Attention shoppers

The free agency megastore has been open for about two weeks now. The Buffalo Bills have had themselves a heck of a shopping spree, adding D linemen Mario Williams and former Patriot Mark Anderson. The Bills are going to be tough. They have to rank among the smartest shoppers so far. But what about Bill Belichick and the Patriots? They have added eleven new players. Eleven! But have they spent their money well?

ADD TO CART
The Patriots had several empty carts as shopping hours began. One cart is now overflowing. Wide receiver. The Pats added Anthony Gonzalez, Brandon Lloyd, and Donte Stallworth and they kept Deion Branch and Matthew Slater. And word is that Chad Johnsoncinco is busy studying the playbook and plans on sticking around ... at least long enough for his reality-TV wedding to take place. Tom Brady is going to have lots of guys to throw to. But the last time I checked, the game is played with only one ball. Lloyd and Gonzalez are excellent additions. Not sure what the heck Stallworth is doing back. I thought he was still in jail.

The Pats also added offensive lineman Robert Gallery, formerly of the Raiders. He was the second player taken in the 2004 draft but hasn't really lived up to that lofty position. But he is only 31 and working with magician Dante Scarnecchia may put him in the Pro Bowl. That's what Dante can do with talent. Gallery's signing is an indication that Matt Light might be calling it a career. A great career. The Pats also kept center Dan Connolly. A sign that Dan Koppen is probably not coming back.

Spencer Larsen, a fullback with Denver, was the most recent guy added to the roster. Since Belichick never uses his fullback I'm not too excited about that one. But he should be a good special teams guy. And of course the coach/GM got himself yet another tight end to play with, because apparently you can't have enough of 'em. He picked up Daniel Fells from the Broncos. I don't know what to say about that one.

The other empty shopping carts were all on the defensive side of the ball. They are still pretty empty. The Pats didn't get LaRon Landry as I had been hoping. He went to the Jets. He would have been of some help to Patrick Chung. Instead the Pats added safety Steve Gregory, formerly of the Chargers. He's not a bad player. But is he an improvement over James Ihedigbo? We'll see. The Pats also signed cornerback Will Allen. I thought he had retired. I guess that's Eric Allen. This Allen is 33 and has played with the Giants and Dolphins. Like Gallery, he was a first-round pick ... back in 2001. Hopefully he won't be another Duane Starks.

Other defensive signings were linemen Jonathan Fanene from Cincy and Trevor Scott from Oakland along with cornerback Marquice Cole from the Jets. Not exactly household names and not guys that I would have put in my shopping cart. But then again I didn't know much about Andre Carter and Mark Anderson last year and they turned out to be good purchases indeed. Belichick has a history of finding deals in other team's bargain bins.

NO SALE
Free agency is not just about buying things, it's also about putting some things back on the shelves. The Patriots chose not to bring a few of my favorite players up to the cash register. Mark Anderson joined the Bills formidable defensive front. He was a key player for the Patriots down the stretch and into the playoffs last year. But I guess not big enough for a raise. Hopefully the Pats will use that money to bring back Andre Carter.

The team also said goodbye to a fan favorite... BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Or Bennie as I liked to call him when I was yelling from my seats "Get Bennie into the bleeping game! Let's run the ball!" Bennie carried the ball 547 times in his career with the Patriots. He never fumbled. Not once. Every young player should study the way Bennie takes care of the ball. I'll buy that guy a beer if we ever meet in a bar. Bennie goes down as one of the great Patriot unsung heroes. The Bengals got themselves a good one. Thanks Bennie.

BENNIE: The good-hands man.

A new season

The 2012 NFL season has become must-see TV.

Forget "Game of Thrones." Forget "Fringe." Forget "Mad Men." (OK, don't forget "Game of Thrones.") The 2012 NFL season is providing more drama, romance, and comedy than anything cable TV can come up with ... and they haven't even played a game yet.

You want drama? How about Bounty-gate. The not-so-saintly New Orleans Saints' coaching staff being exposed as men who put a price (literally) on winning. A price that they are now paying for with their head coach's head. Sean Payton was suspended for the entire season. That's harsh. I thought four games. I guess he knew more about Bounty-gate than previously thought. Former D coach Greg Williams, the masterslime behind the whole mess, has been suspended indefinitely. There should be a job for him coaching Arena Football. The Saints -- just a few years removed from their Super Bowl title -- are in shambles. No coach. Franchise QB Drew Brees is unhappy with his non-contract. They are getting hit much harder than the Pats did for Spygate.

You want romance? How about Peyton Manning and John Elway walking hand-in-hand in the Rockies as they listen to John Denver on their matching orange iPods. They are the new Tom and Gisele. Will their romance result in a pair of sparkly new rings? That all depends on how the rings in Manning's spine hold up.

You want comedy? How about Tim "Jesus" Tebow going to Gotham City to play for Eatipus Rex. How is the son of God going to feel when Ryan tells him to "go get me an effin' snack"? Maybe Rex and the rest of the Jets can teach young Tebow all about teamwork, sportsmanship, and class. Oh that's right, they reportedly brought in Tebow to help fix the team's toxic chemistry. I guess cornerback Antonio Cromartie didn't get the memo when he Tweeted "We don't need Tebow."

The Jets trading for Tebow is just too good to be true ... if you are a Patriots fan. The team just gave their fragile franchise QB Mark Sanchez a nice contract extension to let him know that he is their man. Then less than a week later they trade for his replacement, uh, I mean his backup. I look forward to flipping on the NFL RedZone (I miss you Scott Hanson) and watching a Jets home game against ... let's say the much-improved Bills. The new Bills D line is knocking the heck out of Sanchez. The shaken QB tosses a few costly picks. The Jets fall behind early. A sound rises from the crowd as Fireman Ed sits with his hands on his helmet. What's that the crowd is chanting? It's kind of catchy... "Teee-bow... Tee-bow ... Tee-bow." Louder and louder. Mt. Ryan is faced with a decision bigger than his green gut. Stick with his guy Sanchez ... the real NFL quarterback ... or cave to the wishes of the crowd and put in Tebow?

Can you say quarterback controversy? If you don't think the chances of this happening aren't 100 percent then you don't watch much football. This will be the mother of all quarterback controversies.

Oh, and one more thing about Tebow. The Pats played him twice last year. Once in the playoffs. Combined score 88-33. Pats. Yes, Rex. Please get him on the field as often as possible.

Mile High Manning

The Peyton Manning watch is finally over. I thought it was going to take as long as it's taking the Republican party to pick a nominee.

The future hall of famer will take over the reins of the Denver Broncos. The 2012 season just got that much better.

Why?

Because the Broncos are going to visit Gillette. Make that Peyton Manning and the Broncos are going to visit Gillette. The schedule hasn't been announced yet (that comes next month), but my guess is it will be on a Monday night. Hopefully an October Monday night with that perfect crisp football feel in the air.

Peyton Manning against Tom Brady. And against Bill Belichick. In the Bronco orange. Yes, the 2012 football season just got that much better.

Welcome back, Peyton.

Catching on

Coming into the offseason, wide receiver was clearly an area of need. Not anymore.

Bill Belichick and the Pats' front office just built one of the deepest receiver corps in the league. How you liking that, Rex?

The Pats started the day by signing former Indy receiver Anthony Gonzalez. I've been a fan of the Ohio State grad since the Colts made him their first-round pick in '07. He's six feet and 193 pounds. He knows how to run routes (unlike Ocho). He's got great hands. He had a good rookie season and and even better sophomore year (57 catches, 4 TDs) before a knee injury took away most of his '09 and '10 seasons. He didn't fare too well last year without Peyton Manning and the Colts set him free. Gonzalez is 27 with lots of upside. And he's a model citizen.

You can't say that about the other receiver the Pats signed today. Brandon Lloyd. Another six footer. He and Gonzalez are no Megatron, but they bring a little more size to the passing game. And with Lloyd, a good deal of attitude. I want the Pats to have more attitude. Especially if they should find themselves facing little Manning and the Giants again in the Super Bowl. Lloyd has attitude. It's often on display in the video above. Lloyd is 30. That's the prime for a wideout. He spent his first two years catching a lot of passes for the Niners before getting traded to Washington. He immediately got on Joe Gibbs's bad side (he wasn't the only one) and he was soon on his way out and on to Chicago. He lasted a year there before reviving his career in Denver with head coach Josh McDaniels. In 2010 he had nearly 1,500 yards catching with 11 touchdowns. Lloyd said he couldn't wait to be reunited with McDaniels, now back at his old post as Pats' offensive coordinator where he belongs. Now they are back together. Time will tell if it works as well as the first time. But with Brady, Belichick, Welker, and McDaniels around him, I have a hunch Lloyd is going to thrive. Moss-like.

Lloyd signed for $12m over three years. Gonzalez will get much less than that. The Chargers signed Robert Meachem for more than the two combined. Robert Meachem. He's decent, but doesn't even get drafted in my family's fantasy league each summer. We draft about forty wide receivers. Forty. And no Meachem. The Chargers gave him $25 million. The Pats got Lloyd for half that. One team knows how to spend its cap money, one team doesn't. Hopefully the plan is to use some of that money saved and get Welker signed for three or four more years. 

Tom Brady and Gisele have to be feeling pretty good today. You think Brady had weapons last year? Here's the group of guys that #12 will be throwing to in 2012 if all goes as planned...

Wes Welker

Brandon Lloyd

Anthony Gonzalez

Deion Branch

Rob Gronkowski

Aaron Hernandez

Can you say six wide? Can you say so-long Chad? 

The Pats are all set at the receiver position. Now they can use those two first-rounders and two second-rounders on defense, defense, defense, and defense.

Let's get it started

The Globe's Shalize Manza Young, as good a football beat writer as there is, reported today -- in the Boston Globe, a newspaper -- that the Patriots were getting close to signing free agents LaRon Landry and Brandon Lloyd.

Now we're talking.

Mr. Kraft said fans shouldn't be disappointed if the team doesn't make a big splash in free agency because that's not their way. We know that. You can never predict how Belichick is going to treat the offseason. Some years he goes all in with big names and big dollars (Adalius Thomas, Rodney Harrison. Ocho), or dips his toe in with some smaller names (Andre Carter, Mike Vrabel, David Patten), and some years he spends his time on his boat fishing. We're used to that.

The Pats continue to win more games than most, so it's hard to argue with whatever the coach/GM wants to do ... including fishing and golfing. But this offseason is different.

The sour taste of that Super Bowl loss still lingers. I need a few key free agent signings to wash that away.

Time to put down the fishing rod and get some wide receivers.

Now that most of the big free agent names have found homes, former Ravens coach Brian Billick has a good list on NFL.com of the guys that are left. I want a few of those guys wearing Pats uniforms ... and soon.

All quiet

You know it's been a slow start to free agency for the Patriots when you go to their website and see "Inside The Helmet: Ross Ventrone" on the home page.

I really don't want to get to know Ross Ventrone that well.

I want a wide receiver ... and a pass rusher. Oh, and someone who can play man coverage.

The Pats reportedly did sign a D lineman (Jonathan Fanene), but he's a backup from the Bengals. Enough said.

Taking stock

The Patriots came so close to entering the 2012 season as defending champs. So close. Now the question is can Bill Belichick make the moves to keep them atop the AFC during the final few years of Tom Brady's career and get them another shot at that fourth Lombardi. A question that is just as important is can Belichick continue to build a team that can compete for a title even after Gisele locks the hall of fame QB away forever in their California mansion.

As the free-agency free-for-all kicks off today -- and with the NFL draft a little more than a month away -- it's time to take a quick look at the roster and identify where the biggest needs are. There aren't many glaring weaknesses, but there is always room for improvement.

OFFENSE
Quarterback: Brady is still playing at an MVP level as he enters his mid-30s. That's why it is so surprising when he doesn't make the big pass to win the big game. He had the ball late in the AFC title game and went three-and-out. He had the ball with a chance to wrap up the Super Bowl and missed a wide-open Welker. You could see that he couldn't believe he didn't get it done as much as I couldn't. There's still no other quarterback that I would want. Brian Hoyer and young Ryan Mallett are just fine as backups. Free agency/draft need: LOW.

Wide receiver: There's no other wide receiver I would want over Wes Welker either. 122 catches. All of them clutch. He took all the blame for a drop that was mostly Brady's fault. He's a class act. And a leader. Veteran Deion Branch should be back. He is a solid third or fourth wideout. Problem is that he was often the number two guy. Chad Johnsoncinco will have a full training camp to show that he can no longer play in the NFL. It shouldn't take long. Young guys Slater and Edelman are not going to scare anyone. The thing that made the wideout corp look better last year than it really was was the play of Aaron Hernandez. He may be listed as a tight end, but he was often the second best wide receiver on the field. Free agency/draft need: HIGH.

Tight end: One word: Gronk. Rob Gronkowski had the best year statistically ever for a tight end. The only thing that could -- and did -- slow him down was injury. Gronk had his surgery and should be back to catching TDs and dancing come the start of camp. Hernandez gives Brady two young, talented targets to throw to. It's a heck of a combination that should make the last few years of Brady's career enjoyable. The Pats are pretty set at tight end for years to come, but that never stops Belichick from drafting another one. Free agency/draft need: LOW.

Running back: There's no stud in the group, but the thinking seems to be that since the Pats are a passing team they don't really need one. They have gone 27-5 the last two years with that philosophy so it's hard to argue that. BenJarvus, Woody, and second-year guys Ridley and Vereen are a solid group who know how to get that extra yard and take care of the ball. Ridley showed he could break some big runs. If he can build on that he could end up becoming the lead back, especially if Bennie leaves as a free agent. The Pats finally added a fullback -- my favorite position -- in Lousaka Polite, but they didn't really use him. Football historian Belichick should show more respect to the fullback's role. I'd be surprised if the Pats added another running back unless one slid to them in the draft. Oh, and I look forward to Kevin Faulk's retirement ceremony. Free agency/draft need: MEDIUM.

Offensive line: Is the Pats line overrated? Maybe a bit. Brady was sacked 32 times this year, which put the Pats line at ninth best at protecting their quarterback. But as long as Dante Scarnecchia is coaching 'em up, the offensive line will be solid. Matt Light, who was on the verge of extinction, found the fountain of youth and had a great season. But can he do that again? Logan Mankins continues to be a guy who has great games followed by not-so-great games. Not really worthy of all the holdout noise he made and the giant contract that he got. But I think his best few years are right ahead of him. Dan Koppen -- one of the best centers in the game -- might not be back which would not make me happy. Veteran Brian Waters was one of the best free agent signings last year and should be back for more. Youngsters Vollmer, Solder, and Cannon give the Pats a bright future on the line. Dan Connolly and Ryan Wendell provide depth. Among the drafting rules in the NFL ... when in doubt, it's always worth grabbing another O lineman. Free agency/draft need: MEDIUM.

DEFENSE
Defensive line: It all starts with Big Vince. Wilfork signed a huge contract two years ago and has played his best two seasons of his hall of fame career. Not many pro athletes do that. He's the leader that has kept a young, evolving -- sometimes devolving -- defense together. The question, as it was last year when the Pats brought about 25 D lineman to camp, is who will line up on either side of him. Free agent Andre Carter filled one of those spots better than anyone imagined till he went down late in the season. He says he wants to be back. Mark Anderson was also a pleasant surprise, getting stronger as the year went on. After that, there's not a lot to love. Oh, there's Kyle Love. And Shaun Ellis. Gerard Warren. Brandon Deaderick. All had their moments, but as a whole the line once again failed to get any consistent pressure on the quarterback. The Pats still need a pass rusher. Free agency/draft need: HIGH.

Linebacker: I love this group. If they can stay healthy (the proverbial BIG IF), this young group could grow into one of the best in the league by year's end. Jerod Mayo. Brandon Spikes. Rob Ninkovich. Mayo and Spikes both were injured at times last year but with both of them on the field, the defense played its best football in the playoffs. Mayo -- when on his game -- is a beast. Spikes's pick in the AFC title game was a huge moment for him. Ninkovich has the playmaking knack of a Bruschi or a Vrabel. However, there's not a lot of depth behind them. Guyton, Fletcher, and White are all replaceable parts. You always need more linebackers. Free agency/draft need: HIGH.

Safety: Now we get to the real problem areas. The defensive backfield. It got so bad that wide receivers Julian Edelman and Matthew Slater took some snaps on the defensive side of the ball. And they were actually better than many of the real defensive backs. Among the group of safeties and cornerbacks there is one great player. Patrick Chung. Check that, he's a really great player. But he can't cover and tackle everyone, although at times last year it felt like he did. James Ihedigbo, a Jets castoff, struggled early but played solid as the playoffs neared. He would make a solid third safety. I'm not going to even mention the other safeties that are still on the roster or passed through during the year. Not going to waste the bold ink on them. The Pats need to get Chung some help at safety. Lots of help. Free agency/draft need: HIGH.

Cornerback: And lots of help at cornerback would be good too. Rookie sensation Devin McCourty took a huge step back in his second year. So far back that he was moved to safety. I kept the faith in him all year so I'm not giving up on him now. I still rank him as a solid NFL defensive back. Kyle Arrington had seven picks last year, among the league leaders. But many of those were of the "ball bounced right into his arms" variety. But he still caught them. That's something. Rookie Ras-I Dowling missed the year with an injury. Will he be the next Wheatley/Wilhite and never play? Like safety, I'm not even mentioning the backup guys. They should be moving on. Except Edelman and Slater. They can stay. They just shouldn't be playing defensive back anymore. Free agency/draft need: SKY HIGH.

SPECIAL TEAMS
The Pats are set at kicker for years to come with Gosty and Zoltan. They've got the legs. Free agency/draft need: LOW.


Guys that can catch the ball. Guys that can keep old man Brady off his back. Guys that can stop other guys from catching the ball. And guys that can put the other team's quarterback on his back. Those are the priorities. Now we'll see what coach/GM/concessions manager Bill Belichick can do about it.

The Jets get their man

Well it doesn't look like the Jets want Peyton Manning to lead their team for the next few years after all.

Reports are that Mt. Ryan and his crew have decided to re-sign Mark Sanchez, a.k.a the Sanchize, to a brand-spanking new three-year contract extension.

Poor Jets fans. They didn't even get to enjoy the "we might get the other Manning" fantasy for 24 hours. Don't get me wrong. I like Sanchez. He took his team to the AFC title game in his first two seasons. Not bad. But -- like the whole Jets team -- he took a big step back in 2011. How big? Just check out this replay on NFL.com. It's one of my favorite moments of last season. I look forward to many more just like it.

Peyton's new place

There's a classic episode of the "Dick Van Dyke" show (stick with me here) in which Rob comes across a painting of his wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore, who I wanted to be my wife when I was 10). The painting was made by an eccentric artist when she was in college.

She's naked.

Rob wants to get the painting "off the market" but the artist (the great Carl Reiner) says he has two better offers. One from a guy in their town who wants to display it as part of a local art exhibit. The other from some millionaire who owns a villa high on a mountain on some tropical island. Rob says "I think it would great at the top of that mountain."

That's where I would like to see Peyton Manning go ... far away and out of sight. Mazz was saying in his usual shrill tone that he wanted Manning with the Dolphins -- in the Pats' division -- so he could see more Brady vs. Manning clashes. I have seen enough of anyone named Manning. Or Manningham.

Miami would be a great spot for the future hall of famer. And he already lives down there. But I'd like to see him either in the mountains of Colorado, or even better, the desert of Arizona. And the NFC

Peyton Manning would look great as a Cardinal. Far, far away.

The NFL ... It's a hit!

Bounty-gate. Sounds so much cooler than Spygate. Doesn't it?

I won't get into which is the bigger evil (because I would have to say "cheating" is always worse), but the debate during the last few days about the New Orleans Saints taking out bounties on opposing players has been very interesting indeed. Especially when the debate is among former NFL players.

Mike Golic of ESPN, one of the more likable ex-players turned talking head, has been the most outspoken that bounty-gate is much ado about nothing. Golic was as tough as they come on the field. He played defensive line for Notre Dame and then in the NFL in the late '80s and early '90s. As he says ... "I was going to hit you as hard as I could whether there was an extra five grand on the line or not." I believe him. But that's Golic. He was tough, but not insane. Not a borderline criminal. You can't say that about all of today's players. Or yesterday's.

How do you think ex-Pat Brandon Meriweather would react if told he could make an extra $5,000 if he made sure the opposing quarterback was carried off the field and didn't come back. They haven't created knee pads strong enough to stop him. And that's what this is all about. Greg Williams, one of the slimier coaches to walk the NFL sideline during the past few decades, allegedly told his players to "get as close to the line" of decent behavior as they could and he would tell them when they went over the line. That's different from telling a player to hit hard, intimidate, play all-out all the time. It just is.

It's a mindset. Of course NFL players -- mostly on defense -- are going to try to hit opponents as hard as they can. That's the nature of the game. That's why the equipment continues to get bigger and bigger. But if before the coin is tossed, before the first ball is snapped, an entire team's mentality is not just to hit hard but hit with intent to injure then that does change the way players approach the game. Football and violence are synonymous. Football and assault should not be. There are clean, hard hits. And there are dirty, hard hits. Greg Williams was urging his players to be dirty. And he was seeing that they were financially rewarded for it. That should bring nothing less than a lifetime suspension.

I'm not an NFL peacenik. I still miss the bench-clearing hockey brawls. Rodney Harrison is one of my all-time favorites. I wanted Favre hit hard and hit often in 2010 along with everyone else in the football loving world (except ESPN employees of course). As Golic says, this stuff has been going on since the game began. But times are changing. The lines are being redrawn. And coaches advocating injuring players is way across that line.

The NFL has been putting out "The NFL's Hardest Hits!" videos since the moment the VCR was invented. It's part of the game. One of the best parts. And the league has been selling it for years. But there really is a difference between hitting someone as hard as you can and hitting them so that the doctors have to pick their parts up off the turf. The league has been trying to control the violence in the game. Especially the violence that leads to serious injuries like concussions. It's an uphill battle but one worth climbing. That's why the response should be harsh. You can line a player up for a hard hit, but if there's an extra $5k on the table you might just line him up a little lower. Say, at the knees. The message the bounties were sending was that it's not just good enough to hit hard, you have to hit hard enough to injure.

Mike Golic might not think there is a difference. But a guy like Brandon Meriweather would.

The 'drop'

Where's Tom Brady?

Penn State's Bill O'Brien came out this weekend and said that the Brady-to-Welker touchdown-pass-that-wasn't in the Super Bowl "wasn't a drop."

That's right. It wasn't. I've been saying that since the play happened. As the ball rolled along the Lucas Field turf, I believe my words to the room full of stunned family members were "How can Brady miss a wide-open pass like that in the Super Bowl?" Then the replay was shown. Bad pass. And shown again. Bad pass. And shown again. Bad Pass. In the 30-plus times I have looked at the play ... bad pass.

Former offensive coordinator O'Brien defended his player. "That would have been a tremendous catch and he should never think twice about that. I would tell (fans) they should be very grateful ... to have a player like Wes Welker as a Patriot. He is what Boston is all about, in my opinion. He's a hard-working guy, he's a tough guy, he's an honest guy, nothing was ever given to him." Couldn't have said it better myself.

So where's Brady?

Welker has taken a lot of criticism for "the drop." There seemed to be more people willing to let the All-Pro wide receiver walk in free agency after that play. (Fortunately he and his 122 catches aren't going anywhere). I was surprised how many NFL experts -- not the media, but ex-players and ex-coaches -- who said they thought it was a decent throw and a catch that should have been made. No matter how many times I watch the replay I can't see that. (Skip the next few graphs if you don't want to go back there).

Super Bowl. The Giants and little Manning -- again. Pats up 17-15 with just over four minutes to play and a 2nd-and-11 at midfield. Score on this drive and the game is over and the fourth Lombardi is hoisted high. As the ball is snapped, TV analyst Chris Collinsworth says it looks like the Giants D is confused. He is right.

Welker, lined up in the left slot, flies past the defensive back down the left hash marks and comes wide open at the 30. If Brady -- as he should have -- hits Welker in stride on the inside shoulder Welker goes for a touchdown. Watch the replay. He's that open and going that fast. The safeties are a good five yards away and out of position to break the play up. Instead Brady throws it outside shoulder -- way outside shoulder -- and a little too high. Welker spins around to grab it. He leaps and the ball hits him in the hands... ... but it bounces away. Welker usually catches the ball when he gets both hands on it, but not when he has to twist his body back-around 90 degrees and hurl himself in the air. Welker feels he should have caught the ball. And maybe he should have. But what really should have happened is Brady dropping the ball right into the cradle of Welker's arms for a touchdown and a highlight that would have taken its place next to some of the best moments of the past ten years.

The defense had done its job. Brady and the offense were making a memorable championship drive. They had a chance to secure the victory -- which is what great players and offenses do -- and they let it slip away. Those things happen. That's sports. You really can't win 'em all. But it doesn't make it any less tough to take. You could see the look on Brady's face. He couldn't believe he had blown such an easy, Lombardi-clinching play. (Giselle apparently couldn't believe it either).

Welker came out after the game and -- team player that he is -- took complete blame for the play. "The ball was right there. I've got to make that play. It's a play I've made a thousand times, and at the biggest moment of my life I don't come up with it." Class act. The Globe's Greg Bedard quickly came out with a story saying that, actually, it's not a pass that Welker has caught a thousand times. Not even a dozen. Bedard went over every pass to Welker throughout the whole season (when does he find the time?) and, not surprisingly, found that Welker never had to make a leaping, twisting, spinning catch a couple feet above his head.

But Welker still took the blame. "I let the team down," he added. That's being a stand-up guy.

Where's Brady? On the beach with Gisele somewhere (with Welker, by the way).

The last thing Brady was heard saying about the "drop" was this right after the game ...“Wes went up to try to make it, as he always does, and we just couldn’t connect. I’ll keep throwing the ball to him for as long as I possibly can.”

There's a word implied in that statement. "But." As in "... we just couldn't connect BUT I'll keep throwing the ball to him for as long as I possible can." That was the sound of Brady very subtly throwing Welker under the bus. Translate it into "Wes dropped the ball but I still love him." Where was the "It was a bad throw. I put it too high. It's as much my fault as his."? Anything like that. He didn't say it that day and, from what I've read, he hasn't said it since. Hopefully he has said it to Welker while strolling along the beach. And hopefully Gisele didn't hear him because it might have gotten ugly.

"It was my fault." How hard is that? Brady said it two weeks earlier after the AFC Championship victory over the Ravens. "I sucked," he said in front of the home crowd. He made some big mistakes. But he also made some great plays, including the tough-as-nails goal-line dive into the teeth of the Baltimore D for the winning score. That's why it was OK to say "I sucked." Because he was also great. But I guess the real reason it was OK to say it was because the team won the game despite Brady's mistakes. Not so in the Super Bowl. Not so in what could have been the biggest moment of Brady's career. There really is no shame in competing but coming up short. But the pressure of trying to cement his place in NFL history seemed to get the best of Brady. You could see it in his face. He knew he had made a huge mistake but he was so upset and disappointed that he couldn't bring himself to say it.

It was disappointing. Bourque would have said it. DJ would have said it. Bruschi would have said it. Brady should have said it. "It was my fault," It's what has separated Brady from most other star players in today's "me first" sports world. While Manning was blaming his offensive line or his coaches, Brady was always saying "It was my fault. I have to do better." He learned that from Drew Bledsoe. You are the leader. Take the blame if you deserve it. Brady always has.Till this time. It was surprising, especially since it's clear how tight Brady and Welker are together. I guess the pressure got to Brady that day -- on the field and off.

Brady losing in his last two Super Bowls hasn't lowered my opinion of him as one of the greatest players ever. But his letting Welker take the heat for that play has lowered my opinion of him as a person. A despondent Welker concluded his post-game comments back on Super Bowl Sunday by saying "I'll have to figure out a way to shake this one off."

Maybe if Tom Brady came out and said "It was a bad pass" it would be a little easier for Welker to do that.

We'll be seeing the highlight of the "drop" for years to come. Here are a few that are more fun to watch...