Which means they could give him a high tender (which is still a reasonable price) and keep him around for a season, unless someone is willing to part with a pick.
Not that I think it does anything to help NE (they have two solid receiving TEs) or to hurt us (he couldn't play this season anyway), but there may be some long term strategy at play here.
Or, it could just be a petty loser move. If that's the case, I'd rather have the Lombardi (sorry Jake!).
really a restricted free agent next season (as Ralph said in an earlier tweet) then there is little doubt that the Pats are doing it for his rights and yes, to stick it to the Giants. I just don't see any other logical reason they would make this move.
that if a player spends the entire season on PUP/reserve that they don't accrue a year of service towards restricted or unrestricted free agency. It happened with the Eagles and Victor Abiamiri. So, Ballard may not be a RFA after this season. I'll look up the details.
Belichick and TC as well as the Giants organization
Is a paltry sum to pay for the keys to the Giants offense that has stymied the Hoodie to the tune of two super bowl losses. Belichick is an information junkie, there is not one subatomic particle of me that doesn't think he's doing this for one reason only....to figure out why he can't devise a defense to stop Eli Manning.
Jake is being paid a half a mill to spill his guts now. If he sits around a few months, all of that knowledge slowly drains away...Bill can tap it out now while it's still fresh and we will be left with one big coconut of a TE.
Is an Art of War guy, he's not out to weaken the enemy, only to strengthen his own position and he can do that by learning the ins and outs of this offense from one its key players who learned it very very quickly.
Under the previous CBA if a player was in the last year of their contract and spent the entire season on PUP without being activated then the last year of his contract would toll over to the next season. I don't know if that has changed under the new CBA.
Reese is probably as concerned about losing potentially damaged
I don't know the Pats' cap status, but 540k to throw into the hole doesn't seem like it's worth much just for a chance at a brain drain. It's not as if Billy Boy was as much stymied by the offense as his defense was physically incapable of stopping it.
Just look at all those segments where he's wired for sound - the play was to force Manningham to beat them. They had guys in position to make the play. It took an outstanding play by Eli and Manningham to get it done.
This seems more like BB wanting Ballard around longer term to me the more I think about it. Maybe one of those TEs isn't long for NE (not Gronk obviously).
I will never forget Ballard on the sideline of the Super Bowl
that was the definition to me of "All In". The reality is, Jake wasn't particularly fast before tearing up his knee, he may never be what he was for us. I'm sad to see him go, but this opens the door for someone to step up
As to the theory that they did this to stick it to the Giants. You aren't going to take on salary cap dollars to mess with a team that isn't even in your conference. They did it because they want to control the rights to a player that opened eyes with his play last year.
Belichick is one of the greatest defensive masterminds
in NFL history. There wasn't anything he was unprepared for with us. We just simply executed better at key moments. Ballard isn't gonna tell him anything he doesn't already know
And even if you understand the philosophy and plays (which good film study should help you with already), it doesn't account for Coughlin/Gilbride's game-planning the week before a game, Gilbride's play-calling based on in-game dynamics, and Eli's execution.
They could have told Bill that the sideline pass to Manningham was coming, and Eli and his swingin' set o' brass balls still would have completed it.
he was supposedly very studious when it came to the playbook.
I think BB did it to fuck with BBI. 'Those numbnuts are never going to understand why I did this. Especially BB'56, this is going to confuse the chai out of him'
And unless the Giants and Pats meet in the Super Bowl again,
Josh
Joey in VA : 5:12 pm
Did we win those games with game winning long drives engineered by our QB or did the Defensive Genius stop us?
Your eagerness in posting is only outdone by your football stupidity.
Not only do you childishly attack me for no apparent reason whatsoever (aside from the fact that you're either an angry person or plain ridiculous), but you're saying that game winning drives proves an inability to stop another offense. I completely disagree. I don't think Belichick has an issue stopping our offense...in fact I think Belichick's defense was fantastic on both game winning drives.
In 42, we caught a few breaks (Samuels dropping an easy Int), Tyree helmet catch etc. In both, our players were just ridiculously clutch. Eli was out of this world and no defense would have stopped us on those drives. The Pats had the PERFECT cover 2 defense on the long pass to Manningham in 46 but Eli just put it on a dime and Mario made a hell of a catch in traffic and on the sideline.
If you think that it had anything to do with Belichick not being able to figure out our offense, then YOU'RE the one who has shown his "football stupidity."
i would buy the competitive intell rationale if ballard was a jet, bill or dolphin but not someone from the nfc east who you would play every three years and less than a 10% chance of meeting in the super bowl.
A) They don't care about him counting toward the 90 man limit
B) They're not paying him much
C) They can tender him at a high level next year and no one will match, so they'll retain his rights
D) He's an ideal No. 2 TE
E) They'll likely trade Hernandez eventually because of their commitment to Gronk and what they can get back for him
Not that I think it does anything to help NE (they have two solid receiving TEs) or to hurt us (he couldn't play this season anyway), but there may be some long term strategy at play here.
Or, it could just be a petty loser move. If that's the case, I'd rather have the Lombardi (sorry Jake!).
If Reese and the Giants were that concerned he would have probably gone straight to IR.
I believe he was an RFA this year (or maybe ERFA), so is he a UFA next year? If so, this is even more perplexing.
Jake is being paid a half a mill to spill his guts now. If he sits around a few months, all of that knowledge slowly drains away...Bill can tap it out now while it's still fresh and we will be left with one big coconut of a TE.
Strategic personnel move, it doesn't have to be "a shot" at NYG.
Unless they're going to change their offense again, trading Hernandez will make no sense for them.
In which we scored 17 points and 21 points respectively. Not like out offense lit them up in either game.
Pope finds or makes a Ballard or two every damn year. Next.
Just look at all those segments where he's wired for sound - the play was to force Manningham to beat them. They had guys in position to make the play. It took an outstanding play by Eli and Manningham to get it done.
This seems more like BB wanting Ballard around longer term to me the more I think about it. Maybe one of those TEs isn't long for NE (not Gronk obviously).
Your eagerness in posting is only outdone by your football stupidity.
As to the theory that they did this to stick it to the Giants. You aren't going to take on salary cap dollars to mess with a team that isn't even in your conference. They did it because they want to control the rights to a player that opened eyes with his play last year.
They could have told Bill that the sideline pass to Manningham was coming, and Eli and his swingin' set o' brass balls still would have completed it.
NE has lengthy history of rehabbing malcontents - this assumes Plaxico knew the playbook.
I think BB did it to fuck with BBI. 'Those numbnuts are never going to understand why I did this. Especially BB'56, this is going to confuse the chai out of him'
I just can't imagine this is a playbook steal.
Joey in VA : 5:12 pm
Did we win those games with game winning long drives engineered by our QB or did the Defensive Genius stop us?
Your eagerness in posting is only outdone by your football stupidity.
Not only do you childishly attack me for no apparent reason whatsoever (aside from the fact that you're either an angry person or plain ridiculous), but you're saying that game winning drives proves an inability to stop another offense. I completely disagree. I don't think Belichick has an issue stopping our offense...in fact I think Belichick's defense was fantastic on both game winning drives.
In 42, we caught a few breaks (Samuels dropping an easy Int), Tyree helmet catch etc. In both, our players were just ridiculously clutch. Eli was out of this world and no defense would have stopped us on those drives. The Pats had the PERFECT cover 2 defense on the long pass to Manningham in 46 but Eli just put it on a dime and Mario made a hell of a catch in traffic and on the sideline.
If you think that it had anything to do with Belichick not being able to figure out our offense, then YOU'RE the one who has shown his "football stupidity."
Boss was faster but Ballard really didnt look like too much of a downgrade. Hopefilly he can make a full recovery and be a starter somewhere.
Rush the QB, cover somebody.
See? That was easy.
Question: Could Jake refuse to be CLAIMED?
B) They're not paying him much
C) They can tender him at a high level next year and no one will match, so they'll retain his rights
D) He's an ideal No. 2 TE
E) They'll likely trade Hernandez eventually because of their commitment to Gronk and what they can get back for him
It's not all that crazy of a move.