Guys, I'm more worried about next year's Free Agents....

[Shockt327]

So, I'm hearing so much talk about using the current cap space to not just re-sign Edelman/Talib (which I fully support); but also go after new guys in Free Agency, etc. Well, I have to say I'm pretty worried about what things are looking like for next year. Shouldn't the Front Office try to use some of the possible available cap space to extend at least some of the players listed below? That way the team's priorities won't be in totally rough shape for next year.

Also, if the cap space is expected to increase as much as people say, will 2015 FA be as big of a problem as I'm currently thinking?

In No Particular Order: 2014 is the last year under contract for...
Dan Connolly
Stephen Gostkowski
Nate Solder - 5th yr option
Matt Slater
Devin McCourty
Shane Vereen
Stevan Ridley
Marcus Cannon
Brandon Bolden
Ryan Mallett

and two vets...
Vince Wilfork
Tommy Kelly

I hope I didn't forget anyone important, or list an incorrect name!

 

[patsfan-1982]

So, I'm hearing so much talk about using the current cap space to not just re-sign Edelman/Talib (which I fully support); but also go after new guys in Free Agency, etc. Well, I have to say I'm pretty worried about what things are looking like for next year. Shouldn't the Front Office try to use some of the possible available cap space to extend at least some of the players listed below? That way the team's priorities won't be in totally rough shape for next year.

Also, if the cap space is expected to increase as much as people say, will 2015 FA be as big of a problem as I'm currently thinking?

In No Particular Order: 2014 is the last year under contract for...
Dan Connolly
Stephen Gostkowski
Nate Solder - 5th yr option
Matt Slater
Devin McCourty
Shane Vereen
Stevan Ridley
Marcus Cannon
Brandon Bolden
Ryan Mallett

and two vets...
Vince Wilfork
Tommy Kelly

I hope I didn't forget anyone important, or list an incorrect name!

Dan Connolly IMO is replaceable or can be re-signed for the same money he's getting now,

Stephen Gostkowski should not be hard to re-sign,
Nate Solder IMO is a top LT and it will take big money to bring him back,
Matt Slater wont be hard to sign,
Devin McCourty is making 5 million now I think 2 more million and they can have him for the next 4 years,
Shane Vereen if he can stay on the field he could get a nice contract but wont brake the bank,
Stevan Ridley BB may not even want him back,
Marcus Cannon his a backup he wont be hard to sign,
Brandon Bolden very replaceable,
Ryan Mallett replaceable,

Kelly and wilfork may retire by 2015 over all I see only Solder and McCourty as must signs

 

[Sciz]

Connolly may not make it through this offseason and should be replaceable whenever that time comes. Gostkowski, Slater, and McCourty are all very strong candidates for extensions before next offseason. Bolden wouldn't be hard to replace. Somebody is going to offer Ridley a bunch of money and it's not going to be the Patriots. Mallett is a guy that they don't need to re-sign, but need to replace. Wilfork is going to be dealt with this offseason; either he'll be back for a few seasons or he'll be gone. Kelly is not a guy to worry about when he's 34.

The only two guys that seem iffy to me are Vereen and Cannon. Both could be candidates to stick around long term, but need to show well this coming season. Vereen needs to show that he can stay moderately healthy and Cannon would have to show an ability to play guard.

 

[supafly]

Nate Solder IMO is a top LT and it will take big money to bring him back,

I don't believe that Nate Solder won't be a free agent until March of 2016 once the Patriots exercise the 5th year option.

That's 24 months from now. We can cross him off the list for the immediate moment, unless I'm wrong which is always possible.

 

[Shockt327]

I don't believe that Nate Solder won't be a free agent until March of 2016 once the Patriots exercise the 5th year option.

That's 24 months from now. We can cross him off the list for the immediate moment, unless I'm wrong which is always possible.

That's my understanding of it too, that's why I wrote "5th yr option" next to his name. I hope NE takes advantage!

 

[supafly]

That's my understanding of it too, that's why I wrote "5th yr option" next to his name. I hope NE takes advantage!

I wouldn't see why they wouldn't. For what it's worth, my comment was more directed at patsfan1982 than it was you.

The free agent list will look somewhat different come next year, I think. It will still be challenging as some years are, but there will likely be a couple of extensions, and a couple of guys who we will no longer see as the needs or concerns that we do at the moment.

On top of that, the salary cap is supposed to continue to climb much more significantly than in the past several years, so that will help to free up some additional money.

 

[resdubwhite]

I doubt BB is worried about Ridley. I'd imagine he's currently on the trading bloc. *



* my personal opinion. I think BB has had enough of the fumbles

 

[AzorianPats]

I see McCourty getting extended sometime this off season. He's showing he's an excellent safety, that came into the league a CB. Plus wasnt he one of the defensive captains? It makes sense.

Taking this one step further, its gonna be interesting to see how Chandler Jones progresses this coming season. If he takes his game to another level that's a guy we have to come to some type of aggrement with before his contract expires. Or else we risk a big chance of losing him.

 

[50-yard-line]

I was worried when I read your thread title (and hearing how far under the cap they look to be next year, with under $100 million dedicated), but after seeing the list, I'm actually relieved.

Dan Connolly
Stephen Gostkowski
Nate Solder - 5th yr option
Matt Slater
Devin McCourty
Shane Vereen
Stevan Ridley
Marcus Cannon
Brandon Bolden
Ryan Mallett

and two vets...
Vince Wilfork
Tommy Kelly

If Connolly comes back this year, it will likely be under a restructure, Interior OL of his caliber are not hard to find and not expensive.

Gostowski will likely be restructured this year, too, or they'll bring in competition and Zoltan him.

Solder will be here next year, too, I believe - after that, they'll resign him or in a pinch, they'll franchise him.

Slater is an S/T guy and won't be expensive - might be restructured this year.

McCourty will be expensive, but I expect him, too, to get restructured this year.

Vereen and Ridley...running backs are no longer expensive in the pass-happy NFL. If Blount gets 2/5, someone overpaid. Look at the contract Woodhead got - and his body of work was much stronger than Vereen's. If Blount isn't resigned, this is Ridley's year to make good.

I think they'll keep Cannon. He won't be very expensive and I see him as our starting RT in a couple of years. Vollmer just gets hurt too much - heck, if Vollmer's ankle isn't good, Cannon might be there this year.

Bolden...does he make the team this year?

Mallett might be traded out, but I doubt it. He shouldn't come back if he can go somewhere and get a shot.

Wilfork will be extended this year or probably cut.

Kelly might get restructured out to two years, might get cut, might retire - very up in the air, so I expect the Pats to get a replacement in the draft this year. Hageman, maybe.

That's not a terrible list. In fact, it's a remarkably minor list for a team of this caliber.

 

[Kontradiction]

Dan Connolly IMO is replaceable or can be re-signed for the same money he's getting now,

Stephen Gostkowski should not be hard to re-sign,
Nate Solder IMO is a top LT and it will take big money to bring him back,
Matt Slater wont be hard to sign,
Devin McCourty is making 5 million now I think 2 more million and they can have him for the next 4 years,
Shane Vereen if he can stay on the field he could get a nice contract but wont brake the bank,
Stevan Ridley BB may not even want him back,
Marcus Cannon his a backup he wont be hard to sign,
Brandon Bolden very replaceable,
Ryan Mallett replaceable,

Kelly and wilfork may retire by 2015 over all I see only Solder and McCourty as must signs

Gost and McCourty could be candidates for extensions this offseason, which would also free up cap room. I thought it was interesting, though, how the Pats were working out a kicker this past week. Could they possibly be targetting one in the draft to replace Gost or just doing their due diligence for a camp body (ala Ryan Allen to Mesko last season)? That will be interesting to monitor going forward.

 

[50-yard-line]

Gost and McCourty could be candidates for extensions this offseason, which would also free up cap room. I thought it was interesting, though, how the Pats were working out a kicker this past week. Could they possibly be targetting one in the draft to replace Gost or just doing their due diligence for a camp body (ala Ryan Allen to Mesko last season)? That will be interesting to monitor going forward.

Or quietly hinting to Gost that it's time to restructure...they've probably got a picture of Zoltan Mesko tagged up on his locker for upcoming OTA's.

 

[Miguel]

With 47 players already signed for the 2015 season with total commitments of $94,426,421 the Patriots are well under the projected cap of $140 million.

 

[Tunescribe]

Way, way too early to "worry" about 2015 -- two seasons from now.

 

[ripatsfan91]

Way too early but I am not worried at all... with the cap projected to be 160M by then and the nearly 20 million (Wilfork and Hernandez) coming off the books, the pats should have enough to keep Solder, McCourty, Vereen, and Gost around. Those are the only key players on the list and I would guess they are extended prior to their final year/hitting the market.

 

[primetime]

I doubt BB is worried about Ridley. I'd imagine he's currently on the trading bloc. *



* my personal opinion. I think BB has had enough of the fumbles

Blount fumbled at a similar rate to Ridley, he just lost fewer of them. But whether a fumble is lost or not is almost entirely random, so if Ridley has ball control issues, then Blount has ball control issues as well.

 

[mgteich]

1) The list seems normal more than a year out.
2) As Miguel pointed out, there is lots of cap room.
3) The team will exercise the option on Solder.
4) There will be a couple of players extended at least through 2015 (several options).
5) Wilfork and Kelly are likely to be extended or gone. I don't expect either to be a 2015 free agent.
==========================
That being said, I do have some concerns. They have to do with continuity and improving the team year over year.

SAFETY
McCourty is not a lock to extend. After all, he can see the cap increases. He will want serious money. IMHO, we really need to add a top safety THIS year. We will then have the potential of this position being a strength this year and into the future if we re-sign McCourty.

RUNNING BACK
Running backs may be inexpensive, but they still need time to fit it to the patriot system. IMHO, Blount was an exception. Blount was a great acquisition. Again there are two parts. I think that we need to do something now. Signing Blount will help a lot. Without that, we may be in a situation of compete rebuilding in 2014. We might even need to consider drafting a running back. After all it took Vereen and Ridley a year before they were serious producers. Also, Vereen is still a major question mark. If he is healthy and has a great year, he may demand more on the open market than we will pay (see Woodhead).

PLAYERS BEING EASY TO RE-SIGN
I don't ever understand the idea that a player will be easy to re-sign. If a player is worth signing, then some other teams may agree and pay more than we are willing to pay. Special teams players may be an exception. Belichick has often been willing to pay more than other teams for our special teamers.

 

[mayoclinic]

McCourty is not a lock to extend. After all, he can see the cap increases. He will want serious money. IMHO, we really need to add a top safety THIS year. We will then have the potential of this position being a strength this year and into the future if we re-sign McCourty.

I don't take anything as a given, but I think the chance of McCourty leaving NE in 2015 is very, very low. The franchise/transition tag for safeties is reasonable.

 

[mgteich]

That's a good point. We can franchise McCourty. So, that means that the 2015 off-season is even less of a concern.

I don't take anything as a given, but I think the chance of McCourty leaving NE in 2015 is very, very low. The franchise/transition tag for safeties is reasonable.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I doubt BB is worried about Ridley. I'd imagine he's currently on the trading bloc. *

* my personal opinion. I think BB has had enough of the fumbles

I wonder if Ridley/Mallett/Amendola are all being considered in package deals for BB to aquire draft current draft picks/players.

 

[Joker]

I'm worried about THIS---------------------->