Marcus Cannon

[BradyFTW!]

So pay Cannon $7.5m next year?

That's not a useful question to ask, gotta look at it in sunk cost terms. You're paying him $2.8M whether you keep him or cut him, so that $2.8M is irrelevant to making this call. The only question that matters is "does he provide $4.75M of value to the team by being on the roster?" because $4.75M is what you stand to save by cutting him.

And in this particular situation, where there's no other tackle on the roster signed beyond this season who's played a down in the NFL, I think the answer to that is yes.

 

[chasa]

Oh ya, that's exactly what it reads on the pic. Such impressive attention to detail on my part!

Do you need a glass of water friend?

 

[Ring 6]

The decision on Cannon is easy. Pay cut or cut. He;ll be 31 next year so not much time left 1-2 years max.

My approach would be to see what the market is for Brown. If it gets too expensive and walks, move Wynn to LT. If hes stays, move Wynn to RT as Thuney, Andrews and Shaq are fine.

We couldn’t get a better player than cannon at his salary.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

So far I am not sure I like Brown more than Cannon to be honest.

That being said despite people being disappointed about performances along the line they are the #3 OL unit (Behind Pittsburgh and Cleveland) if you look at PFF. Point being they seem to be substantially better than average over the last 15 weeks.

i prefer to use the eye test over PFF. if brady is getting hit too much, the o-line is an issue.

 

[farn]

Cannon and many others should be heavily talked about this offseason. I wouldn’t mind his return if the coaching staff seems it best - but not “just to hold down the fort and be -ok-“...

Play to win it all. If you can win it all with Cannon, fine. But if there are too many question marks everywhere, move on and make big changes to the roster.

 

[farn]

We couldn’t get a better player than cannon at his salary.

Might be true. Is NE winning next year ? If the answer is “no”, move on - get cheaper/younger.

 

[ashley]

the interior of the o-line needs an upgrade, particularly at center. thuney has not impressed either.

I think Andrews can get pushed back in the run game...I've seen it quite often this year...Thuney I think has been better this year, but still can struggle in the passing game and Mason is better at run blocking than pass protection. Overall, I'd say Mason is the best of that group though.
I wouldn't be opposed to an upgrade on the interior but we have a lot more pressing needs at this point.

 

[BradyFTW!]

the interior of the o-line needs an upgrade, particularly at center. thuney has not impressed either.

Next year will also be the last season of Thuney's rookie contract, so I think there are a few different reasons why you'd target interior o-line early in the draft. Partly for depth, so you aren't one injury from starting Ted Karras again (as much as I've liked him in the preseason, he did not acquit himself well when Mason was injured). Partly to get out in front of replacing Thuney by a year, so you can be less averse to letting him walk if he ends up priced beyond the value of his contributions (kinda like how the Pats loaded up on DEs a year-plus before Jones would have hit FA). And I agree it would be good to get someone who could potentially play center, because while Andrews has been fine there he's certainly upgradeable. But given that Andrews was extended just this past offseason and is signed through 2020, I suspect he's here to stay for at least another year.

 

[mgteich]

So pay Cannon $7.5m next year?

$6M, but who's counting.

Yes, we will pay Cannon $6M (including roster bonus). At very worst, Brown will be signed and Wynn will be our best RT, making Cannon an expensive #3 OT which he has been before. Belichick has decided more than one that it is worth having 6 OL of starter quality. This was true even in 2018.

In any case, Cannon is under contract and there is no reason for any action until we know that we have 2 starting OT's better than he is. Even then, we can use having having him as the #3.

 

[Ring 6]

Might be true. Is NE winning next year ? If the answer is “no”, move on - get cheaper/younger.

Wait you want to give up on next year?

 

[chasa]

$6M, but who's counting.

Yes, we will pay Cannon $6M (including roster bonus). At very worst, Brown will be signed and Wynn will be our best RT, making Cannon an expensive #3 OT which he has been before. Belichick has decided more than one that it is worth having 6 OL of starter quality. This was true even in 2018.

In any case, Cannon is under contract and there is no reason for any action until we know that we have 2 starting OT's better than he is. Even then, we can use having having him as the #3.

honestly 6 mil for cannon as depth is probably managable, considering how much we are spending on some players like dewayne allen..

 

[RobertWeathers]

the interior of the o-line needs an upgrade, particularly at center. thuney has not impressed either.

I don't agree. Thuney and Andrews have been more than fine.

 

[BradyFTW!]

honestly 6 mil for cannon as depth is probably managable, considering how much we are spending on some players like dewayne allen..

$7.5M cap hit, $6.1M cash, $4.75M cap savings if he's traded or cut. Of those three numbers, the last one is the only one that really matters for the discussion at hand about whether he's worth keeping next year from a roster-building perspective.

And yeah, I agree. In an ideal world you're paying a tackle who's younger, better, cheaper, and/or less injury-prone than Cannon. But for what we stand to save by cutting him and the cost of replacing him, I think keeping him one more year is clearly the right move. I've been notably critical of Cannon's play for years here, so if anything I'm probably biased against him, but if you're looking to trim fat off the roster there are a lot of other places I'd look first.

 

[203Pat]

I said it in another thread, I am scared to give Brown a long term deal. He has Alan Branch written all over him.

 

[RobertWeathers]

That's not a useful question to ask, gotta look at it in sunk cost terms. You're paying him $2.8M whether you keep him or cut him, so that $2.8M is irrelevant to making this call. The only question that matters is "does he provide $4.75M of value to the team by being on the roster?" because $4.75M is what you stand to save by cutting him.

And in this particular situation, where there's no other tackle on the roster signed beyond this season who's played a down in the NFL, I think the answer to that is yes.

This isn't a nuanced situation.

In 2019 Cannon counts for $7.55m of cap space. You answered yes but your reasoning is flawed. My view is you don't pay someone just because you don't have anyone else. If you don't think the player is producing at a level commensurate with their cap space & salary, you either re-negotiate the deal or cut the player. In order to mitigate the risk of that player leaving, you sign FAs, draft players or you cross train players in said position.

 

[RobertWeathers]

We couldn’t get a better player than cannon at his salary.

I think that investigation needs to be played out. Either way hes not worth $7.55 of cap space. Hes hasn't performed at that level to justify it.

 

[PatsFan2]

My questions are does David Andrews need to be Upgraded?? Should we have waited to pay Shaq Mason or not?? Is Joe Thuney just a jag?? This OL blows in both areas Pass Protection and especially Run Blocking. Cannon has been banged up all year and Trent Brown have been decent for the most part I think our problems lie along the Interior.

 

[RobertWeathers]

$6M, but who's counting.

Yes, we will pay Cannon $6M (including roster bonus). At very worst, Brown will be signed and Wynn will be our best RT, making Cannon an expensive #3 OT which he has been before. Belichick has decided more than one that it is worth having 6 OL of starter quality. This was true even in 2018.

In any case, Cannon is under contract and there is no reason for any action until we know that we have 2 starting OT's better than he is. Even then, we can use having having him as the #3.

Cannon is consuming $7.55m in cap space. I meant "pay" as in slotted cap space.

Bill has never paid a backup OT $6m/ $7.55m in cap space just to be at the ready

 

[chasa]

I think that investigation needs to be played out. Either way hes not worth $7.55 of cap space. Hes hasn't performed at that level to justify it.

Who do you think is going to available that we will be able to sign to replace him, with the 4.25 million we will save by cutting him?

 

[PatsFan2]

The decision on Cannon is easy. Pay cut or cut. He;ll be 31 next year so not much time left 1-2 years max.

My approach would be to see what the market is for Brown. If it gets too expensive and walks, move Wynn to LT. If hes stays, move Wynn to RT as Thuney, Andrews and Shaq are fine.

Pump the brakes on Thuney and Andrews both are under Sized O-Linemen who just don't pass or run block very well. I think their deficiencies are showing up the others.