I decided I was going to read all 23 pages that were on this thread because it was that compelling. By the time I got thru page 12 I could never get closer to 10 pages left as the thread was growing faster than I could read. So by the time I got to 20 I decided to go every other page and was finally able to catch up at page 31. By the time I get finished with it will be on page 36. So I think I EARNED the right to say what I want to say.
1. When I heard the news I felt a weight lift off me. AB's stay in NE was EXHAUSTING to say the least.
2. There was a momentary pang thinking about what the offense would look like with a talent like AB added to it.
3. So I have NO problem justifying the Pats bring him and all his PREVIOUS baggage in hoping he would conform and the accusations would die down and they could keep him playing until Feb.
4. I believe that nothing AB did as a Steeler and Raider got him canned in NE. Its what he did HERE! There wasn't a matter of a "last straw". He had only ONE straw left coming in, and he blew it with his email of 2 days ago.
5. Regardless of the intent, it is just too easy to look at that email and see harassment and the intent to intimidate. Sure you can RATIONALIZE it to try and take away that viewpoint, but its a stretch at best.
6. While I think the Hill case is more troubling that this one, you can't make direct comparisons, simply because his baby momma isn't going to say or do anything to risk the financial windfall for herself and the 3 kids she going to have to raise essentially by herself. And quite frankly I don't blame her.
While the audio tape was chilling it too had avenues of explanation one could take. So given that and the bigger fact that there was no direct claims from her, the league held their collective noses and let him play
In AB's case there is a direct claim from someone willing to go to the NFL and be questioned, and while that claim had reasons to be suspect, AB kept throwing gas on the fire with his idiotic social media actions. Ending in his harassment of someone who wasn't really a threat while in NE.
7. What AB has done the last 12 months looked like a guy who was going through a real mental meltdown, literally being unable to control his own selfdestructive actions. It had been all our hopes that at least part of those actions were a premeditated plan to get out of Pittsburgh and later out of Oakland.
We were hoping against hope that he was crazy, but crazy like a fox. Unfortunately it turned out that he was simply CRAZY.
8. As to the cap - He's my take and will remain my take until Miguel tells me differently.
The Pat will end up paying AB ONLY for the 2 weeks he was here (around 200K) They have clear language in the contract that states that all guarantees will be negatated if he f*cks up just like he did. I'm sure he will file a dispute with the NFLPA, but IMHO, the Pats will win.
IIRC, it took a couple of years before the Pats got cap credit for money they never paid Hernandez. As I read in one of posts, the Pats won't get immediate cap relief, but SHOULD get that credit in next year's cap. I have no idea WHY that's the way it works, but then again, I'm not
@Miguel, I only read his stuff at the BSJ. Whatever the reality is, we will hear from him soon.
9. As for what our offense will look like? I think it will be fine as long as we fix the OL before too long. It certainly won't be as dynamic and explosive than it might have been with AB, but it won't suck either. I strongly believe that the WR group is better than last year's right now, and with Harry and Merideth going to become available just when we hit that very difficult stretch the depth will be there as well. I even believe we will likely equal the TE yardage production from last season before its over (though we won't equal what Gronk gave as a blocker.)
AND that is all I have to say on this topic!
