No link but I just heard

[dfv87]

I cannot believe I am even suggesting using cap space on a Kicker, but NE has made a dynasty out of winning close games with clutch kicks by AV. I see them really really regretting losing him. Now they will be with the rest of the NFL when the game is on the line and not knowing if the kicker is gonna choke. JMO this is a huge loss for the pats.

[Dirty Sanchez]

Son of a .......................

 

             

 

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Kind of like getting a tattoo of your girlfriends name only to catch her sleeping with your worst enemy.

[msaint]

I love the posts about Vin being past his prime.  If the Pats had re-signed him, I wonder if it would have been a good signing? 

 

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Honestly, Hook, I'd be saying the same thing if they'd re-signed him, and questioned whether it was wise to be spending that much $ on a relatively old kicker -- even a HOF kicker -- with a glaring lack of distance on kickoffs, recent (relative) inaccuracy, and some back problems. I still think he's one of the best and should thrive in the dome, but there's some serious downside here, too...I just think that BB/Pioli might be onto something here by not ponying up the dough, whicih is not to say that Polian/Dungy didn't do their homework. It's just two different groups assesments of risk/reward, and the Colts figured he was worth the risk and the $ while the Pats clearly didn't. Again, I have no ill will and wish him the best (when he's not playing the Pats), because he brought much joy to NE over the years.

[CaptainHook]

Vandy is two years older, had a leg strain all season, and his kick-offs suck too. I think it's an upgrade. Which is saying something, because I thought whoever they picked up would be a step down from Vanderjagt.

Edited March 22, 2006 by CaptainHook

[tev]

Sad day for Pats fans.

 

Whatever his physical attributes and his short and long-term outlook, the fact is that with the departure of Adam, the Pats have lost some their swagger. He was as much a part of the heart and soul of that team as anyone. How comforting was it to see him warming up on the sidelines with the game on the line (as a Pats fan, of course)? I'm having a hard time picturing any other kicker out there in the same situation.

 

The Pats play a game where points are at a premium. Without Adam's consistency they will need more production out of the offense to secure those victories that they would have eked out by a few points (like a field goal) in years past.

[charty]

Hook, you might find this interesting, hightlights from Polian's WEEI radio interview, posted on boston.com

 

March 22, 2006

Polian on Adam

Colts president Bill Polian was a guest on sports radio WEEI in Boston on Wednesday. Text of part of the interview:

 

Why no Mike Vanderjagt, and why did Adam Vinatieri become a target as your new placekicker?

“We felt like Mike’s effectiveness had run its course. We thought the leg strength was diminishing and that it was time for a change. And we sort of felt that way long before the [2005] playoff game. We didn’t set about to determine how to deal with the kicking situation, and we didn’t really think that Adam would be on the market. We were a little bit shocked to see him not get the franchise tag or not do a long-term deal, but then as free agency sort of opened with all the craziness and the wildness we presumed ultimately he would come back to the Patriots. Very recently, we got a call from his new agent, saying ‘No, he would be more than happy to entertain offers from other clubs and wasn’t dead set on going back to the Patriots.’ Once that occurred, it was obvious to us that he was the best alternative for us. So we just pursued it.”

 

How much did some of the stuff Vanderjagt do -- such as going on Letterman after the playoff loss -- lead to his exit?

“Suffice to say, it wasn’t absolutely … we didn’t stay up late to watch it. We did feel that it was time for a change. We felt we needed to be more effective at the position, particularly in terms of the long-range field goals. Also the kickoffs. Mike hasn’t kicked off well for three years and for the last two years we‘ve carried an extra player to kick off. That’s important in an indoor building like ours, and in a division like ours where you ostensibly play 10 games in good weather every year. Whether Adam will do all the kicking off remains to be seen, but clearly when you have to carry two kickers, that hurts your team in other areas. That was something we were concerned about.”

 

So Adam’s camp actually contacted you? When did that happen, because as of Saturday, Green Bay was in the running and he was headed back to Florida?

“I was at the [NFL] Competition Committee meetings last week and I think they contacted us last week.”

 

How many teams aggressively pursued him?

“I don’t know how many teams aggressively pursued him until [agent Gary] Uberstine passed the word that he was available. At that point, once he became available, to us it was a no-brainer.”

 

How did teams not know he was available?

“I think most people presumed he was going back to the Patriots.”

 

Was there a perception on the part of Adam, before he switched agents, that there weren’t enough teams who knew he was available? And that’s why he switched to Gary Uberstine?

“I’m in no position to know that. When Gary Uberstine gave us the call, we went into action.”

 

When you’re projecting him out there, he’s 33, is there concern about his longevity?

“No, I think in the next three years, given the fact and the way he conditions himself and the fact he’ll be kicking indoors in ideal conditions for a lot of the time, I think it’s a good investment. And you know, Steve Christie kicked almost up to 40 and was quite effective.”

 

Does it ever enter into your strategy, when acquiring a player, what it does to an opponent?

“No. I think the fans take that into consideration but we just look at what the player can do for us. We have a hard enough time figuring that out.”

 

You have the highest paid kicker [Vinatieri], two of the highest paid receivers [Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne] and the highest paid quarterback [Peyton Manning] -- that’s a different approach than the football team in this area and it’s ironic that you two continue to stay near the top of the league. It shows there’s more than one way to do it, and you haven’t backed off that strategy of paying top dollar for a select few players.

“No, we haven’t. We have a way that we manage the cap and obviously we’ve done it pretty well over time. We think it makes sense for us. We try to spend our money wisely and the four players you mention -- three are Pro Bowlers and Reggie Wayne should have been. I’ve lost all faith that the Pro Bowl voting reflects performance; certainly [Wayne] should have been by the numbers. No one doubts he would have gotten more than what we gave him on the open market, given where the market has gone. As long as you pay the right players, we don’t feel there is a problem there. When you don’t pay the right players -- when you pay the wrong ones -- then you have a problem.”

 

How did you come to the decision that the receivers ended up getting signed and you lose Edgerrin James? How big of a loss is that, or is running back a position -- especially with the passing attack you have -- that you will be able to not drop off that much?

“Not that Edgerrin James isn’t a great player, but we don’t think we would have gotten the longevity for the money, and that was an issue for us. We do think the dropoff would not be that great in terms of team performance. …”

 

Back to Adam Vinatieri, did you have him in town?

“No, we don’t do visits.”

 

Were you ever fearful, because we heard this in Green Bay, that they were using this as leverage to get a better deal out of the Patriots?

“We made it pretty clear that we weren’t going to leave it out there forever. That was one of the conditions that we discussed with Mr. Uberstine. But they were on the up and up with us and said ‘No, we’ll consider it on its merits and we understand your concerns and your timeframe.’”

 

When you signed Adam, statistically did it show you that he was longer on kickoffs than Vanderjagt? Our experience here has been that Adam is basically around the middle of the pack, and that as he got later in his career you might have to augment him with a kickoff man. Did you not find that in your research?

“No, we did. I think that’s a valid issue. The fact we score a lot is also a valid issue. To us, it has always been the value of that position. That guy wins or loses games. Witness our game against Pittsburgh. That game goes into overtime if we make a 46-yard field goal. … That guy wins games for you. To me, he’s much more important than a third wide receiver or a second tight end, or a backup nickel linebacker, or something like that.”

 

Is signing a kicker who is a pressure kicker one of the more nebulous intangibles you have to deal with?

“Yeah, but before, I signed Steve Christie as a free-agent in Buffalo, John Kasay as a free-agent in Carolina, and now Adam here. That’s the calculation.”

 

How long were you thinking about Vinatieri, for a couple years now?

“The kickoff issue became a real serious problem [for us] and we’ve been searching for two years for the answer to that. Adam had 12 touchbacks last year. We had two all of last year, using another kicker. The bottom line, and I’m not sure over time that Adam will be the next kickoff guy -- for the next four years, lets say -- but the big thing was to be certain that we got a guy who can step in and make the clutch field goal when it counts.”

 

[Bill Swerski]

the fact is that with the departure of Adam, the Pats have lost some their swagger.

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The Pats lost their swagger long before that. I'd say it was back in Week 4.

[CaptainHook]

Hook, you might find this interesting, hightlights from Polian's WEEI radio interview, posted on boston.com

 

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thanks for posting that.