This is a funny money year. Teams that got a 'get out of jail free' card are turning around and maxxing their caps again - for years to come. Teams that have been frugal have been dazzled by the big jump in the cap - and probably a little extra spending money from the extra revenue sharing - and are quickly chewing up their cap space, again, for years to come. Even more unbelievable than some of the money being thrown around is for how long most of these contracts are.
Unless Branch and Seymour(UNLIKELY) are willing to accept extensions based on what contracts are likely to go for next year, there is no way that the Pats are going to give them extensions at this year's market rates.
The free agent market in a couple months is going to be back down to a sanity range. But with the amount of extra cap room and all of the frantic signings now going on, the remaining pool may be a little slim. That still sometimes leaves overlooked solid players which Belichick and Pioli have been so astute at identifying - just less likely this year.
It has the earmarks of a 'hunker down' year for the Pats with a lot depending on how sharp the Pats draft picking is - and whether there are any solid free agents left in a couple months.
The thing that hurts is that the free agent signings and trades last year before the regular season are virtually a total bust.
Baker, Eugene
Beisel, Monty
Brown, Chad
Davis, Andre'
Dwight, Tim
Flutie, Doug
Mallard, Wesly
Morton, Chad
Scott, Chad
Starks, Duane
Terrell, David
Could be a tough year. Not that Belichick and Pioli didn't pull the rabbit out of the hat for 2001 when they had some cap issues.
Given a more reasonable free agent market next year, look for the Pats to be strong in 2007 !!
