Breaking News ESPNEWS: WILLIE MCGINEST TO BROWNS 3 years/$12 mil.

[Pats67]

And a fat lot of faith three Super Bowl wins built up in you, ahem, "fans". First sign of trouble and you bolt. Bolt then. Get off the bandwagon. Go root for the March champion Redskins.

Snap hits on the key point. They couldn't have given two sh*ts about our team until the day they could walk around claiming they had been Patriots fans forever, and how they had seen SB 36 and all the rest coming from a mile away. Front running bums. I love Willie McGinest, I've never admired a player more for what he did in turning his career around, but if losing him is enough to rid ourselves of these creeps, I'll take that trade.

 

[DaBruinz]

The last two offseasons have been awful, can you admit that? Drafts have been great, but their FA signings have been brutal. Come to think of it, maybe they shouldn't sign anyone this offseason.

Really? The last 2 off-seasons have been awful? I guess it was AWFUL that the Pats traded for Corey Dillon. I guess it was awful that they didn't waste millions of dollars on over-priced free agents. I guess it was AWFUL they gave Brady a contract extension that guarantees him being the QB until 2010.

And, for the record, Beisel was a project who wasn't expected to start. He's a guy who had never played 3-4 ILB previously. What did you expect of him? Bruschi had several years at OLB before moving inside in 2001. And it took until 2003 before Bruschi had the success inside that he'd had outside. Beisel was forced into the starting role because of the last minute retirement of Ted Johnson.

Now, for anyone to say that this off-season has been awful just because the Pats have not re-signed Willie and David is just absurd. Its the "Chicken Little the sky is falling Mentality" and it shows you know little or nothing about the game, the salary cap, and how the Patriots run their off-seasons.

 

[BradyManny]

It doesn't matter if we had the money to spend on Willie, you don't maintain a dynasty by overspending!

I love Willie, and this is as tough a loss as any, he was the first big Pats player when I was growing up (or old enough to remember rather), I'm pretty sure I got his rookie card somewhere.

Sentimental value aside, the only players we CANNOT lose are Brady and Seymour. And even then, it might just be Brady. Of course, the stipulation is that we find suitable replacements. And I'm sure we will. Last offseason was rough, but that's going to happen when you work like Pioli and Belichick do and stress value. But that's the price of a dynasty, you have to stress value or you'll only be a contender for a year or two.

 

[DaBruinz]

Transition year? This is a Super Bowl team. Why dismantle it now? Look what Tennessee has done. Who do you think the Pats are going to replace him with? Just wait until they lose Vinatieri. Outside of Brady, McGinest may have been their best playoff performer in Pats history who is coming off a great year. I wonder how Pats such as Seymour and Branch feel today. Personally I'm disgusted. They should just put "Pat Patriot" back on the helmet and get it over with.

Jacky -
Do everyone a favor and go read some of the threads that have been posted about the TRANSITION year. It doesn't mean a dismantling of the team. Only the clueless would think that.

By transistion year, I mean out with the remaining old guarders (McGinest, Brown, Vinatieri).

Good, you are disgusted. Go root for the Browns then. You're nothing but a bandwagoner who is clueless about the game and the Patriots.

 

[patsox23]

We

Are

Less

Than

A

Week

Into

Free

Agency

 

[BradyManny]

http://radio.weblogs.com/0001275/stories/2002/02/04/patriotsPlayersRooster.html

We won the Super Bowl with the above, now going into that year, how many of those guys were stars? So, calm down people. We'll fill out our roster.

We already have our nucleus intact for at least next year(Brady - Branch - Seymour) , and they are working on keeping them around indefinitely.

 

[Jacky Roberts]

Jacky -
Do everyone a favor and go read some of the threads that have been posted about the TRANSITION year. It doesn't mean a dismantling of the team. Only the clueless would think that.

By transistion year, I mean out with the remaining old guarders (McGinest, Brown, Vinatieri).

Good, you are disgusted. Go root for the Browns then. You're nothing but a bandwagoner who is clueless about the game and the Patriots.

What kills me is they are eliminating the heart and soul of this team. Considering the money Cleveland signed him too, it's sad to think the Pats let him walk for that. I ask you to look at last year's free agency moves and tell me why I should be optimistic about this year. Go for it.

 

[patpatriot]

From the mouths of babes

The last two offseasons have been awful, can you admit that? Drafts have been great, but their FA signings have been brutal. Come to think of it, maybe they shouldn't sign anyone this offseason.

You are right. Let's just skip this part and go right to the draft.

 

[Brick]

No one is jumping off the Tobin Bridge but I don't think it's unreasonable to be a little concerned about recent events.

I agree that the Pats should not overpay but at some point they have to find EFFECTIVE replacements for whoever leaves. McGinest may have been a bit long in the tooth but the fact is he played like an Animal the past few seasons, he will be hard to replace with a Ham & Egger. Let us not forget last season, before we knew Tedy was coming back (and after Johnson retired) the Pats tried the Monty and Chad plug ins and we all know how that turned out.

If you were told that McGinest, Givens, Ashworth, Vinatieri, Chatam, etc... would be out for a regular season game last year you would not have been happy.

I think some here believe that the mystique of the Pats will automatically keep everyone here or will always attract quality players willing to play for way below market value.

I understand placing a value on certain players but I don't understand why they did not pursue guys like Jurevious, he signed for 1/2 what Givens got...

 

[363839]

The last time I was this upset was when we cut Lawyer Milloy.

I know. That turned out OK because we had Rodney. BB was right about LMs eroding abilities. I still hated to see him go.
But Willie was nothing like Lawyer. He always cooperated with the FO.
Restructered his contract without any threat of holding out(That I know of)
He played his heart out. Made some huge plays for us and was instrumental in every one of our Championship seasons.
I also think that BB is probably correct about this decision. Oh well.

Cheers Willy. Good luck in Cleveland. You were one of my favorite
Pats players.

The good news is we are, what, 20mil under the cap. Room enough to sign Seymore(hopefully) and Branch, maybe even Adam.

With some leftover to still make a big splash in FA market.

Something is going on in Pats FO. We are going to make a move and soon, I think.

Who's it going to be? Ray Lewis? Julien Peterson?(I don't even know who this guy is but some of you guys seem to be pretty high on him)

And that's all I 've got to say about that.

Not really.

 

[Jacky Roberts]

No one is jumping off the Tobin Bridge but I don't think it's unreasonable to be a little concerned about recent events.

I agree that the Pats should not overpay but at some point they have to find EFFECTIVE replacements for whoever leaves. McGinest may have been a bit long in the tooth but the fact is he played like an Animal the past few seasons, he will be hard to replace with a Ham & Egger. Let us not forget last season, before we knew Tedy was coming back (and after Johnson retired) the Pats tried the Monty and Chad plug ins and we all know how that turned out.

If you were told that McGinest, Givens, Ashworth, Vinatieri, Chatam, etc... would be out for a regular season game last year you would not have been happy.

I think some here think the mystique of the Pats will automatically keep everyone here or will always attract quality players willing to play for way below market value.

I understand placing a value on certain players but I don't understand why they did not pursue guys like Jurevious, he signed for 1/2 what Givens got...

My fears is BB is getting so arrogant about his "system" that he honestly thinks he can put ANYONE in his system and succeed. Obviously Beisel and Brown were busts so maybe its not the case. Willie Mac will be missed BIG TIME next year.

 

[Pats726]

From what I heard on ESPN fom a Cleve writer....Cleve lost a run at another DE a few days ago..took the Cleve deal and his team sweetened it raised it a bit. Because of the por reception I missed who it was..but as the stoey went,
Willie came in and they were NOT going to let him fly back to NE....WHY??? Because they thought that if he left..he would sign with NE...
(Folks you got that??? He was going to come back here..that is what they were afraid of..) SO they added more to it..and?? It was a deal he could NOT turn down.
Again, while RAC and Mangini are BB disciples..they are overplaying for players...so so much for truly understanding what make the Patriots great team!! I understand they wanted to have a leader and someone to help with the D..it is a great move for them!! I wish Willie well..he will be missed..but PLEASE get on with it..if you wish to p and moan..become Red Sox fans..please!!
If you have learned anything over the years, it is that this team is going to dio the VERY BEST to keep it championship caliber... and there is NO reason at all to feel differently.

 

[Pats67]

My fears is BB is getting so arrogant about his "system" that he honestly thinks he can put ANYONE in his system and succeed. Obviously Beisel and Brown were busts so maybe its not the case. Willie Mac will be missed BIG TIME next year.

Back away from the Borges. This is a perfect lift from the same column he has been writing for six years. How many times has he been right about that, by the way?

 

[maverick4]

My fears is BB is getting so arrogant about his "system" that he honestly thinks he can put ANYONE in his system and succeed. Obviously Beisel and Brown were busts so maybe its not the case. Willie Mac will be missed BIG TIME next year.

Jackie, it's not arrogance. BB doesn't think he can plug in anybody and succeed. Have you ever seen BB act or say anything out of ego? Even when Ty Law attacked him, BB still used him on the field and said nothing.

Last year due to salary cap restraints, we had to use below-par free agents because that's all we could afford. That, coupled with Ted Johnson's retirement and Bruschi's stroke, were unpredictable events which hurt the season.

BB does believe in a few things though: spending most of your big contracts in upcoming young players, trying to find a few cheap quality veterans, and drafting rookie players with potential. He tries to juggle all three of those things while spending to the cap limit.

Jackie, wait two months before you jump off the bandwagon (if you were ever on it in the first place). Wait to see if the Pats sign or draft a young OLB, K, and WR.

Your complaining will have merit if you feel the Pats have done nothing after two months, but until then, you are too premature in your criticism.

.

 

[Jacky Roberts]

Jackie, it's not arrogance. BB doesn't think he can plug in anybody and succeed. Have you ever seen BB act or say anything out of ego? Even when Ty Law attacked him, BB still used him on the field and said nothing.

Last year due to salary cap restraints, we had to use below-par free agents because that's all we could afford. That, coupled with Ted Johnson's retirement and Bruschi's stroke, were unpredictable events which hurt the season.

BB does believe in a few things though: spending most of your big contracts in upcoming young players, trying to find a few cheap quality veterans, and drafting rookie players with potential. He tries to juggle all three of those things while spending to the cap limit.

Jackie, wait two months before you jump off the bandwagon (if you were ever on it in the first place). Wait to see if the Pats sign or draft a young OLB, K, and WR.

Your complaining will have merit if you feel the Pats have done nothing after two months, but until then, you are too premature in your criticism.

.

Ive been a season tix holder since Tuna's first year and never have I been this disgusted by the front office. This is "Bruins-like" in my opinion. Unless they unveil Ray Lewis at a press conference soon, I think the Pats dont win 10 games next year.

 

[PromisedLand]

I felt no pain when Drew Bledsoe left.
I felt no pain when Damien Woody left.
I felt no pain when Ted Washington left.
I felt no pain when Lawyer Milloy left.
I felt no pain when Ty Law left.
Bobby Hamilton, Antowain Smith, Marc Edwards, David Patton, Jermaine Wiggins, Otis Smith, Tebucky Jones and several other integral parts of one or more of our Super Bowl winning teams all left and I felt no pain.

But this is different. This one hurts, emotionally.

Now before you jump on me, let me point that I am now, and have always been, squarely in the middle of the "in BB I trust" camp. I still am. I believe BB and SP have a plan and that by the time next January roles around, we all, including the doomsayers so prevalent here today, will be again bowing at the alter of the amazing Belichick and his right-hand man, Scott Pioli.

I'm just sad to see Willie go.

 

[maverick4]

re

Ive been a season tix holder since Tuna's first year and never have I been this disgusted by the front office. This is "Bruins-like" in my opinion. Unless they unveil Ray Lewis at a press conference soon, I think the Pats dont win 10 games next year.

Jacky, I think you are going nuts over this because you are probably the biggest Willie fan (as many of us are), and are not able to see things in perspective. A lot of fans are sentimental about Big Willie. But BB has been doing this for 6 years, and only now do you come on to complain. I am sure you weren't complaining while the Pats were cutting overpriced players and winning superbowls.

How is this move considered Bruins-like? It is consistent with all of BB's other moves. Getting rid of Max Lane, Rucci, Bledsoe, Milloy, Big Play Willie Clay, Ty Law, Chris Slade...

Were you as pissed about all those moves, or is it just because it's Willie McGinest? Be honest.

.

 

[Joker]

Yeah, and if they sign Julian Petersen, everybody will be back on the bandwagon.

McG is one of my favorites.Tough as a fan to see him walk. At 34 years old he's the oldest starting LB in the NFL. 6 million in guaranteed money was more the the Pats would pay. I'll miss him for sure....great leader.

 

[Jacky Roberts]

Jacky, I think you are going nuts over this because you are probably the biggest Willie fan (as many of us are), and are not able to see things in perspective. A lot of fans are sentimental about Big Willie. But BB has been doing this for 6 years, and only now do you come on to complain. I am sure you weren't complaining while the Pats were cutting overpriced players and winning superbowls.

How is this move considered Bruins-like? It is consistent with all of BB's other moves. Getting rid of Max Lane, Rucci, Bledsoe, Milloy, Big Play Willie Clay, Ty Law, Chris Slade...

Were you as pissed about all those moves, or is it just because it's Willie McGinest? Be honest.

.

Willie was always my guy and should have retired as a Patriot. To me he was Steve Nelson or Andre Tippett. I, for one, never considered 55 as overpriced. I'm bummed because a key piece of the Pats dynasty is now gone and they seem pretty hellbent on dumping more of them. McGinest was always a stand-up guy, too. Never a bad thing to say about the organization. We need more guys like Willie, not less of them.

 

[Pats67]

Ive been a season tix holder since Tuna's first year and never have I been this disgusted by the front office. This is "Bruins-like" in my opinion. Unless they unveil Ray Lewis at a press conference soon, I think the Pats dont win 10 games next year.

Yet when they do, you'll be telling everybody you knew it all along.

Season ticket holder since BP and you have never been this disgusted by the front office. I take that to mean you were fine with Bobby Grier.

Keep yapping pal. Your breathtaking stupidity becomes clearer with every character you type.