought Hightower would be the other one.

Honestly I don't think this is going to be a 3/4 Super Bowls for the Pats. We have to rebuild / replace a lot of spots. They need DE, OLB, ILB, S, possibly C.. and maybe TE.. like I said several months ago this is going to be a very active off season.

If we stick with Brady we don't have time to spend 2 or 3 years rebuilding our roster.

 

[deroc5050]

Yes Hightower is a better football player than von miller.
Hightower would be just as good a pass rusher if that was all he did.
That's another reason he is better. BB finds more value in him than just making him a pass rusher.
When he is in that role he has been every bit as effective as miller. Go to the tape and you will see.

I honestly think your wrong. Hightower is not as good as Von Miller. HT is a good all around player but Miller is the best pass rusher in the game today.

There is no chance in hell that HT gets Von Miller money. 0% chance. I have seen HT get after the QB but he isn't Von Miller.

 

[varjao]

I obviously want him to stay but the more I read the more comfortable I get with the idea of spreading this money around in 3 Five Million players or 2 players making on the 6/7 figure.

If we draft a DE high in the draft and sign a good rotation guy, among with Flowers that will give us a better pass rush than last season. We would need to draft or sign LB too but I believe that has always been the plan regardless of what happens with HT.

One scenario I don't think it happens but I would love too is Hightower staying and becoming a pass rusher most of the time, because of his duties on this defense that won't happen but I think if unleashed he could get 10+ sacks per season.

 

[deroc5050]

I obviously want him to stay but the more I read the more comfortable I get with the idea of spreading this money around in 3 Five Million players or 2 players making on the 6/7 figure.

If we draft a DE high in the draft and sign a good rotation guy, among with Flowers that will give us a better pass rush than last season. We would need to draft or sign LB too but I believe that has always been the plan regardless of what happens with HT.

One scenario I don't think it happens but I would love too is Hightower staying and becoming a pass rusher most of the time, because of his duties on this defense that won't happen but I think if unleashed he could get 10+ sacks per season.

Maybe but HT is definitely more fit to be an inside guy. They need to draft or sign an OLB.

 

[supafly]

Patriots gave Marcus Cannon a top 3 OL salary in NFL.

Wait, what? You're claiming that there was a point in time where Marcus Cannon was making "top 3" OL money? I don't think that ever happened.

 

[ausbacker]

I honestly think your wrong. Hightower is not as good as Von Miller. HT is a good all around player but Miller is the best pass rusher in the game today.

There is no chance in hell that HT gets Von Miller money. 0% chance. I have seen HT get after the QB but he isn't Von Miller.

Respectfully, I disagree. Von Miller is more explosive coming off the edge but he's a one trick pony. Admittedly, he's magnificent at what he does but IMO, Hightower is a far more rounded Linebacker. He can do a little of everything well and that interchangeability is a rare commodity in the NFL.

 

[varjao]

Can the Pats still negotiate with him in the next few days on only after 03/09?

 

[thecore762]

Respectfully, I disagree. Von Miller is more explosive coming off the edge but he's a one trick pony. Admittedly, he's magnificent at what he does but IMO, Hightower is a far more rounded Linebacker. He can do a little of everything well and that interchangeability is a rare commodity in the NFL.

Von Miller is a game changer when playing exclusively as a pass rusher, he is average at best at this stage in his career as a cover guy.
Hightower is very good at leading the defense, putting the guys in the right place and is a stud at stopping the run and can rush down the middle.

If Hightower goes, so be it, I just don't trust our other linebackers being as good as Hightower against the run and generating pressure.

Of course if we retain Branch and Flowers and Brown improves then we don't need to have our linebackers rush the passer as much.

 

[JMC00]

Can the Pats still negotiate with him in the next few days on only after 03/09?

They can and probably are.