Some comments on the comments:
1. As far as the OP goes, its really a non-story. Check any team, especially one who has a top 10 QB, and you will find them with 3 players who take up 30% or more of their cap. The fact that the story was headlined, like someone found out the Pats had cancer and were doomed, was just ridiculous.
2. The story behind the story is that after the 'big 3' the Pats are once again the image of what passes for the middle class with 17 players making aprox. $1-3MM, and only 6 making more than that.
3. Compare that to the Jets situation where they have 7 players who are taking up $80MM of their cap space. Conversely the Pats go 22 deep before they reach that $80MM number (btw - all this is according to Jason)
4. Any talk of moving Mankins is dumb. Makins is here for the next two years. In those 2 years, if healthy, he's going to be a top LG, who is earning top money. However AFTER 2014, I doubt he's with the team. At THAT point he'll be on the down side with too big a salary and little consequence to release him. Until then, for good or bad, he's going to be a Patriot.
5. Mo did a great job in showing how, in 3 very realistic and reasonable scenarios the Pats can be $35+MM under the cap for this year and not see the affects until 2015. Normally I'd caution against this kind of maneuver because you eventually have to pay the piper and usually when you do, it gets ugly.
HOWEVER given the reality of a closing window with Brady, maybe THIS is the time to make a 2 year commitment to maximizing the talent and depth and be willing to pay the price down the road. Based on what I understand it takes at MOST 2 seasons to clear up cap issues. I'd be willing to pay that price to end Brady's career with a REAL shot at a couple of Lombardi's, even if it meant a season or two at 5-11.
6. Lets say the Pats do the 3 restructures/extensions. I think the best use of their money would be to resign Welker (but only if he agrees to something within the $7-8MM/yr range) and Volmer, let Talib walk, send McCourty back to CB, and sign one of the top S FA's (the guy from Buffalo would be my top pick)
Those are the 3 major signings - But you structure those contracts such that none of them will have a cap impact of more than $5MM in the first 2 years (for example the Jets signed Holmes to a $50MM/5yr contract, but it was structured to have cap hits of $1.4MM and 3.5MM in the first 2 years, so $5MM would be easy.
Now with those major signings taking only about $15MM of the cap space for the next 2 years the Pats will have plenty of money to throw at any number of "middle class FA's" like Edelman, Thomas, Arrington, and Woodhead or the like.
7. Then you use the draft to draft the best DB that's on your board at 29, whether he's a CB or S. You use the next pick on a WR, preferably a big one. Normally I would have wanted a DLman with one of the top picks, but Armstead looks to be as good a prospect as any DLman who might be available at 29.
Still contrary to the common wisdom, I'm happy with our OL and I assume we will resign at least one of Thomas/Volmer, so unless we let both walk, I'd rather not use one of the top 2 picks on an Offensive lineman, ESPECIALLY a OG
8.BOTTOM LINE - Even though it goes against everything I believe in cap management. The reality is that with an improving defense, and the potential for a fading Brady, NOW is the time to invest in getting our next set of Lombardi's, even though we know that there will be a difficult price to pay in 2-3 years. After a 15 year run like we've lived through,. it will be well worth the pain. JMHO.
