Moving on...Offseason

[Shoeshine Boy]

Since the salary cap doesn't come into play until the the season starts, some pretty interesting cuts just may happen.

The salary cap comes into play way before the start of the season.

 

[BigKen]

The salary cap comes into play way before the start of the season.

There will be 90 players in camp until a week before the end of preseason. Then the rosters have to be cut to 75. Then the Wednesday before the first game of the season the rosters must be cut to 53. While everyone is looking at what they have and how it effects the salary cap, the salary cap does not come into play until the final 53 are decided on. I understand your point, but no one gives a rat's ass about the salary cap when there are 90 guys getting gear and uniforms during the 3rd week of July.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

10000% wrong. You need to go back to the inner sanctum and ask your boy Caserio for a lesson on how the salary cap works.

 

[cdumler7]

All teams have to be under the salary cap when the new league year kicks in. At this point they only take the top-51 salaries on the team but still that only eliminates some pretty low salaries.

 

[CreepCreep2014]

Looks like some other team lost more coaches in the offseason instead....LOL....guess they blew up and their dynasty is over...LOL.

 

[BigKen]

Mentioned on 98.5 TheSportsHub. Patriots have started negotiations with Marquis Flowers about a contract. No details. This is one I hope they can get done. Flowers, Hightower, Wise and Rivers would be a great start.

 

[BigKen]

Ways Patriots Can Trim Their Roster To Create More Salary Cap Room
by Doug Kyed on Wed, Feb 14, 2018 at 2:47PM
20,890

The New England Patriots are opening the 2018 off season with just over $17 million to spend in cap room. They’ll need to increase that number in order to retain their own free agents, add other veterans to their roster and sign draft picks.

That will require addition by subtraction.

The Patriots can open some cap room by extending and reworking contracts — quarterback Tom Brady’s chief among them, since he’s only locked up through 2019 — but they’ll also need to release some players, and there are some obvious choices.

Here are seven candidates, including their 2018 cap hit and dead cap if they were to be released. You have to subtract the dead cap from the cap hit to determine how much room the Patriots would save.

TE MARTELLUS BENNETT
Cap hit: $6,187,500
Dead cap: $0

The Patriots can free up over $6 million by cutting Bennett, who has hinted at retirement anyway.

It would be nice to keep Bennett, because tight end insurance is always valuable, so if the Patriots could convince him to take a pay cut, it would be beneficiary. But he’s probably not worth over $6 million. That could change if tight end Rob Gronkowski truly decides to retire, at which he also has hinted.

TE DWAYNE ALLEN
Cap hit: $5,000,000
Dead cap: $0

This one seems like a no-brainer, since Allen caught just 10 passes for 86 yards in 16 games last season. He didn’t have a reception in the playoffs. Allen could be worth keeping if he takes a dramatic pay cut, but he’s not worth $5 million to the Patriots.

DT ALAN BRANCH
Cap hit: $4,550,000
Dead cap: $1,000,000

Branch was a healthy scratch for the Super Bowl, so it would be a major upset if the Patriots decided he was worth almost $5 million next season. They would save $3,550,000 by choosing not to keep Branch this offseason.

LB SHEA MCCLELLIN
Cap hit: $3,183,334
Dead cap: $833,334

This one’s a little trickier. The Patriots could save $2,350,000 by cutting McClellin, who missed the entire 2017 season with injuries, this offseason. But they lacked pass-rush depth in 2017, so it might be worth keeping him through training camp to see if he could help the team in 2018.

LB DAVID HARRIS
Cap hit: $2,750,000
Dead cap: $625,000

Harris, like Branch, was a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl. He played just 10 games and 181 snaps this season. When he was barely playing early in the season, many expected him to be cut.

RB MIKE GILLISLEE
Cap hit: $2,181,250
Dead cap: $0

Like with McClellin, this one isn’t so cut and dry. An extra $2 million in cap room would help, but the Patriots might not be able to re-sign Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead this offseason. Gillislee could be a big part of the offense in 2018 if they can’t. It’s worth keeping Gillislee through training camp.

SS JORDAN RICHARDS
Cap hit: $1,180,948
Dead cap: $239,827

OK, so we’re just throwing this one in for Patriots fans who are still mad at Richard from the Super Bowl LII loss. It’s unlikely Richards would be cut before training camp, but it would save the Patriots almost $1 million.

You might read elsewhere the Patriots could benefit by cutting wide receivers Brandin Cooks ($8,459,000), Phillip Dorsett ($1,544,373) or Kenny Britt ($1,468,750), but those players are worth their 2018 cap hits. Dorsett and Britt might not make it through training camp, but it’s worth seeing how they could contribute with a full offseason under their belt.

If the Patriots cut Bennett, Allen, Branch and Harris, they’d have over $14 million more in cap room. (The math doesn’t add up because we’re working off cap room based on the top 51 salaries on the team. The salaries of players cut would have to be replaced on the salary cap with cheaper players.)

If they also cut McClellin, Gillislee and Richards, they would have an additional $17.8 million in cap room.

Carrying $31 million (or $34.8 million) into the offseason would be much better and safer than $17 million.

 

[CreepCreep2014]

Mentioned on 98.5 TheSportsHub. Patriots have started negotiations with Marquis Flowers about a contract. No details. This is one I hope they can get done. Flowers, Hightower, Wise and Rivers would be a great start.

Huh?? Why would you want a ST LB who got his ass kicked in the SB?

Wait, do you mean Trey Flowers??? This I agree with. Let him go another year and they might not be able to afford him.

 

[CreepCreep2014]

They will keep one of Marty B or Allen (reduced price).
Branch, Harris, Richards should go.
Shea and Gills will be back.

Also a little nugget of info I have seen mentioned a few times, is that Malcolm Mitchell could be traded. Apparently he could of came back and played but BB decided he didn't want him too. IDK. Maybe BB just didn't think we needed him, and we clearly didn't. Not sure how/why he would have gotten into BB doghouse.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

They will keep one of Marty B or Allen (reduced price).
Branch, Harris, Richards should go.
Shea and Gills will be back.

Also a little nugget of info I have seen mentioned a few times, is that Malcolm Mitchell could be traded. Apparently he could of came back and played but BB decided he didn't want him too. IDK. Maybe BB just didn't think we needed him, and we clearly didn't. Not sure how/why he would have gotten into BB doghouse.

Marty I think will restructure, and he has much more versatility as well as chemistry with Tom.
Allen will be gone.
I don't see much trade value in MM. He would be a great WR if he had knees...if.
Bill used a 4th on a 1 year project. Oh well.

 

[BigKen]

Also a little nugget of info I have seen mentioned a few times, is that Malcolm Mitchell could be traded. Apparently he could of came back and played but BB decided he didn't want him too. IDK. Maybe BB just didn't think we needed him, and we clearly didn't. Not sure how/why he would have gotten into BB doghouse.

I saw an article that said that MM's knee was a mess and that surgeries couldn't get it back to the place it was last year. He had one major surgery and two minor ones. I certainly don't know the difference between the two.
I've had four heart procedures and two of them were 'minor'. As far as I'm concerned they were all major. This article said that when he was allowed to be activated, he couldn't do everything that he'd be required to do in a game. Opinion of the writer? Fact? With BB, one never knows..........

 

[BigKen]

We'll know in two weeks if Bennett will be back or not. He's due a $2M bonus on March 4th, the day the 2018 season officially begins.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

The only two I'd really like to see back are Lewis and Bennett. Lewis will likely price himself out of the BB market which is a shame. Good luck Dion. Love to see Marty B back if 100% healthy for another run at the SB. If he's healthy I think he's learned his lesson that NE is where he wants to be. After his stunt in GB not sure many teams are going to want to pay him.

All the other players are replacable.

Interesting to hear about Mitchell? Maybe BB can get a late round pick for him? Luckily for NE they don't need him with JE11 coming back.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

RB's are fungible. They got pretty good production from their RB group last year and they all made between 1.5 and 4M and none of them was drafted higher than the 4th round originally. It's a pretty good RB draft. We all love Lewis, but he's far from irreplaceable and they're not giving him Top 10-RB money or paying a RB more than what they gave James White last year. If he lowers his expectations he could be back, and I don't think the market for an under-sized RB with his injury history is going to be as robust as he seems to think it will be.

 

[BigKen]

We all know that the Patriots are sitting with about $17M of Cap space and certainly can't do much that considering they have to set aside money for the draft and would like to sign a couple of free agents. So I'll list the free agents and put my take as to what they'll do.

OFFENSE

Dion Lewis - Gone - Wants too much money

Rex Burkhead - Stay - BB stuck with him through his injury this year and I think he'll re-sign.

Martellus Bennet - Release - Re-sign - He's due a $2M Bonus 3/4 and BB won't want to tie up $8M. I think
Bill will give him the $2M if he resigns for 2 yrs/ $10M Total

Dwayne Allen - Release - Just didn't play up to his $5M contract. Patriots need the money.

Danny Amendola - Stay - He can probably get a bit more going elsewhere, but he's taken less to stay with the
Patriots.

Matthew Slater - Stay - He's made his NFL mark and at his age and limited play, not many options.

Nate Solder - Gone - Offensive Left Tackles are worth a lot of money and a lot teams need them. This is his last contract and I don't think he'll take 3 years $27M when he can get 3 years/$42M.

LaAdrian Waddle - Gone - No question he has some loyalty to the Patriots but there will be too much money to turn down in the free market.

Cameron Fleming - Stay - He's comfortable and Scar makes him better.

DEFENSE

Alan Branch - Release - 33 Years old, didn't play to where he was expected. Due a $1M Bonus on March 14.

Ricky Jean Francois - Gone - Really improved and played very well. Will probably be made an offer that the Patriots will not match.

James Harrison - Questionable - Liked playing for the Patriots. Got to play more than expected and did very well. Will he be willing to play for what the Patriots are willing to pay?

Marquis Flowers - Questionable - He knows the patriots don't overpay. He knows they want him to stay and are willing to give him 3-4 years. Will it be enough? He can definitely get a lot more on the open market.

 

[CreepCreep2014]

I agree that Dion is gone. Not sure who replaces him? I know guys like McKinnon are out there as FA, but he might demand Lewis money. I also think McKinnon can start in this league. Who knows, maybe a guy like Vereen gets cut.

I think Solder stays or retires. His son is still getting treatment's in Bos. I am not sure his wife will want to leave after all she has put into in this area. Kind of hard to switch Dr's and hospitals when they have so much faith in the Bos ones. Nate is a family man, so there is no way in hell he is leaving his family to play elsewhere while his wife is at home. I can really see him getting a 2yr deal with a team/player option for a 3rd. Garcia comes back, who apparently lost 25 pds from being sick, will have to get back into football shape.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

As first reported by Alex Marvez of the Sporting News, assistant special teams coach Ray Ventrone is leaving the Patriots. He is expected to be hired by the Colts.

 

[BigKen]

assistant special teams coach Ray Ventrone is leaving the Patriots. He is expected to be hired by the Colts.

Are the Colts making him the ST Coach? If Josh had left and taken Judge with him, Ventrone was in line to be the Pats ST Coach. Time to move on.

 

[BigKen]

Watching Early Edition this morning and a couple of interesting items came up. According to PFF, the only linebacker with a positive rating for number of plays made for number of plays played, was James Harrison.
Van Noy was level, neither positive or negative. Elandon Roberts was negative on passes and positive on running. Everyone else was negative.

The second thing was something I hadn't realized. We're all talking about Dontae Hightower coming back ad the effect he has etc. Did you know that Hightower has noit played in a complete 16 game season since 2013? When he comes back, the defense is much better, but how many games will he actually be on the field for?

Basically, they were sayimg that the linebacker position has to be totally rebuilt if the Patriots want to be back in the picture at the end of next season. Assuming everyone is healthu, Hightower will be back at ILB. Deatrich Wisw will be at one OLB and Derek Rivers will be at the other. Van Noy could fit in at the other ILB, but there is certainly a need for speed. These guys pretty agree that this should be an area of concentration in the upcoming draft. They also think that the pats should make an effort to resign Harrison if his asking price is reasonable.

 

[BigKen]

Another interesting comment this morning is that the Dion Lewis will be testing the free agent market but has agreed to let the Patriots know what he's been offered and will give them an opportunity to match. I can't see BB matching anything over $6M a year and no more than 3 years.