Other than $ why would UFA choose NE over other suitors?

[Rob0729]

Most players will go where they can get the most money. Bad teams seems to have no problem attracting top free agents every year.

With or without Brady still here, Belichick is considered the best coach of all time. A lot of players would like to play for him., Contrary to popular belief, a lot of players in this league do not want to play for players' coaches. The last time this team had a players' coach (Pete Carroll), they didn't respect him and would go behind his back to Bobby Grier to complain about him.

A lot of players who leave the Patriots speak glowingly about Belichick and how Belichick made them a better player.

 

[Rob0729]

Crappy stadium?

I think some people think the Pats still play at Foxboro Stadium.

 

[SVN]

People forget how people came to play for the pats back in 2000s . the whole concept of team was formed because they signed a lot of bargain basement guys who wanted to prove themselves if they got a chance. There are many such players always every year. They key is to hit on those. . Don't think mike vrabel came to the pats in 2001 after the team finished a 5-11 season with a premonition that the 4th QB on the depth chart would be the GOAT. All this is overblown.

 

[Marko]

What former players have spoken in that manner?


Huh?


Similar climate as half the NFL.


One single player - that was not a free agent - said that.


One single player - that was not a free agent - said that.
Plus Patricia is neither a coordinator nor position coach.


Take a look at the free agent signings from one year ago. Nearly all signed with teams that missed the playoffs the previous season.


Did that help Carolina sign free agents from 2011 to 2019?


Players and their agents follow the money. Yes, they will speak in oft-repeated clichés at their first press conference about how they always admired and respected (fill in name of player's new team here), but that is nothing more than PR for the fans and local media.

Also, there’s a good chance Stanford didn’t want to come here because he didn’t want to be always chasing Brady’s ghosts.

 

[SVN]

BB shipped out moss right in the middle of the season . He still says he learnt more football in NE thanks to BB than he learnt before coming here. So this notion that people are speaking ill of BB is also overblown

 

[ctpatsfan77]

This year, it may not matter. There's less than half the salary cap $ available this year compared to last year. And over the next two years combined, no one has more cap space.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

Most players will go where they can get the most money. Bad teams seems to have no problem attracting top free agents every year.

I don’t necessarily disagree when we talk about defensive player but when was the last time a top WR or TE free agent sign for a team with no QB or a QB of Sidham’s level?

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

This year, it may not matter. There's less than half the salary cap $ available this year compared to last year. And over the next two years combined, no one has more cap space.

Guys in FA will not be sitting on their hands waiting around this year. The money will dry up quickly and players know that so they will be signing. The Pats have money so players will be pleased to come to NE. It is not complicated when the salary cap drops.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

Guys in FA will not be sitting on their hands waiting around this year. The money will dry up quickly and players know that so they will be signing. The Pats have money so players will be pleased to come to NE. It is not complicated when the salary cap drops.

We still need to see how much we will have available after resigning our own FA and maybe target a veteran FA QB.

i personally don’t think that with our current situation (so many hole across the roster) putting ourselves close to the cap with 2-3 big FA contracts this year is the right move. I probably would wait until next year to do that.

 

[amfootball]

Guys in FA will not be sitting on their hands waiting around this year. The money will dry up quickly and players know that so they will be signing. The Pats have money so players will be pleased to come to NE. It is not complicated when the salary cap drops.

The Pats are not the only team with money. There will be plenty of teams vying for services around the league. The question becomes how attractive are the Pats to FAs? If Stafford is any indication, we are going to have to vastly overpay to get talent.

 

[Pape]

If Stafford is any indication, we are going to have to vastly overpay to get talent.

Why would Stafford be any type of free agent indicator?

First, he was traded. He was not a free agent.

Second, Matt Patricia is back here in New England... Based on some of the reports out there, that relationship was strained

Thirdly, I doubt the Patriots were even serious contenders for his services given the price paid.

 

[sb1]

Why would Stafford be any type of free agent indicator?

First, he was traded. He was not a free agent.

Second, Matt Patricia is back here in New England... Based on some of the reports out there, that relationship was strained

Thirdly, I doubt the Patriots were even serious contenders for his services given the price paid.

If Bill paid what the Lions paid for a 33 year old Stafford, then he should be immediately relieved of his duties with the organization.

 

[50-yard-line]

let's count the ways...NFL free agents love astronomical gas taxes, high real estate prices, schitty roads, potholes, eternal Facemasks, remote learning forever, snow, cold rain, high car insurance, high property tax, the closest major cities closing at 10 or 11 pm and only allowing 25% dining capacity...oh, let us come the ways why anyone would want to play in Foxboro

Taxes is exactly the reason! You hit it right on the money! That's why they all flock to California!

 

[masterbouncer]

in the price you have also to consider this ridicoules contract you have to take with Goff, its like Rams have had to pay extra for Detroit to get the Rams out of this dumpster contract, like the Texans paid the Browns (with picks) to take Osweilers contract just to get rid of him and restart over again

 

[RodThePat]

People forget how people came to play for the pats back in 2000s . the whole concept of team was formed because they signed a lot of bargain basement guys who wanted to prove themselves if they got a chance. There are many such players always every year. They key is to hit on those. . Don't think mike vrabel came to the pats in 2001 after the team finished a 5-11 season with a premonition that the 4th QB on the depth chart would be the GOAT. All this is overblown.

Mike Vrabel wasn't a premier FA, he was a reasonably young guy who was looking to prove himself, he'd go anywhere that offered him a chance to compete for a starting job for reasonable money. They'll obviously be able to attract that sort of player. There's two kinds of guys they'll struggle to get now unless they pay a premium: veterans looking for a chance at a ring at little money for short contracts and cream of the crop FAs willing to take a little less to play for a contender or choosing the Patriots even if they has similar offers on the table. If they want to get the top guys, they'll have to pay top money now, no real ifs or buts. In that sense they're in a little worse position than the Chiefs of the world, but no worse than the vast majority of NFL teams.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

If Bill paid what the Lions paid for a 33 year old Stafford, then he should be immediately relieved of his duties with the organization.

The problem is if you want talent you will always compete with other teams. You will never be the only one on a top player. If we want talent on this team at some point we will need to overpay.

the situation with Goff is special. They paid more to unload the horrible contract he has.

We can debate if Stafford is a good player or not or if his worth it or not but if you think you could get Stafford for less than a 1st round pick, you live in fantasy land.

if Bill could send a 2 for Sanu, i would have had no problem giving a 1st for Stafford

 

[Kontradiction]

Taxes is exactly the reason! You hit it right on the money! That's why they all flock to California!

California has Hollywood, beaches, and women that don’t look like pale wildebeests with jacked up, yellow teeth. If you’re going to pay higher taxes as a millionaire superstar athlete, you can at least go to the cities with the better-looking trim.

 

[Triumph]

You do know that other than the snow, that describes Southern California right now, right?

Instead of shoveling snow off the sidewalk its human feces in Cal.

 

[50-yard-line]

It's kind of hilarious to read these doomsday posts after watching us gloat the last 10 years about how the Jets or Browns "won" the off-season because of FA signings.

Right, BB can't attract players, but teams who go through three coaches on a single FA contract and who pack their bags at Thanksgiving every year somehow manage to do it.

I'm guessing that almost everyone in the NFL thinks BB will get the Pats back to contention soon enough. Since most of the current the really good teams - KC, Tampa Bay - are maxed on skill positions and sitting near the cap (TB has money, but has several key FAs to pay), or are teams that have likely already peaked (GB, SF), or are built to NOT get over the mountain (TN, Miami) and/or will soon enough be moving toward rebuild, what up-and-comer are you going to bet on?

It's a fluid league, with rare exception - Pats, Colts, now the Chiefs. Sure, every FA WR would love to play with Mahomes or Brady. Who are they going to beat out to get playing time and which of their current stars are those teams going to jettison to make room regarding money or playing time?

A guy like Jonnu Smith comes to New England and he becomes a focus of the offense. BB has the tools right now to build the team he wants. I think he's kind of earned our patience here.

 

[50-yard-line]

California has Hollywood, beaches, and women that don’t look like pale wildebeests with jacked up, yellow teeth. If you’re going to pay higher taxes as a millionaire superstar athlete, you can at least go to the cities with the better-looking trim.

I live in South Bay half the year. An athlete living out there has a tax burden almost twice that of Massachusetts.

My point is, anyone making that kind of money who gives a rat's ass about a few percent around the edges is an idiot.