Patriots decline on placing tag on Vinatieri

**Navycoach** · 02-24-2006, 08:06 PM

**NordicNed** · 02-25-2006, 01:15 PM

Patriots pass on ``franchise player' tag for Vinatieri

February 24, 2006

FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) -- Adam Vinatieri may get a chance to test free agency after the New England Patriots declined to protect the man who kicked two Super Bowl-winning field goals with the franchise player tag.

The designation would have forced the team to commit to a one-year $3 million offer to Vinatieri. Without the tag, the team will not be compensated if he signs with someone else.

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"It just didn't feel like the right thing to do," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "We considered all our options and decided not to tag anybody."

The Patriots still have until March 3 to sign Vinatieri. But negotiations around the league have been held up because the collective bargaining agreement between the players' union and the teams is set to expire next week, and 2006 salary cap numbers remain unknown.

"I don't think you can do much of anything," Belichick said Thursday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. "I don't know what we're working with (financially). Until that's defined,

Even though Edinger came thru for us last year at some key times, I'm talking about his clutch time kicks, I'de find it hard not to think about a very good kicker at this time.
Vinatieri, is in the list of top 3 kickers in the league I believe, and I think we whould take a shot at him......This would shore up our kicking game tremendously.....

**gregair13** · 02-25-2006, 09:59 PM

i think he will end up in dallas. they needed a kicker real bad last year

**PurplePeopleEaters89** · 02-26-2006, 07:38 AM

I thought they did tag him!! i am pretty sure thats what it said on NFL Network!!!

**collegeguyjeff** · 02-26-2006, 09:29 AM

if he's not tagged we better grab him

**IbleedPURPLEandGOLD** · 02-26-2006, 09:31 AM

He is not tagged. However, the price you pay for his is quite large considering he is a kicker. You are looking at a 2.5 base with 3.5 in bonuses.

**Benet** · 02-26-2006, 10:34 AM

Certainly makes for another interesting discussion. We can all agree that Linebackers and Running Backs are a priority for the Vikings, but could we turn down a chance to massively upgrade the kicking game? It would give us something that Tice was searching for all of last season: a kicker who can take both Kick-Offs and Field Goals.

**PurplePeopleEaters89** · 02-26-2006, 09:35 PM

O my bad i was thinking of another team!!!

**ThaSuperFreak33** · 02-26-2006, 10:51 PM

We need a reliable kicker and Vinatieri is it. It will cost a few bucks but he can make some clutch kicks. Remember 98 it came down to the Kicker and he missed and it hurt.

**singersp** · 02-26-2006, 10:55 PM

"ThaSuperFreak33" wrote:

We need a reliable kicker and Vinatieri is it. It will cost a few bucks but he can make some clutch kicks. Remember 98 it came down to the Kicker and he missed and it hurt.

Granted it cost us the game, but it was the only one he missed all year.

How many games did Gary win for us? :wink: