TIGHT END (Hernandez is with the WRs)
GRONK .......(2610) (2700) (5600) (6600) ... contracted thru 2017
FELLS ........(1408) (1658) (2158) (UFA)
HERMAN-IR ..(390) .(480) .(570) (RFA)
BALLARD-IR .(540) (ERFA)
GRONK (6062/265) - Nothing I can add except that I really hope he can stay healthy for an entire season through the playoffs and the Superbowl.
FELLS (6033/259) was disappointing to me. Though I realize he had health issues, I expected him to be much more heavily involved in the running game as a blocker and to catch at least a few more passes than the 4 he did. At this point, I can't even say that Fells would have been all that much help as Gronk's backup/replacement in the last SB - just better than the nothing the Pats had. Fells is under contract, so there's at least some insurance there in case Ballard doesn't work out as well as we hope, but I'm not at all sure that that's worth his cap hit.
HERMAN (6044/253) is a complete unknown to me, but he's dirt cheap and already under contract and may well stick around through OTAs/Camp if he's recovered from his Achilles tear. If not, another developmental UDFA may replace him for OTAs/Camp/PS. He's not really relevant unless he turns out to be really special.
BALLARD (6061/275) really had only the one good season for the Giants in 2011 (13 starts, 38/604, 4 TDs) and there's no way to know for certain he can even come close to repeating that after a year out of football re-habbing a knee. If he DOES, it almost certainly makes Fells expendable. As an ERFA, though, the Pats pretty much get to dictate terms to Ballard. I'd guess maybe two years and I can't imagine his 2013 hit being much above $1.5M.
I'm guessing that the plan is to have Gronk and Ballard as the dynamic duo at TE with one more guy not named Hernandez (3 TEs, total) as a reserve/special-teamer/ player for 3 TE sets. For that role, he'll probably need to be able to block very well and catch a little. And, really, it shouldn't be all that difficult to do better than Fells and Hooman, even with a new UDFA. The big caveat here is that, if Ballard is going to flop, they probably won't know until well after the draft and after the best FAs are gone. Thus, Fells/Hooman probably stick around into Camp.
UNIT CAP HIT for 2013 around $5.0M-$6.0M.
GRONK .......(2610) (2700) (5600) (6600) ... contracted thru 2017
FELLS ........(1408) (1658) (2158) (UFA)
HERMAN-IR ..(390) .(480) .(570) (RFA)
BALLARD-IR .(540) (ERFA)
GRONK (6062/265) - Nothing I can add except that I really hope he can stay healthy for an entire season through the playoffs and the Superbowl.
FELLS (6033/259) was disappointing to me. Though I realize he had health issues, I expected him to be much more heavily involved in the running game as a blocker and to catch at least a few more passes than the 4 he did. At this point, I can't even say that Fells would have been all that much help as Gronk's backup/replacement in the last SB - just better than the nothing the Pats had. Fells is under contract, so there's at least some insurance there in case Ballard doesn't work out as well as we hope, but I'm not at all sure that that's worth his cap hit.
HERMAN (6044/253) is a complete unknown to me, but he's dirt cheap and already under contract and may well stick around through OTAs/Camp if he's recovered from his Achilles tear. If not, another developmental UDFA may replace him for OTAs/Camp/PS. He's not really relevant unless he turns out to be really special.
BALLARD (6061/275) really had only the one good season for the Giants in 2011 (13 starts, 38/604, 4 TDs) and there's no way to know for certain he can even come close to repeating that after a year out of football re-habbing a knee. If he DOES, it almost certainly makes Fells expendable. As an ERFA, though, the Pats pretty much get to dictate terms to Ballard. I'd guess maybe two years and I can't imagine his 2013 hit being much above $1.5M.
I'm guessing that the plan is to have Gronk and Ballard as the dynamic duo at TE with one more guy not named Hernandez (3 TEs, total) as a reserve/special-teamer/ player for 3 TE sets. For that role, he'll probably need to be able to block very well and catch a little. And, really, it shouldn't be all that difficult to do better than Fells and Hooman, even with a new UDFA. The big caveat here is that, if Ballard is going to flop, they probably won't know until well after the draft and after the best FAs are gone. Thus, Fells/Hooman probably stick around into Camp.
UNIT CAP HIT for 2013 around $5.0M-$6.0M.