Pats726 said:
Miguel...why did you think Indy??? Just curious..I know Vanderjagt was history..but what made you think he would end up there??? The dome..and Polien's wanting to get a Bowl for PM??? And to just give it to the Patriots again?? Just curious...you were right on the money...(sorry..I wished you were wrong..and I think you do as well..but..to me it is one of the few places I didn't want him to go to...) Congrats though!!!
Miguel was not the only one who foresaw this - I predicted from the start of FA that it would come down to Dallas or Indy (and that people should ponder that), that Adam would have no real interest in kicking in GB and that it would not be that hard to beat what the Patriots reportedly offered - because a highest paid deal with no signing bonus or guaranteed money was essentially a deal for NOTHING (not to mention a slap in the players face).
Both Dallas and Indy were eerily quiet from the outset but I figured one of them would eventually emerge. They were waiting to see what ii would take and gauge his resolve (and BB's). Dallas obviously got caught up in signing TO.
Turns out Adam shared an agent for all these years with BB. When he was suspended Adam chose to stay with that agency although another agent had to handle him. Obviously this guy was either incompetent or for some reason preferred the market for this player remain oddly muted. When Adam fired him I figured it was because somebody got word to Adam that there was untapped interest in him despite what he was being told. The logical conduit was probably via Willie since the new agent is his as well.
It made sense on so many levels that Polian would covet Adam (or that the 3 games lost that kept Dallas from a 12 win season and the playoffs would drive Jerry to covet him). Polian's idiot kicker (ultimately) cost him HFA in 2004 and likely a Superbowl in 2005. He was accurate, just not clutch or well liked. In that offense, Polian only needs clutch. Polian can't afford to pay everybody - but he believes if he overpays a select few on offense they will win. He needs a RB and a PK. He's been pretty lucky picking RB's (Faulk, James). He got exposed a tad to Colts fans when the Manning and Harrison deals finally caused a problem in an expiring CBA. He needs a little bump, and what better way than replacing the idiot kicker his fans love to hate? And the bonus is your fans realize you have hurt their arch enemy in the process.
This was a no brainer. Just took a little longer than anyone imagined to develop. The only way you don't see this potential outcome is if you have become too arrogant to consider the consequences anything more than a bump in the road. Somehow though once you hit the bump reality sets in in a hurry. They created a serious hole where none need exist, in a market now devoid of plausible alternatives (Longwell was about it), and you've allowed one of two main division rivals to fill a gaping hole that has haunted them for two years in a row.
This also doesn't bode well for a Seymour deal unless BB is prepared to make him the BB Patriots first exception to the apparently cast in stone no highest paid rule.
