There’s been a lot of talk of contracts of late: Why has Vince Wilfork’s talks stalled when Nick Kaczur and Mark LeVoir can get extensions? With Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers getting mega deals, what will Tom Brady ask for when his negotiations open up? If Ted has four oranges and Mike has seven, then what is the capital of Scandinavia?
Not lost in the movements is the trade of reserve guard/center Russ Hochstein to Denver for a seventh round pick and finally reaching a deal with third round draft pick LB Tyrone McKenzie. And the Patriots got an early start on trimming the roster when they released S Tank Williams.
I can understand Wilfork’s frustrations as he sees teammates getting richer while his situation remains in limbo, but I remain optimistic that a deal will get done. It’s possible the other moves will clear the path for Wilfork’s negotiations to get moving again.
Obviously Hochstein and Williams walking out the door saves a few bucks for the team. From what I’ve heard, Kaczur’s extension actually saves the Patriots money. By giving Nick more cash up front, it saves dough over the total length of the contract. I don’t know if LeVoir’s deal has the same effect, but neither deal was that expensive for the team to execute.
I’m a little surprised that McKenzie got a four year deal, considering he’s out for the season with a torn ACL. Apparently he made a good enough impression during rookie camp to earn this deal. His money comes from the rookie pool, so it doesn’t take away from the savings the Pats gained this week.
I have an approach to dealing with debts. I pay off the smaller ones first. That way, when the small debts are cleared, I have more cash available to pay towards the bigger one(s). I’m hoping this is the approach the Patriots are taking with their negotiations with Wilfork.
Whatever the Patriots pay Kaczur, LeVoir, and most of the other players with expiring contracts, it will be small in comparison to what they’d have to fork over to Vince. Wilfork isn’t asking for Albert Haynesworth money, but something within market value likely is the goal. Market value could start at $5 million per and go up to $8 million.
Feed the guppies first. Then see if you have enough for the big fish. If not, get rid of a guppy or two and give their food to the tuna. I’m still hopeful that Wilfork will get fed. New England has to make sure they have enough food in the aquarium for everyone to be satisfied.
Questions? Comments? Send to talktome@randolphc.com
