First Let's Sign Our Own (we have 22 UFA's)

[Ring 6]

I agree that we need a NT.

However, I would note that many of us believe that Guy and Butler have done a good job, and are worth re-signing.

Guy is aging and butler is one dimensional and will start costing starter type money.
these are the type of upgrades you do when you have cap space.

 

[Ross12]

OL
Andrews, Eluemunor

RB
Burkhead (depending on the injury timetable)

WR
Byrd


QB
Hoyer (maybe)

DL
Guy, Butler, Simon, Wise

LB
Calhoun

DB
--

ST
Folk
Bethel

Trimmed this down to guys I think they should re-sign. Combination of either likely being inexpensive enough/valuable at their spot. Not too long of a list, and I doubt most of them will cost more than a couple million a year. Those guys left off the list are either going to cost way too much (Thuney) or are not valuable enough (Jason McCourty).

 

[PWRxWLF]

Next year will be interesting in the fact that you’re going to have the market flooded with players as teams try to get under the cap, and less dollars being thrown around. I could see guys like Thuney re-signing for a reasonable one year deal with a team based on the current uncertainty of the market. Whether that team is the Pats, idk. We will have a lot of money compared to others to throw around though.
Couple that with a top to bottom great organization, coaching staff & the prestige that comes with being hated, and I don’t see why people who don’t want to have fun won’t go there.

 

[patsinthesnow]

IMO they only have to keep Andrews & one of Guy or Butler. This is the offseason where you want the most cap space possible. The cap is decreasing & nearly half the league will have to make cuts. The FA pool should be deep.

Thoughts on why many of these FAs are expendable:

• James White - great player & leader. Over 400+ receptions including the playoffs. I think his best days are behind him & he's better suited as a situational player on a SB contender. Based on Fears' comments the RB room of Harris & Taylor is the future.
• Damiere Byrd - I'd take him back as WR3/WR4. The FA class is deep & the team should be able to acquire two WRs to pair with Meyers. He can stay or go pending what other moves are made at the position.
• Jermaine Eluemenor - He should get paid as a starting tackle. He'd be welcome back as a cheaper swing tackle.
• Simon, Calhoun, Wise - Should be giving snaps to younger players already. These are spots they should upgrade.

They could realistically have 55+ million in cap space after re-signing Andrews & a DT. Edelman, Cannon & Hightower retiring will free up about 20 million in space.

 

[Ring 6]

IMO they only have to keep Andrews & one of Guy or Butler. This is the offseason where you want the most cap space possible. The cap is decreasing & nearly half the league will have to make cuts. The FA pool should be deep.

Thoughts on why many of these FAs are expendable:

• James White - great player & leader. Over 400+ receptions including the playoffs. I think his best days are behind him & he's better suited as a situational player on a SB contender. Based on Fears' comments the RB room of Harris & Taylor is the future.
• Damiere Byrd - I'd take him back as WR3/WR4. The FA class is deep & the team should be able to acquire two WRs to pair with Meyers. He can stay or go pending what other moves are made at the position.
• Jermaine Eluemenor - He should get paid as a starting tackle. He'd be welcome back as a cheaper swing tackle.
• Simon, Calhoun, Wise - Should be giving snaps to younger players already. These are spots they should upgrade.

They could realistically have 55+ million in cap space after re-signing Andrews & a DT. Edelman, Cannon & Hightower retiring will free up about 20 million in space.

Can you please give a link to Fears comments, they sound interesting.
I can’t possibly imagine anyone paying eluemanor like a starter. In 2019 while our OL was decimated he could only earn 29 snaps. Yesterday he was benched so 2 6th round rookies (one fresh off the IR) could be the tackles.
I think he is more likely to be cut and in the street next year than paid like a starter.
Simon, and Calhoun can stick around as cheap veteran depth. I like wise and although the role he fills in this defense doesn’t afford a lot of playing time he is good at it. I suppose another team will see him in a bigger role and pay him more.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Can you please give a link to Fears comments, they sound interesting.
I can’t possibly imagine anyone playing eluemanor like a starter. In 2019 while our OL was decimated he could only earn 29 snaps. Yesterday he was benched so 2 6th round rookies (one fresh off the IR) could be the tackles.
I think he is more likely to be cut and in the street next year than paid like a starter.
Simon, and Calhoun can stick around as cheap veteran depth. I like wise and although the role he fills in this defense doesn’t afford a lot of playing time he is good at it. I suppose another team will see him in a bigger role and pay him more.

 

[mgteich]

IMO they only have to keep Andrews & one of Guy or Butler. This is the offseason where you want the most cap space possible. The cap is decreasing & nearly half the league will have to make cuts. The FA pool should be deep.

Thoughts on why many of these FAs are expendable:

• James White - great player & leader. Over 400+ receptions including the playoffs. I think his best days are behind him & he's better suited as a situational player on a SB contender. Based on Fears' comments the RB room of Harris & Taylor is the future.
• Damiere Byrd - I'd take him back as WR3/WR4. The FA class is deep & the team should be able to acquire two WRs to pair with Meyers. He can stay or go pending what other moves are made at the position.
• Jermaine Eluemenor - He should get paid as a starting tackle. He'd be welcome back as a cheaper swing tackle.
• Simon, Calhoun, Wise - Should be giving snaps to younger players already. These are spots they should upgrade.

They could realistically have 55+ million in cap space after re-signing Andrews & a DT. Edelman, Cannon & Hightower retiring will free up about 20 million in space.

So, for you, Eluemunor isn't good enough to start at RT. In that case, we will need a sign a FA to compete with herron, with one of them being the swing OT.

 

[hornetfb85]

Any guesses from anyone on what it would take to re-sign:
Andrews
Eluemunor
Guy
Butler

 

[patsinthesnow]

So, for you, Eluemunor isn't good enough to start at RT. In that case, we will need a sign a FA to compete with herron, with one of them being the swing OT.

I may be overrating his market value. The league is lacking talent at OL. I think his tryout at LT could determine his worth.

Any guesses from anyone on what it would take to re-sign:
Andrews
Eluemunor
Guy
Butler

Keep in mind it is a different year with the cap decreasing.

Andrews 4-5 million - Miguel has speculated he will take a below market value again. The NFL doesn’t value him as much as the pats based on his previous contract.

Eluemenor ??? - The hardest to project. We’ll have more info in a few weeks.

Guy 5-7 million - Underrated DT north of 30. I think once the cuts come in he won’t be that highly regarded.

Butler 5-7 million - Hopefully the league overlooks him due to his lack of volume stats. When healthy he’s one of the most double teamed DTs in the NFL & makes the pass rush scheme work.

I may be wrong but that’s my guess with a good chunk of the league sitting out FA.

 

[p8ryts]

Every year folks want to spend big on free agents on other teams. The first priority is ALWAYS to look to our own first. Otherwise, we will create holes. As always, I pre-sume he ERFA's will be back, at least for camp. Jackson (RFA) will be tagged at the highest level. He'll be back or we'll have a first to use.

OL
Thuney, Andrews, Eluemunor, Ferentz ]also Cannon will likely retire]

Andrews, Thuney too expensive

RB
White, Burkhead

None, White too expensive unless he just wants to stay here

WR
Byrd
[Edelman could retire]

Byrd

QB (consider them gone)
Newton
Hoyer

None

DL
Guy, Butler, Simon, Wise, Davis

Guy and Butler dependent on price, I'm a big Simon fan, keep him, priced right

LB
Calhoun [Hightower is likely retiring]

None

DB
Brooks
J McCourty
[D McCourty could retire]
{Chung could retire]

None

ST
Folk
Bethel
Davis
Copeland

Bethel and Davis at right price

Almost any not signed would need to be replaced, and that would cost cap money, similar to re-signing.

BOTTOM LINE
We all want to add a QB, WR, TE, NT and LB (or two at each of these positions. The first issue is do our best at night creating holes by letting our FA's leave. After we finish making decisions on our re-signing our own, including money for the RFA's, there will be a lot less left than folks think is there.

Someone mentioned in another thread, get 3 contributors in FA, ILB, IDL, QB couple contributors from draft, annual udfa and improvement of 2nd and 3rd year players and it could be a decent team. QB will remain the big question. Draft is a crap shoot and I have no expectations there is an immediate starter for the Pats. Definitely move on from Cam. Alex Smith could be a good fit. Still hoping for Matt Ryan to SF and Jimmy G come back. Other than that left over reconstruction projects, Trubisky, Wentz, Minshew, Taylor, (ugh to all).

 

[p8ryts]

The value of the cap space bonanza is that many of those players can be let go and upgraded. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the DL are mostly free agents. I think 2021 cap space and the draft has been the target to rebuild the DL. It has had to be piecemealed because of the lack of cap room and other needs.
I think it gets addressed bigly this off season.
When you look at the front 6 it really is 2 DTs and differing combinations of 4 lbs and des.
Personally I think on early forms we have been playing all out DTs out of position because we haven’t had a true NT since branch’s head was in the game. I think cowart really projects as an off the C, 3 tech type DT who could do some damage.
We get the NT this year and another DT for rotation (maybe guy or butler) and the 4th is probably an undersized passing down guy.

The other 4 really needs to be 6 for the versatility.
I think winovich, uche and Jennings are part of it and if Hightower returns it could be a nice group. Bentley has a role but it should be smaller than this years.
Simin could be back but ideally in a smaller role, and is like to see wise back. If Hightower retires this will be a spot for a major addition.

Please, upgrade from Wise.

 

[p8ryts]

Thuney would be great to have back, just don’t see them spending the money. Anyways...

My Top 5 re-signs:
L. Guy
A. Butler
D. Andrews
J. White
D. Byrd

love White but not for big money. He will probably get action from Miami or Giants. 3rd down back replaceable. Agree on the others

 

[p8ryts]

Perhaps, the solution is to re-sign Eluemunor. He could compete for the RT starting positions, and be the backup OG.

He has been here two years and maybe ok as the last OL on the 53, but he has not proven to be the answer at any position. We need a backup Center bad.

 

[p8ryts]

I’m a broken record on this butttttttt
Go out and sign K. Golladay and G. Everett
Edelman returns, re-sign Byrd. Turn Harry into a move TE. Roll with:

WR
Golladay
Edelman
Meyers
Byrd

TE
Everett
Asiasi
Keene
Harry???

I could live with that.

Edelman is done. Golladay is hurt every year. Not a big Everett fan, glorified WR/TE, Rather have Izzo back than Harry.

 

[Uptown]

love White but not for big money. He will probably get action from Miami or Giants. 3rd down back replaceable. Agree on the others

Or TB

 

[p8ryts]

Or TB

Attempting to recreate the Pats in TB won't work without another key ingredient--BB. Nice Try TB>

 

[Uptown]

Attempting to recreate the Pats in TB won't work without another key ingredient--BB. Nice Try TB>

Agreed, but I was simply implying that White would fit in TB in regards to Brady having a back he can trust, which would add another dynamic to the offense. They wouldn’t have to push the ball down the field every play (Arians..) Also, White would be closer to his family in FL.

 

[tasmlab]

With Rohrwasser still on the practice squad, is the assumption that he practices all this year and then is good enough to join the team in 2021?

 

[captain stone]

Every year folks want to spend big on free agents on other teams. The first priority is ALWAYS to look to our own first. Otherwise, we will create holes. As always, I pre-sume he ERFA's will be back, at least for camp. Jackson (RFA) will be tagged at the highest level. He'll be back or we'll have a first to use.

OL
Thuney, Andrews, Eluemunor, Ferentz [also Cannon will likely retire]

RB
White, Burkhead

WR
Byrd
[Edelman could retire]

QB (consider them gone)
Newton
Hoyer

DL
Guy, Butler, Simon, Wise, Davis

LB
Calhoun [Hightower is likely retiring]

DB
Brooks
J McCourty
[D McCourty could retire]
{Chung could retire]

ST
Folk
Bethel
Davis
Copeland

Those names highlighted are the ones I want to re-sign immediately, though most of them are in the Only If the Price is Right category: Byrd, Butler, Wise, Folk, Bethel & Davis...Thuney (#1), Andrews, White & Guy are the Big Fish here...The rest (which sadly now includes Da Burkmeister) fall in the Thank You for Your Service category, but if they are willing to sign one-year, non-guaranteed, vet-minimum contracts then they are welcome to try to compete for backup spots (except for Thanksdad Ferentz, Terry Brooks & Chete Copeland; I want ALL 3 of them GONE)...

 

[patriot1136]

The salary cap stuff is interesting. I don't fully understand it by any means. But a lot of this is going to be based on how much lower the cap is