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With the free agency period looming large in the NFL, the three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots are facing the thought of a much different identity in 2006. Unfortunately for the league's finest head coach, Bill Belichick, and one of the league's best front-office people, Scott Pioli, this new identity may be far more difficult to overcome for these Patriots.
In the past, every player on the Pats' roster was viewed as a cog in the machine. Interchangeable parts were plugged in for injured and departed stars. Even with that, New England's aura of invincibility remained. As everyone witnessed in last year's crushing playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, the Pats are far more vulnerable these days.
Thanks to their release of cornerback Duane Starks, the Pats currently rest at $5.6 million under 2005's salary cap, 92 million. If labor peace is not achieved between the owners and the players by Sunday night, the cap for next season will be set at $94.5 million. Assuming an accord is not reached, New England will be in solid shape at an estimated $8.1 million under the cap. In the unlikely event that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is reached, the league's salary cap will be set somewhere between $105 and $107 million; obviously, that's an astronomically high rate. If a new CBA comes to fruition, the Patriots will be around $20 million under the cap. Nevertheless, don't hold your breath for any kind of deal to happen.
With all of the numbers out of the way, the fact that the Pats will have a much different look next season has already manifested itself. Legendary kicker Adam Vinatieri was not franchise tagged by New England on the February 23rd deadline. Instead, the team is going to allow the two-time Super Bowl hero to test the free agent waters. Is that a smart move? No. The Patriots are walking the tight-rope and will lose in this situation. Although Vinatieri struggled somewhat last year, he is still the best clutch kicker in the NFL. The Patriots certainly have a good chance to re-sign Vinatieri, but don't count on it. The Dallas Cowboys are expected to woo the 33-year old into taking over their kicking duties. Quite frankly, I think it'll be Bill Parcells getting the better of Belichick and Pioli, his son-in-law, in this scenario.
Another possible legendary Patriot who may be seeing his last days in Massachusetts is linebacker Willie McGinest. The 12-year veteran is viewed by many of the team's fans as one of the top players, but his cap hit for '06 is currently a whopping $8.3 million. Unless he restructures hic contract, it appears the former fourth overall pick from USC will be headed elsewhere in the twilight of his career. Although McGinest may be on the down side, his veteran leadership and skills are difficult to match. He racked up six sacks to bring his career total to 78. In the event that the Patriots lose McGinest, there won't necessarily be a big drop-off in production, but his ability to lead a group of men will be missed greatly. If a new CBA deal is reached, there is a good chance that No. 55 will stay in New England.
As if those two don't stand as big enough losses for the Patriots, strong safety Rodney Harrison stands a good chance of being on the way out of New England. By releasing Harrison, the Pats will save approximately $1.6 million on the salary cap. The 33-year old injured his knee in a week three victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, and that ailment took him out for the remainder of the season. Although Harrison was instrumental in two of the Patriots' Super Bowl victories, cutting him might be the best thing to do. Harrison's age and the uncertainty with his knee may be too much for the Patriots' organization to handle.
Another Patriots Super Bowl hero, receiver David Givens, is quite possibly on his way out. The 25-year old pulled in 59 catches last year and could be looking at a somewhat large payday on the unrestricted free agent market. The reason for that is due to the fact that he is one of the most clutch wideouts in today's league. Every time the Pats need a touchdown catch in a playoff game, Givens has been there. In the event that The Patriots fail to re-sign the Notre Dame grad, their offense will be dented. It will be one less important weapon in quarterback Tom Brady's arsenal.
As for Brady's pass-protection, he may stand to lose two key starters. Offensive tackle Tom Ashworth is an unrestricted free agent and is expected to garner a good deal of interest from line-challenged teams. Guard Stephen Neal, also an unrestricted free agent, is expected to accumulate plenty of calls this free agency season.
The offseason will certainly stand as a major remodeling phase for New England. If these key veterans are lost, they will have a lot of work to do in order to stay atop the AFC East. With Miami up-and-coming, 2006 could be difficult for the Patriots.
-Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.
With the free agency period looming large in the NFL, the three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots are facing the thought of a much different identity in 2006. Unfortunately for the league's finest head coach, Bill Belichick, and one of the league's best front-office people, Scott Pioli, this new identity may be far more difficult to overcome for these Patriots.
In the past, every player on the Pats' roster was viewed as a cog in the machine. Interchangeable parts were plugged in for injured and departed stars. Even with that, New England's aura of invincibility remained. As everyone witnessed in last year's crushing playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, the Pats are far more vulnerable these days.
Thanks to their release of cornerback Duane Starks, the Pats currently rest at $5.6 million under 2005's salary cap, 92 million. If labor peace is not achieved between the owners and the players by Sunday night, the cap for next season will be set at $94.5 million. Assuming an accord is not reached, New England will be in solid shape at an estimated $8.1 million under the cap. In the unlikely event that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is reached, the league's salary cap will be set somewhere between $105 and $107 million; obviously, that's an astronomically high rate. If a new CBA comes to fruition, the Patriots will be around $20 million under the cap. Nevertheless, don't hold your breath for any kind of deal to happen.
With all of the numbers out of the way, the fact that the Pats will have a much different look next season has already manifested itself. Legendary kicker Adam Vinatieri was not franchise tagged by New England on the February 23rd deadline. Instead, the team is going to allow the two-time Super Bowl hero to test the free agent waters. Is that a smart move? No. The Patriots are walking the tight-rope and will lose in this situation. Although Vinatieri struggled somewhat last year, he is still the best clutch kicker in the NFL. The Patriots certainly have a good chance to re-sign Vinatieri, but don't count on it. The Dallas Cowboys are expected to woo the 33-year old into taking over their kicking duties. Quite frankly, I think it'll be Bill Parcells getting the better of Belichick and Pioli, his son-in-law, in this scenario.
Another possible legendary Patriot who may be seeing his last days in Massachusetts is linebacker Willie McGinest. The 12-year veteran is viewed by many of the team's fans as one of the top players, but his cap hit for '06 is currently a whopping $8.3 million. Unless he restructures hic contract, it appears the former fourth overall pick from USC will be headed elsewhere in the twilight of his career. Although McGinest may be on the down side, his veteran leadership and skills are difficult to match. He racked up six sacks to bring his career total to 78. In the event that the Patriots lose McGinest, there won't necessarily be a big drop-off in production, but his ability to lead a group of men will be missed greatly. If a new CBA deal is reached, there is a good chance that No. 55 will stay in New England.
As if those two don't stand as big enough losses for the Patriots, strong safety Rodney Harrison stands a good chance of being on the way out of New England. By releasing Harrison, the Pats will save approximately $1.6 million on the salary cap. The 33-year old injured his knee in a week three victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, and that ailment took him out for the remainder of the season. Although Harrison was instrumental in two of the Patriots' Super Bowl victories, cutting him might be the best thing to do. Harrison's age and the uncertainty with his knee may be too much for the Patriots' organization to handle.
Another Patriots Super Bowl hero, receiver David Givens, is quite possibly on his way out. The 25-year old pulled in 59 catches last year and could be looking at a somewhat large payday on the unrestricted free agent market. The reason for that is due to the fact that he is one of the most clutch wideouts in today's league. Every time the Pats need a touchdown catch in a playoff game, Givens has been there. In the event that The Patriots fail to re-sign the Notre Dame grad, their offense will be dented. It will be one less important weapon in quarterback Tom Brady's arsenal.
As for Brady's pass-protection, he may stand to lose two key starters. Offensive tackle Tom Ashworth is an unrestricted free agent and is expected to garner a good deal of interest from line-challenged teams. Guard Stephen Neal, also an unrestricted free agent, is expected to accumulate plenty of calls this free agency season.
The offseason will certainly stand as a major remodeling phase for New England. If these key veterans are lost, they will have a lot of work to do in order to stay atop the AFC East. With Miami up-and-coming, 2006 could be difficult for the Patriots.
-Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.