He is due for a hefty raise, considering that 3-4 nose tackles Casey Hampton of the Steelers and Kris Jenkins of the Jets both made more than $5 million last season.
But whether it's because of the Patriots being consumed by the Cassel situation, or coach Bill Belichick dealing with turnover in the front office and coaching staff, or just a simple lack of interest in doing a deal, the team has not contacted Wilfork about an extension.
"Last year at this same time - that was the last time I heard from them," said Wilfork yesterday from Florida.
The 27-year-old Wilfork, who made the Pro Bowl in 2007 and this past season, wasn't making like Ty Law and accusing his coach of dishonesty or bemoaning an inability to feed his family.
He merely was being blunt about the lack of progress on a new contract that in an offseason without the Cassel saga probably would rank as one of the team's top priorities.
"The ball is not in my court right now," said Wilfork, who will carry an $800,000 base salary and a $1.44 million cap charge in 2009. "Nothing has happened. No progress has been made.
"I thought maybe there would be some sort of move forward, but everything is at a standstill. I'm sure they'll do whatever they have to do. I have that last year, and I'm preparing to play and play well. It's not going to change me. But they know the longer it takes the more it costs."
With $14.65 million dedicated to Cassel via his franchise tender and nearly a quarter of the $123 million salary cap ($29.27 million) currently devoted to two quarterbacks (Cassel and Tom Brady), the Patriots are not in an ideal position to negotiate with any of the 22 players who will be free agents after the 2009 season.
That is a group that includes Wilfork, guards Logan Mankins and Stephen Neal, defensive ends Richard Seymour and Jarvis Green, tight ends Benjamin Watson and David Thomas, linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel, running back Kevin Faulk, placekicker Stephen Gostkowski, and cornerback Ellis Hobbs.
