FOXBORO, Mass. -- Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy were friends and
partners in the New England Patriots' defensive backfield for more
than seven years. Now Milloy is gone, and Law knows he could be
next.
"We thought we'd get this last year in together," Law said
Tuesday after Milloy, a four-time Pro Bowl selection and one of the
team's captains, became a salary-cap casualty. "Coming into this
season, we knew something was going to happen. ... We didn't know
how it was going to unfold, whether it was this year or next year.
But we were counting on myself, Otis (Smith) and Lawyer to get one
more year in together.
"We were trying to leave on a good note -- with a
championship."
Smith was cut last month, but he was 37 and on the downside of a
13-year NFL career. Milloy, 29, was still a productive player, but
an increasingly expensive one as he entered the fourth year of the
seven-year, $35 million contract he signed in 2000.
By cutting him, the Patriots save his $4.4 million salary, but
they have to count the rest of his $6 million signing bonus against
their salary cap in 2003-04.
Law, who will reportedly cost the Patriots $9.5 million against
their cap next season, can see where this is going.
"I'm a businessman. Money talks. Just like the people
upstairs," he said. "It's dollars and cents basically in this
business. It's not really a matter of what you do, because who
could question what Lawyer Milloy did on the field?
"If the team chooses to go in another direction, you can't get
too upset about (that). Because the Patriots were around before
Lawyer got here, and myself, and the team's going to be around a
hell of a lot longer after we leave."
Milloy started 106 consecutive games going back to his rookie
year, when the Patriots won the AFC championship. He led the team
in tackles in 2001, when New England won the Super Bowl.
But last year he had no sacks, no forced fumbles and no
interceptions, and though he had 91 tackles it was his lowest total
since he became a full-time starter. The Patriots tried to
renegotiate his deal, but talks that began in April hit a dead end.
"Today is a day that nobody is happy about. This isn't the way
we wanted this story to end," coach Bill Belichick said. "This is
the hardest player that I have had to release. It was the hardest
situation that I've had to go through like this, here or anywhere
else."
Milloy's agent, Carl Poston, told KRIV-TV in Houston that the
player asked to be released rather than take a pay cut. Poston said
he would like to have Milloy with a new team on Wednesday.
"We're not shocked by it," Poston said. "We were negotiating,
trying to get something done, and obviously we weren't able to. As
a result we thought our options looked better if he was released.
It was either we take a pay cut or be released. So we chose to be
released."
The Buffalo Bills have already expressed interest in Milloy, and
the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints reportedly have as
well.
"It doesn't surprise me, because I saw it with Drew (Bledsoe)
and with Otis and with just a lot of guys," quarterback Tom Brady
said. "It is a tough business. It is really tough because there is
never job security and it is not actually based on your
performance, either.
"You can play at a Pro Bowl level and you could show up every
day on time and never complain and be a captain and a leader. It is
not about if it will happen, it is just when it will happen to each
player," he said.
Milloy had taken all the practice snaps as the starting free
safety. Now, the Patriots will have to choose from Antwan Harris,
Aric Morris and Chris Akins.
"With this tragedy, we're going to have to pull together even
closer for this game in Buffalo," Harris said. "I feel like I'm
ready. I'm ready to go out there and show what I can do. I'm not
any Lawyer Milloy. I'm Antwan. I have to take my abilities and put
them on the field."