Free Agency Predictions: Call your shot

Give Kraft A Hand said:

Chargers and Rams fit those categories too.

Look id like to be wrong on this and have him on the Pats but I’m being realistic. There’s a chance for sure. But do I think it’s particularly high? No.

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The " I'm just being realistic" because " the Pats don't usually get players like this" is exactly what I was referring to in an earlier post. Patriot fans conflating the way things were under Belichick with the way they are now. Newsflash: Belichick is gone. The way things were under him is no longer the way things are under Vrabel. Belichick's history doesn't apply to these Patriots. Vrabel has shown he will be aggressive in remaking this team, and that's what is relevant to this years free agency for the Patriots, not what Belichick did or would have done.

rabidfireweasel said:

excellent thoughts.

Does the Packers recent resigning of Rhyan at 3-33 with 11M guaranteed change what you think Bitonio gets? Or do you think Rhyan’s versatility and youth makes him significantly more valuable?

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Bitonio is 34 and hasn't sniffed the playoffs ever...in Cleveland. But actually, I was misremembering something there regarding the Joe Thuney deal last year. Bitonio will get more than I said and will be more in Thuney's wheelhouse. So, yeah, my bad.

Deals can be reached tomorrow but not signed until Wednesday, right?

jmt57 said:

and Adam Seward

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Add in Larry Fitzgerald and you have the holy trinity of NE FAs

festy1986 said:

Deals can be reached tomorrow but not signed until Wednesday, right?

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yes
WED 4 pm

Of course, we can extend players today if we choose.

festy1986 said:

Deals can be reached tomorrow but not signed until Wednesday, right?

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correct

The NFL legal tampering period (officially the "
negotiating window") in 2026 runs from Monday, March 9 at 12 p.m. ET to Wednesday, March 11 at 3:59:59 p.m. ET. During these 52 hours, teams can negotiate with certified agents of unrestricted free agents, but cannot sign contracts until the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

DoubleDeluxe said:

correct

The NFL legal tampering period (officially the "
negotiating window") in 2026 runs from Monday, March 9 at 12 p.m. ET to Wednesday, March 11 at 3:59:59 p.m. ET. During these 52 hours, teams can negotiate with certified agents of unrestricted free agents, but cannot sign contracts until the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

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Really it starts at noon tomorrow. They start reporting deals the second the clock strikes noon. I remember this because last year at 12:00 and 3 seconds Thunderhead started ranting about what a horrible free agency the Patriots were having.

Huckleberry1 said:

The " I'm just being realistic" because " the Pats don't usually get players like this" is exactly what I was referring to in an earlier post. Patriot fans conflating the way things were under Belichick with the way they are now. Newsflash: Belichick is gone. The way things were under him is no longer the way things are under Vrabel. Belichick's history doesn't apply to these Patriots. Vrabel has shown he will be aggressive in remaking this team, and that's what is relevant to this years free agency for the Patriots, not what Belichick did or would have done.

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I think we need to pump the brakes on the one off season tells us Vrabels long term plan train.

Like BB and everyone else Vrabel will makes decisions based upon the team he has and the resources he has.
Belichick spent like a drunken sailor in 2021, because he had a ton of cap and a ton of holes.
Vrabel did the same in 2025. This year will look different because the holes and resources are different.

Belichick fit most of his tenure had the or close to the best team in the league.
Managing the cap in that scenario is very different than having 100 mill of cap space
One if the reasons you rarely saw BB go after too free agents was because we had the top (or close to it) roster in the league, and as those players contracts came up they were much more expensive. Every year was an exercise in 1) keeping our good players and 2) spending whatever was left to upgrade.

We still have a good cap situation so we should be active, but if we do a good job in free agency and the draft, we will have a load of talent and their won’t be the ability to be aggressive in FA.