Pats let Adam V walk away...WTF are they thinking??

[Dave Gray]

I'm not saying that he's not valuable.

You said that he won two Super Bowls single handedly.  That's why I say "Let's get real".

I'm all about special teams, but the Pats have been winning on controling their salary, not by paying guys at their inflated value.  This is just another move using that same strategy. 

[Phishfan]

So yes, let's get real here.  In '01 do you know how many offensive touchdowns the Pats scored in the post season before beating the Rams in the Super Bowl?

ZERO.

Freakin ZERO.

Defense and kicking won those games.

Period.

Ouch. That's a stat I did not know.

[MaineDolFan]

I'm not saying that he's not valuable.

You said that he won two Super Bowls single handedly. That's why I say "Let's get real".

I'm all about special teams, but the Pats have been winning on controling their salary, not by paying guys at their inflated value. This is just another move using that same strategy.

Okay - "single handedly" is a stretch.  But they don't win those games without his foot.

Here's the rub, the difference between the Colts offer and the Pats offer was $500,000 a year.  For a team 20 million under the cap.  You let him walk over that?

[Denver_Bronco]

Okay - "single handedly" is a stretch.  But they don't win those games without his foot.

Here's the rub, the difference between the Colts offer and the Pats offer was $500,000 a year.  For a team 20 million under the cap.  You let him walk over that?

LMAO....Kraft gives away Superbowl rings, yet he cannot pay Viniateri $500,000 more ?

[MaineDolFan]

It's because they didn't want to cross the 3 million a year line for a kicker.  Some guys, however, you spend for.  He's one.  When you have a KICKER that is a face of the franchise, and that franchise has won three of the last five super bowls, you PAY THE MAN unless he sucks.  Adam doesn't.

[Dave Gray]

I think the Pats have taken their strategy too far.  I'm not sure if Adam V is the end-all-be-all of mistakes, though -- I think their other moves (or lack of) this offseason are going to hurt them more than losing players.

All teams lose players due to free agency and not being able to pay a guy's top shelf value -- but most teams will also go out and pricey guy or two in free agency that may be a better fit for them.  The Pats did this with Dillon a few years back.  This year, though, they are just sitting on their hands.

[gocowboys31]

I think the Pats have taken their strategy too far.  I'm not sure if Adam V is the end-all-be-all of mistakes

Yes it is Dave. I went to Boston HERALD this morning, Adam V. was the lead story on the front page. I wacth New England Sports tonight on the dish to get my celtics news, and the consensus was the pats screwed up by even letting him hit the market. This is a major story in new england. Expect major criticism to be layed at the pats front office for the reason MAINE stated.

With the NFL being as competitive as it is vinatieri is considered a lethal weapon who is at least worth 2-3 games in the regular season. Dont underestimate this blunder by the pats front office.

[Brian Fein]

Let me tell you something.  When I was at ESPN weekend at MGM earlier this month, I went to an event starring an interview with Adam Vinatieri, and questions and answers from the audience.  If I told you that theatre looked like Gillette Stadium South, it wouldn't be an overstatement.  Every Patriots' fan in Orlando was in that room, and the minute the session was over, they mobbed him like nobody's business.  PEople were trampling little kids, pushing old women down, and hurdling over the seats to get to this guy.

A freakin' kicker.



If he wasn't the most popular player on the squad (maybe next to Brady), you could make an argument to let him walk.  But, seeing as how the fans swoon over this guy, I'd think you'd make every effort to get him back.  I don't think the Pats figured anyone else would be willing to shell out the cash and he'd coming crawling back once he tested the waters and they were too cold.

[Pats2006]

Now Adam joins the crowd!

[YoFuggedaboutit]

The thing is, if you're strategy is like the Patriots (don't overpay), you better be making the right calls regarding your players.  I'm sure they will get a kicker for what they want to pay him, but will that kicker be as accurate and clutch as Vinatieri?  That task will be difficult at best, and at worst it will be impossible. 

[Dave Gray]

The thing is, if you're strategy is like the Patriots (don't overpay), you better be making the right calls regarding your players. I'm sure they will get a kicker for what they want to pay him, but will that kicker be as accurate and clutch as Vinatieri? That task will be difficult at best, and at worst it will be impossible.

You're not going to find a kicker as good as Adam V. for the same price.  ...that's not the question.  The question is can you use the money you save to upgrade another position GREATER THAN than the downgrade you'll get from Adam V's replacement.

The Pats have done a fantastic job with this strategy so far.

[DolFan619]

     As a Dolphins fan, I'm laughing all the way to the bank on this one.    As an NFL fan with an unbiased opinion, I as this one question.  How could the Patriots let a franchise kicker go?  Franchise kickers are probably more rare than franchise quarterbacks.  This guy was one of the main reasons why the Pats won three Super Bowls in four years.  I mean, I understand that kickers salaries should be relatively even keeled, because of their limited role on a football team.

  However, Adam Vinatieri is not most kickers.  This guy will probably go down as the most clutch kicker in the history of the NFL and perhaps one day take his place next to Jan Stenerud in Canton, Ohio as the second only pure place kicker elected to the Hall of Fame.  Bottom line is this, this is a man that YOU PAY!  Yes, kickers are a dime a dozen, but guys like Vinatieri are one in a million.  Without him who knows what the Pats would be like today?

  The Patriots will regret this, because Paul Edinger, Mike Vanderjagt, or any other Obi Wan Jabroni they bring in will never be able to hold Vinatieri's kicking tee.  The next kicker they bring will be perhaps almost reviled as Jay Fiedler was when he replaced Dan Marino.  No matter what he did it was never, ever, good enough.  If the Pats aren't kicking themselves in the ass over this loss, they will be soon enough.

[Spider-Dan]

To be perfectly honest, if I am the front office of NE, I have to assume that every choice I make is golden.  If there is one thing NE has proven, it's that invaluable players... aren't.  Time for nameless cog #329832 to be inserted...

The NE gameplan centers around two things:

1) superior coaching
2) incredible luck

I don't see how either of these things are affected.

[Spider-Dan]

What WILL help the Colts?

Vinatieri is a good start, but a Tony Dungy coached team simply cannot finish the post-season job.

Yeah, Tony Dungy has about as much chance of winning the Super Bowl as Bill Cowh... oh, wait.

[Phishfan]

You're not going to find a kicker as good as Adam V. for the same price.  ...that's not the question.  The question is can you use the money you save to upgrade another position GREATER THAN than the downgrade you'll get from Adam V's replacement.

The Pats have done a fantastic job with this strategy so far.

They better get moving then. They have done almost nothing in free agency.