Offseason player acquisition thread

[Headcase]

Trading Dugger could Happen.

I'd have to look at the breakdown capwise, but I don't think it is happening this year.

 

[Headcase]

I'd have to look at the breakdown capwise, but I don't think it is happening this year.

13.5 dead money if traded before June 1st

 

[mgteich]

At the end of the day having most cap isn’t going to make NE an attractive destination. This team is going to have to nail the draft and develop their own talent, then and only then will they get better and be a more attractive franchise for big name free agents to want to sign with. That’s the state of the team as of today, improve from within then they will come. Whether this can be done or not is the million dollar question.

Your position is interesting.

You believe that the team won't improve their team in free agency, that $120M won't find starters and backups better than Lowe, Jacobs, Sow, Godchaux, Ekuale and the rest.
========
We need talent improvement at every position but QB. SURELY, there is IMPROVEMENT available in free agency.

Many focus on signing all-pros, as if that is the only way to improve a team.

 

[Real fan 02]

I don’t want to spend money if it’s not on the lines or playing catch with Drake.

I get it.. LTD.. but talent cost. One of the main reasons besides the drafting is why our roster is ****ty is because we still operated as if we were still in AFCCG every year. But I'm with you on the lines. It's a must!

 

[Hugepatsfan]

But the focus has to be lines and playmaking WRs.

Sure, if given the choice between investing in a comparable OL or WR vs. a FS, the OL or WR makes more sense. But you can't force the options at all positions to be comparable. Certain guys would be willing to come here, certain won't be. Incumbent teams usually have an edge in negotiations and maybe choose to keep their own guys. You have to sift through what's left and make the best decisions.

We'll be better off signing 3 legit defensive starters young enough to stick around for a while than a "meh" starting WR who doesn't really fix the position and is only a stop gap for a year. Prioritize certain positions, sure, but you have to make decisions based on the actual quality of players not just what position they play. In general, the crop of defensive free agents just seems better this year (which makes sense because just like you want to prioritize OL and playmaker WRs, so do most other teams).

 

[Grogan14]

The competition for top free agents will be brutal this year. Mucho dollars for relatively few elite free agents.
Pats at such a huge disadvantage because Kraft has failed to keep up and modernize the organization and facilities.
As many have noted pats are viewed as an undesirable team
Keep expectations realistic.
They will likely be overpaying for over the hill or unproven players.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

13.5 dead money if traded before June 1st

Right now his cap number is $15,264,706 for this year and $17M for 2025. Like you said $13.5M dead money if we trade him (which is the amount of signing bonus paid last year that hasn't been amortized against our cap yet).

If we trade him before June 1st, that all counts this year, so it's net savings of $1.8M on the cap and $9.75M of cash savings because we clear his $9.75M guaranteed salary. If we trade until after June 1st, only $4.5M of it counts this year and the remaining $9M of dead money defers to next year. Because of cap rollover rules and unlikelihood we spend all the way up to the cap, it's probably an inconsequential distinction for us.

The other thing to consider is that his new team picks up his $9.75M guaranteed salary and on March 18th his $10.75M salary for next year becomes guaranteed (currently only guaranteed for injury). So his new team needs to be comfortable taking him on for what is essentially a 2 year, $20.5M deal. Or really $21M when you include workout bonuses. And then an additional $2.5M in per game roster bonuses too. If they wish, there's an opportunity to convert some of that to signing bonus and spread into 2027. Not sure there'd be a ton of takers for that because a starting S can be had for lower cap hits in FA. I'm sure someone would take him, but it'd be basically a giveaway.

I don't think we have any incentive to trade Dugger unless he's displaced. And for him to be displaced we'd need to sign 2 starting caliber Safeties and then prefer to keep Peppers over Dugger as the third.

 

[bakes781]

Javon Hargrave just got released.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Players released after the SB and before the start of the league year do not have to clear waivers unless they have less than 3 years of Experience.

Vested Vets do not have to clear waivers.

Mea culpa.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

Javon Hargrave just got released.

Interesting name to consider. He's evolved into more of a 3T DT over his career, but started out as a NT in PIT's 1-gap 3-4 scheme early in his career. Could be a good fit for us to play more of a NT role in Vrabel's new 1-gap scheme. He'll be 32 and coming off injury. Have to imagine he'll prefer a contender if it's lower money, but maybe a guy worth giving a decent 2-3 year deal to be a vet presence for.

Add him and Milton Williams and you'd have a nice stable of inside rushers to go with Barmore and White (if they also add some edge depth to accommodate him playing inside more).

 

[Grogan14]

Interesting name to consider. He's evolved into more of a 3T DT over his career, but started out as a NT in PIT's 1-gap 3-4 scheme early in his career. Could be a good fit for us to play more of a NT role in Vrabel's new 1-gap scheme. He'll be 32 and coming off injury. Have to imagine he'll prefer a contender if it's lower money, but maybe a guy worth giving a decent 2-3 year deal to be a vet presence for.

Add him and Milton Williams and you'd have a nice stable of inside rushers to go with Barmore and White (if they also add some edge depth to accommodate him playing inside more).

he is a bit old (32) so if we did sign him it would have to be 1 year deal.

 

[DaBruinz]

Mea culpa.

No worries, CT. We all make mistakes.. You rarely do so it's all good..

 

[captain stone]

Trading Dugger could Happen.

Cool.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

he is a bit old (32) so if we did sign him it would have to be 1 year deal.

He's not going to be in a wheelchair next year at 33. It's ok to sign older players for multiple years sometimes. Going back to the early BB years, Anthony Pleasant was a starter for us at 33 against the Rams and Bobby Hamilton was a starter through the CAR SB through 32 and then signed on to start in OAK for 2 more years. I'm not saying give him 2 years, $50M, but might be more value to be had in a 2 year, $18M deal than 1 year, $10M or something like that.

 

[mgteich]

Are we sticking with Bentley or are we bringing in a new ILB?

yes, and yes

 

[Ross12]

He's not going to be in a wheelchair next year at 33. It's ok to sign older players for multiple years sometimes. Going back to the early BB years, Anthony Pleasant was a starter for us at 33 against the Rams and Bobby Hamilton was a starter through the CAR SB through 32 and then signed on to start in OAK for 2 more years. I'm not saying give him 2 years, $50M, but might be more value to be had in a 2 year, $18M deal than 1 year, $10M or something like that.

I think there will be a focus on getting younger guys, but there's definitely a need for having a few older wise vets around, as long as they fit the culture.

 

[Joey007]

They have a lot of depth with more "strong safety" type guys. They have almost zero depth with actual free safeties.

Exactly. And the depth at free safety types is much more needed.

 

[Keyser Söze]

 

[Hugepatsfan]

Good for us in that another pass rusher on the market pushes everyone else available down a rung and makes them easier to acquire.

I don't think we should pursue him. We shouldn't be paying double cost of picks in a trade and money on a contract for guys in their 30s.

 

[DaBruinz]

They have a lot of depth with more "strong safety" type guys. They have almost zero depth with actual free safeties.

There's a very good chance that we're going to see one of Dugger/Peppers/Mapu lining up exclusively at LB in the new defense. They have the size/ability/athleticism that Vrabel / Williams want in the LB..