TJ story effect on free agents ?

[spacecrime]

I used to think "rings" matter - not anymore, with th emajority of players today.

One word ...money. If we offer it they will come.

I agree generally that players are more concerned with what you will pay them, not what you paid anyone else.

Given that, some players have teams they want or don't want to play for. We offered Derrick Mason and Orlando Brown more than they took to play for the ravens, and Rosey Colvin was offered more to play for the Cardinals.

Every time we don't resign a player we go through this crap. Now we won't be able to sign any free agents! Oh, no! We heard it with Milloy and on down the line. I wonder if fans of other teams do this, or is it a New England thing?

 

[Trenchwarfare]

The negative vibe presented over the past month won't help things but I would be very surprised if a player decided not to talk to the Pats because their coach doesn't present himself as a "people person".

Isn't it really is the player's agent who does the initial talking to Belichick? The agent is all about the money. The player might be also concerned about trust. Below the surface of the TJ story was Johnson's distrust that Belichick might cut him if he couldn't play. In an era of nonguaranteed contracts, I suppose players are concerned how long a team will stand behind an injured player. Experienced FA players have seen a lot of injuries in their time in the league - their own or other players. They are insecure of their longevity. These issues could play a part. The Patriots haven't signed a significant free agent for awhile. I think Dillon was a trade - 2nd rounder?

 

[PromisedLand]

Although in general I believe you should never group people and make broad assumptions; .....


in this case I will break my own rule. In general I think at least half of these guys are coddled morons who don't really pay attention.

So sure this information will taint the free agent pool. I am sure some guys won't even give the Pats a chance because they believe the things that other guys have said.

Hell; it didn't take this story; the WR who remains "un-named" playing for the Seahawks was able to convince another player we wouldn't pay so he went to the Broncos. And the other WR wasn't even smart enough to figure out that the Branch was not an "unbiased info source" (ie Branch was trying to make sure he could max out the Pats and cut out the competition.)

Perhaps, but "coddled morons" are not Patriot-type players in the first place.

 

[LloydBraun]

Peter King sounds like he has spent too much time with Bill Polian lately. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that Johnson is in a troubled way. King knows that TJ lobbied to rejoin the team when Seau got hurt.

King likes to take shots at the Pats for some reason. Let's see what he thinks in July when we have signed free agents and reloaded in the draft.

Even before the draft or FA, we have Harrison, Wilson and Gay to add to the secondary next year.

Hopefully seeing Polian succeed will drive the FO to new heights in order to win again.

 

[PromisedLand]

Even before the draft or FA, we have Harrison, Wilson and Gay to add to the secondary next year.

And Tebucky, Mel Mitchell and Chad Scott - all signed through 2007.