Bennett Situation A Bit Complicated

[maineman209]

TE is a sneaky big need. I assume that Gronk is playing next year, but I think this contract will be his last. We need a capable replacement.

I assume that Bennett is retiring. I like Dwayne Allen, but only at half his cap charge. I see TE as a free agency priority.

I would be looking hard at Trey Burton.

I'd guess the Eagles cut Brent Celek and use the $4M cap savings to re-sign Burton.

Meanwhile, Will Tye is already on the Pats roster, dirt cheap. He's the same age as Burton, bigger, and has had a more productive receiving career.

Allen can easily be extended/restructured down to a 2018 cap hit of $2M or so.

No one will ever replace Gronk. Every Pats #1TE from here on out will look like a backup-caliber player.

 

[maineman209]

I figure they will restructure Allen and wait to find out about gronk before moving on Bennett or any free agent like graham. Bennett would be ok if he restructures. I’d be for that if gronk leaves. If gronk stays, Bennett is probably gone

Agree about the moves themselves. The timing may be problematic with Bennett's $2M roster bonus due on March 14th.

 

[Soliel]

Yes, March 14th doesn’t leave a lot of time. I’ve heard nothing about gronk either

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

I think the Bennett signing had more to do with the Pats retaining their comp pick, than anything else. Everyone ASSuMEd that once Bennett was cut by the Packers before week 10, that the Pats would no longer get a comp pick for him. I think BB researched the rules and picked up Bennett to assure that the Pats do get a 5th round pick in compensation for Bennett.

Once the comp picks are announced we will see if I am right. I would expect after they are announced that the Pats will either cut or restructure Bennett's contract. Think about it, Bennett was in a can't lose scenario. The fact that the Pats claimed him only bolsters his case if the Packers do try and recoup his signing bonus. He ended up on IR anyways (after playing in the all important week 10 for comp pick purposes). So he got paid for the entire season and didn't have to use his termination pay.

Over the Cap explains its this way...

• Finally, for the first time ever (as far as I can tell), a CFA that was cut before Week 10 was claimed off waivers. The window for this possibility is very narrow, as it can only happen in the two weeks between the trade deadline of Week 8 and the comp pick cutoff mark of Week 10. But that’s what happened when Green Bay cut Martellus Bennett after Week 9, and was then claimed by New England—the very team that lost Bennett in free agency. Suffice to say, these circumstances are highly unusual. Does the Week 10 rule still apply to players claimed on waivers? If not, are the Packers still charged with a CFA gained even if they’re relieved from a contract that’s still active? Are the Patriots charged with a CFA gained as well—and if so, does that mean Bennett cancels himself out in the Patriots’ ledger? Because the Patriots are very knowledgeable and mindful about comp picks, it’s reasonable to guess that New England may have asked for a clarification on Bennett’s status before issuing a waiver claim for him. To keep it simple I’m guessing that Bennett will not qualify. But I have low confidence in that guess, and if I’m wrong, it could possibly complicate comp picks for both Green Bay and New England.

 

[luuked]

Let him and Allen go and sign Jimmy G. (Graham)

Find a blocking TE in the draft

Lets hope that mythical TE can beef up his body to be on NFL level to block NFL level players, understand all protection schemes and learn the entire EP offense to know which routes to run even as a decoy in a short offseason. Am sure those are the players you find on day 3. Right ?

 

[varjao]

If his shoulder is OK and he is willing to put another year of work to try to win another ring, I'd love to have him back. I don't think there is a much better #2 TE in the NFL (He would be #1 in many teams, not here).

If he checked out, thanks and have a nice retirement.

 

[signbabybrady]

By?

An unnamed source whom I totally trust.

 

[Joey007]

An unnamed source whom I totally trust.

Were they at the local airport? Did they say John Abraham was coming here too?

 

[102 Pat]

Let him and Allen go and sign Jimmy G. (Graham)

Find a blocking TE in the draft

I get the feeling Graham is going to be the boards new Larry Fitzergald this season...

 

[fgssand]

I figure they will restructure Allen and wait to find out about gronk before moving on Bennett or any free agent like graham. Bennett would be ok if he restructures. I’d be for that if gronk leaves. If gronk stays, Bennett is probably gone

Let’s take a positive view:

Accept SBB’s word...Gronk is staying (I know and can vouch for his source)

Bennett’s competitive juices along with the potential he & Gronk with Brady could mean, just might keep him in for another season.

Allen is a VERY good blocking TE and I’d love to see him stay on a restructured deal.

Will “baby gates” Tye showed promise in his first two years with the Giants....good, quality depth.

Hollister maybe makes a second year jump for even more quality depth.

 

[jimnance]

I get the feeling Graham is going to be the boards new Larry Fitzergald this season...

Graham sucks. Soft as Charmin.
Does not fit in with this team. No thanks.
And Bennett is toast.
Don't wanna jinx it, but I believe Gronk is back. I do believe he's talking a hard look at his future and the toll all the injuries/surgeries have taken. But I also believe there's a little leveraging a better contract involved here.
In the end, Gronk is a competitor. Losing the SB doesn't sit well with him, especially after missing the previous year's victory.
I think he sees High and JE11 coming back and feels good about the teams chances. Think he's also encouraged by how well he felt end of last season.
Maybe after winning the Lombardi next year, he retires.
I just don't see it this year.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Bumping this thread -



Rapoport hasn't been 100% lately. But this report makes intuitive sense to me, as I inferred Bennett's Twitter rant last year as just that, and partly a lashing out at the Green Bay situation.

Now, Rapoport's comment "$6.2M cap hit isn't bad." I disagree with. It's would be fine for 2017 Bennett coming off his 2016 season. But with two major injuries, a decline in production, and possibly considered having a poisonous attitude after the latest incident, $6.2M is way too high unless you're 100% sure you're getting 2016 Marty.

 

[IllegalContact]

Graham sucks. Soft as Charmin.
Does not fit in with this team. No thanks.
And Bennett is toast.
Don't wanna jinx it, but I believe Gronk is back. I do believe he's talking a hard look at his future and the toll all the injuries/surgeries have taken. But I also believe there's a little leveraging a better contract involved here.
In the end, Gronk is a competitor. Losing the SB doesn't sit well with him, especially after missing the previous year's victory.
I think he sees High and JE11 coming back and feels good about the teams chances. Think he's also encouraged by how well he felt end of last season.
Maybe after winning the Lombardi next year, he retires.
I just don't see it this year.

Barnidge........he's 32, but took a year off.......if he's on his game, he would be good for a year or so

 

[mgteich]

Bumping this thread -



Rapoport hasn't been 100% lately. But this report makes intuitive sense to me, as I inferred Bennett's Twitter rant last year as just that, and partly a lashing out at the Green Bay situation.

Now, Rapoport's comment "$6.2M cap hit isn't bad." I disagree with. It's would be fine for 2017 Bennett coming off his 2016 season. But with two major injuries, a decline in production, and possibly considered having a poisonous attitude after the latest incident, $6.2M is way too high unless you're 100% sure you're getting 2016 Marty.

We should pay the $2M bonus. Bennett is worth the option. We can threaten him later with being cut, if we must.

 

[Tony2046]

Were they at the local airport? Did they say John Abraham was coming here too?

Nick in Boston.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

I don't think cutting Bennett and then re-signing him to a more team friendly 1 year deal is complicated at all.

 

[Wrath Mania]

Tom loves him, he likes it here. Make it so.

 

[maineman209]

Bumping this thread -



Rapoport hasn't been 100% lately. But this report makes intuitive sense to me, as I inferred Bennett's Twitter rant last year as just that, and partly a lashing out at the Green Bay situation.

Now, Rapoport's comment "$6.2M cap hit isn't bad." I disagree with. It's would be fine for 2017 Bennett coming off his 2016 season. But with two major injuries, a decline in production, and possibly considered having a poisonous attitude after the latest incident, $6.2M is way too high unless you're 100% sure you're getting 2016 Marty.

The "2016 Marty" was ...

867 regular season snaps
55/73 (75%) receiving
701 yards (12.7 YPC), 44 yards/game and 7 TDs

At age 29. On March 10th, he'll be 31.

I'm 99% certain that the Pats won't be getting "2016 Marty", regardless how much they pay him.

 

[obgod3]

I like Marty but the last few years he has not shown much o the field. he still draws attention though.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Lets hope that mythical TE can beef up his body to be on NFL level to block NFL level players, understand all protection schemes and learn the entire EP offense to know which routes to run even as a decoy in a short offseason. Am sure those are the players you find on day 3. Right ?

Without regard to which round we're talking, it's worth remembering how good we are at getting different positions in the draft... thus far, in the BB era, TE seems a strength.

Now that said, it's a copycat league, and everybody wants a pass-catching TE that's a LB mismatch nightmare. I daresay there might not ever be one that's as hard to gameplan as Gronk, where you can drape cornerbacks on him with no DPI calls, call him for phantom OPIs, and he still catches 10 balls and a TD or two.

Look, I'm just happy if the next TE we draft works out better than that Hernandez kid.