Just watched this. Despite knowing the outcome I was still so nervous. Really well done.

Winning without gronk the greatest TE of all time.

Damn, been playing around on salary cap sites and looking at free agents and the Pats are in great shape for the next 2-3 years.

After the obvious cuts (basically Amendola/Vollmer and probably Nink) they'll have about $70mm available.

Defense:

I think they franchise Hightower (~ $15mm) and extend Butler for something around $12mm/year by buying out his last season of RFA. If Butler won't sign for that, then slap the 1st round tender on him and see what happens.

I would sign Logan Ryan if they can get it done for something like $9mm/year.

Sheard and Long can walk. Go after a younger edge rusher with some upside (John Simon?) or look for vets on short deals (or Long if he signs for cheap again) looking to play for a championship. Also address in draft.

If Branch will stay on a short deal that's fine, otherwise we have Brown and Valentine to play "fat guy in the middle" role and maybe target another veteran looking to win on a short and cheap deal.

Would like to retain Harmon at around $4 to 5mm/year or address in draft as safety is supposed to be really deep and I think young safeties can play well as rookies compared to other positions.

Offense:

Let Bennett walk and target a younger back-up TE with starting potential (Luke Wilson?) and also address position in draft.

Blount can come back for cheap and compete in camp with whichever RB they draft in the 3rd or 4th round. Or not, who cares they will find an able body to do what Blount does. (I've loved his time here and his mojo but this is reality of RB position.)

Dola can come back for cheap hopefully. Either way they are fine at WR.

O-line is fairly young but target more in draft.

This leaves about $20mm to sign the draft and maybe target one other impact player. And this is all before whatever happens with Jimmy G.

They don't have many salary commitments going out to 2018/2019 so they can spread all the money evenly and still remain in excellent shape moving forward.

Belichick is one sick mother ****er!

Patriots going to repeat. Win 3 in 4 years just like they did to start.

trey flowers is a beast

Id be disappointed to lose Hightower. I know he seems to get injured alot but he plays through them at a decent quality and had 2 of the bigger plays in the last 2 superbowls. It'd be nice to lock up Butler long term this offseason too, I know hes a RFA so they can control him another year but even so id like for his extension to be out of the way.

I just cant see Ryan coming back. Some team will give him a crazy deal that he would be stupid not to accept.

Im not complaining about it, but normally as a Patriots fan the offseason isnt too exciting, but this year with the potential of a Jimmy G trade it looks like it could be an entertaining offseason.

I really don't get the logic that Jimmy is not worth a first for a trading team. You are getting to see him play a whole year before you have to sign him to a long term deal. Would he not be the top QB if he was available in the draft ?

$12m/yr puts butler right below sherman/Haden/Patterson

I dunno about that...

I would personally rather pats go get a stud lineman. The line cost us last year and almost again this year.

Salary cap keeps going up - probably gone up 20% since Sherman's deal? I think $12mm would be 8th highest CB right now (in terms of average salary per year over contract), but that's likely going to change fast.

People are talking about #2 corners getting $8-10mm this offseason.

I'd be really surprised if we actually paid Hightower $15m next year. I think if we franchise him it's probably with the plan of trading him.

My biggest concern - does Scar stick around?

So if they put Butler on a 1st round tender ($4mm) is a team really going to offer market value - let's just say $12mm/per - AND give up their 1st round pick for the privilege? For a QB, sure - but doubtful for a CB.

More than likely a team would have to offer a sub-market deal to get value from the contract since they need to give up that 1st rounder. So if that happens the Pats can just match. If no teams make an offer, Butler can either play for $4mm or sign a sub-market offer from the Pats to buy out his last year of RFA.

So maybe they can retain Butler on something like $10mm/year after all.

For like a 3rd/4th rounder?

I can't see a team giving up much, since they're then going to have to pay the man.

Seems like paying him $15mm for one year, considering his injury history, makes perfect sense. Supposedly in season he turned down a long term deal at about $10mm/season so we wants to get paid.

My ideal world has them paying High the franchise number, retaining Butler and Ryan on long term deals, trading Jimmy G for a 1st plus, then drafting a LB high in the draft to replace High in 2018.

At the most. I just don't think the way the Pats structure their payroll is consistent with paying an off-the-line LB $15m.

I think they'll either find a long term # they're both comfortable with, or get what they can for letting him walk, whether it be better to get a regular draft pick or a compensatory pick.

I think letting him walk would be terrible, unless they do get a high 1st for Jimmy G and have a target they think can play year one. The LB core is decimated without him. And a compensatory pick is not a sure thing, depending on what they do themselves in FA.

Do you think the Pats would rather pay something like $12mm per for 4, or $15mm for 1 while drafting and grooming a replacement?

In any case this is shaping up to be one of the most interesting offseasons in years, and that's before we even consider the Jimmy G situation.

I think maybe I'm just low on Hightower's value in the system.

But regarding your contract question, I would say it depends on the guarantees. If it's basically a 2/$24m with 2 $12m option years, that is far far better. If it's a fully guaranteed 4/$48m that would be worse.

I don't know what $$$ numbers to use. But, the Patriots aren't paying market value for Ryan or Hightower on a longterm deal.

Butler might get something close.

The Patriots will let everyone walk except Tom Brady and look to get good value at every other roster spot.

Thought Peter King had an interesting tidbit in his MMQB from a sitdown with Brady. Pats went into the superbowl with 3 set 2 point plays. Obviously the first two were used on the two 2 pt conversions and the 3rd was the play they ran to score the game winning TD.

if they don't pay Hightower or Ryan (or presumably Bennett), it starts to becomes a question of where the money IS going. keeping money free for Jimmy G? that's possible if they like him

but my guess is

- trade Jimmy (assuming they get a 1st round pick)
- Ryan walks
- Bennett walks
- Butler and Hightower sign

That was a great MMQB. My favorite part were the trivia points

Opponent in BB's first win as a Head Coach? Patriots
Opponent in BB's first playoff win as a head coach? Patriots

Record of all NFL teams ahead by 25 points 2545-4-2

Yeah I mean they spend within $5mm or $10mm of the cap every year and then roll over whatever they don't use, so no doubt they will be spending.

The question becomes does BB think he gets more value from retaining the current player(s) or letting them walk and bringing in free agents.

I think they sign Hightower, Butler, and Ryan and let Bennett walk.

What will probably happen is Butler gets signed away on a 1st round tender, Hightower gets tagged and traded, Ryan walks -- and then somehow Van Noy and Cyrus Jones turn into All Pros next year.

What does this mean? You went to a SB party and didn't watch the super bowl?

Ryan seems like a classic pretty good player on a SB team that gets overpaid. Especially with the cap going up. Think Bennett is gone too, someone will pay him pretty well and I don't see NE matching given his age. That would be a lot to invest in the TE position as well. See NE potentially going more 3WR next year with Edelman/Mitchell/Hogan. Mitchell was coming on after the Gronk injury before he got an injury of his own.

Think Hightower gets tagged and there is a good chance they just pay Butler.

Branch/Long come down to if they aren't trying to strike it big in FA probably.

I'd like to see NE move on from Blount if he costs money to bring back. Just think they've maxed out of him what they can. He sucked the final 6 weeks of the season.

Only other 2 notable FA's after that is Sheard and Harmon. Guess it just depends if teams come calling on them.

Gotta think Pats keep Butler and Branch, franchise Hightower. Ryan and Bennett walk. Long/Blount/Floyd stay on reasonable deals.

Of course knowing Bill B anything can happen.