01:00 AM EST on Sunday, March 12, 2006

A schmoe cornerback named Brian Williams signed a six-year, $32-million deal with the "low revenue" Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday. The deal included a $10-million signing bonus. All this for a guy who wasn't even a starter for the Vikings last year.

The money is most definitely out there in this free-agent season. And if Williams can cash in, what can a guy who closes out regular-season games, playoff games and Super Bowls earn?

A guy such as Adam Vinatieri. Not just a very good kicker, a historic one. A superstar one. There haven't been many of those. Vinatieri's one. And the money will be there for him now that he's on the open market as an unrestricted free agent.

The lure of a giant score has to be great, especially now that the newly approved CBA has opened up the cash spigot even more. But will the money offset everything else Vinatieri's built for himself in New England?

"If he's smart, he will (stay in New England)," Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said when asked if the Cowboys would have interest in Vinatieri. "He could be Bobby Orr and Carl Yastrzemski and John Havlicek. That guy's done a lot."

Vinatieri faces an interesting dilemma. He may get more money up front somewhere else as a free agent, but how much money in endorsements and appearances will he be giving up if he leaves New England? And it's not just while he's still kicking. Simply being Adam Vinatieri professionally for the rest of his days could be a pretty lucrative business.

It's a situation similar to the one wide receiver Troy Brown faced last year.

Cleon Daskalakis is the president of Celebrity Marketing Inc., based in Andover, Mass. In addition to working endorsement and appearance opportunities at TD Banknorth Garden and handling the local marketing affairs for a number of Bruins, he also has helped raise the endorsement profile of Brown.

Last offseason, Brown could have signed a more lucrative deal to play for the New Orleans Saints, but Daskalakis had helped set him up with an endorsement deal at TD Banknorth that offset the contract difference.

This was the best place for Brown, Daskalakis said, because Brown was established, had a very good reputation and would never be the primary receiver for New Orleans, thereby reducing his visibility. Brown re-signed with the Patriots and continues to appear in ads for companies such as Banknorth and Dunkin' Donuts.

"Adam's a little different," Daskalakis said. "He's still at the top of his game and will obviously be the only kicker in the market he goes to, but he's not going to make more off-field than he can in New England.

"Around here, Tom (Brady) will be in a league of his own, then there will be Adam, Troy and Tedy Bruschi. There are only so many buyers out there and they are concerned with how long an athlete is staying in a market, whether he's considering leaving and what his off-field reputation is like."

If Vinatieri chases the money, he won't be the first. Damien Woody, Bobby Hamilton, David Patten, Ted Washington, Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, Tebucky Jones and Joe Andruzzi have all left the Patriots for more lucrative deals. Not a single one of them has played in a playoff game since departing the Pats. Nor will they ever enjoy the marketability in this region that they had before they left.

Vinatieri may be the most prolific Patriot when it comes to local ad deals. He's worked with Papa Gino's, Dunkin' Donuts, Bernie and Phyl's Furniture and others. Over the course of his career, he's likely made close to $1 million in off-field work.

"Adam has one of the best chances of anyone around here to simply be a career Patriot after he's done playing," said Daskalakis. "There are definitely opportunities to tie in with companies and do card shows, appearances and speaking engagements. It's not so much just showing up anymore, it's client entertainment that athletes have a chance to maximize.

"Businesses and companies want to interact with a player. They want to share an experience with one, not just get tickets to a game. And the money the players can make from that is substantial.

"If Adam stays here, his income will continue well beyond his retirement," added Daskalakis. "When he leaves, it ends. He may make more money elsewhere but, 10 years after he's retired, the off-field opportunities will end. People will always know him for what he did.

"Loyalty is very big here. And not that Adam would be disloyal if he took a better deal, but being a "lifetime" Patriot or Bruin or Red Sox is something people identify with. It's worth something."

tcurran@projo.com / (401) 277-7340