Who do we spend our money on this year?

[luuked]

Use the 4 million from danny's salary. I like danny but 6 million's too rich for him although he has been clutch in the big games.

That's not how it works. You don't redirect funds from player to player especially when there is no tight salary cap situation anyway. Butler - as every other player on this team - has a value range assigned and will get paid accordingly.

If he wants significantly more than that he will get tendered and is free to find another team that wants to pay a first round pick AND the his envisioned deal.

I'd say most teams have a good grasp on where the market will be on most players. So I doubt there is any way a team could blindside BB/Caserio with an offer sheet to Butler.

Is it certain no one will offer something crazy ? Nope. But it's a bit like poker where you play the odds and if they are heavily in your favor you go through with it.

 

[Galeb]

Porn Stars

Oops, you meant the Patriots.

 

[Ring 6]

Use the 4 million from danny's salary. I like danny but 6 million's too rich for him although he has been clutch in the big games.

Amendola is getting cut down to about the same 1.5 mill he has been cut to before.
That doesnt change the fact that we may lose butler if someone makes an outrageous offer.

 

[Ring 6]

That's not how it works. You don't redirect funds from player to player especially when there is no tight salary cap situation anyway. Butler - as every other player on this team - has a value range assigned and will get paid accordingly.

If he wants significantly more than that he will get tendered and is free to find another team that wants to pay a first round pick AND the his envisioned deal.

I'd say most teams have a good grasp on where the market will be on most players. So I doubt there is any way a team could blindside BB/Caserio with an offer sheet to Butler.

Is it certain no one will offer something crazy ? Nope. But it's a bit like poker where you play the odds and if they are heavily in your favor you go through with it.

It's not blindsiding it's that some team may offer more than BB is willing to pay. Whether that's a surprise to him or not isn't really relevant

 

[Nehalem]

Gaudy Super Bowl rings?

 

[Huckleberry1]

Cause this will be his last year and he is a run stopping specialist generally. He is a good player but he likes to be here and will happily play here for 1 more year for 3-4M as opposed to spend his last year on a loser for an extra 1M.

Disagree completely. We consistently expect older players to set money aside to play for the Patriots and they almost always take the best offer.players like Branch are generally looking at their last paychecks in the NFL and they want to get every last dime, as well they should. The Patriots will have to pay market value for Branch and they should ask him to give them the chance to match if he doesn't sign with them prior to free agency. He ha played some really good football for them and I think 2 years 8 million with some incentives will be in the ballpark for his services.

 

[luuked]

It's not blindsiding it's that some team may offer more than BB is willing to pay. Whether that's a surprise to him or not isn't really relevant

But that's the thing. Value as determined by BB doesn't exist in a Foxboro vacuum. It is directly related to inhouse evaluations but also to market reality. BB and Caserio will have a rough idea what the range is the market will go to in your average case.

Do you think they are sitting around wondering what potential offers might look like ? They know approximately what other teams might offer Butler in a sheet.

 

[IllegalContact]

We spread it out evenly across as many mediocre players as possible

 

[Ring 6]

But that's the thing. Value as determined by BB doesn't exist in a Foxboro vacuum. It is directly related to inhouse evaluations but also to market reality. BB and Caserio will have a rough idea what the range is the market will go to in your average case.

Do you think they are sitting around wondering what potential offers might look like ? They know approximately what other teams might offer Butler in a sheet.

I don't understand why them knowing whether a team will pay more than they are willing to match is relevant to the point that they legitimately could lose butler this offseason.
It's possible they could lose
Hightower
Butler
Branch
Long
Sheard
Ryan
Harmon

Off of the 2016 defense.
That's basically half the defense and the best half at that.

It is a major concern right now.

 

[luuked]

Off of the 2016 defense.
That's basically half the defense and the best half at that.

It is a major concern right now.

It's major concern if we sit here without any news about extensions in a week, 1-2 days before FA.

 

[Ring 6]

It's major concern if we sit without any news about extensions here in a week 1-2 days before FA.

It's a major concern either way. Concern doesn't mean it's destined to happen, but which player on that list can you honestly say we figure to match the highest bidder on?
It's a concern because we had the #1 defense, and won a SB based upon a lot of players costing much less than their value and now they are free.
That list of players will probably get 50 mill combined in aav on the contracts they sign. We probably paid them less than half of that.

 

[luuked]

It's a concern because we had the #1 defense, and won a SB based upon a lot of players costing much less than their value and now they are free.

But that's how it works with players on rookie contracts.. not really much you can do about it except trying to retain them, go top heavy but sacrifice your depth.

Also you are describing really two groups of players. The ones that are likely to be back: Branch, Long, Butler and then those that are questionable: Harmon, Sheard, Hightower.

Ryan is the only one where I don't have much hope we can retain him unless he takes a steep discount.

 

[Ring 6]

But that's how it works with players on rookie contracts.. not really much you can do about it except trying to retain them, go top heavy but sacrifice your depth.

Also you are describing really two groups of players. The ones that are likely to be back: Branch, Long, Butler and then those that are questionable: Harmon, Sheard, Hightower.

Ryan is the only one where I don't have much hope we can retain him unless he takes a steep discount.

No one is likely to be back. Every player on that list will get an offer that is likely higher than we will be willing to pay.
I have confidence BB will get the job done but you have to be concerned when half the snaps and pretty much all of the best players are not under contract.
I'm not looking forward to trying to win the 3rd out of 4 while fitting in up to 7 new primary pieces from the starting point of having the number 1 defense.
Again it's not gloom and doom it's concern.

 

[luuked]

No one is likely to be back. Every player on that list will get an offer that is likely higher than we will be willing to pay.
I have confidence BB will get the job done but you have to be concerned when half the snaps and pretty much all of the best players are not under contract.
I'm not looking forward to trying to win the 3rd out of 4 while fitting in up to 7 new primary pieces from the starting point of having the number 1 defense.
Again it's not gloom and doom it's concern.

That's gonna be my last reply to this side discussion but I think you are too pessimistic about it all. Long and Branch will be back unless we don't want them to be back. None of the two will prefer a different team over 1 million more. There would need to be a real lowball offer or just crazy money from another team to get them to leave. Reiss reported that Butler and the Patriots were close to an extension last year already and he suggests that the groundwork for a potential contract is mostly done. Reading between the lines this tells me that it is pretty likely that it will get done.

The rest we will see..

 

[Ring 6]

That's gonna be my last reply to this side discussion but I think you are too pessimistic about it all. Long and Branch will be back unless we don't want them to be back. None of the two will prefer a different team over 1 million more. There would need to be a real lowball offer or just crazy money from another team to get them to leave. Reiss reported that Butler and the Patriots were close to an extension last year already and he suggests that the groundwork for a potential contract is mostly done. Reading between the lines this tells me that it is pretty likely that it will get done.

The rest we will see..

We have had players like branch and long leave before, so I don't consider them locked up, and branch will not be cheap.
Hope you are right in butler but we have also heard "close" before. He hasn't had a chance to hear other teams offers but will by the end if next week so close better be fine before it gets to that.
I'm not saying they are all fine I'm saying they potentially won't be here as well as those that are will mostly be very costly.

 

[BobDigital]

Definitely Branch's last year playing football, or being here on the NEP? Has he discussed retirement?

Not definitely but looking at his age and retirement rumors this year i think so. Also people were not sure if he would even be back this year so the year after this year seems like a big stretch. Going out winning 3 or 4 with a team you like and fans that will appreciate you and see you are a Patriot. Makes sense to me.