Wilfork Restructures Contract (3 Yr 22.5 Mil)

[BradyFTW!]

If this early report is true, the Patriots seem to have covered their ass:



https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/449299274606473216

Wow, $3M guaranteed is a huge win for the Pats. Surprised that he went for that deal, considering that that's less than the guaranteed money that he would have had for 2014 alone ($3.6M) if he hadn't agreed to extent/restructure.

I'm still nervous about his ability to contribute going forward, but if you account for the fact that $3.6M of this year's cap hit is sunk--it was getting paid to him even if he didn't get extended--it's not an egregious amount. It's really only a bad move if you think you could get a better DT on the open market for $4-4.5M after cutting him. Not a slam dunk, but a pretty fair deal. Sounds like both sides gave some ground--Pats on salary and Vince on guaranteed money--which is how it probably should be.

Really happy for Vince and pumped that we'll be able to keep rooting for him. I have my doubts that he'll make it back, but I look forward to hopefully being proven wrong.

 

[Danger Zone]

The numbers reported by Schefter seem reasonable and offer a nice exit strategy in case he cant return to his dominant self..

I can live with this deal...

And most importantly, so can Wilfork!!

:singing:

 

[Foxypats]

Love it . I'm doing my happy dance!

 

[TyronePoole]

I'm personally thrilled that we don't have many fans like you.

yeah, rational fans that aren't emotionally blinded are a real pain in the ass. You can like Wilfork as a person and not think he's a very good solution for this team you know, it doesn't make you a bad "fan."

How anyone can look at our DL and think it's anything but an enormous question mark is beyond me. We have two 33 year olds this year that both sustained season ending injuries last year. One of them was playing horribly before the injury and is not suited towards optimal packages that the secondary should allow us to run. We have one pass rushing DE and a versatile solid DE. Then guys that are just above JAG level and a kid who we are for some reason banking on to be a stud that has had a heart attack and some kind of mystery infection that kept him out all year and has never played outside of Canada. This isn't Chicken Littling, this is being realistic in the assesment of the DL (other areas are massively stronger).

Having Wilfork back in any kind of way that forces us to play him is literally making the worst possible use of a Revis/Browner combo imaginable. If I'm going to speculate this has to be a Kraft family PR job and not much to do with BB (let's hope). Luckily they didn't commit silly money to him and the cap hit won't be too terrible. I just hope BB benches him when he knows he needs to.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I'm personally thrilled that we locked down the best secondary in the NFL so that we could start an aging/injured NT who doesn't pass rush for 3 years

hopefully he doesn't play very much and all that money is incentive-based

I don't think your point's entirely without merit, and I agree that lineman who offer nothing to the pass rush have less value now than they did in the past. But even the Seahawks' d-line had run stoppers, because you still need them.

If the Pats are serious about doing things like moving Ryan to safety, starting Collins--who wasn't great against the run last year--and potentially having a base nickel defense, it'll be vital to protect those guys from being exposed against the run. You do that by having players like Wilfork, Mayo, and Hightower up the middle. Wilfork's value has always been measured predominantly by what he frees up others to do when he's two-gapping, commanding double teams, and never giving an inch.

I agree that this deal probably isn't the home run that some people are portraying it as--he's basically getting paid slightly above market value for what you expect to get out of him--but if Vince is anything close to his old self, he's still an extremely valuable player who still contributes more in the pass rush than the typical behemoth NT. The real concern all along has been that he won't get back to anything close to that level. That's still a major issue, and it's one that the Pats are clearly being very careful about, because they've structured this contract with that concern in mind. If big Vince can't make it back, then he can be easily cut. It's no big deal, since there's only $3M guaranteed on the contract, which is less than he was set to make in guaranteed money this year alone on his old contract.

 

[JayNM]

When i first read the news, a big smile born in my face. However, the taste was slowly turning into bittersweet.

We are going to pay 7.5 Mill Next year for a 33 years old NT, who is clearly declining and was not much a pass-rusher in the first place.

Can someone clarify this for me, how much will Wilfork cost in Salary Cap this year and in the next? And if the Pats consider cutting him next Season?

EDIT - Oh, there's 3 Mill only Guaranted. Alright, that's a lot better. Still not the best contract overall.

 

[TyronePoole]

I don't think your point's entirely without merit, and I agree that lineman who offer nothing to the pass rush have less value now than they did in the past. But even the Seahawks' d-line had run stoppers, because you still need them.

If the Pats are serious about doing things like moving Ryan to safety, putting Collins--who wasn't great against the run last year--and potentially having a base nickel defense, it'll be vital to protect those guys from being exposed against the run. You do that by having players like Wilfork, Mayo, and Hightower up the middle.

I agree that this deal probably isn't the home run that some people are portraying it as--he's basically getting paid slightly above market value for what you expect to get out of him--but if Vince is anything close to his old self, he's still an extremely valuable player who still contributes more in the pass rush than the typical behemoth NT. The real concern all along has been that he won't get back to anything close to that level. That's still a major issue, and it's one that the Pats are clearly being very careful about, because if he doesn't then he can be easily cut. It's no big deal, since there's only $3M guaranteed on the contract, which is less than he was set to make in guaranteed money this year alone on his old contract.

to clarify, using Wilfork situationally is fine. But they aren't paying him situational NT money they are going to be starting him I fear. And I personally believe that he is a huge hindrance in the pass rush.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

yeah, rational fans that aren't emotionally blinded are a real pain in the ass. You can like Wilfork as a person and not think he's a very good solution for this team you know, it doesn't make you a bad "fan."

How anyone can look at our DL and think it's anything but an enormous question mark is beyond me. We have two 33 year olds this year that both sustained season ending injuries last year. One of them was playing horribly before the injury and is not suited towards optimal packages that the secondary should allow us to run. We have one pass rushing DE and a versatile solid DE. Then guys that are just above JAG level and a kid who we are for some reason banking on to be a stud that has had a heart attack and some kind of mystery infection that kept him out all year and has never played outside of Canada. This isn't Chicken Littling, this is being realistic in the assesment of the DL (other areas are massively stronger).

Having Wilfork back in any kind of way that forces us to play him is literally making the worst possible use of a Revis/Browner combo imaginable. If I'm going to speculate this has to be a Kraft family PR job and not much to do with BB (let's hope). Luckily they didn't commit silly money to him and the cap hit won't be too terrible. I just hope BB benches him when he knows he needs to.

Put down the bong.

Wify and Kels are run stoppers and blocker magnets.
The pass rush will come from others.
I do NOT expect Wilfork to be an 80% down player in 2014 + as in the past and neither do the Patriots given his contract.
This homer wishes the very best from players under contract.

 

[Gumby]

Reportedly Vince's tweet:

It's been hard to remain quiet and let things take its course but it has been the best thing to do. Negoitations are mever easy especially when you have a 10 year history with a team and more importantly relationships. For those who have supported me I thank you, for those who have called me every name in the book I thank you too. My intentions have never changed 10 years ago my goal was to retire a patriot and as I sit here typing this I am closer to achieving my goal. I look forward to getting back to football and helping my team compete and have a chance at winning a Super Bowl.

The 2 highlighted sections jumped out at me as I read this and accompanying story and it just screamed to me...............

WHAT A CLASS ACT !!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Vince for staying a Patriot.

 

[Kdo5]

Not sure how well he can still play considering that injury. Still he and Kelly being back goes a long way to fixing our run defense. But it is good news, only 3 mill guaranteed, and a long time Patriots leader isn't going anywhere. Certainly feels good.

 

[Danger Zone]

yeah, rational fans that aren't emotionally blinded are a real pain in the ass. You can like Wilfork as a person and not think he's a very good solution for this team you know, it doesn't make you a bad "fan."

How anyone can look at our DL and think it's anything but an enormous question mark is beyond me. We have two 33 year olds this year that both sustained season ending injuries last year. One of them was playing horribly before the injury and is not suited towards optimal packages that the secondary should allow us to run. We have one pass rushing DE and a versatile solid DE. Then guys that are just above JAG level and a kid who we are for some reason banking on to be a stud that has had a heart attack and some kind of mystery infection that kept him out all year and has never played outside of Canada. This isn't Chicken Littling, this is being realistic in the assesment of the DL (other areas are massively stronger).

Having Wilfork back in any kind of way that forces us to play him is literally making the worst possible use of a Revis/Browner combo imaginable. If I'm going to speculate this has to be a Kraft family PR job and not much to do with BB (let's hope). Luckily they didn't commit silly money to him and the cap hit won't be too terrible. I just hope BB benches him when he knows he needs to.

I guarantee that Wilfork is back because Belichick wants him back (and Wilfork wants to be back too of course).

Belichick isn't going to be "forced" to play anyone. He never has. Never will. Thats virtually one of the cornerstones of who Belichick is as a coach.

If Wilfork is a liability, Belichick makes the move(s) that are best for the team. Period. To think he'd do otherwise is.... is... um.. it's just not going to happen, okay?

 

[patfanken]

Some comments on the comments:

1. I've always questioned why the reports that Vince demanded his release, cleaned out his locker, and now hated the organization he'd worked for for the last 10 years. It never made sense, because he had to have seen what was coming. The team couldn't allow that $11.6MM cap number survive.

Now it turns out that it was all just a matter of negotiations. Vince wasn't as angry as it was reported, and once again the Herald made it up as it went along. I can't wait to see how Borges spins this.

2. I have mixed emotions about this. I really believe that this kind of deal, which is essentially a one year deal of $3MM guaranteed with incentives to $8MM (the other 2 years are just to create some cap space); couldn't have been done in June. No other team would have offered a deal even close to what he got here.

The point being, It might have been better if the Pats put the deal on the table. Released Vince to create the $8MM in cap space now, and then in June sign the same deal he has now. Just a thought. As it is we aren't really sure how much space was created, but I'm guessing somewhere between $3-5MM. We'll just have to wait a few days until Miguel makes his assessment.

3. The fact that he signed STILL doesn't make the issues of his relatively poor play last season, and critical problems of coming back from an Achilles injury at his age, weight and position. I'm hoping that now we might hear some info on where he stands in his rehab, how much he weighs, and when we can expect him to be back on the field now that the deal has been signed. I also hope we keep our expectations of what he'll be able to do when he does get back on the field realistic

4. I'm sorry we missed out on Shaun Phillips. He seemed like the ideal guy who provide veteran depth at both the DE and OLB position. It didn't make me feel any better that he signed for a very reasonable $3MM/yr.

5. On the plus side, Vince's leadership and presence would have been sorely missed on this still very young D. I'm not sure what kind of leaders Revis and Browner are, but they both add a lot of experience to a defense that didn't have much.

6. All in all, a pretty good day in the nation. Now lets go and spend some money filling in the gaps.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Best wishes to Wilfy in his post NFL life and may he avoid the diabetes that claimed his Dad

 

[TyronePoole]

Put down the bong.

Wify and Kels are run stoppers and blocker magnets.
The pass rush will come from others.
I do NOT expect Wilfork to be an 80% down player in 2014 + as in the past and neither do the Patriots given his contract.
This homer wishes the very best from players under contract.

We are gearing up to challenge the Broncos. We need a pass rush. Where is that coming from exactly? This isn't 1985, the "he occupies 2 blockers" nonsense is not how it works these days. Look at teams that are successful against the pass, they don't utilize a big fat run stopper.

Yeah turn this into me rooting against Vince though and you being a proud homer, that's a pretty easy/lazy message board fallback.

 

[Rob0729]

I am happy that Vince will be back, but my concerns about him coming back from this injury remains. The Pats need to get a back up plan and his eventual replacement just in case.

I think the deal is good for both sides. Pats get cap relief and insurance if he never comes back. Vince can make an extra $500k this year if he plays every game or close to it.

Vince is one of my favorite players. So from a pure emotional standpoint, this is huge. From my cold hearted rational Belichickian football as business standpoint, I am only cautiously optimistic. I still think DT is arguably the biggest need on defense with a lot of uncertainty with both Wilfork and Kelly being older DTs and coming back from season ending injuries.

 

[kennyb]

Wow, $3M guaranteed is a huge win for the Pats. Surprised that he went for that deal, considering that that's less than the guaranteed money that he would have had for 2014 alone ($3.6M) if he hadn't agreed to extent/restructure.

I'm still nervous about his ability to contribute going forward, but if you account for the fact that $3.6M of this year's cap hit is sunk--it was getting paid to him even if he didn't get extended--it's not an egregious amount. It's really only a bad move if you think you could get a better DT on the open market for $4-4.5M after cutting him. Not a slam dunk, but a pretty fair deal. Sounds like both sides gave some ground--Pats on salary and Vince on guaranteed money--which is how it probably should be.

Really happy for Vince and pumped that we'll be able to keep rooting for him. I have my doubts that he'll make it back, but I look forward to hopefully being proven wrong.

The 3.6m was the amortization from his last signing bonus. It was already paid. He's getting at least 3m in new cash this year plus up to 5 more in incentives. If I read that right. His cap hit will be 3.6m plus the salary and amortization from the new contract. Not sure if they spread out the 3m over 3 years or just one. Not sure if his incentives are considered ltbe or not.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

We are gearing up to challenge the Broncos. We need a pass rush. Where is that coming from exactly? This isn't 1985, the "he occupies 2 blockers" nonsense is not how it works these days. Look at teams that are successful against the pass, they don't utilize a big fat run stopper.

Yeah turn this into me rooting against Vince though and you being a proud homer, that's a pretty easy/lazy message board fallback.

I look to the 1st 2 rounds for a DT pick for an interior pass rusher along with Chris Jones who is not bad in that role and is already on the roster.

Did you miss my comment that VW was a run stopper and no longer an 80% down player? Yes, you did.

 

[Danger Zone]

We are gearing up to challenge the Broncos. We need a pass rush. Where is that coming from exactly?

If Vince still requires two-defenders to block him, that's your pass rush.

That he does this and ALSO stops the run, is what makes him such a valuable anchor for the line... even dare I say it, at 80% of his pre-injury/younger self.

 

[TyronePoole]

I guarantee that Wilfork is back because Belichick wants him back (and Wilfork wants to be back too of course).

Belichick isn't going to be "forced" to play anyone. He never has. Never will. Thats virtually one of the cornerstones of who Belichick is as a coach.

If Wilfork is a liability, Belichick makes the move(s) that are best for the team. Period. To think he'd do otherwise is.... is... um.. it's just not going to happen, okay?

Yeah, you're not in a position to state any of this with authority. Bellichick was playing Spikes on the regular last year when all available metrics showed that it was very sub-optimal and he was killing our pass defense. Then all of a sudden poof.

If you're one of these posters that's just gonna appeal to BB's authority all the time and start spouting dogmas that then turn out to be false well we can just fast forward to the part where you simply state something he does cannot be wrong because he did it. He is the best coach in the league who makes a litany of errors and has consistent bad thinking in several aspects of the game that all coaches have (4th downs, 2 point conversions etc).

Bottom line is you don't know what the relationship is behind the scenes or who has what sway over what signing.

 

[BradyFTW!]

to clarify, using Wilfork situationally is fine. But they aren't paying him situational NT money they are going to be starting him I fear. And I personally believe that he is a huge hindrance in the pass rush.

That's not true. He's not a significant asset in the pass rush, but he's not a liability. Anyone who commands a double team is, pretty much by definition, an asset in any situation where they're commanding a double team. He won't get many sacks, but if he's anything close to what he was in the past, he will push the pocket and command a double team.