Let's be clear.
Sure, Polk was a poor pick. Most media had him at the bottom of the 2nd, some in the 3rd. Also this poor pick was injued. Finally, he played for a terrible set of coaches. That was then.
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Lots of folks wanted Vrabel to cut Polk before Training Camp and give up on receiving a pick and give up on the THREE years of guaranteed salary owed to Polk.
Vrabel and staff stood their ground, even when Polk was injured again. They would try, again, and again to get some cap relief and perhaps even a pick.
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NOW
Vrabel got a team to pick up 16 games of Polk's 2025 salary, his 2026 salary and his 2027 salary. In addition, we gained a 6th at the cost of a 2028 7th.
That was incredibly good deal for the patriots. Congrats to Vrabel and staff!