Kudos to the men in suits in Foxborough. Once again, EVERY rookie was signed on time for camp. NO other NFL team has all of their picks signed. NO other NFL team has their #1 pick signed, though I'm told that the 49ers are on the verge of signing #1 overall pick Alex Smith. The ONLY draftee who was NOT signed in time for camp in the history of the Belichick/Pioli era was Ben Watson. Watson had a bad agent that was out to make a stand against the Pats. Watson fired his agent and signed the deal the Pats were going to give him from the beginning. Speaking of Ben Watson, my soon to be favorite Patriot....
6ft 3 260lbs
4.4 40 yard dash
535lb bench press
570lb squat
40 inch vertical leap
10 inch hands (don't go there)
Here is what a recent article by Michael Felger of the Boston Herald had to say:
"The play didn't count, coming during a simple seven-on-seven drill performed in shorts and helmets at a minicamp in June, but it still said it all.
On the snap of the ball, tight end Ben Watson burst off the line, running past the linebackers in coverage in a matter of seconds. A moment later, Watson turned back to find a laser from Tom Brady headed for his thighs. Not breaking stride, Watson grabbed the ball, split the safeties and sprinted into the end zone.
If the ``Cover-2'' (aka ``Tampa-2'') is the most common coverage scheme in the NFL, and if the best way to defeat that deep-safety alignment is by throwing deep down the middle, then the Pats just may have a system-breaker in Watson.
Like any player possessing the size of a tight end and the speed of a receiver (Tony Gonzalez, Jeremy Shockey), Watson has the physical tools to present huge matchup problems for defenses. Linebackers and safeties aren't athletic enough to stay in stride. Corners are often too small. On paper, it's the perfect scenario."
Of course, he's got to stay healthy, but doesn't the thought of it make you grin from ear to ear?
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