Here's a reply to your comments asking about specific topics:
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OUT OF TEDY BRUSCHI THIS YEAR? (and the LB's in general.)
I think we've seen the best out of Tedy Bruschi and those days are behind him. This year should be pretty similar to what we saw last year, that is, a solid player but one that just isn't quite capable of making the game changing plays that he used to. That's OK though because Bruschi will get lots of help from A.T. (easier to type than Adalius Thomas) Brushi won't have to be the run stuffing MLB on every down anymore and that should lead to more production. The problem is that you're almost wasting A.T. if he has to play the run stuffer.
Belichick will do plenty of mixing and matching (and mismatching!) with the highly flexible group of LB's. Assuming that they all stay healthy, they should all be productive because they will all get some downs off and they will all be put in positions in which they will have the best chance to succeed.
While the top 5 LB's are excellent, this team will need some big time development from the likes of Pierre Woods and Eric Alexander in order to have real depth.
CAN MARONEY CARRY THE ROCK?
Laurence Maroney hasn't ever had to be a featured back, even in college he was splitting the carries. It will be interesting to see how he holds up. He hasn't really participated in the off-season stuff because of a shoulder surgery. Don't be surprised if he plays very little in pre-season games either. I've seen conflicting reports from the experts about Maroney. Some say he'll benefit greatly from a passing game that may force defenses to only play 6 men in the box. Others maintain that he isn't tough enough to have 300+ carries and lack of depth at RB will become an issue for the Pats. I would think that the Pats will try to pick up a veteran RB before the season starts but it's too hard to tell with Scott and Bill. Only time will tell if Maroney will hold up, but there will be enough one sided games for the Pats to let the likes of Morris and Evans run out the clock.
WHO WILL BE THE #1 CB IF ASANTE HOLDS OUT OR COMES BACK DOWN TO EARTH?
The same guy that was the best corner on the team last year - Ellis Hobbs. Why do you think Asante had so many picks and Hobbs so few? Teams weren't throwing at Hobbs as much as they threw at Asante because Hobbs is a better cover man. Regardless, there are numerous CB's looking to step in to the rotation as either starter or nickel corner. Leading candidates are Chad Scott, Tory James and old friend Randall Gay. In an interview with Gay that I read he said that he's 100% healthy and no one is more excited about camp than he is. Scott and James are Savvy vet's that should be able to hold coverage until Vrabel, Colvin and or A.T. can get to the QB. Don't rule out first round pick Brandon Merriweather either. Sources in the know said that he was by far the best CB at the U for the last couple of seasons, but he was so fast and atheletic they played him at Safety so he could impact the entire field. At the very least he should see significant time in Nickel and Dime packages.
Friday, July 20, 2007
The Rich Get Richer
Training camp is now just ONE week away and I'm so anxious I had to get blogging again. This week's post will cover the off-season acquisitions. Not only who's been signed, but also what impact they should have on this year's team. Let's get started.
ADALIUS THOMAS -LB- We're told that this guy has it all and can do it all. He's BIG (6'2 270) and Fast. He can play virtually any defensive position. He's very smart. The big question here is how Belichick will use his new toy. Most thought Thomas would play his natural outside linebacker position. However in Pats mini camps he's been mostly been playing inside linebacker. I'd guess that Belichick will use him at Inside and Outside LB, but in passing situations he may play pass rushing end. Evidently in some packages he lines up at OLB behind Seymour and rushes the passer. He was a the guy that made the big play for the Ravens the last couple of years, like Bruschi USED to do here. Hopefully Thomas will continue making plays for his new boss.
RANDY MOSS -WR- The biggest steal of the draft whether or not he pans out. The general concensus (and my opinion too) is that Moss will be just fine - this year. He will be a good boy and drink the coolaid even if he isn't the leading receiver on the team, even if he catches no balls in some games. Winning is too important to him at this stage in his career. If they go on to win it all he may become selfish again. Look for him to start as the #1 receiver, the "Z". According to Troy Brown, Moss didn't drop one ball in mincamp.
DONTE STALLWORTH -WR- Perhaps he'll have the biggest impact of any newcomer to this offense. According to sources he's gobbled up this offense and he's busted his tail on the field. He'll be the deep threat, but if he indeed has learned this O, then he'll be in the right place all the time and will become Brady's 'go to' guy.
WES WELKER -WR- I don't care how productive this guy is, I believe the Pats overpaid for him. They gave the Dolohins second and seventh round picks and then shelled out nearly 7 million dollars to sign him. Don't get me wrong, he will be very good in the slot and he'll probably be a difference maker on kick returns, I just think it was a steep price to pay especially when you only gave up a 4th rounder for Moss.
KELLEY WASHINGTON -WR- My initial impression when I heard that the Pats signed him was "WHY?" and he hasn't done much to change my opinion. From what I've read, he's struggled to pick up this offense and he may be the odd man out at an overcrowded WR position. It's too bad because he's got good size.
KYLE BRADY -TE- A very good signing that I think went under the radar because of all the other weapons signed on the offense. At the VERY least Brady is a MOUNTAIN (6'6 280) and will be a devastating blocker. Put him on the same side as the Dwight Freeneys and Jason Taylors of the world and TOM will not have to worry about a pass rush. I personally feel that he's going to be an integral part of the passing game for two reasons. First, David Thomas' broken foot prevented him from participating in the offseason mini-camps, so Brady got a lot of reps with Brady. Second, he came from a Jacksonville offense that isn't designed to throw to the TE. His # of catches have been very low the past few seasons. Teams aren't going to gameplan to stop Brady because of that (and the other weapons the Pats have) so I think he'll be a BIG part of the red zone offense. I fully expect 8-10 TD's.
TORY JAMES -CB- I like this signing more than most of the experts, who seem to have been written him off for some reason. Maybe he has lost a step - I can't say that I've seen him run. But there's something to be said about a guy that has started nearly every game for the last 12 seasons. He'll be in the right place at the right time and his veteran savvy will help to make up for a little less speed. He's had 17 INT's over the last 3 seasons and I think he'll contribute when/if Samuel holds out.
SAMMY MORRIS -RB- I don't really know how much impact he'll have on the Offense. Although, he was great catching the ball out of the backfield in the offseason camps and Welker (Morris' teammate in Miami the last couple of years) is convinced that Morris could carry the load at RB if given the opportunity. He'll be in there to give Maroney a blow and might even get some 3rd down action when Faulk isn't in. Don't be surprised to see Morris play some fullback. His real impact will be on special teams.
Those are the major additions and it's way too early to mention the rookies. I'm off to work on some of your requests!
ADALIUS THOMAS -LB- We're told that this guy has it all and can do it all. He's BIG (6'2 270) and Fast. He can play virtually any defensive position. He's very smart. The big question here is how Belichick will use his new toy. Most thought Thomas would play his natural outside linebacker position. However in Pats mini camps he's been mostly been playing inside linebacker. I'd guess that Belichick will use him at Inside and Outside LB, but in passing situations he may play pass rushing end. Evidently in some packages he lines up at OLB behind Seymour and rushes the passer. He was a the guy that made the big play for the Ravens the last couple of years, like Bruschi USED to do here. Hopefully Thomas will continue making plays for his new boss.
RANDY MOSS -WR- The biggest steal of the draft whether or not he pans out. The general concensus (and my opinion too) is that Moss will be just fine - this year. He will be a good boy and drink the coolaid even if he isn't the leading receiver on the team, even if he catches no balls in some games. Winning is too important to him at this stage in his career. If they go on to win it all he may become selfish again. Look for him to start as the #1 receiver, the "Z". According to Troy Brown, Moss didn't drop one ball in mincamp.
DONTE STALLWORTH -WR- Perhaps he'll have the biggest impact of any newcomer to this offense. According to sources he's gobbled up this offense and he's busted his tail on the field. He'll be the deep threat, but if he indeed has learned this O, then he'll be in the right place all the time and will become Brady's 'go to' guy.
WES WELKER -WR- I don't care how productive this guy is, I believe the Pats overpaid for him. They gave the Dolohins second and seventh round picks and then shelled out nearly 7 million dollars to sign him. Don't get me wrong, he will be very good in the slot and he'll probably be a difference maker on kick returns, I just think it was a steep price to pay especially when you only gave up a 4th rounder for Moss.
KELLEY WASHINGTON -WR- My initial impression when I heard that the Pats signed him was "WHY?" and he hasn't done much to change my opinion. From what I've read, he's struggled to pick up this offense and he may be the odd man out at an overcrowded WR position. It's too bad because he's got good size.
KYLE BRADY -TE- A very good signing that I think went under the radar because of all the other weapons signed on the offense. At the VERY least Brady is a MOUNTAIN (6'6 280) and will be a devastating blocker. Put him on the same side as the Dwight Freeneys and Jason Taylors of the world and TOM will not have to worry about a pass rush. I personally feel that he's going to be an integral part of the passing game for two reasons. First, David Thomas' broken foot prevented him from participating in the offseason mini-camps, so Brady got a lot of reps with Brady. Second, he came from a Jacksonville offense that isn't designed to throw to the TE. His # of catches have been very low the past few seasons. Teams aren't going to gameplan to stop Brady because of that (and the other weapons the Pats have) so I think he'll be a BIG part of the red zone offense. I fully expect 8-10 TD's.
TORY JAMES -CB- I like this signing more than most of the experts, who seem to have been written him off for some reason. Maybe he has lost a step - I can't say that I've seen him run. But there's something to be said about a guy that has started nearly every game for the last 12 seasons. He'll be in the right place at the right time and his veteran savvy will help to make up for a little less speed. He's had 17 INT's over the last 3 seasons and I think he'll contribute when/if Samuel holds out.
SAMMY MORRIS -RB- I don't really know how much impact he'll have on the Offense. Although, he was great catching the ball out of the backfield in the offseason camps and Welker (Morris' teammate in Miami the last couple of years) is convinced that Morris could carry the load at RB if given the opportunity. He'll be in there to give Maroney a blow and might even get some 3rd down action when Faulk isn't in. Don't be surprised to see Morris play some fullback. His real impact will be on special teams.
Those are the major additions and it's way too early to mention the rookies. I'm off to work on some of your requests!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Golfing with Tom Curran
A few weeks ago I invited Tom Curran to play golf. You may know Tom from his days as the Patriots beat writer from The ProJo, or his numerous appearances on FSN New England and WEEI. These days Tom writes for NBCsports.com. Anyway, he happily took me up on my offer to play some golf and yesterday we went out and hit the links.
Tom is a great guy, down to earth, family man, funny and informative. I got to pick his brain quite a bit about the Pats and other teams around the NFL and I'll share with you some of Tom's thoughts. By the way, we got our assess handed to us in the golf match by a couple of old geezers even though I had the best round of my life to date.
I had to start with the Asante Samuel situation. (Those of you that see me on a regular basis can ask me about Asante, because I don't want to "publish" any of it on my BLOG). Tom essentially agrees with what most of us think, that Asante had one good year (bolstered by three picks from Rex Grossman) and Asante's crazy to think that he should get big time cash. Curran thinks that he'll probably sign his franchise tag at some point during training camp. (a sentiment also echoed by Reiss' pieces yesterday). Tom thinks the Pats probably have enough depth at CB to get by without Asante. He likes Scott, Gay and James, but he really thinks that Merriweather will be used more as a Corner than a safety and will have an impact on this team as at least the nickel corner.
I asked Tom if he got to go to the mini camps and passing camps. As for the WR's, he was most impressed with Stallworth because he was working his butt off. He also agreed with Mike Felger about Randy Moss looking like he was 'dogging' it during the workouts, but didn't seem too concerned about Randy's production this year. His sentiment overall is that the Pats won't cut any receiver, rather whoever isn't going to make the team will be trade bait.
The player that stood out the most in Tom's eyes was 6th round draft pick RB Justice Hairston. For those that don't know him, he started his college career at Rutger's and was a productive back there. However, Rutger's recruited the #1 back in the state of NJ and Hairston transferred to Central Connecticut rather than split carries at Rutgers. His #'s last year were impressive,
277 carries 1847 yds 6.7avg 20TD's. That being said, don't expect Hairston to get many carries THIS season, he's too raw, especially given the complex nature of this offense. So one area that does concern Tom is the depth ar RB. IF Maroney goes down for only 2-3 games then the offense can get by with 4 and 5 WR sets throwing the ball all over the field and still win. But if Maroney goes down for an extended period of time (perhaps for the playoffs) then this team will be in trouble because the guys they have can lug it 20 -25 times a game. So watch for the Pats to pick up a veteran RB prior to the start of the season.
As for the restof the NFL, Tom and I agree that realistically there are 3 teams head and shoulders above the rest: the Pats, Colts and Bolts, with the Pats as the best team. He feels that way becasue the Colts D is way too porous this year given their offseason losses. He is also convinced that the Bolts will have a hard go of it based on the coaching turnover and learning a new offense and new defense. One team he thinks will improve (and I disagree) is the Jets. This is because he likes the additions of Revis at CB and Thomas Jones at RB. The rest of the team is pretty much the same guys as last season so he anticipates the Jets contending for the playoffs. I think they played over their ability last season and will come back down to earth this year.
That pretty much sums it up for now. I'm still working on the individual assessments of the Pats new face and will postit when it's complete.
Tom is a great guy, down to earth, family man, funny and informative. I got to pick his brain quite a bit about the Pats and other teams around the NFL and I'll share with you some of Tom's thoughts. By the way, we got our assess handed to us in the golf match by a couple of old geezers even though I had the best round of my life to date.
I had to start with the Asante Samuel situation. (Those of you that see me on a regular basis can ask me about Asante, because I don't want to "publish" any of it on my BLOG). Tom essentially agrees with what most of us think, that Asante had one good year (bolstered by three picks from Rex Grossman) and Asante's crazy to think that he should get big time cash. Curran thinks that he'll probably sign his franchise tag at some point during training camp. (a sentiment also echoed by Reiss' pieces yesterday). Tom thinks the Pats probably have enough depth at CB to get by without Asante. He likes Scott, Gay and James, but he really thinks that Merriweather will be used more as a Corner than a safety and will have an impact on this team as at least the nickel corner.
I asked Tom if he got to go to the mini camps and passing camps. As for the WR's, he was most impressed with Stallworth because he was working his butt off. He also agreed with Mike Felger about Randy Moss looking like he was 'dogging' it during the workouts, but didn't seem too concerned about Randy's production this year. His sentiment overall is that the Pats won't cut any receiver, rather whoever isn't going to make the team will be trade bait.
The player that stood out the most in Tom's eyes was 6th round draft pick RB Justice Hairston. For those that don't know him, he started his college career at Rutger's and was a productive back there. However, Rutger's recruited the #1 back in the state of NJ and Hairston transferred to Central Connecticut rather than split carries at Rutgers. His #'s last year were impressive,
277 carries 1847 yds 6.7avg 20TD's. That being said, don't expect Hairston to get many carries THIS season, he's too raw, especially given the complex nature of this offense. So one area that does concern Tom is the depth ar RB. IF Maroney goes down for only 2-3 games then the offense can get by with 4 and 5 WR sets throwing the ball all over the field and still win. But if Maroney goes down for an extended period of time (perhaps for the playoffs) then this team will be in trouble because the guys they have can lug it 20 -25 times a game. So watch for the Pats to pick up a veteran RB prior to the start of the season.
As for the restof the NFL, Tom and I agree that realistically there are 3 teams head and shoulders above the rest: the Pats, Colts and Bolts, with the Pats as the best team. He feels that way becasue the Colts D is way too porous this year given their offseason losses. He is also convinced that the Bolts will have a hard go of it based on the coaching turnover and learning a new offense and new defense. One team he thinks will improve (and I disagree) is the Jets. This is because he likes the additions of Revis at CB and Thomas Jones at RB. The rest of the team is pretty much the same guys as last season so he anticipates the Jets contending for the playoffs. I think they played over their ability last season and will come back down to earth this year.
That pretty much sums it up for now. I'm still working on the individual assessments of the Pats new face and will postit when it's complete.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Here We Go Again...Finally!
Hope everyone has had a great summer so far, welcome back to the new look Patriots Report! It's been an exciting off-season filled with great anticipation and finally, training camp is only 23 days away! It seemed like the Patriots were in the headlines with a new acquisition every week, which just led to more and more excitement over the potential of this team.
However the so called "experts" still think this is a team with a lot of questions going into the season - too many to win the superbowl. Here's a quick list of Patriots issues:
The Asante Samuel contract
Randy Moss' behavior
The age and lack of depth at linebacker
The health and age of Rodney Harrison
The ability of Maroney to be the lead back for a full season
The lack of a #1 corner (given the Samuel situtaion)
Brady's baby destraction
Of course I could sit here and dispute most of these issues, but you've got to admit that each of them could turn into a problem during the course of the season. My contention is that this list for the Pats is not as great as some of the concerns for the other major AFC contenders.
The Colts lost 3/4 of their starting secondary, a staring linebacker, a starting defensive tackle and the guy that, for all intents and purposes WAS the superbowl MVP in Dominic Rhodes. They are hoping that untested draft picks will fill those holes. Good luck.
The Chargers turned over their entire coaching staff. We saw what it was like for a few years in a row here when coordinators left and there was a noticeable difference - even thought they continued to run the same schemes. Now the Bolts must learn a new D, a new O, and what each new coach expects of them. Oh yeah, can you name 2 WR's on this team? Eric Parker and Vincent Jackson are 1 and 2 on their depth chart.
However the so called "experts" still think this is a team with a lot of questions going into the season - too many to win the superbowl. Here's a quick list of Patriots issues:
The Asante Samuel contract
Randy Moss' behavior
The age and lack of depth at linebacker
The health and age of Rodney Harrison
The ability of Maroney to be the lead back for a full season
The lack of a #1 corner (given the Samuel situtaion)
Brady's baby destraction
Of course I could sit here and dispute most of these issues, but you've got to admit that each of them could turn into a problem during the course of the season. My contention is that this list for the Pats is not as great as some of the concerns for the other major AFC contenders.
The Colts lost 3/4 of their starting secondary, a staring linebacker, a starting defensive tackle and the guy that, for all intents and purposes WAS the superbowl MVP in Dominic Rhodes. They are hoping that untested draft picks will fill those holes. Good luck.
The Chargers turned over their entire coaching staff. We saw what it was like for a few years in a row here when coordinators left and there was a noticeable difference - even thought they continued to run the same schemes. Now the Bolts must learn a new D, a new O, and what each new coach expects of them. Oh yeah, can you name 2 WR's on this team? Eric Parker and Vincent Jackson are 1 and 2 on their depth chart.
The point is that EVERY team in the league has major question marks going into any NFL season.
Next week's blog will post on Wednesday and will focus on the off-season personell moves. I am open to questions or suggestions for topics to cover in the three posts prior to the open of training camp on Friday July 27th.
Friday, March 02, 2007
And So It Begins....
Free agency officially began at midnight, but don't expect to hear of any Patriots signings for about a week to ten days. They typically do not set the market, rather they prefer to wait for the big name, big ticket free agents to sign, then go after their typical second tier free agent. With the start of free agency, a lot of players under contract are due their roster bonuses, so many veterans have been cut in the last two days (Drew Bledsoe for instance.) Here are some of the players that were cut that the Pats may be interested in (at least they intrigue me).
CB Fred Smoot
TE Jermaine Wiggins
TE Ernie Conwell
WR Joe Horn
LB Joey Porter
LB Brian Simmons
TE Christian Fauria
RB Jamal Lewis
WR Keenan McCardell
Randall Gay was offered a second round tender offer of 1.3 mil. Because he's a restriced free agent, if another team signs him they would have to give the Pats their 2nd round pick.
Daniel Graham is scheduled to meet with the Broncos today and then most likely Seattle, but do not expect him back in New England next season.
CB Fred Smoot
TE Jermaine Wiggins
TE Ernie Conwell
WR Joe Horn
LB Joey Porter
LB Brian Simmons
TE Christian Fauria
RB Jamal Lewis
WR Keenan McCardell
Randall Gay was offered a second round tender offer of 1.3 mil. Because he's a restriced free agent, if another team signs him they would have to give the Pats their 2nd round pick.
Daniel Graham is scheduled to meet with the Broncos today and then most likely Seattle, but do not expect him back in New England next season.
Friday, February 23, 2007
O NO
Or rather, no O.
What will become of next year's offense?
First, we hear that Chad Jackson has torn his ACL. That's about a 10 month re-hab, so the kid will miss another entire off season and training camp, so don't expect him to play at all next year. Add that to the fact that Troy Brown is a free agent and that leaves Jabar Gaffeny, Reche Caldwell, Bam Childress and Kelvin Kight as your WR's. Then we find out that Dillon wants out, "to retire". I can't be the only one disappointed with the way Maroney was running at the end of the season. In addition to Maroney, Kevin Faulk is the only other back under contract for next season. Daniel Graham and the Pats aren't even on the same page with their negotiations and it is a very good possibility they lose him to free agency. Compounding it all is the unknown reaction of Brady to fatherhood. The kid should be born sometime in the middle of training camp. Where do you think Brady's focus will be? He may be just fine, or he may not be as focused as he's always been. There IS that rumor out there that the Raiders may be willing to trade Randy Moss for a second round pick.....
I posted previously about some other WR's I think would be a good fit, so I did a little research on free agent RB's. I was looking for some thunder to go with Maroney and I found Chris Brown from Tennessee, Ledel Betts from Washington, Stephen Davis of the Rams and Anthony Thomas of the Bills. None of which would cost big bucks, but they would probably all be pretty effective as the change of pace back getting 5-6 carries a game.
As for the Defense, things might just round into shape. First, Samuel will probably be back for at least next season so that's a start. Second, Belichick was buddy buddy with Adelius Thomas at the pro bowl and Baltimore did not franchise him so he's free to go where he wants. Third, most mock drafts have the best available MLB in the draft, Patrick Willis, falling to the Pats at #28. Look for another update after the combine. If you have NFL network, you can watch most of the combine's physical tests, it's great fun!
What will become of next year's offense?
First, we hear that Chad Jackson has torn his ACL. That's about a 10 month re-hab, so the kid will miss another entire off season and training camp, so don't expect him to play at all next year. Add that to the fact that Troy Brown is a free agent and that leaves Jabar Gaffeny, Reche Caldwell, Bam Childress and Kelvin Kight as your WR's. Then we find out that Dillon wants out, "to retire". I can't be the only one disappointed with the way Maroney was running at the end of the season. In addition to Maroney, Kevin Faulk is the only other back under contract for next season. Daniel Graham and the Pats aren't even on the same page with their negotiations and it is a very good possibility they lose him to free agency. Compounding it all is the unknown reaction of Brady to fatherhood. The kid should be born sometime in the middle of training camp. Where do you think Brady's focus will be? He may be just fine, or he may not be as focused as he's always been. There IS that rumor out there that the Raiders may be willing to trade Randy Moss for a second round pick.....
I posted previously about some other WR's I think would be a good fit, so I did a little research on free agent RB's. I was looking for some thunder to go with Maroney and I found Chris Brown from Tennessee, Ledel Betts from Washington, Stephen Davis of the Rams and Anthony Thomas of the Bills. None of which would cost big bucks, but they would probably all be pretty effective as the change of pace back getting 5-6 carries a game.
As for the Defense, things might just round into shape. First, Samuel will probably be back for at least next season so that's a start. Second, Belichick was buddy buddy with Adelius Thomas at the pro bowl and Baltimore did not franchise him so he's free to go where he wants. Third, most mock drafts have the best available MLB in the draft, Patrick Willis, falling to the Pats at #28. Look for another update after the combine. If you have NFL network, you can watch most of the combine's physical tests, it's great fun!
Friday, February 02, 2007
"I'm fixing a hole...."
...only it's more like "now I know how many holes it takesTo fill the Albert Hall."
Enough about the Beatles, I'm really trying to fix the holes for the Patriots. First, our own free agents, in order of likelyhood of return:
Daniel Graham - most likely will get done without the franchise tag (90% chance)
Larry Izzo - as the special teams captian you have to imagine he's back (80%)
Troy Brown - I think he's here if he wants to be (75%)
Banta-Cain - Didn't do enough to impress other teams when he became a starter (75%)
- Wouldn't surprise me if Indy makes a play for him
Heath Evans - I think they let Patrick Pass go, and he's been a great blocker(75%)
Don Davis - flexible veteran special teams performer, just what Belichick likes (70%)
Seau - if he doesn't retire he'll have a home in NE (70%)
Asante Samuel - sources close to the Pats say they won't let him walk away for nothing. If they are unable to sign him to a deal, they will franchise him and if he won't play under a franchise tag next season, they'll trade him - just like they did with branch. Although, they may be able to get a 1st round pick as well as a 3rd or 4th. As much as I'd like to see him back, I don't think the Pats are willing to pay 10 million per for him (6yrs 36million and 24 million signing bonus)and someone else will be. (25%)
None of these guys really fills the glaring needs on this team. There are a ton of free agents out there and I've got my favorites. I'll list them for you, but keep in mind the Pats rarely set the market for free agents and are only active AFTER other teams have started signing players for a couple of weeks. The lone exception is Colvin, so I guess it's possible they will go get a big free agent or two. They are supposedly around 30 million under next years cap, so there's no excuse not to improve this off-season. And they'd better improve dramatically if they intend to do better than 8-8 against their brutal schedule next season.
LINEBACKER
The consensus is that the Pats must get younger and faster at LB. Given the Pats history with LB acquisitions, (they hit with Vrabel, Colvin and Seau but missed terribly with Brown and Beisel) this will be the most interesting position to watch this off-season. Here's the best of who's out there:
Lance Briggs - (Bears) Young, fast and atheletic playmaker. Bringing him in will cost the Pats a ton of money, especially given his comments about being reluctant to play in a 3-4. His acquisition would also mean that Vrabel gets moved inside fulltime.
Adelius Thomas* - (Ravens) At 29, he's not young, but he would certainly make the Pats younger. He has experience on the inside and the outsied and has even played as a DE in passing situations. Given his flexibility and experience this is probably the guy the Pats will/should target. *He's the guy I'd like to see them acquire.
Kawika Mitchell - (Chiefs) Leading tackler on an average defense, but has 4 years of experience as an inside LB. Plus he's only 27 and decent in pass coverage. The Pats may elect against him because he may be too small for their liking (6'1 253). He'd come cheaper than the Briggs and Thomas of the world.
London Fletcher-Baker - (Bills) A little on the old side at 31, but again, he would make the Pats younger at LB. You can't argue with his 9 years as an inside LB and his production (146 tackles and 4 INT's last season). He's intriging because he's productive as hell, but his age may limit the amount of competition to sign him. The Pats may not like his size either (5'10 245).
Rob Morris -(Indy) I don't think the Pats would really go after him, but the whole Indy-NE thing makes him interesting. It was after indy inserted him into the starting line-up that they started to stop the run. He is older at 32, but he's only ben in the league 7 years (he's a mormon and had to do missionary service for 3 yrs). He also played mostly outside and could transition to the inside. I could see Indy signing Banta Cain and the Pats retaliating by signing him or vice versa.
SAFETY
We've got to find an heir to Harrison. Hawkins is a nice player, but he's no Rodney. Neither is James Sanders and I'm not counting on Wilson suddenly returning to old form at safety. There are a couple of very good, 1st round, impact Safeties in the draft, but I'll do more onthe draft later. Here's the 4 best free agent safeties (and I like them all!)
Gibril Wilson* - (Giants) 25 yrs old, 103 tackles 3FF and 2 INT's last season, 114 tackles 2 FF and 2 INT's 2 yrs ago - his first as a starter. Young and productive. *Although I like all the safeties I'll mention here, Wilson's the guy I'd like to see in a Pats uniform.
Ken Hamlin - (Seattle) 26 years old, big hitter put up 96 tackles and 3 INT's last year. The knock on him is that he can be beat in coverage.
Deon Grant - (Carolina) Has already been mentioned around NE as a possible target. This is the guy that Colvin consulted afterhis hip injury. Grant had the same injury, the same surgery 2 yrs prior to Colvin and still has the same metal implant in his hip. I don't see the production here (only 60 tackles) but he's only 27 and would probably be a target because he'd come cheap.
Michael Lewis - (Philly) Another guy that's been mentioned as a possible Pats target. I'm very interested in his situation, to see if he gets short money or goes big time. The Eagles don'thave a lot of cap space and tried to sign him early last season with very short money. When he balked, the Eagles severly limited his playing time. Two years ago he had 107 tackles 1 FF and 2 INT's, last year in limited duty he had 58 tackles 1FF and 2 INT's. The Pats may be able to get him at a reasonable price, given the other free agent safeties out there.
There is really no one to speak of at CB, which makes signing Asante all that more necessary. The other Cornerback is Nate Clemets from Buffalo who is about the same player as Samuel. The other option for the Pats may be to sign one or two of these Safeties (or draft one) and move Eugene Wilson back to Corner.
Then there is the Dwight Freeney situation. I cannot verify that he is a free agent. Some sites say he is, some say he isn't. This is what I found: Dwight Freeney’s number comes up after the 2006 season — he signed a seven-year deal which voided to five based on reaching minimal incentives after being drafted 11th overall in 2002. Now, it would be great to see him leave Indy. In order to bring him to NE he'd have to switch to an Outside LB rather than DE. I think that's a pipe dream, but one never knows. Keep an eye on his situation.
WIDE RECEIVER
There are no #1 wide receivers available via free agency. You may be able to acquire Owens or Moss via trade, but I think that's highly doubtful. The Pats should focus on having 4 #2 receivers. Gaffney and Caldwell are ligit #2's and hopefully Jackson can progress to that for next year. Signing another #2 would give them a pretty decent corps of recievers.
Donte Stallworth - He's very fast, but will already be on his 3rd team in 5 years. I think he made a name for himself that his production doesn't live up to (38 catches 5 TD's last year and 70 catches 7 TD's 2 years ago). I sincerely hope the Pats don't sign him.
Patrick Crayton - I like his heart, you can watch him and tell that he'll do waht it takes to win. Plus he was burried behind Glenn and Owens. I think he's a great fit in NE. 36 catches and 4 TD's doesnt tell the story. How about the one game he started last season - 5 catches 104 yds and a TD. He won't be very expensive either.
DJ Hackett* - (Seattle) - This is a guy I believe is about to enter his prime and be very productive. He's been burried behind (and learning from) Bobby Engram, Darrel Jackson, Nate Burleson and Deion Branch. How was he supposed to be productive? *This is the receiver to get.
Drew Bennett - (Titans) - Rumor has it he wants to go to a place with a chance to win right away and doesn't want to build with Tennessee. Had a great season one year with Billy Volek as his QB. He's still only 28 and his size (6'5 206) makes him a nice target in the red zone.
That's it. Bring in a fresh LB, S, resign Asante and shore up the receivers. The draft is stocked with atheletic, impact players. The Pats current administration has nailed it's #1's in the past (Seymour, Graham, Warren, Wilfork, Mankins), so hopefully they'll continue that trend this year too.
Oh yeah, somebody told me there's a game on this weekend. Who cares. I might just watch the Family Guy marathon instead.
Enough about the Beatles, I'm really trying to fix the holes for the Patriots. First, our own free agents, in order of likelyhood of return:
Daniel Graham - most likely will get done without the franchise tag (90% chance)
Larry Izzo - as the special teams captian you have to imagine he's back (80%)
Troy Brown - I think he's here if he wants to be (75%)
Banta-Cain - Didn't do enough to impress other teams when he became a starter (75%)
- Wouldn't surprise me if Indy makes a play for him
Heath Evans - I think they let Patrick Pass go, and he's been a great blocker(75%)
Don Davis - flexible veteran special teams performer, just what Belichick likes (70%)
Seau - if he doesn't retire he'll have a home in NE (70%)
Asante Samuel - sources close to the Pats say they won't let him walk away for nothing. If they are unable to sign him to a deal, they will franchise him and if he won't play under a franchise tag next season, they'll trade him - just like they did with branch. Although, they may be able to get a 1st round pick as well as a 3rd or 4th. As much as I'd like to see him back, I don't think the Pats are willing to pay 10 million per for him (6yrs 36million and 24 million signing bonus)and someone else will be. (25%)
None of these guys really fills the glaring needs on this team. There are a ton of free agents out there and I've got my favorites. I'll list them for you, but keep in mind the Pats rarely set the market for free agents and are only active AFTER other teams have started signing players for a couple of weeks. The lone exception is Colvin, so I guess it's possible they will go get a big free agent or two. They are supposedly around 30 million under next years cap, so there's no excuse not to improve this off-season. And they'd better improve dramatically if they intend to do better than 8-8 against their brutal schedule next season.
LINEBACKER
The consensus is that the Pats must get younger and faster at LB. Given the Pats history with LB acquisitions, (they hit with Vrabel, Colvin and Seau but missed terribly with Brown and Beisel) this will be the most interesting position to watch this off-season. Here's the best of who's out there:
Lance Briggs - (Bears) Young, fast and atheletic playmaker. Bringing him in will cost the Pats a ton of money, especially given his comments about being reluctant to play in a 3-4. His acquisition would also mean that Vrabel gets moved inside fulltime.
Adelius Thomas* - (Ravens) At 29, he's not young, but he would certainly make the Pats younger. He has experience on the inside and the outsied and has even played as a DE in passing situations. Given his flexibility and experience this is probably the guy the Pats will/should target. *He's the guy I'd like to see them acquire.
Kawika Mitchell - (Chiefs) Leading tackler on an average defense, but has 4 years of experience as an inside LB. Plus he's only 27 and decent in pass coverage. The Pats may elect against him because he may be too small for their liking (6'1 253). He'd come cheaper than the Briggs and Thomas of the world.
London Fletcher-Baker - (Bills) A little on the old side at 31, but again, he would make the Pats younger at LB. You can't argue with his 9 years as an inside LB and his production (146 tackles and 4 INT's last season). He's intriging because he's productive as hell, but his age may limit the amount of competition to sign him. The Pats may not like his size either (5'10 245).
Rob Morris -(Indy) I don't think the Pats would really go after him, but the whole Indy-NE thing makes him interesting. It was after indy inserted him into the starting line-up that they started to stop the run. He is older at 32, but he's only ben in the league 7 years (he's a mormon and had to do missionary service for 3 yrs). He also played mostly outside and could transition to the inside. I could see Indy signing Banta Cain and the Pats retaliating by signing him or vice versa.
SAFETY
We've got to find an heir to Harrison. Hawkins is a nice player, but he's no Rodney. Neither is James Sanders and I'm not counting on Wilson suddenly returning to old form at safety. There are a couple of very good, 1st round, impact Safeties in the draft, but I'll do more onthe draft later. Here's the 4 best free agent safeties (and I like them all!)
Gibril Wilson* - (Giants) 25 yrs old, 103 tackles 3FF and 2 INT's last season, 114 tackles 2 FF and 2 INT's 2 yrs ago - his first as a starter. Young and productive. *Although I like all the safeties I'll mention here, Wilson's the guy I'd like to see in a Pats uniform.
Ken Hamlin - (Seattle) 26 years old, big hitter put up 96 tackles and 3 INT's last year. The knock on him is that he can be beat in coverage.
Deon Grant - (Carolina) Has already been mentioned around NE as a possible target. This is the guy that Colvin consulted afterhis hip injury. Grant had the same injury, the same surgery 2 yrs prior to Colvin and still has the same metal implant in his hip. I don't see the production here (only 60 tackles) but he's only 27 and would probably be a target because he'd come cheap.
Michael Lewis - (Philly) Another guy that's been mentioned as a possible Pats target. I'm very interested in his situation, to see if he gets short money or goes big time. The Eagles don'thave a lot of cap space and tried to sign him early last season with very short money. When he balked, the Eagles severly limited his playing time. Two years ago he had 107 tackles 1 FF and 2 INT's, last year in limited duty he had 58 tackles 1FF and 2 INT's. The Pats may be able to get him at a reasonable price, given the other free agent safeties out there.
There is really no one to speak of at CB, which makes signing Asante all that more necessary. The other Cornerback is Nate Clemets from Buffalo who is about the same player as Samuel. The other option for the Pats may be to sign one or two of these Safeties (or draft one) and move Eugene Wilson back to Corner.
Then there is the Dwight Freeney situation. I cannot verify that he is a free agent. Some sites say he is, some say he isn't. This is what I found: Dwight Freeney’s number comes up after the 2006 season — he signed a seven-year deal which voided to five based on reaching minimal incentives after being drafted 11th overall in 2002. Now, it would be great to see him leave Indy. In order to bring him to NE he'd have to switch to an Outside LB rather than DE. I think that's a pipe dream, but one never knows. Keep an eye on his situation.
WIDE RECEIVER
There are no #1 wide receivers available via free agency. You may be able to acquire Owens or Moss via trade, but I think that's highly doubtful. The Pats should focus on having 4 #2 receivers. Gaffney and Caldwell are ligit #2's and hopefully Jackson can progress to that for next year. Signing another #2 would give them a pretty decent corps of recievers.
Donte Stallworth - He's very fast, but will already be on his 3rd team in 5 years. I think he made a name for himself that his production doesn't live up to (38 catches 5 TD's last year and 70 catches 7 TD's 2 years ago). I sincerely hope the Pats don't sign him.
Patrick Crayton - I like his heart, you can watch him and tell that he'll do waht it takes to win. Plus he was burried behind Glenn and Owens. I think he's a great fit in NE. 36 catches and 4 TD's doesnt tell the story. How about the one game he started last season - 5 catches 104 yds and a TD. He won't be very expensive either.
DJ Hackett* - (Seattle) - This is a guy I believe is about to enter his prime and be very productive. He's been burried behind (and learning from) Bobby Engram, Darrel Jackson, Nate Burleson and Deion Branch. How was he supposed to be productive? *This is the receiver to get.
Drew Bennett - (Titans) - Rumor has it he wants to go to a place with a chance to win right away and doesn't want to build with Tennessee. Had a great season one year with Billy Volek as his QB. He's still only 28 and his size (6'5 206) makes him a nice target in the red zone.
That's it. Bring in a fresh LB, S, resign Asante and shore up the receivers. The draft is stocked with atheletic, impact players. The Pats current administration has nailed it's #1's in the past (Seymour, Graham, Warren, Wilfork, Mankins), so hopefully they'll continue that trend this year too.
Oh yeah, somebody told me there's a game on this weekend. Who cares. I might just watch the Family Guy marathon instead.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Go Bears.
I hope they beat the crap out of Indy.
Key play of the game:
3rd and 10, 4 minutes to go in the half. Brady throws for a first down inside the 25 yd line and the Colts are deflated. BUT WAIT, Troy Brown, easily within 5 yds of the line of scrimmage bumps a defender. 10 yd penalty, 3rd and 20. Now tell me, the way the game was going, another TD to make it 28 - 3 or at worst 24 - 3 at the half doesn't make a HUGE difference. Anyway, the NFL got what it's wanted all along, Peyton in the superbowl. And just think, not only will we all be so happy to see him play, we'll get to see him in the commercials too!!
I put the game squarely on the defense. 32 points in the second half won't cut it against anyone, they just sucked.
I hope the rumor is true about Joshy getting an offer to be the head coach of the Raiders. PLEASE Joshy, GO AWAY. Pats first offensive play of the second half is a miscomunication and Brady throws it away. He had literally a freakin hour to call a play and didn't. And how aboout the bright coaching move, when we were up by 3 with 330 to go in the game and they can't even get players in the damn huddle. That five yards may have cost them the game.
I'm too pissed, maybe I'll be able to write more about it tomorrow, I don't know.
Key play of the game:
3rd and 10, 4 minutes to go in the half. Brady throws for a first down inside the 25 yd line and the Colts are deflated. BUT WAIT, Troy Brown, easily within 5 yds of the line of scrimmage bumps a defender. 10 yd penalty, 3rd and 20. Now tell me, the way the game was going, another TD to make it 28 - 3 or at worst 24 - 3 at the half doesn't make a HUGE difference. Anyway, the NFL got what it's wanted all along, Peyton in the superbowl. And just think, not only will we all be so happy to see him play, we'll get to see him in the commercials too!!
I put the game squarely on the defense. 32 points in the second half won't cut it against anyone, they just sucked.
I hope the rumor is true about Joshy getting an offer to be the head coach of the Raiders. PLEASE Joshy, GO AWAY. Pats first offensive play of the second half is a miscomunication and Brady throws it away. He had literally a freakin hour to call a play and didn't. And how aboout the bright coaching move, when we were up by 3 with 330 to go in the game and they can't even get players in the damn huddle. That five yards may have cost them the game.
I'm too pissed, maybe I'll be able to write more about it tomorrow, I don't know.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Greetings from the golf course.
Since I will be in Orlando on a business trip, I won't be able to post until at least Thursday. Feel free to post your comments on the game.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Best Shot
Well here it is anxious blog-readers, my best shot at trying to figure this game out. I've read everything I can get my hands on and it's amazing how conflicted the 'experts' are about this game. Most of the SI guys pick the Pats. Most of the ESPN guys pick the Bolts. Some tell you the Pats won't be able to run at all and others tell you they will. Some tell you Rivers will be shaken and others say no. Everyone seems to agree that Belichick will have a few wrinkles in the gameplan and everyone would rather have Brady than Rivers. No kidding on those last two.
The 3 keys for this week's game are in no particular order. I think that all 3 keys are a necessity for the Pats to win and I don't think 2 out of 3 will cut it this week.
First
The Chargers blitz on 50% of their defensive snaps. Brady has compared it to playing the Steelers. They also had practice against the Jets, who blitzed almost 50% last week. I think we can all agree that Brady is superb at picking it up and making the proper adjustments. I think the key then, is not as much Brady recognizing the blitz, but being able to communicate it to all against the crowd noise and have everyone be on the same page. It will also have to be done within the limits of the play clock and while 5 yds doesn't kill you, it revs the crown up even further.
Second
The Pats will need some kind of big play early to shake the Bolts confidence and quiet the crowd. A kick return for a TD, a quick score on O, or a Bolts turnover early would go along way to accomplish those goals. While I don't think Rivers will melt under the pressure, I have to think that he'll be a little tight early and that's when the Pats will have their opportunity.
Third
The Pats D. They will have to attack the Bolts playmakers, similar to the first SB win vs. the Rams. Hit LT on every play. Knock him on his ass when he doesn't get the ball and pile on when he does. That includes Gates, who absolutely, positively MUST get hit at the line of scrimmage. It is also imperative for the front 7 to stay in their run lanes to prevent LT's cutbacks. The minute someone overpursues, LT has gone through his lane and gotten good yardage. That's why the Pats got torched by LT last year. Beisel and Brown (our starting MLB's that day) never stayed disciplined in their lanes. I like Bruschi and Vrabel to do a much better job of it.
Those are the keys, but what will the game plan be?
On offense the best thing they can do is keep the Bolts D on the field and off balance. I don't care whic formation they use, but they need to defy tendencies. For example run out of the spread offense and pass out of the 2 TE, 2 RB sets. (Run when they think pass and pass when they think run.) They'll probably play a lot of 2 TE sets to help protect Brady, so they've got to be able to pass out of that 'running' formation. Because the Bolts blitz so much, the Pats should be able to screen them to death. You should see screens to Graham, Watson, Faulk, Maroney and Dillon. Screen to both sides, make the D run from sideline to sideline all day. A no huddle approach will probably aslo be in use, though not necessarily hurry-up, just to limit substitutions while their D is running all over the field covering screens and short passes. I do believe the Pats will be able to run, most teams have. The problem has been that the Bolts get a big lead and teams have to abandon the run. Teams have passed against SD twice as much as they've run.
I think on Defense, you'll see the Pats play a very basic 3-4 D with few, if any, blitzes. It is more important for the D to stay in those run lanes than it is to blitz and get caught out of position and give up a big play. I think that's been the plan all year and they'll stick to it: Make the opponent use 10-12 plays to score instead of 3 or 4. They are more likely to screw themselves up on a 12 play drive than a 4 play drive. Again, it will be important to smack LT everydown and not allow Gates to run off the line of scrimmage cleanly. The Base 3-4 keeps the D in position to do just that.
Some other things I think I think about the game...
...The Bolts are listening to everyone tell them how great they are and may start the game overconfident.
...The game will come down to whoever gets the ball last.
...Pats fans will be impressed by Rivers.
...Marty won't have as much to do with the outcome as 'they' say.
The Pats win a close one, based on the performance of Tom Brady, PATS 31 Bolts 27.
Because I'm such a guru (sarcasm intended) I'll give you my picks for the entire weekend:
Ravens over the Colts - not just because I can't stand Manning. The Ravens D is too good and the Colts are lousy on te road.
Saints over Eagles. I think the home crowd will overwhelm the Eagles and Sean Payton will have an excellent gameplan.
Seahawks over Bears. I am throughly unimpressed with the Bears and I like the Seahawks D against Grossman more than I like the Bears D against Hasselback, Aexander and company. Besides, if destiny is for anyone in these playoffs, wouldn't you say it's with Seattle?
The 3 keys for this week's game are in no particular order. I think that all 3 keys are a necessity for the Pats to win and I don't think 2 out of 3 will cut it this week.
First
The Chargers blitz on 50% of their defensive snaps. Brady has compared it to playing the Steelers. They also had practice against the Jets, who blitzed almost 50% last week. I think we can all agree that Brady is superb at picking it up and making the proper adjustments. I think the key then, is not as much Brady recognizing the blitz, but being able to communicate it to all against the crowd noise and have everyone be on the same page. It will also have to be done within the limits of the play clock and while 5 yds doesn't kill you, it revs the crown up even further.
Second
The Pats will need some kind of big play early to shake the Bolts confidence and quiet the crowd. A kick return for a TD, a quick score on O, or a Bolts turnover early would go along way to accomplish those goals. While I don't think Rivers will melt under the pressure, I have to think that he'll be a little tight early and that's when the Pats will have their opportunity.
Third
The Pats D. They will have to attack the Bolts playmakers, similar to the first SB win vs. the Rams. Hit LT on every play. Knock him on his ass when he doesn't get the ball and pile on when he does. That includes Gates, who absolutely, positively MUST get hit at the line of scrimmage. It is also imperative for the front 7 to stay in their run lanes to prevent LT's cutbacks. The minute someone overpursues, LT has gone through his lane and gotten good yardage. That's why the Pats got torched by LT last year. Beisel and Brown (our starting MLB's that day) never stayed disciplined in their lanes. I like Bruschi and Vrabel to do a much better job of it.
Those are the keys, but what will the game plan be?
On offense the best thing they can do is keep the Bolts D on the field and off balance. I don't care whic formation they use, but they need to defy tendencies. For example run out of the spread offense and pass out of the 2 TE, 2 RB sets. (Run when they think pass and pass when they think run.) They'll probably play a lot of 2 TE sets to help protect Brady, so they've got to be able to pass out of that 'running' formation. Because the Bolts blitz so much, the Pats should be able to screen them to death. You should see screens to Graham, Watson, Faulk, Maroney and Dillon. Screen to both sides, make the D run from sideline to sideline all day. A no huddle approach will probably aslo be in use, though not necessarily hurry-up, just to limit substitutions while their D is running all over the field covering screens and short passes. I do believe the Pats will be able to run, most teams have. The problem has been that the Bolts get a big lead and teams have to abandon the run. Teams have passed against SD twice as much as they've run.
I think on Defense, you'll see the Pats play a very basic 3-4 D with few, if any, blitzes. It is more important for the D to stay in those run lanes than it is to blitz and get caught out of position and give up a big play. I think that's been the plan all year and they'll stick to it: Make the opponent use 10-12 plays to score instead of 3 or 4. They are more likely to screw themselves up on a 12 play drive than a 4 play drive. Again, it will be important to smack LT everydown and not allow Gates to run off the line of scrimmage cleanly. The Base 3-4 keeps the D in position to do just that.
Some other things I think I think about the game...
...The Bolts are listening to everyone tell them how great they are and may start the game overconfident.
...The game will come down to whoever gets the ball last.
...Pats fans will be impressed by Rivers.
...Marty won't have as much to do with the outcome as 'they' say.
The Pats win a close one, based on the performance of Tom Brady, PATS 31 Bolts 27.
Because I'm such a guru (sarcasm intended) I'll give you my picks for the entire weekend:
Ravens over the Colts - not just because I can't stand Manning. The Ravens D is too good and the Colts are lousy on te road.
Saints over Eagles. I think the home crowd will overwhelm the Eagles and Sean Payton will have an excellent gameplan.
Seahawks over Bears. I am throughly unimpressed with the Bears and I like the Seahawks D against Grossman more than I like the Bears D against Hasselback, Aexander and company. Besides, if destiny is for anyone in these playoffs, wouldn't you say it's with Seattle?
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