BB ready to spend to in Free Agency

[Bourne Again Christian]

Assuming you forgot the sarcasm emoji

I felt it was obvious

 

[Ring 6]

I felt it was obvious

From some posters it wouldn’t be at all.

 

[Ross12]

I don’t think so.
Who is there to spend it on? Maybe a couple guys but no one really expensive. The Cap space is going to be used to upgrade/get younger at a lot of those spots.
The idea that he will pay Andrews big $ is silly IMO. Andrews is a jag with health problems. Thuney is gone. Guy is at the age it’s either team friendly money or get younger. White may stay, may not but also is at the age paying a lot does t make sense.
I’m not seeing much of 66 mill going to keep our own FAs.

I agree for the most part. I think Andrews is more than a "JAG" but not elite, and the heart issue is something many overlook. I think there's no more than a 5% chance Thuney returns, unless they tag him again, but that seems unlikely considering the cost. I believe Guy will return. I believe White will be gone. Hope they keep Butler, Byrd, Calhoun and Bethel but depends on the market. Think J. McCourty will stay on a cheap 1 year deal. Beyond those guys, who else is really worth fretting over?

Let's say they keep Andrews, Guy, Butler, Calhoun, Byrd, Bethel and J. McCourty. I can't imagine all of those guys using up more than maybe $17-20m against this year's cap combined. And that is before they probably restructure Hightower and either heavily restructure or outright cut Cannon. Those two moves probably pays for much of the cost to retain the listed FAs.

 

[Ring 6]

And I think that's okay. Currently this team needs (before resigning any of their own FA):

A starting QB
A starting LG (or RT if Onwenu moves over)
A starting C
A 3rd down RB
A starting TE (maybe 2, depending on how they feel about the kids)
A #1 WR
A #3/4 WR
2 big DL
2 LB (and I'm saying that even with Hightower back)

Some of these needs will be filled by resigning our FA. Some will be filled by young players making 2nd and 3rd year leaps (hopefully). We have plenty of resources to address the rest in FA with draft picks to add competition. But if we go out and decide to spend all of our cap space on four megadeals, we're not even filling half of those holes and now we're RELYING on draft picks and the progress of young players to fill in the rest.

I think BB will use the resources he has the offseason to add a lot of players, some big names, others more of the Van Noy level (and I mean that before he came to the Pats, those low risk, high reward types that he has had good success developing). He's going to add as much talent and competition to every group as he can, to make sure he gets 53 football players that he really likes and as much depth as possible.

The only position I could see a splurge on is QB, if the right guy is available, because that's the one position that you need to overpay for if you have the right guy. Everything else can go to the tier two level guys as far as I'm concerned. Flush this team with NFL caliber players at every position, rather than trying to build the roster with the most pro bowlers.

There always needs to be a mix. A team with top end players and crap surrounding them and a team with competence throughout but no one special are never going to win.
Despite what the media and many fans tell you however a real tenant of football (once you get beyond the high school level) is that the worst couple of players you put in the field have more to do with your failure than the best few have to do with your success. Great players can always be focussed on and limited at least to a degree at least by good teams. But terrible players get exposed all day long. Look at the SB. One of the best offenses in the history of the league was reduce to awful because they a couple of shaky OL out there.
So ultimately BB is going to find a couple of guys who are an ideal fit for his system and where he feels the team is an will pay them big money (he has always done this but no one seemed to notice because they were already here and he just kept them under contract).

This is the thing people fail to understand.
Belichick ran this dynasty by having his key players in place and keeping them here while grooming the next tier. Because if that we never had cap space. Why? Why did the patriots never have cap space compared to other teams? Because the patriots had more good players taking up cap space than any other team.
Go back to say 2014 and make 60 mill of players on the roster free agents. That is this team. It’s every other team Belichick has had but it’s missing 60 mill of players he wanted to keep (or kept longer to finish the run and they are too old now).
That’s what this off season is about. Finding that 60 mill worth of talent that isn’t there.
Of course he is going to be more aggressive and handle FA completely differently than he has before.
In the past he filled in open slots with bargain shopping.
Now he needs to fill the upper slots as well.

 

[RIpats88]

Everything Bill did last year was about keeping that $60million in cap space this year, so he better spend on free agency.

Its a perfect storm with so many teams over the cap having to cut talent, and the lowered cap year. there should be a plethora of available talent at lower prices.

 

[Ivan]

Of course. He has cap space. He spends when he has it and won't when he doesn't.

While this is true I think that we can throw out most of what we believe about Belichick’s personel tendencies when Brady was the QB. I’m really not sure yet where Belichick believes this franchise is at, or where he’s going with it, but I think we will have a much better idea by June.

 

[RobertWeathers]

While this is true I think that we can throw out most of what we believe about Belichick’s personel tendencies when Brady was the QB. I’m really not sure yet where Belichick believes this franchise is at, or where he’s going with it, but I think we will have a much better idea by June.

Agree/disagree.

Bill has said two things.

1) Everything we have done was because of Tom
2) My job is to build a complete football team.

We'll find out.

 

[Horace's Ivories]

Teams like the Jests i dont get... 77 million in cap space AND 16 million in dead money... Thought there was a minimum level to cap spending as well as a ceiling...

Cuz they Jete..

 

[Ivan]

Agree/disagree.

Bill has said two things.

1) Everything we have done was because of Tom
2) My job is to build a complete football team.

We'll find out.

Im actually fascinated to see how Belichick approaches the job of building another consistent contender, and especially where he lands at QB. I think we are already seeing where he is going defensively, with 5 DB’s and fewer LB’s as their base defense, including the significance of big safeties who can play the run as well as cover TE’s. And I believe we will see him emphasize speed defensively, whereas he once placed a bigger emphasis on size, especially at LB. But I am still waiting to see if he goes the college route on offense, with a greater emphasis on athleticism at QB.

 

[Ivan]

Everything Bill did last year was about keeping that $60million in cap space this year, so he better spend on free agency.

Its a perfect storm with so many teams over the cap having to cut talent, and the lowered cap year. there should be a plethora of available talent at lower prices.

I agree with this, I thought he used this past season to reset their cap, and I think Belichick had somewhat of a disdain for the season period, as when he was asked about what playing without fans was like for him his response was “ practice.” And if he can’t answer the QB position to his satisfaction I think he may use this season to continue clearing cap space and building a younger, faster, more athletic team on the whole.

 

[RobertWeathers]

But I am still waiting to see if he goes the college route on offense, with a greater emphasis on athleticism at QB.

That's what is an unknown to me- Stylistically what does he want this offense to be?

Classic, dropback pocket QB or RPO-ish.

His DNA is to implement whatever scheme matches his talent but I think his preference is to have a QB that can sit in the pocket and deliver the football.

Just a hunch.

 

[Scotty]

Well I wish BB would hurry up and get on with the process....lol. I am getting fed up with all the click bait articles over the last 2 or 3 weeks basically telling us who the team should sign or are going to sign. Patience ....whats that ?

 

[Ivan]

That's what is an unknown to me- Stylistically what does he want this offense to be?

Classic, dropback pocket QB or RPO-ish.

His DNA is to implement whatever scheme matches his talent but I think his preference is to have a QB that can sit in the pocket and deliver the football.

Just a hunch.

I think that has been his preference in the past but he has always looked to college as predictive of where the NFL is going and the clear trend there has been mobile QB’s for quite some time. I don’t, however, see him changing his MO when it comes to QB accuracy, and I believe that was ultimately why he passed on Lamar Jackson. And I think that the speed of NFL defenses now has made it imperative to find a QB who is athletic but able to read defenses, and is accurate. This is why he liked Garrapolo so much IMO.

 

[Ring 6]

Im actually fascinated to see how Belichick approaches the job of building another consistent contender, and especially where he lands at QB. I think we are already seeing where he is going defensively, with 5 DB’s and fewer LB’s as their base defense, including the significance of big safeties who can play the run as well as cover TE’s. And I believe we will see him emphasize speed defensively, whereas he once placed a bigger emphasis on size, especially at LB. But I am still waiting to see if he goes the college route on offense, with a greater emphasis on athleticism at QB.

In many ways this season will be the best indication of what he truly wants to run and want type of players he wants to run it with.
the last 10+ years have been an exercise in cutting corners and making concessions because of the cap.

 

[venecol]

I think the first few days could be painful. Expectations have been set high because of the cap space, but I still think BB will not go for top tier UFA's and will wait until the top ones are off the board.

This made me think of the woman that spent 20 years shopping at Marshall's. Then for a weekend you give her a purse full of money and let her loose in Saks. First thing she does is run to the sales rack. Lol

 

[RIpats88]

I agree with this, I thought he used this past season to reset their cap, and I think Belichick had somewhat of a disdain for the season period, as when he was asked about what playing without fans was like for him his response was “ practice.” And if he can’t answer the QB position to his satisfaction I think he may use this season to continue clearing cap space and building a younger, faster, more athletic team on the whole.

I think alot depends on the draft and who falls. Will we get a top tier QB, will Bill trade up? Or will they all be gone? If we get someone I will feel more confident.

I think one of mariota or Cam newton is here this year as a stop gap. I don't think Jimmy is gonna be available this year.

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

I think alot depends on the draft and who falls. Will we get a top tier QB, will Bill trade up? Or will they all be gone? If we get someone I will feel more confident.

I think one of mariota or Cam newton is here this year as a stop gap. I don't think Jimmy is gonna be available this year.

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

I really wish we lost those games against Arizona and Jets
We would be guaranteed a top 5 QB.
I guess I should start prepping my Davis Mills or Kellen Mond fan club.

 

[aluminum seats]

I’d love to see some activity at the positions of the guy who throws the football and the guys who catch the football. I’ve heard a lot about that aspect of the game and it sounds entertaining

 

[Ivan]

I think alot depends on the draft and who falls. Will we get a top tier QB, will Bill trade up? Or will they all be gone? If we get someone I will feel more confident.

I think one of mariota or Cam newton is here this year as a stop gap. I don't think Jimmy is gonna be available this year.

Agree for the most part, I could deal with Mariota but Newton for another season would be really tough to take.