Hostile
06-17-2004, 08:36 AM
When I see him on July 16 I think I will have my begging shoes on. 3.5 M signing bonus. I bet Heidi (his wife) was doing some serious smiling yesterday. Good people.
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Extension nets Bruschi $8.1M
By Mike Reiss/ MetroWest Daily News
Thursday, June 17, 2004
FOXBORO - The contract extension signed by Patriots [stats, news] linebacker Tedy Bruschi [news] includes a $3.5 million signing bonus and amounts to a four-year, $8.1 million deal.
Bruschi was entering the final year of his contract in 2004 but the new pact increases the likelihood the nine-year veteran will retire as a lifelong Patriot.
The deal includes base salaries of $700,000 in 2004, $850,000 in 2005, $1.35 million in 2006 and $1.7 million in 2007. Bruschi represented himself in the negotiations.
The contract also appears to give the Patriots some immediate salary cap relief, which will help in signing their seven draft choices, for which they've been allotted a rookie pool of $4.13 million. As of early this month, the team had approximately $1 million of cap room, one of the lower figures in the NFL.
Vinatieri may be next
With Bruschi locked up, the Pats might now turn to kicker Adam Vinatieri [news], another impending free agent, to negotiate a new deal.
``I know my agent (Neil Cornrich) and Bill (Belichick, the Pats coach) talked at draft time,'' Vinatieri, who is scheduled to make $1.425 million this season, said at last week's minicamp at Gillette Stadium.
Vinatieri said he's not riding the roller coaster that often results from negotiations.
``I've been through times where they've negotiated through training camp,'' he said. ``My approach is to say, `Neil, you take care of it, and when it seems like it's something good, let me know. I don't want to hear the day-in, day-out (talks). You know what they want to do, you know what I want to do. Ultimately when we get it done, let me know.'
``Before that, I don't want to sit there and have that same conversation every single day in training camp. I don't want to be distracted with it. I tell Neil, `I'm going to work on kicking footballs, you work on keeping me here.' ''
Like Bruschi, Vinatieri is entering his ninth season in the NFL, having joined the Pats as a rookie free agent in 1996.
There's always restrictions
Vinatieri is part of the Patriots 2004 unrestricted free agent class that also includes left tackle Matt Light [news], right guard Joe Andruzzi and defensive end Rodney Bailey.
Wide receiver Troy Brown [news] and tight end Christian Fauria were also part of that group, but have since signed new deals.
*****************
Extension nets Bruschi $8.1M
By Mike Reiss/ MetroWest Daily News
Thursday, June 17, 2004
FOXBORO - The contract extension signed by Patriots [stats, news] linebacker Tedy Bruschi [news] includes a $3.5 million signing bonus and amounts to a four-year, $8.1 million deal.
Bruschi was entering the final year of his contract in 2004 but the new pact increases the likelihood the nine-year veteran will retire as a lifelong Patriot.
The deal includes base salaries of $700,000 in 2004, $850,000 in 2005, $1.35 million in 2006 and $1.7 million in 2007. Bruschi represented himself in the negotiations.
The contract also appears to give the Patriots some immediate salary cap relief, which will help in signing their seven draft choices, for which they've been allotted a rookie pool of $4.13 million. As of early this month, the team had approximately $1 million of cap room, one of the lower figures in the NFL.
Vinatieri may be next
With Bruschi locked up, the Pats might now turn to kicker Adam Vinatieri [news], another impending free agent, to negotiate a new deal.
``I know my agent (Neil Cornrich) and Bill (Belichick, the Pats coach) talked at draft time,'' Vinatieri, who is scheduled to make $1.425 million this season, said at last week's minicamp at Gillette Stadium.
Vinatieri said he's not riding the roller coaster that often results from negotiations.
``I've been through times where they've negotiated through training camp,'' he said. ``My approach is to say, `Neil, you take care of it, and when it seems like it's something good, let me know. I don't want to hear the day-in, day-out (talks). You know what they want to do, you know what I want to do. Ultimately when we get it done, let me know.'
``Before that, I don't want to sit there and have that same conversation every single day in training camp. I don't want to be distracted with it. I tell Neil, `I'm going to work on kicking footballs, you work on keeping me here.' ''
Like Bruschi, Vinatieri is entering his ninth season in the NFL, having joined the Pats as a rookie free agent in 1996.
There's always restrictions
Vinatieri is part of the Patriots 2004 unrestricted free agent class that also includes left tackle Matt Light [news], right guard Joe Andruzzi and defensive end Rodney Bailey.
Wide receiver Troy Brown [news] and tight end Christian Fauria were also part of that group, but have since signed new deals.