I've been tailgating at New England Patriots games from 1987 to present day. What a difference a couple of decades make! These tales from the tailgate include everything from the soul-sucking feeling of a 1-15 season to the unexpected thrills of Super Bowl titles. I often hear people say that Pats fans are spoiled and arrogant. Not all of us. Some, like me, still can't believe Vinatieri's kick was good.
The Patriots coaches and players gathered for one of the many many many offseason practices. They are called Optional Team Activities, or OTAs. They are optional in name only. If you are a rookie hoping to make the team... you better be there. If you are a veteran fighting to keep your job... you better be there. If you are a superstar trying to avoid media speculation about your contract, injury status, or latest hairstyle... you better be there.
It's the NFL, the place where your jobs and money aren't guaranteed. There is no "optional." Just like in real life.
It's just about two months before training camp opens. The OTAs give the new players a chance to meet the veterans and get with the program. It's a chance to see who is in shape ... and who isn't. And it's a chance for coach and quarterback to get a little quality time together. It's always good to see Brady and Belichick on the field together. We won't get to see it that much longer. Belichick already has his hoodie sleeves hacked off at the elbow. He's ready to go.
Here's a cool video (thanks Rich) of the Pats' likely new punt returner ... defensive back Nate Ebner from Ohio State. What's this game he is playing? It's called rugby. And there are no pads. Tough? Check. Fast? Check. We could see a new fad of rugby players as return men.
Does it really matter who carries the ball for the New England Patriots? That's one of those yes and no deals.
As long as the offense has Brady at the helm and a cast of Welker, Gronk, Hernandez, Lloyd, et al. then the running game is going to be secondary. And the choice of who leads that running game will be too.
That said, someone has to carry the ball. Someone you can depend on to take care of the ball and get it in the endzone when you're inside the 5-yard line. That's why Bennie was such a good running back for this offense. Not flashy. But solid. And tough. So solid and tough that he was able to land himself a nice signing bonus with the Bengals.
With Bennie gone the Pats are looking to second-year players Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen to step up. They were both high draft picks. Ridley showed some flashes last season. Vereen was hurt most of the year. They are just a lot of potential and not much more at the moment.
That's where Joseph Addai comes in. The Pats signed the 29-year-old veteran free agent from the Colts. It's worth a shot. Addai was drafted in 2006 late in the first round, just a few picks after Belichick and the Pats took Lawrence Maroney. When the Pats made their pick Peyton Manning reportedly called Brady and said "You got our running back." Seemed the Colts wanted Maroney too, but had to settle for Addai. You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need. The Colts needed a feature back to give the Manning-led offense some balance. That's what they got with Addai. And they got their elusive Super Bowl. Maroney was never quite that guy for the Pats.
Addai started with two 1,000-yard seasons but has been slowed by injuries the past four seasons. Yet he is only 29. He still has a lot of tread left. Just like former Packer Ryan Grant. He's also 29. He went to the Lions.
I favored the Pats signing Grant over Addai. I have a feeling one of them is going to have a big comeback season. We'll see which one that turns out to be.
Bill Belichick continued to add receivers for Tom Brady to throw to by bringing back old friend Jabbar Gaffney this week. That makes ten wide receivers on the roster if you include seventh-round draft pick Jeremy Ebert.
You can't have ten wide receivers on the roster. Maybe for a touch football game at the family barbeque, but not on an NFL team. So what's Belichick doing? Is he having some sort of bad reaction to the Brady-to-Welker miss that cost the Pats that elusive fourth Lombardi? Does he just want to be surrounded by a lot of guys with numbers in the 80s on their jerseys?
Seems the coach/GM is taking the same approach with the wide receiver position that he took last year with defensive linemen. You can never have enough. The Pats went into training camp last year with what seemed like 20 defensive linemen in search of the long-missing pass rush. It kind of worked. Andre Carter and Mark Anderson (and somewhat Sean Ellis) had solid years. Haynesworth not so much.
So who is the Carter and who is the Haynesworth of this interesting collection of wideouts?
It all begins with Welker. 122 catches. Is there really any question about how valuable he is? Even if you call it a drop, #83 has been a catch register since the Pats stole him from the Dolphins. And I don't subscribe to the Welker wouldn't be as good without Brady theory. Put him with Brees and see what you think. Hell, put him with Sanchez or Tebow. Welker needs to get a three or four-year deal and soon. Welker is the Wilfork of the receivers.
The other nine are made up of returning players Deion Branch, Chad Johnsoncinco, Julian Edelman, and Matthew Slater. Then there are free agent signings Brandon Lloyd, Anthony Gonzalez, Donte Stallworth, and Gaffney. Throw in rookie Ebert and you have ten guys competing for seven spots. Tops. More like six. When you have two tight ends like Gronk and Hernandez you don't want too many wide receivers getting in their way.
So who will those six be? Welker, Lloyd, Gonzalez, Stallworth, Slater, Edelman. If there's a seventh it's Branch. But I don't think there's a seventh. I think Deion calls it a career. He'll be 33 when the season starts. Not too old for a wide receiver but almost there. He showed the last two years that he and Brady can still connect like they did when they were winning Super Bowls. But Gonzalez can do that. And Stallworth. And they are faster. That's why they are here. The only thing the team was missing on offense was some serious speed. Solved. Branch can go out on a high note and start planning for his day at the Pats Hall of Fame in a few years. He is a Super Bowl MVP after all.
Welker and Lloyd will be 1 and 2 in some order. Doesn't matter. If Lloyd and Brady can find a solid groove together it could look a lot like '07. A team that Stallworth was a member of. He can still make plays. As can former Colt Gonzalez. He has a history of being a go-to guy in the red zone. I think he will be the big surprise of this group. The Andre Carter. Gaffney is unlikely to outplay either Stallworth or Gonzalez in camp. Rounding out the six are Edelman and Slater who stick for their key special teams play, with Edelman only in danger if rookie Ebert has a great preseason.
That leaves one left among the ten. Ocho. He'll be playing the Haynesworth role.
I was glad when they signed Ocho. I'll be glad when they release him too.
Whether he played for the team you rooted for or not, you had to admire the way Junior Seau played the game of football. You also had to admire the way he used his celebrity to help others and you had to appreciate the way he seemed to get the most out of life. You just never know.
