2020 Pats: General/Non-QB Off-Season Discussion

bsj

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Pats just gained a nice chunk of cap space re the Antonio settlement

I would have appended this on existing thread re AB but apparently they have all been locked
 

Soxy

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Pats just gained a nice chunk of cap space re the Antonio settlement

I would have appended this on existing thread re AB but apparently they have all been locked
Settled with Hernandez too. Reiss and Field Yates saying they're now up to $7.79 mil in cap space, so this is pretty significant, to say the least:

View: https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/status/1281985567740362753


Reiss: With @FieldYates, reporting significant salary-cap news for Patriots: Settlements in compensation grievances with Antonio Brown ($4 million to team) and Aaron Hernandez ($2.55 million to team) have created space for the club. The Patriots' current cap space is $7.79 million.

View: https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1281985988013830145


Yates: Earlier this week, the Patriots were down to less than $500K in salary cap space. They now stand at $7,794,739, with flexibility for in-season roster management.
 

BigSoxFan

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Pump the brakes, they just moved up from 32nd to 28th in cap space. It only feels like a lot because they've been so up against it. They're now where they should be at this point.
Hence, why I said “cheap FAs”. No brakes need to be pumped.
 

dynomite

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Are there any cheap FAs worth pursuing?
Delanie Walker, TE is a name that has been linked to the Pats. He hasn’t been healthy the past 2 seasons, so he would likely come cheap and would be cut in camp if he isn’t healthy, but has been an incredible productive TE and — while I’m sure you could do this with most players — Belichick has raved about him a few years ago:

There is nobody that really matches up very well against him. He's an excellent technique player. He sets up his routes well. He's got good patience. It's like [Antonio] Gates, he's not Gates, but it's kind of… there are some elements of that. His length. His ability to get down the field, is impressive. He's good on intermediate routes, run after catch. Again he sets up things well. He knows when to sit down in the hole, when to go across, when to go behind, when to go in front. It seems like he always makes the right decision. And it seems like he's always open.
https://www.patriots.com/news/presser-points-bill-belichick-dick-lebeau-delanie-walker-and-brandon-bold-249951
Edit: Hey look at my new profile pic!! Who did that?
 
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Cotillion

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Very good news on the Cap front. I thing Miguel at Pats cap says you generally want 5-10 million going into a year for unexpected stuff. So Pats are right where they should be now.

Plus can create more if they sign Thuney long term or make other moves, but now it’s no longer driven by need to creatE space just to breathe.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Good news from the standpoint of not having to blindly cut/attempt renegotiations on the order of half the team right before the season to sign some players at need positions, due to the truncated camp. Now at least it will be a somewhat "normal" amount of transactions with some cuts/contract work and some signees. I was picturing a preseason where Bill would be handing the whistle to McDaniels at the start of practice just to go up to the office and help Caserio with paperwork.
 

Rough Carrigan

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How do you feel about this if you're Cam Newton?

At the same time as they were telling him they only have $1 million to pay him they were probably lining up these settlements, knowing they'd have several million more available soon.
 

jsinger121

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How do you feel about this if you're Cam Newton?

At the same time as they were telling him they only have $1 million to pay him they were probably lining up these settlements, knowing they'd have several million more available soon.
As Bill Belichick says......It is what it is.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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You think he’s mad at the Patriots for making him the best offer he received?
And not just money but the best opportunity to start, which is arguably the more important thing for Cam at this point, looking at this as a bounceback/bridge year to another big contract.
 

PedroKsBambino

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I'd guess his agent realized the Pats had some ability to create room---through these moves and also other ones (Thuney, etc.) so I really doubt the negotiation with Cam was about "hey, we only have xx right now so I guess that's the limit"
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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How do you feel about this if you're Cam Newton?

At the same time as they were telling him they only have $1 million to pay him they were probably lining up these settlements, knowing they'd have several million more available soon.
Given that reports are the Pats were the only team in on him - while guys like Taysom Hill, Marcus Mariotta and Jameis Winston got scooped up early and for much more $ or less playing time - I'd suggest he keep his opinion on that to himself. Regardless, he seems pretty fired up about coming to NE and he's made his money in the league and endorsements, another few million I doubt is ruffling his feathers much.
 

scottyno

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How do you feel about this if you're Cam Newton?

At the same time as they were telling him they only have $1 million to pay him they were probably lining up these settlements, knowing they'd have several million more available soon.
I'd hope he feels it's good news that they aren't now forced to either trade or negotiate with their backs up against a wall with his best lineman.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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I hadn’t seen anyone reporting — even Miguel — that a settlement would credit in 2020 instead of 2021, like a grievance win would have. Maybe they did but I missed it. Very good news for the team. They now have enough to get through the year. I guess they are ok with Thuney as a $15m player.
 

nighthob

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Or they have options now that their backs are no longer up against the salary cap wall.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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Who gets the money from the Hernandez settlement?
If I remember correctly, his was a case of just getting the cap relief. Those bonus dollars were long gone to defense attorneys, civil suits and his gf and daughter. I’d guess Kraft is glad enough to have the final strings cut and not go after actual cash.
 

E5 Yaz

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I don't see why a flier on Pryor would financially impact a bigger play for a better player
 

scottyno

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Pryor hasn't been good since 2016, not even counting the fact that he retired. That said, for a minimum contract to kick the tires why not, they can always use another WR who can throw the ball on a trick play.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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No. I’d rather go after Njoku or throw a lifeline towards Clowney.
I'm a sucker for reclamation projects but Pryor? I guess he can stretch the field a bit but isn't that why BB brought in Damiere Byrd?

Save a roster spot and yes, throw that lifeline towards Clowney. Give Cam his phone number and see if he can coax JC in for a season.
 

Harry Hooper

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Pryor hasn't been good since 2016, not even counting the fact that he retired. That said, for a minimum contract to kick the tires why not, they can always use another WR who can throw the ball on a trick play.
Three WR passers aren't enough?
 

Super Nomario

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I'm a sucker for reclamation projects but Pryor? I guess he can stretch the field a bit but isn't that why BB brought in Damiere Byrd?
Byrd isn't the kind of player you just hand a role without bringing in competition. Pryor's a lot bigger, too: 6'5", 232 pounds (Byrd is tiny at 5'9" 173). Good chance Pryor is washed but he seems worth kicking the tires on.

Save a roster spot and yes, throw that lifeline towards Clowney. Give Cam his phone number and see if he can coax JC in for a season.
One doesn't really have anything to do with the other. Pryor's going to be short money, and since they have 14 WR under contract, it's pretty easy to find a spot for Clowney (yeah, right).
 

Phil Plantier

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Aren't there stories about Pryor not being a great teammate? He refused to go in to a Browns game as QB, for example. I thought there were others.

Doesn't seem like the kind of player Belichick would put up with (unless the player has HoF-level talent).
 

bsj

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Extreme longshot. But...if he goes another couple weeks without a deal, I could see Newton recruiting him. "Let's blow this up an cash out together"
 

BigSoxFan

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Have to imagine that his asking price is still way north of $10M. Otherwise, can’t imagine someone would not have scooped him up already. I know there are some injury concerns but on a 1 year deal? Maybe he has a sliding scale of asks based on the respective teams or something.

Have always been intrigued by what Belichick could do with him. He was so disruptive in that playoff game a few years ago.
 

Harry Hooper

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Have always been intrigued by what Belichick could do with him. He was so disruptive in that playoff game a few years ago.
He was quite disruptive, but how much of that was because the Pats were keying on stopping other guys more?
 

BigSoxFan

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He was quite disruptive, but how much of that was because the Pats were keying on stopping other guys more?
Who were the other guys? Watt was out. Mercilus is a good player but not a star. Feel like Clowney would have been the focus but maybe the tape tells a different story.

As good as Clowney is, he’s never had a double digit sack season. I can see why teams wouldn’t be enthused about signing him up to a monster contract, particularly since he always seems to be banged up.
 

Harry Hooper

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I think you're right about Watt not playing. Can't recall the details, which is why I asked.