Patriots Daily

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

Between Rodney Harrison and Lawyer Milloy, the Patriots had an intimidating, hard-hitting safety patrolling the secondary and creeping up to the line of scrimmage to help out on the run during every season from 1996 to 2008. Last season, Brandon Meriweather was selected to the Pro Bowl at safety, but is not the hard-hitting type in the style of Milloy and Harrison. Could 2009 top pick Patrick Chung develop into that strong safety to carry on the tradition of the hard-hitters? It’s one of many things to watch for in this safety group in 2010.

Chung (25) and McGowan Pound a Receiver

Here are the safeties on the roster as of today, listed in my depth chart order:

Brandon Meriweather

Meriweather continued his improvement as a player in his third NFL season and was rewarded by getting to play in the Pro Bowl for the first time. However, Meriweather is still a frequent target of criticism by the media and some fans for not being in great position at all times, making risky gambles, and unsure tackling skills. Given how much improvement he can still make, it’s noteworthy that he still made that Pro Bowl. Meriweather is being counted on as one of the young leaders on the defense, along with linebacker Jerod Mayo, but his maturity level has been questioned at times by those observing him in the locker room. He needs to continue to make progress in all aspect of the game to validate that Pro Bowl selection.

James Sanders

Sanders lost his starting job to Brandon McGowan early last season, but by the time December had rolled around #36 was back in the starting lineup, providing the solid and steady presence and play that he has become known for during his time in New England. Sanders’ starting role is likely to be challenged once again, not only by McGowan but by Pat Chung as well. Sanders is best as a Meriweather-type centerfield free safety rather than being up closer to the line of scrimmage. Sanders has been praised by the coaching staff for his intelligence and knowledge of the defense. He’s a valuable piece to have around, and whatever his role, you can feel confident that he’ll be ready to go.

Patrick Chung

The 2009 second round pick has gotten a lot of attention this offseason for his work both in the weight room and on the field. He’s been spoken of as another potential leader on defense, and signs seem to point to him taking a big leap forward in playing time this season. He very well could leapfrog Sanders on this depth chart, and find himself starting at strong safety for New England. He’s a hard hitter, not afraid of taking on ball carriers, but also not uncomfortable in pass coverage. His progress will be watched very closely in camp and during the early part of the season.

Brandon McGowan

The former Chicago Bear and University of Maine product was one of the more pleasant surprises of 2009 for the Patriots. His stepped into the starting lineup and provided a physical presence that the secondary sorely needed. He also established himself as something of a tight end stopper, playing tough defense on Tony Gonzalez, Dallas Clark and others. McGowan was at times overaggressive as well, costing the Patriots yards, and this ultimately resulted in the steadier Sanders being put back into the starting role.

Bret Lockett

Lockett was a late addition to the Patriots last season, being claimed and awarded off waivers from the Cleveland Browns just prior to the season opener. He was a special teams player for the Patriots until he was placed on IR on December 9th. Lockett has good size (6-1, 220), but it remains to be seen whether he is more than just a ST player.

Sergio Brown

Brown was one of most sought after undrafted free agents following the NFL draft, a result of a pretty good career under new Patriots defensive assistant Corwin Brown at Notre Dame. Brown has outstanding athletic skills, and is described as a coach’s dream. He faces an uphill battle to win a roster spot just as a safety, but if he can show something on special teams he might be worth keeping around. If he isn’t on the final 53-man roster, he seems like a very likely candidate for the practice squad.

Ross Ventrone

Seems to be a clone of his older brother Ray. Ventrone has the same hard-nosed style that endeared Ray to the Patriots coaching staff and kept him here for three seasons before moving onto the Browns last season. Ross also seems to face long odds, but might be another practice squad candidate.

Summary

These top four safeties might be as good top-to-bottom as any safety group in the NFL. They’re going to play a big role in this team’s success in 2010. If Chung can have a breakthrough year and emerge as that Harrison/Milloy type of presence, then this group can be very, very good for some time to come. Also keep an eye on Brown in the preseason to see if he is able to make a name for himself during those games.

Derrick Burgess re-signed with the Patriots

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff.

It’s quiet time here at Patriots Daily, as we’re still catching our breath from the draft, and looking at some time off over the next 10 weeks or so until training camp starts. Yes, it’s really not all that far away.

We won’t be completely gone, I expect we’ll have a post or two about the OTA’s and the madatory minicamp in the coming weeks, and we’ll try and let you know when the Patriots will be featured on NFL Network. If something big happens, such as a bigger-name player being signed or cut, we’ll have something to say about it. We’re on Twitter as @PatriotsDaily and you can also follow @scottabenson or our whole staff with the list @PatriotsDaily/staff . We might not be Patriots “Daily” in terms of blog posts

So what’s been happening since the draft? The Patriots signed defensive lineman Gerard Warren, who interesting was taken ahead of Richard Seymour in that 2001 draft. At this point, I think you can pencil Warren into the starting lineup – he’s not Seymour, but he’s been a solid starter during his career, and gives them another veteran big body at the position. A Warren-Wilfork-Warren defensive line could be seen quite a bit next fall, though I’m sure the hope is that a younger player could step into a bigger role, such as Myron Pryor, Ron Brace, even draftee Brandon Deaderick,who played the 3-4 DE in Nick Saban’s defense at Alabama. Another veteran signee, Damione Lewis is another possibility, as is super-sub Mike Wright, though he appears to be more suited as a fill-in type.

The team also re-signed outside linebacker Derrick Burgess, who was considered a disappointment by most last season, with even WEEI afternoon hosts making jokes about him on a weekly basis. I’m okay with bringing him back, as depth at the position is still a concern. Burgess was actually on the field quite a bit last season, and appeared to get better late in the season. Perhaps a year with the team will result of better pass rush production this season.

A few bored football columnists are already coming out with power rankings, Scott Benson says “I think Power Rankings authored on 5/17 – and then reblogged – are just the media’s way of telling you what ‘storyline’ they’re rooting for.” I couldn’t agree more, especially when you see someone like Peter King put Green Bay as the best team in the league, and the Dolphins and Jets sixth and seventh respectively, with Carolina at eight, and Seattle(!) at 12, while the Patriots are out of the playoffs altogether at 14. Yes, I’m an eternal optimist, but as I’ve said before, this Patriots team wasn’t that far away last season, and most certainly deserves a top 10 ranking at the very least. The Dolphins and Jets have made “splashes” while the Patriots have focused on re-signing their own critical players, and adding veteran leadership, and young talent (most with potential leadership) via the draft – something that John Clayton acknowledged when he declared the Patriots offseason the best of any team.

The biggest question everyone has with this club continues to be the pass-rushing outside linebacker spot. Tully Banta-Cain seems entrenched at one side, coming off his double-digit sack season, but who else will be out there? Burgess? Second round pick Jermaine Cunningham? Former Jets special teamer Marques Murrell? 2008 third round pick Shawn Crable, who has yet to actually play in a game for the team? I’ve even seen it mentioned that on passing downs, Brandon Spikes, slated to play inside, could move out outside linebacker to take advantage of his pass rush skills. Could another player be added to the mix? If someone of note gets released elsewhere in the league, you’ll hear plenty of speculation on the Patriots level of interest. A training camp trade (like the one that brought Burgess here) is another possibility.

Competition at Inside Linebacker, Cornerback, Tight End and the Offensive line are others to keep an eye on, as the team tries to figure out whether veterans still have it, or if a youngster is ready to step in.

This promises to be an interesting offseason and training camp. PD will be with you every step of the way.

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

The new league year kicked off this month, and with the impending labor situation on the horizon, it’s hard to tell what next March will look like.

Let’s catch up with what went on this month…

Staying Home

The Patriots made their own players their top priority as free agency began on March 5th. They signed Tully Banta-Cain to a three year contract, Vince Wilfork to a five-year contract, Leigh Bodden to a four-year contract, Stephen Neal to a two-year contract and Kevin Faulk to a one-year deal. Getting those veterans back into the fold ensures that their leadership, production and presence will not need to be replaced.

After signing his deal, Wilfork talked a lot about asserting his own leadership more forcefully now with the security of a long term contract. Leadership has perhaps been the number-one topic discussed when talking about the Patriots this offseason.

Welcome Aboard

Did You Forget The Marcus Pollard Era? So Did We.

After signing their own players, the team has been quiet in their pursuit of outside free agents. To this point only two players former Jets linebacker/special teams player Marques Murrell and former Atlanta/Tennessee Tight End Alge Crumpler have been signed by the team. Crumpler is not much more than a blocker right now, but if the Patriots have aims of becoming a more physical running team, he might contribute there. With leadership being such a hot topic, it has also been noted that Crumpler is a very good locker room presence, and mentor to younger players. That has to be considered a positive.

On the downside, I just really don’t know how much he has left. I have visions of Marcus Pollard‘s preseason stint with the Patriots a couple years back, and hope this isn’t a repeat of that.

Attracting Crowds

These days, whenever there is a possibility of Patriots news, there are sure to be hoards of reporters. This was evident in last month’s NFL  Combine in Indianapolis, where there were more than a dozen reporters there to cover the Patriots side of things. Most teams had maybe one or two.

The voluntary offseason workouts began on March 15th, and for the first time in my memory, there were structured media sessions set up to talk to key Patriots players. Again, there were double-digit reporters on hand to talk to the likes of David Patten, Leigh Bodden, Sebastian Vollmer and Jerod Mayo.

A big deal was made out of the fact that Randy Moss and Tom Brady were not on hand for the very first day of such workouts. Such talk quieted down a bit when both players made an appearance in week two.

Similar crowds were seen at the NFL Owners meetings in the Orlando, where the Patriots again had upwards of ten reporters on hand to cover anything involving them, including three from the Boston Globe. (Why?)Included at the owners meetings was a media breakfast with coach Bill Belichick.

During those meetings owner Robert Kraft said that the team will get a new deal down with QB Tom Brady. His son Jonathan repeated that promise in a phone call to WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan the following week. During that appearance, JK made a few unfortunate remarks, including his proud quip that the owners had to get all the “football people” out of the room so that they could vote on the new overtime rules.

Overall, there were a number of Patriots-related items that could be taken away from the owners meetings.

Feeling The Draft

It has been stated that this year’s draft is the most critical in years for this franchise. The thinking goes that the team need to reload with the youth that four top picks in the first two rounds will net them if they hope to  continue to enjoy anything resembling the success of the last decade in this new one.

Because of that, interest in the draft, and any prospects the team might be talking to has reached an all-time high. There are various lists out there of players that the team has worked out. They’ve probably talked to just about everyone. When looking for who the Patriots have talked to, I think this is a safe rule of thumb – eliminate the players at the very top of the draft – Ndamukong Suh, Jimmy Clausen, Sam Bradford, Gerald McCoy, and Russell Okung – since there is virtually no chance they will end up Patriots, and figure that they’ve talked to everyone else.

Not Here To Talk About The Past

This article in the Denver Post (free registration may be required) on March 28th on the first year of Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels raised a lot of interest locally because it contains a ton of Patriots-related information. Most notable was perhaps the tidbit that when McDaniels first ascended to the position of (de facto) offensive coordinator with the Patriots in 2005, during the course of that first year, he and Tom Brady once went three weeks without speaking to each other. We know that the two eventually grew to become very close.

Can there be any similarities to that situation and the one faced by Bill O’Brien this season? There were rumors that Brady and O’Brien didn’t get along at times this year. Perhaps the relationship, like the one between Brady and McDaniels can be salvaged and the two can enjoy success going forward similar to that which the offense has had in the past.

A few last quick-hit links and items:

• Yes, Shawn Crable is still alive.
• Tyrone McKenzie hopes to be a contributor this season.
• Ricky Sapp seems to really want to be a Patriot.
• Josh Reed, we hardly knew ye.
• Media people were tripping over themselves trying to figure out what Bill Belichick’s praise of Tim Tebow meant. Smokescreen? Genuine? Double-Secret-Smokescreen to disguise his interest?
• Pepper Johnson is cool with not being named defensive coordinator…for now.
• The Patriots landed four compensatory picks for this year’s draft.
• It hasn’t been officially, officially announced, but the Patriots will be playing in Detroit on Thanksgiving day this year.

All in all, there was a lot going on in March with the Patriots. April figures to be even busier, and we’ll do our best to keep you updated as things unfold.

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

Leigh Bodden is now signed through 2013

The Patriots took care of another piece of offseason business this afternoon, coming to terms with top cornerback Leigh Bodden on what his agent is calling a four year contract.

At a position in which the Patriots haven’t exactly been stable at over the last few years, getting this done is a big deal. We’ve seen Ty Law and Asante Samuel leave for more money elsewhere, while the Patriots tried to sign guys like Chad Scott, Fernando Bryant and Deltha O’Neal as replacements.

When the Patriots signed Bodden last year, they had tried to work out a multi-year deal with the former Brown and Lion, but ended up on a one-year contract so that both sides could gauge the fit. Bodden played well last season, and for a while it seemed he was headed the route of Law and Samuel, chasing more money elsewhere.

But in the end it worked out, and I for one think this is a very important signing. Keeping some continuity at the cornerback spot is important, and we can hope that Bodden and Darius Butler can make a formidable tandem for opposing receivers. With Shawn Springs and Jonathan Wilhite also still around the position seems to have a little depth, allowing the team to perhaps focus on other positions in the draft.

Also today, Vince Wilfork was in town to officially sign his new contract, and spoke with Patriots.com about being able to call New England home for the next five years. Tomorrow he is slated to meet the media and also appear on WEEI’s Dale and Holley program.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft was a guest on WEEI’s Big Show this afternoon, and during that session, he also stated that linebacker Marques Murrell has also agreed to sign with the Patriots. Murrell has been a special teams player in his time with the New York Jets, but was a pass rushing specialist in college.

You can keep track of all the Patriots offseason moves on our constantly updated Patriots Moves/Transactions page. Bookmark it and keep checking back for the latest!

By Bruce Allen, Patriots Daily Staff

Yesterday marked the beginning of the new league year, and with it, the start of free agency – the first in an uncapped system since the early 1990′s.

While big splashes were made by some teams around the league (Chicago, Detroit, both New York teams), the Patriots mostly stayed at home yesterday, choosing to finalize deals with three of their own free agents.

The team reportedly did dip their toes into the free agent pursuit of Julius Peppers, and engaged in trade talks involving Auquan Boldin, but it didn’t seem either was a top priority.

By mid- afternoon, (early morning for some) the natives began to get restless, wondering at the lack of signings or activity by the Patriots.

As the day went on, a few items began to trickle out of Foxborough. First the team announced that they had signed linebacker Tully Banta-Cain to the three year contract. The Herald reported that the team was still in talks with Kevin Faulk. Then, around dinnertime, the big news dropped.

Vince Wilfork and his wife – on vacation somewhere – confirmed the news that Wilfork and the Patriots had agreed on a five-year, $40 million contract -the largest ever for a 3-4 nose tackle.

A little while later, Patriots Football Weekly also reported that the team had also re-signed Stephen Neal to a two year contract.

Now, you might remember I had written previously about whether the team should devote significant resources to a player that only played about 64% of the defensive snaps. My concerns laid out in that article remain, but I do have to say I’m happy that the big lug is sticking around for a few more years.

The whole attitude around the team up until training camp will be different now. Without this deal, the biggest story around every passing camp, mini-camp or whatever would be Wilfork and his holdout. We’d hear more screaming from talk show hosts about how cheap the Patriots are and that they won’t pay their guys. That’s all gone now. The focus can be on the team now. (Until they start obsessing over Tom Brady’s status)

That may not be worth $40 million, but it is priceless in its own way. Plus, we know that Wilfork is a high-character guy, who performs on the field. The Patriots need to keep the ones that they have remaining.

Now that the Patriots have solidified their own house, hopefully now they can focus on adding to the talent on the roster.