zazie Posted August 2, 2009 Posted August 2, 2009 FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork said Saturday he won't let his contract dispute with the team affect his play on the field. Wilfork, in the last year of a six-year contract he signed as a first-round draft pick out of Miami in 2004, said his future with the Patriots is "out of my control," referring to off-field negotiations. Vince Wilfork, NT New England Patriots 2008 Statistics Games/Starts: 16/16 Tackles: 66 Sacks: 2 He and his agent, Kennard McGuire, are upset that negotiations on a contract extension have been fruitless. Players drafted in Wilfork's position -- 21st in the first round -- are no longer allowed to sign contracts longer than five years. "I will not let that (the negotiations) interfere with what I have going on in the field," Wilfork said. Wilfork, who's 6-foot-2 and 325 pounds, is considered vastly underpaid by NFL standards. He has a base salary of $800,000 this season, but incentives will increase that to about $2.2 million, still far short of the going rate for established starting nose guards. He has started 77 of 80 regular-season games in the past five years and in 2007 was named to the Pro Bowl and AP's All-Pro second team. In 2008, he was named a defensive captain and was second on the team in tackles. Wilfork, unlike several Patriot veterans, has been present for each Patriot training camp workout thus far. "If I'm healthy, I'll practice," he said. That's not to say he loves the two-a-day practices coach Bill Belichick has scheduled for the first week of training camp. "Two-a-days are tough," he said. "We don't like it, but we're going to get something out of it, and we're going to be a better football team." Belichick has made no secret of his desire to continue to have Wilfork man the middle of his 3-4 defense. In a press conference Friday, he described Wilfork as a smart, strong and instinctive player. "He has a good feel for blocking schemes and what the offense is doing, as well as having a lot of physical talent," Belichick said. "He's real good at everything. Some guys are better run players. Some guys are better pass players. I think Vince can play on all downs." Whatever happens, Wilfork is determined not to be a distraction and not to go onto the field upset with the situation. "Then my teammates can't trust me to do what I have to do," he said. "I would not put my teammates in that predicament."
Nick the Greek Posted August 2, 2009 Posted August 2, 2009 the man loves the game, cant argue with that
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 2, 2009 Posted August 2, 2009 the man loves the game, cant argue with that Ya, loves hurting people. See that is the thing, is there an inbetween type attitude? Or should it be survival of the fittest no honor type of play? Is there a place for honor in the game? Wilfork and his kind don't think so.
RI Bills Fan Posted August 2, 2009 Posted August 2, 2009 More Cheatriots* Love from the OP, go back to the Cheatriots* boards with that junk. The only thing I want to read about Wilfolk is the article describing him being carted off the field after being repeatedly pancaked by legal blocks laid on his dirty cheapshot cheating scumbag azz by Wood, Hangardner, and Levetre!
Steely Dan Posted August 2, 2009 Posted August 2, 2009 I do think, despite Wilfork being a piece of $#!+, he's handling this a lot more professionally than JP did. His admission to the Commissioner will make him leery of doing cheap shots again. JMO
bluv Posted August 2, 2009 Posted August 2, 2009 I do think, despite Wilfork being a piece of $#!+, he's handling this a lot more professionally than JP did. His admission to the Commissioner will make him leery of doing cheap shots again. JMO So what? He may handle it professionally but he will get stiffed by the Pats unless he stands up for his self as all he will get is a PAT on the back saying you are doing a good job fellow. Let him get hurt in training camp or the last year of his contract then all those good years of playing above and beyond his contract goes for naught and are forgotten. So just let Brady pocket all that money and take credit for winning all those rings while the true ballers get stiffed, used, and cut loose. It works for the Pats so I'm sure their fans aren't complaining as they always seem to find a suitable replacement or keep the guys they truly need. Fans love this approach as long as our team wins but when players such as Big Pat jump ship for being undervalued watch out. And for all those who bash JP as he runs out the door, a lot of those same fools were calling Big Pat Fat Pat; an overrated big waste, who doesn't have great stats and all he does is takes up space in the middle!
tjprime Posted August 2, 2009 Posted August 2, 2009 I do think, despite Wilfork being a piece of $#!+, he's handling this a lot more professionally than JP did. His admission to the Commissioner will make him leery of doing cheap shots again. JMO What admission to the Commish? I must have missed something?
zazie Posted August 2, 2009 Author Posted August 2, 2009 ...reminds me of Jason Peters. Sadly, if Peters had taken a like attitude, he would have earned the plaudits of the posters here. But IMO Russ and the FO would have been screwing him still, and making him play as the lowest paid LT in the league, and patting themselves on the back. The more I think about it the more I agree with JPs stance and the worse I feel the FO handled it. Let's go LW, let's see what you can do at LT! Fitz, we are counting on you from about game 3 onwards!
H2o Posted August 2, 2009 Posted August 2, 2009 He may love playing football, but he's also playing for his next contract. To let up or be a distraction would be foolish and could end up costing him millions in the long run. He's taking the right approach.
Pilsner Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 More Cheatriots* Love from the OP, go back to the Cheatriots* boards with that junk. The only thing I want to read about Wilfolk is the article describing him being carted off the field after being repeatedly pancaked by legal blocks laid on his dirty cheapshot cheating scumbag azz by Wood, Hangardner, and Levetre! Your post is music to my ears.
K-9 Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 More Cheatriots* Love from the OP, go back to the Cheatriots* boards with that junk. The only thing I want to read about Wilfolk is the article describing him being carted off the field after being repeatedly pancaked by legal blocks laid on his dirty cheapshot cheating scumbag azz by Wood, Hangardner, and Levetre! I've mentioned it a couple times already but Wood is going to let Wilfork know in no uncertain terms that this isn't Fowler or Preston anymore. In Wood you have the offensive equivalent of Wilfork: he'll get downright nasty is he has to. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Wood were to get called for an unsportmanlike conduct penalty against the Pats in the opener. Ironically, Wood reminds me most of a former Patriot, the great John Hannah. GO BILLS!!!
Ice Cold Bruschi Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 I've mentioned it a couple times already but Wood is going to let Wilfork know in no uncertain terms that this isn't Fowler or Preston anymore. In Wood you have the offensive equivalent of Wilfork: he'll get downright nasty is he has to. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Wood were to get called for an unsportmanlike conduct penalty against the Pats in the opener. Ironically, Wood reminds me most of a former Patriot, the great John Hannah. GO BILLS!!! How does Wood remind you of the greatest guard of all-time? What parallels could you possibly draw at this point in his career?
RI Bills Fan Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 How does Wood remind you of the greatest guard of all-time? What parallels could you possibly draw at this point in his career? I could have sworn that he compared Wood to Hannah, not to Joe D.
Ice Cold Bruschi Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 I could have sworn that he compared Wood to Hannah, not to Joe D. See Guards- Hannah, John New England Patriots http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_75th_Anni...y_All-Time_Team http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/si_online/...81/0803_mid.jpg
RI Bills Fan Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 See Guards- Hannah, John New England Patriots http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_75th_Anni...y_All-Time_Team http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/si_online/...81/0803_mid.jpg This is a BILLS BOARD! Therefore By Definition, The Greatest Guard is JOE D! Now get back under the bridge, Troll!
MattyT Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 The only takeaway here is that Wilfork loves to be a dirty player so much that he's willing to be vastly underpaid to do it.
Steely Dan Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 What admission to the Commish? I must have missed something? Link Wilfork did accept blame on his controversial hit against Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman last season that injured Losman's knee. Upon review of the play during his meeting with the commissioner, Wilfork admitted he didn't realize the ball had left Losman's hand as early as it did but said he had no intent to make a late hit, sources said. That play drew a $12,500 fine.
Fan in Chicago Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 I've mentioned it a couple times already but Wood is going to let Wilfork know in no uncertain terms that this isn't Fowler or Preston anymore. In Wood you have the offensive equivalent of Wilfork: he'll get downright nasty is he has to. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Wood were to get called for an unsportmanlike conduct penalty against the Pats in the opener. Ironically, Wood reminds me most of a former Patriot, the great John Hannah. GO BILLS!!! Man, that will be sooo sweet. Even though others have wished harm on Brady to compensate for that cheap shot (and Steely, I really don't think much about Wilfork's apology or his excuse for it), I held the belief that the nastiness from Bills players should be directed at the perp. Too early to tell but I am hopeful our OL builds up to the nasty force necessary to play ball in this conference.
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