We're on to 2016. Think FA/Trades as in 2007 rather than the #60 Draft choice [sign the beast v 004]

[Triumph]

Didn't Gordon get a new(er) DUI charge, thus making 4 arrests in 5 yrs? Is he even definitely going to be reinstated, and if so, he'd obviously be one mistake away from leaving football altogether?

EDIT: nevermind, I'm thinking of Blackmon.

Jones can give Gordon his pcp pipe as sort of a welcome wagon gift.

 

[Triumph]

An interesting double move I would consider is sign JPP to a Revis type of deal where you get him for one year where you get him at one year below market value but the second year options ensures for him that if he has a bounce back season you cannot franchise him. You then trade Chandler Jones for a pair of second rounders or a third this year and a first in 2017. JPP gives you a year with the Nink, Sheard rotation while Flowers and Grissom continue to develop. At the end you get a third for JPP and either two seconds or a first and a third for Jones and keep a lot of cap space open for Hightower, Collins and others.

JPP cant tackle like he used to. His agent claims once the club comes off that he will be better, but you need fingers to tackle. Its hard enough with 2 complete hands.

 

[VectorPrime]

JPP will be a shell of himself due to his own stupidity.

 

[supafly]

Great idea, trade a pro bowl caliber pass rushing DE who knows their defense for a roll of the dice on second round pick. It's the stupid season for sure.

I think the prospect of trading Jones is coming up due to a handful of factors. I don't really care one way or the other and trust that Belichick will do the right thing, but this is what I'm assuming posters are thinking:

1) We could save 8 million dollars. That's big. If not, he'll likely be gone next year anyway.

2) He was already likely going to be the odd man out of Collins, Hightower, Jones anyway--which may be why Belichick added 3 DEs in the offseason. Now we can throw Malcolm Butler in the mix as well, which makes the situation even cloudier.

3) Some recent signs of immaturity with the substance situation, and it's possible they may be leery about a potential suspension and/or giving him a longer term pact. We also don't know what stage of the abuse program he's in and if he's had any other problems.

4) He may have been difficult to sign regardless of any other upcoming FA, as Belichick isn't quick to hand out big money pacts, especially ones that will demand the kind of market value that Jones would on the open market.

5) He just hasn't played consistently enough and keeps falling off the 2nd half of the season.

6) We obviously are going to be more limited in draft resources, so that adds to the possibility/"need" of adding to our selections, particularly with a higher round pick.

7) The emergence of Sheard, who we can also save on his 7m dollar cap hit by extending this offseason.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

How many Rutgers FA's are out there? Time to restock.

 

[supafly]

Who should they target? And is that player worth more than an OT or ILB?

I can't really speculate on specific names, DaB. I think we could go back and forth all day on who may/may not be a good fit. I'm just speaking on the prospect alone of a RB signing in the same vein as a guy like Alfred Morris, who may be able to be had for a relatively reasonable deal. There seems to be a good handful of those types of backs on the market. Obviously, I don't expect us to go "big" with names like Lynch or Forte, so this is the only other reasonable option in my opinion.

As far as prioritizing--I trust that Belichick will make the right choice, but I agree with you that all of: RB, OT, and LB should be considered in the draft and/or free agency.

 

[Ivan]

JPP cant tackle like he used to. His agent claims once the club comes off that he will be better, but you need fingers to tackle. Its hard enough with 2 complete hands.

Let alone spank your monkey. However he's professional athlete so he can afford to have someone take care of that for for at least a few more years. Still, it just isn't the same thing.

 

[ivanvamp]

The future is bright for the Patriots.

Hate Tom Brady and the Pats all you want, but they're not going anywhere - CBSSports.com

 

[Ivan]

I could see Bill trading Chandler Jones to the 49ers (Chip Kelly) for a high 2nd and 6th rd pick

Me too, if Belichick turns into a crackhead by the time the draft rolls around.

 

[50-yard-line]

If it's not about Weddle vs McCourty, then don't start talking about Weddle vs McCourty. Like I specifically said, I don't see the value in "going from McCourty/Chung/Harmon to McCourty/Weddle/Chung." Chung was fantastic in his role. I don't know why anybody would see any need to try to change his role or turn him into a part time player, especially at the cost of a guy like Weddle. I don't know why anybody would try to turn Harmon from a perfectly acceptable deep zone specialist into a guy with no role on the team, especially at the cost of a guy like Weddle.

I introduced the word "vastly" because for however much a guy like Weddle would cost, he's either a "vast" upgrade or an absolute waste of resources. Weddle would be the latter.

I agree. Why in the world would hte Patriots be chasing a safety now with Harmon and Richards in teh wings, Chung playing great, and McCourty about as good as it gets?

And with other concerns far more pressing??????

 

[1960Pats]

Gordon is suspended and needs the Commish's ok to return.. And his next strike is the end of him.. Just like Blackmon.

On this kid Gordon, someone help me with this. His violations have been either drinking or pot violations. Is that correct?

 

[Sciz]

On this kid Gordon, someone help me with this. His violations have been either drinking or pot violations. Is that correct?

He claims one was for codeine in strep throat medicine.

 

[Ross12]

Lombardi was the GM who had enough of Gordon's crap and had a trade all planned out to get rid of him until the owner vetoed it. The Patriots and Falcons (with Joe Banner) are the two teams that will know every single detail of everything Gordon did wrong in his early Browns career, which was not just the drugs like so many people think.

Anyone else think the Browns really f***ed up canning Lombardi? Seems like every couple months we hear about something else he tried to do that was ultimately the smart decision but either the fans hated it when he did it, or the owner stopped him from doing it.

 

[Ivan]

I think the prospect of trading Jones is coming up due to a handful of factors. I don't really care one way or the other and trust that Belichick will do the right thing, but this is what I'm assuming posters are thinking:

1) We could save 8 million dollars. That's big. If not, he'll likely be gone next year anyway.

2) He was already likely going to be the odd man out of Collins, Hightower, Jones anyway--which may be why Belichick added 3 DEs in the offseason. Now we can throw Malcolm Butler in the mix as well, which makes the situation even cloudier.

3) Some recent signs of immaturity with the substance situation, and it's possible they may be leery about a potential suspension and/or giving him a longer term pact. We also don't know what stage of the abuse program he's in and if he's had any other problems.

4) He may have been difficult to sign regardless of any other upcoming FA, as Belichick isn't quick to hand out big money pacts, especially ones that will demand the kind of market value that Jones would on the open market.

5) He just hasn't played consistently enough and keeps falling off the 2nd half of the season.

6) We obviously are going to be more limited in draft resources, so that adds to the possibility/"need" of adding to our selections, particularly with a higher round pick.

7) The emergence of Sheard, who we can also save on his 7m dollar cap hit by extending this offseason.

If they can get Jones in the same range as Collins and Hightower, around 50 million then they can do all three and will have significant cap savings on Jones and Hightower next season. Jones has had one minor slip up in his career and there has been no talk of any suspension for him regarding the synthetic weed, if it was that, it could have just as easily been Ambien, which will cause similar symptoms, either way he's hardly a character concern. As for dropping off in second half's of seasons his snap counts as well as injuries go a long ways in explaining those numbers. And what so many are forgetting here is that it was the Jones strip for the fumble that led to the win against KC. He's a really good young player just entering his prime, and while I too would prioritize Hightower and Collins I wouldnt rule out Jones sticking around by any means. Jones may leave as a free agent but the talk of trading him Is idiotic imo, Belichick isn't giving him up for a second rounder, that's just more offseason crackhead trade talk like the Calvin Johnson and Josh Gordon fantasies. Imo keeping this young defense together is the priority, not trading it piecemeal for draft picks that won't realize their potential for years to come if ever.

 

[Ross12]

The future is bright for the Patriots.

Hate Tom Brady and the Pats all you want, but they're not going anywhere - CBSSports.com

That was actually a relatively entertaining article. Thanks!

 

[Sciz]

Anyone else think the Browns really f***ed up canning Lombardi? Seems like every couple months we hear about something else he tried to do that was ultimately the smart decision but either the fans hated it when he did it, or the owner stopped him from doing it.

I think they at least owed him another year. Lombardi was playing the long game, getting the first for Richardson and trying to get another second for Gordon. Then the Browns fired him and let Farmer throw away all those resources Lombardi had built up. That 2014 offseason should have gotten the Browns back into relevance, but instead they ended up with two character busts in the first round. That's just awful.

 

[Ivan]

Thoughts on any of these (O linemen)?


2016 NFL Free Agents Tracker

I like Osemele as a guard but the Ravens aren't going to let him go and he will be expensive as guards go.

 

[primetime]

On this kid Gordon, someone help me with this. His violations have been either drinking or pot violations. Is that correct?

Yeah, but it reflects poorly on his decision-making and multiple DUIs are usually a sign of a serious problem. That said, he's kept his nose clean for a year and he's got the talent to be the best WR in the league.

 

[1960Pats]

He claims one was for codeine in strep throat medicine.

But it hasn't been for HGH or some PED?

 

[1960Pats]

Yeah, but it reflects poorly on his decision-making and multiple DUIs are usually a sign of a serious problem. That said, he's kept his nose clean for a year and he's got the talent to be the best WR in the league.

To me it's another example of the uneven way the NYJFL hands out punishment. He never used a PED but he's one step away from being out of the league. Too bad because he's one hell of a player.