Pats Sign Patrick Chung to a 2-year Extension

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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I think Chung's effectiveness is decreasing, but he's still a solid player overall. I like increasing cap space. I do think he will morph into a reserve role over the next couple of years, which is fine. Having a nice, steady veteran backup is a good thing. Obviously I think he's still a starter in 2020 and maybe 2021.
 

PedroKsBambino

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Apr 17, 2003
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I can imagine him still playing the big nickel/TE-oriented LB role for a couple years, perhaps with Dugger sliding into Chung's old role next year.
 

Granite Sox

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Feb 6, 2003
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I wonder if it is structured to give a little breathing room this year, and then because they will have so much cap room next year, they wouldn't be opposed to taking a dead cap hit by cutting him in the next (2021) league year. Can't imagine the Pats paying AAV $4M to a back-up, broken down safety.
 

Cotillion

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Jun 11, 2019
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I wonder if it is structured to give a little breathing room this year, and then because they will have so much cap room next year, they wouldn't be opposed to taking a dead cap hit by cutting him in the next (2021) league year. Can't imagine the Pats paying AAV $4M to a back-up, broken down safety.
It's most likely this.

They move the potential cap hit (who knows maybe he has a great year and looks good for the next year too and they win-win-win) but at least for now they save the space this year and move the cap decision to a period where it won't be onerous.

It's top tier roster management.
 

SMU_Sox

queer eye for the next pats guy
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Jul 20, 2009
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Weird. I thought Dugger was supposed to replace him in 2021.
The thing with Dugger is he can play all safety roles. He can cover slots. He can have reps in man coverage against TEs. He can play single high deep (in theory). He can play split zone. He can play near in or near the box. If Dugger went to Bama he would have either been one of the guys who could have played the star or money backer role. Maybe he would have played some FS there too? Maybe. The point is the guy is versatile but he's raw. The thing with Dugger is that because he can do so many things you'd hope either he evolves into that elite type of swiss army knife safety OR he excels at one-two of the roles above. He has the 40 time they look for in their FS and they don't give a shit about SS testing.


Quick edit: BB loves playing 3 safeties as far back as when I can remember studying them so around 2012-2013. Another side note: versatility was a huge theme of 4/5 first picks with Dugger and Uche the leading example but Keene and Asiasi are in their own different ways two of the more/most versatile TEs in the 2020 crop.
 
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DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Sep 9, 2008
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I guess they didn't want Dugger to go unsigned much longer.

I don't think this tells us anything except that Chung is now unlikely to be cut -- I guess many of you thought that was on the table, which is a bit surprising to me. I didn't think he was a cut candidate.

For all the salary cap gymnastics that are possible, in the end, there are really only two big picture ways to generate cap space in the off season: (1) borrow cap space from a future year for a player in your top 51, or (2) cut a player in your top 51 whose accelerated cap hit will be less than the current year's cap it.

The Patriots did number 1. Why Chung? It could have been anyone. It really doesn't matter. The only two criteria for who you pick are: (1) not a guy you are envisioning cutting, and (2) must be in the top 51. At any given time, there are probably at least a dozen guys whose current contracts make it so you can use them by giving them some cash and borrowing a future year's cap money. It's just a matter of picking the guy whose contract gives you about what you need. That was Chung.

tl;dr -- There is nothing to see here except the conclusion that they probably were not going to cut Chung this year. I guess a secondary conclusion is that some move for Thuney is not imminent -- as in not on the table for today and probably not on the table for this week (unless they have other moves coming).
 

SMU_Sox

queer eye for the next pats guy
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Jul 20, 2009
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tl;dr -- There is nothing to see here except the conclusion that they probably were not going to cut Chung this year. I guess a secondary conclusion is that some move for Thuney is not imminent -- as in not on the table for today and probably not on the table for this week (unless they have other moves coming).
Think you nailed it. I never got the cut Chung this year argument anyway. They might need 2 more years out of Chung as Dugger develops. I see them squeezing at least a year and probably 2 out of Chung but I doubt he plays all four years on this contracts.
 

Oppo

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Apr 5, 2009
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Chung was reportedly mulling retirement so maybe he walks away in a year or 2 when Dugger is ready to take over full time. He’s no dummy, once he’s no longer needed he’ll retire when faced with being cut and enjoy the fanfare of retiring as a Pat.
 

Reggie's Racquet

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Aug 1, 2009
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The thing with Dugger is he can play all safety roles. He can cover slots. He can have reps in man coverage against TEs. He can play single high deep (in theory). He can play split zone. He can play near in or near the box. If Dugger went to Bama he would have either been one of the guys who could have played the star or money backer role. Maybe he would have played some FS there too? Maybe. The point is the guy is versatile but he's raw. The thing with Dugger is that because he can do so many things you'd hope either he evolves into that elite type of swiss army knife safety OR he excels at one-two of the roles above. He has the 40 time they look for in their FS and they don't give a shit about SS testing.


Quick edit: BB loves playing 3 safeties as far back as when I can remember studying them so around 2012-2013. Another side note: versatility was a huge theme of 4/5 first picks with Dugger and Uche the leading example but Keene and Asiasi are in their own different ways two of the more/most versatile TEs in the 2020 crop.
Bill even played a TE as a safety once. That didn't work out so well.
 

BigSoxFan

Member
SoSH Member
May 31, 2007
47,094
Where do we think Adrian Phillips fits in? A safety rotation of McCourty, Chung, Dugger, and Phillips looks pretty damn good to me. Add those 4 guys to Gilmore, J McCourty, JC, Jones, and JoeJuan and you’ve got some really good secondary depth.
 

BuellMiller

New Member
Mar 25, 2015
449
Bill even played a TE as a safety once. That didn't work out so well.
Idk, I thought Gronk helped break up Flacco’s Hail Mary in the divisional in 2014. And that’s the only time I believe gronk played back there. Nope never in like 2018 or anything. Didn’t happen.
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
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Nov 4, 2007
62,312
Nice knowing Chung will line up for the Patriots for a few more years and to see him get a salary bump
 

Cotillion

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Jun 11, 2019
4,926
I guess they didn't want Dugger to go unsigned much longer.

I don't think this tells us anything except that Chung is now unlikely to be cut -- I guess many of you thought that was on the table, which is a bit surprising to me. I didn't think he was a cut candidate.

For all the salary cap gymnastics that are possible, in the end, there are really only two big picture ways to generate cap space in the off season: (1) borrow cap space from a future year for a player in your top 51, or (2) cut a player in your top 51 whose accelerated cap hit will be less than the current year's cap it.

The Patriots did number 1. Why Chung? It could have been anyone. It really doesn't matter. The only two criteria for who you pick are: (1) not a guy you are envisioning cutting, and (2) must be in the top 51. At any given time, there are probably at least a dozen guys whose current contracts make it so you can use them by giving them some cash and borrowing a future year's cap money. It's just a matter of picking the guy whose contract gives you about what you need. That was Chung.

tl;dr -- There is nothing to see here except the conclusion that they probably were not going to cut Chung this year. I guess a secondary conclusion is that some move for Thuney is not imminent -- as in not on the table for today and probably not on the table for this week (unless they have other moves coming).
Truthfully there were only a couple people I ever thought were never a cut Candidate... Brady (too good for too long, also cap hits too), and anyone with a cap hit that would have been impossible for them to deal with in the current year. Otherwise, I always felt Bill would get rid of anyone if he thought someone else was better or could give them 80-90% of someone else but at a much lower salary allowing him to spread around money elsewhere.