A theory for Belichick's move

**Ickybaluky** · 09-04-2003, 11:10 AM

Nah, I don't buy it. I think they wanted to get Milloy to take a paycut, and figured they could back him into a corner. He called their bluff and now he is gone.

Now Belichick will move on. He isn't one to worry about a lot other than his own team, so he will adjust and move on. Your right, he does have balls and doesn't care what people think. Sometimes that is to his detriment. His biggest weakness as a coach is his people skills, or lack thereof. However, he is a bright guy and always has a plan if it doesn't go his way.

**Ickybaluky** · 09-04-2003, 11:12 AM

BTW, I am interested in how the Pats team will react as well. I think they will be OK, as the Pats are a very business-like team. They have a lot of veteran leaders and I don't think it will effect their preparation.

The one thing that may be a concern is Milloy's knowledge of the gameplan. Lawyer is a very bright player and knows the defense well. He also plays against the offense regularly and knows the personnel. I am curious to see how much of a factor that will be.

**casdhf** · 09-04-2003, 11:14 AM

Maybe he knew he'd sign with the Bills...and ole' Billy is keeping tabs on Milloy to get secrets from the inside. I smell a spy.

**Judge** · 09-04-2003, 11:14 AM

The color guy for the Patriots radio broadcasts was on a local Buffalo radio station (WNSA) this morning and intimated that ther'es more to the release of Lawyer than has been disclosed thus far. That made me think that Bellichick might have wanted to send his team a message.

WG · 09-04-2003, 11:18 AM

Originally posted by NE39
Nah, I don't buy it. I think they wanted to get Milloy to take a paycut, and figured they could back him into a corner. He called their bluff and now he is gone.

Now Belichick will move on. He isn't one to worry about a lot other than his own team, so he will adjust and move on. Your right, he does have balls and doesn't care what people think. Sometimes that is to his detriment. His biggest weakness as a coach is his people skills, or lack thereof. However, he is a bright guy and always has a plan if it doesn't go his way.

You got it 39!!

I asked my Pats bud last night during our FFL draft. He's avid abotu football and the Pats. I asked him why and what he thought.

His answer was that yes, he didn't care for it, but that no, Milloy simply isn't worth $5M+/yr. He understood the move although no fan enjoys seeing a seasoned PB vet leave.

But isn't it quite possible and even somewhat likely, that Milloy's best years are behind him?

I mean his totals dropped off about 20% or so from the season before last year and he registered 0 sacks, INTs, or FFs. Isn't that what we got on our DBs for last season? So why does he get a pass here?

IMO he's on the downside of his career as many players are once they hit 30 or 32 depending upon the position. A hard-hitting S may "come up" sooner.

Having said that, I still think he has several years of well-above average ball still in him, but again, he's likely not a $4-5M/ssn. player anymore. But we'll find out, won't we! :)

Certainly his signing bonus has him here thru at least '05 in that he'd be too costly to cut prior to then.

**Billsbabee** · 09-04-2003, 11:18 AM

Originally posted by Judge
The color guy for the Patriots radio broadcasts was on a local Buffalo radio station (WNSA) this morning and intimated that ther'es more to the release of Lawyer than has been disclosed thus far. That made me think that Bellichick might have wanted to send his team a message.

IMO, he suck as a messenger then. If that's how he send messages and I was a Pats player, I'd have lost some respect for him.

**Judge** · 09-04-2003, 11:21 AM

Originally posted by Billsbabee

IMO, he suck as a messenger then. If that's how he send messages and I was a Pats player, I'd have lost some respect for him.

But you'd probably play your butt off to keep your job. Who cares about respect- do what it takes to win.

WG · 09-04-2003, 11:21 AM

Is that kind of like a messenger who sends a message to a RB by drafting another RB while we are ear-deep in RBs and while completely ignoring two other key need areas to the extent that they don't seem any better than they were last year?

Same kind of sucky messenger?

Just curious...

WG · 09-04-2003, 11:22 AM

Originally posted by Judge
But you'd probably play your butt off to keep your job. Who cares about respect- do what it takes to win.

Does that apply to Adams too Judge?

Just curious...

**Ebenezer** · 09-04-2003, 11:27 AM

Originally posted by NE39
Nah, I don't buy it. I think they wanted to get Milloy to take a paycut, and figured they could back him into a corner. He called their bluff and now he is gone.

Bingo...BB overplayed his hand big time..don't forget he is the guy who cut Kosar...a move that some believe precipitated the Browns moving from Cleveland...defensive genius? yes...but I want this guy at my table when playing poker.

**Ickybaluky** · 09-04-2003, 11:32 AM

Eb, say what you want, but Belichick never gets caught without a plan. If he took a risk, he will have already figured out what will happen under each scenario. Belichick is the most prepared coach in the NFL.

Also, Belichick may have wrote his own ticket in Cleveland, but you can't blame him for the team moving. That was all on Modell.

**Ebenezer** · 09-04-2003, 11:35 AM

Originally posted by NE39
Also, Belichick may have wrote his own ticket in Cleveland, but you can't blame him for the team moving. That was all on Modell.

I don't deny that...on the radio yesterday a national talking head was saying that the there was political backlash over giving Modell a new stadium and that it was precipitated by Kosar getting cut...I should have explained that in my first post.

**Judge** · 09-04-2003, 11:35 AM

Originally posted by NE39
Eb, say what you want, but Belichick never gets caught without a plan. If he took a risk, he will have already figured out what will happen under each scenario. Belichick is the most prepared coach in the NFL.

Also, Belichick may have wrote his own ticket in Cleveland, but you can't blame him for the team moving. That was all on Modell.

Exactly. I'm just trying to figure out what Belichick is up to- ther'es more than simply a mistake.

I can't see how releasing Kosar could have brought the departure of the Modell Browns, by the way. Odd correlation.

Wys- you never heard of different motivational techniques, huh?

WG · 09-04-2003, 11:43 AM

We're talking about a player here who didn't even log a sack or INT. A Safety.

I think too much is being made of this.

Why is it so tough to understand that Milloy got greedy?

He's not worth what they would have paid him or what he wanted. He wasn't willing to negotiate. BB has to think of next offseason too.

Why is the notion that Milloy may perhaps not be the player he was in his prime, now that he's leaving his prime?

I really think it's that simple. Is he better than what we have? Yes. Will he be worth the over $4M he'll be getting from us in '05 and '06 if he isn't cut? I doubt it. But we'll see.

$15M w/ a third of it up front in bonus money is a lot to be paying a S. Cutting him after '04 will cost us nearly $2.5M in cap hit, so likely he'll be around in '05 at the age of 32/33. I'm sure he'll be well on his downside by then. Yet, we'll be paying him around $3M on top of the SB that he got.

This contract will only prove to be decent if he has 3 good seasons left in him. If he has 4, we've gotten a great deal. Else, it may not be the best of contracts.

We'll see. I'm sure he'll be great for us this year. So no sense in worrying about him or the cap right now. I'd be more concerned about us still needing a DE and possibly a DT.

A theory for Belichick's move

A theory for Belichick's move

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