HEADLINES

LeGarrette Blount

Pats Notes: Blount, Wilfork, Mallett

January 25th, 2014 at 8:26am CST by Matt Feminis

The Patriots fell in the AFC Championship Game for the second year in a row, in part because the offense was outgunned, as evidenced by the targeting of the likes of Austin Collie, Matt Slater and Matthew Mulligan. An NFC scout gave his take on the Pats’ anticipated plan of action when he spoke with Christopher Price of WEEI.com. The highlights:

  • The scout credited the offense’s adaptability, but questioned its sustainability, citing a lack of high-caliber talent at the skill positions.
  • The team would like LeGarrette Blount back, but will not overpay.
  • When healthy, the offense has versatile, productive elements with the glaring exception of an outside speed threat to stretch the field vertically.
  • The time is now to begin preparing for life without Vince Wilfork, who is 32 and ended the season on IR. Price posits the team could seek young, versatile interior players to facilitate hybrid flexibility.
  • A “joker” type, pass-catching tight end could be sought in the draft.
  • Backup QB Ryan Mallett is a wild card. Aside from his inexperience, it’s unknown to what extent the team trusts him, though he could hold trade value.

Corry On Patriots, 49ers, Manning

January 24th, 2014 at 7:35pm CST by Rob DiRe

As the Seahawks and Broncos prepare for the Super Bowl, the front offices of the Patriots and 49ers are already in offseason mode, and each team has a lot of work to do, writes Joel Corry on CBSSports.com. Here are some thoughts from his piece..

  • The Patriots are only set to be $3.9MM under the salary cap in 2014, based on the projected cap number of $126.3MM. They can look to create room by first cutting safety Adrian Wilson and defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga. Neither was able to contribute to a banged up defense in 2013, because of injury and poor play, respectively, and their release would save about $3.67MM of cap room. Corry also sees the Patriots looking to restructure the contracts of Pro Bowlers Logan Mankins and Vince Wilfork to create additional room.
  • The two biggest names the Patriots could try to re-sign are Aqib Talib and Julian Edelman. Talib was the focal point of an injured defense, and played great when healthy. Of course, he did sit a few games with a hip injury this year and failed to stay healthy in each of the last two AFC Championship games. His contract demands may be high, and with the Patriots’ cap constraints the franchise tag might not be an option. Edelman filled in admirably in the role vacated by Welker in free agency, one Danny Amendola could not fill due to injury, but with money invested in Amendola, Corry is unsure if the Pats would be willing to pay Edelman.
  • Brandon Spikes and LeGarrette Blount are also big names hitting free agency this offseason, but due to depth at those positions there is a chance the Patriots will not pursue them.
  • The 49ers have a little more room, with $8.6MM under the cap before re-signing their restricted free agents. Carlos Rogers looks to be an easy cut, as the highest paid and least dependable member of their secondary. The 49ers would gain more than $5.1MM by releasing him. A tougher decision will have to be made on Frank Gore, who is turning 31 in May. He is coming off a productive season, but with draft picks invested in Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, and Marcus Lattimore, this could be a good time to turn the page in order to shed his $6.45MM salary. They can also create $6.2MM by restructuring contracts with star linebackers Patrick Willis and Ahmad Brooks.
  • The 49ers also have decisions to make on whether or not to re-sign Anquan Boldin and Donte Whitner. Boldin was great on a one-year-deal, but could command interest on the open market. Whitner is thought to have priced himself out of his job, as he could demand too much for the 49ers to pay with contract extensions for Aldon Smith, Michael Crabtree, Mike Iupati and Colin Kaepernick on the horizon.
  • Speaking of Kaepernick’s next contract, Corry also wrote a piece for the National Football Post detailing the effect Peyton Manning‘s decision to sign a five-year, $96MM deal in March of 2012 to become the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Manning was rumored to have turned down an even larger offer from the Titans, possibly of $25MM per year. Corry details how this affected the contracts of the next group of quarterbacks to reach free agency. With one year left on his rookie deal, if Kaepernick is looking for a Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan type contract, it may have helped him had Manning grabbed the extra money to sign the Titans’ supposed offer.

Pats Rumors: Blount, Edelman, Talib

January 20th, 2014 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

LeGarrette Blount is headed for unrestricted free agency, but he indicated today that he’d like to return to the Patriots, according to Mary Paoletti of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). While Blount’s comment came with the caveat that “we’ll have to see what happens in the offseason,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) gets the sense that the Pats have interest in re-signing the 27-year-old this winter. Here’s more on the AFC’s runner-up:

  • The Pats signed everyone on their practice squad except Marcus Forston to a futures contract, tweets Howe. So in addition to signing Mattes and McGuffie, who are mentioned below, the Pats also inked offensive linemen Jordan Devey and Braxston Cave, receivers Reggie Dunn and Greg Orton, and linebacker Taylor Reed to deals.

Earlier updates:

  • During his weekly appearance on WEEI in Boston, Tom Brady had nothing but praise for his top receiver, saying that Julian Edelman, a free agent this offseason, “deserves the best” (link via CSNNE.com). Still, Brady suggested that free agency and personnel decisions will be in the hands of New England’s front office and head coach.
  • Speaking of those decisions, Bill Belichick told reporters today, including Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link), that it will likely take four to eight weeks to make decisions on the club’s in-house free agents like Blount and Edelman.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examines the decisions facing the Patriots’ in the next couple months, including whether or not to re-sign Blount, Edelman, and Aqib Talib.
  • Offensive lineman R.J. Mattes and wide receiver Sam McGuffie have signed futures contracts with the Pats, tweets Howe. Both players had been on New England’s practice squad.