espn.com reporting he's gonna sign a 3 yr 12 million deal with 6 mill as a bonus

Where in the hell is our loyalty? :exp:I Love Willie!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I heard that :(

they said the Pats were gonna lose people, and it's happening now, we're getting picked clean :)
I wonder who or how we are gonna get players for us:huh:

trust in bill- they did'nt get stupid overnight. think key and peters for a start.

:doh: I don't know Don....it looks like a rebuilding phase!:doh:

I agree Don...Willie went to Cleveland for 1 more year than the Pats were willing to give him,,Pats have a recent history of assigning a value to a player and sticking to it..Its a business...I have faith just like I did when the Sox won it all...:huh: :hidin:

On WEEI this afternoon, one of the talk show hosts mentioned that Browns deal with Willie. He also said that the Pats made no last ditch effort to sign him after releasing him.

It is a business and we have to have faith in Bill and Company. After all, I know they have more football knowledge than most folks out there, including me.

Can't bash Willie for his 12 seasons here though. Made two Pro Bowls, on three Superbowl winning teams and third most sacks (78) in Patriot history. Willie should walk with his head held high and have no problem looking at himself in the mirror. It's just business. Keeping him meant $7 million on the cap for 2006.

12 seasons and hes 34. on the one side i can see the business sense in not paying him 4 mil per, that money could go to a younger player who could fill the gap for years to come. on the other hand it IS willie mcginest. hes been a hell of a patriot, and one of those core guys you built the whole "team first" concept around. would've loved to see him play his whole career here, but at the same time if the team is going to play the "value" game with everyone there can be no exceptions. tom brady took a lesser contract then what he's worth, how would you go back to him and say "yea you did this for us but we're gonna give this guy all that he asks for." I'm sure the number the patriots had in mind for willie had in consideration a replacement, and the market as it is now for a player of his position. if they think they can do better at that price, more power to em for not fallin in love with a player past his prime