Bates wasn't exactly "offered" a position with NE - BUT HE "was" on the short short list of those who were to gain an interview - IOW - be contacted by the Pats for probable discussions... and to me - THAT's the very same thing - measuring a timeline or splitting hairs on this line of thinking is a bit much to say the least. It was written in several articles that the Pats had three people on that short short list... and Bates "was" one of those...
To be clear - as written in several other comments I have made..
Players in this upcoming year in the NFL will have to look forward to a "new" attitude with Mgmt on just about all Teams... and that is, in part, due to Belicheck & the Patriots having won their 3rd SuperBowl... THAT NEW ATTITUDE will demand a new emphasis from the Player's performances in order for them to gain that "lucrative" new Contract.. and to have any chance whatsoever in gaining the FULL MEASURE of the monies inherently written up in those Contracts..... count on it.
While it may have been regular protocol, up to now, for players to gain up front signing bonuses - that tactic will not help them much any longer as with former Contracts like which Brett & others have received in the last five years, or so! Lately, we've seen Ted Washington & Ty Law both get the axe.. and this year, for good reason, we've seen quite a few BIG MONEY Contracts become suddenly not worth the paper they were written on.... Our own Mike Wahle will also find himself (alas...) looking elsewhere for the BIG MONEY... as will Darren Sharper.. and many many others on several Teams... (Tennessee, anyone?)
What I'm waiting for - is the emergence of a new clause from the Players tandpoint which will make then assured of getting & keeping the BIG money, even though they may get let go earlier than they expect... how that's accomplished is yet unknown - but look for them to try something, anything to return what is about to happen in the League... back to their advantage.
The Patriots have demonstrated an affinity to get middle of the road Players and make them better, if not great... and to get it done without signing outrageous contracts.. and the minute a player is due some sort of huge bonus... then their play had better damn well measure up to that pay standard or they will find themselves forfeiting it to be in FA land without any real lifeline other than whatever insurance is left to their disposals....
The days of Vince Lombardi and the Coaches ruling Teams with an iron fist, I feel, are about to re-emerge in the NFL... quietly albeit.. just the same, in an underground influence.. you will see more & more Coaches begin to clamp down on the Big EGO's of the NFL... in favor of imitating the winning strategies of one... Bill Belicheck! GREEDY Players, in a certain sense, in the NFL - are about to become a thing of the past..
If Sherman stays as Head Coach of the Packers - he'd better clamp down on these Players - do it forcefully, yet with respect... and with no defference to wiping their noses in any way... to do so will be to infect our Locker Room with a sense of mediocrity.. and we'll never see another Lombardi Trophy, ever again!
That's why I say he should NOT get any type of contract extension this year.... no talks should occur until during the Playoffs... pending we make the Playoffs in the 1005-6 Season.