Patriots Retain Jabar Gaffney With 1-Year $2 Million Deal

After losing Donte Stallworth to the Cleveland Browns earlier in the week, the New England Patriots today re-signed wideout Jabar Gaffney to a 1-year $2 million contract. This, paired with the re-signing of Randy Moss, Kelley Washington, and the acquisition of Sam Aiken, leave the Patriots with their receiver core in pretty good shape heading into next season, as they still have slot man Wes Welker under contract for 4 more years as well.

Patriots Officially Re-Sign Moss to 3-Year $27 Million Deal

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the New England Patriots have officially re-signed Pro Bowl wide receiver Randy Moss to a 3-year $27 million contract. The Pats elected not to use the franchise tag on the mercurial wideout, and after Moss didn't find another offer when the free agency period opened up, ultimately ended up coming back to the Patriots to team up with quarterback Tom Brady for another run at the Super Bowl.

The troubled superstar receiver set the NFL record for touchdown catches in a season last year, hauling in 23 TDs, helping New England break the all time record for points in a season. Moss just finished a 1-year $3.4 million contract he negotiated with New England after being dealt last offseason for a 4th round draft choice by the Oakland Raiders. Details of the new contract have not yet been leaked, but expect there to be some kind of pay by game details, or other provisions to help protect the team if Moss goes off the deep end.

UPDATE 03/03/2008 6:22PM: Per Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe, the deal includes a $12 million signing bonus and about $15 million in guaranteed money total.

Also per Mike Reiss, the Patriots have signed former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sam Aiken to a two year deal for an undisclosed amount. A former 3rd round pick by the Bills in the 2003 NFL Draft, Aiken has been a career backup at wideout, but has excelled at special teams, and was one of the key cogs of a special teams unit that ranked near the top of the league the past few years.

Saints Sign CB Randall Gay to 4-Year Deal Worth Up to $17.8 Million

The New Orleans Saints' pass defense couldn't get much worse last year, and looking to improve upon an achilles' heal in the secondary, have signed free agent corner back Randall Gay to a 4-year deal worth up to $17.8 million, including a $3.75 million signing bonus. Gay stands to make $6.7 million in the first 2 years of the contract, and that could increase to as much as $9 million, based on playing-time triggered incentive clauses.

Coming to the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent signing in 2004, Gay has been a decent but not spectacular player in New England's system, and will look to break out in a possible full-time starting role with the Saints. After growing up in Louisiana and playing the nickel back (3rd cornerback) on LSU's 2003 national title winning team, Gay often filled in for injured starters on the Patriots the past four years, including 14 starts.

The signing of Gay most likely means the end of the road for former free agent acquisition Jason David, whom last year signed a 4-year $15.6 million contract, and was promptly burned time and time again last year like a piece of bread permanently stuck in a toaster. David was a restricted free agent at the time, so the Saints ended up surrendering a 4th round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft when the Indianapolis Colts chose not to match the Saints' offer, which will go down in New Orleans annals as another wasted pick. Exact numbers of David's deal aren't known at this time, but the remaining portion of his small signing bonus would accelerate to the current year, and count against this year's $116 million salary cap if he/when he is released.

Lineback Bruschi To Return To Patriots In 2008, And Possibly Beyond

The New England Patriots and unrestricted free agent inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi have agreed to a verbal deal that will keep him with the team for his 13th season. Terms of the deal have not been announced, but John Clayton is reporting that it may be a multiyear deal.

Bruschi joined the Patriots as a 3rd round pick out of Arizona in 1996, and was named the 2005 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, for his performance after coming back and playing after he had surgery to repair a tiny hole in his heart following a mild stroke. He led the Patriots in tackles in 2007, after a sub-par 2006 season in which most of the Patriots linebacking core was derided for being old and slow. He will turn 35 this June, so if this does turn out to be a multiyear deal, it will probabl be for a maximum of 2 or 3 years.

Patriots Hire Dom Capers As Their Secondary Coach

Bypassing a potential opportunity to be the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, coach Dom Capers has agreed to a deal to be the secondary coach for the New England Patriots in 2008, and potentially beyond. He most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins in 2006 and 2007, before being released this offseason. Capers was one of the highest paid coordinators in the NFL, at roughly $2.6 million a year with the Dolphins.

Capers has been coaching in the NFL for over 20 years, including numerous defensive coordinator jobs, as well as being the head coach of the expansion Carolina Panthers for 4 years, and the head coach of the expansion Houston Texans for 4 years.

Patriots, Who Already Have Highest Prices in NFL, Raising Average Ticket to Over $100

The New England Patriots have announced they are raising ticket prices for the first time since 2004, and will be the first team to average over $100 for a ticket to a regular season NFL game. New England's average ticket price was close to $91 a ticket for 2007, when the NFL league average hovered just above $68. The Patriots have had the highest average ticket price in the NFL since 2002, when they raised their prices nearly 60%.

Price increases this time around range from a 10% boost for the cheap seats to a 51% increase for a "reclassified section of upper level seats in the corner of the end zone." You probably won't find too many blue collar or lower income fans attending games, as it would already cost an average family of four over $500 to attend a Patriots game, with drinks, programs, parking, etc., based on 2007 ticket prices. Gillette Stadium also charges the most in the NFL for fans to park, at $40-45 per vehicle, compared to an NFL average of under $20 per vehicle.

Per John Tomase's report from the Boston Herald, here is a quick breakdown of all ticket prices in New England for 2008:
Seats-New-Old-Change
Lower Level Sideline-$169-$125-35 percent
Lower Level Corner/End Zone-$117-$89-31 percent
Mezzanine Level Corner/End Zone-$117-$89-31 percent
Upper Level Sideline-$89-$75-19 percent
Upper Level Corner (Rows 1-7)-$89-$59-51 percent
Upper Level Corner (Rows 8-26)-$65-$59-10 percent
Standing Room-$49-$49-0 percent

The price increase will probably do little to dissuade ticket buyers, as the Patriots have sold out every preseason, regular season, and playoff game since the 1994 regular season opener, and have a large waiting list for seaon tickets.

Tuna Continues Making 'Fins Dolphin Free, Cutting Iconic LB Zach Thomas

Bill Parcells, aka the Big Tuna, and his GM Jeff Ireland continue to quickly change the face of the Miami Dolphins franchise, today releasing franchise icon Zach Thomas. Having been with the Dolphins for all of his 12 year career, the inside linebacker was a 5th round draft pick out of Texas Tech, and was the AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1996, and has already amassed more tackles in his career than any linebacker currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hampered by injuries and concussions recently, the 34-year old Thomas will probably look to play another year or two with a contender, if possible. "I am healthy and look forward to playing in 2008, but will always consider myself a Miami Dolphin," Thomas said. With the possible retirements of both starting inside linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau this offseason, look for the New England Patriots to come calling quickly. Thomas is just the kind of gritty and heady player the Patriots typically target, and coach Bill Belichick and VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli have never been shy about taking aging players (albeit, at reduced prices) who they think will fit their system.

Pats' Rodney Harrison Coming Back For Final Year, Still Too Old For Chargers

New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison is looking to return for a 15th NFL season, and 6th with the Pats. The 35-year old safety recently said “Right now, at this point, I feel like I’m going to honor the last year of my contract...I’m very hungry to get back to working out and be a part of this team, and try to win another championship.”

When not being suspended for the first 4 games of 2007 for using Human Growth Hormone (HGH), Harrison was busy racking up 68 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 interception. Voted the NFL's Dirtiest Player in 2004 and 2006, Harrison has been an effective building block in New England's secondary, providing playmaking ability and veteran leadership to an otherwise young group. As of this writing, Harrison is good enough to play for the Patriots perennial playoff machine, but he is still too old for the San Diego Chargers, who cut him in 2003 to go young with defensive stalwarts Vernox Fox, Terrence Kiel, and Kwame Lassiter, none of whom are currently with the Chargers.

Eagles, Jets, and Others Targeting Asante Samuel Early

Unrestricted free agent Asante Samuel figures to be the most sought after (and highest priced) free agent this offseason, and when the bidding opens February 29th, expect the bids to come early and often. Last year's top free agent cornerback Nate Clements landed a reported 8-year $80 million deal (with $22 million guaranteed) from the free spending San Francisco 49ers, but the deal was structured more like a 7-year $64 million deal with a huge back end that has already been voided. Clements was snapped up in the first days of free agency, and look for Samuel to try to get the same type of contract in the first couple of days of free agency.

In another year where a number of clubs are very flush with cap space, the Philadelphia Eagles have been rumored to be targeting Samuel, who would be paired with either Lito Sheppard or Sheldon Brown in a presumed camp competition. The Eagles are roughly $17.17 million under the projected 2008 cap of $116 million, with 49 players under contract, and will probably have much more space once they clean up the roster, including the likely event of restructing or releasing of Jevon Kearse's high dollar deal.

The New York Jets ($27.72 million under cap, with 45 players under contract) have also already been rumored to be very interested in acquiring Samuel. They brought him in last year when he had already been slapped with the franchise tag, but that was probably more of a look-see to just toy with the Patriots, and possibly to see what they'd be getting this year. Jets coach Eric Mangini is intimately familiar with Samuel, having coached him when he was the defensive coordinator for the Patriots.

A number of other teams with significant cap space, including the Tennessee Titans ($40.85 million under cap), Buffalo Bills ($32.05 million under cap), New Orleans Saints ($31.69 million under cap), Cincinatti Bengals ($31.45 million under cap), and Arizona Cardinals ($30.27 million under cap) also all need help at cornerback, and are all rife with a surplus of money that needs to be spent. Look for the top suitors to be the Jets, Patriots, Eagles, and Saints.