Asante Talking About A Trade

[JamesLavin]

It means signing bonuses were converted into roster bonuses last season to clear up space under the cap in future years.

It means draft picks were used for more expensive veteran role players this offseason.

Now THIS is the kind of insight I've come to expect from the Athol!

Interesting observation.

My feeling about the signing bonuses -> roster bonuses last year was that the Pats unexpectedly wound up with extra $$$ and nowhere to spend it after Deion demanded a trade and they worked one out. They planned on re-signing Deion, but after trading him couldn't find anyone worthy of the $ so late in the process. So instead of wasting the salary cap $, they used it to clear out some future cap space. So I don't see this point as evidence of a conspiracy to make the team great for a few years at the expense of future seasons (or last season).

Your point about using draft picks to trade for veterans also sounds intriguing, but I don't think it stands up either. They traded a 2nd-rounder for Corey Dillon a few years back, but not because Piolichick was planning to bail within a few seasons.

This year's trade of a 2nd-rounder seems even less like an attempt to mortgage our future because we signed a younger guy to a long-term contract. Welker's a veteran, so he'll be able to contribute immediately rather than force us to suffer through another Chad Jackson soap opera. Sounds like a sound business decision to me.

I just don't see the evidence that they're taking either a short- or medium-term approach to building this team. It still looks like a long-term mentality to me.

the Pats went into mini-rebuild mode after the loss of Weis and Crennel.

Every NFL team is constantly in rebuild mode. One of the few exceptions to that rule was the Colts last offseason. They managed to hold on to almost everyone, and they managed to win the S.B. But that's rare as heck. And the Colts bled players this offseason.

timing his departure from coaching the New England Patriots around 2009/2010

You could be right, but my hunch says Belichick retires as Patriots head coach. Sustaining success in the NFL is a HUGE challenge. He has little enough of an offseason as it is. Why try to rebuild elsewhere? Money and ego are the only answers, and I don't believe either will lure him away from Foxboro. Parcells HAD to move around because his players tired of his schtick after a few years and started to tune him out.

--James