Official Free Agency 2018

[Snooky97]

Uh, isn't he a 5'8" receiver?

He's a slot guy to me, unless you get the matchups to go deep.

Another interesting UDFA is Braxton Berrios - He's a younger version of DA80/JE11..

@reamer

 

[HailHydra]

I thought he was like 6 3”

You're thinking about Sanu

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

He's a slot guy to me, unless you get the matchups to go deep.

Another interesting UDFA is Braxton Berrios - He's a younger version of DA80/JE11..

@reamer

I like berrios. We draft him he has to make the roster, he’s too good to try to get onto the practice squad, someone will grab him.

 

[Snooky97]

I like berrios. We draft him he has to make the roster, he’s too good to try to get onto the practice squad, someone will grab him.

Might be one of those he just stays with us and rejects potential roster spot offers in hope of making ours?

I just really like his Hands, Routes, and the fact he's done KR/PR as well.

 

[Ivan]

Edge as in defensive ends?

Flowers, Trey
Wise, Deatrich
Rivers, Derek
Grissom, Geneo
Lee, Eric

New England Patriots Salary Cap | Over the Cap

Marquis Flowers is an unrestricted free agent.

Marquis Flowers Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money | Over The Cap

Edge as in De/OLB

I don’t think Harrison or McClellin will be back.

 

[ATippett56]

Edge as in De/OLB

I don’t think Harrison or McClellin will be back.

I just listed five defensive ends.

Since when are the New England Patriots morphing back to a 3-4 defense?

 

[Ivan]

I just listed five defensive ends.

Since when are the New England Patriots morphing back to a 3-4 defense?

I see Wise and Flowers as guys who can play inside and End inna 4-3. Lee, Rivers, And M Flowers are more OLB in a 3-4. I don’t see thecPatriots playing any real base defense anymore, I think it’s all packages depending upon opponent and game plan.

 

[ATippett56]

I see Wise and Flowers as guys who can play inside and End inna 4-3. Lee, Rivers, And M Flowers are more OLB in a 3-4. I don’t see thecPatriots playing any real base defense anymore, I think it’s all packages depending upon opponent and game plan.

I don't.

TEAM ROSTER

Malcolm Brown - 6 ft 2in, 320 lbs
Vincent Valentine - 6 ft 3 in, 320 lbs
Lawrence Guy - 6 ft 4 in, 305 lbs
Adam Butler - 6 ft 4 in, 300 lbs

Trey Flowers - 6ft 2 in, 265 lbs
Deatrich Wise - 6 ft 5 in, 271 lbs

 

[mosi]

You crazy? Emmanuel Sanders would be behind Cooks, Edelman, and likely Hogan as well. We don't need another aging WR in our group, specifically one that would likely result in the release of a guy like Dorsett or Mitchell.

And don't get me started on giving up our limited # of draft picks for a guy like him.

Sanders numbers went down in 2017 because of his QB. Pair him with Brady and you will get 2-3 solid years out of him. Heck in 2016, with Trevor Simian (or whatever his name is) he had more catches and more yards than Cooks did this year with Brady (or damn close!). And the difference with Sanders is he catches things in tough spots. Cooks only catches things when he is wide open and in the clear. Can't think of a tight catch he made all year.

Jules will most likely struggle in 2018. Everyone that comes back from an ACL struggles the first year back. Wes in 2010 and Lewis in 2016 are perfect examples.

 

[Sciz]

Jules will most likely struggle in 2018. Everyone that comes back from an ACL struggles the first year back. Wes in 2010 and Lewis in 2016 are perfect examples.

Those aren’t really comparable examples. Edelman gets an extra 4 months of recovery before week one compared to Welker (one year vs eight months), and Lewis had a setback in his recovery that required an additional surgery.

 

[ATippett56]

Sanders numbers went down in 2017 because of his QB. Pair him with Brady and you will get 2-3 solid years out of him. Heck in 2016, with Trevor Simian (or whatever his name is) he had more catches and more yards than Cooks did this year with Brady (or damn close!). And the difference with Sanders is he catches things in tough spots. Cooks only catches things when he is wide open and in the clear. Can't think of a tight catch he made all year.

Jules will most likely struggle in 2018. Everyone that comes back from an ACL struggles the first year back. Wes in 2010 and Lewis in 2016 are perfect examples.

Wes Welker tore his ACL on January 3, 2010 not August. Besides, Wes Welker tore his ACL and MCL.

Source: Pats receiver Welker tears ACL, MCL

Tom Brady threw for 505 yards in Super Bowl LII without Julian Edelman and Malcolm Mitchell. The New England Patriots don't need Emmanuel Sanders.

The New England Patriots have more pressing issues in free agency.

Offensive Tackle
Solder, Nate - unrestricted free agent
Fleming, Cameron - unrestricted free agent
Waddle, LaAdrian - unrestricted free agent

Running Back
Lewis, Dion - unrestricted free agent
Burkhead, Rex - unrestricted free agent
Bolden, Brandon - unrestricted free agent

Special Teams
Slater, Matthew - unrestricted free agent
Ebner, Nate - unrestricted free agent

Besides, the New England Patriots will most likely re-sign Danny Amendola at a discount to the market.

Matthew Slater
2017 NFL Season
Base Salary - $900,000
Signing Bonus - $300,000
Roster Bonus - $300,000
Other (Pro Bowl Selection) - $200,000
Total Cash Expenditure - $1,700,000

Nate Ebner
2017 NFL Season
Base Salary - $825,000
Roster Bonus - $125,000
Total Cash Expenditure = $950,000

Danny Amendola
2017 NFL Season
Base Salary - $1,250,000
Roster Bonus - $300,000
Workout Bonus - $50,000
Total Cash Expenditure = $1,600,000

Note: Nate Ebner's cash expenditure does not take into account a $250,000 prorated signing bonus.

Nate Ebner Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money | Over The Cap

 

[HailHydra]

Sanders numbers went down in 2017 because of his QB. Pair him with Brady and you will get 2-3 solid years out of him. Heck in 2016, with Trevor Simian (or whatever his name is) he had more catches and more yards than Cooks did this year with Brady (or damn close!). And the difference with Sanders is he catches things in tough spots. Cooks only catches things when he is wide open and in the clear. Can't think of a tight catch he made all year.

Jules will most likely struggle in 2018. Everyone that comes back from an ACL struggles the first year back. Wes in 2010 and Lewis in 2016 are perfect examples.

Brandin Cooks is absolutely better than Emmanuel Sanders. Let's look at the facts.

Cooks
2017 - 16 games, 1082 yards, 7 TD, 16.6 YPC - 65 Rec
2016 - 16 games, 1173 yards, 8 TD, 15.0 YPC
2015 - 16 games, 1138 yards, 9 TD, 13.5 YPC

Sanders
2017 - 12 games, 555 yards, 2 TD, 11.8 YPC
2016 - 16 games, 1032 yards, 5 TD, 13.1 YPC - 79 Rec
2015 - 15 games, 1135 yards, 6 TD, 14.9 YPC

First, Sanders didn't by any means have a better season than Cooks in 2016 as you assert. Cooks had 50 more yards on 14 less receptions - which is a good thing. Anyways, he had Trevor for a large portion in 2017 and 2016 so there isn't really a reason you can say that he played worse in 2017 than 2016 because of his QB play - and that came even with the fact that he was the #2 passing option on his team. I also don't see why catching the ball in tight spots has to be relevant in this case. Cooks had far more production - despite having the consistently share the ball - than Sanders by being able to get open, and that's a great thing. Having to consistently catch the ball in tight spots isn't something that's all together necessary when you have a guy who can get separation and get open. Anyways, did you forget the Cooks catch against Houston?

 

[HailHydra]

Sanders numbers went down in 2017 because of his QB. Pair him with Brady and you will get 2-3 solid years out of him. Heck in 2016, with Trevor Simian (or whatever his name is) he had more catches and more yards than Cooks did this year with Brady (or damn close!). And the difference with Sanders is he catches things in tough spots. Cooks only catches things when he is wide open and in the clear. Can't think of a tight catch he made all year.

Jules will most likely struggle in 2018. Everyone that comes back from an ACL struggles the first year back. Wes in 2010 and Lewis in 2016 are perfect examples.

And its also important to remember that Julian Edelman was in good condition at the time of the Super Bowl. He himself said that he was in playing condition by the time of the big game. Obviously that doesn't mean back to 100%, but Edelman has a lot of time ahead of him to get back into playing shape.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

Need to double down on the LBs. Maybe draft one and acquire one via free agency. Need a DT as well that can get some pressure. Focus on the defense.

Can rivers play OLB and be a pass rusher? He's very athletic.

 

[ATippett56]

And its also important to remember that Julian Edelman was in good condition at the time of the Super Bowl. He himself said that he was in playing condition by the time of the big game. Obviously that doesn't mean back to 100%, but Edelman has a lot of time ahead of him to get back into playing shape.

Brandin Cooks is absolutely better than Emmanuel Sanders. Let's look at the facts.

Cooks
2017 - 16 games, 1082 yards, 7 TD, 16.6 YPC - 65 Rec
2016 - 16 games, 1173 yards, 8 TD, 15.0 YPC
2015 - 16 games, 1138 yards, 9 TD, 13.5 YPC

Sanders
2017 - 12 games, 555 yards, 2 TD, 11.8 YPC
2016 - 16 games, 1032 yards, 5 TD, 13.1 YPC - 79 Rec
2015 - 15 games, 1135 yards, 6 TD, 14.9 YPC

First, Sanders didn't by any means have a better season than Cooks in 2016 as you assert. Cooks had 50 more yards on 14 less receptions - which is a good thing. Anyways, he had Trevor for a large portion in 2017 and 2016 so there isn't really a reason you can say that he played worse in 2017 than 2016 because of his QB play - and that came even with the fact that he was the #2 passing option on his team. I also don't see why catching the ball in tight spots has to be relevant in this case. Cooks had far more production - despite having the consistently share the ball - than Sanders by being able to get open, and that's a great thing. Having to consistently catch the ball in tight spots isn't something that's all together necessary when you have a guy who can get separation and get open. Anyways, did you forget the Cooks catch against Houston?

Edelman
Date of Birth: 05-22-1986

Sanders
Date of Birth: 03-16-1987

Cooks
Date of Birth: 09-25-1993

Emmanuel Sanders is no spring chicken either.

 

[supafly]

And its also important to remember that Julian Edelman was in good condition at the time of the Super Bowl. He himself said that he was in playing condition by the time of the big game. Obviously that doesn't mean back to 100%, but Edelman has a lot of time ahead of him to get back into playing shape.

Not meaning to get into the middle of your debate, but I think Edelman may have been exaggerating just a bit in terms of being ready to play an actual game in early Feb., although your point is valid and his confidence bodes well for his expected return this summer (they’ll almost certainly be very cautious with him in OTAs).

There was a report that came out around Thanksgiving-ish that claimed that Edelman was excited because he could finally put his socks on by himself again, so while he seems to be making good progress, I don’t know if we can believe the idea that he’d have been able to take the field 5 months after tearing his ACL.

 

[mosi]

Brandin Cooks is absolutely better than Emmanuel Sanders. Let's look at the facts.

Cooks
2017 - 16 games, 1082 yards, 7 TD, 16.6 YPC - 65 Rec
2016 - 16 games, 1173 yards, 8 TD, 15.0 YPC
2015 - 16 games, 1138 yards, 9 TD, 13.5 YPC

Sanders
2017 - 12 games, 555 yards, 2 TD, 11.8 YPC
2016 - 16 games, 1032 yards, 5 TD, 13.1 YPC - 79 Rec
2015 - 15 games, 1135 yards, 6 TD, 14.9 YPC

First, Sanders didn't by any means have a better season than Cooks in 2016 as you assert. Cooks had 50 more yards on 14 less receptions - which is a good thing. Anyways, he had Trevor for a large portion in 2017 and 2016 so there isn't really a reason you can say that he played worse in 2017 than 2016 because of his QB play - and that came even with the fact that he was the #2 passing option on his team. I also don't see why catching the ball in tight spots has to be relevant in this case. Cooks had far more production - despite having the consistently share the ball - than Sanders by being able to get open, and that's a great thing. Having to consistently catch the ball in tight spots isn't something that's all together necessary when you have a guy who can get separation and get open. Anyways, did you forget the Cooks catch against Houston?

Like I said those numbers are close - 2016 Sanders is close to 2017 Cooks. Heck, their numbers are similar over most of their career. Cooks does his thing. He runs fast in a straight line. He catches balls when he is in the clear. The Pats needs more guys that can catch in close windows. Cooks, this year, never took over a game. He has had solid games and sure there was the Houston game, but he is a disappointment. The Super bowl was a perfect representation of what he is.

The Pats should always try to improve all positions.

 

[jimnance]

I don't.

TEAM ROSTER

Malcolm Brown - 6 ft 2in, 320 lbs
Vincent Valentine - 6 ft 3 in, 320 lbs
Lawrence Guy - 6 ft 4 in, 305 lbs
Adam Butler - 6 ft 4 in, 300 lbs

Trey Flowers - 6ft 2 in, 265 lbs
Deatrich Wise - 6 ft 5 in, 271 lbs

Pats played close to 70% of snaps in sub packages. It's been over 60% going back several years.
Sub really is their base. Of course they run 43,34 when they need to. You still need some big DTs and of course they 2gap a lot. But Ivan's take is a little closer to reality than yours.

 

[Ivan]

Like I said those numbers are close - 2016 Sanders is close to 2017 Cooks. Heck, their numbers are similar over most of their career. Cooks does his thing. He runs fast in a straight line. He catches balls when he is in the clear. The Pats needs more guys that can catch in close windows. Cooks, this year, never took over a game. He has had solid games and sure there was the Houston game, but he is a disappointment. The Super bowl was a perfect representation of what he is.

The Pats should always try to improve all positions.

Couldn’t disagree more. Cooks had really strong first season as Patriot. He also had a strong game in the AFCCG, and getting knocked out of the Super Bowl is no more a criticism of him than getting knocked out of the AFCCG was on Gronk. The only issue with Cooks is whether they can get him under contract.

 

[PP2]

Jules will most likely struggle in 2018. Everyone that comes back from an ACL struggles the first year back. Wes in 2010 and Lewis in 2016 are perfect examples.

In terms of mental toughness, Edelman is in a class of his own. We all thought he would not be himself after the devastating Jones fracture which has killed quite a few NFL careers.

I wouldn't bet against him if I were you.