My Strategy to keep the dynasty alive

[DCH]

New England takes a lot of chances on guys that are cast offs from other teams. Chris Long worked out well for them.....but does anyone see success from Kenny Britt? And New England doesn't worry about what others think. Chandler Jones was a risk. He's still very productive for AZ.....but obviously....NE felt it was time to part ways. I'm sure there is a bit more to every story than an absolute equation. I would love to mimic their success.....I'm not sure if they themselves have an across-the-board formula.......

That's a big part of the scouting discussion earlier. Long was probably scouted by NE at some point, and a ton of early-round busts have come to NE and had success because they came in and were put in a position to do the one thing they do well rather than having to play every down because of their draft status.

Kyle Van Noy is a great example of this, along with guys like Shea McClellin, Barkevious Mingo, Eric Rowe... the Pats find players who do one or two things really, really well and then scheme them into situations where they're pretty much only doing those things in their wheelhouse.

Mingo was the 6th overall pick with Cleveland... for NE, he was a special-teams monster.

 

[Merlin]

I would love to mimic their success.....I'm not sure if they themselves have an across-the-board formula.......

I think right now the Rams are set up to do that, as long as they keep Wade Phillips happy. Sean/Wade gives them elite coordinators on offense and defense and most teams cannot do that let alone have that over many years, since they get poached by other teams too. Keep Wade fed and watered with talent, and keep him even after he's in a power chair as far as I'm concerned.

Les Snead's up to bat right now as well. He is set up for success with the coaching staff maximizing talent. He simply needs to keep making shrewd FA additions and drafting well. This offseason is very challenging for him man. There is a lot of room for him to F it up.

But again, I do think the Rams are set up in the right way now for long term success. They have the right people in the right positions, and once you have that the magic happens.

 

[dieterbrock]

And NE would never spend what it will cost to retain Donald. They've never invested in superstar players

They have never had a defensive player of Donald’s caliber, nothing even close. No way Belichick would let him go.
@Rmfnlt Great thread

 

[Ramon Ram]

What dynasty? We haven't won a playoff game yet. When we start winning consistently we can start working on maintenance plan. Until then we need to keep our better players and weed out the weak.
Signing Donald, Tru and or Joyner is not the NE way. When we sign Goff when his time comes we can look at how to conserve elsewhere as that's the NE plan.

 

[DCH]

They have never had a defensive player of Donald’s caliber, nothing even close. No way Belichick would let him go.
@Rmfnlt Great thread

No? They've had great, superstar players - Lawyer Milloy was a superstar, let go. Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones are arguably two of the top 6 or 7 OLBs in the game, both traded away because the Pats wouldn't pay them.

Hell, they had Revis Island when he was the best CB in the NFL and happily let him walk away to the Jets for ungodly amounts of money.

Aaron Donald is, IMO, the best individual player in the NFL at any position. But he's going to make Ndamukong Suh's contract look like a veteran minimum deal, and there's no way a team run by Bill Belichick would pay that for anyone.

 

[Jacobarch]

I think you may have misunderstood (or I didn't make things clear)...

There might be years where you need to be judicious about who to sign and who to let go... Joyner? Fine. The others? See what you can get in terms of draft picks and maybe they do go.

Got to stop living for today... even if it sets you back a tad. Got to constantly be thinking about tomorrow... building depth. You don't do that by staying put with your existing players... especially, as they become more expensive.

Well your heading is "to keep the dynasty alive"

We don't have one of those yet. Not even close.

 

[nighttrain]

No? They've had great, superstar players - Lawyer Milloy was a superstar, let go. Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones are arguably two of the top 6 or 7 OLBs in the game, both traded away because the Pats wouldn't pay them.

Hell, they had Revis Island when he was the best CB in the NFL and happily let him walk away to the Jets for ungodly amounts of money.

Aaron Donald is, IMO, the best individual player in the NFL at any position. But he's going to make Ndamukong Suh's contract look like a veteran minimum deal, and there's no way a team run by Bill Belichick would pay that for anyone.

i know i am a minority, but i cant help but wonder if giving AD the 20 mil a year contract is wise, it could make it impossible to sign other players needed to stay a contending team
train

 

[TSFH Fan]

From SI, a year ago:
https://www.si.com/mmqb/2017/01/27/...-roster-building-bill-belichick-super-bowl-51

The Patriot Way: Do You Want to Win a Super Bowl or Not?
By ROBERT KLEMKO January 27, 2017

FOXBOROUGH, Ma. — Chris Long had a decision to make last spring. At 30 years old and several seasons removed from a spate of double-digit sack campaigns, he knew he wanted to leave the Rams, who hadn’t reached the playoffs in his eight NFL seasons. There were a handful of attractive options for the four-down defensive end, a former second overall pick who could be had on the cheap. The Lions, Cowboys and Falcons were all interested, but Long left money on the table and took a one-year deal with the Patriots for $2.3 million, with only $1 million guaranteed.

“I had never hit the market before, but I knew where I wanted to be,” he said last Sunday, standing in front of his locker minutes after the Patriots won the AFC championship at Gillette Stadium. “If I didn’t have an opportunity to play somewhere I could win, I would have retired. I would have played this year for five dollars—I just wanted to be here.”

Patriots defensive end Chris Long.
MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES

That the Falcons are in a position to potentially spoil Long’s Super Bowl dreams doesn’t invalidate his decision. The conventional wisdom in the NFL holds that if you want to win a Lombardi Trophy, you go to Foxborough and don’t worry about getting paid. Bill Belichick’s take-it-or-leave-it negotiating style and his Machiavellian approach to salary cap economics—made possible, in part, by the quarterback he drafted in the sixth round 17 years ago—gives free agents very little leverage. But the overriding factor, the reason why league insiders say the Patriots have the shrewdest and least accommodating fiscal operation in football, is older than the coach, the team and the game itself: winning.

“They’re a nightmare for agents,” one agent told The MMQB, “because you know that if your player wants to play for the Patriots, they’re going to take the discount.”

The MMQB spoke with seven agents who have negotiated multiple player contracts with the Patriots since Bill Belichick took the head-coaching job in 2000. The agents spoke on the condition of anonymity because they have to continue working with Belichick and his lieutenant, Nick Caserio, the Patriots’ unheralded director of player personnel. These frustrated agents recall a go-to refrain from the 64-year-old coach/executive who delivered four Super Bowl titles to a once-moribund franchise.

“It’s simple,” Belichick says in his curt monotone, according to men who have been on the other end of the phone. “Does your guy want to win a Super Bowl, or doesn’t he?”

One agent who has negotiated deals with New England for more than a decade described four categories of players that the Patriots employ in their ever-changing cast of complements to Tom Brady.

• “One is the guy they draft low or sign as unrestricted and let him go when he wants money,” the veteran agent says.

• “Then there’s the malcontent. Corey Dillon, Randy Moss. He might not have the right personality for the team, but he comes for a year or two at below-market value, produces, and then when he wants money you let him go.”

• “Or they find a guy like LeGarrette Blount or Chris Long. Guys near the end of their career who want to win and still have something to offer.”

The final and most exclusive group is made up of players whom the Patriots end up paying market value. They are the standout players—Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Devin McCourty—who are believed to buy into the so-called Patriot Way and are integral to the team’s success at the time of their re-signing. By committing to only a handful of these players over the years, the Patriots avoid contracts that overpay players past their prime, allowing the team to instead focus on developing the sort of cheap talent that Belichick and his staff are expert at identifying. “You might get a good deal from them,” says one agent, “but it wont be because you’re a good agent. It will be because they like the guy.”

“I would have played this year for five dollars,” Patriots defensive end Chris Long says. “I just wanted to be here.”

For every Devin McCourty there is a Chandler Jones, the Pro Bowl defensive end whom New England traded last March after a 12.5-sack season. One theory behind the Jones trade revolved around a blockbuster free-agent deal signed just seven days earlier: The Giants inked former Dolphins edge defender Olivier Vernon to a five-year, $85 million contract, with $52.5 million guaranteed, elevating the market for ascending edge rushers to unforeseen levels. Belichick saw the basement for an elite player at that position rise to $52.5 million guaranteed, and decided he could cut bait, salvage some value, and still go to a Super Bowl this season. Before the rest of the league could get a handle on the new reality, Belichick dealt his own ascending edge defender, with similar traits, to the Cardinals for a second-round pick. A handful of contributors, including Long, have picked up the slack, and the Patriots are back on the game’s biggest stage for the seventh time under Belichick.

From l. to r., Robert Kraft, Jonathan Kraft, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
JIM DAVIS/THE BOSTON GLOBE/GETTY IMAGES

“This is the key,” one longtime agent says. “To pull off that trade, first of all, you need job security that no other coach in the NFL possesses. Then there is no other coach besides Belichick with his fingerprints all over the organization, with the balls, the vision, the foresight and a genius level of insanity to make that deal.”

• SUPER BOWL 51: The Tale of Tom Brady and Johnny Foxborough—how Belichick gets the best out of his star QB, by treating him like any other player

There is another essential piece to the puzzle, a person without whom Belichick might lack the necessary influence: Tom Brady. The three-time Super Bowl MVP’s 2017 cap hit of $13.7 million ranks No. 27 in the NFL, according to Sportrac.com. That’s about $200,000 less than Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson.

“They use Tom Brady’s deal in every negotiation they do in the sense that Tom has never demanded to be the highest-paid quarterback,” one agent says. “So because of that, they never want to make someone the highest-paid at their position.”

“Having Brady take less money and still work his ass off, that helps the organization run the building they want to run,” another agent says.

Brady and his agent, Donald Yee, have long accepted below-market value from the Patriots while maximizing every available dollar from Brady’s endorsers, including Under Armour, Movado and Ugg, according to two sources familiar with those negotiations. Plus, Brady’s wellness company, TB12, has office space in Patriot Place (the mall adjacent to the stadium and team facility that was built by team owner Robert Kraft). And TB12 co-owner Alex Guerrero is a de facto member of the team allowed to used space for treatments at the facility despite protests from Patriots’ medical and athletic training staff. The Boston Globe, in 2015, detailed how Brady’s company profits from its relationship with the Patriots and pondered whether it constituted a circumvention of the salary cap. (At the time, the team did not respond to requests for comment. The Patriots also did not answer The MMQB’s question as to whether the league has inquired into this relationship.)

“When you ask these guys how they get Tom to take less money,” one agent says, “they don’t even think Tom is doing the team a favor. They see Tom as the quintessential Patriot, and he understands whatever we ask him to do, he will do.

“Plus he has the external business and players are fed to him, and because it’s a privately held company, you and I can never get a copy of that lease. But I guarantee you it’s not what Foot Locker is paying [to be in the mall].”

The Patriots’ flexibility and (relative) frugality gives them leverage that virtually no other organization enjoys in pro sports. When Brady’s contract influences players such as Julian Edelman to agree to below-market deals—another of Yee’s clients, he earns $4.25 million per year—it has a chilling effect on the rest of the roster.

“It’s kind of an understanding, an unspoken thing,” says former Patriots tight end Ben Watson, who left the team in 2009 with one Super Bowl ring on his hand. “What a lot of people who played there will tell you is, you come there to win, but you may have to go somewhere else if you want to get paid.”

DARREN MCCOLLESTER/GETTY IMAGES

One agent uses the oft-quoted line from The Usual Suspects, whispered mendaciously by Kevin Spacey’s character, to describe The Patriot Way of doing business: “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”

Belichick, according to several agents, has been known to let his No. 2 man, Nick Caserio, nail down free-agent deals or contract extensions and then interject himself into the negotiations at the 11th hour, offering less money and little explanation. He and Caserio will also call up the representatives of mid-tier free agents who are sure starters elsewhere and offer contracts for part-time roles and half the compensation that other teams are willing to spend, unconcerned with whom they might offend.

• SUPER BOWL 51: Bill Belichick’s North Star—how the Patriots coach and the Naval Academy continue to influence each other

“They’re not as active as other teams; they usually get the castoffs,” an agent says. “They know—not feel—know they’re going to win regardless of who they have. It’s not arrogance because it’s a fact. You can’t go down their roster and say it’s a more talented roster than half the teams in the NFL.”

Belichick, exercising his abundance of leverage, will often go on vacation in the heat of free agency and make his take-it-or-leave-it offers from faraway beaches while other coaches are flying around the country on private jets to court players. When prospective players visit Foxborough, they express to their agents a sense of fear but often leave feeling as if they have just met the lone coach who understands their true purpose on a football field.

“With players, there’s a tremendous amount of intimidation because of how the media portrays the team as the evil empire,” says one agent. “But once they meet them, they freaking love [Belichick]. They’re blown away by his personality and how much he knows about the player and his skillset.”

• SUPER BOWL 51: How the Patriots Almost Became Connecticut’s Team

Says another agent, “They’re never going to end up overspending for somebody, because they understand the skill sets of players across the league and understand how those guys are going to fit as puzzle pieces. Guys buy into the system Bill runs.”

Agents, however, don’t always abide by The Patriot Way.

When New England drafted Watson at the end of the first round, in 2004, the team insisted on a six-year contract, a rarity for that position in the draft. Watson’s agent, Tom Condon, stood firm on five years, and Watson held out. As the season approached, however, Watson says that Condon told him to find another agent so a deal could be worked out. (Watson fired Condon, signed another agent and agreed to a six-year deal.) While the team has fostered close relationships with a handful of agents such as Yee, it has periodically blacklisted others such as Condon, who once said Belichick pretended that he and his agency “didn’t exist.”

“In Bill’s world, if you do what he wants, he likes you,” says one agent who has known the coach for decades. “If you don’t, you’re an a------.”

Robert Kraft and Jonathan Kraft.
JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES

Bill Belichick’s loathing of overspending is something the Krafts envisioned when they bought the team in 1994, when Belichick was still struggling as the head coach in Cleveland. Shortly after the sale, Bob Kraft’s Harvard Business School-educated son, Jonathan, gave a speech before the 1776 Quarterback Club of New England—a prominent fan group that hosted an annual awards banquet—–and spelled out the family’s vision for a team that had won just 19 of 80 games from 1989-1993.

The new salary cap that had just been introduced, the younger Kraft explained, was one of the biggest reasons they purchased the club. He believed there were inefficiencies in the market and used a hypothetical to illustrate his point.

Player A makes $2 million per year and is 10% better than Player B, who makes $500,000. Too many teams, Kraft argued, were committing to the marginally better player at the higher price. The Patriots, he said, would prefer the cheaper player in nearly every instance. Bill Parcells, the Patriots’ coach at the time, generally agreed with this principle, but it was Belichick, taking over six years later, who made it the team’s doctrine. By winning almost immediately, with a Super Bowl in his second season, Belichick wrestled full roster control away from Andy Wasynczuk, the senior vice president and chief operating officer who contributed in negotiations at the time of his hiring, according to a source with knowledge of the team’s affairs at the time.

“They know—not feel—know they’re going to win regardless of who they have,” one agent says of the Pats. “It’s not arrogance because it’s a fact. You can’t go down their roster and say it’s a more talented roster than half the teams in the NFL.”

Scott Pioli, who arrived in 2000 with Belichick, ascended to director of player personnel in 2001, and he and Belichick created their niche in the NFL’s negotiating landscape. Caserio picked up the torch when Pioli left for Kansas City in 2009, and while Caserio is viewed as a potential general manager candidate for another team, there is an accompanying sense of doubt about the prospects of Patriots employees who leave the nest. From Pioli to Charlie Weis to Josh McDaniels to Romeo Crennel, the list of former Belichick disciples who have stumbled after leaving Foxborough only enhances Belichick’s leverage over the rest of the league.

Still, the elephant in the room is Brady, who turns 40 in August. There is ongoing debate in league circles centered on Belichick and the team after Brady retires. Is it possible for the coach to win consistently without him, not just for short periods of time—as he did with Matt Cassel in 2008, and early this season with Jimmy Garoppolo—but for the rest of his career?

Says Watson, “I think Brady is underappreciated in that debate. I didn’t realize how special he was until I left and realized that other quarterbacks were nothing like him.”

• SUPER BOWL 51: Follow the MMQB’s road trip to Houston

“You look at what he did with those guys, and you have to ask, is Tom Brady one of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL if he doesn’t have Bill Belichick?” says one agent. “I don’t know that answer.”

We may not get an answer to that question anytime soon. Brady has expressed his desire to play into his 40s, and if he keeps putting up performances like last Sunday’s—when he set the team record for passing yards in a postseason game (384)—that means bad news for agents and any player thought to be expendable.

The next man up for a new contract is cornerback Malcolm Butler, the undrafted free agent from Division II West Alabama who was the hero of Super Bowl XLIX and has evolved into one of the Patriots’ best defenders. Scheduled to become a restricted free-agent this summer, Butler will be looking for an extension this off-season; his agent, a personal injury attorney out of Huntsville, Ala., has never negotiated a veteran NFL contract.

“I can’t even imagine going into a negotiation with the Patriots having never done one before,” one agent says. “That would be like strolling into the lion’s den.”

 

[Ram65]

My plan?
1] Keep only absolute key players (Donald, for example. Guys who have proven they are:
a) Still on the rise
b) Mainly not injury-prone
c) Highly productive

I think you may have misunderstood (or I didn't make things clear)...

There might be years where you need to be judicious about who to sign and who to let go... Joyner? Fine. The others? See what you can get in terms of draft picks and maybe they do go.

Got to stop living for today... even if it sets you back a tad. Got to constantly be thinking about tomorrow... building depth. You don't do that by staying put with your existing players... especially, as they become more expensive.

The Rams days of desperation signing should be over. Don't even want to make a desperation free agent list from the past. They will take a chances here and there. Many would have said Robert Woods was taking a big chance before the season. Unfortunately, the Rams are far from being a stable franchise that has all the core players in place. Here is a great read on free agency and signing "Your Players" cheaper than free agents or before they hit the market. Demoff has done a good job keeping the cap under control. The Rams have made some mistakes with Tavon's contract and TruJo non contract.

http://ramsondemand.com/threads/since-were-starting-to-talk-about-fa.53254/

The Rams are far away from being the Patsies as year to year contenders. They have more questions than answers for next year already. It's a great idea not sign aging players and get rid of players before big contract years to get a return. As has been mentioned having Belicheat for defense and Brady for less expensive GOAT at QB is very unique and separates them from the rest. They also have had a system in place for a long time and are able to replace starting players with less talented ones without losing much. Their system allows them to take risks on players with trouble and get them to produce.It may catch up to them with a no name defense this year but,they are still in the mix.
Here is another thing they do well.

That's a big part of the scouting discussion earlier. Long was probably scouted by NE at some point, and a ton of early-round busts have come to NE and had success because they came in and were put in a position to do the one thing they do well rather than having to play every down because of their draft status.

Kyle Van Noy is a great example of this, along with guys like Shea McClellin, Barkevious Mingo, Eric Rowe... the Pats find players who do one or two things really, really well and then scheme them into situations where they're pretty much only doing those things in their wheelhouse.

Mingo was the 6th overall pick with Cleveland... for NE, he was a special-teams monster.

Great point.

2] Let players go that hamper your cap (even if they are important)
Guys like Watkins, Sullivan (age), Barwin, Johnson, Joyner, Robey-Coleman, etc.
This is something NE does effectively. If they believe a player is:
a) On the downside of his career
b) Injury-prone
c) Has not fit into the system as much as they believe they should

They Rams have some hard decisions to make. The keepers are Sullivan, Joyner and Robey-Coleman. The key is could the Rams replace them with equal or better players at similar cost or less. I don't think there is anyone on the roster to take of these spots. The Rams may think differently. The Rams may have less costly free agents in mind or younger free agents. You have to replace the ones you don't resign and that isn't always easy.

A big decision on Robert Quinn and his high priced contract is going to impact the roster.
Is Watkins their guy? I don't know.
Is Barwin too slow and old? I think so.
What about Barron and his health? Can't be counted on.

This offseason is going to be very important to set up the future of the Rams franchise. They don't have the luxury of a stable roster with only a couple of question marks. The offense is close to being set. A speedy backup RB (Jet Sweep) is needed and the Watkins question remain. The depth on the offensive line and development of replacements for Whitworth and Sullivan have to be considered. The defense is far from being set. There are still a lot of questions marks.

 

[DCH]

Player A makes $2 million per year and is 10% better than Player B, who makes $500,000. Too many teams, Kraft argued, were committing to the marginally better player at the higher price. The Patriots, he said, would prefer the cheaper player in nearly every instance. Bill Parcells, the Patriots’ coach at the time, generally agreed with this principle, but it was Belichick, taking over six years later, who made it the team’s doctrine.

In a nutshell. Good article.

 

[ScotsRam]

I think you may have misunderstood (or I didn't make things clear)...

There might be years where you need to be judicious about who to sign and who to let go... Joyner? Fine. The others? See what you can get in terms of draft picks and maybe they do go.

Got to stop living for today... even if it sets you back a tad. Got to constantly be thinking about tomorrow... building depth. You don't do that by staying put with your existing players... especially, as they become more expensive.

Unless the players we let go in FA sign big contracts and play well elsewhere we get nothing back from them. Hard to accumulate picks if you have no valuable players under contract to trade.

 

[DCH]

Regarding Donald, Von Miller currently is the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL at a $114,500,000 contract averaging over $19 million/year. Donald certainly deserves more than that, were he to hit the open market he'd certainly get it... Miller signed his in July 2016, Donald would likely be signing his in spring or summer of 2018 (they'd likely buy out his final rookie year). Over those years, the cap will have risen from $155 million to an estimated $178 million - a 14% increase - so Donald's representatives can argue that, as the best player in football, he deserves a contract akin to Von Miller's, adjusted for that cap growth.

So, here you have your dilemma - the best defensive player in the game, arguably the best player in the game period, and to retain him will require something in the line of $130 million over six years.

Do you pay him?
Is he worth it?
Is one Aaron Donald more useful to your team - hell, to your defense - than, say, a Lamarcus Joyner, an EJ Gaines and a Dontari Poe?

Suh and Miller are tremendous talents, and paid accordingly, but their teams have been mediocre at best throughout their careers, because at some point you'll have one of the highest-paid players in the NFL and one of those modern QB contracts.

Can you get 80% of the gameday impact out of that one DE position while increasing the impact from two or three other positions by more than 20% combined?

The NFL is not the NBA. Aaron Donald may be the NFL's LeBron James, but he's one of 22 (plus ST), not one of 5.

 

[fearsomefour]

Ummm... Brady, sir?
We don't know if he'd be gone since he kept signing home town friendly contracts... but, my guess is they would have done everything in their power to keep him.

I'd say they might be inclined to invest heavily in no more than two players. No more than that... need to keep the roster financially balanced.

They have been good at drafting OL as well. Not good at drafting WR generally....so, they find guys that fit what they do in FA. Drafting the trenches is key.

 

[nighttrain]

I'm afraid signing AD to mega bucks could make us Miami or Denver, crippled. What say trade him to Cleveland for a couple of #1's, it;s close to Pittsburg
train

 

[poLARizing]

Brady and the offense deserve some credit for this. Teams know they have to score and warps the way they play offense against the Patriots.

That and playing against a trio of the most incompetent sports franchises in modern history.

Offensive Points/game for the trio in that powerful division in which NE has won 11 Division titles (9 straight from 09-17) from 06-17. Mia and NE had the same record in 08 but Mia won the tie-breaker and the div title. Only division in NFL where the word Parity doesn't exist.

2017:
Buffalo - 22nd
Jets - 24th
Mia - 28th
2016:
Buffalo - 10th
Jets - 30th
Mia - 17th
2015:
Buffalo - 12th
Jets - 11th
Mia - 27th
2014:
Buffalo - 26th
Jets - 22nd
Mia - 14th
2013:
Buffalo - 22nd
Jets - 29th
Mia - 26th
2012:
Buffalo - 21st
Jets - 28th
Mia - 27th
2011:
Buffalo - 14th
Jets - 13th
Mia - 20th
2010:
Buffalo - 28th
Jets - 13th
Mia - 30th
2009:
Buffalo - 28th
Jets - 13th
Mia - 30th
2008:
Buffalo - 23nd
Jets - 9th
Mia - 21st
2007:
Buffalo - 30th
Jets - 25th
Mia - 26th
2006:
Buffalo - 23rd
Jets - 18th
Mia - 29th

 

[fearsomefour]

So hard to emulate what NE has accomplished over a very long time.

First, and foremost, it takes developing depth... but how to do that?

My plan?
1] Keep only absolute key players (Donald, for example. Guys who have proven they are:
a) Still on the rise
b) Mainly not injury-prone
c) Highly productive

2] Let players go that hamper your cap (even if they are important)
Guys like Watkins, Sullivan (age), Barwin, Johnson, Joyner, Robey-Coleman, etc.
This is something NE does effectively. If they believe a player is:
a) On the downside of his career
b) Injury-prone
c) Has not fit into the system as much as they believe they should

They let him go.. period. And, yes, it might be a big name...
AND... they accumulate picks... lots of picks. They draft well and know how to identify players that fit their system. They build depth!

3] Similarly, they identify free agents that fit their system. Sometimes, they take chances on "character issues guys" (like Britt)... but they structure deals that they can exit out of with minimal hassle and financial impact.
The Rams did a great job of that this year with Whitworth and Sullivan. I believe Sullivan comes up this year and he'll be 33 in August.
I see both these guys as band-aids (good ones, but band-aids nonetheless) and , when their contract comes up, got to move them for picks.

I know... it's hard... they worked hard for you, did a good job... but, it's a business... got to keep the tank (quality players early in their careers) full for the engine to run.
As fans who fall in love with players, this is particularly difficult. But, it's exactly why some franchises fail (GMs "fall in love") while NE remains successful.

I do not think the Rams are nearly there yet (next man up, with little drop off).

I'd also suggest that it's not only only depth. I think you also have to have a scheme that allows for lesser players to come in and still excel. I'm not sure McVay has all of that yet... but I think he is smart enough to develop that "back-up plan".

So... keep only the key players and ones that have a proven record of production, health and are on the upside of their careers.

Let as many of the others go for as many draft picks as you can accumulate.

And, this goes without saying but... you need good scouting!

Absolutely great season... the challenge now is to improve that roster.

So, using this approach, Sullivan (injury) Whitworth (age) Saffold (injury) Watkins (injury) would never have been brought in or kept.
A team like NE drafts well over all on D and OL....the WR the sign via FA. Why? They can find some bargains and they don't have to wait for them to develop for Brady like a rookie would. They have done an amazing job keeping their train rolling (along with Pitts GB)....HOF QBs help and you have to be able to draft well, if not across the board then at least consistently reload certain parts of the team through the draft.
To me now is the time to be aggressive in FA, the window to win a title is always trying to close. This is a team with a couple of holes/depth issues that need to be addressed to really contend. Be aggressive without being reckless. If a guy is overpaid for a couple of years in pursuit of a title then let go I have no issue with that. Having contracts that don't hamper the team long term is key.

 

[Ram65]

So, here you have your dilemma - the best defensive player in the game, arguably the best player in the game period, and to retain him will require something in the line of $130 million over six years.

Do you pay him?
Is he worth it?
Is one Aaron Donald more useful to your team - hell, to your defense - than, say, a Lamarcus Joyner, an EJ Gaines and a Dontari Poe?

I have gone back and forth on this. Rams could do the franchise tag for a couple of years and have him for three more years at a reasonable cost. They have to find a trade partner if they want trade him. He couldn't do it by himself this year. He had some help from Brockers but, it was Donald mostly by himself. My last stance on this was to resign him as the Rams don't have any other real pass rushers. I also would listen to any and all possible trade partners.

 

[dieterbrock]

No? They've had great, superstar players - Lawyer Milloy was a superstar, let go. Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones are arguably two of the top 6 or 7 OLBs in the game, both traded away because the Pats wouldn't pay them.

Hell, they had Revis Island when he was the best CB in the NFL and happily let him walk away to the Jets for ungodly amounts of money.

Aaron Donald is, IMO, the best individual player in the NFL at any position. But he's going to make Ndamukong Suh's contract look like a veteran minimum deal, and there's no way a team run by Bill Belichick would pay that for anyone.

None of the players mentioned were in Donald’s catagory. Great players yes, but Donald is a whole nuther level.
Over paying defensive backs is totally different than a dline differnce maker.

 

[DCH]

None of the players mentioned were in Donald’s catagory. Great players yes, but Donald is a whole nuther level.
Over paying defensive backs is totally different than a dline differnce maker.

Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins are top-6 at their position in the NFL, which is pass-rushing OLB. They may be behind Donald, but not by that much - and they certainly weren't when they were traded.

Asante Samuel was a top-5 CB - not re-signed.
Mike Vrabel was a difference-making LB - traded.
Richard Seymour was one of the best 3-4 DEs in the game - traded.
Ty Law was probably the best CB in the NFL - gone.
Lawyer Milloy, BELOVED by the team and perhaps the best SS in the NFL - cut.

Donald is a beast. Again, I think he's the best player in the NFL. But I couldn't fathom Bill Belichick paying him Von Miller money - or anyone.

Except maybe a really, really great fullback who also plays gunner on kickoffs.

 

[Rmfnlt]

No? They've had great, superstar players - Lawyer Milloy was a superstar, let go. Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones are arguably two of the top 6 or 7 OLBs in the game, both traded away because the Pats wouldn't pay them.

Hell, they had Revis Island when he was the best CB in the NFL and happily let him walk away to the Jets for ungodly amounts of money.

Aaron Donald is, IMO, the best individual player in the NFL at any position. But he's going to make Ndamukong Suh's contract look like a veteran minimum deal, and there's no way a team run by Bill Belichick would pay that for anyone.

I can see that (NE letting Donald walk)... but it wouldn't surprise me if they broke habit and paid a guy like that big bucks.

He's special... it's those other guys (many of whom you mentioned) that are good examples... guys who equate to Rams like Joyner... and others coming up this year.

Like I said, can't jettison everybody in a year when lots of contracts come up... but figure out the best combination of who stays and who goes, with consideration to:
1] $$$$$
2] Accumulating picks for the FUTURE

Look ahead... see what draft classes are going to look like in 2019... 2020... maybe they can let a Joyner go based on future draft class strengths.

Think outside the box a little, maybe... think more about tomorrow.

Just musing, I suppose.