More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

5 months ago: New England Patriots' Vince Wilfork, left, hits a blocking dummy during the first day of football minicamp at the team's training facility in Foxborough, Mass., Wednesday, June 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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I like Vince not only as a player but as a character.  He's a colorful guy and a fixture on this team.  If you ever get a chance to visit The Hall at Patriot Place, stand on Vince's scale and see if you "measure up" to the big man's weight...all 325 pounds of him.  And that's exactly what Vince is trying to do with his contract: measure up to those around him.

In the last year of a $2.2 million contract, Wilfork wants to figure out where he stands.  Looking like idiots, many players in this situation get characterized as silver spooned babies whining to get out of something they signed.  Unlike those morons, Wilfork and his agent have done a masterful job of keeping this above board.  Instead of working this lenghty process at the end of the year, when it could be very disruptive, Vince and the Patriots have chosen to get it out of the way early.  Both the Patriots organization and Wilfork have kept this classy, describing it as the business of football.  Instead of a "I want out of the contract I signed", it's been nicely wrapped as a professional business deal better resolved early.

Vince deserves more money.  You simply have to look to his right for evidence.  Richard Seymour is in the last season of a $3.6 million deal and Jarvis Green is in the same situation at $2.5 million.  Shouldn't the anchor of our 3-4 defense be paid on parity?

"I’m not looking to sign this big-time, going-down-in-history, the best contract there is. I want to be comfortable," he said. "I don’t want to leave. So I’m pretty sure we’re going to do everything in our willpower to make it work."

I have to admit I have no idea what "comfortable" means, but it's easy to guess: some mixture of more money and longer terms.  But it is heartening to hear he's not after a "going-down-in-history" deal.  It's clear Vince likes playing for the Patriots and wants to get this done.

The way this deal is being done is EXACTLY why the Patriots are the epitome of class.  Both player and organization have described this as what it is, a business deal, and have kept the emotion out of it.  They've also been respectful of each other in the media, where things can quickly turn into a circus.  Classy organizations attract classy players.

Give Vince a "comfortable" deal and let's move on.  It's time to win some games.