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After allowing for bonuses earned, this year's rookie and workout bonuses, we have fourteen million available per Jason.
There will future costs that could be paid for by a late cut or two and/or a restructure or two: Player 52 and 53, the Practice Squad, IR players and their replacements (in camp or in season). We need not worry about this now since we have a method of paying for this in August.
There is precious little additional sources of revenue. For example, we could save a million by cutting Fells now, but it seems better to have the camp competition. Gronk, Hernandez, Ballard, Brad Herman (who had signed a 3 year deal). There are 4 TEs and 3 of them are all but guaranteed a spot. Fells fell behind Hoomanawanui on the depth chart and never seemed to get up to speed. They can cut him and add 2 ROOKIE UDFA for camp competition for what he costs. And those UDFAs are more likely to end up on the PS down the line and possibly contribute.
Since players replace a player already on the roster, we should consider only net costs, with a player considered to be replacing a $500K player on the roster. Minimum salary vets don't add much cost at all. We will likely add our usual dozen.
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LASER FOCUS FOURTEEN MILLION FOR FREE AGENCY
As of now, we are losing players at every position (a normal situation). Who would you use precious free agency money to keep? How would you allocate our free agency money. Remember you have only fourteen million to spend on re-signings AND on free agencts from other teams.
As a final caution, I would note that the cap next year is very tight. Pushing a lot of money into next year is not a good idea. It is not at all clear when the nfl will see the next major raise in the cap.
I would also note that we are not choosing a final roster, just who to bring into camp.
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OUR FREE AGENTS
RB Woodhead
WR Welker, Edelman, Branch, Stallworth
TE Hooman (RFA)
OL Vollmer, Thomas
DL Scott, Brace, Harrison Neither Brace nor Harrison are Pats UFAs. They are Street UFAs since they were cut during the season.
LB Koutouvides, White
CB Talib, Arrington, Cole, Martin
S Chung, Allen, Barrett
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Personally, I would allocate $2M to four low-level free agents (a million a year folks like Cole). That would leave twelve million a year for mid and top level free agents.
The Pats will have to look for players who can make special teams contributions. Players like Arrington, Cole, Koutivedes, and White made their names on the Special Teams Units.