Can our Dallas Cowboy's say.... McGinest & Vinatieri?
Patriots cut ties with McGinest
Team gains room under new cap
By Ron Borges and Jerome Solomon, Globe Staff | March 9, 2006
GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Only minutes after the NFL's owners voted 30-2 to extend the collective bargaining agreement six years, the Patriots ended their 12-year agreement with all-time postseason sack leader Willie McGinest, according to one NFL personnel director last night.
McGinest's name popped up on the wire of vested veterans who had been released in cost-cutting moves almost immediately after the CBA extension was announced around 8 5 p.m.
Although the Patriots were not struggling to get under the new cap figure of $102 million, McGinest carried a prohibitive salary cap figure of more than $7 million for next season, a number he told the Globe a week ago he felt would surely result in him becoming a free agent unless the team chose to rework his deal.
Although the Patriots reportedly remain hopeful of signing McGinest, league sources said last night that the Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, and several other teams intend to explore signing McGinest, who last year became the all-time postseason sack leader (16), passing Hall of Famer Reggie White (12) and Bruce Smith (14 1/2).
McGinest, 34, started all 18 games last season and ranks third on the team's all-time sacks list (78), just 1 1/2 behind Julius Adams. Andre Tippett tops the chart with 100 sacks.
McGinest was second on the team with six sacks during the regular season (trailing Rosevelt Colvin's seven) and set an NFL playoff record with 4 1/2 sacks in the Patriots' 28-3 wild-card win over Jacksonville Jan. 7.
Although McGinest told the Globe in an exclusive interview last week that he would like nothing better than to finish his career with the Patriots, he was also excited about the possibility of exploring the free agent market for the first time. It is the same situation veteran wide receiver Troy Brown found himself in a year ago, when he was offered more money to play for New Orleans than he received to return to New England.
After much soul searching, Brown said he listened to the pleadings of his family and returned to New England. Now McGinest may find himself facing a similar pull -- the battle between a financial decision and a heartfelt one.
With the free agency period expected to begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, the money under the cap will play a role in what the Patriots do with their two most important free agents -- kicker Adam Vinatieri and wideout David Givens. Negotiations have been slow with both players, as the Patriots have been reluctant to make any long-term deals because of the labor uncertainty.
Expect them to take on Vinatieri first. While kickers don't carry nearly as much value as position players -- Tom Brady received more in a roster bonus this month ($12 million) than Vinatieri has made in his entire 10-year career -- Vinatieri is considered to be among the most valuable of the available free agents.Continued...
Dallas, coached by Bill Parcells, who brought Vinatieri to the Patriots as an undrafted rookie in 1996, will be among several teams that would try to sign the game's top clutch kicker. Because of the relatively small amount of money kickers demand, expect the Patriots to be in the ballpark of whatever Vinatieri is offered, giving them a solid chance or retaining his services.
Vinatieri was paid a little more than $2.5 million last season, and it might take a ridiculous offer for the Patriots not to bring him back.
Givens, who had a career-best year last season (59 receptions) despite missing three games with a knee injury, is looking to cash in after playing for less than $1 million in his first three years. As an unrestricted free agent, he was tendered a midlevel deal for $1.43 million in 2005.
With top receiver Deion Branch due to become a free agent after the 2006 season, the Patriots would possibly go from having among the cheapest starting receiver combinations in the league to an overpaid twosome if they match what Givens and Branch can get on the open market. More likely, the team will replace Givens with a less-expensive alternative, and sign Branch to a long-term contract before the 2006 season begins.
The labor agreement also gives the Patriots a formula for working up a solid blueprint to sign defensive lineman Richard Seymour and tight end Daniel Graham to contract extensions. Each is entering the final year of his contract.
The Patriots have already started to work deals with some of its free agents. They have agreed to a two-year deal with safety Artrell Hawkins, who joined the team at midseason and started six games down the stretch.
The team's remaining list of unrestricted free agents includes: Brown, tackle Tom Ashworth, receiver Tim Dwight, tight end Christian Fauria, linebackers Don Davis and Matt Chatham, and running back Heath Evans.
Brown and Ashworth are the only ones in that group who received starter-level playing time. Brown has not said whether he plans to retire, though he indicated during the season that he is likely to be back for another year.
Ashworth's agent, Tom Mills, said yesterday that the Patriots contacted the five-year veteran. recently.
''Now that the agreement is in place, we'll see how serious they are, but they didn't rule out bringing him back and that's good," Mills said.
Jerome Solomon contributed to this report from Boston
Team gains room under new cap
By Ron Borges and Jerome Solomon, Globe Staff | March 9, 2006
GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Only minutes after the NFL's owners voted 30-2 to extend the collective bargaining agreement six years, the Patriots ended their 12-year agreement with all-time postseason sack leader Willie McGinest, according to one NFL personnel director last night.
McGinest's name popped up on the wire of vested veterans who had been released in cost-cutting moves almost immediately after the CBA extension was announced around 8 5 p.m.
Although the Patriots were not struggling to get under the new cap figure of $102 million, McGinest carried a prohibitive salary cap figure of more than $7 million for next season, a number he told the Globe a week ago he felt would surely result in him becoming a free agent unless the team chose to rework his deal.
Although the Patriots reportedly remain hopeful of signing McGinest, league sources said last night that the Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, and several other teams intend to explore signing McGinest, who last year became the all-time postseason sack leader (16), passing Hall of Famer Reggie White (12) and Bruce Smith (14 1/2).
McGinest, 34, started all 18 games last season and ranks third on the team's all-time sacks list (78), just 1 1/2 behind Julius Adams. Andre Tippett tops the chart with 100 sacks.
McGinest was second on the team with six sacks during the regular season (trailing Rosevelt Colvin's seven) and set an NFL playoff record with 4 1/2 sacks in the Patriots' 28-3 wild-card win over Jacksonville Jan. 7.
Although McGinest told the Globe in an exclusive interview last week that he would like nothing better than to finish his career with the Patriots, he was also excited about the possibility of exploring the free agent market for the first time. It is the same situation veteran wide receiver Troy Brown found himself in a year ago, when he was offered more money to play for New Orleans than he received to return to New England.
After much soul searching, Brown said he listened to the pleadings of his family and returned to New England. Now McGinest may find himself facing a similar pull -- the battle between a financial decision and a heartfelt one.
With the free agency period expected to begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, the money under the cap will play a role in what the Patriots do with their two most important free agents -- kicker Adam Vinatieri and wideout David Givens. Negotiations have been slow with both players, as the Patriots have been reluctant to make any long-term deals because of the labor uncertainty.
Expect them to take on Vinatieri first. While kickers don't carry nearly as much value as position players -- Tom Brady received more in a roster bonus this month ($12 million) than Vinatieri has made in his entire 10-year career -- Vinatieri is considered to be among the most valuable of the available free agents.Continued...
Dallas, coached by Bill Parcells, who brought Vinatieri to the Patriots as an undrafted rookie in 1996, will be among several teams that would try to sign the game's top clutch kicker. Because of the relatively small amount of money kickers demand, expect the Patriots to be in the ballpark of whatever Vinatieri is offered, giving them a solid chance or retaining his services.
Vinatieri was paid a little more than $2.5 million last season, and it might take a ridiculous offer for the Patriots not to bring him back.
Givens, who had a career-best year last season (59 receptions) despite missing three games with a knee injury, is looking to cash in after playing for less than $1 million in his first three years. As an unrestricted free agent, he was tendered a midlevel deal for $1.43 million in 2005.
With top receiver Deion Branch due to become a free agent after the 2006 season, the Patriots would possibly go from having among the cheapest starting receiver combinations in the league to an overpaid twosome if they match what Givens and Branch can get on the open market. More likely, the team will replace Givens with a less-expensive alternative, and sign Branch to a long-term contract before the 2006 season begins.
The labor agreement also gives the Patriots a formula for working up a solid blueprint to sign defensive lineman Richard Seymour and tight end Daniel Graham to contract extensions. Each is entering the final year of his contract.
The Patriots have already started to work deals with some of its free agents. They have agreed to a two-year deal with safety Artrell Hawkins, who joined the team at midseason and started six games down the stretch.
The team's remaining list of unrestricted free agents includes: Brown, tackle Tom Ashworth, receiver Tim Dwight, tight end Christian Fauria, linebackers Don Davis and Matt Chatham, and running back Heath Evans.
Brown and Ashworth are the only ones in that group who received starter-level playing time. Brown has not said whether he plans to retire, though he indicated during the season that he is likely to be back for another year.
Ashworth's agent, Tom Mills, said yesterday that the Patriots contacted the five-year veteran. recently.
''Now that the agreement is in place, we'll see how serious they are, but they didn't rule out bringing him back and that's good," Mills said.
Jerome Solomon contributed to this report from Boston
posted by The Gryphon at 7:49 PM
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