Wilfork and the Patriots

The free agency period has started for the NFL and we finally received some good news from the Patriots camp. I am so happy to hear that the Patriots and their NT Vince Wilfork have come to an agreement. Wilfork's contract is for 5 years, $40 million, with a $18 million signing bonus and a total of $25 million guaranteed. I like this deal for several reasons.

1. The Patriots retain their best defensive player who is still in his prime. The defense is clearly not as good when big Vince isn't anchoring the middle of the defensive line. They simply cannot hold up in the run game without him.
2. The deal seems pretty fair from both sides. The total value is much lower than I expected. I had no idea what kind of money Vince was seeking but I'm glad he wasn't seeking a ridiculous deal like the one that Albert Haynesworth signed last year. Deals like that can completely cripple a franchise if the player is a bust. Also, ridiculous deals prevent a team from signing other high profile free agents or retaining a team's own free agents.
3. Now that the deal is done, Vince has plenty of financial security for his family and can now stop worrying about his contract situation and just focus on what he does best, which is plug up the middle, wreak havoc on offensive linemen, and knock around QBs and RBs.
4. This deal also shows that the Patriots are willing to extend the contracts of their own players who have played out their rookie contracts. It shows that players can get rewarded while playing for New England. And it shows that the Patriots will pay for players they feel are a good fit into their system and philosophy.

In other signings, the Patriots have re-signed OLB Tully Banta-Cain for a 3-year, $13.5 million, and incentives which could raise the total value close to $19 million. I also like this signing because the Patriots are retaining their best pass rusher. Banta-Cain finished with a team-high 10 sacks and he was the only player who could consistently get some semblance of a pass rush. I feel that the Patriots may have overpaid him just a little bit but he already knows the system, can get some pressure on the QB, and is continuing to improve in other aspects of his game.

As for the remaining free agents on the Patriots, I really hope the Patriots can work something out with Leigh Bodden. He was clearly their best corner last year. He held up quite well even though the front 7 could not generate a consistent pass rush. I am concerned though because Atlanta just signed another CB, Dunta Robinson for 6 years, $57 million, with $25.5 million guaranteed. A quality corner will be costly this year and Bodden is the best one still available.

I also hope the Patriots can re-sign DE, Jarvis Green. He's clearly not the same caliber player when Seymour was still here but he's still a pretty good player that could easily start on most NFL teams. I think this will be his 3rd deal so hopefully he'll settle for a bit of a hometown discount.

Lastly, I hope RB Kevin Faulk will also return. He's the most consistent RB they have and he's a reliable 3rd-down back. He's good at pass protection and catching those short passes over the middle as Tom Brady's safety valve. He's also pretty good running from shotgun draw plays when the defense is playing the pass.

I love this time of the year. Winter is almost over and Spring is around the corner. Even though NFL action won't start for another 6 months, there is still plenty of things going on such as free agency, the NFL Combines, and the upcoming draft. What drives me crazy though is reading through forums and listening to people talk on the radio. People are saying all kinds of crazy stuff like the Patriots will be a sub-.500 team this year because they haven't been [over]paying high profile free agents. They also say stuff like the Patriots will be last in the division (AFC East). What have these people been smoking? These people can't be serious! Last I heard, we still have Tom Brady, Randy Moss (even though I can't stand him), a relatively good offensive line, a pretty good defensive line, rising stars in Mayo and Meriweather, and are still coached by one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.

Well, I can't wait for the 2010 NFL season to start. Time to get back on ESPN.com and Extra Points and see what else is new.