Pats Sign Stallworth

[Packnut]

It's very telling when a team who has relied on the draft realizes the landscape has changed in the NFL with free agents. Pats are now the favs to win SB imo.





Updated: March 11, 2007, 9:06 AM ET
Source: Stallworth to get $12M guaranteed from PatsESPN.com news services


The Patriots continued their offseason spending spree, adding wide receiver Donte' Stallworth to their 2007 haul, a league source told ESPN.com's Michael Smith.

Stallworth will sign a six-year contract. The deal is believed to be worth a little more that $30 million with close to $12 million guaranteed, the source told Smith.

Stallworth, who played last season in Philadelphia after being acquired from the New Orleans Saints, also was being courted by the Eagles, Dolphins and Titans.


Stallworth, 28, had 38 catches for 725 yards and five touchdowns for the Eagles in 2006. A first-round choice of the Saints in the 2002 draft, he has 233 career receptions for 3,516 yards and 28 touchdowns in 68 games, including 44 starts.

League and union officials are investigating a Philadelphia Inquirer report that Stallworth is in the NFL's substance-abuse program, sources from both parties told ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli.

Citing unnamed sources, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday that Stallworth is a participant in the league program, and that he could be subject to suspension if he suffered a repeat violation of its conditions. The newspaper also reported that a breach of the program's confidentiality agreement can warrant a league fine, and NFL and NFL Players Association officials began to seek out possible sources for the leak on Monday.

The Patriots have been busy this offseason, adding coveted linebacker Adalius Thomas, ranked No. 2 on ESPN.com's list of free agents, as well as Dolphins kick returner/receiver Wes Welker, tight end Kyle Brady and backup running back Sammy Morris.

Senior writer Michael Smith covers the NFL for ESPN.com. Len Pasquarelli contributed to this report.



9 comments on "Source: Stallworth to get $12M guaranteed from Pats"






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[retailguy]

It's very telling when a team who has relied on the draft realizes the landscape has changed in the NFL with free agents. Pats are now the favs to win SB imo.



I guess Bellichek bought the $20 taco... What an idiot. :wink:

[Packnut]

It's very telling when a team who has relied on the draft realizes the landscape has changed in the NFL with free agents. Pats are now the favs to win SB imo.



I guess Bellichek bought the $20 taco... What an idiot. :wink:

Yeah, I guess no one told him how stupid it is to over-pay for free agents.

[retailguy]

double post

[green_bowl_packer]

Patriots are in a different situation that the Packers they were actually close to the SB last year and may have won if not for their lousy WR's, so they went and got the guys to fill the holes they have and push them over the top. I think they realize this is Brady's last part of his career and they are going for it while they have him. Not to mention the two first round picks, so they have the best of both worlds.

[Packnut]

Patriots are in a different situation that the Packers they were actually close to the SB last year and may have won if not for their lousy WR's, so they went and got the guys to fill the holes they have and push them over the top. I think they realize this is Brady's last part of his career and they are going for it while they have him. Not to mention the two first round picks, so they have the best of both worlds.


Is'nt Favre at the end of his career? They have two first rd picks because THEY got a 1st rounder for their disgruntled #1 WR.

Also this notion that you only sign FA's when your close to a super bowl is a ridiculous concept and is antiquated thinking at best. The concept now is that with parity in full throttle, anyone can win IF they make the right moves.

How long will the excuses continue around here? Take a long hard look around all the NFL sites and you'll see the Packers showing up on more and more "lists of FA losers". Oh well, I gotta believe the Thompson "spin doctors" here are finding it harder and harder to back his lack of activity.

Oops, better stop with the complaining before Partial makes another witty "panties in a bunch" thread.......... :lol:

[retailguy]

Patriots are in a different situation that the Packers they were actually close to the SB last year and may have won if not for their lousy WR's, so they went and got the guys to fill the holes they have and push them over the top. I think they realize this is Brady's last part of his career and they are going for it while they have him. Not to mention the two first round picks, so they have the best of both worlds.

Brady is at the LAST PART of his career? You expect people to take you serious when you spew stupid shit like this? He's 29. Favre is 37... That's an EIGHT year difference. The forum cop has asked me not insult people, and for the most part, I haven't, but with this viewpoint, respectfully, you are an idiot.

The credit I give you, is that YES, the pats are filling holes, however, you fail to acknowledge, that WE COULD DO THE VERY SAME THINGS. WE HAVE HOLES TOO.

[Scott Campbell]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We get the drill already. One of the 31 teams signs some free agent that nobody in here wanted anyway - so Thompson sucks. Oh my god - now we've lost Donte Stallworth. Let's just give the Pats the trophy right now so we can do more deer hunting this fall. The season is already lost and it's only March. We may never win another game. Thompson has doomed us to a life of perpetual mediocrity.

Damn you Ted Thompson. Damn you to hell.

http://ryanduff.net/images/wordpress/chickenlittle.jpg

[Bretsky]

Everybody has money and players that can help were out there.

I find it interesting that a team like the Patriots have greatly changed their tune as to the aggressiveness that they have approached free agency with.

This is a team that use to wait around and look for bargain basement deals with decent players.

I understand that they are closer than GB; I also understand that we have Favre for one to three more years.

I don't understand why we'd encourage him to come back so strongly if we aren't going to aggressively utilize free agency and the draft.

OK, maybe aggressively is a bad word. Replace that with what you want. But it's a point worth pondering.

[RIPackerFan]

Rumor is that this is Belichek's last year and wants to go out with a SB win. There is no other reason for the spending that they are doing - the Thomas pick-up was genius - but for their WRs, they way overpaid either in draft choices or money.

This is not the Patriot way. Also Bill has been cordial with the media - which has all the media a little spooked.

[Kiwon]

I liked Donte Stallworth. I think he would have blossomed playing with Farve the way Driver and Walker did. He's a good receiver but I think he would have become a great receiver with Farve.

A missed opportunity, IMHO.

[BF4MVP]

Ask the Vikings and Redskins how much signing a bunch of expensive free agents helps you win a Super Bowl......................................

[Bretsky]

Ask the Vikings and Redskins how much signing a bunch of expensive free agents helps you win a Super Bowl......................................

Reggie White

it can work both ways

[falco]

Ask the Vikings and Redskins how much signing a bunch of expensive free agents helps you win a Super Bowl......................................

Reggie White

it can work both ways

How many free agents out there have had the impact of Reggie White? I can't think of one that would match him, and I would imagine the number that come close could be counted on your fingers. Players like Reggie don't make it to FA anymore.

[Bretsky]

Ask the Vikings and Redskins how much signing a bunch of expensive free agents helps you win a Super Bowl......................................

Reggie White

it can work both ways

How many free agents out there have had the impact of Reggie White? I can't think of one that would match him, and I would imagine the number that come close could be counted on your fingers. Players like Reggie don't make it to FA anymore.


Drew Brees would be another.

Nobody had the impace Reggie did; that isn't reasoning for Ted to be a turtle either.

I'm not on the sign everyone wagon; but I'm certainly not on the wagon that says sit on your ass because everybody is getting overpaid either.

[GrnBay007]

I'm not on the sign everyone wagon; but I'm certainly not on the wagon that says sit on your ass because everybody is getting overpaid either.

....well, pick a wagon turtle boy! :P

[retailguy]

I'm not on the sign everyone wagon; but I'm certainly not on the wagon that says sit on your ass because everybody is getting overpaid either.

....well, pick a wagon turtle boy! :P


I happen to think he likes the fence post up his ass.

He'd rather just bash people when they state an opinion as he did me tonight.

[b bulldog]

Reggie White and Deion Sanders are the two best UFA signings in league history.

[pbmax]

Reggie White would NEVER make it to FA now. And he almost didn't in 1993? except for a court case and the CBA which specifically forbid the team to tag him. This point cannot be emphasized enough. That kind of difference maker doesn't make the jump. Imagine Manning or Brady hitting FA before their second contract. That's how ridiculous it would be.

Stallworth is mediocre and the deal is like Owens. Lots of large numbers and they could all be for naught.

from PFT:

In all, it's a one-year $3.6 million deal that can be worth up to $4 million, or a two-year, $14.6 million deal that can be worth as much as $15 million, or a three-year, $19.6 million deal that can be worth as much as $20 million.

And forget the huge guaranteed money numbers we have seen in the first week and one half. As the Stallworth report shows (it was from Michael Smith/ESPN first according to this thread and PFT), those guarantee numbers are only real IF the entire contract is played out. Which simply doesn't happen any more.



Ask the Vikings and Redskins how much signing a bunch of expensive free agents helps you win a Super Bowl......................................

Reggie White

it can work both ways

[Patler]

And forget the huge guaranteed money numbers we have seen in the first week and one half. As the Stallworth report shows (it was from Michael Smith/ESPN first according to this thread and PFT), those guarantee numbers are only real IF the entire contract is played out. Which simply doesn't happen any more.



The "guaranteed numbers" are just that, the money the player will receive regardless of whether or not the contract is played out. In fact, the guaranteed money usually is reported in a manner to not include even the first year salary. However, what team will pay a big signing bonus to a player and then cut him before the final roster is established? Even if he is injured in training camp, a vested veteran receives his full salary (see "Cletidus Hunt" here). The only time he would not get the first year salary is if he is waived healthy.

Apparently Stallworth did not get a big guarantee, but others have.

[LEWCWA]

Ask the Vikings and Redskins how much signing a bunch of expensive free agents helps you win a Super Bowl......................................

Reggie White

it can work both ways

Reggie was a special player Donte isn't....ask NE fans how they feel when Donte misses 7 games next year because of pulled Hammies! The guy just isn't worth the gamble, he isn't a difference maker. YET!!!

[HarveyWallbangers]

The "guaranteed numbers" are just that, the money the player will receive regardless of whether or not the contract is played out. In fact, the guaranteed money usually is reported in a manner to not include even the first year salary. However, what team will pay a big signing bonus to a player and then cut him before the final roster is established? Even if he is injured in training camp, a vested veteran receives his full salary (see "Cletidus Hunt" here). The only time he would not get the first year salary is if he is waived healthy.

Apparently Stallworth did not get a big guarantee, but others have.

Some of the "guaranteed numbers" aren't even guaranteed. I know it was reported that Clements had a huge guarnateed number, but the reporting was wrong. They included roster bonuses for him in the final years of the deal that he'll never see.

[prsnfoto]

Rumor is that this is Belichek's last year and wants to go out with a SB win. There is no other reason for the spending that they are doing - the Thomas pick-up was genius - but for their WRs, they way overpaid either in draft choices or money.

This is not the Patriot way. Also Bill has been cordial with the media - which has all the media a little spooked.

Exactly Stallworth is an average #2 WR getting 5 million, Welker could have value as a return man but two picks and 3 million a year, Thomas was good but otherwise the Pats are looking like Fucking idiots did Snyder buy the team.

[Patler]

Some of the "guaranteed numbers" aren't even guaranteed. I know it was reported that Clements had a huge guarnateed number, but the reporting was wrong. They included roster bonuses for him in the final years of the deal that he'll never see.

I usually wait to see the breakdown reported for a contract before I get too excited, especially if early articles refer to the agent commenting on the guarantees. The teams rarely even mention it.

[pbmax]

Patler you are correct, legally speaking. Guaranteed money would be forthcoming even if the player was cut, much like baseball and basketball contracts.

But we aren't ususally dealing with contract language, we are dealing with agents leaking to the press. The press accounts (especially initial ones BREAKING the story) need to be read with a jaundiced eye.

ESPN took out the reference to guarantee money in Michael Smith's article in susequent versions/updates, becuase once the contract hit the NFLPA site (or was leaked by the team) people could see that the REPORTED guaranteed money was a myth.

To split the hair, if the contract plays out its full length, he will see the advertised money.

If he is cut, he won't see MOST of the money reported as guarantee. That, for practical purposes, means the guaranteed money report is a fraud.





And forget the huge guaranteed money numbers we have seen in the first week and one half. As the Stallworth report shows (it was from Michael Smith/ESPN first according to this thread and PFT), those guarantee numbers are only real IF the entire contract is played out. Which simply doesn't happen any more.



The "guaranteed numbers" are just that, the money the player will receive regardless of whether or not the contract is played out. In fact, the guaranteed money usually is reported in a manner to not include even the first year salary. However, what team will pay a big signing bonus to a player and then cut him before the final roster is established? Even if he is injured in training camp, a vested veteran receives his full salary (see "Cletidus Hunt" here). The only time he would not get the first year salary is if he is waived healthy.

Apparently Stallworth did not get a big guarantee, but others have.

[pbmax]

I have got to read through the entire thread before expounding on a point that was made far more succinctly by others :lol: