Patriots Redux - Conspiracy Theories

Bostonist knows... Bostonist knows... Spring Training is wrapping up, and the boys of summer are due north in a couple weeks time, so most of this space will be dedicated to our beloved Red Sox over the next few months. But, Bostonist has some unfinished business with the New England Patriots organization, Head Coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft.

As all Bostonists are now aware, the Pats lost some pretty large parts this off-season to free-agency. We've heard all the excuses, the explanations, all of the BS. David Givens' situation is understandable. He took the money, and no one can blame him. Good for David, he earned his payday (David was a 7th round draft pick and one of the lowest paid players in the NFL). Tom Ashworth, a quality offensive lineman, will be missed. Fortunately, offensive linemen are somewhat easy to find and usually affordable. But what about Willie?

The argument could be made that Willie "really missed Romeo and wanted to play in his system again" or, you could say he took the (guaranteed) money. Fine, Bostonist could accept those arguments. But, let's look a little closer at the details here.

Yes, Willie was guaranteed $6 million of that $12 million contract, and the Patriots, as an intelligent business entity, decided that the risk was too great to guarantee that kind of money to an aging veteran. Maybe it didn't fit into that matrix/Excel Spreadsheet/Crystal Ball the Pats Brass utilizes to create each iteration of the Patriots. But, Bostonist can only wonder why? The Pats were $20 million under the cap, and will need a player to replace McGinest anyways, so why not pay the man? They have plenty of financial flexibility, and at $3 mil per for a guy who had 4.5 sacks in his last game at Gillette Stadium, wouldn't that seem like a good deal?

But, enough on Willie. Let's just say the Pats are deep at Defensive Line, and they decided that they could live with Willie moving on and supplementing that position in the draft or post June 1 Free Agency. Let's give the Patriots management the benefit of the doubt in the Willie situation.

Adam Vinatieri. What happened in these negotiations? And who will the Pats sign as kicker? The Patriots are in a very precarious position here. The Patriots are, as Bostonist's girlfriend would say, "Sans kicker." Logic would indicate that, if the Patriots plan on, say, kicking off anytime next year (not to mention extra-points and field-goals) they ought to go and rustle themselves up a soccer player.

So, who, pray tell, will be the next Patriots kicker? Paul Edinger? Good kicker with solid numbers (135-180, 75%, never missed an extra point). But more importantly, what will the Pats PAY FOR HIM? Say they pay him $2 million (the going rate for a kicker of Edinger's caliber). How can you not justify paying another million to an ICON like Vinatieri who has been, basically, the best kicker to ever live over the past 10 years? Well, Bostonist has the explanation!

Here's Bostonist's theory: The Patriots thought Vinatieri was bluffing. It has been reported that Adam took about 45 minutes to decide to bolt for the Colts. What did Adam do in that 45 minutes? He probably talked with his father in South Dakota, talked with his wife, maybe some other family members and one would have to assume, SOMEONE within the New England Patriots football organization. To whom did he speak? Belichick? Kraft?

Whoever it was, they thought Adam was bluffing, and were calling his bluff. The only problem for the Patriots was that Adam had the nut hand, and a signed deal in Indianapolis, no less.

The Patriots and the city of Boston lost an icon. Explaining this to Patriots fans is going to be quite difficult for Patriots management. When the next kicker is signed he will have the burden of always being compared to Adam Vinatieri. Bostonist can already hear the sports radio arguments now:

"For another million a year, we could have kept Adam."
"If they just guaranteed a little bit of Adam's money, he would still be a Patriot."
"Would you rather have Adam Vinatieri or insert some lemon kicker's name with the game on the line? That's what I thought."

In Bill We Trust, the "Patriot Way", and Krafty Bob. Bostonist wants to believe that things are well in Foxboro, but it looks like the Pats tried to pull a fast one on the wrong man, and Bostonists lost much more than that.