Belichick "I never looked into signing TE Tony Gonzalez"

[jmt57]

Belichick never tried to acquire Tony Gonzalez - Projo Pats Blog

And my question is...Why not??

Can't be a cap issue

For only a 2nd rounder in 2010 to which the Pats have multiple picks.I wonder if he just thought that the future HOFer would not fit in this offense,I would imagine he would of came up big in the short passing game against the Jets blitz.

144 yards and 2 TDs later in Atlanta, if Belichick could have seen the future I would think BB would have done a little more thinking about it.

Actually I would presume that the cap was indeed the primary issue. Remember how the Pats were up against the cap after franchising Cassel? And how it was imperative to trade him as soon as possible, in order to have some cap space - which allowed the Pats to sign about a dozen free agents. Had the Pats signed Gonzalez they would not have been able to also sign half the players they did this off-season. It really has nothing to do with trading away a 2nd round pick; it has to do with deciding to use the cap space on multiple roster spots versus using it on one roster spot - and being forced to spend less on several other spots.

The other part of the equation is value. When you have a team that already has Randy Moss and Wes Welker, a player like Tony Gonzalez - even as good as he is - adds far less to the team than when he signs with a team such as the Falcons, who have Roddy White and not a whole lot else, and also were now without Alge Crumpler.

Bottom line is that while Gonzalez would improve the offense, it probably would not offset where the team would have been settling for players that cost less than Springs, Bodden, McGowan, TBC, etc. Sure, with 20-20 hindsight the Pats shouldn't have traded for Alex Smith or Greg Lewis, and perhaps should have gone another route than Joey Galloway (too soon to tell with him though.) But I can certainly understand why they didn't consider Gonzalez.

 

[captain stone]

1) No doubt Gonzalez is one of the best in NFL history, but giving up a second rounder for only a few years isn't worth it.

2) Then again, the Pats have really struggled in recent years with 2nd round picks.

3) With that said, the TE's aren't killing the Pats, it's the O-line.

1) Corey Dillon says Hey.

2) Yes, yes they have.

3) Also yes. Still, that would've been a very tempting offer, and I'm sure that Pioli would've done his old friend Bill a solid by accepting our 2nd-rounder instead of his less-old friend Tom D's 2nd-rounder. Rank, after all, should have its privileges.

 

[Deus Irae]

Havent seen any evidence of that yet. Seems like he has been the ultimate team player so far, and has a great attitude...especially considering he knows hes a first ballot HOF'er. I know I might have a little bit of an ego if it were me, but he doesnt seem to. As a long time Falcons fan...believe me...I KNOW divas.

I'm glad he's behaving in Atlanta. As for the rest, I can only tell you what I've heard, seen, etc... Feel free to substitute "has his moments", "can be difficult", etc... for Diva. Whatever you prefer is fine with me. I was noting something, not arguing it.

 

[slash83]

uh oh, Tony G is gonna make BB pay this Sunday.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Pats don't really need him. I mean, he'd be nice to have around but I don't think we were in a position to afford a luxury player. Plus he's not getting any younger so I don't see why Belichick would seriously consider Gonzalez unless he was so cheap you'd have to be stupid not too.

We looked at TE's this offseason, trading for Smith (pure recieving TE, granted it was a pick a million miles away from a 2nd) so it's clear there was either no value in the trade or we couldn't afford him.

 

[bresna]

Search around for the story about Gonzalez and BB at the Pro Bowl a few years back. Gonzalez thinks he's "special". BB doesn't sign guys who think "me" before "us".

 

[BTTA]

Belichick never tried to acquire Tony Gonzalez - Projo Pats Blog And my question is...Why not?? Can't be a cap issue

Every player acquisition is a cap issue. The Pats plan out a certain portion of the cap for every position. If you add a player, it adds money to that position's allocation of cap. If you drop a player to make up for it, you usually have dead money as a result, unless it is a trade.

 

[apple strudel]

Search around for the story about Gonzalez and BB at the Pro Bowl a few years back. Gonzalez thinks he's "special". BB doesn't sign guys who think "me" before "us".

Part of that is environment. Notice how after Belichick derided Gonzalez, Tony then goes out and blocks like an animal, prompting the "nice block" quip. I think that tells you that the guy is coachable. I've never seen any real evidence that Gonzalez is anywhere close to a TO type, a cancer, or a selfish guy. He's a good player, but he's expensive, he's older, he's primarily a receiving TE when we prefer blockers, and we already have a lot of TEs. It's probably a cost-benefit type analysis mixed with players that fit our system analysis more than anything.

 

[jcwfalcon]

Search around for the story about Gonzalez and BB at the Pro Bowl a few years back. Gonzalez thinks he's "special". BB doesn't sign guys who think "me" before "us".

I did a google search (Tony Gonzalez, Bill Belichick, Pro Bowl) and I couldnt find anything through the first few pages. Most of it was more recent stuff like the point of this thread. I'm not saying it didnt happen. Just saying I looked and couldnt find it to get details.

That being said, and not trying to be a homer, but the Pro Bowl would seem like a different animal altogether.

I like Tony, and I think any team in the NFL would probably be glad to have him. Their arent too many Falcons I have been able to say that about.

 

[apple strudel]

I did a google search (Tony Gonzalez, Bill Belichick, Pro Bowl) and I couldnt find anything through the first few pages. Most of it was more recent stuff like the point of this thread. I'm not saying it didnt happen. Just saying I looked and couldnt find it to get details.

It looks like the original story is throwing a 404, but here's a story about the story.

"Why don't you (bleeping) block somebody, Gonzalez."

It was beyond imagination. Belichick had cursed at Tony Gonzalez, the best tight end in football, for missing a block. In a Pro Bowl game. On the kickoff return team. This would be like, what, your boss coming up to you at your Sales Person of the Year party and swearing at you because your shoes aren't right for the occasion.

Then, Gonzalez was sure to walk by Belichick. Yeah, what do you have to say now, Mr. Genius? Again Belichick did not even look Gonzalez's way. Stared straight at the field. That's right. Tony walked, and Belichick did not say a word. And then, with Gonzalez almost out of range, Belichick barely whispered: "Nice block."

Bill Belichick Teaches Tony Gonzalez the Value of Blocking -- NFL FanHouse

 

[jcwfalcon]

Bill Belichick Teaches Tony Gonzalez the Value of Blocking -- NFL FanHouse

Several odd things about this. I am trying not to play the homer role and defend Tony, but I believe this argument has some merit.

#1- From what I have seen in reviewing the first two Falcons games multiple times, Gonzalez is a very good, if not great, blocking TE. No blown assignments yet, and he has stayed in to block fairly often. Mularkey (OC) needs TE's who can block, and that was one of the questions that was asked a lot around this acquisition. Basically, the answer was, Tony is the most prolific pass catching TE in NFL history, but everyone who has been around him, played with him, or played against him knows he is also an excellent blocker, and we intend to use him a lot in that capacity as well. Although, not too much because why would you take the bullets out of your biggest gun, and make the user pistol whip people with it?...something to that effect...you get the idea...and I dont think it was bs.

#2- Its the Pro Bowl. Honestly, I pretty much stopped watching the Pro Bowl. Unlike the Pats, we usually dont have a ton of players there...and its a glorified scrimmage anyway. A handful of players play hard (see Adrian Peterson) and seem to really stand out. Players arent blitzing...players arent blocking low...its basically a you lean on me, I lean on you...geez the weather here is nice kinda thing. If I had to guess I would say Tony was just chillin and probably should have given more effort, and Belichick probably shouldnt have cared so much about what happens during a glorified scrimmage between players brought together for less than a week to play a game they get to play in as a merit for a great season. Especially considering Gonzalez wasnt REALLY his player to be coaching up. The guys who are in that game already know the fundamentals of football and their assignments. If they choose not to do it, its because it doesnt matter, its the Pro Bowl, and maybe they were still laughing about a joke the DE told them when they were lined up. That game is supposed to be about fun. Of course, I wonder if anything else is fun to Belichick but winning? Not that its a bad thing. I want Mr. Serious to be my head coach. Its better than Coach Mora...we called him Coach Giggles Funtime.

 

[jmt57]

The interesting here for me is that he was so adamant about saying we didn't look at him at all.

How many times have we heard, "We evaluate every free agent each offseason and go from there. He didn't end up here and we're moving on."

Something else is going on here...Not sure what-BB got angry!

My guess is that Belichick didn't want this to be a topic of conversation at all, because it could end up being bulletin board material/extra motivation. I know, 'they're all professionals and shouldn't need this stuff to motivate themselves', etc. But look over the years at how BB has used almost any perceived slight to motivate the Pats by playing the disrespect card. Look at how well the Pats players are coached in regards to not saying anything inflammatory about the upcoming opponent.

If Belichick lets a rumor gain momentum that the Pats considered Gonzalez but decided not to obtain him, then that could be used by the Falcons and Gonzalez for extra motivation in this game. He's just trying to keep that from happening.