Free Agent Signings around the League

[patsinthesnow]

So is Edelman's choices between the Ravens and the Pats offers? The Browns effectively bowed out with the Hawkins offersheet.

 

[2000army]

This guy can ruin any thread man. Ugh..

Ha... Yup.

He posts so much he should have his own section...that can be ignored

 

[primetime]

The sky is falling crew saw their beloved team completely outclassed in the AFC Championship game. They were hoping the Patriots could hold onto
their own good free agents and add a couple of good ones from other
teams to close the gap. So far they have done neither. They have
chosen to let their own UFAs test the market and seem to have no master plan to improve themselves. Did they talk to anyone during the last 4 days?

It's been three and a half hours. Most unrestricted free agents are marvelously mediocre players overhyped by overanalysis from sports media and bored fans. Talib didn't re-sign last season until a few days after free agency started, and he's by far their most important UFA. Edelman is testing the waters. The rest are replaceable crap.

 

[skspikex2]

Amendola misses games but his injuries are unrelated. He's a victim of bad luck. Austin, on the other hand, is a victim of fragile hamstrings, an injury which will never heal completely.

I compare Austin to Vincent Brisby in term of hammy issues.

 

[DaBruinz]

Mark Harrison couldn't catch a cold in college. He's nothing more than a warm body until proven otherwise.

Maybe you should know what you are talking about before posting. Yes, Harrison struggled in his Junior year, but he came back strong in his senior year.

Harrison's College career totals:
110 receptions, 1769 yards, 18 TDs.

 

[Sfpat]

It's amazing how you move the goal posts.. You go from 5 seasons to 3-4 seasons.

Why don't you go do that.. In another thread.

Like the Jets forum

 

[borg]

Getting ready for a Pats FA signing

 

[JackBauer]

They have
chosen to let their own UFAs test the market and seem to have no master plan to improve themselves

We're a few hours into free agency.. Get a grip.

 

[primetime]

Maybe you should know what you are talking about before posting. Yes, Harrison struggled in his Junior year, but he came back strong in his senior year.

Harrison's College career totals:
110 receptions, 1769 yards, 18 TDs.

44 catches for 583 yards is pretty mediocre, not 'coming back strong.' His 14 catch junior season is notable.

But really, even ignoring stats, the guy has terrible hands.

 

[Brady6]

It's amazing how you move the goal posts.. You go from 5 seasons to 3-4 seasons.

Why don't you go do that.. In another thread.

First and foremost, you need a cranial/rectal inversion. You're complaining about Hernandez? You don't even seem to understand that all the issues seem to have taken place AFTER he signed his contract. Including the supposed double murder.

Next, you aren't even close to naming ALL the signings that have taken place in the last 5 years. Furthermore, you don't even bother to mention how other teams fared during that same period. You also are doing a great job complaining about signings that were minor deals. Like Gonzalez, Jenkins, Ellis, Allen and trying to make them into these failures that the Pats spent huge money on. Hell, guys like Salas, Stallworth, Gaffney, Jenkins, Ballard, etc, were all low risk/high reward potentials. So what that they didn't pan out? The Pats weren't relying on those guys to take starting reps. They were looking for guys who were trying to resurrect their careers.

Some notable signings/additions you've seem to have over-looks:
Ninkovich
Arrington
Donald Thomas
Brandon Bolden
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Chris Jones
Joe Vellano
Dane Fletcher
Legarette Blount
Aqib Talib


Lastly, in the last 5 years, the Pats have had 47 draft picks. Of those 47 picks, the Pats only have 20 of those players still on the roster. Only 1 from the 2009 draft in Vollmer and 2 from the 2010 draft in McCourty and Gronkowski. But have you checked how other teams compare?

But seriously, go do your complaining in another thread this isn't the one for it.

Not on the current roster, so therefore do not matter to the discussion as I clearly pointed out “players on our roster today” –

- Blount
- Talib
- Thomas
- Green-Ellis

In addition I also said do not include UDFAs –

- Arrington
- Fletcher
- Vellano
- Bolden

So that leaves you with Chris Jones who is waiver claim, and Rob Ninkovich who was an in season signing to the practice squad.

You can try again if you would like, but the personnel decisions have not been good and all of the love for Belichick in the world is not going to blind me of that. I know you think that Belichick ****s roses and that is fine but the fact is you will have a rude awakening when Tom Brady retires if the decisions continue as they have.

I am not complaining either I am making an assessment, I know that anything that does not portray overwhelming hommerism is complaining to you but have you ever stopped to consider that I care about the team just as much as you do and I am frustrated that we have not strengthened our roster today when so many others have. Also for the record I am not at all upset about the failure to sign notable UFAs I am upset about the failure to retain our own.

 

[juny]

Unless Pats nab Byrd, looks like McCourty/Harmon will be our safety duo. Don't see much else on the FA list at that position

 

[Sfpat]

You ignored every player that I listed and started rattling off a bunch of irrelevant names that do not matter to this conversation at all.

If you have a point, come up with a better way to convey it because this just sounds like someone who is reaching in desperation.

Went right over your head. You remind me of a pre-teen, someone who can't see the big picture and can't see beyond the next ten minutes. Come back to the forum in another 10 years or so when you've gained a bit of life experience.

 

[OhExaulted1]

Someone remind me how many Super Bowls, playoff games, division championships, winning seasons, games, etc the Bears won after overpaying Peppers the last couple years

1-1 in playoffs (2010-beat Sea, lost Conf GB). No losing seasons (2 8-8's). A 10-6 year no playoffs. Chi did way overpay him, but they weren't terrible.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Unless Pats nab Byrd, looks like McCourty/Harmon will be our safety duo. Don't see much else on the FA list at that position

Clemons/Abdullah/Decoud

 

[BradyFTW!]

They do not have to look to the future they could have their world-class CIA level security team dig into the player and see what type of people he is associating with. Hernandez was dancing on tables at Rumor Tuesday with a gun in his waistband, do not pretend that he was at church, and took a wrong turn all of a sudden. Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse.

Needless to say you have ignored every other poor decision and decided to focus solely on the one that you could somewhat excuse. I am not bashing Belichick because I do not like him, heck he is one of my all-time idols but his decision making in recent years has been suspect.

1. You're dramatically overstating the level of information that the Pats have available to them. CIA-level? They talk to his past coaches, his family if they can, and maybe some old acquaintances if possible. Beyond that, what do they have access to beyond the standard background check? Bottom line is that the Pats have no idea what most of their players are doing most of the time that they're outside the facility, and that's typically not a problem. That's life as an employer.

2. Look at the number of players in the NFL who have arrests relating to gun possession and/or assault on their records. It's a huge number, and every single one of them has more red flags re: his capacity to commit violent crimes than Hernandez did at the time of the murder. Even if you did thoroughly interview everyone from his past who was willing to talk to you, you'd probably come out of it with the knowledge that he's an ******* and more violent than the average person. Again, that's true for a huge percentage of the NFL player base.

I know it's tempting to assume that there were warning signs indicating that he was a deranged lunatic, and not a garden variety idiot thug like hundreds of his peers, but look at the facts. His record consisted of a rough upbringing, possible gang affiliations from his juvenile years, and a couple of failed pot tests in college. How many NFL players does that describe?

It's an uncomfortable truth, but it is what it is. Any criteria by which the Pats could have been reasonably expected to foresee this also disqualifies a ton of other players that the Pats could really use. Have you ever advocated that the Pats sign a player who's been arrested for a violent crime? I know that I have, and if you have as well, then there's really no grounds on which to say that they should have predicted that Hernandez, with no real warning signs, would turn out to be the guy that he is.

Re: ignoring the rest of the stuff, of course I don't. There's plenty of stuff that's worth criticizing, but I try to reserve that for moves that I objected to at the time that they were made (the Bequette pick and the Arrington contract being the two biggest in recent memory). But given that you're on record as saying that Belichick's decisions are 95% failures over the last 5 years, I don't see any point in discussing the track record at large. You're so far off base there that I don't think any amount of discussion will go anywhere.

 

[Brady6]

Like the Jets forum

Why would I do it in the Jets forum, you are so ridiculous to even say that. You think that not recognizing and issue makes you a better fan than me? You are absolutely wrong, this is not your kids little league team we are not getting sundaes after the game. The Patriots should be doing everything in their power to win, and when you have the greatest QB in the history of the game 10 years without a SB should be concerning.

 

[primetime]

Clemons/Abdullah/Decoud

Just saw the Falcons cut Decoud.

That needs to happen.

 

[ausbacker]

Unless Pats nab Byrd, looks like McCourty/Harmon will be our safety duo. Don't see much else on the FA list at that position

If the Patriots think Harmon can become a top line starter at Safety then so be it. It certainly explains the lack of action at the position.

The rollover point to that is the Patriots are weak at linebacker and suspect on the Defensive Line. If they stand pat at DB by re-signing Talib then it's imperative the Patriots bolster the front 7 with impact players.

Both lines should be high on the priority list this offseason.

 

[ATippett56]

What was your plan? Oh that is right you did not even have one, it is easy to comment on others when you lack the fortitude to put yourself out there.

I have put in my two cents:

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...13/1034735-2014-mock-draft-thread-page99.html

Post #986

 

[jsull87]

Interesting seeing Byrd still there.

It'd be a real coup if we could nab him and Talib.

Speaking of which has there been any word on Talib?