Other than $ why would UFA choose NE over other suitors?

[Steve102]

Another "I hate Belichick and his grumpy ways" thread. There's plenty of players that want to be coached. Tom Brady did not have a problem with it for approx 18 years. Not every player is Gronk. There's plenty of players that rave about Belichick and his knowledge.

Myself, I don't want me first players. They've been successful for 20 years doing it that way.

 

[Kontradiction]

I live in South Bay half the year. An athlete living out there has a tax burden almost twice that of Massachusetts.

My point is, anyone making that kind of money who gives a rat's ass about a few percent around the edges is an idiot.

I don’t think we’re going to have trouble bringing in free agents. In the end, money talks and ******** walks. I also wouldn’t live in California if someone paid me a king’s ransom to do so. I’m just commenting on why a young, single, millionaire athlete would prefer that state over Massachusetts.

 

[patsinthesnow]

https://www.radio.com/wgr550/articles/news/bills-2020-offseason-tracker

The Bills last season managed to sign more than a dozen free agents close to 100 million in contract value. They were a wildcard team with questionable QB play. Also, Buffalo.

@jmt57 has done a good job already debunking this myth but I had to chime in. This isn’t the NBA.

 

[amfootball]

I am already seeing some stories that JJ Watt may end up in Tampa.

 

[yukon cornelius]

https://www.radio.com/wgr550/articles/news/bills-2020-offseason-tracker

The Bills last season managed to sign more than a dozen free agents close to 100 million in contract value. They were a wildcard team with questionable QB play. Also, Buffalo.

@jmt57 has done a good job already debunking this myth but I had to chime in. This isn’t the NBA.

isn't buffalo the swingers capital of the country?

 

[borg]

isn't buffalo the swingers capital of the country?

Club Buff

 

[jah]

You don't really need an "other than $" reason.

 

[jmt57]

I don’t necessarily disagree when we talk about defensive player but when was the last time a top WR or TE free agent sign for a team with no QB or a QB of Sidham’s level?

That's a bit of a fallacy because we know Stidham won't be the starter and it works on the assumption that the Patriots will do nothing to upgrade the QB position.

However, here is a look at some of the top WR and TE free agent signings in recent years that you asked for.


2020

• Robby Anderson was the 3rd highest paid 2020 WR signing with the Panthers, who were questionable at QB (Teddy Bridgewater had six starts over the previous four seasons).
• Brashad Perriman was the 4th highest WR, signing with the Jets.
• Jimmy Graham was the #2 free agent TE, signing on with Mitch Trubisky and the Bears.
• Tyler Eifert was the #4 TE, going to Jacksonville and Gardner Minshew.

2019

• Golden Tate was the #1 free agent WR, going to a very dicey situation with the Giants.
• Adam Humphries was the #3 WR, heading into an unknown situation with Tennessee (Mariota was still the starter).
• #4 was Jamison Crowder, signing with the Jets.
• #3 (Cole Beasley) and #5 (John Brown signed with the Bills; the previous season Buffalo ranked 30th in both points scored and yardage.
• The #2 TE, Tyler Kroft, also signed with Buffalo.
• CJ Uzomah was the #4 tight end, signing with the Bengals.

2018

• #2 WR Allen Robinson signs with Chicago after Trubisky had thrown 7 TD and 7 interceptions the previous year.
• #3 WR Marquise Lee signs with Jacksonville.
• #1 TE Trey Burton goes to Chicago.
• #4 TE Darren Fells signs with Cleveland, who at that point still had DeShone Kizer as their QB.

 

[sb1]

I don’t necessarily disagree when we talk about defensive player but when was the last time a top WR or TE free agent sign for a team with no QB or a QB of Sidham’s level?

Pats will very likely be upgrading the QB position over what they had last year.

I'll be surprised if Pick Six Stidham hasn't been shown the door already by September.

 

[Rob0729]

I don’t necessarily disagree when we talk about defensive player but when was the last time a top WR or TE free agent sign for a team with no QB or a QB of Sidham’s level?

Austin Hooper was the top TE in free agency last year and he signed with the Browns. Sure it isn't no QB, but they have a bust #1 overall pick who played better this year but is still no better than a middle of the road QB. I don't know if Stidham would do significantly worse as a starter than Baker Mayfield did in 2019. He was awful.

And the Pats are going to have a better QB than Stidham at starting QB and free agents know that. And any top free agent is signing for at least 4-5 years. They are not looking at one year. In fact that the Pats are in the process of finding their QB of the future and may draft him this draft may be more attractive to a free agent that will be married to a mediocre QB for most of the life of their contract. At least there is a glimmer of hope the Pats will draft a QB who will immediately be a top 10 QB or at least in 2022.

 

[Rob0729]

It's kind of hilarious to read these doomsday posts after watching us gloat the last 10 years about how the Jets or Browns "won" the off-season because of FA signings.

Right, BB can't attract players, but teams who go through three coaches on a single FA contract and who pack their bags at Thanksgiving every year somehow manage to do it.

I'm guessing that almost everyone in the NFL thinks BB will get the Pats back to contention soon enough. Since most of the current the really good teams - KC, Tampa Bay - are maxed on skill positions and sitting near the cap (TB has money, but has several key FAs to pay), or are teams that have likely already peaked (GB, SF), or are built to NOT get over the mountain (TN, Miami) and/or will soon enough be moving toward rebuild, what up-and-comer are you going to bet on?

It's a fluid league, with rare exception - Pats, Colts, now the Chiefs. Sure, every FA WR would love to play with Mahomes or Brady. Who are they going to beat out to get playing time and which of their current stars are those teams going to jettison to make room regarding money or playing time?

A guy like Jonnu Smith comes to New England and he becomes a focus of the offense. BB has the tools right now to build the team he wants. I think he's kind of earned our patience here.

Seriously. Bad teams have been getting top talent in free agency for decades. Every free agent that has signed with Browns over the last 10-15 years have known that they were likely doomed to play for one of the worst teams in the NFL over the life of the contract. That didn't stop these players from signing. Granted you didn't want a lot of them because they were players who did great in the right situation and played like crap when they left that situation. They were just products of the systems that they were in like we found out with Adalius Thomas.

 

[Sicilian]

I'm seeing a lot of, "Why would players come here when there's SNOW" as a factor. I'm not doubting that a lot of players (the majority for sure) prefer warm weather cities, but these comments sound like people projecting their own preferences onto every player in the league. Personally, I wouldn't move to a place that was warm all year round unless someone told me they were going to pay me $100,000 a year for the rest of my life just to be there. I hate hot weather, and love the changing the seasons in New England. Again, I'm not saying that's going to be a selling point for a lot of free agents, but I think this idea that we have to pay some kind of Snow Tax on available players is silly. Not everyone hates winter.

 

[50-yard-line]

I don’t think we’re going to have trouble bringing in free agents. In the end, money talks and ******** walks. I also wouldn’t live in California if someone paid me a king’s ransom to do so. I’m just commenting on why a young, single, millionaire athlete would prefer that state over Massachusetts.

If the rest of my kids would move out there, I'd live out there full time. I feel 10 years younger, physically, out there than here, particularly this time of year. Absolutely love it.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

Austin Hooper was the top TE in free agency last year and he signed with the Browns. Sure it isn't no QB, but they have a bust #1 overall pick who played better this year but is still no better than a middle of the road QB. I don't know if Stidham would do significantly worse as a starter than Baker Mayfield did in 2019. He was awful.

You talk about Austin Hooper signing for a team that had Mayfield, Beckham and Landry compare to Stidham, Meyers and Byrd?

Seriously. Bad teams have been getting top talent in free agency for decades. Every free agent that has signed with Browns over the last 10-15 years have known that they were likely doomed to play for one of the worst teams in the NFL over the life of the contract. That didn't stop these players from signing.

I don’t remember too many offensive weapons going to the Browns when Hoyer was the QB.

Before, we criticized all off-season long those bad teams that were overpaying top players with contract that would bit them in th *ss after 2-3 years. The point is the Patriots are in this position now. If we want talent on this team we will need to overpay drastically and offer contracts that will maybe bite us in the *ss in the futur.

this team is not really attractive as of now

 

[Sully]

BB has reputation as not being a players coaches and players do not speak glowingly of him. Crappy stadium. Cold climate. Popular UFA just said he would go anywhere EXCEPT NE. Matt Patricia is not loved by players. Brady years are over and they are in rebuilding mode.
THe one thing about bringing Cam back is that he is a popular guy amongst players and might help with recruiting UFA.
Feeling like NE is not exactly a preferred destination right now.

Opportunity to play.

 

[Nehalem]

Given the amount of cap space the Patriots will have compared to the rest of the league I think money is obviously going to be a big part of it.

Other than money though

Due to opt outs and dead cap the Patriots basically played with a 20-25% deficit of money and still went 7-9 with a QB whose favorite QB was the dirt. And 2 of those losses were high COVID impacted.

Patriots look poised to turn things around. So if you want to win its not a bad place to go.

Also if you are a WR/TE/LB/DL there is opportunity to play. And BB has shown a willingness to play the better player regardless of name.

 

[JMC00]

Adam Humphries was the #3 WR, heading into an unknown situation with Tennessee (Mariota was still the starter).

The irony of that whole thing. Leaves Tampa, NE offers him reportedly a better deal but his reason why he didn't sign was basically "Brady's old lol". Now Brady is in the SB with his old team.

 

[ivanvamp]

BB has reputation as not being a players coaches and players do not speak glowingly of him. Crappy stadium. Cold climate. Popular UFA just said he would go anywhere EXCEPT NE. Matt Patricia is not loved by players. Brady years are over and they are in rebuilding mode.
THe one thing about bringing Cam back is that he is a popular guy amongst players and might help with recruiting UFA.
Feeling like NE is not exactly a preferred destination right now.

Just saw this thread. And this post. My first thought was... "crappy stadium"? Gillette is a "crappy stadium"? LOL what?

The reasons to come besides money are:

1. Playing for the greatest coach ever.
2. Playing in a first-class organization from the owner down.
3. There are opportunities to start here.

I mean, those aren't bad reasons to come to NE.

 

[Mack Herron]

 

[RIpats88]

He's not wrong. The only reason people like amendola constantly took paycuts each year was because he had a chance to go to the Superbowl and win. But even he admitted bills coaching did help them win alot of those games.

Other than that though he did sign an above market deal when he first got here. So it's not like he gave the team a discount.

The days of getting people to take less money to come here are gone with Brady. Bill wasn't the "smartest guy in the room" for getting Revis to take a 1 year deal no more than Arians isn't smart for getting antonio brown on a veteran minimum contract.

If bill doesn't adjust his free agency methods to account for the fact we do not have Tom Brady anymore then we are in big trouble.

It's all about $$. You think OBJ is in Cleveland for anything less? Or amendola went to the lions to be in beautiful detroit? No it's for the most money. That's how it works