2017 All Along the Hightower: Princes Kept Their View

RetractableRoof

tolerates intolerance
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Dec 1, 2003
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I dont understand, is Hightower in a Pittsburgh hotel? He clearly didnt get on a plane if Pitt still has their offer on the table, right? ;)

Seriously though, I know its not their style, but I'd love the Pats to call him and say, Donta, we'll up our offer, even if a token amount like $500K a year....I think that show of goodwill would make this a done deal if its not already.
It's human nature to think this way... and it could be accurate. But as soon as the Pats decide to do something like this some agent will do/say something like this: "Wait, the Patriots never do something like this. They must be desperate for you to come back. If they are offering $500K, they must be willing to go more - let's ask/wait for another $2M."

The reality is this stuff could approach the theater of the absurd really quickly. I think the best approach is to just be honest with people up front - even if they call you a horses ass. "This is our number, if it doesn't work for you we'll find someone who it does work for." In the end, it reduces the gamesmanship to a degree. You might find some asshole agents who just won't work in that scenario - but you put the word out, we won't work with agent Smith. In the end, people may not like this approach but it is predictable. It removes a certain amount of ego, on both sides. It removes the Lucky Lucchino I have to win every deal factor. I think to a degree it is why the Pats tend not to use the franchise tags as much any more - it just complicates things.
 

Saints Rest

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I dont understand, is Hightower in a Pittsburgh hotel? He clearly didnt get on a plane if Pitt still has their offer on the table, right? ;)

Seriously though, I know its not their style, but I'd love the Pats to call him and say, Donta, we'll up our offer, even if a token amount like $500K a year....I think that show of goodwill would make this a done deal if its not already.
Isn't the theory that NE hasn't made an offer and is waiting for DH to bring one back to them?
 

mwonow

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Sep 4, 2005
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Michael Silver ✔ @MikeSilver
According to source familiar with the negotiations, the Jets have been out of the Hightower market since he left the building @nflnetwork
Hah, that's nothing. They've been out of the 2017 playoff race since before the 2016 season ended.
 

boca

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Jul 31, 2006
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Ian Rapoport ✔ @RapSheet
Would be a major surprise if it was anyone but the Patriots.
 

Ed Hillel

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Dec 12, 2007
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I'm about 95% confident Hightower told his agent from the start "Barring a riculously high offer, get me some free food, adulation from other teams, and make sure you can wring out as much from Belichick as you can when we ultimately re-sign." I bet Belichick put an offer down about 500k or 1 million lower than his ceiling he can use to "sweeten the pot" if necessary, but he's probably holding firm at this point. Maybe he'll throw Donta a bone.
 

Marciano490

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Nov 4, 2007
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I'm about 95% confident Hightower told his agent from the start "Barring a riculously high offer, get me some free food, adulation from other teams, and make sure you can wring out as much from Belichick as you can when we ultimately re-sign." I bet Belichick put an offer down about 500k or 1 million lower than his ceiling he can use to "sweeten the pot" if necessary, but he's probably holding firm at this point. Maybe he'll throw Donta a bone.
Plus, he got to visit NJ and Pittsburgh on someone else's dime.
 

H78

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Jul 22, 2009
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They also had another report from four days ago saying Hightower was close to signing with the Titans.
 

bankshot1

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Feb 12, 2003
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where I was last at

Michael Silver ✔ @MikeSilver
According to source familiar with the negotiations, the Jets have been out of the Hightower market since he left the building @nflnetwork
So the Jets leaked the $12M figure to screw with the Pats to presumably get them to pony up more dough to DH?