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With the restricted and unrestricted free agent deadlines staring them in the face today, the Patriots [stats, news] continued their salary cap house cleaning yesterday.
The Pats released veteran linebacker Roman Phifer after four years of exemplary service. Phifer came to the Pats from the scrap heap in 2001 and wound up playing a key role in three Super Bowl championships. However, Phifer turns 37 Saturday, and he said late in the season that retirement had crossed his mind. Phifer was scheduled to count $2 million against the cap, and his release results in a net cap savings of around $1.5 million for the Pats.
The releases of Phifer and Ty Law [news] have cleared around $11 million off the books for the Pats, who were substantially over the limit. They should now have enough room to maneuver this week.
A look at today's deadlines:
Restricted free agent tenders are due at 4 p.m. The assumption is that David Givens [news] and Jarvis Green will receive the mid-level tender of $1.43 million, which would entitle the Pats to a first-round pick in compensation if they failed to match an offer sheet.
The Pats could avoid the tender process by signing the players to long-term extensions, but the agents for Givens and Green said they haven't had substantive talks with the Pats since before the season.
Giving those players a low tender ($656,000) would be risky because that would entitle the Pats only to draft pick compensation where those players entered the league. Green was a fourth-round pick, Givens a seventh-rounder.
``I hope I'm here and I'm prepared to be here long term,'' Givens said. ``But I just don't know what's going on right now.''
Guard Stephen Neal is also restricted, and since he was a rookie free agent, a low tender would also provide inadequate protection for the Pats.
Rounding out the restricted class are the top two right tackles on the depth chart: Brandon Gorin and Tom Ashworth. The agent for Gorin, Joe Linta, said he is negotiating with the Pats on an extension, while Ashworth was awaiting the Pats' tender.
The unrestricted deadline comes at midnight, and the top two names on the Pats' list, Joe Andruzzi and David Patten [news], are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Andruzzi's priority is to get a deal done with the Pats and his agent, Linta, is negotiating with the team.
Patten is headed to the open market.
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The Pats released veteran linebacker Roman Phifer after four years of exemplary service. Phifer came to the Pats from the scrap heap in 2001 and wound up playing a key role in three Super Bowl championships. However, Phifer turns 37 Saturday, and he said late in the season that retirement had crossed his mind. Phifer was scheduled to count $2 million against the cap, and his release results in a net cap savings of around $1.5 million for the Pats.
The releases of Phifer and Ty Law [news] have cleared around $11 million off the books for the Pats, who were substantially over the limit. They should now have enough room to maneuver this week.
A look at today's deadlines:
Restricted free agent tenders are due at 4 p.m. The assumption is that David Givens [news] and Jarvis Green will receive the mid-level tender of $1.43 million, which would entitle the Pats to a first-round pick in compensation if they failed to match an offer sheet.
The Pats could avoid the tender process by signing the players to long-term extensions, but the agents for Givens and Green said they haven't had substantive talks with the Pats since before the season.
Giving those players a low tender ($656,000) would be risky because that would entitle the Pats only to draft pick compensation where those players entered the league. Green was a fourth-round pick, Givens a seventh-rounder.
``I hope I'm here and I'm prepared to be here long term,'' Givens said. ``But I just don't know what's going on right now.''
Guard Stephen Neal is also restricted, and since he was a rookie free agent, a low tender would also provide inadequate protection for the Pats.
Rounding out the restricted class are the top two right tackles on the depth chart: Brandon Gorin and Tom Ashworth. The agent for Gorin, Joe Linta, said he is negotiating with the Pats on an extension, while Ashworth was awaiting the Pats' tender.
The unrestricted deadline comes at midnight, and the top two names on the Pats' list, Joe Andruzzi and David Patten [news], are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Andruzzi's priority is to get a deal done with the Pats and his agent, Linta, is negotiating with the team.
Patten is headed to the open market.
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