Wilfork Shows Up, In A Way

June 8, 2009 · Paul Raymond · Jump to comments

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The New England Patriots have finally spotted disgruntled defensive tackle Vince Wilfork. Unfortunately for them it wasn’t at an OTA workout, it was at the Patriots Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament. Wilfork refused to answer questions from reporters but did agree to do an interview with Boston’s sports talk radio station WEEI.

“I mean, OTAs, you don’t go to work when you’re off, on your off days. OTAs wasn’t mandatory, it was voluntary, so I chose to sit out . . . because of the situation I’m in. It’s nothing personal towards the organization, it’s nothing personal towards my coaches or anything like that. It’s just basically what made the most sense to me at this point in time. I’m looking forward to moving forward, and with that being said, I’m looking forward to the season. It’s not the first time a player has gone through a contract negotiation problem. So I try to stay positive and at the same time do what’s best for me and my family. At the end of the day, that’s what matters to me. I”

So yea Wilfork pretty much admits he’s skipping the OTA’s because of his contract dispute. In a way you can also look at it as he doesn’t want to risk injury and his payday. Getting injured will effect his ability to get a contract extension, especially if its a season ending one.

Some may say that’s far fetched to think that, but it actually is believable. Further along in the interview he stated how much he enjoys being with the Patriots and playing alongside his teammates.

“That’s Ty Warren, that’s Richard Seymour, that’s [Tedy] Bruschi, that’s Richard Seymour, guys like that I want to go to war with, and I don’t think I’ll find any better group of guys or coaches out there. So I don’t want to leave. So I’m pretty sure we’re going to do everything in our willpower to make it work.”

Yea, we’ve heard that before, every off season, from numerous players but with Wilfork, I think we can believe it. Why would any player in his right mind want to leave the Patriots? They’re the gold standard of the NFL, they’ve got arguably the best coach in the league and always have top talent that knows their roles.

Here’s another reason why we can believe Wilfork wants to be a Patriot. He’s not looking to break the bank. In the same interview they asked him about the Albert Haynesworth contract and the rumors that he was looking for something similar.

“I’m not looking to sign this big-time, going-down-in-history, the best contract there is. I want to be comfortable, but at the same time, I want to be with the guys that I go to war with

While Wilfork is saying all the right things, I still don’t totally agree with how he’s going about things. He brings up some pretty valid points while not being at the workouts but I’m still in the crowd that thinks you should be there with your teammates.

Wilfork knows many thinks that so he did give the perfect come back to all us sports bloggers and fans that feel that way.