Patriots add Svitek, Jake Long sets market for Vollmer
Svitek adds depth to New England O-Line
Amidst the flurry of free agent activity over the course of the past week, the Patriots added some depth to their offensive line by signing former Falcon's tackle Will Svitek. It is a short-term, low money deal (1 year/$1 million), and it is anticipated that Svitek will compete for a spot on the roster during training camp.
Svitek stands at 6'6", 308 pounds, and is versatile in his ability to play both tackle positions. Svitek played defensive line in college at Stanford, but was converted to an offensive tackle after being selected in the sixth round by the Chiefs in 2005. It has been an interesting road for Svitek, who spent three seasons in KC, before leaving the game in 2008. He returned in 2009 to Atlanta, where he would start ten games in a Falcons uniform.
Jake Long sets tackle market, paves way for potential Vollmer deal
Premier tackle Jake Long signed a 4 year deal, worth reportedly 36 million dollars this weekend, setting the market for his position. This will certainly set in motion the future of Patriot's free agent lineman Sebastian Vollmer, who remains unsigned.
Jeff Howe writes that based on Long's contract, along with the deals other tackles have gotten so far this off-season, he anticipates Vollmer will be looking for a contract between 6.25 and 8.3 million dollars (he believes likely on the higher end).
Whether the Patriot's, and other teams, are willing to place a price tag that high on Vollmer, who has a concerning injury history including a recent knee surgery, is yet to be seen. It is conceivable the Patriot's could let Vollmer go, depending on how much confidence they have in their current roster and if they have identified any value at the position in the draft.
In the previously linked article, Howe mentions former Chief's lineman and current free agent Eric Winston as a potential Vollmer replacement, something I wrote about a few weeks ago shortly after Winston was released and expressed interest in playing for New England.
I personally would not pay Vollmer the high salary he may be looking for. I would much rather see the Patriot's invest some of their remaining money in the defense, particularly on a veteran pass rusher (Freeney, Abraham), or another piece in the secondary. I also loved the idea of Emmanuel Sanders joining the team and think the importance of replacing Brandon Lloyd is being underrated. All in all, I think the team is capable of finding a good, or at least serviceable replacement for Vollmer, who in my opinion is not worth 7-9 million a year.
@PatriotsLife
@LiamPCunningham
Amidst the flurry of free agent activity over the course of the past week, the Patriots added some depth to their offensive line by signing former Falcon's tackle Will Svitek. It is a short-term, low money deal (1 year/$1 million), and it is anticipated that Svitek will compete for a spot on the roster during training camp.
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| Will Svitek has sixteen career NFL starts |
Svitek stands at 6'6", 308 pounds, and is versatile in his ability to play both tackle positions. Svitek played defensive line in college at Stanford, but was converted to an offensive tackle after being selected in the sixth round by the Chiefs in 2005. It has been an interesting road for Svitek, who spent three seasons in KC, before leaving the game in 2008. He returned in 2009 to Atlanta, where he would start ten games in a Falcons uniform.
Jake Long sets tackle market, paves way for potential Vollmer deal
Premier tackle Jake Long signed a 4 year deal, worth reportedly 36 million dollars this weekend, setting the market for his position. This will certainly set in motion the future of Patriot's free agent lineman Sebastian Vollmer, who remains unsigned.
Jeff Howe writes that based on Long's contract, along with the deals other tackles have gotten so far this off-season, he anticipates Vollmer will be looking for a contract between 6.25 and 8.3 million dollars (he believes likely on the higher end).
 |
| Jake Long's deal likely sets in motion a decision on Sebastiasn Vollmer |
Whether the Patriot's, and other teams, are willing to place a price tag that high on Vollmer, who has a concerning injury history including a recent knee surgery, is yet to be seen. It is conceivable the Patriot's could let Vollmer go, depending on how much confidence they have in their current roster and if they have identified any value at the position in the draft.
In the previously linked article, Howe mentions former Chief's lineman and current free agent Eric Winston as a potential Vollmer replacement, something I wrote about a few weeks ago shortly after Winston was released and expressed interest in playing for New England.
I personally would not pay Vollmer the high salary he may be looking for. I would much rather see the Patriot's invest some of their remaining money in the defense, particularly on a veteran pass rusher (Freeney, Abraham), or another piece in the secondary. I also loved the idea of Emmanuel Sanders joining the team and think the importance of replacing Brandon Lloyd is being underrated. All in all, I think the team is capable of finding a good, or at least serviceable replacement for Vollmer, who in my opinion is not worth 7-9 million a year.
@PatriotsLife
@LiamPCunningham
