Maybe this is illegal, maybe this is improbable, but... If you were the Saints and you wanted Vilma back next season, and if Vilma wanted to be a Saint next season, wouldn't it be wise to agree on a contract before the end of the season, hold off on signing it until after the draft, and then re-sign him, after the Jets trade escalator had been resolved? Maybe the "gentlemen's agreement" has no place in professional sports, but I'm sure if Vilma were willing to be a career Saint, he'd much prefer to be on a team with a first round draft pick in the 2010 draft. Maybe there's finer print in the trade stipulations, I dunno. But to the naked eye, it seems like Vilma would enjoy being a Saint and would like to see the team built around him.
Or you could go that one better. Maybe Mangini and Vilma had an agreement all along to screw the Saints out of a 4th :up:
yeah he's a top 10 LBer in the NFC and has jumped their ranking from 26 to 21. Their schedule is harder this year as well, so those 5 spots were earned. He was never a pass rusher, he's a run stopping sideline to sideline guy. And the most important aspect that doesn't show up - he's the defensive leader already, and he's been there for 13 games. So yes Champ, its that Super Duper great JV.
there in lies your inability to think like a GM. Why re-sign him and give up more when you can resign him later and give up the lower round pick? Its called strategy. I'm not the only one who posted this philosophy in this thread.
This seems to easy to get away with. I know that is exactly what I would do as a GM but shouldnt there be protection against this? Like, if the sign him to a contract period, not before the season ends.
the NFL might have a mandate against it, but I see it tough to do so because of the counterargument brought by the franchises. Something to the point of letting the player test the market to measure his value then resign him.
I'm pretty sure the trade stipulation mandates a resigning before free agency, not before the end of the season. The motivation for the Saints to resign him before the start of free agency is this: if they don't, Vilma holds all the cards and might jump ship for a record contract with the Lions or the Vikings or (gulp!) the Patriots. The Saints would have to match or exceed offers, presumably. Frankly, and again we don't know the specifics of the trade, I think Tanny should've held off on the 2009 payoff and said that if J Vilma is a Saint in 2009, Jets get a 2010 2nd rounder.
Agreed 100% he would flourish in the 3-4 with Jenkins on the ball. Hes also great in slant route pass coverages which has been killing us all year.
Yep. JV would do wonders with Jenkins in the middle. We need a player like him to cover against the pass. Would you rather have Barton or Vilma?
Both although this year Barton is having a decent year I cant argue that. JV was a likeable player and always gave 100%. I wouldnt mind having him back instead of Spencer.
i doubt it. The friction between them wasnt made up. And if you were a captain when the new regime got here, you are gone. I can think of three off the top of my head.
if the Saints decide to re-sign Vilma and it's after the "deadline" and they don't have to trade their 2nd for our 4th that would be complete bull
Everything I've dragged up on the actual deal contains the language "Contract Extension". If he is allowed to hit the open market, then that would be a new deal, not an extension, thereby voiding the 2nd rounder. I hope the deal Tanny worked out doesn't allow for that nonsense.
If he hits the open market he becomes a lot more expensive. I doubt the saints want to invest to much in him.
