New England Patriots free-agent breakdown: Sealver Siliga
Free agency is right around the corner for the New England Patriots, who have 15 players with contracts that expire in March. Of the 15, 10 are unrestricted free agents and five are exclusive rights free agents. I’m taking a look at a free agent and the reasons why he will or won’t be re-signed.
Previous entries in this series
Wide Receiver Greg Orton
Lineback James Morris
Wide Receiver Brian Tyms
Fullback James Develin
I will now take a look at Sealver Siliga, who will be an exclusive rights free agent. An exclusive rights free agent is a player with two or fewer accrued seasons. A player earns an accrued season for each season during which he was on, or should have been on, full pay status for a total of six or more regular season games, but which, irrespective of the player’s pay status, shall not include games for which the player was on: (i) the Exempt Commissioner Permission List, (ii) the Reserve PUP List as a result of a nonfootball injury, or (iii) a Club’s Practice Squad. Games on IR count. Sealver Siliga has two accrued seasons but 3 credited seasons so his 2015 minimum salary will be $660,000. Sealver Siliga was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on November 27, 2013. The 2013 season counts as a credited season for Siliga since he was on the 53-man roster for at least 3 games. The 2013 season does not count as an accrued season for Sealver since he was on the 53-man roster for five but not six games. Siliga was placed on the Injured Reserve- Designated to Return list on September 27, 2013 and returned to the 53-man roster on December 6th.
Year signed: 2013
Length of previous deal: Two years
2014 cap value: $436,188
2014 role: Defensive tackle who was on the 53-man roster for seven games. Started five of the seven games. He was on IR-DTR for nine games. Siliga ended up playing in 21.6% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps and in 3.6% of the special team snaps. Siliga is best known for being a run-stuffer. As you can see on the PatsFans.Com stats database Siliga finished second among Patriots defensive tackles with 32 tackes. He also finished second with two and a half sacks. Siliga led defensive tackles with 5 tackles for a loss.
Why he will be re-signed: Tendering Sealver Siliga would make his 2015 cap number $660,000, the minimum salary for a player with three credited seasons. With Sealver Siliga’s $660,000 cap number being $150,000 more than $510,000 (the salary of the 51st highest cap number) tendering Siliga would only increase the Patriots salary cap number by $150,000. Since Siliga’s tender offer would not include a signing bonus, there would be no downside to tendering Sealver Siliga. The Patriots may have to release Vince Wilfork for cap space reasons. Alan Branch will be an UFA and may leave for greener pastures.
Why he won’t be re-signed: The Patriots may be wary of his injury history.
Prediction:Sealver Siliga will be re-signed to a one-year deal at a $660,000 salary.
Credit – I have customized ESPN’s Corey Harvey’s Bengals free agency template for the Patriots.
Posted Under: Free Agency
Tags: siliga
