No win situation?

[TxHeat]

Here’s a hairy dynamic that enters into the “SIT EVERYBODY!!” conversation for this Sunday.

Playing time incentives. Most specifically, those of defensive tackle Vince Wilfork,.

When Wilfork restructured his deal in the offseason (after much angst and irritation), the new agreement was laden with escalators.

There was a $300,000 weight clause incentive, $500,000 for being on the 53-man roster for the opener, and an additional $87,500 would be paid out for each game on the 46-man active roster (up to $1.4 million).

Most lucrative are Wilfork’s playing time incentives. Wilfork only has one more to check off to get the maximum $2.5 million boost: play 70 percent of the Patriots defensive snaps and play in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Patriots are already in the divisional round.

According to the website SportingCharts.com (not official), Wilfork has played in 764 of the Patriots 1,031 defensive snaps for 74.1 percent.

The average number of defensive snaps for the Patriots is 68.7. The first time the Patriots played the Bills, Buffalo ran 69 plays. If Vince sits Sunday and 70 plays are run, he will have played in 69.4 percent of the Patriots defensive snaps.

Wilfork has already realized the $1.25M escalator for playing at least 60 percent of the defensive snaps. So $1.25 million is on the line for him Sunday depending on what Bill Belichick decides to do defensively.

Belichick said Tuesday morning that the answer to every question could be, “We’ll do what’s best for the team.”

In this instance, what’s best? Sitting Wilfork ensures he’s out of harm’s way. It also will save the team $1.25 million if the 70-percent escalator isn’t reached.

But if the club does sit him, there’s no way to avoid the perception the team was concerned with saving money and preventing Wilfork from hitting his escalator. And there would then be no way to prevent the 33-year-old Wilfork from hitting the roof. With good reason.

Wilfork can also earn another $500,000 if he plays 70 percent of the plays and the team finishes in the top 10 in points allowed. The Patriots are currently eighth.

So this game against the Bills which was rendered meaningless Monday night in the big picture actually has a lot of meaning for Big Vince.

Do they protect him and give the impression they are trying to save a buck or let him get on the field at risk of injury?

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Two options.
Sit him, say thanks Vince our concern was your achilles would not hold up, it has, here's the $$ regardless of whether if you played 69% or 71%.
Or play him a couple plays in each of the first two quarters to make sure he gets 70%, which would be just as easy.

 

[Southieinnc]

Two options.
Sit him, say thanks Vince our concern was your achilles would not hold up, it has, here's the $$ regardless of whether if you played 69% or 71%.
Or play him a couple plays in each of the first two quarters to make sure he gets 70%, which would be just as easy.

There is another option - if you can sell it.
Tell Vince what you are thinking. Tell him you want him to stay healthy and get the bonus. Move the incentives to the playoffs. Make the carrot bigger in the playoffs.....

 

[{+}Mother-Marge{+}]

They should start all starters, regardless,.......so they can get their "escalator$",.... And then yank them in the 2nd half/start.,......note = big Vince did save our ass in the jets/raiders games .

 

[TxHeat]

as long as they tell him upfront what the plan is, everyone will hopefully be happy which should include him getting the bonus somehow as mentioned above.

 

[{+}Mother-Marge{+}]

Morning tex,.....I need my java, before I read your post up top,.....hopefully everybody's happy this Sunday, and get's = PAID...!

 

[TxHeat]

Morning tex,.....I need my java, before I read your post up top,.....hopefully everybody's happy this Sunday, and get's = PAID...!

Morning to you Mother. I'll be in FL next week and will probably get stuck with a fins game.

 

[PatsFan2003]

Two options.
Sit him, say thanks Vince our concern was your achilles would not hold up, it has, here's the $$ regardless of whether if you played 69% or 71%.
Or play him a couple plays in each of the first two quarters to make sure he gets 70%, which would be just as easy.

I would do that for Vince and Edelman who seems about 75 yards short on one of his incentives.

 

[TxHeat]

I would do that for Vince and Edelman who seems about 75 yards short on one of his incentives.

I hope so. There is already a perceived perception they are cheap, they don't need to prove it.

 

[redseat]

Play him in the first half and rest him in the 2nd. Solves everything doesn't it?

 

[BigKen]

Historically, the Patriots have been excellent with regards to bonuses. They get pissy when they want to punish someone. 99% of the time we have no idea why. Belichick gets the most angry when a player talks out of turn with the media, doesn't make practice for a shithead reason and finally when a player goes viral on twitter. Oh yeah, and when a player goes after a coach, especially in public.


I can't think of a time when a player just stood on a side line watching a game and missing out on a bonus because Kraft didn't want to pay. After all, what's a couple of hundred thousand vs a couple of billion??

 

[Southieinnc]

Historically, the Patriots have been excellent with regards to bonuses. They get pissy when they want to punish someone. 99% of the time we have no idea why. Belichick gets the most angry when a player talks out of turn with the media, doesn't make practice for a shithead reason and finally when a player goes viral on twitter. Oh yeah, and when a player goes after a coach, especially in public.


I can't think of a time when a player just stood on a side line watching a game and missing out on a bonus because Kraft didn't want to pay. After all, what's a couple of hundred thousand vs a couple of billion??

There is an old proverb that says:
"The nail that sticks out get's hammered"
I have the same mentallity in my world....