Greg Doyle

Could Albert Haynesworth and The Patriots Be A Match?

May 26, 2010 By Greg Doyle 9 Comments

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

A good fit? Eh, probably not.

I have a friend who has persistently and relentlessly advocated to me the Patriots should pursue All-Pro Defensive Tackle Albert Haynesworth in a trade from the Redskins. His advocacy has been so loud and repeated, and with the Redskins seeming desire to give Haynesworth away, it has admittedly weakened me to a proposition I once rejected out of hand. I’ll admit, he at least convinced me to pause and ponder the possibility for a moment. Could Albert Haynesworth fit with the Patriots?

Haynesworth’s talent is undeniable. As great as Vince Wilfork is, he is just a notch below Haynesworth, who has been called the most dominant defensive tackle in the league. And athletically, for his position, he is as much a freak as Randy Moss is as a receiver. This is a 6’6″ 350 lb. man who ran a 4.82/40 and had a vertical jump of 39″ inches during his pre-draft workouts in 2002. At 350 lbs.!! And as my friend has pointed out, a Patriots team in a reconfigured 4-3 alignment with Wilfork and Haynesworth in the middle would be a nightmare for teams to attempt to run on up the middle. Nobody would even get to middle linebacker Jerod Mayo to block him and he’d clean up on tackles. The double teams would have to be so persistent, it would make life easier for the Patriots edge defenders, where undoubtedly they are a bit weaker and have more question marks. And even on passing downs, Haynesworth is a good inside pass rusher, an area of concern the Patriots have looked to shore up this off-season. Indeed Haynesworth has racked up 18.5 sacks the last 3 seasons, an excellent number for an inside rusher.

But what about that contract you say? The $100 million dollar, 7 year deal Haynesworth got last year is nearly legendary. A defensive tackle getting that? But on closer examination, its not quite as unworkable as it may first appear. For starters, the Redskins have already paid out $32 million of that money, which leaves a potential $68 million which could be paid over 6 years to a team trading for him (though its unlikely it would all ever be paid out). Is that all that more unreasonably more than the $40 million over 5 years Wilfork got when one considers Haynesworth is the next level up player (and capable of playing for 3 downs as opposed to the 2 Wilfork plays on)?

So, what then is the problem? Ship a third rounder to Washington for next year (the Patriots have two firsts and two seconds anyway) and be done with it, right? Not quite. Haynesworth does come with quite a bit of baggage. Lets start with the fact the Redskins have paid him $32 million freakin’ dollars the last calender year and he still has not shown up for voluntary workouts this year!!! Any workouts. He’s been practically invisible to his employer. Think about that, he can’t be unhappy with his contract, right? How could he be? So, what’s the problem? The coaching staff? Is that his problem?

Indeed, Haynesworth did have a problem with last year’s Redskins’ defensive coordinator, Greg Blache. After a December 21st 45-12 loss to the Giants at home last year, Haynesworth threw Blache under the bus to the media by declaring “could not survive another season in this system if it stays the way it is….” Apparently it wasn’t Haynesworth’s fault the Redskins couldn’t cause any turnovers and allowed the Giants to march into town and roll up nearly 400 yards offense and 45 points that day. Not the $100 million dollar guy’s fault at all, apparently. Blame the coach everyone knew was on his way out of town at that point anyways. Courageous of Albert, I must say.

Nevertheless, Haynesworth got his wish. In to town comes new coach Mike Shanahan with new defensive coordinator Jim Haslett and his new system, a 3-4 defense to boot. Apparently Haynesworth is still unhappy with this as well and has put out word he in no uncertain terms wishes to play in a 3-4 base defense. Incidentally, the Patriots play a 3-4 base defense and any trade for Haynesworth would assuredly require a change to the 4-3, particularly with Vince Wilfork being one of your better players on defense. Haynesworth’s unhappiness no matter how much money he makes or what system he plays has led Patriots legend Tedy Bruschi to wonder aloud if Haynesworth really even likes football. And this is a guy who’ll be 29 before camp starts. He is no doubt dominant and you may want to make some concessions for a dominant guy, but not sure you want to be committed to someone for 6 more years who is about to hit his 30s and lacks passion for the sport.

Then there are the character issues. Haynesworth is a guy caused a stir by kicking his teammate Justin Hartwig in camp in 2003. The same guy who was suspended five games for viciously stomping on Andre Gurode’s head while he was on the ground during a game with the Cowboys in 2006. And the same guy who’s been brought up on criminal charges several times the past few years for various admittedly minor offenses. Do we really want someone here who has no beef with his contract, having been made the highest paid defensive player in history a year ago, who got a change in coaching staff he advocated for and whose teammates and owner are openly calling for to show up during a critical team-building portion of the off-season while a new coaching staff tries to install his system on the Patriots? And a player who’d require the Patriots to scrap their defensive plans just days before, or even possibly after depending on when any trade were made, their first mandatory mini-camp when the system is being installed and taught to new comers and vets alike?

The Patriots have reportedly recommitted to finding leaders, solid citizens, captains and players with a passion for football and for a chance to succeed this off-season. In a way, its a return to a philosophy that kicked off their run of Super Bowl victories to begin with. The youth they’ve mixed in over the last two years gives Patriots fans justifiable optimism this team is rebuilding and with a little luck can regain its dominance again with a new core of players (and a mixture of some of the old core). Adding a questionable, albeit dominant, 29 year old disgruntled Albert Haynesworth to the mix? Even at a song in terms of draft picks, I gotta say thanks but no thanks.

Sorry buddy.

Filed Under: Roster

Q&A With UMass FB Chris Zardas

April 12, 2010 By Greg Doyle 1 Comment

by Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

UMass Fullback Chris Zardas

Chris Zardas is a local kid from Wakefield, Mass. who had a very nice career as a fullback at the University of Massachusetts. He is hoping to get a chance to play in the NFL and has had a nice postseason with a good Pro Day performance, as well as a nice showing at the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star game during which he scored a touchdown. He showed a lot of versatility in college as a blocker, receiver and running the ball and would seem to fit the Patriots use of fullbacks in that regard.

It’s a numbers game with a kid like Chris as the NFL limits the number of guys a team can take to camp. But his good showing, hard work and solid production during his college career may just get him the opportunity he needs. We had a chance to talk to Chris as he pursues his NFL career.

Hi Chris, can you tell us where you are from? How did you get into football? What age did you start playing?

I’m from Wakefield, Mass. I started playing football at the early age of 7. Since I can remember I had a football in my hands so going out for football the first year I was old enough was an easy decision. I played high school ball at St. John’s Prep in Danvers before attending UMass.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

I was always on the go growing up. I mainly played basketball, baseball and football but I also wrestled for a year or two. When I got to St. John’s I played baseball, basketball and football before switching from baseball to lacrosse my sophomore year. The only sport I never tried my hand in was hockey.

Who was your favorite team as a kid?

The Patriots were by far my favorite team growing up . It’s tough not to root for them being a Mass native.

How did you end up at UMass?

Mid-way through my senior season I suffered a minor knee injury, and that scared off all of my larger school offers. UMass stuck with me through it all and my style of play was a great fit in their offense. It was nice to stay in state so my family and friends could see me play often.

As a fullback what were your responsibilites on offense, did you go in motion at all? Were you used in blitz pickup? How about as a pass receiver?

As a fullback at UMass I was used a lot as a lead blocker but I also did a lot of one-back tailback on things such as pass protection, short yardage and third down situations . I would motion out to the slot or line up in a tightend-wing position also . I was very involved in the pass game weather it be running routes from the backfield, slot or tight end/wing positions or used in pass protection and blitz pick up.

Why type of offense did you run at UMass? Was the fullback on the field a lot?

We have a pro-style offense, based out of a two-back set. We use a heavy two-back run attack which sets up our play action pass game nicely. The fullback in our offense is on the field most of the game whether it be in the standard “I” formation or split out as a slot or wideout. It requires more athleticism than a traditional fullback in the sense that your running routs and blocking from any position on the field not just the backfield.

What did you do to prepare for your pro day?

Preparing for the proday was a long process. I started training the first week of January at Athletic Evolution in Woburn, Mass. We would train twice a day, five days a week, putting most of the emphasis on the combine drills in the first session, and more position specific and conditioning drills in the afternoon session.

I read you did well at your pro day, what was your 40 time?

Unofficially my 40 times at the pro day were 4.59 and 4.61.

You got to play in the Texas vs. The Nation Game this post-season? What was that experience like? I imagine there was a lot of talent there?

Playing in the Texas vs The Nation Game was awesome. Last year 111 of the 117 guys who played in the game signed NFL contracts, so there is a great amount of talent in the game every year. Coming from a smaller school it was a very good opportunity for me to show that I can play well against great competition. It was a very beneficial week for me to get the exposure I needed to show scouts I can play at the next level.

How did you hold up against the competition at that game?

I did very well that week. The fullbacks were in on every snap the whole week and they gave me a lot of opportunities to run and catch the ball. I got to showcase my athleticism every day during practice, and I had two catches and a touchdown during the game.

Have you ever done any kick returning or covering kicks on special teams?

Early in my career at UMass I was on the kickoff team as the wedge breaker and it was my favorite part of the game every week. I looked forward to hitting the wedge as hard as I could every time. My goal was to make a team stop running a wedge return after the first kickoff.

There were over 20 different teams at your Pro Day, did any seem particularly interested in you? Did you get a chance to talk to the Patriots at all?

I spoke with about half the teams there and they were very happy with how my workout went. I didn’t get a chance to talk to the Patriots that day but I spoke with them a few weeks before at the Boston College pro day.

You had some injuries to your shoulders and knee during your career, how is your health now?

Everything is 100% healthy now. I feel better than ever and am in great shape.

I read if football doesn’t work out, you’d like to join the Marine Corps, what lead you to that decision?

Well it’s nothing definite yet but its been something I’ve thought about all through college. I’m not the type that would be able to stay sane behind a desk all day, and I feel it would be a good way for me to do something productive for our country.

Thanks Chris, best of luck and we’ll be rooting for you to make it.

Thanks Greg.

Reach Greg Doyle at greg@patriotsdaily.com

Filed Under: The Draft Tagged With: Chris Zardas

Q&A With Colorado State WR RaShaun Greer

March 15, 2010 By Greg Doyle 4 Comments

by Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

Colorado St Receiver RaShaun Greer

RaShaun Greer is a former first team Mountain West Conference receiver who put up an impressive show for scouts at his pro day last week. When new coach Steve Fairchild came in before Greer’s junior year, he responded with an 1,100 yard season. This year he slipped to 49 catches and over 700 yards, but that was mostly due to young quarterbacks taking over at CSU as they had a down year. Greer has experience in a pro style offense as Fairchild was a NFL offensive coordinator with St. Louis and Buffalo before taking over at CSU. He has good size at 6’1″ 202 and tested well at his pro day, opening some eyes and raising his prospects for the NFL.

Hi RaShaun. Can you tell us where you are from? How did you get into football? What age did you start playing?

I am from North Las Vegas, born and raised. I really got into football my freshman year of high school. I was a basketball player growing up and never played football. When I started high school, I needed a sport to play until basketball season started so I tried football and stuck with it.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

My first love was basketball and that’s all I played year-round until high school. Then in high school I played basketball, football and ran track, hurdles, long jump, and some relays.

Who was your favorite team as a kid?

The Bulls during Michael Jordan era. (Laughs) Have Bulls posters everywhere and all the Jordan shoes.

How did you end up at Colorado State?

I wanted to go somewhere out of state but I also wanted to stay in the Mountain West Conference and close to home so my family could see me play. CSU was a good fit and I liked the staff and the environment as the snow and everything was something new since I was coming from the desert.

You went through a coaching change before your junior year with Coach Fairchild coming in? How did you adjust to that?

It wasn’t that hard to adjust. I took it as a challenge getting familiar with a new staff and learning a new playbook and so on.

What did you do to prepare for your pro day?

I worked out with my high school football and track coach. He knows me really well and he’s been coaching for a long time so I trusted him to get me right on a program and it went well. Basically, I did a lot of plyos, agility drills, lifting and of course some running.

I read you did well at your pro day, what was your 40 time?

My average was a 4.46.

Have you ever done any kick returning or covering kicks on special teams?

I wish I would’ve in college because I missed it from high school but not my decision.

Are you best playing inside in a slot position or more on the outside as a receiver? How do you feel your blocking is?

Our coaches didn’t like to move us around a lot so I mainly played outside but I knew our inside receiver position and based on the routes and plays. (Laughs) I would be best playing outside as our outside receiver got the ball more than the inside receivers.

What are your impressions of the New England Patriots? Did you follow their success at all throughout the 2000s?

Actually I did, since Vegas doesn’t have a professional sports team, I usually just like players and my favorite player, Randy Moss, happens to play on the Patriots, so I did follow them. I actually follow the Celtics too since they have two of my favorite players, Rasheed Wallace and Ray Allen, so thought that was interesting as well.

Did you talk to any teams at your pro day or since? Any teams showing particular interest?

I talk to a few teams and some showed interest but I’m really just being patient and letting things happen as they will as from this point on it’s out of my control. I did what I could do on the field in college, I did what I could do at the pro day so now its just sit back wait and pray and hope for the best!

Thanks for talking to us RaShaun and best of luck.

Thank you.

Filed Under: The Draft Tagged With: RaShaun Greer

Q&A With UNH TE Scott Sicko

March 9, 2010 By Greg Doyle 3 Comments

by Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

Scott Sicko is a pass-catching tight end from UNH who caught 160 passes for the Wildcats during his career, including 22 touchdowns. He was a FCS (formerly Division 1-AA) All-American this year helping UNH to the semi-finals in the FCS Playoffs, before losing to eventual champion Villanova. Scott has a chance to be drafted and would be a good fit with the Patriots given their needs at tight end, his great hands, good speed and size (6’4″ 252) and the ability to go in motion. He’ll be performing for NFL scouts at UNH’s pro day on March 10th. He was kind enough to take a break from his preparation and grant Patriots Daily an interview:

Hi Scott, where did you grow up and how did you end up at UNH? They had a successful program while you were there, what was that like?

I grew up in Stillwater, NY where I attended Stillwater public schools until junior year. I transferred to LaSalle Institute in Troy, NY for my junior and senior year of high school. While in high school at LaSalle I had already been looking into UNH before I had been approached by any schools to play football. I really like the state of New Hampshire and I thought that the school would be a good fit academically. When the UNH program approached me about playing football I was very excited. When I visited UNH and learned about the football program I saw that they had something special that I would want to be a part of. While at UNH I had an amazing experience. Being a part of the team here is one of the best experiences of my life. I love this program and everyone in it. It is more than just a team, it is a family of people who are dedicated to each other. It is more than a place where you just learn about football, it also teaches you important things like responsibility, respect, and work ethic that you will take with you the rest of your life.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

In high school I primarily played football and basketball. Senior year I also ran track. I ran the 200, 100 and threw the shot and discus.

Who was your favorite NFL team growing up?

I liked multiple NFL teams when I was growing up but, my father was and still is a Raiders fan so by default that is who I ended up liking the most. (Laughs.)

As a tight end you caught a lot of passes. Is that your strength? How is your blocking?

If I had to pick one thing I would probably say that my strength is pass catching. My blocking has been something that I have been working on a lot during my career here at UNH. I know it has improved a lot since I first got here thanks to the coaches, but I still know that I have a lot to improve upon in my blocking game.

What kind of offense did you run at UNH?

We primarily ran a no-huddle spread offense.

Do you think you could play both a “move” tight end like an H-back as well as an in-line tight end? What about fullback?

I don’t really like to put labels on myself like that. The only reason for that is because it doesn’t matter to me. I would just like to be part of a team. I will be more than happy at any of those positions and which ever one I am at, I will give it my best effort to perform well.

Do you think you could bulk up any to prepare for NFL play?

Actually, since the end of the season I have added weight. I am currently 252lbs. I have been working hard to make sure that it is all good weight too.

What kind of work do you do to improve your hands?

I try to get together with a couple players and throw a ball around while running routes at least once a week. I also try and take advantage of down time. I will usually be sitting on the couch watching TV with a tennis ball or something and either bounce it off the wall or just throw it up to myself. I just try to keep my hands and hand eye coordination as active as possible.

What is your 40 speed? Will you run at your pro day?

I am not sure what my 40 speed is. I will be running at my pro day and I am hoping to run in the 4.6s.

What have you been doing to train for your pro day?

Once I went back home for winter break I started training with my trainer back home, Matt Phelps. I actually came back to school early in January to start training with Mike Boyle in Massachusetts. I have been training there ever since.

How hard do you think it’ll be to adjust from college to an NFL style offense?

(Laughs.) I can only imagine. I know it was a big change from high school to college. So I expect that at the least it will be as big as that change. I am just going to work as hard as I can to not only learn the offense, but understand it.

Have you played much special teams? Do you enjoy it?

While at UNH I have been second string long snapper and first team short snapper at some points. Anything that lets you be on the field a little bit longer, even if it is only one play longer, is always fun in my book.

Have you followed the success of the New England Patriots in the last decade or so? Any thoughts on them?

I have a deep respect for the Patriots. I think they are not only an amazing team, but a really good organization. I think the thing that I respect most about them is their work ethic. It reminds me a lot of UNH.

Have you talked to any teams yet? Do you know which ones will be at your pro day?

My agent has been in contact with some teams. I hope that we get a decent amount of scouts at our pro day at UNH, but it only takes one. All I can do is hope that people will be interested enough to come and give it my best effort to perform to the best of my ability.

Thanks Scott. Best of luck in your pro day and career.

Thank you again. I really feel honored that you have followed me and that you would want to interview me.

Filed Under: The Draft Tagged With: Scott Sicko

Q&A With Ashland QB Bill Cundiff

March 2, 2010 By Greg Doyle 2 Comments

by Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff Writer

Bill Cundiff is a small school quarterback who had a great year for Division II Ashland in Ohio. He threw 24 TDs and just 1 INT and was the player of the year in his conference. He started out at UConn and transferred back to his home in Ohio at Ashland and had a great career there. He’ll be working out at the Ohio State Pro Day and has a chance to be drafted and will be looked at by many NFL teams looking to give a chance to a young, small school quarterback in their camp.

Hi Bill. You started out at UConn and left there, what made you transfer to Ashland?

I left UConn due to the fact that I was homesick. Looking back I know it was not the right move to make and I kind of laugh at why I left from time to time, but it was a good life lesson that I can now reflect on. I know I could have had a good career there, but everything has worked out for me so I try to look forward and not backward.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

I played basketball. When I was young basketball was actually the sport that I excelled in the most. As high school came around I began to get better at football and that’s where most of my attention turned to.

Who was your favorite team?

My favorite team is unfortunately the Cleveland Browns. Being from Akron Cleveland is only about 40 minutes away so I am a big Cleveland fan in every sport. It is tough being a Cleveland fan but I hope it will pay off soon here with the Cavs.

Your offensive coordinator this year, Mike Bath, was a pretty successful college QB and played in Canada and the Arena League I believe. What did you learn from him?

He taught me a lot about the game. He was my 5th QB coach of my college career and I learned a lot from all of the coaches I had. Since he came in my senior year he did not try to change a lot of things about how i play, so he really asked what I felt I needed work on and he helped me to excel in those areas. I am grateful for this because those were areas that i needed to get better at and some coaches sometimes want a player to change how they are as a player in some ways and he did not.

What kind of offense did you run with Ashland this year?

We ran a pro style offense where we were under center a great deal of the game. We would be in the gun sometimes too, but most of the time it would be on known passing downs.

You only had one interception this year, how did you pull that off?

I attest the one interception to how I was brought up as a player. I was taught never to make a throw that you are not sure about, but always be sure where you are going to go. I also think that my accuracy has a good deal to do with it because there are sometimes when you have to fit a ball into a small window, and do it effectively.

Do you remember what happened on that play?

My interception happened on a screen play where one of our running backs swung out to the left. I threw the ball and it ended up bouncing off his hands then his face mask into a defensive lineman’s hands. We redeemed ourselves on the same play later in the game and scored on it.

I believe you are doing your pro day workout at Ohio State? What are you doing to prepare for it?

I am doing my pro day at Ohio State, and right now I am in Charlotte, NC training with a group of guys right now. My agent has had us all down here since the 2nd of January.

I heard Bill Belichick say this year in his opinion accuracy and intelligence were the most important qualities a QB can have, even more so than arm strength, how do you stack up on those two qualities in your opinion?

I feel that these two are my strongest abilities. My numbers alone back this statement up, but I feel to be a good quarterback one must study the game more than he thinks he has to. If you know what the defense is going to give you then sometimes it feels like you’re out their throwing against no defense.

Arm strength has to be somewhat important in the NFL though, do you think you have a strong arm?

Before I got to North Carolina for training I was not sure of my arm strength because I always compared myself to other D2 quarterbacks. Now that I am here though I know I have a strong arm because the guys that I am throwing to and the guys that are working with us have commented on my arm consistently. We have also worked with current and ex-NFL players and they have also said that I have an NFL arm.

I watched some (Facebook) video and it looked like you threw well on the move. Is this something you like to do? Do you agree its a strength of yours?

As a junior I did not throw as well as I would like to on the run, so in the offseason leading to my Senior year that is one area of my game that I worked on. Now I feel that it is a strength of mine.

How hard do you think it’ll be to adjust from a small school to an NFL style offense?

I know that the game will be a lot faster coming from a Division 2 school to the NFL, but just like in high school transitioning to college a quarterback must watch a lot of film and know the offense inside and out. Now i know that it will still be a major adjustment for me, but the more sure I am of the offense and what kind of defenses I will be facing the easier the transition will be for me.

Sometimes its the little things that can help a small school prospect stick, have you ever done any kick holding?

I have never done any in games, but I did some in practice when i was younger, but as I grew as a quarterback my coaches never wanted to put me back there.

Have you followed the success of the New England Patriots in the last decade or so? Any thoughts on them?

I have definitely followed their success and for any NFL fan it is hard to miss. I feel they are one of the best run franchises in the league with a good front office and coaching staff. It doesn’t hurt to have one of the greatest QBs of all time either.

There is an NFL kicker named Billy Cundiff, any relation?

(Laughs.) I get this question a lot, but as far as I know I do not think he is related to me. Cundiff is not a common name though so their might be a chance that we are.

Thanks Bill for talking to us. Good luck in your Pro Day and career.

I appreciate you doing this and look forward to reading the interview.

Filed Under: The Draft Tagged With: Billy Cundiff

2010 Patriots Daily Senior Bowl Review

February 2, 2010 By Greg Doyle 5 Comments

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

The Senior Bowl was played this past weekend in a sloppy showing that saw the North prevail over the South (what is this, 1865?), 31-13. There was no surrender at the Appomottox Court House, but there were plenty of first impressions of Senior prospects who’ll be in this year’s NFL Draft. Its important to note, sometimes players who had good weeks of practice have bad games. And sometimes players who aren’t all that good happen to have good games. This is just the first step in the evaluation process. The Combine will follow at the end of the month. There will be many school Pro Days and private workouts between now and then. Impressions will change. Players will race up and down “the charts” without playing much football. But still, the Senior Bowl is a fun tool for those of us who love the draft and love to see new players come into the NFL.

So what did we learn? Lets take a look, position by position, at the good, the bad and the ugly.

Quarterbacks:

Of course the story here was Tim Tebow, Florida’s legendary quarterback who’ll, no matter what you think of his NFL prospects, will go down as one of the great college players of all time. His day was uneven at best. He made some decent throws and actually completed 8 of 12 with at least one perfect throw being dropped. But still, the hitch in his delivery was present, the slow release and all the other technique issues that make him a project. I have always been a Tebow believer. I feel strongly the talent is there, the size, the smarts, the mobility, the arm, the accuracy even and with some good, NFL coaching for a year or two, he will be productive in the league. But its evident he has a long way to go. He did dispel the somewhat over-the-top criticism he can’t take a snap under center as he did so at least half the time Saturday. But he is a work in progress and it’ll take many, many more practices and much hard work before he is ready to successfully step on an NFL field as a starting quarterback. The best quarterback in the game right now was Tony Pike from Cincinnati. He displayed good field presence, accuracy and touch. Of all the guys on the field at QB Saturday, Pike was the one who looked most NFL ready.

Running back:

Dexter McCluster from Mississippi had an uneven day. He looked a bit sluggish as a receiver running routes and fumbled once when hit head on. He didn’t show his usual explosiveness in the return game either. But one late burst on a screen play late in the game was impressive and shows once he gets an offense down, the speed and elusiveness is there and can open up an offense. Joique Bell was a small school kid from Wayne State who got a chance to play with the big boys and had his moments. Early in the game he showed both power and speed running the ball. He has a good 220+ frame and good quickness. But he struggled later and did put a ball on the ground though the offense recovered. He has a ways to go but has some obvious talent and size. LeGarrette Blount from Oregon made a nice showing with power and hard running. He’ll need to answer character questions as he missed most of 2009 due to a suspension. And his speed is only adequate. He’s never been used much in the passing game. But he has power and size and runs hard. It was a good day for him and a good first step.

Wide Receiver:

Jacoby Ford from Clemson showed off his world class speed a number of times on a reverse early in the game and an electrifying punt return. For the Patriots, Ford would solve a lot of problems. He has the kind of rare speed to stretch the field while also being able to play effectively inside in the slot. He has great kick return potential as well. He may even last to the second round, where the Patriots have three choices. Jeremy Williams from Tulane had a generally good day with six catches and a long run on a reverse. He has good size at 6’1″ 201 and looked to be a solid route runner. But he did drop one easy perfect throw from Tebow that would have converted a first down. Mardy Gilyard from Cincinnati was probably the best receiver in the game, topping the 100 yard mark and scoring a touchdown. He also showed return ability. With more positive displays before the scouts such as this one, it would be no surprise if Gillyard ended up in the first round of the draft.

Tight End:

Alabama tight end Colin Peek had a workmanlike day where he displayed good wheels and nice hands down the seam. He is somewhat of an under the radar player who wasn’t featured too much by the Crimson Tide, but has good ability and nice height at 6’6″. The Patriots will likely be in the market for a tight end. Peek is the type of mid-round guy they just might love. He scored the South’s only touchdown of the day. Garrett Graham from Wisconsin also displayed good foot speed and hands and the ability to get down field and create match up problems for linebackers. The Patriots likely need a pass catching tight end type, unless they feel Rob Myers is a sleeper in that regard. And Graham was the on guy in this game who looked like he could fit that bill.

Offensive Line:

The best lineman of the day for me was LSU’s Cirion Black who showed a combination of strength, good footwork and relentlessness in playing the game. Much talked about guard Mike Iupati from Idaho struggled mightily early in the game at right guard and appeared uncomfortable there. Later, when he switched to his more natural left guard spot, he performed much better. Yet, he appeared more of a mauler type and not a particularly good athlete. The Patriots prefer better athlete on their line and Iupati did not appear to be their style of player. Boston College’s Matt Tennant struggled some at center and it appears he will need to gets stronger before he is ready to play in the league. Pencil him in as a mid-round choice who’ll have to undergo serious NFL strength and conditioning coaching and improvement. Arizona State’s Shawn Lauvao caught my eye holding his own against Alabama’s massive tackle Terrence Cody in the second half. Lauvao played mostly tackle this year for the Sun Devils, but played guard for them in the past. He played guard Saturday. The Patriots may like his tenaciousness and versatility, though it appears he may need to bulk up a bit as well.

Defensive Line:

There were two extremely impressive lineman for me during the game, those being Dan Williams from Tennessee and Cam Thomas from North Carolina. Williams has all the tools and could be a top 15 pick. He can play inside and outside in a 3-4 and would fit the Patriots perfectly, though they may have to move up to get him. He is polished, stout at the point of attack, plays hard and is very disruptive versus the pass. He seemed skilled at diagnosing screens as well. Thomas looked like a prototypical nose tackle who caused a ton of problems for opposing linemen. He had a sack, which isn’t his forte, but also was very stout against the run. At 330 lbs., he’d fit perfectly on the nose for a 3-4 team and improved his stock immensely on Saturday. Somewhat unheralded, he may now have moved up into the second round of the draft. Another player who really caught my eye was Georgia’s Geno Atkins who made a ton of plays and was very active. He may be a bit undersized for the Patriots, though he looks capable of being an end and could possibly fit with them there. A pure hustle player who looked like a 3-4 end to me and a more talented version of Mike Wright was Penn State’s Jared Odrick. The team that drafts Odrick will get their money’s worth as he can play all 3 downs and his motor never stops. He has solid talent as well and is equally good against both the run and pass. He is just a good football player, not spectacular at anything, but very good and hard working at all aspects.

Linebacker:

I included Michigan’s Brandon Graham here, though he played pretty much straight 4-3 defensive end in the game. Graham was easily the game’s MVP, racking up 2 sacks, causing a fumble and generally terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. Reportedly, the Patriots worked him out earlier this week and spent a lot of time with him. Mike Mayock compared Graham favorably to former Michigan end Lamarr Woodley, now a starting linebacker for the Steelers. To me, he reminded me somewhat of former Patriots Willie McGinest, albeit a bit shorter at 6’2″. In any event, his pass rush skills are beyond dispute after the display he put on Saturday. He is good against the run. The question is, can he play standing up at all? He didn’t Saturday. Can he be an outside linebacker? Should the Patriots even care anymore? What is wrong with having a designated third down rusher if he is superior at it? It says here Graham can convert to OLB, but it may take some time. He clearly is a good, physical and relentless football player. If he is merely a situational pass rusher his first year, so be it. But if you add him, he will make plays for you in 2010. One of the other two players who stuck out to me at linebacker was TCU’s Daryl Washington who was an inside linebacker in college but played outside Saturday. He was good, showing solid instincts in the passing game and good tackling ability. He has a 6’3″ frame but only checks in at 228 right now, a bit small for Patriots linebackers. But perhaps its time the Patriots not be so beholden at linebacker to “the mold.” Washington can play football. Its obvious. He is smart, he is physical, he’s quick, he’s a good tackler. At one time Tedy Bruschi was undersized for a 3-4 as well. That turned out all right. Washington can put on weight. And the Patriots should consider him even if he doesn’t fit their traditional requirements. San Jose State’s Justin Cole also looked to have a good day to me. He has more of the Patriots prototypical size and he’s played outside before. He has a little bit of everything, good size, movement, pass rush ability and long arms. He’s probably a mid-round choice but may make a good outside linebacker project for a 3-4 team. On the other side of the spectrum, Miami’s Darryl Sharpton I thought looked like he lacked instincts and didn’t pack a punch when he did make a tackle. I was unimpressed. South Florida’s George Selvie is a player I liked during the college year, but he is a college defensive end who is trying to convert to linebacker as well. He looked completely lost out there, as much as anyone on the field at any position, and did not make any plays. Though he has great size and talent, its apparent its going to take time with Selvie. While I’m not completely down on him and think there is plenty to work with to turn him into an NFL linebacker, that it will probably take him at least a year, maybe two, probably removes him from any first and possibly even second round consideration.

Defensive Back:

Probably the defensive back who had the best day was Florida State’s Patrick Robinson, a cornerback. Robinson looked comfortable and quick, providing good coverage and good run support. Solidly built he is another player who perhaps won’t flash the amazing athletic ability of other corners, but is solid in every way, tough, physical, smart and will be a good corner in the NFL for many years. Alabama’s Javier Arenas had an uneven day, displaying good instincts at time and making a nice return on special teams, but getting beat for a long touchdown by Gillyard. Arenas is a good player and reportedly a leader, but not talented enough to be a great corner in the NFL and is probably a mid-round choice. He’ll help some team with his excellent kick return ability, however. Two safeties who had good days include USC’s Taylor Mays, who had an interception and was active in run support and Nebraska’s Larry Asante. Mays at one time was considered a sure-fire top 5 pick. Then he had a mediocre year this year and its even a question whether he’ll go in the first round now. He did a lot to rehabilitate himself Saturday with a very strong day in which he looked like a leader on the field and played with intensity. Asante is a tough, physical, smart safety who’ll probably start in the NFL for ten years.

Filed Under: The Draft Tagged With: Brandon Graham, Cam Thomas, Cirion Black, Collin Peek, Dan Williams, Darryl Sharpton, Daryl Washington, Dexter McCluster, Garrett Graham, Geno Atkins, George Selvie, Jacoby Ford, Jared Odrick, Javier Arenas, Jeremy Williams, Joique Bell, Justin Cole, Larry Asante, LeGarrette Blount, Mardy Gilyard, Matt Tennant, Mike Iupati, Patrick Robinson, Shawn Lauvao, Taylor Mays, Tim Tebow, Tony Pike

First Impressions – the Houston Texans

January 2, 2010 By Greg Doyle Leave a Comment

It says here the Patriots should play to win this week in their matchup at the Houston Texans just like the Giants did in ’07. If anyone is borderline injury-wise, it would make sense to leave them out of the game. But besides that, it would make sense because there is a possible advantage to the third seed that could come into play if the Patriots lose and Cincinnati wins. Recent history suggest there is something to the momentum theory as well. Beyond that, the sound of 11-5 is better than 10-6. In addition, the game means something to not only the Patriots but their opponent in terms of who gets in and other teams. Unlike in ’05 when the Dolphins game was pretty much meaningless (aside from seeding).

It worked for the Giants as we all know what happened in 2007. So if it was me filling Bill Belichick’s decision making shoes, you’d see Tom Brady the entire game. And Randy Moss. And Wes Welker. And anyone else that was healthy and important. And you’d see a game plan designed to win. At 11-5, heading into a home playoff game with a win and clicking you’d have to view the Patriots as a dangerous team.

Will it play out that way? Will the Patriots play to win? We’ll find out Sunday at 1PM.

QB Matt Schaub (#8):

Schaub is a very big, strong-armed quarterback with great tools and an ability to move around the pocket. He is still prone to bouts of inaccuracy, but is a coming into his own as one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. He has had some problem with injuries in the past. Back in 2005, threw for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns with a 112.1 QB rating filling in for an injured Michael Vick against the Patriots, though the Patriots won 31-28. Largely on the strength of that performance, Houston traded for Schaub with results finally starting to payoff big this year. With the Patriots occasional struggles in the secondary, it’ll be interesting to see how they do with the productive Schaub.

RB Arian Foster (#37):

Foster is an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee who is starting due to injuries in the Texans’ backfield. He had his best game last week with 97 yards in a Houston win. It was somewhat of a surprise he wasn’t drafted after putting up over 3,000 yards in college and having a decent size/speed combination.

WR Andre Johnson (#80):

Possibly the best wide receiver in football and one of the most dangerous offensive weapons around. Johnson has it all, size, speed, great hands and strength. He can get deep behind a defensive back, but also take a short pass the distance many times with the awesome skills he has. For the second year in a row, Johnson is up over 1,500 yards receiving and had 9 touchdowns on the year. Stopping Johnson will be a key to how the Patriots’ defense performs Sunday.

DE Mario Williams (#90):

Williams was a controversial pick by the Texans at #1 overall a few years back ahead of Reggie Bush. It has proven to be a wise decision. Williams is one of the more dominant defensive linemen in the league and a real chore to block one on one. He’s effective versus the run, but a monster to handle as a pass rusher. Still just 24 years old, Williams has had a slightly less effective season than the previous two, but still has 8 sacks on the year. You can be sure he’d like to get to double figures for the third year in a row. The Patriots will have their hands full handling him.

LB DeMeco Ryans (#59):

A tackling machine, the 6’1″ 250 lb. Ryans is now a regular amongst NFL defensive tackles leaders annually. Active and quick, he is a good football player who has been a leader for the Texans since his rookie year. Ryans was the predecessor to the Patriots’ Jerrod Mayo as NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Though the Texans rank somewhere around the middle of the pack in both passing and rushing defense, its not the fault of Ryans who usually is as active a playmaker as you’ll see from a middle linebacker.

Houston Texans Official Site

Houston Chronicle Texans Fan Blog

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First Impressions – Patriots vs. Jaguars

December 26, 2009 By Greg Doyle Leave a Comment

The Patriots come into Sunday’s final regular season home game with a chance to reach their first goal, wining the AFC East. A victory assures that goal will be accomplished for the Patriots. Their chances look good, as they’ve yet to lose at home. Standing in the way are the Jacksonville Jaguars whose own playoff chances are remote. What chances they did have were probably blown last week with a late David Garrard interception against their division rivals, the Colts, at home in a 35-31 loss.

Look for the Patriots to throw the ball here some as Jacksonville is the worst team in the league rushing the passer and do not cover that well either. The Patriots will mix in some runs against a good Jaguar run defense, but this could be a game that gets Tom Brady going again and his first big game in some time.

And in the end the Patriots, with a flawed, younger team, may just walk out of yet another “hat and t-shirt game” victorious and wearing same proclaiming “2009 AFC East Champions.” And that will be one high point in what has otherwise been somewhat of a disappointing year. It also should serve as a reminder the year is not over and nothing has been decided as of yet.

Perhaps more hats and t-shirts are to come?

QB David Garrard (#9):

Garrard is a decent QB who may have had one of his better years throwing the ball. He’s gotten more accurate as his career has gone along and is completing 60% of his passes this year. He generally avoids big interceptions and has never really turned it over a lot throwing. He does have a tendancy to fumble, however, and has fumbled an incredibly high 13 times this year, losing it to the opponent 8 times. He throws well on the move and is strong at 245 lbs., but he’s been sacked 37 times so far this season. Occasionally, Garrard will take off and run and is dangerous in that aspect. It seems one thing Garrard has never done well is play effectively down the stretch against good teams. He has had a tendancy to play smart, keep a game close and then make a killer mistake against a good team late to kill the Jags chances. It happened just last week versus the Colts. Garrard has never beaten the Patriots as Jacksonville has lost all three games he’s appeared in against them.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew (#32):

Jones is a fun player to watch. A mere 5’7″ he is strong as an ox and bounces off and runs through defenders regularly. The rest of the time he is elusive and fast and easy to lose track of on defense. This season Jones-Drew has taken his game to the next level, surpassing 1,000 yards rushing for the first time while maintaining effectiveness in the passing game. Despite his stature, he is good around the goal line and has pounded in 15 touchdowns this year. Jones-Drew has hit the 100 yard rushing mark in a game 5 times this year with 97 in another game. The Patriots did a good job against him in the running game in the 2007 playoff game against the Jaguars, holding him to 19 yards rushing. But in 2006, his rookie year, Jones-Drew ripped them up for 131 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Jones-Drew was born Maurice Drew but was raised by his grandparents. When his grandfather, Maurice Jones, passed away from a heart attack while the younger Maurice was at UCLA, the name was changed to Jones-Drew to honor the grandfather.

OT Eugene Monroe (#75) and Eben Britton (#73):

One of the stories of this game will be how well the Patriots can take advantage of Jacksonville’s two bookend rookie tackles. Monroe was the Jags first round choice in this past draft while Britton was the team’s second round choice. Reportedly the Patriots had a lot of interest in Britton prior to the draft. Monroe attended Virginia and was taken with the 8th pick in the draft. He’s started 11 of 13 games and played pretty well. He has an excellent future in the NFL, but still occasionally is prone to get overwhelmed by experienced defensive linemen or complicated defensive schemes. He was benched at one point due to a drop in play, but since is starting again and playing better. Britton has started all 12 games he’s played in. He’s pretty athletic but could use getting a bit stronger. He has held up okay this season and played decently, the upside is there, but look for the Patriots to dominate him if all their defensive linemen are healthy.

DT John Henderson (#98):

Henderson is a massive 6’7″ 335 lb. inside presence who helps the Jaguars stop the run. And they have done so pretty effectively this year, limiting opponents to 103 yards per game and a mere 3.9 per carry. A 2-time Pro Bowler, Henderson is actually one of the Jaguars more effective pass rushers too. He’s gotten to the QB 3 times from the inside on a team that ranks last in the NFL in sacks with a mere 14 for the year. Henderson has been extremely durable for the Jaguars, missing only 3 games in his 8 year career.

S Reggie Nelson (#25):

One of the reasons the Jaguars have been very inconsistent in pass coverage is the play of Nelson, which has to be considered disappointing. Nelson, their former first round choice, has all the tools and is supremely talented. But his reactions at times are slow and he misses tackles trying for the big “Sportscenter” hit sometimes. He has flashes, but like the rest of the Jags secondary, to many lapses. Look for the Patriots to throw on Sunday and take advantage of a secondary that at times seems out of sync.

Jaguars official site

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First Impressions – The Buffalo Bills, Round 2

December 18, 2009 By Greg Doyle Leave a Comment

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

The Patriots see their last division game come this Sunday in their second match up with Buffalo, who they saw in the opener. Once again, it would seem to make sense for the Patriots to pound it on offense. These Bills are very injured and banged up on defense and essentially are at least in nickel as a base defense most of the time. They are last in the NFL in rush defense and giving up 5.0 yards per carry, which is an unheard of high number in the NFL. In contrast, against the pass the Bills are effective, can rush the passer a bit and have an outstanding 10 to 25 touchdown to interception ratio by opposing quarterbacks. It’ll be bewildering if the Patriots, who ran more than usual last week, don’t show even more a commitment to that in the cold and blustery December Buffalo weather against a team that is simply pitiful against the run.

On offense the Bills will try to play conservative with an occasional long ball to Terrell Owens and Lee Evans. They’re gonna try to win this game 16-13. The Patriots simply can’t give up big plays and if they don’t, Buffalo will have a very hard time moving the ball consistently.

Lets take a look at some Bills who figure into this game:

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (#14):

A Harvard grad, Fitzpatrick has essentially taken over as Buffalo’s starting quarterback. The fact is Fitzpatrick is a smart quarterback with a very strong arm but simply lacks the accuracy to ever be a regular starting quarterback. He can do a competent job filling in and even occasionally make some excellent throws and plays, but he just hasn’t shown an ability to do it consistently. Fitzpatrick was formerly a 7th round choice with St. Louis who is now with his 3rd NFL team. For the year, Fitzpatrick has played in 8 games and 5 times he has had a QB rating of less than 70. He has thrown 5 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. His QB rating for the season is 60.2. One of the good things you can say, however, is the Bills are 3-3 in games he started, 2-5 in games he hasn’t. He can scramble a bit, so that is something the Patriots will have to look out for.

Offensive Lineman Kendall Simmons (#71):

Simmons was with the Patriots earlier this season having signed with them on September 6, 2009. He played in one game when he was, reportedly reluctantly, released when the Patriots needed to make room on the roster to account for injuries at other positions. Simmons then signed with Buffalo on November 24th and started 5 days later in a win versus Miami. He has started all 3 games at guard since joining the Bills. In fact, in 81 career NFL games the only one he has not started was the one game he played for the Patriots this year, a 59-0 win for New England. Simmons won two Super Bowls with Pittsburgh during the 2005 season and last season, though he was on injured reserve for the game last year.

TE Jonathan Stupar (#88):

Tight End Jonathan Stupar, who went to college at Virginia, originally signed after graduation with the Patriots in May of 2008. After being waived at the end of training camp last year by the Pats, he hooked on with the Bills practice squad and was activated to the regular roster towards the end of last year. He showed some promise this preseason as both a blocker and a pass catcher, leading the Bills in receiving their first 3 exhibition games. Now on the Bills regular roster, he is showing potential there as well having caught a pass in each of the last three games, two of which were wins. Stupar is the nephew of former Giants Super Bowl winning quarterback Jeff Hostetler and the son of a former Penn State offensive lineman. He has a brother who is a linebacker with Penn State now.

LB Bryan Scott (#43):

Scott, normally a safety throughout his college and NFL career, is playing linebacker for the Bills at the moment. The Bills are essentially playing a base 4-2-5 defense with Scott in the starting lineup and that is a major reason why they have been very good defensively versus the pass, but horrendous against the run. The way-undersized Scott (for linebacker) simply isn’t equipped to effectively play the run. Combine that with the undersized Bills at other defensive positions and they are the most inviting team in the NFL to try and manhandle.

Interim Head Coach Perry Fewell:

Fewell took over the team this season when Dick Jauron was fired on November 17, 2009. He has gotten the 3-6 team he took over to go 2-2 under him with every game being competitive (the losses were by 3 and 6 points). Fewell is 47 years old and has done a good job in the NFL as an assistant coach, sometimes with limited talent to work with. This week Fewell recalled meeting Bill Belichick for the first time in 1997 when Belichick was there scouting Corey Chavous. “I’ve always admired him, studied some of the things he’s done throughout his career. We’ve never worked together or coached together, but in your coaching career you look at people and like some of the things they do and you try to emulate those things” said Fewell this week. He’ll get a chance this Sunday to have the thrill of his so-far short head coaching career by topping Belichick’s team.

Bills Resources

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Filed Under: Opponents

First Impressions – The Carolina Panthers

December 10, 2009 By Greg Doyle Leave a Comment

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

So it’s the Carolina Panthers in Foxboro for the reeling Patriots this week, losers of 3 of the last 4 games. Are you going to run the ball this week, boys? After all, Carolina is giving up 133 yards rushing per game and 4.6 per attempt. Some of their most effective players are either pass rushers or defensive backs who are adept at making plays in the passing game. It would seem this isn’t a game that calls for “balance” or “spreading the field” but instead good old fashioned pounding of the ball in December against a southern team in cold weather that isn’t very good defending the run to begin with and has little playoff hopes. Seems a no-brainer right? Add in the various injuries Tom Brady has suffered lately, i.e. his knee last year, his finger and, reportedly, perhaps his ribs as well and you’d think this would be a nice game to really commit to running the ball and letting Tom take a few less hits than could be the case from Peppers, Beason and the boys on Carolina’s defense.

So will they do it? Who knows? Nothing seems to indicate they will. They seem strangely committed to spreading it out a certain percentage of the time come hell or high water. Logic or no logic. Take two weeks ago against New Orleans. First drive is a thing of beauty, right. Laurence Maroney is pounding it 7 times for 39 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots run it 9 times overall. They score and take 8 minutes off the clock and take a nice 7-3 lead. Seems to me the Saints haven’t proven a thing yet in terms of stopping that kind of offense, right? So what do the Patriots and Offensive Coordinator-in-everything-but-title Bill O’Brien do on the next drive? Why come out spread five wide of course. And promptly all momentum is gone with an interception on the first play.

And what about last week? There the Patriots are, up 21-19 in the fourth quarter. They probably should have had a larger lead, but it is what it is, right? Just get out with a win. In the second half, they hadn’t run much but there they were 2nd and goal on the five with under ten minutes left. Their 6 rushing attempts in the second half had led to 28 yards. Sammy Morris had just ripped off gains of 10 and 7 yards on his last two carries to even get you down to five. The Dolphins appeared to be tiring. A touchdown here makes it a two score game. Line it up and run it, right? Even if they stop you on second down you probably get the clock down to under 9 minutes. Run it again on third down and at worst you probably are settling for a field goal with under 8 minutes to go. And rather than only a field goal, the Dolphins owould need a touchdown to win. The Patriots never did give up a touchdown on defense the rest of the game and the Dolphins did get stopped twice on offense before getting the winning field goal on their third drive. Had the clock run more on this critical drive inside the Dolphins ten and it been a touchdown needed for the Dolphins instead after field goal, I like the Patriots chances there. Hell, I even like their chances to get the virtual game clinching five yards and touchdown the way Sammy Morris was running the ball. Did any of that happen?

No, the suddenly fascinated by bright and shiny toys (known as Wes Welker, Randy Moss, Tom Brady and the spread offense) Patriots decided to throw the ball illogically, incredibly and ridiculously into traffic. Interception. Game on. The old Patriots don’t do that. The old Patriots pounded opponents late in the game. The old Patriots played smart, tough, physical football. Spreading the field and getting the lead was for earlier in the game and had its place. But ending the game? Imposing your will late and pounding it? That was as much a part of the 3-time Champion Patriots as anything else. Where has that gone, Bill Belichick? What happened to toughness on offense? When are we just gonna run against teams that aren’t that good defending the run? Or are tiring? Do we really have to be balanced if one team isn’t as good in one are of defense as the other? Or are tiring? I long for those long drives in the second half of the 2004-2005 Colts games. I long for those Patriots team that didn’t want to be the Colts, they wanted to be the tough Patriots and pound the soft Colts. Where have they gone? Why did they lose their way?

In any event, this week its Carolina. Its December. Its at home. The Panthers are not good against the run. Tom Brady is a bit banged up. Can the Patriots please, for the love of football, run the damn ball?

Lets take a look at some of these Panthers:

Quarterback Matt Moore (#3):

Moore will start for the injured Jake Delhomme this week and frankly, its probably an upgrade for the Panthers as it would be near impossible for Moore to play at a lower level than Delhomme has this year. It’s remarkable the Panthers gave Delhomme a very large new contract before this season with a lot of guaranteed money given the evidence of his declining play for several years now. What is unsure is whether that says more about the Panthers mismanagement or backup Moore’s inability to be a NFL starter. Moore is 25 years old and has been in the NFL for several years now and will be starting his 5th career NFL game against the Patriots. He holds a TD/INT ratio of 3/7 so far and a QB rating of 64.0 for his career. If the Patriots much-maligned passing defense can’t hold Moore down, then you know they’re really in trouble. Moore, who started his college career at UCLA, eventually transferred to Oregon State and led them to a 10 win season as a starter his senior year. It was somewhat of a surprise he went undrafted as he was projected higher than that. There is some talent here, but he lacks NFL experience and a true chance so far. Patriot nemesis A.J. Feeley is the backup should Moore struggle.

Running Back DeAngelo Williams (#34)

Williams is one of the better young backs in the NFL and a back the Patriots have caught some flack for passing over in favor of Laurence Maroney. While his first two years were solid, it was last year that Williams became one of the NFL’s best with over 1,500 yards rushing and a stellar 5.5 per carry. This season Williams hasn’t been quite as dynamic and missed last week’s game to injury, but he still has over 1,000 yards and is averaging 5.2 per carry. Only in his fourth season, he is already Carolina’s all-time franchise rushing leader. It’ll be a difficult test for the Patriots to stop Williams, but if they can do so and put Moore in long yardage situations it’ll go a long way towards winning this game.

WR Steve Smith (#89)

Smith, of course, is a premier NFL receiver who had an excellent Super Bowl against the Patriots in a losing effort a few years back. For a guy of his slight stature, its amazing the numbers he has put up with over 8,000 career yards receiving at only 30 years old. Smith is an interesting guy who coaches his son’s soccer team and interns in the off-season in a Morgan Stanley office as a financial planning intern. He also has had some bad press in his career, throwing a sucker punch at teammate Ken Lucas. While his numbers are a bit down, probably due to some bad quarterback play, Smith is still obviously a very dangerous receiver who could torch the Patriots if they give the Panthers the time to throw.

DE Julius Peppers (#90)

Peppers is an outstanding pass rusher who is playing under the Panthers’ franchise tag this season. This past off-season a popular rumor had the Patriots strongly pursuing acquiring Peppers, but nothing ever developed. While the Patriots real interest in uncertain, Bill Belichick did speak glowingly of him as recently as this week and placed him amongst a handful of truly special players in the entire NFL. For the season, Peppers got off to a bit of a slow start as he dealt with hand injuries but has 8.5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles, a usual Peppers specialty. He also has an interception for a touchdown. The Patriots will surely have to dedicate extra attention to this always potentially game-changing player.

CB Chris Gamble (#20)

The 26 year old Gamble is one of the better corners in the NFL and was rewarded with a very lucrative 6 year $53 million dollar contract by the Panthers this past off-season. This week he’ll be charged with shutting down Randy Moss, assuming Moss plays, and allowing the Panthers to pay extra attention to Wes Welker. Gamble is a physical defensive back who plays equally well against run and pass and can make a play for an interception if the ball isn’t thrown perfectly. He’s a good player and enjoyable to watch on defense.

Offensive Coordinator Jeff Davidson:

Davidson is in his third season as the Panthers offensive coordinator and has done a good job, particularly for last season’s 12-4 team. This season the team has struggled, though they’ve largely been let down by their poor quarterback play. A former NFL offensive lineman, Davidson started with the Patriots under Pete Carroll and stayed on when Bill Belichick took over. He got his first training as a play-caller when Charlie Weis missed training camp in 2002 and Davidson called some exhibition games. After being Assistant Offensive Line Coach during Belichick’s first two season’s in New England, he added the title of Tight End Coach the next three and as such he was with the Patriots for all three Super Bowl wins. Davidson moved to Cleveland with Romeo Crennel as Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach before becoming Carolina’s Offensive Coordinator in 2007. Davidson is good friends with Charlie Weis and it is believed his recommendation played a big role in Carolina hiring Davidson as coordinator. While he runs clearly Weis-influenced and Patriots-influenced schemes, Davidson has been strongly run-oriented as a coordinator being well over a 50% running team on offense the last two seasons, something the Patriots haven’t done since Weis’ last year here in 2004.

Panthers official site

Charlotte Observer Panthers blog

Panthers fan message board

Filed Under: News

College Scout – December 5, 2009

December 5, 2009 By Greg Doyle Leave a Comment

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

This is our last regular season week of College Scout, though we hope to be back with a special Bowl Edition or two in a few weeks. Thanks for reading, I hope it proved useful for watching some games and perhaps later checking back on at draft time. Once again, it was enjoyable bringing it to you.

East Carolina vs. Houston (Noon ESPN2)

This is the Conference USA Championship Game with the winner slated to go to the Liberty Bowl. East Carolina has been playing very well of late, but slowing down the Houston offense is a very tall task for them. Should be a fun game.

DT Linval Joseph (#97):

Joseph is a very big man who was born in the US Virgin Islands. He checks in at 6’6″ 322 lbs. and has been dominant along the interior of the Pirates defensive line this year. For the season he has 54 tackles, and 3 sacks. He’s not a great pass rusher, but can occasionally chip in there. Run stopping would be Joseph’s forte and he is quite a large, physical and strong presence in the middle of the line. While only a junior, there is some thought Joseph will enter the draft this year and could be as high as a second round pick with the possibility of moving up. He’d appear to be a fit with the Patriots given his size, strength and production as an interior lineman who’d fit in the 3-4. At one time Joseph weight as much as 371 lbs. and he has lost anywhere between 50 and 60 lbs. since 2007. He does play with high effort, something the Patriots will appreciate.

DE C.J. Wilson (#95):

Wilson is Joseph’s teammate on the end of the Pirates defensive line and for the season has racked up 53 tackles and 5.5 sacks. That brings his total to 27 sacks for his career. He has been a starter for ECU since midway thru his freshman year and has always been a very productive player. Was first team Conference USA last year as a junior. Checks in at 6’4 278 lbs. Perhaps that is too small for the Patriots, but if he can bulk up a bit they may consider him.Wilson is a natural pass rusher who holds his own against the run and also gets involved in special teams and has had several blocked kicks in his career. Right now he looks to be about a mid-round choice.

QB Case Keenum (#7):

Keenum is another junior that could come out this year and be a very high draft pick after what can only be looked at as one of the better seasons for a quarterback in NCAA history. Though a junior football-wise, he did have a redshirt year so is on-track academically and that is another clue he may come out this year. Really there isn’t much left for him to prove at the college level. He’s completing over 70% of his passes. He’s thrown 38 touchdowns versus only 6 interceptions and over 4,900 yards this season. While he could probably stand to put on a little weight at the NFL level, he does have decent size, can move around the pocket and throw on the run and has a very good and accurate arm. If he comes out, there is a decent chance he’ll be a first round pick. Keenum is the son of a football coach. While its unlikely the Patriots would spend a high draft pick on a quarterback, they would like Keenum if they had the need in that direction. Some team will be lucky to get him, though he may take a year to adjust to an NFL offense.

CB Brandon Brinkley (#21):

Brinkley is a slim cornerback with good ball skills but who needs to shore up his run support abilities. His strength comes as a cover man, which he excels at. He came into the season with 7 career interceptions and has added 4 more this year. Brinkley has good times speed and a nice frame, but probably could add a few lbs. to make him more a fit for the mold of an NFL corner. Right now he probably projects as around a 5th round choice.

California at Washington (6:30 PM EST FoxSports Networks)

Washington is out of bowl contention but hoping to end on a two-game winning streak. California still has a chance for a 10 win season if they win this game and their bowl game. There really is no pressure here for anything, so it should be an entertaining game in which both teams let it all hang out, Washington hoping to go into next year on a positive, Cal hoping to head into their bowl game the same way.

WR Nyan Boateng (#8):

Boateng is an extremely gifted receiver with very good size at 6’2″ 211 lbs. A physical receiver, he can also very good speed. He was born in Ghana and came to the USA when he was 8 years old. Boateng started his college career at Florida and had some success there as a freshman, but got into some personal difficulties that led to him transferring to California after that season. After sitting out 2007, he returned for the Golden Bears last year and had a very solid season for a run-based team with 29 catches for 439 yards and 5 touchdowns. This year Boateng broke his foot and missed some time, so only has 10 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. Despite his modest college production, Boateng has a ton of talent and has reportedly matured a lot since his days at Florida. It was unfortunate he broke his foot this year, which has really held down his production. Perhaps a big bowl game will help his draft standing. But the talent is there and some team could get a late round steal if they take a flyer on him.

CB Syd’Quan Thompson (#5):

Thompson is one of the best cornerbacks in the country and a possible first round pick next year in the NFL draft. Some draft analysts have Thompson in the top 15 players in the entire draft and the top cornerback, though a lot of that is subject to change as there are all-star games, workouts and combines still to take place. Slightly undersized height-wise, Thompson is solidly built at 191 lbs. and very athletic. He is a dangerous punt returner for the Golden Bears. Has 7 career interceptions despite teams avoiding him this season. Thompson is reportedly a very high character guy, a team leader and extremely productive. If he falls towards the end of the first round or into the second, perhaps this is a direction the Patriots would look to go in.

LB Donald Butler (#9):

A smart, 6’1″ 235 lb. inside linebacker who is a very good college player, but may be a fringe NFL player. Butler is having a very solid season this year, leading the Huskies in tackles with 88 and also showing good coverage ability. This will be one plus in his favor in getting into the NFL. While Butler probably doesn’t fit with the Patriots, he could possibly fit somewhere else and get himself onto another team that runs a different type system. The issue will be proving his speed and athletic ability in the post-season.

DE Daniel Te’O-Nesheim (#66):

This guy is as relentless a football player as you’ll ever see. He just keep playing and playing and playing and harasses quarterbacks all day long. He is a 6’4″ 263 attacking type defensive end who came into the season with 19 sacks which he got thru a combination of speed, power, determination and just pure never giving up on a play. He’s added 7.5 more sacks this season and forced 3 fumbles. Te’O Nesheim not only has one of the more intriguing names in college football, he is also a very interesting prospect. It seems doubtful he could convert to linebacker for the Patriots and will likely have to play down in the NFL. While he lacks great athletic ability, he makes up for it in hustle and effort. It is likely he’ll only be a mid-round choice as he will test average at the combine, but some team could get a steal and a player who eventually terrorizes NFL quarterbacks in the right scheme.

Filed Under: The Draft Tagged With: Brandon Brinkley, C.J. Wilson, Case Keenum, Daniel Te’O-Nesheim, Donald Butler, Linval Joseph, Nyan Boateng, Syd’Quan Thompson

First (Second?) Impressions – the Miami Dolphins

December 4, 2009 By Greg Doyle 2 Comments

By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

The Patriots travel down to play the Miami Dolphins this Sunday at 1PM. At times, this stadium has been a house of horrors for the Patriots. While the Patriots have won 2 straight down there by comfortable margins, they are just 4-5 down there in the Bill Belichick years having lost 5 of 7 between the years 2000 and 2006. This year will not be easy either. While the Dolphins are injured and perhaps not as talented as New England at the moment, they are 3-2 at home while the Patriots are 1-4 (and the one win was essentially at a neutral site in London). This will not be an easy game and with the Patriots still reeling from an embarrassing performance Monday night against the Saints, on a short week and on the road for the second week in a row at a venue they traditionally struggle a, and a division game to boot, the panic around these parts could be about to double or triple. They’ll need a good effort to show they can move on past last week’s bad performance, and if they do it, it should be considered an impressive win for them.

Ricky Williams (#34):

Rejuvenated Ricky was playing well the last two years before injuries pretty much anointed him the sole option in the Dolphins’ backfield. But now that he is the featured back again, he’s put up three consecutive hundred yard games. For the year, he’s averaging a very impressive 5.1 per carry. These days, Ricky appears slimmer than his earlier run with the Saints and Dolphins. He is still powerful, but maybe a little less so then back when he was younger. But the amazing thing is, the slimmed down Ricky appears quicker and faster these days. In any event, he’s back being a very dangerous back and one the Dolphins will want to get going to control the clock on the Patriots and keep the ball out of Tom Brady’s hands.

Jake Long (#77):

Last year the Dolphins were coming off a 2007 1-15 campaign and had the first pick in the draft. They used it on this offensive left tackle, Jake Long. Its been worth it. He has been as good as advertised, solidifying the offensive line and dominating opponents. The Patriots showed their respect for him during the last matchup on November 8th when they shifted their best defensive lineman, Vince Wilfork, from his conventional nose tackle position to right end simply so he could matchup with the dominant Long. Long, a product of the University of Michigan, has been blocking effectively for Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne for many, many years as he also went to Michigan. He is a top notch run and pass blocker, but maybe slightly better at run blocking. It’ll be interesting to see if the Patriots repeat the Wilfork maneuver to counter Long or if they try something else to keep him a bit off-balance on Sunday.

Randy Starks (#94):

Starks is a Miami defensive lineman who has had his best year rushing the quarterback with 6 sacks thru 11 games, a new career high. He had a sack against the Patriots back in November and was generally disruptive up front. The former third round pick of Tennessee seems to be in the prime of his career at age 26 this month and is playing very well. While Starks is not the pure pass rusher you have to commit 2 guys to, with Joey Porter and Jason Taylor on his outside, he is the type of guy who can generate a push inside and beat a guard to the quarterback. He’ll also hold up well in the running game. Acquired in 2008 as a free agent, you’d have to mark Starks up as a good personnel move by Dolphins President Bill Parcells.

Cameron Wake (#91):

Wake has been a very pleasant surprise and another good acquisition this season for the Dolphins. Wake, who played at Penn State, got a tryout with the Giants in 2005 after going undrafted but was let go. After being out of football for a year, he signed with the British Columbia Lions of the CFL in 2007. In two season, Wake terrorized CFL quarterbacks with 39 sacks. Both seasons he was name the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the CFL. The Dolphins signed him this offseason and while he has been mostly a situational pass rusher, he has logged significant time at linebacker in a couple games. For the year he has 4.5 sacks and has displayed good pass rushing ability once again for a part-time role. He had one of those sacks in the earlier game against the Patriots and he is someone that could be overlooked by teams concentrating on Joey Porter or Jason Taylor, but if the Patriots ignore him he could have a big game.

Vontae Davis (#21):

The Dolphins first round pick this year is now a starter at cornerback. The first meeting against the Patriots, he had an up and down day with an interception but also getting burned several times by Randy Moss including on the game winning 71 yard go ahead touchdown for the Patriots. He is the brother of 49ers Tight End Vernon Davis and came out of college at Illinois after his junior year, so he is still young. For the season he has 35 tackles and 1 interception and is showing a lot of potential to be a shut down corner. He’ll still have his moments of struggle, but if the Dolphins can generate a good pass rush he is capable of making a big play Sunday.

Bill Parcells:

Parcells, of course, is well-known to Patriots fans having coached the team between1993-1996, including an AFC Championship his last year here. For me personally, I’ll always feel Parcells made me a better fan with a better understanding of good football and championship football even though he didn’t win one here. His four years here were a very enjoyable period of watching Patriots football for me and a prelude to the Championship years we saw later when Bill Belichick, his long time colleague, took over the team in 2000. Parcells, for all his personality quirks, good and bad, has had a remarkable NFL career as a coach and front office man. He has pretty much rebuilt five NFL franchises from ground level in the Giants, Patriots, Jets, Cowboys and now Dolphins. While for a time his weakness was said to be personnel, he has shot holes in that theory with good acquisitions and decisions in Miami in all areas, including hiring, veteran acquisitions and re-signings and the draft. Some day I’d like to see him voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame for his important contributions, though brief, to the franchise.

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Filed Under: Opponents

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