Vinatieri is GONE!

So late yesterday, the bad news dropped. Adam Vinatieri had reached an agreement to sign with Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts. One of the Patriots main rivals these past few seasons along with Pittsburgh. Talk about a kick in the pants for fans. I’m sure I wasn’t the only fan hoping the Pats would just sign him and keep him kicking in New England. We all know how clutch and important the man has been to our franchise, but the kicker is the lowest paid position on the team basically. He has been worth being paid the highest kicker in the league. And if that is $3 mil a year? That’s chump change to the Pats. So I’m very surprised at this. Maybe they know something we don’t and see his skills diminishing having to setup their field goal attempts closer to around the 30 yard line than deeper 40 and 50 range? I don’t know. But I along with many this morning am sad about this. Not only because he is gone, but did he have to go to Indy??? UGH! Not quite as bad as Damon leaving the Sox for the Yanks, but it’s probably the next worst thing that could have happened. I would have rather seen him go to Dallas with Parcells! We all knew this was very possible, but I still expected to wake up one of these mornings and learn we had re-signed Vinatieri along with extending the contracts of Branch and Seymour since those guys are next if we don’t lock them up soon! I’m not mad at Vinatieri like I was with the greedy, self-centered Damon, but he is making it very hard on us to root for him signing with Indy. So OK now Belichick, Pioli and Kraft. Let’s get moving here! We are still $19 mil UNDER the salary cap last I heard!