Chris Long says goodbye (won't be re-signing)

[RobertWeathers]

Hey lunk head, he was classy as could be. It has nothing to due with $, he just wanted more playing time

PT was Akiem Hicks issue. He is in his mid 20s.

Long will be 32 this month. If we take him at his word he thinks at 32 he can handle a full-time role. He might be in denial or he is lying and wants to get paid which is fine

 

[RobertWeathers]

He explains it a bit more here.



Seems like he's saying he wants to play as a 5 or 5 wide tech and play on 1st and 2nd down. A true 3 down DE.

At 32 he wants to be a full-time guy. I hope he can be. Loved him here.

However....The hoodie is right on players and roles alot more than he is wrong.

Sometimes with older players not named Pheifer less is more here

 

[Brandon_Cox]

Maybe his money and minutes have been committed to Jared Odrick? Just a WAG.

 

[jah]

Love the guy but I don't think we'll notice much of a difference without him. I just hope he gets the role he's looking for and makes the most of it. Also echo those here wondering whether BB told him he's not in the plans.

 

[AtomicDawg]

For those (yes there are some out there) who say he didn't contribute:

 

[ViperGTS]

You're handling this well.

I don't suffer fools (or their sychophants) very well. You'd expect someone who rotted for years then got let go due to injuries to be a little more self aware about himself never being able to "get back to the player he was".

I'm suprised at the pass he's getting. I don't care if he stays or goes. Him basically saying they (BB) didn't use him properly is pathetic. Take of the blinders and see the insane stupidity that he is espousing.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Thank You Chris for your commitment and always giving your all. It was a Win-Win and best of luck in your future.

 

[PatsFan2]

Would prefer a Rookie over Chris thanks for your services but you're getting Long in the tooth.

 

[chasa]

thanks for helping us win a title.

 

[patsbrasilpatriotas]

I echo DH.

DH follows lots of beat writers... i think he stays

 

[Poker]

This sure looks like BB's choice not to keep Long, and letting him position his exit himself on social media.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

Hey whatever man I get it. As a competitor I would much rather play every single snap, especially if I just won a Super Bowl playing in a limited role. At this point, ride out your career on your terms.

 

[PatsDeb]

Thanks Chris - we enjoyed you being on the team as much as you enjoyed being here. Good luck and who knows? Maybe you'll test free agency and find out that here is the best place.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

Got a lot of pressure that went unnoticed, good player

 

[Froob]

Wish him good luck, hope he finds what he's looking for.

 

[farn]

I don't suffer fools (or their sychophants) very well. You'd expect someone who rotted for years then got let go due to injuries to be a little more self aware about himself never being able to "get back to the player he was".

I'm suprised at the pass he's getting. I don't care if he stays or goes. Him basically saying they (BB) didn't use him properly is pathetic. Take of the blinders and see the insane stupidity that he is espousing.

I'm not quite at this level. I did, in another post, wish him well. I do think his effort & several plays were instrumental.

I'm not "sad to see him go", NE is not losing an elite player.

Having said that, I agree - to an extent - with Viper. Less aggressively, of course, but here is a guy who continued to talk about how "playing a role" even if small, was liberating & good for him. So then, to take the time to talk about playing time/position is a bit disengenous. I would rather he say - the team is moving on and so am I. No hard feelings.

 

[qbno12]

I understand if he wants to move on to a different team. But isn't winning a championship the ultimate goal no matter where you play ? He's already got his ring here and I am finding it hard to understand that at his age he feels he is not being used properly. What more he can do on a different team that he hasn't done here ?He probably won't last a full season if he were on any of the other teams. Pats are wise in how they utilize their players. I don't think there are a lot of teams, if any, that smart.

I respect his decision and thank him for the big play in SB and wish him luck. Truly classy guy.

 

[MitchKumstein]

I liked Long being here, and I'm a little disappointed to see him go. But I have no hard feelings, I appreciate his honesty. He became a role player with the Patriots, and my guess is that Belichick told him that he wouldn't be a big part of the Pats D going forward. He thinks he can still play and wants to go to a team that might use him more.

He said that he would've signed with the Pats for $5, he just wanted to win. And he won. Now he just wants to play.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Understandable on his part - he accomplished what he came here to do, and now he's prioritized playing a bigger role somewhere else over making a run at a repeat. I don't see how anyone can reasonably fault him for that. I hope he stays healthy and produces in the role he wants somewhere, and I'll be pulling for him going forward.

The implication is that he wasn't totally satisfied with his role this past year, or at least wouldn't be satisfied with that being his role going forward. Which is fine. What matters is that he didn't cause any problems, did exactly what was asked for him, was a great team player, made the best of the situation, and went out of his way to keep a solid perspective of things and be thankful for the opportunities he had. To anyone who's found a reason in this thread to be upset with him, wtf would you have had him do? The way he handled this year is exactly how I've always wished guys who *****ed and moaned during the season would handle themselves.

 

[Tunescribe]

I don't quite get his decision and find it disappointing. If it isn't about money, why doesn't he stay and work on carving out an even bigger role for himself on a team that likely will be in the playoffs again? So he'd rather go start for another also-ran?