Patriots http://sonsofsamhorn.net Tue, 11 Mar 2014 01:57:13 +0000 5 Patriots http://soshwiki.com/images/e/e0/Sosh-twitter-250x250.jpg http://sonsofsamhorn.net Report: Patriots close to deal with Aqib Talib http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82165-report-patriots-close-to-deal-with-aqib-talib/ https://twitter.com/NBCdianna/status/443201621250805761

 

https://twitter.com/NBCdianna/status/443201789887008769

]]> Tue, 11 Mar 2014 01:57:13 +0000 http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82165-report-patriots-close-to-deal-with-aqib-talib/ Pats Salary Cap: Looking Ahead to 2015 http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82149-pats-salary-cap-looking-ahead-to-2015/ We all know that the Pats have relatively limited cap space this offseason.  What's perhaps less understood is the extant to which our cap picture is currently slated to improve in 2015.  This has the potentially to really affect our decision making process this offseason, so I thought it was worth a deeper dive and a little analysis.

 

As a quick and dirty look, we can start with all players under contract for 2015, cut a couple obvious veterans (Sopoaga, A. Wilson) and disregard a bunch of marginal practice squad fodder who currently have non-guaranteed deals with little to no dead money and very little chance of making the team.  Then assume Solder's 2015 option is picked up for about $7M and factor in money to sign the 2014 and 2015 draft/UDFA classes (I'm assuming that seven guys from each class make the final roster for 2015).  This leaves us with:

 

2015 Salary Cap Projection
Name Base Prorated Roster Workout Cap Dead Cap
  Salary Bonus Bonus Bonus Number Money Savings
Tom Brady $7,000,000  $6,000,000  $0  $0  $13,000,000  $18,000,000  ($5,000,000)
Logan Mankins $6,750,000  $4,000,000  $0  $250,000  $11,000,000  $4,000,000  $7,000,000 
Jerod Mayo $6,250,000  $3,600,000  $500,000  $250,000  $10,600,000  $6,000,000  $4,600,000 
Rob Gronkowski  $4,750,000  $3,650,000  $0  $250,000  $8,650,000  $13,300,000  ($4,650,000)
Nate Solder         $7,000,000     
Sebastian Vollmer $2,250,000  $1,750,000  $1,937,500  $0  $5,937,500  $3,500,000  $2,437,500 
Danny Amendola $4,000,000  $1,200,000  $500,000  $0  $5,700,000  $3,600,000  $2,100,000 
Kyle Arrington $3,000,000  $1,625,000  $0  $0  $4,625,000  $3,250,000  $1,375,000 
Rob Ninkovich $2,100,000  $1,250,000  $250,000  $100,000  $3,700,000  $2,500,000  $1,200,000 
Chandler Jones $1,504,568  $1,096,091  $0  $0  $2,600,659  $1,848,375  $752,284 
Donta Hightower $1,443,273  $1,014,364  $0  $0  $2,457,637  $1,014,364  $1,443,273 
Tavon Wilson $965,166  $376,891  $0  $0  $1,342,057  $376,891  $965,166 
Jamie Collins $746,910  $278,818  $0  $0  $1,025,728  $557,636  $468,092 
Aaron Dobson $716,670  $218,340  $0  $0  $935,010  $436,680  $498,330 
Jake Bequette $660,000  $134,950  $0  $5,000  $799,950  $134,950  $665,000 
Logan Ryan $585,000  $140,813  $0  $0  $745,813  $281,626  $464,187 
Duron Harmon $585,000  $133,400  $0  $6,000  $724,400  $266,800  $457,600 
Josh Boyce $585,000  $119,250  $0  $0  $704,250  $238,500  $465,750 
Nate Ebner $660,000  $24,150  $0  $0  $684,150  $24,150  $660,000 
Alfonzo Dennard $660,000  $14,462  $0  $0  $674,462  $14,462  $660,000 
Marcus Forston $660,000  $0  $0  $0  $660,000  $0  $660,000 
Michael Buchanan $585,000  $13,403  $0  $0  $598,403  $26,806  $571,597 
Steve Beauharnais $585,000  $11,898  $0  $0  $596,898  $23,796  $573,102 
Kenbrell Thompkins $585,000  $834  $0  $0  $585,834  $834  $585,000 
Ryan Allen $585,000  $500  $0  $0  $585,500  $500  $585,000 
Armon Armstead $585,000  $0  $0  $0  $585,000  $0  $585,000 
Kanorris Davis $585,000  $0  $0  $0  $585,000  $0  $585,000 
Josh Kline $585,000  $0  $0  $0  $585,000  $0  $585,000 
Chris Jones $585,000  $0  $0  $0  $585,000  $0  $585,000 
Joe Vellano $585,000  $0  $0  $0  $585,000  $0  $585,000 
Dead money         $341,170     
2014 Draftees         $6,500,000     
2015 Draftees         $5,500,000     
  $51,136,587        $101,199,421     

 

That is 30 players under contract plus an estimated fourteen more from the 2014-15 draft/UDFA classes, so about 44 players costing $101M.  The 2015 salary cap is projected to be about $140M (not factoring in any team rollover).  Put aside $5M for practice squad guys and wiggle room and we're talking about $34M in cap space with only nine spots or so open on the 53 man roster.  Obviously some of the guys in the table above won't make the 2015 roster but the dead money will be minimal from most of those cuts.  Note too that we could save a further $7M in 2015 by cutting Mankins and that this is in the ballpark of what McCourty's cap hit is likely to be if we extend him.  So you could just as well substitute McCourty for Mankins and the number of players and total money committed wouldn't change all that much.

 

The bottom line is that we really do have a lot of flexibility.  Hypothetically, we could definitely sign Talib to a 4/44ish deal that basically guarantees two years, have a palatable hit this in the $6-8M range this year, and knock like a $12M cap charge into 2015 without too much of a problem.  Then the third year is either a chunk of dead money or another cap hit in the same range.  Or we could conserve the space and be well positioned to be major players in free agency in 2015.  The overall point is that the prospect of paying the "market rate" for Talib or Edelman or whoever needs to be seen in light of the future cap picture, not just in terms of how our cap looks for 2014.

]]> Sun, 09 Mar 2014 22:12:38 +0000 http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82149-pats-salary-cap-looking-ahead-to-2015/ FA Transaction News ONLY http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82135-fa-transaction-news-only/ You know the drill -- transaction news only. If a move deserves a deeper discussion, please open a new thread. 

]]> Sat, 08 Mar 2014 17:32:07 +0000 http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82135-fa-transaction-news-only/ NFL Network March 10-16 -- Week-long Pats-gasm http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82134-nfl-network-march-10-16-week-long-pats-gasm/ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 16:34:24 +0000 http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82134-nfl-network-march-10-16-week-long-pats-gasm/ Free Agency Prediction Thread http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82133-free-agency-prediction-thread/ Here's your chance to play amateur GM and predict where the top free agents go. List the team you think they go to.

Non-Patriots
TJ Ward
Eugene Monroe
Eric Decker
Michael Johnson
Michael Bennett
Jarius Byrd
Jared Allen
Vontae Davis
Alterraun Verner
Red Bryant
Randy Starks
DRC
Henry Melton
Arthur Jones
Brandon Albert
Hakeem Nicks
Linval Joseph
Donte Whitner
Golden Tate
Justin Tuck
Karlos Dansby
Michael Vick
Knowshon Moreno

Patriots Free Agents
Julian Edelman
Aqib Talib
Brandon Spikes
Dane Fletcher
LGB
Andre Carter
Austin Collie
Ryan Wendell

]]> Sat, 08 Mar 2014 16:00:46 +0000 http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82133-free-agency-prediction-thread/ Robert Kraft has a girlfriend? http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82120-robert-kraft-has-a-girlfriend/ Did this news completely blow by me?  It seems like something that I would (should) have heard about hundreds of times by now but is this something that folks are generally keeping quiet, or just not talking about because Kraft is a good guy and banging some young mynx is something wrong?

 

ricki8888.r.jpg

 

kraft1n-1-web.jpg

 

kraft-alg.jpg

 

(I just wanted a reason to post her pics)

]]> Fri, 07 Mar 2014 20:20:45 +0000 http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82120-robert-kraft-has-a-girlfriend/ Report: Revis to be released if not traded http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82073-report-revis-to-be-released-if-not-traded/ Stop me guyzzzzz.

 

I'm dreaming of Revis. Against all logic and better judgement, it's too tantalizing to have Revis in a Pats uniform.

 

Restructure the big cap guys, release the obvious (Wilson), do not sign another safety, do not re-sign Talib, dock your boat on The Island.

 

Just need two signings this off-season: Revis and Bryant -- this defense is now a legit top-10 unit (hell it was a top 10 unit last year before the injury streak).

 

 

P.S. If someone else posted the above I'd have dismissed it pronto. Also, this seems appropriate:

 

]]> Tue, 04 Mar 2014 15:41:14 +0000 http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82073-report-revis-to-be-released-if-not-traded/ Steve Gregory released http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82015-steve-gregory-released/  

Per agent @davidcanter, Patriots have informed S Steve Gregory he will be released today.

 

 

]]> Fri, 28 Feb 2014 18:07:09 +0000 http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/82015-steve-gregory-released/ NFL to Penalize Racial Slurs? http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/81929-nfl-to-penalize-racial-slurs/ While the principal seems ok, I can't help but think this has disaster written all over it:

 

The head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which monitors diversity in the NFL, expects the league to institute a rule where players would be penalized 15 yards for using the N-word on the field.

 

 

I'm not trying to make this V+N, but I can't help but think that element is naturally going to be entered into this discussion. Ignoring all that, my main concern is with creating another rule that, while well-intentioned, just gives refs more license to use their discretion, thereby negating actual football results on the field. There's also the problem that you are going to be giving viewers a glimpse into what happens in the heat of battle. Do they really want that exposed? It's kind of like with the KG trash talk stuff. There's a code in the NBA that you leave that on the court, and it's there for a reason. 

 

I don't know, this just seems like a bad idea for the product on and off the field. I say on the field because of the potential impact it could have on game results. What do others think?

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10500657/nfl-expected-penalize-players-using-racial-slurs-games

]]> Sat, 22 Feb 2014 15:59:35 +0000 http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/81929-nfl-to-penalize-racial-slurs/ The Mallett Chronicles http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/81887-the-mallett-chronicles/ Per our boy Doug, Pats apparently are looking for a second rounder.

 

Doug Kyed ‏@DougKyedNESN  36s

Report: Patriots Want Second-Round Pick In Ryan Mallett Trade http://wp.me/p2AlCJ-1ejL 

]]> Wed, 19 Feb 2014 19:51:29 +0000 http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/81887-the-mallett-chronicles/