Hakeem Nicks is a FA after this season

[JPsPats]

If Dobson doesn't pan out as that true #1 receiver by the end of the season do you think we make a play at Hakeem Nicks? Giants just paid Cruz and they will have to think about the money JPP will demand in a couple years.

It's possible that teams would pay top dollar for a true #1 like Nicks.

I'm a fan of Nicks and can only imagine how good he's be here.

Here's a highlight of him vs Aqib Talib

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yoPdi9WtO50

 

[VrabelJr]

Let's not give up on Dobson just yet. It's only week two.

But to amuse you:

Nicks is a $10 million+ year a guy strictly because he plays outside WR. The catch: he's oft-injured. He's only missed 9 games in 4 years but I believe he also hasn't finished quite a few. He is very talented though.

It's hard to build a consistent winner paying guys like him what they get.

 

[farn]

His price range will probably land him elsewhere. Dobson has played one nfl game. Let's not go crazy here. Troy Brown wasn't 'Troy Brown' right away...

 

[supafly]

It seems that every single year we hear talk from the fans about bringing in a very high priced top tier WR, and yet every year nothing happens.

I would think a pattern is emerging here....

Belichick does not want to either spend a first round pick nor spend 7-8m a year, let alone the probable 9-10m that Hicks will command. Hell, he didn't even want to pay more than 5m a year to keep Welker!

If he was okay with paying someone that kind of money, we'd have seen much more talented receivers than Hakeem Nicks come here. It's hard to try and build a competitive team now and for the future by spending insane amounts of money at both the QB and WR positions.

I can't think of too many teams in the league who are currently successful at the moment from doing that, can you?

 

[supafly]

It's hard to build a consistent winner paying guys like him what they get.

Especially when you have to pay your QB a lot of money to boot.

Can you think of too many teams who are currently successful that are paying top tier money to both their QB and WR? I can't...

I'm not sure I can think of any to be honest. If DEN is able to retain Demarius Thomas next year along with Peyton Manning they may be the only one, but there's also going to be limitations with what they can do in other areas, not to mention the future implications.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Pats wouldn't pay his price tag

 

[belichick010405]

Other than talent, the only reason I could see BB wanting to sign Nicks is because he plays for the Giants. Other than that, VrabelJr et al have covered this guy soundly.

He is oft-injured....

 

[Archeryaddict12]

I wouldn't give up on Dobson. He looked very good minus the drops. And that's correctable. That's his first NFL game. Once he corrects his rookie mistakes, we could have drafted a great wr.

 

[Deus Irae]

It seems that every single year we hear talk from the fans about bringing in a very high priced top tier WR, and yet every year nothing happens.

I would think a pattern is emerging here....

Belichick does not want to either spend a first round pick nor spend 7-8m a year, let alone the probable 9-10m that Hicks will command. Hell, he didn't even want to pay more than 5m a year to keep Welker!

If he was okay with paying someone that kind of money, we'd have seen much more talented receivers than Hakeem Nicks come here. It's hard to try and build a competitive team now and for the future by spending insane amounts of money at both the QB and WR positions.

I can't think of too many teams in the league who are currently successful at the moment from doing that, can you?

Patriots did it when Moss was around
Colts did it

Do we really need to add more?

 

[JPsPats]

It seems that every single year we hear talk from the fans about bringing in a very high priced top tier WR, and yet every year nothing happens.

I would think a pattern is emerging here....

Belichick does not want to either spend a first round pick nor spend 7-8m a year, let alone the probable 9-10m that Hicks will command. Hell, he didn't even want to pay more than 5m a year to keep Welker!

If he was okay with paying someone that kind of money, we'd have seen much more talented receivers than Hakeem Nicks come here. It's hard to try and build a competitive team now and for the future by spending insane amounts of money at both the QB and WR positions.

I can't think of too many teams in the league who are currently successful at the moment from doing that, can you?

I agree you cannot win in the nfl through free agency alone, however it's still an important part of the roster. Vincent Jackson is paying off for Tampa. Brady did take a pay cut and we arnt paying Hernandez anymore. I just want the best pieces around TFB so we can win another ring before he retires!

 

[MrNathanDrake]

DObson had his man beat a few times, he just didn't hold on to the ball

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I just want the best pieces around TFB so we can win another ring before he retires!

The pats are intent on getting younger at WR. I like a lot of people here would also like a star vet WR in here before TB retires to try and get 1 more SB..but don't think it will happen

 

[ausbacker]

Ben Tate is the Free Agent who has my interest piqued. I like Ridley and Vereen but Tate exudes RB1.

If the Pats look at FA WRs then Kenny Britt and Jeremy Maclin (the knee I know) are two viable alternatives to Nicks.

 

[ALP]

Especially when you have to pay your QB a lot of money to boot.

Can you think of too many teams who are currently successful that are paying top tier money to both their QB and WR? I can't...

I'm not sure I can think of any to be honest. If DEN is able to retain Demarius Thomas next year along with Peyton Manning they may be the only one, but there's also going to be limitations with what they can do in other areas, not to mention the future implications.

how much is Brady making after the paycut? i thought he wasnt even top 10 anymore in the NFL....

however if Thomas is an FA next year, id rather get him than Nicks...if he can work w/ Peyton i trust he can work w/ Brady (ala wes)

 

[supafly]

Patriots did it when Moss was around
Colts did it

Do we really need to add more?

My thought was for current teams in the flat cap era.

Who is currently doing it successfully at the moment? No one I can think of, but maybe I'm missing someone.

 

[supafly]

how much is Brady making after the paycut? i thought he wasnt even top 10 anymore in the NFL....

Brady's cap hit next year is still 15 million dollars.

Maybe you see that as a small amount. I personally don't. It's definitely extremely reasonable for a player of his talent, but it's still a big enough cap hit that we'd have a difficult time bringing in an expensive wide receiver outside of a dream shot at a top 3 guy.

The 2015 free agency class is getting large for us. I think we will play it somewhat conservatively next spring. Just my opinion--especially if we're hoping to try and retain some core guys in '14 and '15.

 

[supafly]

If the Pats look at FA WRs then Kenny Britt and Jeremy Maclin (the knee I know) are two viable alternatives to Nicks.

Exactly. If we're going to target a "high priced" wide receiver to go along with the 6 million AAV that Amendola is getting, it will much likely be a guy who is in the 2nd/3rd tier or hasn't lived up to his potential yet and will be a reclamation project.

The examples of Kenny Britt and/or Jeremy Maclin are about the highest we'd go in my opinion, and I think most of us would be very, very happy with that kind of potential providing that they'd come reasonably priced.

The 2015 free agency class is enormous in terms of attempting to retain some of our own, and the cap really isn't projected to go up too much just yet. I'd have a hard time envisioning a serious run at too many enormously priced WRs in free agency, especially at a position that Belichick doesn't normally target too much.

 

[supafly]

I agree you cannot win in the nfl through free agency alone, however it's still an important part of the roster. Vincent Jackson is paying off for Tampa. Brady did take a pay cut and we arnt paying Hernandez anymore. I just want the best pieces around TFB so we can win another ring before he retires!

I hear what you're saying and I too have some of the same concerns.

One thing to keep in mind is that even though Hernandez isn't around to help the team, they'll definitely still be paying handsomely for him next season.

Another thing as I mentioned in a post above is that we may have to be a bit frugal as it pertains to bringing in other players in free agency if we expect to try and retain some key core guys of our own. Lots of big names in '15 and a handful next year in '14 too. It could be one of the reasons why we didn't spend too much this offseason in a predominantly "buyer's market" with some pretty good deals available...

One more thing to add--even though VJax is "paying off" as you say for TB, they also aren't paying much at the QB spot; nor have they been extremely competitive lately either.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Patriots did it when Moss was around
Colts did it

Do we really need to add more?

And were it not for horrendous calls and a flu bug, it would have resulted in zero SB rings.

 

[supafly]

And were it not for horrendous calls and a flu bug, it would have resulted in zero SB rings.

At least someone else chimed in with a response. I'm watching a game in the background and just realized that I was having a pretty good conversation going with myself, having posted several responses in a row.

Normally I at least have the dog or whatever low priced callgirl that I pick up at the local 7-11 to talk to