WRs: Every team but one

[zoostation]

If Humphries would have been the 2nd most expensive Pats outside FA ever, that's hardly a sign that they refuse to devote resources to WRs.

I agree they want to do what they can do to improve the WR's group and they will. Just not at a crazy number. Humphries was paid Gronk/Edleman money.

 

[zoostation]

First rule of mature locker room - don't look in other people's pocket.

This is unrealistic at best.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I agree they want to do what they can do to improve the WR's group and they will. Just not at a crazy number. Humphries was paid Gronk/Edleman money.

I struggle with the whole reporting and what to believe about the Humphries negotiations.

My understanding is the NEP called Humphries after he verbally committed to TN and offered 3y/$30m w guarantees north of $19m.

I like Humphries. I wish he was here but that proposal for a "slot" WR is way out of character compared to their contract history for the position.

 

[long distance]

I tend to agree, but I mostly just wanted to give you props for a great use of puer aeternus.

Thanks!

All nature grows to maturity . only modern human society has highest rewards for puer aeternus...

 

[long distance]

This is unrealistic at best.

Psychologically yes, formally no.

 

[mgteich]

Yup.

Welker and Edelman scratch their heads in disbelief.

I struggle with the whole reporting and what to believe about the Humphries negotiations.

My understanding is the NEP called Humphries after he verbally committed to TN and offered 3y/$30m w guarantees north of $19m.

I like Humphries. I wish he was here but that proposal for a "slot" WR is way out of character compared to their contract history for the position.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Yup.

Welker and Edelman scratch their heads in disbelief.

I just don't know how true it is.

I think with Jules and WW they were a bit older. Humphries is only in his mid 20s but not as proven.

If it's true, based on @patchick 's contention is they have adapted their financial and philosophical approach with the times and have placed more importance on the position.

 

[zoostation]

Psychologically yes, formally no.

Yes, its unrealistic psychologically. Do you think the positive impacts of spending $20 mil on OBJ outweigh the negative?

Here's the current cap situation. New England Patriots 2019 Salary Cap

 

[zoostation]

My understanding is the NEP called Humphries after he verbally committed to TN and offered 3y/$30m w guarantees north of $19m.

My bad on the numbers.

Julian Edelman

 

[patchick]

This thread has had a funny effect. I came into it with the assumption that WR was generally a low-priority position for BB & co., one they strategically chose to "shortchange" in resource distribution. After many posters' attempts to support that assumption, I've been persuaded of the opposite. It now seems clear to me that the Patriots are just as willing to put resources into WR as any other position--except for drafting prospects.

Consider:

- The only player BB has ever traded a 1st-round pick for was WR Brandin Cooks. IIRC the only player he's traded a 2nd-round pick for was WR Wes Welker. Just last season he reportedly offered a 3rd-round pick for half a season of Golden Tate.

- In this offseason the Patriots reportedly made offers for many of the top FA receivers including Adam Humphries, Cole Beasley and Golden Tate. The $10-million/year offer for Humphries would have been the second-biggest deal for any outside FA they've ever made.

- The fact that they haven't been trading for $16-million+ receivers tells us nothing, since they never do that at any position. They even let their own best DE walk this year rather than paying him that kind of money. Similarly, the fact that they tend to make a lot of lower-profile deals instead is consistent with the team that traded for Trent Brown, Danny Shelton, Kyle Van Noy, and a host of others all over the field.

In sum, the more I look, the less I see evidence that WR is a low-priority position they've chosen to shift resources away from. I only see evidence that they prefer veterans at the position.

 

[Ubie]

I think slot receiver is finally becoming a staple in a number of teams. Hence the market inefficiency of it being a low paid role, compared to your traditional WR, is now gone. Shame that Welker and Edelman, two of the main reasons for its increased use, will never benefit financially from the work they did.

Think the Patriots misjudged the market. this year, thinking they could get away with paying low money for the role again. Will be interesting to see WR spend going forwards.

 

[n1997y]

Tom Brady is a multi time MVP. However, the last time the MVP won the Super Bowl was way back in 1998. So, therefore, by the logic of Zoostation, MVP winners aren't as desirable as non-MVP winners, because Super Bowls.

Except Manning and Brady are both multi SB winners and Multi MVP winners, just not at the same time.

This is an interesting point. The fact that the league MVP doesn’t frequently win the Super Bowl is striking. I’m curious about a broader view, wondering how often the league MVP even fails to get to the Super Bowl? I figure if Brady and Manning both failed to win the Lombardi the years they were MVP it may be that they won MVP because the supporting cast around them was not as strong as it could’ve been, so that their performances were highlighted. It’s easy to think “well they had fantastic years” but did those individual performances stand out because they were carrying the rest of the team to a level beyond its natural talent?

 

[n1997y]

I hear you, and that's why this year's draft, with all the picks, is so interesting to me.

• Do they push picks into next year, in order to try getting enough ammo to move up and take the successor?
• Do they really take advantage of the picks in the upper rounds, and go after DT, TE and WR (or some other spot) with all those picks?
• Do they bundle picks and move up this year, in order to get the higher end DL talent?

If I hadn't decided not to watch the draft anymore on principle (Freakin' weeknights), I'd be glued to the TV for this one.

Some very good questions. Thank goodness for modern communications, tweets and mobile devices and social media, so I don’t have to watch the draft to know how it unfolds almost as quickly as though I were watching myself!

 

[RobertWeathers]

Those numbers are in line with JE's. Jules 2017 - 2019 contract earnings are over 31 million. Just not as much up front.

Julian Edelman

Where do you see 31m for Jules?

 

[mgteich]

???
Edelman has made more than $6M a year in any of his contracts.

Julian Edelman

Those numbers are in line with JE's. Jules 2017 - 2019 contract earnings are over 31 million. Just not as much up front.

Julian Edelman

 

[zoostation]

Where do you see 31m for Jules?

Good catch RW. In the link I was incorrectly reading the numbers in parenthesis. My mistake.

 

[zoostation]

???
Edelman has made more than $6M a year in any of his contracts.

Julian Edelman

Yeah..my bad on that mgteich

 

[mgteich]

Yeah..my bad on that mgteich

np

 

[RobertWeathers]

Good catch RW. In the link I was incorrectly reading the numbers in parenthesis. My mistake.

I think very few on this board would be against Jules actually being paid $31m over 3 years.

 

[Big Bucks]

IMO in order to find a new WR that isn't drafted (I think we will draft one) we should be looking at BB recent strategy of targeting decent players with one year remaining on there deals (like Tate, Gordon last year), so that if it does come off he can get something back in compensatory picks when someone pays 10m + a year for the guy in free agency.

2020 NFL Free Agents Tracker

Tyler Boyd is a decent guess. Offer a third.