Which would be curious since he will be unemployed by an NFL team if he seeks out a Model Character Franchise.Easy to imagine this is the actual biggest impact of the Kraft arrest.
WEEI article referenced the Kraft incident as something that "did not sit well with him"...WTF why
Ugh - the franchise is doomed!WEEI article referenced the Kraft incident as something that "did not sit well with him"...
Mason finished 4th in the voting for All Pro at Right Guard. So, calling him on the verge of All Pro level doesn't seem that far fetched.All-pro? Trey Flowers, top-4 DE in the league?
I think Van Noy is really underrated and might be a borderline pro bowler, but Flowers? And All-Pro is a whole other level. Basically everyone in that category is nearly a household name with a ton of sacks.
Thuney is a better guard, and both Brown and Cannon better linemen, than Mason. Thuney got a ton of press for taking Aaron Donald one-on-one in the super bowl. Brown is about to have a bidding war for his services. You really think Shaq Mason is easily a pro bowler, and thus in the argument for top-4 guard in the league?
We got great value with the picks, they're good players at great contracts, but let's not go crazy.
He has been their for 6 years I can't recall his name from anywhere? Even the post SB splooge shows (my favorite). How do we know he had a big influence on the team? They did pretty well from 2001-2012 without him. He didn't really help AH (too soon?) and last season his role was "Last season, Easterby’s foremost assignment was mentoring and keeping close tabs on troubled receiver Josh Gordon."Not a roster player, but character coach Jack Easterby is leaving the Patriots. He's had a big influence in the locker room since he's been there. That's a big loss.
A couple good articles. It's kind of a big deal. Easterby lives permanently in SC and flies up during the week, so it was probably never an arrangement that was going to last forever.He has been their for 6 years I can't recall his name from anywhere? Even the post SB splooge shows (my favorite). How do we know he had a big influence on the team? They did pretty well from 2001-2012 without him. He didn't really help AH (too soon?) and last season his role was "Last season, Easterby’s foremost assignment was mentoring and keeping close tabs on troubled receiver Josh Gordon."
I'd be more worried about Pinkstripes or Berj bailing.
Thank you. He clearly has touched many Pats players. Chaplain and friendly guy. Im still skeptical about his role in the 'success' of the team. Rivers and Gordon, the 2 most discussed samples in the second article aren't exactly wins. Slater and Andrews say he is a great guy but I don't see where they say they succeeded because of him? Maybe Allen sort of does. A loss always hurts but I can't see how this hurts more than Flores or the guys he poached.A couple good articles. It's kind of a big deal. Easterby lives permanently in SC and flies up during the week, so it was probably never an arrangement that was going to last forever.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12250363/patriots-love-deflategate
https://www.patriots.com/news/you-don-t-know-jack-the-most-influential-patriot-you-ve-never-heard-of
Read the articles linked above. The Patriots initially hired Easterby in the wake of the Hernandez stuff. He wasn't on the team yet in June 2013.What the hell is a character coach? And where was he during June, 2013?
Do not take it seriously. He posted a follow up saying "trolling."How seriously should we take Martellus Bennett’s latest video tweet?
And if he is serious, how much could he contribute?
In addition to the stories already posted about him, here's a tweet last night from Mike Giardi.Thank you. He clearly has touched many Pats players. Chaplain and friendly guy. Im still skeptical about his role in the 'success' of the team. Rivers and Gordon, the 2 most discussed samples in the second article aren't exactly wins. Slater and Andrews say he is a great guy but I don't see where they say they succeeded because of him? Maybe Allen sort of does. A loss always hurts but I can't see how this hurts more than Flores or the guys he poached.
So when Slater retires he takes this roll over? Hell he seems to have the ST play down pat at this point, maybe he starts next season.
When Hightower was a free agent (and they didn't use the tag then), there were a couple of articles mentioning that the Patriots were averse to using the franchise tag. Felt it soured the team's relationship with a player. Their M.O. seems to be to express an interest to the agent, let them test the market and then to make their offer.I think its time for the Patriots to slap the franchise tag on Trey Flowers especially with the insane money a 30 year Brandon Graham just got.
LB is a lousy position to use the tag on for anyone because the tag's positional designations don't distinguish between off-ball LB like Hightower and rush LB like Von Miller. So I don't know that I would read too much into what was written when Hightower was hitting FA. That said, I don't expect the tag for Flowers either.When Hightower was a free agent (and they didn't use the tag then), there were a couple of articles mentioning that the Patriots were averse to using the franchise tag. Felt it soured the team's relationship with a player. Their M.O. seems to be to express an interest to the agent, let them test the market and then to make their offer.
IIRC, DHT was not the first where the Pats' MO was to let the FA explore what's out there and then to bring it back to NE to match/beat. I want to say this happened with DMC and with Edelman as well.When Hightower was a free agent (and they didn't use the tag then), there were a couple of articles mentioning that the Patriots were averse to using the franchise tag. Felt it soured the team's relationship with a player. Their M.O. seems to be to express an interest to the agent, let them test the market and then to make their offer.
I will concede the point and apologize to Saints Rest on that count, though I'm still querulous about Flowers.Mason finished 4th in the voting for All Pro at Right Guard. So, calling him on the verge of All Pro level doesn't seem that far fetched.
What could they do to reduce his cap hit? I assume they don't want to extend him. Any other avenues?
It's a fair miss, Fwiw. Mason has improved a ton in the last two years over what he was. Early Mason was a Project, capital P.I will concede the point and apologize to Saints Rest on that count, though I'm still querulous about Flowers.
Cutting him is the only other way besides a restructure. I'm sure they don't want to kick the can down the road on his deal.What could they do to reduce his cap hit? I assume they don't want to extend him. Any other avenues?
Agreed, unless adding 1 year could achieve some sort of happy medium?Cutting him is the only other way besides a restructure. I'm sure they don't want to kick the can down the road on his deal.
They could convert some of his $7 MM 2019 salary to signing bonus, which would let them spread the hit between 2019 and 2020. The problem is it makes this 2020 figure (which is a little north of $11 MM) unpalatable. Let's say you convert $6 MM to bonus. His 2019 salary goes down to $1 MM and his 2019 cap hit to $7.9 MM, but his cash payout is the same (since he gets the signing bonus now). But now his 2020 cap hit goes up to $14.4 MM with $5.5 MM dead money (since he already has $2.5 MM in bonus prorated on the 2020 cap).What could they do to reduce his cap hit? I assume they don't want to extend him. Any other avenues?
1. Defensive end Trey Flowers, the Patriots’ marquee free agent, has been a hot commodity for inquiring teams. There’s buzz that the Dolphins, who just hired Brian Flores as their head coach, are hot for Flowers. His agent, Neil Cornrich, declined to discuss specifics as it related to Flowers’ potential to return or sign elsewhere, or what type of money the pass rusher could command.
2. It sounds like left tackle Trent Brown could corral a contract worth as much as $15 million annually. The expectation is that he’ll sign with the highest bidder. Remember, the Patriots allowed Nate Solder to walk last year for similar money, a four-year, $62 million deal.
Well Bolden sucks. He was at best an 'ok' special teamer - why he thinks he's better than league minimum is beyond me.Notes on Howe's latest column from Indy
--He confirms the Dolphins' interest in Trey Flowers.
--Trent Brown is likely to get as much as $15 million/year on the open market and will go to the highest bidder.
--Keep an eye on Cam Fleming as a player to pair Isaiah Wynn with for next year.
--No word on whether Amendola will be released by Miami. If he is, he is open to a return to New England.
--No interest from the Pats in Adam Humphries as of yet.
--Patterson has drawn a ton of interest on the market but no clear indication the Pats are interested in bringing him back.
--Hogan and Dorsett remain in play to stay in NE, but his feeling is they'd have to take less to stay.
--No signs they are planning to restructure contracts for Hightower, DMC, and Clayborn.
--Chung will have surgery for a torn rotator cuff. He played through the injury for at least 2 months. He will be ready for training camp.
--Bolden left because they cut him for the 2nd year in a row in order to bring him back for the league minimum.
--Expect contract talks for Ghost to get going next week.
--Ryan Allen is expecting a contract in the $2.6-$3.3 million range.
--Multiple teams say there isn't a single QB worth a 1st round grade including Kyler Murray.
https://theathletic.com/846223/2019/03/01/howe-what-ive-learned-about-the-patriots-offseason-plans-at-the-nfl-scouting-combine/
Olivier Vernon if cut?Wonder what we’ll do with cap space if/when Flowers/Brown both sign elsewhere.
I would definitely kick those tires if Flowers goes. My guess is we wouldn't see a big splash signing but a bunch of solid Lawrence Guy-type acquisitions.Olivier Vernon if cut?
So much more fun than losing the SB, when every move is taken from the lens of "how does this get them over the top". Losing Solder / Lewis / Butler / Dola then trading Cooks the feeling everywhere was... how did that make us better? Of course the flip side is before 2017 they added Cooks, etc., and there was undefeated talk and we all saw how that turned out. So who knows?!I would definitely kick those tires if Flowers goes. My guess is we wouldn't see a big splash signing but a bunch of solid Lawrence Guy-type acquisitions.
Or we'll just trade for OBJ. Really looking forward to this offseason.
Special Teams coach?Is there a better post career position for Slater then Character Coach?
Yeah they’ve only gone to the Super Bowl all 3 years he has been WR2 and won 2 of them. It’s pathetic. They should sign Dobson and Boyce then they’d be awesomeI can't take another season of Chris Hogan as WR2.
Yeah they’ve only gone to the Super Bowl all 3 years he has been WR2 and won 2 of them. It’s pathetic. They should sign Dobson and Boyce then they’d be awesome
BLASPHEME!That's the thing about the Patriots offseason---even on a messageboard dedicated to analyzing the team's moves, it's awfully hard not to simply believe that the Pats know so much more than we do about these guys and the right formula that we should just sit back and watch them operate.