All quiet on Hightower front or Dont'a-do-it FA tour

[ViperGTS]

It is a fact. But your handwringing as if it's an issue is where the problem lies.

Where is my "handwringing"? It's been 4 going on 5. Fact. He was a top 2-3 free agent and he still hasn't signed. That's somewhat out of the norm. Again. Fact.

So facts are now handwringing. Good to know.

 

[Kdo5]

It is a fact. But your handwringing as if it's an issue is where the problem lies.

He didn't say it was an issue. He was just taking note of the fact that it's been a few days and he finds it unusual.

 

[crownontherocks]

i think hightower will end up resigning but with the rumored visit he had with the saints. and ended up canceling but why the saints was it maybe butler being linked to the saints?

 

[Edelmania]

I could be completely wrong, but if he has been offered close to what he wanted I think he would of signed by now. It wouldnt surprise me if he comes back to the Pats for only like 10M/year.

 

[long distance]

Maybe, but at some point it makes you think that he's not that interested in coming back. By now he should know what's out there.

from Howe (earlier) -- Hightower wanted to assess his value on the open market and enjoy the process before presenting his best offer to the Patriots to give them the opportunity to counter. According to Howe, both the Patriots and Hightower “have never wavered in their desire to reunite.”

 

[aluminum seats]

More like 4. Two days of tampering and two days of FA. It's almost unheard of for a player of his FA stature to go unsigned 4 days after tampering began.

Yeah, I was just kidding. I'm sure we'll know soon.

 

[Tony2046]

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[AtomicDawg]

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All Pats fans basically since Tuesday:

 

[Huckleberry1]

Oh there may be no question. I was just rebutting the whole it's been a little over a day.

When you made the post that's exactly what it was. Free agency opened at 4 PM on Thursday so it hasn't even been two full days yet.

 

[Huckleberry1]

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So true.

I think it's been to the Patriots advantage to this point but they need to get this done pretty soon or someone is going to sneak in and steal him. There's a lot of money out there still looking to be spent and a contender might decide they can upgrade at LB and take the Patriots down a notch at the same time.

 

[Ring 6]

I could be completely wrong, but if he has been offered close to what he wanted I think he would of signed by now. It wouldnt surprise me if he comes back to the Pats for only like 10M/year.

Perhaps he has multiple offers that are all what he wanted.
We have no idea and finding meaning in how long he takes to make a decision is folly.

 

[BobDigital]

Really? High is a better runstopper than both.

High is a better passrusher than Luke and would be as good or better than Wagner if he were given as many passrushing opportunities.

Kuechly and Wagner are both better in coverage. All in all, I'd call it a wash.

They all play slightly different roles- but all 3 do a number of things really well.

Neither Wagner nor kuechly would post #'s as good as they do now,if they played for the Pats.

Once again, you have no clue wtf you're talking about or about NFL defenses.

The key is they are both better in coverage as you say and that is where the teams see value in LBs these days. They of course want run defense but the question most often asked is can you cover WRs in the slot or RBs. Also yes Hightower is a good pass rusher for a ILB but most teams look to their OLBs and DEs to do that so it matters less to them he can do that.

Hightower I think is a very very good player when healthy but he uniquely fits well here. More than I thought he did at first when this all started and it seems it has driven his price down.

 

[Froob]

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Whelp in the meantime, enjoy this

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1361480830564152&id=1029381987107373

 

[jimnance]

Also yes Hightower is a good pass rusher for a ILB but most teams look to their OLBs and DEs to do that so it matters less to them he can do that. More than I thought he did at first when this all started and it seems it has driven his price down.

No it matters MORE to have a quality INSIDE passrusher than an edge rusher. How do you put pressure on the best NFL QBs? Brady,Brees,Rodgers,etc. You must rush from up the middle,inside. Edge pressure is mostly meaningless to top QBs so interior rushing is far more valuable.
I've seen stats that argue High is one of the very best interior passrushers in the NFL regardless of position.

Highs interior rushing superiority is at least as valuable as Wagner/kuechly coverage ability,making that a wash.
And your assumption that his market value had been driven down is not based on any facts.

 

[manxman2601]

 

[zipster9]

So true.

I think it's been to the Patriots advantage to this point but they need to get this done pretty soon or someone is going to sneak in and steal him. There's a lot of money out there still looking to be spent and a contender might decide they can upgrade at LB and take the Patriots down a notch at the same time.

It is down between Tennessee Titans and the Patriots.

He is from that area, Logan Ryan is now there (familiar face), Titans has more $$ than Patriots.

The only question is does Dont'a want to leave a position where he excels and will get to the SuperBowl?

My hope is Patriots offer a contract very close to what Titans offer and Dont'a decides to stay.

 

[supafly]

@Miguel has already pointed out that we can sign both HT and Butler to the same contract given to Gilmore and would still have ~20m in cap space I believe. Also noted it's awfully generous to expect both contracts to be the same size.

If the team wants both they can get both. Players have to be willing.

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm very skeptical to believe that Belichick is going to pay 3/4 starting secondary members double digit millions. per year.

I'm just hoping we can keep Butler for the 2017 season, but with a lack of high round draft picks, his fate may already be sealed.

 

[hornetfb85]

Ha, even when we get an update from someone, it's like not getting an update

 

[zipster9]

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm very skeptical to believe that Belichick is going to pay 3/4 starting secondary members double digit millions. per year.

I'm just hoping we can keep Butler for the 2017 season, but with a lack of high round draft picks, his fate may already be sealed.

Patriots could franchise Butler next year. Maybe trade him then. If they keep Butler this year, maybe they are trying for the best players for a 6th (and potentially final) SB run (and maybe a ring) for Brady?

 

[ViperGTS]

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm very skeptical to believe that Belichick is going to pay 3/4 starting secondary members double digit millions. per year.

I'm just hoping we can keep Butler for the 2017 season, but with a lack of high round draft picks, his fate may already be sealed.

This is terrible news but shakes up the first round a bit...and may impact Butler.



Red shirt year for the Pats?