The Official Patriots Opt Out Thread

[203Pat]

Right now, they are scheduled to start on time. You look silly complaining about how they waited too long to make a deal when things are starting on time.

Bullcrap.

In mid-June, things were trending downward in both cases and deaths. The cases started trending up but deaths kept trending down until early July. Right now daily cases seems to have plateaued, and deaths are trending up at a slow rate.

You have no clue whatsoever what things are going to look like in Sept/Oct/Nov. So stop acting like the NFL should have known in May what things were going to look like on July 28.
uhhhhhhhhhh no. Just no. There should not be an "opt in" for players who opted out.

You're not even being intellectually consistent. You complain about how tough it is for teams to build rosters because of how late the opt out date is, but then you want to allow those players the potential to opt back in?? So the Patriots would have to go 4-8 weeks without knowing if any of their 6 players are just going to show up out of nowhere? That would be an atrocious idea.

I have no problem whatsoever with a player who chooses to opt out but once they've made that decision, that's that.

Okay you just want to argue. Good day.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

As far as Chung is concerned, we have Adrian Phillips, so it's not as big a deal. Hightower is much more concerning...

 

[203Pat]

As far as Chung is concerned, we have Adrian Phillips, so it's not as big a deal. Hightower is much more concerning...

What? Phillips is not at Chung's level?

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Hightower is about finished. He has 1-2 ... maybe 3 productive years left.

At this age, size, position, and injury history, I don't see this as a massive blow.

Paired with the losses of Van Noy, Collins, and Roberts, and given his play-calling role, it seems huge. How many linebacker snaps are we looking to replace, in one season, with limited practices? I actually like Winovich and Bentley, bur their roles seemingly are going up about 10-fold from what they are used to.

 

[ralmat55]

If I am the Patriots, I don't spend a dime of the saved money from these players opting out and just push it to next year. With the reduced cap next year, there is likely to be some really good talent in free agency.

This year is going to be a wash year anyway. We don't even know if there will be a complete season. Games are likely going to suck with no contact in practice, no preseason, and players likely forced to IR because of COVID. Don't spend on Clowney. Go into this year with what we have. Develop young players and get ready to gear up for 2021.

There’s really no year to year savings cap wise for Hightower, Bolden or anyone else in the last year of their contract as the reduction from the 2020 cap is an addition to the 2021 cap.

 

[XLIX]

Okay you just want to argue. Good day.

What I want is for you to justify your harsh condemnation of the NFL's actions by telling us what the NFL should be doing which they haven't done. You have given absolutely nothing of substance. (That's not an argument, that's just a fact) The best you have is "they waited too long to make a deal" which is weaksauce when you consider that (right now) things are on time.

Then you make no sense whatsoever by saying they should have required the opt out to be decided weeks ago to make it easier to build team rosters BUT you also feel players should be able to opt back in. That's just completely nonsensical.

 

[BTTA]

This probably is the end of it for Pats' players. But what fun it would be if Belichick opted out, along with another dozen vets, and then for that to roll across the other teams, just to watch the owners twitch.

 

[chasa]

bring in some big name vets on one year deals, and play the season out, we should have plenty of capspace now.

 

[lancerman]

Okay you just want to argue. Good day.

Nobody takes him seriously. He has the same fight with everyone on here

 

[Ross12]

Not gonna lie, if this was a couple years earlier, having Brady, Gronk and everybody and the long-running team continuity would be a HUUUUUGE advantage during all this uncertainty. It really sucks that this had to be the season Brady leaves, of all seasons... Obviously there are much worse things happening in the world, but just saying.

 

[XLIX]

Not gonna lie, if this was a couple years earlier, having Brady, Gronk and everybody and the long-running team continuity would be a HUUUUUGE advantage during all this uncertainty. It really sucks that this had to be the season Brady leaves, of all seasons... Obviously there are much worse things happening in the world, but just saying.

+1 +1 +1 +1 +1

I was thinking the exact same thing today about how glad I was that this didn't take place during a season where the Patriots were serious contenders. This is happening during a year where the Patriots were eating salary cap and rebuilding.

 

[XLIX]

Nobody takes him seriously. He has the same fight with everyone on here

This from the guy who responds to virtually every post I make.

Just out of curiosity, who else have I argued with over whether or not the NFL did a really bad job in getting things ready?

 

[lancerman]

This from the guy who responds to virtually every post I make.

Just out of curiosity, who else have I argued with over whether or not the NFL did a really bad job in getting things ready?

Every post? I can’t even think of a time I’ve even talked to you in the last month

 

[Joey007]

From what I’m seeing with opt out across the league: 3 major factors of players choosing to opt out:

Players who are in the higher risk health category (mostly larger lineman)

Players who have a recently born child at home. (I think that these players recognize that they won’t be able to be around their family nearly as often if they choose to play since they do not want to expose if it can be avoided)

Players who have already made their money in the league. (Hightower and Chung in their 30’s is different than a guy looking to get his first big payday at 25-26)

 

[Deus Irae]

We live in interesting times.

 

[luuked]

There’s really no year to year savings cap wise for Hightower, Bolden or anyone else in the last year of their contract as the reduction from the 2020 cap is an addition to the 2021 cap.

There is no savings but I think the fact that his signing bonus proration is still locked to this year and him not having any guarantees at all next year shifts the leverage towards the team. Especially in a time when the cap might be shrinking for a couple of years.

Wouldn't be surprised if the Pats manage to either extend him (Howe said that there was interest in an extension months ago) or shave off a bit of his salary in exchange for guarantees.

 

[mikey m]

The NFL sucks, but their management of this season has nothing to do with players opting out. Players are opting out because it's football in a pandemic. Football.. Pandemic..

 

[BradytoMosstoGronk]

Bummer. Wish these guys good health going forward. Don't think you can minimize the collective loss of all these guys, it's gonna hurt. Next man up, but damn..

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Football Outsiders Almanac calculated that the Patriots had lost more production on defense from 2019 to 2020 than any team since at least 2002-2003 — and that calculation was done before Hightower and Chung opted out.

Patriots' 2020 defense will be a far cry from 2019 - ProFootballTalk

Other key players who are gone from last year’s Patriots Defense are Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, Duron Harmon, Danny Shelton and Elandon Roberts. And the Patriots didn’t add any noteworthy veterans to their defense in free agency, although they did draft some players they’re hoping can come in and contribute immediately.

Tom Brady‘s departure was by far the biggest story in New England this offseason, but the Patriots lost even more on defense. The 2020 team will look nothing like 2019.

 

[Rob0729]

There’s really no year to year savings cap wise for Hightower, Bolden or anyone else in the last year of their contract as the reduction from the 2020 cap is an addition to the 2021 cap.

Yes, but all that will be left is their base salary. If they are cut, then I think they get that money back on the cap. Hightower probably won't be cut, but Bolden or Cannon might.