Lynch released

[Pats247]

It is being reported by the Tampa sports radio station that John
Lynch will be released. No link or verification but the report is out there.

 

[Annihilus]

I heard this too on the radio a little bit ago. Lynch is a good guy and player - I'm sure he'll end up on his feet somewhere soon. That's one downfall that we've seen up close and personal - it doesn't just happen to the Pats.....

 

[Guest]

Lynch is one of two players on the Bucs team that I truly respect. Apparently he approached THEM regarding a restructure and they turned him down. I would like to see him in a Pats uni even though they don't need another strong safety. High character and a good player. The other is Ronde (sp?) Barber.

 

[Guest]

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/TB/7164629

Why wouldn't they restructure? That is weird.

 

[BigDickSeymour]

Why wouldn't they restructure? That is weird. [/B]

Gruden is an arrogant idiot who thinks he knows better than everybody else. See what winning one Super Bowl with a team that somebody else built will do to you.
It seams like Tampa's dismal performance last year will be repeated this year. I guess Tampa's reverting back to what they always were, the basement of the NFL.

 

[patsRmyboys]

LMAO!! It's funny cuz I just moved to the Tampa area from RI and my friends here are Buc's fans and they always say to me that I'll be a fan soon enough. It really makes me laugh and I just retort..."but the Bucs suck" and it appears that will continue to do so...lol. As far as I'm concerned there's only one team for me, the others are just in the way...Go Pats!

 

[Guest]

"I take great pride in the fact that in my career in the NFL I have never and will never play for a contract, rather any success I've had is the result of my play, my passion for the game I love, and the game I respect so much," Lynch said.


Why would you not automatically find room for a guy like that? Two years removed from a Super Bowl, he can't have slipped that much. How tough is it to put together a coaching staff that can win it all when you are competing against a bunch of idiots?

 

[BionicPatriot]

Imagine Lynch and Rodeny in a backfield. That would be suicide for any freaking receiver. My goodness...

 

[BigDickSeymour]

To bad...

It's to bad Herman Edwards and the Jets were already on the phone to Lynch's agent even before the announcement was "official". And the fact that Herm is the Godfather to Lynch's child does not help much either. I hope he does not end up with the Jets, but I'd say all the signs put in that direction.

 

[BionicPatriot]

Re: To bad...

It's to bad Herman Edwards and the Jets were already on the phone to Lynch's agent even before the announcement was "official". And the fact that Herm is the Godfather to Lynch's child does not help much either. I hope he does not end up with the Jets, but I'd say all the signs put in that direction.

Well, I would only like to see Lynch in our backfield...thats the onyl place in the East I would like him to be. I would hate for him to be a Jet..

 

[bideau]

Maybe the Pats

From Saturday's Globe:

John Lynch, the five-time Pro Bowl safety of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is interested in playing for the Patriots, a source close to the player indicated yesterday. The question is, is New England interested in Lynch?

The Patriots are prominent on the short list of teams the 32-year-old Lynch would play for, a list that also includes the Jets and Colts, according to the source.

Lynch, who has been told he will be released by the Buccaneers, appears to be cut from the same mold as current Patriot Rodney Harrison, a hard-hitting, intelligent safety. A secondary featuring a Lynch-Harrison combination would provide a great deal of intimidation.

Lynch has ties with the AFC East rival Jets because of his close relationship with coach Herman Edwards. Lynch also has a hook in Indianapolis because Colts coach Tony Dungy helped develop Lynch during their time in Tampa Bay. But Lynch, who won a Super Bowl with the Bucs two years ago, may feel the Patriots are his best chance to get back to the big game.

After cutting Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy just before the 2003 regular season, the Patriots converted rookie cornerback Eugene Wilson to play alongside Harrison. Wilson quickly developed into a fine free safety but if the Patriots want to switch Wilson back to corner, there could be an opening for Lynch.

Lynch wanted to restructure his deal in Tampa, one that called for salaries of $4.1 million this year and $5 million in 2005, but the Bucs declined.

 

[Guest]

SIGN LYNCH!!!

Do it! Do it now!

<HR SIZE="10">


Lynch offered to restructure so that he could remain with the Bucs. These are the words of a Patriot:

"I take great pride in the fact that in my career in the NFL I have never and will never play for a contract..."

Hey guy,

Have we got a deal for you.

 

[BionicPatriot]

My god...Lynch in a Patriots uni...my god..the torment..MY GOD!!! JUST FREAKING IMAGINE THE NECK BREAKING!!!!!!! They may not be the fastest, but I doubt we would be killed by the pass.....SIGN LYNCH...NOOOOW!!!!

 

[bideau]

I saw this posted on another site. It's an article from Saturday's Tampa Tribune:

In his quest for another Super Bowl victory, John Lynch could be headed for pro football's Lord of the Rings.
Tampa Bay's defensive captain, fielding a flurry of offers from other teams, acknowledged Friday that the NFL champion Patriots have stepped up their efforts to land the five-time Pro Bowl safety.

New England has won two championships within a three- year span under Coach Bill Belichick, who brought in veteran free-agent safety Rodney Harrison a year ago.

If he signs with the Pats, Lynch likely would compete against Eugene Wilson, who started 15 games as a rookie in 2003.

``I'm not signing with anyone to be a backup,'' Lynch said from his San Diego home. ``Things are really starting to develop. I've got a bunch of new teams that have stepped up and Coach Belichick has shown a real interest. Seattle has sparked up, and Denver as well.''

Lynch, an 11-year veteran granted permission by the Bucs to sign elsewhere, said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis called him twice Thursday. and Lynch said he will visit Seattle on Sunday.

``It's great to see all the interest, but you keep asking yourself just how serious are they?'' Lynch said.

The Jets and Colts remain the two most likely destinations for Lynch, who is coming off shoulder surgery.

Lynch's agent, David Dunn, already has opened discussions with the Jets, and Lynch has a strong bond with Colts coach Tony Dungy, dating to their six years together at One Buc Place.

Lynch, who likely will have to take a significant pay cut for the next phase of his career, is hoping to have a new team by early next week. While the Bucs await his decision, Lynch said he will weigh several factors.

``First, it has to be a great place for my family,'' he said. ``No. 2, I want an opportunity to win another Super Bowl. Familiarity would play a part, and that's where teams like the Jets and Colts come in. Being a free agent isn't all that bad. I'm having fun today taking all these phone calls from coaches who want me.''

My gut feeling on this is that Lynch is using the Pats as a smoke screen. As others have said, two strong safeties on the field at the same time is bad for pass coverage. I don't Lynch would really consider coming here unless BB is willing to put both he and Harrison on the field together.

 

[Guest]

My gut feeling on this is that Lynch is using the Pats as a smoke screen. As others have said, two strong safeties on the field at the same time is bad for pass coverage.

In his quest for another Super Bowl victory, John Lynch could be headed for pro football's Lord of the Rings. Tampa Bay's defensive captain, fielding a flurry of offers from other teams, acknowledged Friday that the NFL champion Patriots have stepped up their efforts to land the five-time Pro Bowl safety.

New England has won two championships within a three- year span under Coach Bill Belichick, who brought in veteran free-agent safety Rodney Harrison a year ago.

Sign Lynch, Please!!! It was me who said that the two safeties (Harrison & Milloy) wouldn't work, but this is JOHN LYNCH we are talking about. You make it work. Plus, Harrison did show that in BB's system he was better in pass coverage than most people thought. Maybe you can't have them out there for every down, but you could use Harrison like a blitzing DB, or Lynch as a run stuffer. Just bring him on for his character and leadership, then a few years from now you make a coach out of him.

 

[MrWhite]

I highly doubt he will be coming here with his relationship with Tony Dungy and how close their team got to the superbowl last year. I'd bet the house that Lynch lands in Indy. although, they might have some trouble signing him after they have truck load of money Peyton just got.

 

[PSC_Pats_Fan]

Put me down as another person who thinks we should pick this guy up...

BUT.. I strongly feel he is going to land with the Jets. The relationship between him and Edwards is just too strong.

Here's hoping for a miracle!!

 

[lobster]

One reason Lynch might want to play for the Pat's is the Pat's are perhaps the best in the leaque at developing DB's. For example look at how well Rodney Harrison played in coverage - supposedly not his strentch - and Eugene Wilson learned to play safety exceptionally quickly.

 

[bideau]

Latest update from Felger in the Herald:

The Pats remain in pursuit of veteran safety John Lynch, who is due in Foxboro tonight for a free agent visit. Lynch, who was recently cut by Tampa Bay and has visited Seattle and Denver, is scheduled to move on tomorrow to the Jets, who remain the favorite to sign him.

Some believe the Pats may be showing an interest in Lynch just to raise his price for the Jets. Meanwhile, Crennel said Eugene Wilson, who had a strong rookie year at safety, will work at both safety and corner this offseason.

I think he will end up with the Jets. But I like the idea of showing interest just to drive up the price.

 

[Undertaker #59*]

Lynch, Patriots will try to see if they're a match

01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, March 17, 2004


BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer



The New England Patriots will kick the tires of well-respected safety John Lynch tomorrow and Lynch -- the five-time Pro Bowler in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history -- will likely do the same to the organization.

Since he got the word last week that the Bucs weren't interested in keeping him even if he negotiated down his $4.1 million salary for 2004, Lynch has been on a whirlwind tour of teams.

He started in Seattle, reportedly visited Denver yesterday, then will come to New England. After that, he'll visit the current teams of two men he formerly played for in Tampa Bay -- New York Jets head coach Herman Edwards and Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy.

Lynch, 32, was a salary-cap casualty in Tampa. The Bucs saved $4 million against their cap by letting Lynch go. But it seems there's more to it than money.

"This decision was not, and I repeat, was not a result of my unwillingness to restructure my contract," Lynch said last week. "That scenario, which would have been my preference and were my instructions to my representative . . . was never an option. As a result, I will be playing football next year for another team."

Lynch, who turns 33 in September, had shoulder surgery two months ago. Apparently, the Bucs saw something in Lynch -- who played in 14 games, made 72 tackles and picked off two passes in 2003 -- that made them think they were better off letting him go.

Of course, the San Diego Chargers felt the same way about Rodney Harrison last offseason, released him and then watched him play a leading role in the Patriots' Super Bowl win.

Lynch has stated in the past few days that he still wants to be a starter. He very well could be in New England. Last season, rookie corner Eugene Wilson converted to safety and started 15 games alongside Harrison. But that move was unforeseen, and even though it worked out as well as it did, Wilson was still drafted to play corner initially. The likelihood exists that they'd like to get him back to that spot, especially if the team lets Ty Law go after the 2004 season. Aside from pseudo-safety Wilson, the only other safeties on the depth chart are Shawn Mayer and Je'Rod Cherry, who re-signed yesterday. Neither would be an every-down solution at safety.

Could Lynch, who came out of Stanford in 1993, be the answer? He's known more for hitting than he is for speed, and there could be trepidation about pairing two safeties over the age of 30 in the secondary. But the savvy of Lynch and Harrison could certainly help mitigate any speed loss they've had, and Harrison showed in 2003 that he's a lot faster than advertised.

It's an interesting proposition, and having Lynch in for a visit is a very big step. Patriots coach Bill Belichick pointed out after the season that the team was behind in its offseason work because of the playoffs. Talking to Lynch has to be more than killing time.

Belichick and vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli have proven persuasive in the past. They lured Harrison from the Oakland Raiders last year and signed him before he could visit the Denver Broncos. Lynch will likely hear the same sales pitch, one that accents what the Pats feel Lynch can do for them and a forecast for success with an organization that's at the top of the NFL heap right now.

The money will probably be better elsewhere, but Lynch has stated money isn't a priority.

"I take great pride in the fact that in my career in the NFL I have never and will never play for a contract," Lynch said last week from his hometown of San Diego. "Rather, any success I've had is the result of my play, my passion for the game I love, and the game I respect so much."

Lynch was officially released by Tampa yesterday. The Bucs had retained him as he looked for a new team in hopes of getting a draft pick in exchange. Lynch is represented by David Dunn, also the agent for quarterback Drew Bledsoe.