No progress with Vince Wilfork contract talks

FOXBOROUGH – Nose tackle Vince Wilfork and the Patriots have not made progress on a contract extension, Wilfork said today in the team’s locker room.

Wilfork was asked if any of the contract offers the team has made were enticing enough to have him consider it a realistic possibility.

"No," he responded.

Wilfork was also asked about remarks made by owner Robert Kraft regarding the Patriots’ approach when it comes to contract extensions with the uncertain labor forecast ahead.

On Aug. 11, Kraft said that while the Patriots don’t have a “hard and fast” rule about striking contract extensions, the team is treading carefully because “we don’t want to put ourselves in a position where we can be penalized for making poor decisions now, when we don’t know what the rules are.’’

Wilfork, who called his contract situation “pretty frustrating,'' said he does not buy that stance.

“Not at all,” he said. “There are 31 other teams out there and a lot of them are 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 the moves and 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 [the team]. At the same time, the labor situation is all over the NFL.

“I see 31 other teams out there, and I see deals done all the time. So when you come and talk to me 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.”



(boston.com)