Patriots Rumor Tracker / FA Signings (Updated: Signings in OP - 4/7)

[mgteich]

New England Patriots Salary Cap Calculator | Over The Cap

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Overthecap has us at $50,149,044 in cap space with 66 players signed. This does not include (either in the cap number or the roster spots) Kevin Byard, Romeo Doubs, Julian Hill, Mike Brown or KJ Britt. So I guess you can really think of it as 71 players signed.

For the next 4 players they add to the list, whatever the cap hit is will be offset by the displaced player in our top 51. Right now, the last 4 guys in our top 51 have salaries of $1,005,000. Then the 6 after that have $1,075,000 salaries.

So for the 5 players that Overthecap isn't including yet, whatever the combined cap hits for them are, $5,095,000 will come off the cap to offset it for players no longer in our top 51 once those guys are included.

Byard's deal is a reported 1 year, $9M. Seems unlikely we'd do void years or any fancy math on that so it should just be a $9M cap hit, maybe less if part of it is incentives. No idea of the structure on Doubs (reported 4 years, $68M and "up to" $80M) or Hill (reported 3 years and "up to" $18M). Have to imagine Britt and Brown are pretty close to minimum but we'll se.

My rough guess is we have about $30M left in cap space right now.

We also have $31M available in 4 restructures if necessary late in camp, injury replacement, IR and during the season: Williams, Davis, Barmore, Spillane

 

[Zuma]

 

[DaBruinz]

Not bad.. But I wouldn't mind him getting 26 from Terrell Jennings...

Woodson - 26 would be tight..

 

[Zuma]

 

[gobesmug]

Translation, no team was willing to meet their asking price

 

[n1997y]

I think it’s just as likely to be beneficial for them to see guys come in, do their job for a year, and get their salary doubled as a reward. I’d expect they’ll be happy for their brothers getting paid.

It’s also beneficial for the guys who aren’t here but might be coming here. Guys like Byard, Mike Brown, or Hill, are certainly going to see it as a positive.

At the end of the day it’s about winning, and that’s based on putting the best team possible on the field. Do you think the guys in the locker room would want to put a weaker team on the field just so they can continue to play with Hawkins instead of with his All-Pro replacement Byard?

I do think it's gotta be somewhat disappointing for guys in the locker room to see everyone who came in and played well last year and earned themselves the opportunity to earn more money in free agency be allowed to walk. I do think there's value in the team seeing guys who come in and play well have that rewarded. Vrabel gets a lot of love for being a players coach but to call a spade a spade, the approach so far this offseason has been much more of the emotionless, mercenary "pump 'em and dump 'em" approach that BB employed for so many years and people started to criticize.

Chaisson came in and earned a raise... not from us though, we replaced him.

Hawkins had a career year and made himself into a starter... we let him walk and replaced him.

Tonga established himself as having a rotational role... see ya, we ain't paying that!

Diggs came in and played up to his contract... still replaced by a younger guy who, to date, hasn't produced as much.

Gibbens came in and rehabbed his value coming off injury and got non tendered for under $4M.

I have zero football issues with any of those moves, but it's worth calling out, IMO, that this isn't necessarily the full on player friendly approach. The trend right now, second offseason in, is actually much more Belichickian where you can come here and be put in position to play well and get paid but it won't be from us.

 

[n1997y]

Last year, the Pats used the FB on just 22% of their plays. I fully expect that to jump to 35-40%. Just like I expect Hill to be on the field upwards of 50% of the time. I expect a significant turnaround on running plays, Short-yardage situations and goal line with them on the field. I would expect an increase in play-action as well as designed QB runs with Gilliam and Hill reading the way.

Do you expect Hill to be on the field more than Henry?

By end of the season it wouldn’t surprise me.

I think claiming that none of them are "meaningful" improvements is BS and speaks volumes about the lack of understanding of the game. On offense, it's clear that the Pats are going to focus even more on the running game. This will open up the Passing game for Play-action and for deeper passes after they've suckered the defense closer to the line. This will benefit the likes of Williams and Boutte.

Gilliam is a top 3 FB in the league and a huge upgrade over Westover. Westover, though learning the position, was wholly inadequate. Hill's attitude is that he wants to be the best blocking TE in the league. He LIKES beating on DTs, DEs and LBs. He's a much better blocker than Hooper and easily replaces Hooper's receiving totals from last year.

Meaningful improvement doesn't mean the team has no questions to be answered. It means that they've made changed that we'll see on the field going forward.

How can you not like that?

I hope he gets a chance to catch a few balls too.

 

[resdubwhite]

Guys. Does Miguel publish his cap anywhere anymore. I remember it used to link to BSJ and here.

 

[DaBruinz]

Guys. Does Miguel publish his cap anywhere anymore. I remember it used to link to BSJ and here.

I know that @Miguel is on bluesky. I am not so I don't know if he has his own site anymore. I've tagged him in hopes of a response.

 

[hornetfb85]

How would you rank the remaining team needs. Not including WR because for me it’s either trade for Brown after June 1st or roll with what we have. Dont need more 2/3 options.

My personal list:
1) Edge
2) Future RT
3) NT
4) #3 S
5) Backup LT
6) TE
7) # 3 CB

 

[DaBruinz]

How would you rank the remaining team needs. Not including WR because for me it’s either trade for Brown after June 1st or roll with what we have. Dont need more 2/3 options.

My personal list:
1) Edge
2) Future RT
3) NT
4) #3 S
5) Backup LT
6) TE
7) # 3 CB

I would put LB on that list ahead of NT & S. I think that NT is lower on the list.

1) Edge / RT / LB
2) Edge / RT/ LB
3) Edge / RT / LB
4) CB
5) S
6) IOL
7) TE
8) Reserve OT
9) RB
10) NT
100) WR (the extra 0 is not a mistake)

 

[palialka]

How would you rank the remaining team needs. Not including WR because for me it’s either trade for Brown after June 1st or roll with what we have. Dont need more 2/3 options.

My personal list:
1) Edge
2) Future RT
3) NT
4) #3 S
5) Backup LT
6) TE
7) # 3 CB

Definitely have to add LB and WR to the mix and probably OG over NT

 

[PatsFan2]

Makes sense who gives up on a guy who put almost 1300yds his Rookie year.

 

[JackBauer]

How would you rank the remaining team needs. Not including WR because for me it’s either trade for Brown after June 1st or roll with what we have. Dont need more 2/3 options.

My personal list:
1) Edge
2) Future RT
3) NT
4) #3 S
5) Backup LT
6) TE
7) # 3 CB

Where linebacker? That's probably my #3 need after EDGE and TE.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Makes sense who gives up on a guy who put almost 1300yds his Rookie year.

I suspect they said something like, "We'll listen to all offers on anyone," and that became, "The Jaguars are looking to trade him."

 

[gobesmug]

Makes sense who gives up on a guy who put almost 1300yds his Rookie year.

Robert Kraft and Belichick when Glenn was denied his bonus and was eventually benched and kicked to the curb

 

[hornetfb85]

LB on the list of needs for sure. I’ve been under the assumption that Gibbens would be back. Very surprised they did not tender him. I’m in the minority here, but feel larger body in the middle of the DL is needed.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Makes sense who gives up on a guy who put almost 1300yds his Rookie year.

Exactly, so why were you more than happy to trade a 1st round pick for him?

If it was the final year of his rookie deal, I could see it. A front office that didn't draft him deciding to move on and get something for him. But an offense that finished 11 in yards and 6th in points I would have to assume isn't run by idiots. So it isn't a case of them simply not knowing how to use him. If they were truly ready to dump him, even for a 1st rounder, with 2 more years of cheap rookie deal before a 5th year option, I would have serious concerns wondering what the catch is.

 

[PatsFan2]

Exactly, so why were you more than happy to trade a 1st round pick for him?

If it was the final year of his rookie deal, I could see it. A front office that didn't draft him deciding to move on and get something for him. But an offense that finished 11 in yards and 6th in points I would have to assume isn't run by idiots. So it isn't a case of them simply not knowing how to use him. If they were truly ready to dump him, even for a 1st rounder, with 2 more years of cheap rookie deal before a 5th year option, I would have serious concerns wondering what the catch is.

It was a Fraudulent rumor I've move on.

 

[hornetfb85]

Any free agents currently available that interests anyone at the moment.

I. Melifonwu at S
R. McCreary at CB
D. Reader at NT