Vince Wilfork and the Patriots finally have a precedent on which to base their extension talks.
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to a three-year, $21 million extension with nose tackle Casey Hampton that includes $11 million in guaranteed money. The 32 year-old Hampton is older than Wilfork, 28, and less effective at stuffing the line of scrimmage, but his new deal could set the floor in Wilfork’s negotiations, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss.
Meanwhile, the seven-year, $100 million contract Albert Haynesworth signed with the Washington Redskins last spring (which guaranteed him $41 million) should serve as a high ceiling, allowing the two sides to meet somewhere in between — more likely closer to Hampton’s deal.
Reiss estimates that Wilfork should earn between $8-9 million per season on a contract that ensures him at least $20 million. He would otherwise be in line for $7 million via the Patriots’ franchise tag.
