Well, at least the deal is in place, and the cap has risen to $102M for this season with two days left for everyone to digest the deal and sign any of their own players to new deals before free agency. There will be some interesting manuevers, surely, and the Patriots have some deals to make of their own.

Interestingly, the Pats released #55, Willie McGinest right after the new CBA was signed. Why then? Of course, both sides knew that this next year of his contract was inflated at $7M and that a re-do would be in order. But with the cap suddenly higher with the new deal, there was no imminent pressure to release Willie -- is there another deal on the table that needs the space? Deals that wouldn't have been done without the new CBA?

McGinest is the rebirth of this franchise. You can draw lots of lines to various sources to the Patriot's success. The Krafts, of course. Belichick and Brady. But from the depths of the league in the early 90's, with Parcells, Bledsoe and #55, the Patriots began their upward ascent. Battling back from numerous injuries -- playing through 'em all, and now in the latter part of career playing smarter and stronger than anyone would have guessed. And, we're told, a total leader in the locker room.

Watching the footage of the Super Bowl parade in Boston, where on the podium #55's giant arms draped around Belichick like giant bear restraining it's child (then later goading the coach to dance). McGinest is as much a factor in the rebirth of the Patriots as the rest of 'em. And Ernie Adams -- maybe he's really the wizard behind the curtain. I hope McGinest returns for another tour of duty -- although I wonder if taking a 2 or 3 year deal from Cleveland might be too much to pass up.

Save the swap for Corey Dillon a few years ago, the Pats haven't done much in free agency, so I don't expect much again this season.