La Canfora: Brady unlikely to sign extension, will test free agency

[Hammer of Thor]

Can Kraft just pay some players behind the scenes by funneling **** through seemingly legit channels? Let's just basically give a couple of badass weapons some vet minimum contracts and then just"suddenly" start up very profitable lines of athletic gear.

Speaking of which, has this ever happened before? Circumventing the cap via other methods of payment? I guess was the NCAA's method, but under different circumstances. But does it happen at a professional level?

Yes. The Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers did this back in the 90s when the cap was first implemented. The Broncos were stripped draft choices. The Broncos offensive linemen also used Vaseline on their jerseys and were caught by the NFL and a small punishment was given. No one calls the Broncos cheaters though or calls for asterisks next to their 2 titles from the era.

edit: link to
49ers story: Hefty Fine in NFL Salary Cap Dispute
Broncos story: Revisiting Denver’s cap penalties from the 1990s

 

[Triumph]

Nothing new here. They plan to......... unless they can't. In which case they move on. I think that's status quo at the moment till we get something definitive.
.

"They" meaning Belichick and Kraft,

Kraft would not be out speaking to TMZ about Brady if BB was not on board.

 

[Triumph]

I still believe that Brady would take a Pats friendly deal but only with the guarantee that the WR and TE position get fixed.

 

[mgteich]

Guarantee?

What does that mean?

It would need to mean that at least 2 named players agreed to terms in the 3 days before free agency started.

I still believe that Brady would take a Pats friendly deal but only with the guarantee that the WR and TE position get fixed.

 

[jah]

This article just came out about 15 mins ago.

Robert Kraft Gives Hope To Patriots Nation, 'We Plan To' Bring Back Tom! — TMZ

I plan to find a gf

 

[Sciz]

Can Kraft just pay some players behind the scenes by funneling **** through seemingly legit channels? Let's just basically give a couple of badass weapons some vet minimum contracts and then just"suddenly" start up very profitable lines of athletic gear.

Speaking of which, has this ever happened before? Circumventing the cap via other methods of payment? I guess was the NCAA's method, but under different circumstances. But does it happen at a professional level?

Article 13, Section 4, Part 2 of the CBA:
“A player’s Salary shall also include any and all consideration received by the player or his Player Affiliate from a Club or Club Affiliate, even if such consideration is ostensibly paid to the player for services other than football playing services, if the NFL can demonstrate before the Impartial Arbitrator that the consideration paid to the player or Player Affiliate for such nonfootball services does not represent a reasonable approximation of the fair market value of such services as performed by such player. The Impartial Arbitrator’s determination may take into account, among other things: (1) any actual dollar amounts the player or Player Affiliate received for similar nonfootball playing services from an independent third party; and (2) the percentage of total compensation for nonfootball services received from third parties versus the Team or Team Affiliate.”

Basically, the Patriots can send players to TB12 and the Broncos could cater every meeting from Manning’s Papa John’s franchises because they’re legitimate businesses outside of team involvement. A player would have to build up the business to some (unknown) reasonable amount of customers before the team becomes a customer.

 

[Triumph]

Guarantee?

What does that mean?

It would need to mean that at least 2 named players agreed to terms in the 3 days before free agency started.

Cmon.

Brady, Kraft and BB go back 20 years. Clearly the WR position has been underfunded and riddled with decisions that were mistakes. Gordon, Dorsett, AB. Failed draft picks. Harry could still be a bust.

Romo and Collinsworth both correctly stated that Brady needs help out there.

Quite frankly, WR, TE and RB all need changes.

 

[203Pat]

Can Kraft just pay some players behind the scenes by funneling **** through seemingly legit channels? Let's just basically give a couple of badass weapons some vet minimum contracts and then just"suddenly" start up very profitable lines of athletic gear.

Speaking of which, has this ever happened before? Circumventing the cap via other methods of payment? I guess was the NCAA's method, but under different circumstances. But does it happen at a professional level?

I think the Broncos tried that a few years ago with Elway.

 

[patman12]

Quite frankly, WR, TE and RB all need changes.

Disagree about RB. Michel/White/Rex are more than adequate and Harris is viewed pretty highly by the coaches. Upgrading the OL, getting a TE that ca block and getting Develin back will be how the Pats improve the running game.

 

[Triumph]

Disagree about RB. Michel/White/Rex are more than adequate and Harris is viewed pretty highly by the coaches. Upgrading the OL, getting a TE that ca block and getting Develin back will be how the Pats improve the running game.

25th ranked rushing offense.All the blame is not on the OL.

Burkhead can go. Harris is another Harry. Hope is not a plan. NE needs a Power Back.

Perry: How different could Patriots backfield look in 2020?

 

[Triumph]

1 - White obviously stays
2 - Sony bring back for year 3. If he does not improve hasta la vista in 2021.
3 - Harris who knows. Its troubling that he could not crack the 25th ranked lineup.
4 - Burkhead just does not do enough.
5 - Bolden he had a good season by his standards.

 

[203Pat]

1 - White obviously stays
2 - Sony bring back for year 3. If he does not improve hasta la vista in 2021.
3 - Harris who knows. Its troubling that he could not crack the 25th ranked lineup.
4 - Burkhead just does not do enough.
5 - Bolden he had a good season by his standards.

Snap for snap Burkhead does more than Sony.

 

[patman12]

25th ranked rushing offense.All the blame is not on the OL.

Burkhead can go. Harris is another Harry. Hope is not a plan. NE needs a Power Back.

Perry: How different could Patriots backfield look in 2020?

I think it comes down to a question on how to best spend resources and unless Brady is gone, I think upgrading the RB position just isn’t a top priority. Fixing the OL and TE alone would vault them out of the bottom half of the league in rushing. Obviously, Michel has flaws but I just don’t see them moving on from him as he goes into year 3. Now, if he continues to be inconsistent in his running game, they’ll look to move on, most likely in 2021.

 

[primetime]

1 - White obviously stays
2 - Sony bring back for year 3. If he does not improve hasta la vista in 2021.
3 - Harris who knows. Its troubling that he could not crack the 25th ranked lineup.
4 - Burkhead just does not do enough.
5 - Bolden he had a good season by his standards.

[whispering] the niners managed a very good run team with a bunch of scrap heap backs, it's got little to do with the backs themselves

 

[203Pat]

[whispering] the niners managed a very good run team with a bunch of scrap heap backs, it's got little to do with the backs themselves

Which is why I’d rather see us draft a first round o-lineman over a running back 100 times out of 100.

 

[primetime]

Which is why I’d rather see us draft a first round o-lineman over a running back 100 times out of 100.

Bingo.

I mean, you want a good running back who will come cheap and knows the offense? Dion Lewis is an inevitable cap casualty for the Titans, and if he comes for $1.5-2m then you could shave Burkhead and save a cool mil or two on the cap.

 

[jah]

Bingo.

I mean, you want a good running back who will come cheap and knows the offense? Dion Lewis is an inevitable cap casualty for the Titans, and if he comes for $1.5-2m then you could shave Burkhead and save a cool mil or two on the cap.

Dion coming back would almost make up for Brady leaving (if both happened). I don't know if it would translate to any rings but there's never been a more fun Patriot to watch.

 

[203Pat]

Dion coming back would almost make up for Brady leaving (if both happened). I don't know if it would translate to any rings but there's never been a more fun Patriot to watch.

 

[jah]

I mean, if you thought that wasn't at least a little bit of an exaggeration, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Triumph]

[whispering] the niners managed a very good run team with a bunch of scrap heap backs, it's got little to do with the backs themselves

Yup

Corey Dillon did not make a difference in NE. Legarrett Blount didnt either. IF the Pat's went hog wild and traded for Kareem Hunt nothing would change.

You see what occurs past the LOS is determined by the OL and not the guy with the ball.