The Patriots have a dozen picks in this month's NFL draft. How many of them will Bill Belichick actually use? That's the $64,000 question. The thinking is that the team should use all of them to fill the many holes on the roster. A quick look at the position-by-position depth chart shows, to me, that this is still a top five AFC team without too many glaring weaknesses. OK, pass rush is a big one. But other than that ...
QUARTERBACK
Tom Brady: The future hall of famer is now a full season removed from his knee being blown out at the start of '08. He looked very ordinary in the team's playoff disaster against the Ravens, but he's still Brady. I'll take #12 at the QB position for as long as he can stand. I don't care how many mansions he builds. Backups: Fill in name of rookie/journeyman here.
RUNNING BACK
Laurence Maroney/Fred Taylor/Sammy Morris/Kevin Faulk: Missing among those four names is the stud back that can control and flat-out win games for you. That said this is still a very solid group. The Pats, despite lacking that lead back, have been a very good running team the past few years. If the team added a solid fullback and put Maroney or Taylor behind him and pounded the ball... well I'd sure be happy. But that's unlikely. If Taylor and/or Morris can stay healthy the Pats ground game will be fine. Backups: BenJarvis Green-Ellis and Chris Taylor.
WIDE RECEIVER
Randy Moss/Wes Welker/Julian Edelman: Welker's injury is the big question mark here. As is who will play the other wideout spot opposite Moss. Edelman seems more than capable of holding down the slot position till Welker returns. The verdict is out on whether we will see the '07 Moss who was unstoppable or the one of the last two seasons when he was merely unreliable. My fantasy team's name is Moss Racing. I'm not changing it. The team needs to add some depth here and hope for a return to form by Moss. I expect both to happen. Backups: David Patten, Sam Aiken, Matthew Slater, Brandon Tate, Darnell Jenkins.
TIGHT END
Alge Crumpler: The team has a veteran tight end who hopefully won't have bad drops or fumbles. That's good enough at this position. Backups: Like I said, one tight end is plenty. (See: http://tjtailgatetales.blogspot.com/2010/06/tighten-up.html)
OFFENSIVE LINE
Matt Light (LT), Logan Mankins (LG), Dan Koppen (C), Stephen Neal (RG), Nick Kaczur (RT): This starting five is so strong that LT Sebastian Vollmer -- maybe Belichick's best draft pick of the past several years -- is a backup. They protect the quarterback very well. When your quarterback is Tom Brady that is job one. If given the chance to pin their ears back I think they would be a solid run blocking line too. Backups: Vollmer, Dan Connolly, Mark LeVoir, Rich Ohrnberger, Ryan Wendell.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Ty Warren (LE), Vince Wilfork (NT), ???????? (RE): It still seems weird to not write Richard Seymour on that list. Maybe it won't feel as weird after the Pats come away with a top 10 pick from the Raiders next year. Wilfork and Ty Warren make this still one of the best D lines against the run. Wilfork alone does that. With the loss of Jarvis Green the Pats will be looking for someone to play right end. Hopefully someone with a motor who can get after the quarterback. Who fills that spot should be a focus of the draft and will be a key to the team's success on '10. There's also some solid talent in the reserves with Mike Wright and Ron Brace. Backups: Wright, Brace, Myron Pryor.
LINEBACKERS
Jerod Mayo, Tully Banta-Cain, Gary Guyton, Derrick Burgess: Oh how the names have changed. No more Bruschi, McGinnest, Vrabel, Johnson. That was a foursome that won three Super Bowl titles. One of the best ever. You can't replace guys like that quickly. It's a process that the Pats are probably at the midpoint of entering this season. Mayo's injury was a large reason for the Pats 10-6 record last year. A return to the way he was playing down the stretch of his rookie season should be expected. Banta-Cain, Guyton, and Burgess (if and when he re-signs) are all solid players but the linebacking corp needs another young potential star like Mayo. A drafting priority. Backups: Pierre Woods, Eric Alexander, Shawn Crable, Rob Ninkovich, Tyrone McKenzie.
CORNERBACK
Leigh Bodden, Darius Butler: The veteran Bodden brought back some consistency to the cornerback spot. Butler showed flashes as a rookie, but just flashes. This is another position where a young impact player who exceeds expectations and plays for a low salary for five years is sorely needed. No more Shawn Springs-type players need apply. Backups: The young duo of Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Whilhite may step to the fore this season. The potential is there.
SAFETY
Brandon Meriweather, Brandon McGowan: Meriweather made it to the Pro Bowl in just his third season with the team. When he is good he's very good. He's just not that good often enough yet. McGowan played better than the journeyman he had looked like his first three years in Chicago. I'd prefer to see backup James Sanders as the starter. Backups: Sanders, Pat Chung.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Stephen Gostkowski: The team has no punter at the moment but there are always veteran legs out there you can rent for a season. Gostkowski is the best young kicker in the game. Almost makes me a little less bitter about letting Vinatieri go to Indy.
Scanning the depth chart two things stand out. First, the players at the offensive skill positions are not a young group. Brady, Faulk, Moss, Taylor, Patten. The team is in need of one or two young skills guys who can be the playmakers for years to come. Dez Bryant or Golden Tate maybe? The second thing? No pass rush. Those two issues will have to be priorities on April 22.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The Grill-to-Go ... went
TALES FROM THE TAILGATE
Patriots 27, Browns 16 (12/9/'01): "Happy Father's Day!" My daughters Katie (14), Amy (11), and Jenny (9) stood with big smiles around a large present for me. It was by far the largest box I had ever gotten on Father's Day. I had no clue what it could be. We already had a large dog so I ruled that out. I was curious. Upon tearing open the paper with the gleeful help of the girls I saw standing in front of me a Grill-to-Go. A Grill-to-Go! It was the tailgating must-have item and I now had one. Thanks girls!
The Grill-to-Go was a somewhat space-age looking device when folded up -- its rounded, red body a sleek rocket shape. It sure looked ready to go. It was a great replacement for the charcoal and small propane grills that cluttered up all our car trunks. No more bags of charcoal and cans of lighter fluid. Easy to clean. A griddle for making eggs and bacon for the early morning tailgates. It was the hit of the 2001 tailgating season. At least the first three months of it.
Me, Paul, Bergs. and the Grill-to-Go arrived for the Week 13 game against the Browns. The Pats were at 7-5 and starting to ride the Brady wave that would wash them all the way to New Orleans. The wind
chill was in the low 20s and there was a threat of snow. We tailgated among the snow banks and dirt piles rising high between the old stadium and the new one under construction. The lot was a mess. When the wind would blow the dirt would cover everything. You could feel it in your teeth. One tailgate Shep left a window open in his car. He was cleaning dirt out for years. To quote Mark: "Welcome to downtown Baghdad, boys."
We set up for the tailgate and I pulled out the Grill-to-Go. It was the first time for Paul. He was impressed. How could you not be? It went together like a dream and heated up quickly and evenly. The only glitch -- just a little one -- was the plastic tank at one end that the grease drained into. It had a little opening like at the top of a water bottle. Somehow you were supposed to get the grease out of there. But if there's one thing grease does, it's solidify quickly upon cooling. So by its seventh week in action the plastic grease tank was filled with old grease. As we sat in our chairs drinking and watching the burgers cook, we noticed the grease tank had caught fire. A small flame rising out of the little opening. I tried to put it out but it just kept burning and burning and burning... "Anything in the instruction manual about it also being used as a torch?" Bergs asked.
We ate and packed up the tailgate to get into the game. I had forgotten to turn the grill off and it was still hot. Too hot to put in the trunk. "How about we put it in the snowbank in front of the car and bury it so no one sees it and steals it," I said to Paul. He agreed with the plan. The Pats beat the Browns in a great battle to improve to 8-5. The highlight of the game was Troy Brown returning a punt 85 yards for a touchdown thanks to big blocks by Lawyer Milloy and Richard Seymour. I can still see the look on the punter's face -- the last man between Brown and the end zone -- as Seymour rumbled towards him to throw the block. One of the best moments of that year. Late in the game the weather turned nasty with a cold, wet snow. As we left the stadium the three of us decided to skip the postgame tailgate and hit the road. Paul and I jumped into my car and made an easy exit.
The next morning I was cleaning the supplies out of my car. Chairs. Table. Cooler. Grill? Where's the Grill-to-Go? Nowhere to be found. I thought back to the pre-game tailgate and an image of me burying the grill in a snowbank flashed before me. I lost the Grill-to-Go. That my three daughters gave me. Ruh roh. I figured I could just go out and buy a new one and they would never know the difference.
Then I heard a voice. "Hey Dad, where's the grill?" It was my always observant daughter Amy. "What happened to the Grill-to-Go?" The scene in the "Grinch" where the Santa imposter conned Cindy Lou Who into thinking he was taking the Christmas tree back to the North Pole to fix it ran through my head. But this turned out to be one of the few times a white lie eluded me. "I left it in a snowbank."
I often wonder if the Grill-to-Go sat in that snowbank till the next day when the snow began to melt and some member of the stadium staff noticed it sticking out. I picture him sitting on his deck at home, beer in hand, smelling his burgers cooking on my Grill-to-Go and watching the eternal flame burn from the plastic grease tank.
The Grill-to-Go was a somewhat space-age looking device when folded up -- its rounded, red body a sleek rocket shape. It sure looked ready to go. It was a great replacement for the charcoal and small propane grills that cluttered up all our car trunks. No more bags of charcoal and cans of lighter fluid. Easy to clean. A griddle for making eggs and bacon for the early morning tailgates. It was the hit of the 2001 tailgating season. At least the first three months of it.
Me, Paul, Bergs. and the Grill-to-Go arrived for the Week 13 game against the Browns. The Pats were at 7-5 and starting to ride the Brady wave that would wash them all the way to New Orleans. The wind
chill was in the low 20s and there was a threat of snow. We tailgated among the snow banks and dirt piles rising high between the old stadium and the new one under construction. The lot was a mess. When the wind would blow the dirt would cover everything. You could feel it in your teeth. One tailgate Shep left a window open in his car. He was cleaning dirt out for years. To quote Mark: "Welcome to downtown Baghdad, boys."We set up for the tailgate and I pulled out the Grill-to-Go. It was the first time for Paul. He was impressed. How could you not be? It went together like a dream and heated up quickly and evenly. The only glitch -- just a little one -- was the plastic tank at one end that the grease drained into. It had a little opening like at the top of a water bottle. Somehow you were supposed to get the grease out of there. But if there's one thing grease does, it's solidify quickly upon cooling. So by its seventh week in action the plastic grease tank was filled with old grease. As we sat in our chairs drinking and watching the burgers cook, we noticed the grease tank had caught fire. A small flame rising out of the little opening. I tried to put it out but it just kept burning and burning and burning... "Anything in the instruction manual about it also being used as a torch?" Bergs asked.
We ate and packed up the tailgate to get into the game. I had forgotten to turn the grill off and it was still hot. Too hot to put in the trunk. "How about we put it in the snowbank in front of the car and bury it so no one sees it and steals it," I said to Paul. He agreed with the plan. The Pats beat the Browns in a great battle to improve to 8-5. The highlight of the game was Troy Brown returning a punt 85 yards for a touchdown thanks to big blocks by Lawyer Milloy and Richard Seymour. I can still see the look on the punter's face -- the last man between Brown and the end zone -- as Seymour rumbled towards him to throw the block. One of the best moments of that year. Late in the game the weather turned nasty with a cold, wet snow. As we left the stadium the three of us decided to skip the postgame tailgate and hit the road. Paul and I jumped into my car and made an easy exit.
The next morning I was cleaning the supplies out of my car. Chairs. Table. Cooler. Grill? Where's the Grill-to-Go? Nowhere to be found. I thought back to the pre-game tailgate and an image of me burying the grill in a snowbank flashed before me. I lost the Grill-to-Go. That my three daughters gave me. Ruh roh. I figured I could just go out and buy a new one and they would never know the difference.
Then I heard a voice. "Hey Dad, where's the grill?" It was my always observant daughter Amy. "What happened to the Grill-to-Go?" The scene in the "Grinch" where the Santa imposter conned Cindy Lou Who into thinking he was taking the Christmas tree back to the North Pole to fix it ran through my head. But this turned out to be one of the few times a white lie eluded me. "I left it in a snowbank."
I often wonder if the Grill-to-Go sat in that snowbank till the next day when the snow began to melt and some member of the stadium staff noticed it sticking out. I picture him sitting on his deck at home, beer in hand, smelling his burgers cooking on my Grill-to-Go and watching the eternal flame burn from the plastic grease tank.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Tighten up
The tight end position. NFL teams are always looking for that next great tight end. I am always looking for the Patriots to stop drafting them in the first (or second, or third ...) round. If I hear the words "With the 22nd pick in the NFL draft, the New England Patriots select tight end..." I'm leaving the party.
It's not that I have anything against the guys who play TE. I don't. In fact, some of my favorite Patriots have played the position. Russ Francis. Ben Coates. Jermaine Wiggins.
I grew up watching Francis play the game like a rock star. Long hair, mustache, always a huge grin. His helmet was always off long before reaching the sideline. He was the Tom Selleck of tight ends. But he was a much better football player than Magnum P.I. was an actor. Francis was a big part of the '70s teams that got me hooked on the Pats. He was taken with the 16th pick in the first round in 1975 a
nd the laid back Hawaiian did not disappoint. He and Steve Grogan connected on many big plays and helped make the franchise a winner. Russ Francis was the man. At least that's what I thought after the time I saw him out with a few lady friends while I was having dinner with my parents at the Honolulu restaurant on Rte. 1 in Norwood. I was about 13-years-old and Francis was more than gracious to turn his attention away from his four female dining companions to sign an autograph for a young fan. Thanks Russ. A great role model.
If Francis was the coolest tight end to ever wear a Patriots uniform, then Ben Coates was the toughest. The original Big Ben, he was the opposite of Francis. A fifth-round selection in '91, Coates was mostly an afterthought in his first two pro seasons. Like every good receiver, Coates needed someone to get him the ball. That someone was Drew Bledsoe. And boy did Bledsoe get him the ball. Time and time again. Coates was Bledsoe's security blanket. When in trouble or in need of a big play, Bledsoe would look for number 87. He wasn't hard to find. But he was almost impossible to bring down. At 6-5 and almost 250 pounds, Coates was an unstoppable force. He would
often catch a pass 10 yards downfield and then drag several would-be tacklers another twenty yards. Some of my favorite memories at the old Foxboro Stadium are watching Big Ben haul in a pass from Bledsoe and carry defenders (often Dolphins) on his back. In 1994 he set a record for catches in a season for a tight end with 96. Francis was the man. Coates was the beast.
Since Coates retired the Patriots have invested lots of draft picks in an attempt to find the next one. Without much success. First round picks Daniel Graham and Ben Watson were solid players, but not really worth first round picks. And in the last few seasons the tight end has been such a small part of the offensive game plan that I'm ready for the Pats to just chuck the position completely. After all, unlike a quarterback or center you don't have to play with a tight end. I was starting to think Bill Belichick agreed with me on that. The team let both Chris Baker and Watson go this month, leaving them without an NFL caliber TE on the roster. Were the Patriots getting sick of being disappointed as they watched their tight ends drop passes or fumble or miss key blocks as much as me? I guess not.
Today the team signed veteran tight end Alge Crumpler. I had him on my fantasy football team a few years back and he ... disappointed. But he's a good pickup for the Pats. In fact, he's all the tight end the team needs. He's 32 with a lot of wear on the tires but might still have a good season left in him. He'll add some veteran leadership and his work ethic is solid. I can envision Brady and Crumpler hitting it off on and off the field. And he comes cheap. He seems like a good fit for the team that doesn't seem to know what to do with the tight end. So no need to use any draft picks on the position, right Bill?
It's not that I have anything against the guys who play TE. I don't. In fact, some of my favorite Patriots have played the position. Russ Francis. Ben Coates. Jermaine Wiggins.
I grew up watching Francis play the game like a rock star. Long hair, mustache, always a huge grin. His helmet was always off long before reaching the sideline. He was the Tom Selleck of tight ends. But he was a much better football player than Magnum P.I. was an actor. Francis was a big part of the '70s teams that got me hooked on the Pats. He was taken with the 16th pick in the first round in 1975 a
nd the laid back Hawaiian did not disappoint. He and Steve Grogan connected on many big plays and helped make the franchise a winner. Russ Francis was the man. At least that's what I thought after the time I saw him out with a few lady friends while I was having dinner with my parents at the Honolulu restaurant on Rte. 1 in Norwood. I was about 13-years-old and Francis was more than gracious to turn his attention away from his four female dining companions to sign an autograph for a young fan. Thanks Russ. A great role model.If Francis was the coolest tight end to ever wear a Patriots uniform, then Ben Coates was the toughest. The original Big Ben, he was the opposite of Francis. A fifth-round selection in '91, Coates was mostly an afterthought in his first two pro seasons. Like every good receiver, Coates needed someone to get him the ball. That someone was Drew Bledsoe. And boy did Bledsoe get him the ball. Time and time again. Coates was Bledsoe's security blanket. When in trouble or in need of a big play, Bledsoe would look for number 87. He wasn't hard to find. But he was almost impossible to bring down. At 6-5 and almost 250 pounds, Coates was an unstoppable force. He would
often catch a pass 10 yards downfield and then drag several would-be tacklers another twenty yards. Some of my favorite memories at the old Foxboro Stadium are watching Big Ben haul in a pass from Bledsoe and carry defenders (often Dolphins) on his back. In 1994 he set a record for catches in a season for a tight end with 96. Francis was the man. Coates was the beast.Since Coates retired the Patriots have invested lots of draft picks in an attempt to find the next one. Without much success. First round picks Daniel Graham and Ben Watson were solid players, but not really worth first round picks. And in the last few seasons the tight end has been such a small part of the offensive game plan that I'm ready for the Pats to just chuck the position completely. After all, unlike a quarterback or center you don't have to play with a tight end. I was starting to think Bill Belichick agreed with me on that. The team let both Chris Baker and Watson go this month, leaving them without an NFL caliber TE on the roster. Were the Patriots getting sick of being disappointed as they watched their tight ends drop passes or fumble or miss key blocks as much as me? I guess not.
Today the team signed veteran tight end Alge Crumpler. I had him on my fantasy football team a few years back and he ... disappointed. But he's a good pickup for the Pats. In fact, he's all the tight end the team needs. He's 32 with a lot of wear on the tires but might still have a good season left in him. He'll add some veteran leadership and his work ethic is solid. I can envision Brady and Crumpler hitting it off on and off the field. And he comes cheap. He seems like a good fit for the team that doesn't seem to know what to do with the tight end. So no need to use any draft picks on the position, right Bill?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Happy returns
The Patriots have remained on the inactive list in the first week of the free agent season. Some big names (with even bigger price tags) have been signed, sealed, and delivered to places like Chicago, New York, and Seattle. So far there are no new names for the back of your Pats jersey. But that doesn't mean this hasn't been a very significant week for the team. It has.
First the Pats re-signed their best pass rusher from last year, Tully Banta-Cain. It would be ideal if he was the team's second or third best pass rusher, but that's a different topic. Offensive lineman Stephen Neal is also coming back. He has been a key part of one of the Pats' constant strengths over the past several years. They followed that by wrapping up team leader and All-Pro defensive lineman Vince Wilfork to a much-awaited long-term contract. That had to happen or the franchise could stop pretending they were still trying to really win Super Bowls.
Today the Pats closed out a successful week of retaining their most valuable pieces. First they reportedly signed cornerback Leigh Bodden to a four-year deal. Bodden had interest from several teams and was the type of player (see Deion Branch) who ran the risk of getting an unreasonably big contract offer thrown his way to lure him from the Pats. Bodden, an NFL veteran who had one of his best seasons in his first with the Patriots, would have been a tough guy to replace. The Pats are not deep in the secondary. Bodden, with his five picks and physical play, proved to be a playmaker and the team was in dire need of playmakers in the defensive backfield.
The Pats also announced that jack-of-all-trades RB Kevin Faulk is returning for his 12th year as the team's unsung hero. Again, not a cannonball into the free agent pool that many fans might have been hoping for, but anyone who follows the team knows that Faulk is a large part of the core of this team. He still has many clutch plays left in him. I know I was relieved to see Faulk back. My guess is Tom Brady had the same reaction.
The Patriots have accomplished what seemed to me to be their biggest pre-draft priority: re-signing their most valuable free agents (sorry Jarvis and Ben). That's a good start to ... wait, did someone mention the draft? Just more than a month to go.
First the Pats re-signed their best pass rusher from last year, Tully Banta-Cain. It would be ideal if he was the team's second or third best pass rusher, but that's a different topic. Offensive lineman Stephen Neal is also coming back. He has been a key part of one of the Pats' constant strengths over the past several years. They followed that by wrapping up team leader and All-Pro defensive lineman Vince Wilfork to a much-awaited long-term contract. That had to happen or the franchise could stop pretending they were still trying to really win Super Bowls.
Today the Pats closed out a successful week of retaining their most valuable pieces. First they reportedly signed cornerback Leigh Bodden to a four-year deal. Bodden had interest from several teams and was the type of player (see Deion Branch) who ran the risk of getting an unreasonably big contract offer thrown his way to lure him from the Pats. Bodden, an NFL veteran who had one of his best seasons in his first with the Patriots, would have been a tough guy to replace. The Pats are not deep in the secondary. Bodden, with his five picks and physical play, proved to be a playmaker and the team was in dire need of playmakers in the defensive backfield.
The Pats also announced that jack-of-all-trades RB Kevin Faulk is returning for his 12th year as the team's unsung hero. Again, not a cannonball into the free agent pool that many fans might have been hoping for, but anyone who follows the team knows that Faulk is a large part of the core of this team. He still has many clutch plays left in him. I know I was relieved to see Faulk back. My guess is Tom Brady had the same reaction.
The Patriots have accomplished what seemed to me to be their biggest pre-draft priority: re-signing their most valuable free agents (sorry Jarvis and Ben). That's a good start to ... wait, did someone mention the draft? Just more than a month to go.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
The big man
The Patriots signed the Big Man. Vince Wilfork. Clarence Clemons to Tom Brady's Springsteen. One just isn't as good without the other doing his thing. The biggest off-season issue facing the Pats this year has been settled. And 
unlike previous off-seasons, this time it ended with everyone happy. Hopefully this sets the tone for the 2010 season.
Wilfork and the Pats agreed to a five-year, $40 million deal. The heart and soul of the D is locked up. If he can stay healthy for the length of the contract the team will more than get its money's worth. The Pats had little or no chance of competing with the Jets, Colts, or Chargers in 2010 with a Vince Wilfork-size hole in the middle of their D line. That's one big headache the team -- and the fans -- won't have to worry about.
The signing of Wilfork certainly flies in the face of the prevailing sentiment that the Patriots don't take care of their players. The thing about that prevailing sentiment? It's been wrong in most cases.
The team has lost some key players over the past decade. All teams do. Some of them were big contributors to the championship run. Some of them left because the Pats weren't interested in keeping them at the asking price. Some of them because another team wanted so badly to steal away some of the "winning chemistry" that they were willing to overpay.
David Givens and Deion Branch fall into the latter category. Givens was clutch for the Pats, especially in big games. The Pats made him a solid offer but Tennessee made an over-the-top one that even if he had stayed healthy he would have had a hard time justifying. Same goes with Branch. Super Bowl MVP and the best weapon Brady had to that point in his career. He (along with Givens) was key to the offense taking the next step. But, like Givens, the Seahawks were willing to overpay him AND give the Pats a first-round pick in a trade when Branch held out. He also battled injuries and has come nowhere near the elite WR status that he was being paid at. Both Givens and Branch landed huge paydays thanks to their play with the Pats but also largely due to the fact that they were part of a championship organization. That raised their profile and their value. Yes, the Patriots didn't reward their contribution to the team with big contracts. And that was seen as the team mistreating or not -- in the players' parlance -- respecting them. But it was neither of those. In both cases it was a business decision. It turns out they were the right decisions.
Of course the player that the Pats "mistreated" the most was Asante Samuel. The Pats drafted him in the fourth round (we need to start making some picks like that again and soon) and he proved to be a steal. Samuel was a playmaker -- plain and simple. Those are few and far between at the cornerback position. The Pats knew it and tried to sign him but ended up franchising him and "insulting" him with an $8 million, one-year deal. Samuel held out. The team agreed to let him go to free agency after that. Samuel had a great year in the 16-0 season. Oh, all except that little matter of the perfect season bouncing off his hands at the worst possible time. The Eagles threw a stadium-load of cash at him and he was gone. Belichick and the Pats misplayed that one for sure. They should have ponied up the money for Samuel before the relationship soured. It wasn't a matter of not wanting to pay him his due, it was a matter of not wanting to overpay him. Which the Eagles did. Which team has won more games since then? Eagles or Pats? That would be the Pats.
The Pats also let Super Bowl heroes Adam Vinatieri and Willie McGinnest go. Decisions I still don't agree with. But they have to make the decisions. And you can't keep everyone. The key is to keep the right guys at the right price at the right time. For the most part they have done that. Tom Brady. Ty Law. Tedy Bruschi. Matt Light. Ted Johnson, Mike Vrabel. And on and on. Even Richard Seymour was paid when he was due. The Pats traded him last year because, rightfully so, they knew his next contract would be a big one and the reality are his best days are behind him now. The sentiment that a team should pay a player for what he has done for the team just doesn't work in the NFL reality. That's how you end up with old, overpaid players. In other words, that's how you end up like the Redskins.
That's the difference with big Vince. He has a lot of great football left in him. And it will be in a Patriots uniform. A very good start to 2010.
unlike previous off-seasons, this time it ended with everyone happy. Hopefully this sets the tone for the 2010 season.Wilfork and the Pats agreed to a five-year, $40 million deal. The heart and soul of the D is locked up. If he can stay healthy for the length of the contract the team will more than get its money's worth. The Pats had little or no chance of competing with the Jets, Colts, or Chargers in 2010 with a Vince Wilfork-size hole in the middle of their D line. That's one big headache the team -- and the fans -- won't have to worry about.
The signing of Wilfork certainly flies in the face of the prevailing sentiment that the Patriots don't take care of their players. The thing about that prevailing sentiment? It's been wrong in most cases.
The team has lost some key players over the past decade. All teams do. Some of them were big contributors to the championship run. Some of them left because the Pats weren't interested in keeping them at the asking price. Some of them because another team wanted so badly to steal away some of the "winning chemistry" that they were willing to overpay.
David Givens and Deion Branch fall into the latter category. Givens was clutch for the Pats, especially in big games. The Pats made him a solid offer but Tennessee made an over-the-top one that even if he had stayed healthy he would have had a hard time justifying. Same goes with Branch. Super Bowl MVP and the best weapon Brady had to that point in his career. He (along with Givens) was key to the offense taking the next step. But, like Givens, the Seahawks were willing to overpay him AND give the Pats a first-round pick in a trade when Branch held out. He also battled injuries and has come nowhere near the elite WR status that he was being paid at. Both Givens and Branch landed huge paydays thanks to their play with the Pats but also largely due to the fact that they were part of a championship organization. That raised their profile and their value. Yes, the Patriots didn't reward their contribution to the team with big contracts. And that was seen as the team mistreating or not -- in the players' parlance -- respecting them. But it was neither of those. In both cases it was a business decision. It turns out they were the right decisions.
Of course the player that the Pats "mistreated" the most was Asante Samuel. The Pats drafted him in the fourth round (we need to start making some picks like that again and soon) and he proved to be a steal. Samuel was a playmaker -- plain and simple. Those are few and far between at the cornerback position. The Pats knew it and tried to sign him but ended up franchising him and "insulting" him with an $8 million, one-year deal. Samuel held out. The team agreed to let him go to free agency after that. Samuel had a great year in the 16-0 season. Oh, all except that little matter of the perfect season bouncing off his hands at the worst possible time. The Eagles threw a stadium-load of cash at him and he was gone. Belichick and the Pats misplayed that one for sure. They should have ponied up the money for Samuel before the relationship soured. It wasn't a matter of not wanting to pay him his due, it was a matter of not wanting to overpay him. Which the Eagles did. Which team has won more games since then? Eagles or Pats? That would be the Pats.
The Pats also let Super Bowl heroes Adam Vinatieri and Willie McGinnest go. Decisions I still don't agree with. But they have to make the decisions. And you can't keep everyone. The key is to keep the right guys at the right price at the right time. For the most part they have done that. Tom Brady. Ty Law. Tedy Bruschi. Matt Light. Ted Johnson, Mike Vrabel. And on and on. Even Richard Seymour was paid when he was due. The Pats traded him last year because, rightfully so, they knew his next contract would be a big one and the reality are his best days are behind him now. The sentiment that a team should pay a player for what he has done for the team just doesn't work in the NFL reality. That's how you end up with old, overpaid players. In other words, that's how you end up like the Redskins.
That's the difference with big Vince. He has a lot of great football left in him. And it will be in a Patriots uniform. A very good start to 2010.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Let freedom ring
The NFL's free-agent superstore is open for business as of today. The 2010 football season has officially begun! It's been about a month since the Saints beat the Colts in a thrilling Super Bowl. Four weeks without much football news. That was a long enough break for me.
This year's free agent shopping season takes place under the shadow of the "uncapped year" that Nostradamus predicted back in the 16th century. For someone without an economics or law degree -- or a physics degree -- I think I have a good grasp on what the uncapped year means and the even more ominous sounding "Final League Year!" But here's a good Q&A on the subject http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d815da1d2&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true
I don't expect the Patriots to land any of the big names out there. There's been lots of talk about Julius Peppers of the Panthers coming here for more than a year. He'd bring the pass rush the Pats badly need but he'll be too costly. Way too costly. But there are some players I'd like to see the Pats add to their roster (which certainly is in rough shape as of this moment) that would not break the bank. After all, they need that money in the bank to give to Vince Wilfork and Tom Brady. At least that's what I hope they do with all the money they have not spent on players recently.
Free agents that I'd like to see the Pats make a run for:
Those are just a few names of guys that could fill holes -- and then some -- for the Patriots. We'll see just how deep the Pats wade into the free agent pool. Before they even put on their trunks they need to take care of their own business. Namely... Vince Wilfork. If they let Wilfork walk away then this blog could go dark for a while. It would be a big mistake. A nose tackle-size mistake. The guy has busted his back for this team for six years. He plays the game hard. He forces the offense to commit two, sometimes three guys to blocking him. He's a leader and a solid citizen. Make him the highest paid guy at his position and do it fast.
And then take care of guys like Leigh Bodden, Kevin Faulk, Tully Banta-Cain, and Stephen Neal. That would be a very good start to the 2010 season. Which has finally arrived!
This year's free agent shopping season takes place under the shadow of the "uncapped year" that Nostradamus predicted back in the 16th century. For someone without an economics or law degree -- or a physics degree -- I think I have a good grasp on what the uncapped year means and the even more ominous sounding "Final League Year!" But here's a good Q&A on the subject http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d815da1d2&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true
I don't expect the Patriots to land any of the big names out there. There's been lots of talk about Julius Peppers of the Panthers coming here for more than a year. He'd bring the pass rush the Pats badly need but he'll be too costly. Way too costly. But there are some players I'd like to see the Pats add to their roster (which certainly is in rough shape as of this moment) that would not break the bank. After all, they need that money in the bank to give to Vince Wilfork and Tom Brady. At least that's what I hope they do with all the money they have not spent on players recently.
Free agents that I'd like to see the Pats make a run for:
- Darren Sproles, RB, of the Chargers. He could replace Welker as a kick returner and can bring a new dimension to the offense similar to what Reggie Bush brings to New Orleans. He's a weapon that Brady would sure know how to use. Worried about our receiving corps? How about Moss, Edelman, Faulk, and Sproles.
- Jeremi Johnson, FB, of the Bengals. Get a fullback! Johnson is a load at 275 pounds. Put this guy in front of Maroney (who showed he might still become the player he was in college) and Fred Taylor and you give your offense a whole different attitude. I don't like football teams without fullbacks. Never have.
- Aaron Kampman, DE/LB, of the Packers. A two-time Pro Bowler with the proverbial great motor. He would make a solid replacement if the Pats lose Jarvis Green. He can play the end in the 4-3, a formation I'd like to see the Pats play more of.
- Darren Sharper, S, of the Saints. What are the odds the veteran will leave after winning a title in the Crescent City? Probably pretty small. But Sharper is the kind of player the Pats are in desperate need of. A veteran leader who can still make plays. He's what Rodney would still be if Rodney hadn't suffered all those injuries in the last three years of his career. Belichick should call Sharper and offer him a good chunk of that money in the bank.
Those are just a few names of guys that could fill holes -- and then some -- for the Patriots. We'll see just how deep the Pats wade into the free agent pool. Before they even put on their trunks they need to take care of their own business. Namely... Vince Wilfork. If they let Wilfork walk away then this blog could go dark for a while. It would be a big mistake. A nose tackle-size mistake. The guy has busted his back for this team for six years. He plays the game hard. He forces the offense to commit two, sometimes three guys to blocking him. He's a leader and a solid citizen. Make him the highest paid guy at his position and do it fast.
And then take care of guys like Leigh Bodden, Kevin Faulk, Tully Banta-Cain, and Stephen Neal. That would be a very good start to the 2010 season. Which has finally arrived!
Monday, January 11, 2010
And in the end...
WILD CARD GAME
Ravens 33, Patriots 14 (1/9/10): All the questions about the Patriots in this up-and-down season were answered very early yesterday. Can they play a complete 60-minute game? Can they overcome injuries? Can their coaching staff bring forth a game plan that throws the other team off balance? Can their best players (mostly Brady) step it up when it really counted? No. No. No. And no.
The official end-of-dynasty proclamations will be issued and reissued all week on the radio and TV. I'll take a pass on listening to all that. The "dynasty" has been over since '04. Is that news? Each year in the NFL has nothing to do with the previous one or the next one. Sometimes two great seasons come bac
k-to-back. Sometimes they don't come for decades. '03 had very little to do with '04 which had very little to do with '07 which had very little to do with this year. Sure, some players and coaches are the same. But things change quickly from year-to-year. Look at the Steelers this decade. So the Pats are out and the season ended in an embarrassing loss. They made the Ravens look a heck of lot better than they really are. Does that mean the Pats can't get back to the top next year? Once again the answer is, no.
But there are many things they need to improve on if they want to go deeper into the playoffs. And all of those things were on display from the first play of yesterday's game. The Ravens are a great running team. Their plan was to pound the ball right at the Pats D all day. The Ravens knew it. The Patriots knew it. Everyone in the stadium knew it. The Pats knew it, but they weren't ready for it. RB Ray Rice took the hand-off on the first play at his own 17-yard line, hit the hole up the middle, cut left, and went -- untouched -- for an 83-yard touchdown. On the first play of the game. I had skipped my pre-kickoff Don Julio margarita run in order to be in my seat for the national anthem. No sooner had Rice crossed the goal line, than I bolted up the stairs for a little liquid relief. You know, something to change the momentum.
I got to the front of the line at the Don Julio stand and said "Two margaritas please." The woman serving the drinks seemed annoyed with my order. "No margaritas today," she answered. No margaritas? The Ravens just scored on an 83-yard run on the first play of the game AND there are no margaritas? "This game is not starting out so well," I thought. "Why no margaritas?" I asked. "No hard liquor on playoff games. You want two Coronas?" "Coronas?" I repeated back to her. "It's January. Why would I want a summer beer?" "You wanted a margarita," she said. "That's a summer drink too." Good point. But one has tequila, the other doesn't. It's 15 degrees out. Which one would you prefer?
I drifted away from the margarita line, excuse me, the Corona line, and wandered dazed across the concourse. I looked up at the small TV hanging on the wall. (Hey, Mr. Kraft. Can we get some TVs that I can see please? Put the $400 I spent on parking this year towards it.) The Pats had the ball. Brady dropped back to pass, and from what I could make out on the screen, he fumbled the ball and the Ravens recovered. No, this game was not starting out so well at all.
It just got worse from there. The Ravens had a third down inside the Pats 10. Hold them to a field goal attempt there and maybe -- maybe -- the Pats could turn things around. Rice took the ball and hit the hole on the left but James Sanders came up from his safety spot and had a clear shot on Rice that would have stopped him short of the first. A tackle that had to be made. Sanders didn't make it. He completely whiffed and Rice bulled ahead for a first and goal. Two plays later, touchdown. 14-0. The Sanders missed tackle was emblematic of the season. A Patriot had a chance to make a play and he just didn't get the job done.
This would normally have been the point in the game where I texted my nephews and sister with messages like "Lots of time left." "This is ugly." "We just need a big play." Something like that. Or they would have texted me. But there was radio silence. Clearly we were all too stunned to try to offer each other hope. And for good reason.
Brady threw a horrible pick on the Pats' third possession. The Ravens scored again. Then he threw another pick on the next possession. The Ravens scored again. As the clock ticked down on the first quarter the Gillette scoreboard read Ravens 24, Patriots 0. The boos started to rain down. I prefer silence over booing my team but when you screw everything up for an entire quarter in the playoffs you have earned some boos. And they really weren't that loud. I believe me exact words were "You can't spot a team like the Ravens 24 points. We are done." How's that for analysis? Mark refused to die, knowing that teams can come back and believing that Brady could still summon up some magic. But there was no magic to be had. That Pats scored after a muffed Ravens punt to make it 24-7 and had chances to cut the lead to 10 before the half but just couldn't make the plays. Time and time again.
The second half started with the Pats going three-and-out. There were too many three-and-outs this year for an offense that averaged the sixth most points per game. They scored a lot. But they rarely scored when they had to. Red zone issues. No consistent production from their tight ends. Lots of problems for Belichick and the staff to address. The rest of the game consisted of the Ravens grinding down the clock and the Pats desperately trying to do something to climb back in the game. But the Pats couldn't get anything going. It was their worst game of the season and one of their worst in years. As the sun went down behind the south side of the stadium and the temperature began to go down with it, we left with just over three minutes to go so Mark could catch an earlier train out of Providence. It was one of just a handful of times we left before the final gun during our 16 years as ticket holders. But we had seen enough.
That's the only good thing -- as a fan -- about your team getting blown out and blown out early. You go through the stages of grief before the game is even over. By the start of the fourth quarter acceptance had settled in around most of the stadium. The season was over. Their unbeaten home playoff record under Brady and Belichick was over. The shot at a fourth Lombardi this decade was over.
The day after the season ends is always a gray one when your team comes up short. You kick away the snow in front of the shed and put away the grill, tables, chairs, tent, and all the tailgating supplies. (It's important to make sure you throw out any leftover meat or else it will not be pretty come spring when you open the door again). As I was carrying stuff across the yard something felt different. I realized this was the first time in a long time that I was storing things away after a season-ending loss at home. That was a strange feeling. It's been a great decade. A decade of great games and even better memories. The Pats had never ended a season by losing at home during that time. As I put the last items into the shed I thought about next season's outstanding home schedule and started to look forward to setting up in the Gillette lot some sunny September day with my friends. I can't wait.
The official end-of-dynasty proclamations will be issued and reissued all week on the radio and TV. I'll take a pass on listening to all that. The "dynasty" has been over since '04. Is that news? Each year in the NFL has nothing to do with the previous one or the next one. Sometimes two great seasons come bac
k-to-back. Sometimes they don't come for decades. '03 had very little to do with '04 which had very little to do with '07 which had very little to do with this year. Sure, some players and coaches are the same. But things change quickly from year-to-year. Look at the Steelers this decade. So the Pats are out and the season ended in an embarrassing loss. They made the Ravens look a heck of lot better than they really are. Does that mean the Pats can't get back to the top next year? Once again the answer is, no.But there are many things they need to improve on if they want to go deeper into the playoffs. And all of those things were on display from the first play of yesterday's game. The Ravens are a great running team. Their plan was to pound the ball right at the Pats D all day. The Ravens knew it. The Patriots knew it. Everyone in the stadium knew it. The Pats knew it, but they weren't ready for it. RB Ray Rice took the hand-off on the first play at his own 17-yard line, hit the hole up the middle, cut left, and went -- untouched -- for an 83-yard touchdown. On the first play of the game. I had skipped my pre-kickoff Don Julio margarita run in order to be in my seat for the national anthem. No sooner had Rice crossed the goal line, than I bolted up the stairs for a little liquid relief. You know, something to change the momentum.
I got to the front of the line at the Don Julio stand and said "Two margaritas please." The woman serving the drinks seemed annoyed with my order. "No margaritas today," she answered. No margaritas? The Ravens just scored on an 83-yard run on the first play of the game AND there are no margaritas? "This game is not starting out so well," I thought. "Why no margaritas?" I asked. "No hard liquor on playoff games. You want two Coronas?" "Coronas?" I repeated back to her. "It's January. Why would I want a summer beer?" "You wanted a margarita," she said. "That's a summer drink too." Good point. But one has tequila, the other doesn't. It's 15 degrees out. Which one would you prefer?
I drifted away from the margarita line, excuse me, the Corona line, and wandered dazed across the concourse. I looked up at the small TV hanging on the wall. (Hey, Mr. Kraft. Can we get some TVs that I can see please? Put the $400 I spent on parking this year towards it.) The Pats had the ball. Brady dropped back to pass, and from what I could make out on the screen, he fumbled the ball and the Ravens recovered. No, this game was not starting out so well at all.
It just got worse from there. The Ravens had a third down inside the Pats 10. Hold them to a field goal attempt there and maybe -- maybe -- the Pats could turn things around. Rice took the ball and hit the hole on the left but James Sanders came up from his safety spot and had a clear shot on Rice that would have stopped him short of the first. A tackle that had to be made. Sanders didn't make it. He completely whiffed and Rice bulled ahead for a first and goal. Two plays later, touchdown. 14-0. The Sanders missed tackle was emblematic of the season. A Patriot had a chance to make a play and he just didn't get the job done.
This would normally have been the point in the game where I texted my nephews and sister with messages like "Lots of time left." "This is ugly." "We just need a big play." Something like that. Or they would have texted me. But there was radio silence. Clearly we were all too stunned to try to offer each other hope. And for good reason.
Brady threw a horrible pick on the Pats' third possession. The Ravens scored again. Then he threw another pick on the next possession. The Ravens scored again. As the clock ticked down on the first quarter the Gillette scoreboard read Ravens 24, Patriots 0. The boos started to rain down. I prefer silence over booing my team but when you screw everything up for an entire quarter in the playoffs you have earned some boos. And they really weren't that loud. I believe me exact words were "You can't spot a team like the Ravens 24 points. We are done." How's that for analysis? Mark refused to die, knowing that teams can come back and believing that Brady could still summon up some magic. But there was no magic to be had. That Pats scored after a muffed Ravens punt to make it 24-7 and had chances to cut the lead to 10 before the half but just couldn't make the plays. Time and time again.
The second half started with the Pats going three-and-out. There were too many three-and-outs this year for an offense that averaged the sixth most points per game. They scored a lot. But they rarely scored when they had to. Red zone issues. No consistent production from their tight ends. Lots of problems for Belichick and the staff to address. The rest of the game consisted of the Ravens grinding down the clock and the Pats desperately trying to do something to climb back in the game. But the Pats couldn't get anything going. It was their worst game of the season and one of their worst in years. As the sun went down behind the south side of the stadium and the temperature began to go down with it, we left with just over three minutes to go so Mark could catch an earlier train out of Providence. It was one of just a handful of times we left before the final gun during our 16 years as ticket holders. But we had seen enough.
That's the only good thing -- as a fan -- about your team getting blown out and blown out early. You go through the stages of grief before the game is even over. By the start of the fourth quarter acceptance had settled in around most of the stadium. The season was over. Their unbeaten home playoff record under Brady and Belichick was over. The shot at a fourth Lombardi this decade was over.
The day after the season ends is always a gray one when your team comes up short. You kick away the snow in front of the shed and put away the grill, tables, chairs, tent, and all the tailgating supplies. (It's important to make sure you throw out any leftover meat or else it will not be pretty come spring when you open the door again). As I was carrying stuff across the yard something felt different. I realized this was the first time in a long time that I was storing things away after a season-ending loss at home. That was a strange feeling. It's been a great decade. A decade of great games and even better memories. The Pats had never ended a season by losing at home during that time. As I put the last items into the shed I thought about next season's outstanding home schedule and started to look forward to setting up in the Gillette lot some sunny September day with my friends. I can't wait.
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