PATRIOTS NEWS Mark Daniels - Tonga and Patriots have failed in contract talks.

[BennyBledsoe]

There's always some GM out there who will overvalue Super Bowl players. I think there seems to be some consensus that he should test the market. Maybe he finds some Al Davis out there willing to give him a Larry Brown/Desmond Howard deal.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

Exactly, Tonga is a known quantity. Anybody else is a roll of the dice.

He is a known quantity. A guy who's been on 4 teams in 5 years.
He's replaceable.
Big interior players who plug holes are one of, if not the easiest position to replace.
We're not talking Vince Wilfork here.

 

[Gumby]

Not sure if they are any good but here is a list as of 2-21-26 ago...

Top Nose Tackles 2026 NFL Draft

Bowden Leadership award winner. Vrabel type. Massive man. 4th round - great run stuffer. Younger, cheaper, better.

Jackson, Banks, Harris, & Eastern are big (TALL) dudes.
Can you get low enough at 6-5/6-6 to play NT?
Or am I just old and everybody got bigger in mid 2000s?

 

[RobertWeathers]

What is “big money”?

All we know is that he is asking for more than they offered. Nothing about how much more. Nor how much was offered.

Did the team lowball him? Is he asking way too much? Could be either.

I imply $6m is too much for a role player over 30

 

[Wozzy]

The term value vet was coined during the BB era, it referred to vets considered undervalued by most teams but recognized by the Pats as valuable assets.

Tonga, Moses, Bradbury, Hollins, Chaisson… nobody was scrambling to sign these guys. If you can do it once, do it again. Make a reasonable attempt to return the free agents, but don’t overpay.

 

[DaBruinz]

They had several dudes in the rotation who really did not look bad at all who will play for much less. Durden, Leonard Williams, etc. They seem to have an eye for DTs.

I think you mean Leonard Taylor.

 

[DaBruinz]

Jackson, Banks, Harris, & Eastern are big (TALL) dudes.
Can you get low enough at 6-5/6-6 to play NT?
Or am I just old and everybody got bigger in mid 2000s?

Did you mean Eason? He's 6'2 3/8" tall.

Jackson (6'5 5/8), Banks (6'6 1/8") and Harris (6'7 6/8) are not your proto-typical NT. They remind me more of the Kevin Williams / Pat Williams NT/Dt combo who excelled at 1-gapping for the Vikings.


The 6'5 Ted Washington strolls into the conversation. Arguably one of the better (possibly amongst the best?) to ever play the game.
So, clearly someone that tall CAN get low enough to play the position.

 

[PatsFan2]

I hope Tong resigns he knows this is probably his last NFL Contract.

 

[Real fan 02]

I hope Tong resigns he knows this is probably his last NFL Contract.

Guy played on both sides of the LOS..

 

[Real fan 02]

I think you mean Leonard Taylor.

And Gregory...

 

[Real fan 02]

The term value vet was coined during the BB era, it referred to vets considered undervalued by most teams but recognized by the Pats as valuable assets.

Tonga, Moses, Bradbury, Hollins, Chaisson… nobody was scrambling to sign these guys. If you can do it once, do it again. Make a reasonable attempt to return the free agents, but don’t overpay.

You're correct Wozzy but we have to remember that era the NFL cap was different the cap continues to rise and organization's get awarded more cap dollars of course your not going to overpay a player..but teams and agents alike use comparisons in order to secure deals who would you say Tonga could be used in comparison to justify a contract? I'd look at how many DT are used at FB as well as DT.

 

[Ross12]

I think you mean Leonard Taylor.

I do, thanks for the fix there

 

[Huckleberry1]

I like Tonga but they have a bunch of young guys who rotated in during the stretch run, and they can get a nose in the draft if they want to. I think the Patriots are going to offer fair market deals, so let him go into free agency and see what he can get. If he stays great, if not no big deal.

 

[Wozzy]

You're correct Wozzy but we have to remember that era the NFL cap was different the cap continues to rise and organization's get awarded more cap dollars of course your not going to overpay a player..but teams and agents alike use comparisons in order to secure deals who would you say Tonga could be used in comparison to justify a contract? I'd look at how many DT are used at FB as well as DT.

He’s a solid rotation guy and a massive run stuffer in the middle, but he’s not drawing double teams like Barmore or explosive like Milton Williams. They also found some good rotational guys in Durden and Gregory plus they have Farmer coming back.

There’s always a big fatty out there on the free agwnt
market, there’s not a premium on one dimensional run stuffers, but I like Tonga. Let him put his wares on the open market and come back with an offer to beat. The Pats have money, they should be able to match any reasonable offer, but they shouldn’t overpay.

 

[Real fan 02]

He’s a solid rotation guy and a massive run stuffer in the middle, but he’s not drawing double teams like Barmore or explosive like Milton Williams. They also found some good rotational guys in Durden and Gregory plus they have Farmer coming back.

There’s always a big fatty out there on the free agwnt
market, there’s not a premium on one dimensional run stuffers, but I like Tonga. Let him put his wares on the open market and come back with an offer to beat. The Pats have money, they should be able to match any reasonable offer, but they shouldn’t overpay.

Agreed. Mark Daniel reported that a deal waa Agreed upon before the playoffs but Tonga didn't sign it for some reason.. if we can retain him then great if not as you mentioned we will have to sign another player or his caliber at DT to fill his role. Also farmer, Gregory and Durden also are key rotational contributors as well Barmore is the key here.. he played well during the playoffs but if can get that 2023 version of Barmore this defensive line goes to another level.

 

[Ring 6]

Agreed. Mark Daniel reported that a deal waa Agreed upon before the playoffs but Tonga didn't sign it for some reason.. if we can retain him then great if not as you mentioned we will have to sign another player or his caliber at DT to fill his role. Also farmer, Gregory and Durden also are key rotational contributors as well Barmore is the key here.. he played well during the playoffs but if can get that 2023 version of Barmore this defensive line goes to another level.

That’s not what he reported. He reports they were close

 

[Real fan 02]

That’s not what he reported. He reports they were close

He was just on 98.5 with Alex Barth and cerrone battle he reported in on the radio.

 

[Gumby]

Did you mean Eason? He's 6'2 3/8" tall.

Jackson (6'5 5/8), Banks (6'6 1/8") and Harris (6'7 6/8) are not your proto-typical NT. They remind me more of the Kevin Williams / Pat Williams NT/Dt combo who excelled at 1-gapping for the Vikings.


The 6'5 Ted Washington strolls into the conversation. Arguably one of the better (possibly amongst the best?) to ever play the game.
So, clearly someone that tall CAN get low enough to play the position.

No, Eastern was #10 (6-6/320) in the snip from @Zuma

I didn’t realize [nor remember, if I ever knew] big Ted was so tall. Thx.

 

[mike_usagisan]

That’s not what he reported. He reports they were close

It also sounds like maybe his market has gotten bigger in a weak DT free agency. So other teams might be willing to pay him more.

 

[TheRainMaker]

There's always some GM out there who will overvalue Super Bowl players. I think there seems to be some consensus that he should test the market. Maybe he finds some Al Davis out there willing to give him a Larry Brown/Desmond Howard deal.

Or the Paul Kruger and Trey Flowers deals. Awful.