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Post by wazzu on Mar 16, 2017 16:31:24 GMT -5
From PFT: Despite the persistent belief that linebacker Dont’a Hightower wouldn’t be leaving the Patriots, the Patriots didn’t make a move to keep Hightower until only one day before he agreed to terms. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the first New England offer came on March 14 — seven days after the negotiating period opened with other teams and five days after free agency officially started. The offer came as Hightower began his visit to the Steelers, who (as reported elsewhere) gave Hightower a firm deadline for accepting their offer. Hightower opted to nevertheless wait and to keep talking to New England. On March 15, the Patriots eventually sweetened the offer after a back-and-forth. The Patriots (like the Jets — more on that in a separate item) had concerns about Hightower’s durability and availability. For his career, Hightower has participated in only 65 percent of all plays. It’s believed that those concerns caused the Patriots to take a very conservative approach to the negotiations. The base deal, with an average just under $9 million per year (it’s definitely not a four-year, $43.5 million deal as reported elsewhere), puts Hightower behind Luke Kuechly, Bobby Wagner, and Novarro Bowman, who have nine Pro Bowl berths between them. The contract nevertheless pays out $17 million fully guaranteed at signing; the other $2 million guarantee is for injury only, and it vests as a full guarantee later in the deal. With incentives for playing time and Pro Bowl, Hightower can make another $2 million per year. The maximum package has a value of $10.88 million per year. Given the durabiltiy issues and the realities of the offer from the Jets (again, more on that later), Hightower regarded the ability to make good money and to stay put with a perennial contender as his best option, by far. Wow. The Patriots really hit a Grand Slam here. This is a GREAT deal for them |
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Post by ATJ on Mar 16, 2017 16:32:54 GMT -5
From PFT: Despite the persistent belief that linebacker Dont’a Hightower wouldn’t be leaving the Patriots, the Patriots didn’t make a move to keep Hightower until only one day before he agreed to terms. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the first New England offer came on March 14 — seven days after the negotiating period opened with other teams and five days after free agency officially started. The offer came as Hightower began his visit to the Steelers, who (as reported elsewhere) gave Hightower a firm deadline for accepting their offer. Hightower opted to nevertheless wait and to keep talking to New England. On March 15, the Patriots eventually sweetened the offer after a back-and-forth. The Patriots (like the Jets — more on that in a separate item) had concerns about Hightower’s durability and availability. For his career, Hightower has participated in only 65 percent of all plays. It’s believed that those concerns caused the Patriots to take a very conservative approach to the negotiations. The base deal, with an average just under $9 million per year (it’s definitely not a four-year, $43.5 million deal as reported elsewhere), puts Hightower behind Luke Kuechly, Bobby Wagner, and Novarro Bowman, who have nine Pro Bowl berths between them. The contract nevertheless pays out $17 million fully guaranteed at signing; the other $2 million guarantee is for injury only, and it vests as a full guarantee later in the deal. With incentives for playing time and Pro Bowl, Hightower can make another $2 million per year. The maximum package has a value of $10.88 million per year. Given the durabiltiy issues and the realities of the offer from the Jets (again, more on that later), Hightower regarded the ability to make good money and to stay put with a perennial contender as his best option, by far. Quite frankly, none of the above surprises me and all of it makes perfect sense in the context of Hightower's unique skill set and injury history. |
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Post by carawaydj on Mar 16, 2017 16:48:34 GMT -5
From PFT: Despite the persistent belief that linebacker Dont’a Hightower wouldn’t be leaving the Patriots, the Patriots didn’t make a move to keep Hightower until only one day before he agreed to terms. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the first New England offer came on March 14 — seven days after the negotiating period opened with other teams and five days after free agency officially started. The offer came as Hightower began his visit to the Steelers, who (as reported elsewhere) gave Hightower a firm deadline for accepting their offer. Hightower opted to nevertheless wait and to keep talking to New England. On March 15, the Patriots eventually sweetened the offer after a back-and-forth. The Patriots (like the Jets — more on that in a separate item) had concerns about Hightower’s durability and availability. For his career, Hightower has participated in only 65 percent of all plays. It’s believed that those concerns caused the Patriots to take a very conservative approach to the negotiations. The base deal, with an average just under $9 million per year (it’s definitely not a four-year, $43.5 million deal as reported elsewhere), puts Hightower behind Luke Kuechly, Bobby Wagner, and Novarro Bowman, who have nine Pro Bowl berths between them. The contract nevertheless pays out $17 million fully guaranteed at signing; the other $2 million guarantee is for injury only, and it vests as a full guarantee later in the deal. With incentives for playing time and Pro Bowl, Hightower can make another $2 million per year. The maximum package has a value of $10.88 million per year. Given the durabiltiy issues and the realities of the offer from the Jets (again, more on that later), Hightower regarded the ability to make good money and to stay put with a perennial contender as his best option, by far. Yet when I and others pointed out that his injury history and availability would be an issue, some here rejected that. It was interpreted as downplaying a player who might leave. Sometimes criticism of a player is fair. |
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Post by PatsRule on Mar 16, 2017 17:10:55 GMT -5
I was thrilled as they announced it on the radio yesterday.
Hightower is a key defensive leader. In a fair world he deserves better money than Jones and Collins, but he can be part of the Patriots legend in true sense of the phrase. When all is said and done, he will come out ahead. I am gonna get myself a Hightower Jersey.
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Post by patmando on Mar 17, 2017 22:04:02 GMT -5
Yes more info on the deal on espn. The jets reporter is saying the jets offer was 5 years at 55 million that could go as high as 62.5 with incentives. Basically the deal would be about 1.25 million more a year then Pat's deal. Kicker is he says the jets pulled the offer after Hightower took a physical. Maybe just the jets trying to save face after losing out.
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Post by croc on Oct 26, 2017 13:19:39 GMT -5
bump
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Post by carawaydj on Oct 26, 2017 13:45:37 GMT -5
From PFT: Despite the persistent belief that linebacker Dont’a Hightower wouldn’t be leaving the Patriots, the Patriots didn’t make a move to keep Hightower until only one day before he agreed to terms. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the first New England offer came on March 14 — seven days after the negotiating period opened with other teams and five days after free agency officially started. The offer came as Hightower began his visit to the Steelers, who (as reported elsewhere) gave Hightower a firm deadline for accepting their offer. Hightower opted to nevertheless wait and to keep talking to New England. On March 15, the Patriots eventually sweetened the offer after a back-and-forth. The Patriots (like the Jets — more on that in a separate item) had concerns about Hightower’s durability and availability. For his career, Hightower has participated in only 65 percent of all plays. It’s believed that those concerns caused the Patriots to take a very conservative approach to the negotiations. The base deal, with an average just under $9 million per year (it’s definitely not a four-year, $43.5 million deal as reported elsewhere), puts Hightower behind Luke Kuechly, Bobby Wagner, and Novarro Bowman, who have nine Pro Bowl berths between them. The contract nevertheless pays out $17 million fully guaranteed at signing; the other $2 million guarantee is for injury only, and it vests as a full guarantee later in the deal. With incentives for playing time and Pro Bowl, Hightower can make another $2 million per year. The maximum package has a value of $10.88 million per year. Given the durabiltiy issues and the realities of the offer from the Jets (again, more on that later), Hightower regarded the ability to make good money and to stay put with a perennial contender as his best option, by far. Yet when I and others pointed out that his injury history and availability would be an issue, some here rejected that. It was interpreted as downplaying a player who might leave. Sometimes criticism of a player is fair. I'm starting to like you :^) |
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Post by mrmojo112058 on Oct 26, 2017 14:29:57 GMT -5
I'm surprised he came back to sign with the Patriots,even after the Jets offered him cupcakes.It takes a strong man to say "No" to cupcakes.
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Post by ATJ on Oct 26, 2017 14:31:05 GMT -5
Hightower has a history of injuries. He was hurt when he made an arguably game-saving tackle stopping Lynch short of the goal line in SB49. He plays hurt most of the time. His current contract, as mojo quotes from PFT, reflects this history. He'll either play again this year or he won't. As I indicated in another thread, it's not a season-ender for the team either way.
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Post by texaspat on Oct 26, 2017 14:39:02 GMT -5
Yet when I and others pointed out that his injury history and availability would be an issue, some here rejected that. It was interpreted as downplaying a player who might leave. Sometimes criticism of a player is fair. I'm starting to like you :^) Signing Hightower was the right move. He calls the signals on defense, and is a team leader and captain. He was a key player on two SB championship teams. It's not arguable that the Patriots wouldn't have won SB 49 (his red zone game saving tackle on Marshawn Lynch, just prior to the Butler pick) or SB 51 (strip sack on Atlanta QB Matt Ryan). Lots of folks here give BB a hard time for not spending money, or for lack of loyalty to key players. BB had both with regard to his defensive team captain. Belichick chose McCourty and Hightower as his core players on defense to build around. Judging from the success of the "D" over the past few years, BB chose well. Injuries are part of the game. Hightower is the Gronk of the defensive unit...a great player when healthy. Other teams offered Hightower more than the Pats.
What about Julian Edelman? He got hurt in 2015 and 2017. Was it a mistake to resign him, too? What about Gronk? He's been hurt a lot, too. But he's having a pro bowl caliber year thus far in 2017. Was it a mistake to pay him?
Winning a championship is part talent, part determination, part focus, part hard work and intelligence, and determined by whether the team is durable. In 2013 and 2015, the Patriots were ravaged by injury. As a result, though they made it to the AFC title game, they didn't win the SB. They did win in 2014 and 2016, because they were rather fortunate with injuries. Not so much so far in 2017...though there's still enough healthy talent in my view to get the job done.
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Post by carawaydj on Oct 26, 2017 15:07:18 GMT -5
I'm starting to like you :^) Signing Hightower was the right move. He calls the signals on defense, and is a team leader and captain. He was a key player on two SB championship teams. It's not arguable that the Patriots wouldn't have won SB 49 (his red zone game saving tackle on Marshawn Lynch, just prior to the Butler pick) or SB 51 (strip sack on Atlanta QB Matt Ryan). Lots of folks here give BB a hard time for not spending money, or for lack of loyalty to key players. BB had both with regard to his defensive team captain. Belichick chose McCourty and Hightower as his core players on defense to build around. Judging from the success of the "D" over the past few years, BB chose well. Injuries are part of the game. Hightower is the Gronk of the defensive unit...a great player when healthy. Other teams offered Hightower more than the Pats.
What about Julian Edelman? He got hurt in 2015 and 2017. Was it a mistake to resign him, too? What about Gronk? He's been hurt a lot, too. But he's having a pro bowl caliber year thus far in 2017. Was it a mistake to pay him?
Winning a championship is part talent, part determination, part focus, part hard work and intelligence, and determined by whether the team is durable. In 2013 and 2015, the Patriots were ravaged by injury. As a result, though they made it to the AFC title game, they didn't win the SB. They did win in 2014 and 2016, because they were rather fortunate with injuries. Not so much so far in 2017...though there's still enough healthy talent in my view to get the job done.
Nowhere did I say it wasn't. My position from the onset was that his injury history would and should impact his contract value. Quite a few posters scoffed at this in the many threads about HT at the time. Well, it did. I didn't want them to overpay based on his injury history. That is no doubt also why Edelman is a bargain as well as why Amendola keeps renegotiating team friendly deals. We signed him for the right amount of money. We didn't overpay him. |
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Post by texaspat on Oct 27, 2017 3:43:03 GMT -5
Signing Hightower was the right move. He calls the signals on defense, and is a team leader and captain. He was a key player on two SB championship teams. It's not arguable that the Patriots wouldn't have won SB 49 (his red zone game saving tackle on Marshawn Lynch, just prior to the Butler pick) or SB 51 (strip sack on Atlanta QB Matt Ryan). Lots of folks here give BB a hard time for not spending money, or for lack of loyalty to key players. BB had both with regard to his defensive team captain. Belichick chose McCourty and Hightower as his core players on defense to build around. Judging from the success of the "D" over the past few years, BB chose well. Injuries are part of the game. Hightower is the Gronk of the defensive unit...a great player when healthy. Other teams offered Hightower more than the Pats.
What about Julian Edelman? He got hurt in 2015 and 2017. Was it a mistake to resign him, too? What about Gronk? He's been hurt a lot, too. But he's having a pro bowl caliber year thus far in 2017. Was it a mistake to pay him?
Winning a championship is part talent, part determination, part focus, part hard work and intelligence, and determined by whether the team is durable. In 2013 and 2015, the Patriots were ravaged by injury. As a result, though they made it to the AFC title game, they didn't win the SB. They did win in 2014 and 2016, because they were rather fortunate with injuries. Not so much so far in 2017...though there's still enough healthy talent in my view to get the job done.
Nowhere did I say it wasn't. My position from the onset was that his injury history would and should impact his contract value. Quite a few posters scoffed at this in the many threads about HT at the time. Well, it did. I didn't want them to overpay based on his injury history. That is no doubt also why Edelman is a bargain as well as why Amendola keeps renegotiating team friendly deals. We signed him for the right amount of money. We didn't overpay him. You were obviously right in your assessment. But Hightower's injury history did have some impact on his market value, as he didn't receive as high an offer as he was looking for. Your comparison to Jerod Mayo in regards to health was on point. When healthy, Hightower is the best ILB in the game, and a very valuable piece to the Patriots' front seven. In another thread, I have referred to him as the Gronk of the defensive unit. He's a beast when healthy, but isn't always healthy. Hightower's injury history certainly made signing him a gamble. But, he had just made that strip sack in SB 51, which was an iconic play. It was the play that was most responsible for the Patriots' glorious SB 51 win. The SB strip sack play, Hightower's talents, and his leadership position on the team led to the Patriots rolling dice, and giving Hightower his contract. |
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Post by carawaydj on Oct 27, 2017 12:23:34 GMT -5
Nowhere did I say it wasn't. My position from the onset was that his injury history would and should impact his contract value. Quite a few posters scoffed at this in the many threads about HT at the time. Well, it did. I didn't want them to overpay based on his injury history. That is no doubt also why Edelman is a bargain as well as why Amendola keeps renegotiating team friendly deals. We signed him for the right amount of money. We didn't overpay him. You were obviously right in your assessment. But Hightower's injury history did have some impact on his market value, as he didn't receive as high an offer as he was looking for. Your comparison to Jerod Mayo in regards to health was on point. When healthy, Hightower is the best ILB in the game, and a very valuable piece to the Patriots' front seven. In another thread, I have referred to him as the Gronk of the defensive unit. He's a beast when healthy, but isn't always healthy. Hightower's injury history certainly made signing him a gamble. But, he had just made that strip sack in SB 51, which was an iconic play. It was the play that was most responsible for the Patriots' glorious SB 51 win. The SB strip sack play, Hightower's talents, and his leadership position on the team led to the Patriots rolling dice, and giving Hightower his contract. I'm a Hightower fan. I just didn't want to overpay him due to his injury history. You can't teach clutch and he is clutch. I agree, if he could stay healthy he would have commanded top dollar. Of course, in such a scenario he'd be on someone else's roster right now. |
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Post by salcon on Oct 27, 2017 12:35:54 GMT -5
You were obviously right in your assessment. But Hightower's injury history did have some impact on his market value, as he didn't receive as high an offer as he was looking for. Your comparison to Jerod Mayo in regards to health was on point. When healthy, Hightower is the best ILB in the game, and a very valuable piece to the Patriots' front seven. In another thread, I have referred to him as the Gronk of the defensive unit. He's a beast when healthy, but isn't always healthy. Hightower's injury history certainly made signing him a gamble. But, he had just made that strip sack in SB 51, which was an iconic play. It was the play that was most responsible for the Patriots' glorious SB 51 win. The SB strip sack play, Hightower's talents, and his leadership position on the team led to the Patriots rolling dice, and giving Hightower his contract. I'm a Hightower fan. I just didn't want to overpay him due to his injury history. You can't teach clutch and he is clutch. I agree, if he could stay healthy he would have commanded top dollar. Of course, in such a scenario he'd be on someone else's roster right now. True what you said that you can't teach "clutch". It's why deep down I wanted to keep him more than I wanted Chandler Jones or even J. Collins even knowing his injury history. I thought him more important to the defense. I hope the David Harris signing pays off now. |
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