The Patriots locked up 1/3 of the best defensive line in football yesterday, inking Ty Warren to a deal good through 2011. This is an example of the Patriots organization paying the players they think are irreplaceable. On top of Warren getting paid, he’s getting paid two years early. We all know it’s been policy not to renegotiate deals outside of the last year of a contract, but they make exceptions. Brady, Seymour, and Warren are all important enough to the organization to make sure they get signed before it becomes a problem (Seymour held out for a short time, but the deal got done).
Warren said after the deal, “I always said I still had two more years to play on my contract, so I definitely wasn’t going into the season thinking something like this could happen. But the opportunity presented itself and they were more than reasonable, so it went down and it went down fluidly. It just goes to show that when things are handled behind closed doors, they run smoothly.” That’s how it’s done. Other players should take notes.
Warren is probably the most underrated DE in football. He and Seymour go hand in hand – if you take one away, the other becomes less effective. This is a solid signing by the Pats, and a clear message to Asante Samuel that the team thinks he can be replaced.
It’s even better. According to Reiss today, the deal actually goes through 2013.
Pretty good for a guy many felt was a “leftover” in his draft class and wasn’t going to do much as a pro. Someone at the time even questioned his work ethic. I think the questions have been answered.