It’s been a crazy 48 hours, compounded by the fact
that I’ve suffered through a brutal head cold. Sinus pressure and pain that
brought me quite literally to tears. In between a dry unproductive hacking
cough I thought would turn my face inside out. Yuck! The loss of Talib, the
signing of Revis followed hard by Wilfork’s request to be released. There would
be no restructuring of Big Vince’s contract, no cap relief. I’m reminded once
again that everything ends badly or else it wouldn’t end.
The fact the Patriots didn’t release Wilfork
before his request was leaked to the pigskin pundits and bobbleheads makes me
wonder if New England is shopping Vince for a 5th round draft
choice.
Probably not. I mean, everybody has to ask the
same questions about Wilfork. Age and injury. Not a good combination. Well,
injury and anything else is probably a bad combination.
Maybe the Patriots are trying to talk Vince in off
the ledge. New England is still the best place for him.
On the other hand, there’s always a chance he
could find more than $7.5m guaranteed somewhere else (and I have no idea what
terms the Patriots presented). The Raiders? (Really?) Denver? The Jets?
Cleveland? I suppose anything’s possible.
It’s happened before of course. Willie McGinest,
Ty Law, Asante Samuel, Richard Seymour, Lawyer Milloy and that’s just off the
top of my head. It hurts, of course, but it’s the reality. Football players get
old, they lose that critical half step, they get hurt and repaired and
concussed and eventually they get asked to take a pay cut or move on and good
luck.
Vince Wilfork just watched DeMarcus Ware get 3
years and $30m. He’s got to ask, why not me?
It will hurt to see Wilfork in another uniform. It
will seem strange to see another player wearing 75 for New England. And yet,
I’m reminded of another saying about endings (pretty sure I heard this is a West Wing episode); if this is going to end badly,
it’s best if it end right away.
Goodbye Vince.
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