Patriots Notebook - Jets' Vilma is on market But the Patriots need not apply JONATHAN VILMA Shopping around By Mike Reiss and Christopher L. Gasper Globe Staff / February 25, 2008 INDIANAPOLIS - Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma is on the trading block, but the linebacker-needy Patriots shouldn't get their hopes up.Two sources with ties to Vilma said the 2004 first-round pick has permission to shop his services to 30 of the league's teams, but not the Patriots.While a high-ranking Jets official said the team would trade within the division if the value was right, even if it meant dealing with its bitter rival in New England, the sources close to Vilma contended otherwise. Vilma's agent, Mitch Frankel, could not be reached. That the Jets possibly would impose such a restriction on the Patriots could be viewed as a reflection of the continuing bad blood between the teams. Relations between the teams were icy even before the Patriots violated the NFL's videotaping procedures at the Jets' home stadium in the season opener. The ice only has grown thicker in subsequent months. The New York Daily News reported Friday that the Jets have given Vilma permission to shop himself, noting that there are two layers to the process. Vilma has one year remaining on his contract and is seeking a new deal, so the first layer would be striking a new contract with an interested team. If that happened, the team would negotiate compensation on a trade with the Jets.Vilma is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2008 season, so the Jets have some motivation to facilitate a trade. He also underwent knee surgery in November, so there are some health questions and it remains unclear how well Vilma would fit in the Patriots' system. > http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2008/02/25/jets_vilma_is_on_market/
Good move by the front office. It would break my heart to see Jonathan Vilma in a Patriot uniform. You know Belichick wants him, too. Prick would switch to a 4-3 and retire his ILB's.
Good – because it sure would suck to see the guy who Mandoofis couldn’t get to work in a 3 – 4 go to NE and ram it up our ass.
Another good player we'll lose. When will it end? and sadly how many JETS fans on here actually want him gone.
This is just terrible. As a huge fan of Vilma I think this is a huge mistake. It's not like he is an absolutely awful 3-4 ILB either. This just sucks.
I read where the Jets have OK'd Vilma to seek a trade with 30 teams out of the NFL. You can bet one of the non-participants are the Patriots. I would speculate that the other might be Buffalo. The only reason why I think Miami is in the cards is Vilma was a Hurricane and he was born in Coral Gables, Fla. This may also lead to suspicion on the Zach Thomas cutting. I'm sorry; I almost forgot these ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I love Vilma but if the coach is going to be stubborn about the 3-4 its the right move to make. Mangini is here to build. If you don't fit the system you're gone. Unfortunately, the way I see it playing out is.. Vilma gets traded to 4-3, performs well.. Jets stink.. Mangini gets fired. We lose in the end.
I just don't get when 100+ tackles equals a poor fit for the system. With Harris and a true NT that number is only going to go up.
Boy, we hate the Pats: Vilma restricted from seeking trade there This is short and sweet. Here's what NFL.com says: Feb. 27: The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Jets LB Jonathan Vilma was in the Detroit area for a physical and to explore a trade to the Lions. Detroit head coach Rod Marinelli, however, declined to address any trade rumors. “It hurts us... We’re just talking. Nothing’s changed," he said. The Jets gave Vilma permission to seek a trade to any team with the exception of the New England Patriots I obviously would not want him to go to the Pats either, but by having the fact that we're letting Vima seek a trade to anywhere but there publicized, it makes the Jets look like they are afraid of the Patriots' talent to the point that we have to stop them from getting more. Why not exclude the Bilsl and Dolphins too? It also shows that there are some sour grapes remaining on our part. I say get over it, tell them we'll beat them anyways, no matter who they get.
Restricting Vilma from speaking to the Pats is just good business sense. If he went to the Pats and turned into a great linebacker in the 3-4 it would highlight the failures of the Jets to make that happen here. Not to mention it would create an enormous wave of tension among the fans every time Vilma came to town and the Pats owned us on defense. I somewhat agree that he should be restricted from talking to the Dolphins also, however that would indicate the Jets are afraid of a 1-15 team and that's not where I'd be going either at this point.
