Vince Wilfork not buying it

FOXBORO - There has been no progress on a contract extension for Vince Wilfork [stats], and whatever the Patriots [team stats] have put on the table thus far hasn’t been nearly enticing enough for the nose tackle to even consider signing on the dotted line.

This gloomy portrayal came courtesy of Wilfork himself yesterday.

Now for the kicker:

Wilfork said he doesn’t buy recent remarks made by club owner Robert Kraft about being cautious when it comes to striking long-term deals because of the uncertainty in the league’s labor situation.

Does he believe the Pats really are married to that logic?

“Not at all,” Wilfork said. “Because there are 31 other teams out there and there’s a lot of them making moves. They’re in the same situation that we’re in. I understand what he’s saying, but at the same token, it’s not stopping the other teams from making their moves and (doing) what they have to do.

“Trust me, I understand where they are coming from. We have a lot of guys on this team that are going to (have contracts expire after the season) that are pretty good players. I know that is pretty tough for them (management). At the same time, the labor situation is all over the NFL.”

Wilfork cited the recent contract signings of the Giants’ Eli Manning (six years, $97 million, $35 million guaranteed) and the Chiefs’ Matt Cassel (six years, $63 million, $28 million guaranteed), along with the mega-deal Redskins nose tackle Albert Haynesworth signed in the offseason (seven years, $100 million, $41 million guaranteed), as cases where teams felt comfortable enough to sign players to long-term deals with labor uncertainty ahead.

“I see 31 other teams out there and I see deals done all the time,” Wilfork said. “So when you come to me and talk about the uncertainty of the future of the NFL, I understand what you are saying. But there are 31 other teams out there, guys getting locked up. You have guys out there getting contracts done. It’s not like nobody is getting contracts done.

“I see both sides. I can truly sit here and say, ‘I see where the organization is coming from,’ but at the same time, they see what I’m seeing: Other teams are getting deals done, also. But they might not have situations like we have, where we have a bunch of top-notch players that’s up. So, for that reason . . . they’re probably in a little awkward situation. But at the same time, the whole NFL is.”

As for the supposedly ongoing contract discussions, Wilfork, whose deal is up at season’s end, said he was unaware of any progress being made toward an extension.

“As far as I know, there hasn’t been (any progress),” Wilfork said. “You’re hearing it from the horse’s mouth, unless my agent isn’t telling me anything. But there’s nothing there.”

Even though he has vowed not to let the contract issue become a distraction and claimed his focus was on football, he admitted it’s been hard, especially after hearing or reading remarks like the ones Kraft made.

“My guys can trust me to play football. I’m going to do that regardless of what situation I’m in,” he said. “Everything else, I try to stay away from it. But at the same time, it’s pretty frustrating when stuff happens like that. I have to play the waiting game. I’m waiting just like everyone else is waiting. Time will tell. I’m going to stay positive. One thing I will do is stay positive.”

For the record, Kraft said it was tough to work out new long-term deals for players given the uncertainty of the labor situation, and it may be more prudent to wait.

“There are going to be new rules in place, and we don’t know what those rules are,” Kraft said Aug. 11. “We know that our agreement is going to have to change. It’s not sustainable the way it operates now. When you don’t know what’s going to happen, you don’t want to put yourself in a box.”

Since he’s elected not to hold out, Wilfork says he’s just going to see how it all plays out.

“I don’t want to be anywhere where I’m not happy and my family’s not happy . . . even through these tough times, we’re still happy here,” he said. “When that runs out, it’s time for me to pack my bags.”



(bostonherald.com)