Would You Sign Any Of These Players?

[Brady6]

As you well know, that is not the point.

If these players were free agents, we wouldn't sign Wilfork or Sopoaga for anywhere near what we can save.

If we cut Wilfork and signed someone else to a one-year deal for $7.5M, the cap effect would be the same as keeping Wilfork under his present contract.

I suspect that Wilfork and Sopoaga understand that they will not be playing under their existing contracts.

Sopoaga is gone in my opinion and while it was a calculated risk that could have went either way the result was that his acquisition was a poor move that pushed our 5th round pick to 6th round and will cost us $1 mil against our 2014 cap.

 

[manxman2601]

Sopoaga is gone in my opinion and while it was a calculated risk that could have went either way the result was that his acquisition was a poor move that pushed our 5th round pick to 6th round and will cost us $1 mil against our 2014 cap.

The 5th to 6th round thing is irrelevant especially if we have one or more compensation picks at the end of the 6th.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Sopoaga is gone in my opinion and while it was a calculated risk that could have went either way the result was that his acquisition was a poor move that pushed our 5th round pick to 6th round and will cost us $1 mil against our 2014 cap.

Wilfork brings toughness and brute physicality to the D line. He also is a veteran leader on the team. Showing him some love as far as payroll goes, will go a long way to showing the players we are not as cutthroat a team as the media makes us out to be.

Kelly brings a history as an effective player, but is currently a ghost of the player he once was.

Sopoaga - Probably could have been a good player in our system IF we had drafted and coached him from day 1. Now however he is JAG.

 

[Brady6]

The 5th to 6th round thing is irrelevant especially if we have one or more compensation picks at the end of the 6th.

I hear you and I don't think it was a terrible move in concept like I said it was a calculated risk that unfortunately didn't go our way.

 

[supafly]

Jeff Howe of the Herald reported it about a week ago

The Blitz with Jeff Howe & Karen Guregian | Boston Herald

well then Kelly could very well be a cut, significant injuries to older players, especially DT just does not sound good. Its why I still think that there is a much greater chance of Wilfork getting cut than people think, I am not saying it is going to happen but thats a lot of money that they would save.

Yeah, I'd have to lean towards Kelly being cut then if that is true.

Boy--that whole situation was a bit weird. It's kind of strange that they didn't IR him initially and kept him around, even having him return to practice 4-5+ weeks later.

I suppose the possibility exists that he only had a partial tear and then completely tore it 5 weeks later when he returned to practice, but then that would mean that he'd have a pretty long recovery process for a torn ACL that occurred in mid-November (considering that the initial injury occurred in the beginning of October).

That would mean that Kelly would have to be looking at a pretty clear cut recovery period until training camp were over, if you feel that 10 months is reasonable for a man of his age + severity of the injury.

 

[supafly]

I hear you and I don't think it was a terrible move in concept like I said it was a calculated risk that unfortunately didn't go our way.

I think it was a lower risk type of signing that reeked of desperation at the last minute of the trade deadline. I couldn't imagine any scenario where he was kept on though, as you said.

 

[captain stone]

Kelly should be cut at the most financially advantageous time; he can always be re-signed
for the vet minimum later in the offseason.

Soap should be given the chance to accept a pay cut to the non-guaranteed vet minimum,
or to be cut outright.

I would love to have Wilfork retire a Patriot because of his intangibles; but because of his
tangibles, he would have to accept a massive pay cut to stay, and I'm not sure if his pride
will allow that to happen.

 

[mayoclinic]

Kelly should be cut at the most financially advantageous time; he can always be re-signed
for the vet minimum later in the offseason.

Soap should be given the chance to accept a pay cut to the non-guaranteed vet minimum,
or to be cut outright.

I would love to have Wilfork retire a Patriot because of his intangibles; but because of his
tangibles, he would have to accept a massive pay cut to stay, and I'm not sure if his pride
will allow that to happen.

The Pats need to make a decision on Wilfork before FA starts. Either they think he can come back and they need to restructure him, or they are doubtful and they need to find a way to move on that will save face, allowing them to save cap space and address the DT position in FA.

Sopoaga should be cut outright. He couldn't make the 46 man active roster behind Siliga, Jones and Vellano.

The Pats shouldn't do anything with Kelly until they have sorted out the rest of the DT position in FA and the draft. There's no rush to cut or restructure him immediately, and by waiting longer they can better assess his ability to come back from his ACL injury and how he fits with the other pieces at the position.

 

[mgteich]

The only point I question is this "saving face". Obviously, the team could sign a long-term agreement with Wilfork and reduce the 2014 cap. I am not interested in the team doing that.

If the team wants to give Wilfork $4M for this year plus incentives, then one can only question whether this is for past of future performance. Perhaps the answer will be that Wilfork's projected 2014 production is worth $4M.

However, since we are sitting here arguing about whether Wilfork is $4M, I expect belichick to be even tougher on a player who has no way of being near shape before FA starts, when the decision should be made.

The Pats need to make a decision on Wilfork before FA starts. Either they think he can come back and they need to restructure him, or they are doubtful and they need to find a way to move on that will save face, allowing them to save cap space and address the DT position in FA.

Sopoaga should be cut outright. He couldn't make the 46 man active roster behind Siliga, Jones and Vellano.

The Pats shouldn't do anything with Kelly until they have sorted out the rest of the DT position in FA and the draft. There's no rush to cut or restructure him immediately, and by waiting longer they can better assess his ability to come back from his ACL injury and how he fits with the other pieces at the position.

 

[DocHoliday]

Honestly can't see Vellano on this team next year. Knowing that alone Kelly will definitely be back.

 

[captain stone]

Totally agree with the first part; Vellano just sux.
Kelly, OTOH, needs to show that he will be good-to-go when TC starts.