Report: Season-ending torn Achilles for Wilfork

[ATippett56]

All the best with your impending surgery and your rehabilitation Big Vince.

The New England Patriots will definitely need you next season.

 

[Joker]

I just KNEW someone would print Fanoony....I hated that stiff from the start...

we need to raid the CFL...get an unknown widebody

 

[MrNathanDrake]

2 people we cannot lose, Tommy and Big V. I am in a daze right now.

That held true in previous years. But luckily we got Tommy Kelly in Free Agency, Chandler Jones and Hightower have both improved, and Talib has been a superstar so far.

This is obviously horrible news, but it isnt as devastating as it wouldve been 2-3 years ago. Our defense can still be competitive with Wilfork.

 

[the Patriot]

please tell me this is just a rumor. :bricks:

 

[andrewgarrr]

Just going from roster to roster, I found one guy that makes a little sense. Ziggy Hood is a borderline NFL starter for the 0-4 Steelers and is a free agent after this season. In that sense, he seems like he'd be available, it's just a matter of if he'd be an upgrade for the Pats.

Is he a scheme fit? More of a 34 DE if I remember correctly...

 

[Sciz]

please tell me this is just a rumor. :bricks:

I'd love to doubt SMY, but she has never given us any reason to. She's not going to report something this major from a source that has never given her info before or one that has been wrong before. I'd say there's a better chance that there was an incorrect diagnosis than that SMY is reporting bad info, and I wouldn't consider either of those likely at all.

 

[Sciz]

Is he a scheme fit? More of a 34 DE if I remember correctly...

He's a 3-4 DE, but the Steelers supposedly had thoughts about moving him to 3-4 NT, and either way he's more of a "stuffer" than a "shooter."

 

[JDot]

Time to put on GTAV and go on a murder spree Ahern style...

Good god, this is awful news..

 

[RI Patriots fan]

I hate to say this but looking at the facts, this could be the last we see of Vince Wilfork in a Patriots uniform if this injury is season ending.

"No way", you say.... but I'm sure you would have said the same thing about Seymour. Here are some of the facts:

1.) Wilfork has not played well this year....not at all. Maybe he was injured maybe not, but he hasn't been listed on the injury report other than "foot" and he was listed as probable.

2.) Wilfork seems to be very out of shape this year. During the 2012 season he entered the season in much better shape. This year he looks much heavier.

3.) In his career, I don't remember him ever having to rehab from a major injury.

4.) Wilfork will be 33 years old next November.

5.) According to "Over the cap", Wilfork will count $11.6 million against the cap next year. Of that, $8.0 million could be saved, if he was cut or traded.


» Over the Cap- New England Patriots 2014 Salary Cap and Contracts


Forget your homer-fan love for Wilfork for a second and look at this like a cold hearted Patriots executive.

Wilfork will be 33 years old next season. He will be coming off a major injury during which he can't work out (at least with his legs) but he can eat.
Do you see him being more explosive being a year older, coming off a major injury, and being out of shape...or less explosive?

Is the Vince Wilfork of next year at 33 years old worth $8 million???

I say no....and I was thinking this before the injury.

Unless he is willing to take a major paycut I don't see Wilfork playing for the Patriots....again.

 

[Banjo]

Vince Wilfork is the best player we have on defense. There's no question of that, right? We've never been terrible against the run. Vince is literally a big reason why.

Another massive hit to our Super Bowl hopes. Congrats, Peyton. :bricks:

 

[andrewgarrr]

I hate to say this but looking at the facts, this could be the last we see of Vince Wilfork in a Patriots uniform if this injury is season ending.

"No way", you say.... but I'm sure you would have said the same thing about Seymour. Here are some of the facts:

1.) Wilfork has not played well this year....not at all. Maybe he was injured maybe not, but he hasn't been listed on the injury report other than "foot" and he was listed as probable.

2.) Wilfork seems to be very out of shape this year. During the 2012 season he entered the season in much better shape. This year he looks much heavier.

3.) In his career, I don't remember him ever having to rehab from a major injury.

4.) Wilfork will be 33 years old next November.

5.) According to "Over the cap", Wilfork will count $11.6 million against the cap next year. Of that, $8.0 million could be saved, if he was cut or traded.


» Over the Cap- New England Patriots 2014 Salary Cap and Contracts


Forget your homer-fan love for Wilfork for a second and look at this like a cold hearted Patriots executive.

Wilfork will be 33 years old next season. He will be coming off a major injury during which he can't work out (at least with his legs) but he can eat.
Do you see him being more explosive being a year older, coming off a major injury, and being out of shape...or less explosive?

Is the Vince Wilfork of next year at 33 years old worth $8 million???

I say no....and I was thinking this before the injury.

Unless he is willing to take a major paycut I don't see Wilfork playing for the Patriots....again.

Stop making this night worse. ****!!!

FWIW I think Wilfork comes back motivated next year. I don't see him just 'eating'.

 

[Sticky Caulk]

Unless he is willing to take a major paycut I don't see Wilfork playing for the Patriots....again.

I will not discount that possibility, because a lot of games, free agency and the draft will happen before Wilfork will be cleared and ready to go. That said, let's see who steps up and how they do before being so sure we can replace a stud NT.

 

[RI Patriots fan]

Stop making this night worse. ****!!!

FWIW I think Wilfork comes back motivated next year. I don't see him just 'eating'.

Sorry....but I'm right. Everything I said was true. The Patriots executive team doesn't think like fans. The think like business executives and that is exactly why they stay successful. They will look at this with little to no emotion and will look at "value".

Why would Wilfork be more motivated then he would be this year yet this year he looks like he weighs 400 lbs? The fact remains that he will be 33 and the fact remains that he will be coming off a major injury and the fact remains that he will cost $11.6 million against the cap.

 

[Ozymandias]

If this report is true, a torn Achilles injury is serious one. They are tough for anyone to come back better than before from. The size of Vince and the position of which he plays will make the recovery even harder for him than other positions. The reality is though we know given the nature of the business and their history that the Patriots will have no issues cutting him or moving on from him if he isn't at or close too the same level he had prior to this season factoring finances.

Of course, we don't know the full extent to the injury so all of this is speculation and conjecture.

 

[Sciz]

Unless he is willing to take a major paycut I don't see Wilfork playing for the Patriots....again.

It doesn't even have to be a paycut, at least in the sense that Brady's contract isn't a pay cut. The Patriots can give Wilfork his full $11.6M next season, but with about $6.5M of it as a signing bonus instead of salary. That lowers his $11.6M cap hit to about $6.4, and then all that really matters is the new salaries that they would tack on for the next four seasons, of which he probably wouldn't actually see the end.

It's not like he could do a whole lot better as far as money, considering the demand for 33 year old (how old he'd be in 2015 free agency) NTs with a major injury recently.

 

[Banjo]

You're right. Wilfork probably doesn't make the team next year. Belichick is ruthless when it comes to these decisions. The team comes first.

Thanks for everything, Vince! :cry2:

 

[RI Patriots fan]

It doesn't even have to be a paycut, at least in the sense that Brady's contract isn't a pay cut. The Patriots can give Wilfork his full $11M next season, but with about $6.5M of it as a signing bonus instead of salary. That lowers his $11M cap hit to about $5.8, and then all that really matters is the new salaries that they would tack on for the next four seasons, of which he probably wouldn't actually see the end.

It's not like he could do a whole lot better as far as money, considering the demand for 33 year old (how old he'd be in 2015 free agency) NTs with a major injury recently.

But you're just pushing the cap hit off to another year for a NT that isn't worth that sort of money (It's not like the cap hit goes away). If you haven't noticed the Patriots rarely if ever overpay and why would they overpay for a significantly less effective 33 year old NT coming off a major injury?

 

[BradyToAmendola]

I feel really bad for Vince and really bad for the Patriots. Massive blow.

 

[Sciz]

But you're just pushing the cap hit off to another year for a NT that isn't worth that sort of money (It's not like the cap hit goes away). If you haven't noticed the Patriots rarely if ever overpay and why would they overpay for a significantly less effective 33 year old NT coming off a major injury?

Yes he's getting that money, but they could offset it with lower salaries. If we make the assumption that they'd be converting $6.5M of salary to a signing bonus over 5 seasons, that's $1.3M in signing bonus proration per year against the cap, which could be offset by something like a $3M salary. If you think a $4.3M average is too much, then adjust the salary to whatever makes you happy. In my hypothetical example, he has cap hits of $6.4M in 2014 (down from $11.6M) and then $4.3M for however much longer he plays. That's far easier to swallow for the team than $11.6M next year alone.

Wilfork still gets his $8M in new money next season (which wouldn't happen if he were to be released), and the Pats get him under contract for a reasonable price for the rest of his career.

 

[Ozymandias]

If he comes back from the injury a shell of himself (60% as good or something like that) and looks less explosive, do you think the Patriots are going to keep him around for sentimental value at his current contract?

Factoring his reported injury, if his play declines rapidly then you cannot seriously expect a coaching staff as rigid as Belichick's wouldn't plan to move on from him if they have a better option in place. There's no room sentiments in a cut-throat business like the NFL. One serious injury is all it takes to effectively end a guy's career. That could happen to anyone on any play.

The thing to keep in mind is that anyone is replaceable, even first ballot HOFers can be replaced. Wilfork's not immune to this reality. His age is definitely a factor at this point and he's closer to the end than the beginning. Now add in a serious injury like this, it's not a rosy outlook.

Not trying to be a downer here, but just stating the facts as they are, if the reported extent of the injury is in fact accurate.