What a Moment

by Scott Benson
scott@patriotsdaily.com

Jim Nance was the featured attraction at the first Patriots game I ever attended, on a sun-dappled Sunday a long while ago. I caught him at his apex as a pro football player, the reigning league MVP on his way to a second straight AFL rushing title. The rest of the team wasn’t nearly as accomplished as he was, but the mid-60’s Nance could still control a game anyway.

I’m having trouble thinking of a modern-day comparison. I don’t think players like Nance exist anymore. This was a 240 lb. fullback who was the only rusher in AFL history to top 1,400 yards in a single season. At his peak, Nance strung 100 yard games together like popcorn - he’s still the only Patriots running back to lead the league in rushing two years in a row (66-67). Nance was first and foremost a punishing finisher inside (a ball-control machine and the team’s all-time leading touchdown scorer), but he had the kind of speed and elusiveness that lands a guy on the cover of Sports Illustrated (you could look it up). Even today, no Patriots back has had more 50 yard runs.

Truthfully, the Nance described above appeared just briefly during his seven year career with the Pats. He never again matched the dominance of his 66-67 seasons, when he ran for 2,700 yards in 28 games.

But his brilliance in those nascent days of the team makes him the most worthy recipient of your vote for this year’s inductee to the Patriots Hall of Fame.

This year’s vote, which continues through June, presents further opportunity to recognize those men who laid the foundation of the franchise that has since gone on to make NFL history. There can be no question that these are in fact the golden years of the Patriots, but how can we truly understand and appreciate their true significance without knowing - and honoring - from whence they came?

I expect that Ben Coates, the prolific tight end of the mid-90’s, will receive support that is certainly due him, as his feats are the freshest in our minds. No one would argue that Coates shouldn’t walk among the best Patriots ever. Only that Nance should go first, before our fading memories leave him behind forever.

I saw Nance a second and final time on a blisteringly hot and hazy Saturday some two decades later, at an open scrimmage between the Washington Redskins and Dick McPherson’s Patriots. The Patriots were at perhaps the lowest point in their existence, horrible on the field and even worse off it. More and more fans turned their backs, leaving the old Foxboro Stadium as an empty, ugly, gray bowl. They were like the proverbial tree, falling in the forest yet not making a sound. So as they began anew under the enthusiastic McPherson, they opened up the gates to anyone who wanted to show, if only to see Joe Gibbs and the ‘Skins, who would go on to win the Super Bowl.

Inside waited a number of current and former players, rallied to support the wounded franchise that they still viewed, by their actions that day, with pride. They welcomed fans, signed autographs, touted the team and generally lent goodwill at a time when it was needed most, and noticed the least.

Among them was Nance, fending off the heat under one of those floppy terrycloth hats. He didn’t seem a well man, still showing the disabling effects of a heart attack and stroke he had suffered nearly a decade before.

It just so happened this this time, it my son’s first time at a (sort of) football game. It struck me how once again, it was Jim Nance commanding our attention. Well, mine, anyway, and so I said, “Andy, you should go ask that man for his autograph. He used to be a great player when I was your age.” I was already thinking of what a kick my dad would get out of that when we got home.

Nance couldn’t have been more warm and gentle and great, with all of us who gathered around him. Even as the ravages of time and fate were weakening him, Nance lent a credible and dignified presence to a place and time where those things were in short supply, just as he had as a young man.

He was dead less than a year later, just 49 years old.

Now, one of the most successful sports franchises in America builds a football shrine just a few feet from where we beleagured few stood that day. A shrine that now will preserve some of the greatest moments in league history, and the litany of name and faces and teams most responsible for them. Much of it will be dedicated to men whose deeds are so recent we can still recall them, step for step. Good. They should be celebrated, and savored.

So too should be the grandest exploits of those who came before them, and who, even in the most unremarkable times, laid the bedrock on which this new shrine will stand.

Put the great Jim Nance in the Patriots Fall of Fame, where he undeniably belongs.

We Can Rebuild It

 by Chris Warner
feedback@patriotsdaily.com

Outside of my cynical outer shell, I am essentially a sentimental creature. I love stories with happy endings for underdogs. I still consider myself president of the unofficial Bam Childress Fan Club (aka “The Bamwagon”), even though he’s gone to the Eagles.

Coach Bill Belichick has taught Patriots fans that sentimentality will get you a biscuit and a pat on the head, but not much more. From Bernie Kosar to Drew Bledsoe to Lawyer Milloy, the coach has eschewed fan favorites to build what he considered a better team.

So, how does New England improve this year? On the negative side, they can’t do any better than 16-0; on the positive, we all know what 16-0 got them last season. In 2008, look for the team to take some chances. Time to rebuild with youth, get better as the season progresses and gain momentum going into the playoffs. Hey, it beats peaking in November at Buffalo.

Hence, some measured (and somewhat unfounded) predictions of where the Pats will make changes, keeping a consistent theme of youth.

Quarterback - The ballad of Tom Brady continues. I like to think of it as a happy, heroic song with many verses yet to be written.

Rookie to watch: Kevin O’Connell. A standout leader on a bad college team.

Replacing: Matt Cassel. More than any other position in football, the role of backup quarterback resembles that of an understudy. If the star goes down, you take the stage and all eyes look to you. Maybe Cassel’s big, it’s the pictures that got small.

(Okay, I’ll make you a deal: no more “Sunset Boulevard” references if you promise to bookmark Patriots Daily. Do it now before I change my mind.)

Running Back – Let’s match the player with his prototype: Laurence Maroney, starting RB; Sammy Morris, backup RB; Kevin Faulk, third-down RB; Heath Evans, utility RB (not quite any of the previous three, but a solid contributor).

Rookies to watch: Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Kenny Cattouse. Green-Ellis runs with power up the middle. Cattouse has great quickness. I’m teetering near my “Patrick Cobbs will make the team!” debacle of 2006, but they need a smaller, quicker RB to backup Faulk. I think Cattouse makes it. (Check this morning to see if I’m already wrong.)

Replacing: Right now, Kyle Eckel is a between-the-tackles-type runner who backs up at least two other between-the-tackles-type runners. Green-Ellis also fits that description. Shouldn’t the most prolific passing team in history get a backup receiving RB? Hello? Is this thing on?

Wide Receiver – Except for Donte Stallworth, the main gang returns: Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney. Chad Jackson gets his last chance to make Belichick look like the savvy dealmaker we thought he was when he traded up in round two in 2006 to get him (and by “we,” you know I mean “I”).

Rookie to watch: Matt Slater. He’s fast and he can return kicks. I know so little about him that I’m beginning to suspect a witness protection program at work here.

Replacing: Just as Jackson will get every chance to show what he can do, so shall Slater. He’d have to do something awful – like get videotaped taunting puppies – in order to have the front office fail to justify his selection in the fifth. Slater may take Troy Brown’s roster spot, although he will never take the same spot in our hearts (see the sentimentality?). If New England keeps only six receivers, say goodbye to free agent special teamer Sam Aiken.

Tight End – Do you think Benjamin Watson and David Thomas talk a lot while they’re in the trainers’ room? And if so, do you think they discuss their myriad injuries, or do they ignore them and, for example, list movies they both want to see?

Rookies to watch: Jonathan Stupar caught 40 passes last year at Virginia. Tyson DeVree caught 37 for Colorado. Both arrived last week as undrafted rookies. Thomas needs a backup and either Stupar or DeVree could fill that role. Stupar has a slight advantage as he seemed to stand out more in camp.

Replacing: Not sure where free agent Marcus Pollard fits. If they need a blocker, I see keeping Stephen Spach for a lot less cash. Most of the other TEs on the roster fill the pass-catching role.

Offensive Line – For a while after his last performance, I nicknamed Matt Light “Matt Darkness-Shall-Reign-Over-All-That-Is-Good,” but I’m over it. The starting o-line will stay intact. Maybe this year they’ll excel all the way through, instead of deciding at the Super Bowl to SMEAR FILTH ALL OVER MY DREAMS.

(Deepgreenforest, coolbluelake; deepgreenforest, coolbluelake. There. Better.)

Rookie to watch: Ryan Wendell, the center out of Fresno State, has the reported technique to become a developmental player. Early reviews of Josh Coffman haven’t been as positive, skills-wise.

Replacing: No one that I can tell. Unless the 6-7 Coffman puts on another 40 pounds (a feat he accomplished in college), Ryan O’Callaghan doesn’t have much to worry about.

Defensive End – If Richard Seymour can get back to his old self, he, Ty Warren and Jarvis Green make a ferocious rotation (Actually, they were still pretty awesome with the 2007 version of Seymour). Hang on, Mike Wright fans: he’s listed as a nose tackle below.

Rookie to watch: Casey Tyler. He’s got the proverbial motor of overachieving 3-4 defensive ends (much like Wright does). Would at least contribute as a strong practice squad player.

Replacing: I don’t see anyone. LeKevin Smith is better suited at end than tackle but has too much flexibility for the Pats to let him go (hope I haven’t jinxed him). The Patriots’ defensive line is like a T.V. makeup department: when they don’t do their jobs, it all goes ugly in a hurry.

Nose Tackle – Vince Wilfork plays mountain in the middle, with Wright spelling him for some passing downs. Wilfork has become one of the best in the game and has that certain je na sais quois of 3-4 nose tackles. Actually, no mystery here: he’s huge, quick and strong.

Rookie to watch: Henry Smith comes from Warren’s alma mater (Texas A&M), but that seems to be the only comparison thus far.

Replacing: As great as it would be to give some of Wilfork’s early downs to a younger player, those are some huge shoes to fill. Quick and strong shoes, too.

Inside Linebacker – Welcome back, Tedy Bruschi. Hope you get some help with Victor Hobson aboard. (Hey, you know what I just realized? The Patriots’ linebackers were old last year. Surprised no one said anything about that.)

Rookies to watch: Jerod Mayo, Bo Ruud. Despite dealing with the inevitable condiment jokes, Mayo appears to be the right find. He’s a heavy-hitting, intense player who should see lots of playing time. In other words, they won’t go light on the Mayo. (Ha! See? No one can resist!) Ruud, at 234 pounds, seems out of position in the middle but took reps there during mini-camp.

Replacing: I assume that Junior Seau shall continue to enjoy surfing. Eric Alexander hasn’t seen significant playing time since he started the 2006 AFC Championship (go figure). If someone can explain why Mayo shouldn’t be a part of the ILB rotation from day one, I’ll listen. (Then I’ll scoff. Fair warning.)

Outside Linebacker – Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel make the type of bookends you want to see in Gillette. Pierre Woods has been a strong special teams player but hasn’t made strides on defense that some expected (again, by “some,” I mean “I”).

Rookies to watch: Shawn Crable, Vince Redd. We’re looking at two tall, rangy athletes with experience in hoops (Crable in high school, Redd briefly at Virginia). Though New England’s defense is only slightly less difficult to figure out than cold fusion, each player’s versatility should accelerate the process.

Replacing: Woods and Ruud may not find their happy-ever-after in Foxboro. Crable could get the Wolverine welcome over Woods. Redd’s build and experience in a similar 3-4 college system mean that a UDFA will make the roster over sixth-rounder Ruud (look forward to the headline “Ruud Awakening”).

Cornerback – This position has seen more shifts than a hospital intern. Asante Samuel and Randall Gay left. Free agents Fernando Bryant, Jason Webster and Lewis Sanders arrived. Ellis Hobbs remains, along with practice-squad member Antwain Spann and second-year player Mike Richardson. Hmm. My chest hurts.

Rookies to watch: Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite, whom I shall officially nickname The Dubs (you read it here first, people). Small and fast, like rabbits but with better awareness, we hope. Of course, as rookies they’ll get burned – it’s only a matter of how badly, how often, and how quickly they learn.

Replacing: Wheatley and Wilhite (I won’t really call them “The Dubs” – it’s a little too skater-speak for me. But please, feel free to do so at home) will take over for Spann and Sanders. At over six feet tall, Sanders no longer belongs in Foxboro. They actually have signs outside the locker room that say, “You must be this short to play corner.” Richardson could stick around because he’s another young, quick guy whom the coaches seemed to like last year before his arm injury.

Safety – At free safety, James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather make up a strong duo. While Meriweather has been rumored to take over cornerback duties, the rookies will allow him time to develop at safety. Tank Williams will step in to relieve Rodney Harrison, who’s approaching his fiftieth birthday (I’m not exaggerating as much as I’d like to be).

Rookies to watch: They signed Mark Dillard (La. Tech) to a contract, but it’s tough to make a dent in the above rotation. Other than that, it’s possible that Slater will take the defensive side of the ball. Shoot, they’ll try Slater out at option QB to make sure he sees time on the field.

Replacing: Eugene Wilson signed with Tampa Bay (or, as I like to call it, Massachusetts South. You snowbirds know what I’m saying). The description of Willie Andrews as “blazing” refers to more than his speed after his February charge for marijuana possession. They’ll miss his special teams prowess, but the Patriots have paid a lot of attention to getting those types of players this off-season. Speak of the devil…

Special Teams – Longsnapper Lonnie Paxton and kicker Stephen Gostkowski have little rookie competition as yet (although TE Stupar reportedly snapped the ball over the weekend). The battle for punter has been ongoing for over two seasons now, with a virtual posse passing through Gillette. Incumbent Chris Hanson will face off against free agent Scott Player.

Rookies to watch: Mike Dragosavich had a successful tryout over the weekend, booming his punts inside the practice bubble. Out of 158 career attempts at North Dakota State, he had 47 over 50 yards and 61 inside the 20.

Replacing: Belichick and Co. want youth. Player is 38 and Hanson is 31. The situation looks solid for so-called Drago. Besides, any specialist with a nickname that involves “Rocky IV” is fine with me.

Here’s to a younger team with the leeway to rebuild. All the way to the Super Bowl.

(Deepgreenforest, coolbluelake. There. Better.)

Sunday Draft Links

logoby Scott Benson
scott@patriotsdaily.com

The Final Countdown (insidious earworm) to the 73rd Annual NFL Draft has begun, so its time to dust off the old Sunday Links coffee cup for a springtime spin around the morning papers. The locals are cranking up for a full week of Pats chatter, so let’s get started.

The Globe is focusing on a position group a day in their draft coverage, and this morning, it’s the quarterbacks. Naturally, BC’s Matt Ryan is at the top of the list, as he is on many draft boards around the league. Michael Vega has a sit down with the Eagle signalcaller, and then runs us through the gauntlet Ryan has had to run this spring as one of the NFL’s top prospects.

I’m thinking Ryan and the Baltimore Ravens may be the best things the Patriots have going for them in this draft. The former Heisman candidate has been rumored to be sliding down the Top Ten board as quarterback-needy teams like the Dolphins and Falcons seem focused on defensive players first. It appears, though, that the Ravens (picking at #8) won’t pass on Ryan, so if anyone wants to cut in front of them, theyll be trying to work a deal with either the Jets or the Pats at 6 & 7. How about the Panthers (#13) or the Bears (#14) as possible trade partners?

Mike Reiss takes a closer look at two more quarterback prospects - Lousiville’s Brian Brohm and Tennessee’s Erik Ainge. As Mike points out, the Pats could very well be intent on adding a quarterback to spice up the backup competition in New England, though its unclear just how high they’ll reach to do so. In the back of my mind, I’m leaving open the possibility of Chad Henne with one of their third round picks, but that’s probably just because he plays for Michigan. You can’t blame me.

Reiss closes out the Globe offerings with a jam-packed draft-based Notes column. You know, when you list Phil Savage’s off-season trades and signings all together like that, they look awful. You’d think he was general manager of the Broncos. Also, Jeremy Shockey couldn’t ruin the Super Bowl for the Giants, so naturally, he’d like to be traded to some team he can ruin. Naturally, some sucker will bite, which will further line New York’s draft pockets. The Giants are leading a charmed life these days.

Bill Belichick name-checked the 1991 Draft in his mid-week press conference, which sent John Tomase of the Herald and Jim Donaldson of the ProJo off on a search of the archives. Sam Jankovich and Joe Mendes? Can Coach Mac be far behind? Douglas Flynn of the MetroWest Daily News is eyes forward, though, as he scopes out the myriad possibilities that exist within those first six picks of next weekend’s draft.

Shalise Manza Young closes out the morning links with a look at the Pats defensive line group. 

On The Clock - Random Notes

draft_logo.jpgby Scott Benson
scott@patriotsdaily.com

Coach Bill Belichick held his annual pre-draft press conference yesterday at Gillette, so let’s run the transcripts under the black light to decode any secret messages….

Belichick acknowledged that the team has pared down the list of players they’ll consider with the 7th pick in the draft, which should happen around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday the 26th. The coach says quarterback is the only position exempt from consideration in that spot, and as he has many times before, he stressed you can’t fit a square peg in a round hole no matter how hard you try. The longview Pats will go for the best player they can get regardless of their perceived needs, and let Belichick sort ‘em out later. So if they pick a lineman or even a running back there, even after we fans have been combing through every linebacker and cornerback profile for the last three months, don’t say we weren’t warned. Or that we shouldn’t have known better in the first place.

If his comments yesterday mean anything, I’m guessing it won’t be a cornerback at #7. Belichick lauded the depth of the corner class, which may mean they’ll look to pick from the large group of secondary players that seem clustered in the second and third rounds.

Belichick may have put a damper on the hopes for an immediate impact from a linebacker when he opined that this year’s 3-4 class was “about the same” as the last few years, when the Pats noteably took a pass despite the advancing age of their existing unit. However, the Pats will reportedly pass on an offer to Carolina restricted free agent Adam Seward, which may mean they believe they can get a similar player with the fifth round pick they would have had to give to the Panthers. So there may be some smoke here - but all things considered, I’m not getting too set on a pass rushing edge player who can step in right away.

Belichick touched on the reduction to ten minutes per first round pick, and suggested this may make it harder for teams to make trades on the fly. This should make those first seven picks a lot of fun - with no clear cut first round choice, and a variance of opinion of the players to follow, teams are going to have to think and act quick as things sort out around them. If Matt Ryan comes sliding towards the Pats, for example, will that 7th pick become more attractive to a team(s) that wants to sneak ahead of Baltimore at #8? And will the teams have enough time to put together the right deal?

One thing we may already know. There’s 60 players on the roster now, and with 8 draft picks coming, you can expect up to a dozen UDFA signings in the days following the draft.

In other news, I’m happy to report the arrival of Chris Warner, the newest member of the Patriots Daily staff. Chris is a longtime Pats fan who will be writing our game recaps this fall. Right now, he’s in the lab cooking up a couple of draft pieces to go up next week. Stay tuned for that, and once again, welcome Chris.

In the meantime, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by.

2008 Schedule First Look

The NFL Schedule is out, and we’re here with the Patriots schedule for you, as well as some of our initial thoughts on what the season looks like for New England.

Week One: September 7th - vs Kansas City Chiefs 1:00pm (CBS)
Nothing like Herm Edwards coming to town on Opening day to match strategy with Bill Belichick to excite the masses.

Week Two: September 14th - @ New York Jets 4:15pm (CBS)
Early season grudge match with Mangini and Company. Expect plenty of “Spygate” rehashing.

Week Three: September 21st - vs Miami Dolphins 1:00pm (CBS)
Bill Parcells brings his new-look Dolphins into town for an early season test against the Patriots.

Week Four: September 28th - BYE WEEK
Pretty early bye week, especially considering that there are still four West coast road trips ahead. You’d think the league would schedule one in between there, rather than just prior.

Week Five: October 5th - @ San Francisco 49ers 4:15pm (CBS)
First of the four trips to the Pacific that the Patriots will take this season. 49ers fans might get to see the player they could’ve had with the seventh overall pick.

Week Six: October 12th @ San Diego Chargers 8:15pm (Sunday Night NBC Game)
Rematch of the AFC Championship game. Back to back West coast games. Will the Patriots just stay out West all week?

Week Seven: October 20th vs. Denver Broncos 8:30pm (Monday Night ESPN Game)
Another prime time game, this back home.

Week Eight: October 26th vs St Louis Rams 1:00pm (FOX)
Back to back home games give the Patriots a chance to heal a little.

Week Nine: November 2nd @ Indianapolis Colts 8:15pm (Sunday Night NBC Game)
A logical choice to kick off sweeps month for the networks. The Colts will also be coming off a prime time game with the Titans the week before.

Week Ten: November 9th vs Buffalo Bills 1:00pm
Another 1:00pm home game as requested by the team.

Week Eleven: November 13 vs New York Jets 8:15pm (Thursday night NFLN Game)
Quick turnaround, as the Jets invade Foxboro for a Thursday night game.

Week Twelve: November 23 @ Miami Dolphins 1:00pm (CBS)
Second game of the year with Parcell’s Dolphins.

Week Thirteen: November 30 vs Pittsburgh Steelers 4:15pm (CBS)
Looks like a late home game for the CBS network.

Week Fourteen: December 7 @ Seattle Seahawks 8:15pm (Sunday Night NBC Game)
Another trip out West for a prime time game.

Week Fifteen: December 12 @ Oakland Raiders 4:15pm (CBS)
Once again, do the Patriots stay out West somewhere in between the Seahawks game and this one?

Week Sixteen: December 21 vs Arizona Cardinals 1:00pm (FOX)
Back home for another 1:00pm game.

Week Seventeen: December 28 @ Buffalo Bills 1:00pm (CBS)
Closing out the schedule at Buffalo, the Bill showed improvement last year, could they be vying for a playoff spot here?

——————–
Overall Thoughts:

The Patriots got their wish of more 1:00pm starts at home, with five on the initial schedule.

However, of the Patriots sixteen games, only seven are at a traditional 1:00pm start. The West coast games play a factor in that for sure. Nine out of the Patriots sixteen games will be on at 4:00pm or later.

You would think that the Pittsburgh game on 11/30 is a potential flex schedule game, but one source says that CBS will hold onto that slot.

Five prime time games either on Sunday Night (NBC) Monday Night (ESPN) or Thursday Night (NFLN).

Give us your thoughts in the Comments

Playing Catch Up

by Scott Benson
scott@patriotsdaily.com

Long time no see, my friends. A quick look at the datestamp on my last post reveals its been exactly three weeks since we’ve had a chance to catch up on the Pats. Tomorrow the month of April begins, the most active off-season month for pigskin-deprived fans, so we better clean up any loose scraps that have been left hanging around. Grab a broom, will ya?

BACK TO WORK

The Pats re-assembled at Gillette this week for the start of the team’s off-season program. You have to ask yourself what it’s like to go an especially reviled 18-0, lose your final game in front of millions of people all over the world, and then come back to work about seven weeks later to start the whole process all over again.  

FOUR CORNERS

Since last we spoke at length, the Pats have added Jason Webster, Lewis Sanders and Fernando Bryant to compensate, at least in part, for the loss of free agent cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Randall Gay. I guess I like their chances at this point; Bryant, a nine year vet, has started all but one of the 110 games he has played in his career, and Webster has started 75 of his 87 career games. Sanders, a career backup, is an eight-year veteran of nickel and dime packages across the NFL. All that experience is good salve, at least on the last day of March, for the abrasion that still exists on the Pats secondary. They didn’t cash all those game checks by being, in the words of Initech’s Michael Bolton, no-talent assclowns.

But there’s more to be done, as Samuel had evolved to become one of the better corners in the league before he flew to the Eagles, and experience and savvy alone won’t plug that hole. The ubiquitous Ty Law debate has commenced, though Ty is still maintaining that he’s gotta eat. I’ve read enough threads at patsfans.com to know that I don’t know what to think about a Brandon Meriweather switch to corner. I can see the demand - a young player with promise to replace the pro bowl corner. But what do you give up at safety? When he came on at the end of last season, emerging as a mobile, athletic hitter, I envisioned a Meriweather-James Sanders tandem patrolling the middle of the field for some time to come. That may not be a short-term need (not with Rodney Harrison and Tank Williams set for 08) but it is for the long-term. What of this, if Meriweather moves to the front lines?

That brings us to the coming draft, in which the Pats have four of the first 100 picks (7th, 62nd, 69th, and 94th). Turns out it’s a better than average class of cornerbacks, thanks largely to the early entry of some top ranked juniors. So doesn’t it seem like the Pats ought to be able to add a prospect (or even two) to the mix by the end of this month, and Meriweather can be spared? I can’t figure out if the Pats would take a cornerback at #7 (seems they historically have liked the inside-the-hashmark player with their earliest picks), nor can I figure if there’s a ton of difference between the 1st and the 10th players to be drafted at that position. The draftniks all say that this year, there will be second and third round corners that will become starters in the NFL before long. So how does all this affect the ‘value’ standard the Pats will apply to the seventh selection of the draft? In other words, why pick a corner at 7 when you may have an equal chance with the guy taken at 62?

That’s the fun of the draft. Until it actually happens, anything is possible, and in our minds, quite likely.

HIS RIGHT FOOT

For awhile there, it looked like the Pats would take a flyer on Adam Seward, the restricted FA LB from the Panthers, and try him in the middle with (or even for) Tedy Bruschi. Yet nothing apparent has emanated from his visit to Gillette early this month. The theory is the Pats are stringing it out to make it less likely that Carolina would match an offer. Maybe so. But maybe they just got a good look at his right foot.

Linebacker is another area that’s attracting the attention of the draftniks, who dearly love to nail those top ten picks. The names of Vernon Gholston and Derrick Harvey are being uttered liberally these days, and fans envision an invigorated pass rush in 08. But as with corner, will the Pats actually take a linebacker at #7? It’s said there’s a better than average chance that Gholston will be gone by the time they pick, and while Harvey has been a decorated player, it’s uncertain whether he warrants the financial commitment that comes with 7th selection in the draft. It’s that commitment, and what it means to the team’s salary cap, that has some observers convinced the Pats will trade down. Which is cool with me, as long as I understand the following: who’s trading up, and for whom, and with what? If the Pats don’t want that pick, why does somebody else? And how bad do they want it? As bad as we think? The other day our pal Mike Reiss blue-skied a trade with the Panthers at #13, which would net an additional fifth round pick, or perhaps Seward instead. Seemed sort of underwhemling to me. I guess in that case, I’d rather have the 7th pick. I understand the concern aboout having a certain percentage of the salary cap tied up in an unproven player, but aren’t they all unproven players at some point? Wasn’t Richard Seymour (the only other top 10 pick the Pats have had in this decade)? Doesn’t it still come back to a test of your core principles in scouting a player? You’d have a hard time convincing me that there won’t be a single player available to the Patriots at #7 that won’t ultimately prove to be worth that investment. The trick is in finding him, something the Patriots are supposed to be good at.  If they pick the right guy, then over the long-term, the return dwarfs the initial risk, and they’ll be happy to have had that commitment. Even with Seymour’s durability issues throughout his career, the commitment they made to him in 2001 has since been more than justified. 

THANKS TROY

There may never another Patriot quite like Troy Brown, whose 14 year run with New England appears to be over. He came from humble beginnings, but he leaves  a king. No one got more from what God gave him than Brown, who rose from the 198th pick in the 93 draft to become a dynamic returner, a record setting receiver, and finally, an all-purpose Mr. Gadget who lined up at cornerback and even quarterback for the Pats. Through all of it, he was the epitome of everything we implore our athletes to be - humble, diligent, smart, talented, and more often than not, just plain heroic. Doesn’t it seem that one of the giant murals that hang outside the Gillette Stadium gates should be of Troy Brown? For good? Starting today?

All that said - I’m bouyed that the Patriots refused to be tugged by sentimentality here, now of all times. For now, their eyes must be fixed on the horizon, not on the past, as glorious as it often was. If you were ever going to linger too long, it would be for players like Brown, author of so many everlasting memories. But you do that, buster, and you’re only a few steps away from the white track suit, the whithered tan, and the delusional insistence of ‘greatness’ even as your team goes 4-12.

Nobody wants that.

THE MAN HAS A FAMILY, FOR GOD’S SAKE

I noticed this the other day; Aaron Schatz of FootballOutsiders.com took to ESPN’s web for a look at which quarterbacks took the most physical abuse in 2007. Check out #3. Aaron suggests that if you throw the ball on a preponderance of occasions, even above-average pass protection won’t keep your quarterback upright. And people of New England, I say to you: hail Aaron! Finally, a kindred spirit from the just sling it wilderness. Let’s build some Internet momentum on this grass roots movement. I hear all the time about the impact of candidate sites and blogs on the current presidential race; well, that’s fine, but doesn’t it seem like time the Internet was used for something important? We get this ‘Run First, Ask Questions Later’ movement on the rails and we’ll intimidate the Patriots offense all the way back to 1978.

LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS

I mentioned earlier I enjoy lurking on the message board at PatsFans.com, especially lately when the daily news on the Pats has thinned out. Yet if someone somewhere wrote something on the Pats, there’s usually a thread about it at PatsFans. It’s there that I first learned of a message board poster called ‘NEInsider’, who has been gathering some Internet attention (and let’s face it, that’s the best kind) with his posts on an ESPN message board. Allegedly, NEInsider is exactly that, a team employee with access to information that message board denizens would trade their prized avatars for. Hey, he spins a good tale, which he’s done on a few occasions to date. This is always picked up by someone who rides through the Internet countryside on horseback, alerting all the cybervillages that new word has come down from ‘inside’. At times, I’ve found myself hoping he was ‘inside’, especially when he breaks down on Spygate (Verdict: Pats Real Victims), or suggests that Dom Capers, known for his hyper-aggressive, blitzing defenses in Pittsburgh and Jacksonville, has already made a significant imprint on the Patriots defensive plans for 2008. One patsfans poster smartly suggested NEInsider’s Internet ‘credibility’ came mostly from the fact that he was telling other posters exactly what they wanted to hear. Guilty, here.

I can’t say I’ve been as impressed with his recent efforts (a little too heavy on the Goebbels for my taste, and that’s saying something), and his sporadic posts are now greeted with extended debate as to their veracity. Now I’m hoping he’s just Dave Somebody from Anytown, USA, havin’ a laugh, just livin’ the Internet dream, baby. He’s a pretty big deal down at the cracker factory. His every keystroke reverberates. I’m sure he’s noticed.

Because if it’s NOT that…..ugh. There’s something kind of ‘Ben and Jed, Theo didn’t make the Beckett trade’ about that thought.

APRIL FOOLS DAY

Every year I wonder if we should do some April Fools Day thing, but considering we haven’t posted in three weeks, I’m pretty sure that would be the proverbial tree falling in the forest. But if I did do something, it would have to be BELICHICK BANNED FOR LIFE! Someone could cause a panic with that, worse than any Lite Brite contraptions.

Of course, after April 1 comes April 2, which means there’s only 24 more days to the NFL Draft. I’ve got all my magazines (Lindy’s, Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly), which I plan to read real soon. I’m actually better with pictures - hey, there’s Glenn Dorsey on all three covers. I think they should get him. Seriously, I’m astounded by all the stuff that’s available to us these days, whatever it’s worth. I kind of lean towards Pro Football Weekly, as they have historically found something to dislike in everyone, which does wonders for managing my expectations. I like SN’s ‘Stacking the Board’ feature, where they slot players based on what their value is, instead of where they’ll be picked in the draft. Lindy’s has the excellent scouting reports of NFL Draft Scout, the great web site that’s home to legendary draftniks Rob Rang and Dave Te Thomas. I heartily recommend all three to you fledgling Larry Johnsons out there.

Anyway, short story seems to be that the draft is rich in tackles, running backs and wide receivers for the offense, and ends, outside linebackers and cornerbacks for the defense. If you’re looking for quarterbacks, tight ends or interior linemen, you’re up against it. If you’re in the market for defensive tackles, inside linebackers or safeties, you may have to wait at least another year.  

RUMOR INVENTORY V.2

 I’m still keeping track of draft rumors as best I can, and I figure it’s time to post an update, which is linked here. There remains a steady flow of scuttlebutt, and our list is now up to 55 players, with a concentration of cornerbacks and outsixde linebacker types at the top of the board. Have a look.

I should note a couple of changes to the chart: I’ve added a second contact column as Gillette visits begin to be scheduled, and the Sporting News has been added to our round projection calculation.

WHAT WE DID ON OUR MARCH VACATION

A couple of us have been combing through the results of the last eight Patriots drafts, on a mission that I’m quite sure we can’t define at this point. We’re concerned that if we try to rationalize this effort, we’ll have to confront the obvious fact that it’s pointless. It beats watching the snow melt though, so on we forge. We are chronicling our tentative yet courageous journey through the already-quite-widely known, and we hope to report back to you soon on the senselessness of our efforts.

WRITERS WANTED

I’ve mentioned this before, but we are sincerely interested in adding more voices to this page as we move towards the 08 season. Particularly if you see the games from a more technical standpoint, from position assignments to offensive and defensive schemes to weekly game plans, and you can clearly articulate what you’re seeing every week. It’s our intent to emphasize that sort of analysis this year if at all possible, so if you think you can help us do that, I’d love to get an e-mail from you at scott@patriotsdaily.com. The same goes for you guys that might be a little more, uh, visceral in your analysis of the Patriots. Anyone who can write and wants to is welcome to do so - there’s plenty of room for everybody. I’ll tell you what I tell everybody else - there’s no money in it, and people are going to try to hurt your feelings. I know, I know, it sounds too good to be true. And it is! I’ll look forward to hearing from you soon, then.

DON’T BE A STRANGER

We’ll be posting more often this month as the draft approaches, so check back when you can.

Looking Up

by Scott Benson
scott@patriotsdaily.com

The Pats lost Asante Samuel just as soon as free agency started, and it seemed for awhile they’d reached an impasse with uber talent Randy Moss. On the heels of a historic Super Bowl loss, things seemed to be getting worse for New England. News has gotten a bit better of late, albeit in a more understated way.

WE’RE PUTTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER

With all the sound and fury signifying Randy Moss, the re-signings of Jabar Gaffney and Kelley Washington slipped under the door with relatively little notice. I thought that Gaffney deal was bit odd - a year? - but that was kind of an important get for the Pats, given Moss’s return and the seeming commitment to carry forward the passing assault that set the record books on their ear last fall. For the second straight year, Gaffney stepped it up as they neared the wire. The game winning ‘catch’ in Baltimore stands out for me. If Gaffney had gotten away, the Pats may have struggled (based on the current roster) to find the right guy to fill his spot and force defenses to reckon with the Patriots other wideout. What happens after this year, who knows.

From my biased vantagepoint, it was also good to see Kelley Washington make his way back to Foxborough - his incredible palm block of that punt against the Jets elicited what was probably my single biggest “YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH” of the season. And I will steadfastly maintain that Washington flashed a little something as a receiver last August, before the big kids got out of school. I had visions of a big, intermediate receiver with a little pop after the catch. A nice fifth, or even fourth guy, if he can be consistent. I have no idea if that’s just my imagination. I hope not. 

Because with Stallworth gone, the Pats have a need in those 4th and 5th spots. You’d think the 36th pick in the 2006 draft would, by now, be ready to ascend into a regular rotation with the spread-em-out Pats, but Chad Jackson’s done so little in two seasons that he remains an unknown as he begins his third. We know Washington’s earned a spot on the team with his special teams play, but he may be asked to do more if Jackson dawdles much longer.   

Tedy Bruschi is back, and I think it was a Pats Fans poster who summed it up for me when he said (essentially), “glad to hear it. Hope it’s not to be a starter.” I revere Bruschi, but like the Wisconsin papers cried this week, time passes. And now it’s time to get going for the Patriots. Bruschi - at a pace that allows him to be at his best - can be a big part of sending them successfully on their way, and the rest of us can see once again a player who has long exemplified every single thing you’d want your team to stand for. 

As did the Great Troy Brown.

YOU’RE MY BOY, BLUE

Randall Gay must be the new Patron Saint of UDFA’s with this deal he just signed with the Saints. First, he got almost four million to sign, which is probably more than he’s made in his entire career. Six million is guaranteed of a possible seventeen over four years. He’s with his hometown team. Nothing wrong with that. You had to pull for Gay, the undrafted free agent who made it to the Super Bowl twice. Even my wife will tell you that Randall Gay Is One Of The Most Consistent Tacklers On This Team!, because I only yelled that at her thirty-three times this season. But this is the nature of the league - all they are is dust in the wind, is what I’m trying to say.

THE NEW FREE AGENTS ARE HERE! THE NEW FREE AGENTS ARE HERE!

As I’m writing this, John Tomase is reporting the Pats have signed former Titans safety Tank Williams to a one-year deal. Williams had been with the Vikings, with whom he suffered a shattered kneecap in 2006. He’s just 27, and the worst of his comeback has to be behind him by now (he played 13 games with only two starts in 07), so maybe this is a player who could log significant time behind Rodney Harrison and James Sanders this season. What does this mean for one-time cornerback Brandon Meriweather, by the way? Anything?

Anyway, I have to say that for all my fretting about the center of the defense after Vince Wilfork, signing an 27 year old safety called ‘Tank’ is hitting me right where I live, brother.

The Pats are collecting the down-on-their-luck defensive backs. Jason Webster missed all but a few minutes of last season, and now the 30 year old will step in for Gay, or even Samuel, for all I know. He’s almost always been a starter over nearly 90 games in the league, which is why it’s so embarrassing that I have no memory of this guy whatsoever. I was thinking the LSU Webster, but I think that’s Corey. Jason? Uh uh. But the Pats have taken a primary hit in the secondary, so all hands on deck. He’s got to remain upright, though, something he’s had a hard time doing lately.

I know who Sam Aiken is, because he’s actually played the Pats a number of times when I was conscious. Plus, who’s not going to immediately go, “hey, the Jills suited up Clay Aiken!” when he runs across the screen? But he is kind of the Kelley Washington of Upper New York State, and the Bills have always known what they’re doing when it comes to special teams.  So I am all for the special teams arms race the Patriots are in.

IT’S PRETTY MUCH MY FAVORITE ANIMAL. IT’S LIKE A LION AND A TIGER MIXED, BRED FOR ITS SKILLS IN MAGIC.

So where do they go from here? How much more of the team can be built before the draft? There’s still free agents to visit I’m sure, though if I recall correctly, things have a way of slowing down after a few weeks. Can the Pats make a dent in rehabbing their defense before the draft, or will they look to fill in elsewhere?

Offense - you can’t say quarterback or running back is worth focusing much on now, provided Sammy Morris is okay. Receiver? They did appear to have an interest in Marty Booker for awhile, maybe to be the fourth receiver we talked about earlier, though I don’t know if that puts them in the market for Bryant Johnson or D.J. Hackett, two of the more recognizeable, and remaining, free agents. Guess who the best available blocking tight end is? Kyle Brady. So I figure the Pats draft there. I haven’t heard of any linemen that the Pats seem interested in, though they could always stand to work on their depth - again, the draft seems to be where it’s at, as they’ve never been shy in using draft picks on the line. Wild guess, but until the draft, they don’t sign any offensive players that aren’t special teamers first, like Aiken.

Defense - Speaking of depth, I think of the defensive line, though they seem to like Mike Wright and I saw some spark in LeKevin Smith at times. They still don’t have a backup proto-plugger to Wilfork, but I’m looking at the list of names and the UFA’s are guys like Ted Washington and Keith Traylor. Back….to the Future! At linebacker, Junior Seau’s still up in the air, where he will remain for awhile, I suspect. Mike Reiss reports tonight that former Panther Adam Seward will visit soon. Noteable thing is that he’s a restricted free agent who would cost the Pats a fifth round pick if he signs. He comes from a 3-4 background in college and projects as an inside linebacker for the Pats, according to Reiss. He has the size, evidently, and he’s 26 this June. He’s got only 2 starts as 31 games as an OLB in the Panthers 4-3. Not much to go on, but it would at least be a young player at a position that needs one. At worst he’s another special teams player, something he apparently did well for Carolina. A few Pats fans are clamoring for Victor Hobson, and Clark Haggans may fit as a pass rusher, and there may be other Sewards out there - unrestricted ones -  that will pop up. People have talked about Reynaldo Hill, the restricted CB from Tennessee, who would cost just a seventh if he joined the Pats. He’s another who’s been a starter for the Titans, and he’s only in his fourth year. It seems like the defense is where the Pats will focus if they try to build depth before the draft.   

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