SB Nation - James Sanders

Week 10: Friday Colts-Pats Injury Report

shake n bake — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:31:37 -0000

New additions to the list were safety Aaron Fransisco missing part of today's practice with a shin injury and Tony Ugoh getting the day off. Jim Sorgi returned to practice on a limited basis while Vinny, Gonzo and Hayden missed practice for a 3rd day.

OUT: Kelvin Hayden (knee), Adam Vinitieri (knee), Anthony Gonzalez (knee)

Questionable: Aaron Fransisco (shin), Jim Sorgi (shoulder)

Colts.com

Over on the Pats side a wave of players returned to practice, all listed as limited participants.

OUT: DE Jarvis Green, RB Fred Taylor, WR Brandon Tate

Doubtful: LT Matt Light

Questionable: LB Eric Alexander, TE Chris Baker, LB Tully Banta-Cain, NT Ron Brace, WR Julian Edelman, C Dan Koppen, S Brandon Meriweather, RB Sammy Morris, S James Sanders, DE Ty Warren

Probable: QB Tom Brady, CB Shawn Springs, TE Ben Watson

Patriots.com

Hidden Inches

JohnHannahRules — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:59:25 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski had four field goals in the win over Miami on Sunday. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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"The inches we need are everywhere around us.
They are in ever break of the game
every minute, every second."

-- Coach Tony D'Amato, "Any Given Sunday"

The inches we need are everywhere sound bite

Every week, there are plays that waste inches and plays that scoop them up. Over the course of the game, thousands of variables collide and the outcome of the game could turn on any one of them. A holding call, an offside penalty. A broken shoelace, an angle of pursuit just a little too acute. A pass an inch too slow.

Watching the game, we see these moments go by. Sometimes you know they're big; often they fade into the background of a great win or a heartbreaking defeat.

Without question, the most prodigal of inches are penalties -- particularly mental errors that threaten to swing momentum. When your team commits a gaffe like that, the hero of the moment can be the teammate who grabs those yards back with a great individual effort. The hero of the moment may not make the cover story, but his colleagues will know the game turned on his timely work.

Despite some great individual performances by marquee players, this week's moment belongs to Stephen Gostkowski.

In the second quarter with the Patriots leading 10-3, the Dolphins uncorked their "pistol." On second and 8 from their own 22, rookie Pat White entered the game for the first time at quarterback. From a shortened shotgun set, White took the snap and raced in option formation around left end. Tully Banta-Cain, suddenly confronted with a defensive conundrum he hadn't faced since his college days, shot up field. White cut under and rambled for 33 yards.

Immediately, Patriot heads began to spin. Miami Offensive Coordinator Dan Henning, like a cagey old boxer, mixed combinations to thoroughly bamboozle New England's defense. Four plays later, White optioned right with a pitch to Ricky Williams who hit the gain line with a full head of steam and barreled into the endzone. The drive covered 80 yards in just under three minutes, and everyone with a rooting interest in the Patriots -- including the players themselves -- was experiencing a very acute and unpleasant attack of deja vu.

As Belichik huddled his defenders and began some intense sideline chalk-talk, Brady and the offense took the field with what suddenly looked like a very ordinary attack: shotgun passing and runs up the gut. In eight plays, marred by an offense pass interference call, the Pats ground down to the Dolphins 20. Gostkowski calmly drilled a field goal and the moment had arrived.

Last week in New Jersey, Ohio State product Ted Ginn, Jr. returned two kickoffs for touchdowns on runs totaling over 200 yards. Each return was a showcase of raw speed and athletic ability. The scores were the difference in the game -- which Miami won although the Jets statistically dominated. Already on Sunday he had a 37 yard return to his credit (stopped short by Gostkowski in a tackle that could itself have been the subject of this piece).

Now, with New England's defense still reeling on the sidelines and the momentum of the game very much in the balance, New England again needed to put the ball in Ginn's hands and risk the outcome. It was a brittle moment.

As the rest of the world watched, Gostkowski booted the kickoff out of the endzone for a touchback. Fan and player alike sighed with relief and began to shift attention to defense. But there was a flag on the play.

In a miscue in a line of miscues including Watson's drive-killing interference penalty, Bodden's drive-enabling defensive interference penalty and the general fugue that seemed to grip the defense, James Sanders had left too soon in pursuit. This infraction on the kickoff required a re-kick from New England's 25 yard line. Ginn and his blockers would have 75 yards to operate in, against a New England kickoff team that had been an adventure against even average return-men.

The coverage unit lined up again. Folks in the stadium tried to counter the sinking feeling in their bellies by leaning forward in their seats. Seventy yards away, Ginn wiped his hands and licked his chops: the holes were going to be there -- they had been before and they would be now. Everyone knew it. And they were probably right.

But Ginn never got his chance. Gostkowski struck through the ball and bloodlessly boomed a monster kick over ninety yards in the air and out of the back of the opposite end zone for a touchback. At a moment in the game when momentum was waiting to be grabbed, Gostkowski muckled on to it with one kick and handed it to his team.

Randy Moss would go on to have a monster day, with 6 receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown, climbing a couple of different all-time ladders in the process. But he was the first man on the sidelines to greet Gostkowski as the kicker jogged off the field. Everyone in silver and blue knew who the man of the moment was.

The defense responded by forcing a punt and the Patriots stole back the possession they had given away on an interception at the start of the game. With one second left in the half, Gostkowski came on again for a field goal and made sure that Momentum spent halftime in the home locker room.

When the story of the game gets told over the next few days, you likely won't see this play in many highlight shows. But it was the corner around which this Patriots' victory turned.

Patriots at Broncos Friday Injury Report - Leading Rushers out on both sides

John Bena — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:12:45 -0000

DENVER BRONCOS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
RB Correll Buckhalter	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	OUT
S Brian Dawkins	Knee/Shoulder	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Limited Participation	Questionable
ILB/FB Spencer Larsen	Shoulder	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	OUT
G Ben Hamilton	Hamstring	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
CB Alphonso Smith	Ankle	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
WR Randy Moss	Not Injury Related	Did Not Participate	Not Listed	Not Listed
RB Fred Taylor	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	OUT
T Nick Kaczur	Ankle	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
LB Jerod Mayo	Knee	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
S James Sanders	Shoulder	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
DB Shawn Springs	Knee	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
WR Wes Welker	Knee	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
DT Vince Wilfork	Ankle	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
QB Tom Brady	Right Shoulder	Full Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
LB Adalius Thomas	Not Injury related	Not Listed	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Probable

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos - Wednesday Injury Report

John Bena — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:17:15 -0000

DENVER BRONCOS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
RB Correll Buckhalter	Ankle	Did Not Participate
S Brian Dawkins	Knee/Shoulder	Did Not Participate
ILB/FB Spencer Larsen	Shoulder	Did Not Participate
G Ben Hamilton	Hamstring	Limited Participation
CB Alphonso Smith	Ankle	Limited Participation
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Player	Injury	Wed. Participation	Thur. Participation	Fri. Participation	Friday Status
WR Randy Moss	Not Injury Related	Did Not Participate
RB Fred Taylor	Ankle	Did Not Participate
T Nick Kaczur	Ankle	Limited Participation
LB Jerod Mayo	Knee	Limited Participation
S James Sanders	Shoulder	Limited Participation
DB Shawn Springs	Knee	Limited Participation
WR Wes Welker	Knee	Limited Participation
DT Vince Wilfork	Ankle	Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady	Right Shoulder	Full Participation

New York Jets Run Offense vs. New England Patriots Run Defense

John B — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:00:31 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

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It would be nice if the Jets could establish the run early and take a lot of pressure off their rookie quarterback. I think Bill Belichick will do whatever it takes to prevent that from taking place. The Pats will probably stick eight or even nine in the box to force the Jets to throw the ball. Mark Sanchez made the Texans pay and eventually forced them to respect his arm, which opened things late for Thomas Jones.

This is not a vintage Pats front seven, especially with Jerod Mayo sitting this one out. Mayo is vying with David Harris for the title of top young inside linebacker in the division. Mayo had 20 tackles on Thursday night in Foxborough back in 2008. That will leave Eric Alexander and Gary Guyton to man the inside. This leaves a pair of matchups as key. Nick Mangold against Vince Wilfork is always an elite battle. So will be Ty Warren against Brandon Moore and Damien Woody.

Jarvis Green is a quality starter, replacing the departed Richard Seymour at defensive end. The Bills broke some runs going after him. I wouldn't expect the Jets to test him much. Gang Green loves to run right to Warren's side, away from the left, where D'Brickashaw Ferguson's limitations in the run game are a factor. The Jets are going to challenge Wilfork and Warren, sending Tony Richardson and pulling Alan Faneca to the side often. If they can control the pair up front and hit the second level, there will be favorable matchups and opportunities for Thomas Jones to break big gains. This will force safeties Brandon Merriweather and James Sanders to call the box home. Merriweather and Sanders are going to spend time in the box, but if the Jets run effectively, Bill Belichick will have to play there more than they want. It will open up a lot for Mark Sanchez, and the rookie looks like he can exploit it. Of the outside linebackers, Adalius Thomas is very good against the run, but Tully Banta-Cain and Derrick Burgess are strongest against the run. Pierre Woods did have a big game against the Jets last season.

I expect Brian Schottenheimer to have a few tricks up his sleeve. Plenty of gimmick looks out of the Seminole formation and perhaps some run-pass options for Brad Smith to try and catch the Pats off guard. The Jets had some success out of an option look with Smith two years ago.

I'm thinking this game comes down to Mark Sanchez. I see the Pats doing everything they can to stop the run. If New York establishes the ground game early, it could be a really really fun day for the New Yorkers.

New England Patriots 53 man roster - some thoughts

MaPatsFan — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:04:36 -0000

by Stephan Savoia - AP

7 months ago: New England Patriots head football coach Bill Belichick looks over his rookies during football minicamp at the team's practice facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday morning, May 1, 2009 (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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We stay with 2 QB's, LB is a bit weak, TE will be a position to watch, OL is stacked on the interior...let's break it down position by position (props to NESilver for his comment in this thread)

Offense: 25

QB: Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer (2) - Odd we keep only 2, but that could change when the season starts.
RB: Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis (5) - Solid group.
WR: Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Joey Galloway, Greg Lewis, Saim Aiken, Julian Edelman (6) - Break out the air raid sirens. Edelman looked like "Little Welker".
TE: Benjamin Watson, Chris Baker, Michael Matthews (3) - Like this group, Matthews is a big man which must mean "blocking TE". Baker has good hands which we haven't seen in NE TE's for a long time.
OL: Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal, Nick Kaczur, Sebastian Vollmer, Rich Ohrnberger, Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell (9) - Deep on the interior, Vollmer is the next stud.

Defense: 25

DL: Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren, Jarvis Green, Ron Brace, Mike Wright, Myron Pryor (7) - Liking the depth, glad to see Pryor make the roster
DE/OLB: Derrick Burgess, Tully Banta-Cain (2) - Can you say, "4-3?" I knew you could. Here comes the pass rush.
LB: Adalius Thomas, Jerod Mayo, Gary Guyton, Pierre Woods, Eric Alexander, Rob Ninkovich (6) - Might be considered a little thin, possibly why NE is experimenting with a 4-3.
CB: Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, Jonathan Wilhite, Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley (5) - Wheatley barely hung on to his spot. I hope a "shutdown corner" emerges.
S: Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders, Patrick Chung, Brandon McGowan, Matthew Slater (5) - Good group, although Slater will, most likely, be IR'd.

Specialists: 3

K: Stephen Gostkowski - What can I say? One of the best kickers in the league. A machine through the uprights and consistently boots kickoffs into the endzone.
P: Chris Hanson - Game changer. Massive hangtime and very good accuracy.
LS: Jake Ingram - Many laughed when Hoodie drafted Ingram. The rookie wins the long snapper battle.

Injured Reserve

OLB: Shawn Crable - Depressing. The dude can't catch a break.
RB: Chris Taylor
OL: George Bussey - Adds depth for next year.
LB: Tyrone McKenzie - Looking forward to seeing him inside for 2010.

Poll

What do you think of the roster?

Lovin' it!

524 votes

Too early to tell.

722 votes

Hate it.

66 votes

1312 votes | Poll has closed

Patriots 2009: What would Norm and Cliff say?

MaPatsFan — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:43:24 -0000

Your remember Cheers, right? The sitcom that took place in a mythical Boston bar called Cheers? Every true Bostonian knows the bar is actually called Bull and Finch, but that's beside the point. The show mostly circled around owner Ted Danson and his love life, particularly with the flighty Shelley Long, but I thought Norm and Cliff were a hoot. So in my best Norm and Cliff imitation, let's talk about our favorite team, the New England Patriots.

Norm: Hey Cliff (burp). Whaddya think about the Pats this season?

Cliff: Ehhrrraaahh, Tommy Brayyddee bettah get his byutocks in gear, know wadimean?

Norm: No Cliff, I don't.

Cliff: Well, he's been too busy making googlie eyes at that model there. He's gotta concentrate.

Norm: I think he's professional enough to pull this off, Cliff. I mean, the guy's got three rings, right?

Cliff: Ok. But what about outside linebackah? I mean, what was Billie thinkin'?

Norm: He probably knows what he's doing. Besides, we got Adalius Thomas, Pierre Woods, Tully Banta-Cain and that dude with the long arms, Shawn Crable. We're good.

Cliff: Well, then why the heck wuz Billie Boy so hot on Jason Taylah, huh? I mean, the guys a pass rushing DE?

Norm: In Bill We Trust, Cliff. I mean, (whispering) don't question Belichick too much. You'll end up in a trash barrel on Comm Ave.

Cliff: I once dated a girl on Comm Ave. She...ohhh. Gotcha.

Norm: Besides, we're all set with Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders. Tank Williams will be good in nickel and dime packages. And that new guy, Patrick Chung, looks good, too.

Cliff: It's a good thing we got those guys aftah we lost Rodney Harrison. I mean, he was the haht and soul of that there defense.

Norm: Don't forget Randy Moss and Wes Welker have two years in the system. And we just picked up Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis, too.

Cliff: That there...ahhh...Welkah. Did you see that vicious hit by that Steeler Ryan Clahk? I mean, little Wes almost became paht of the terf!! He got up, though. He's one tough...

Norm: Easy. This is a family show. Let's not forget Laurence Maroney. Fred Taylor is going to get him jumpstarted.

Cliff: Man, "Fast Freddy" is gonna ROCK! I can't wait to see him hit the field in a Patriots uniform.

Norm: Whaddya think? Brady spanks more than 50 TD's and Moss more than 23?

Cliff: Woody! I need another brewskie.

Patriots changes by position: Safety

MaPatsFan — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:11:41 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

7 months ago: New England Patriots' Patrick Chung (25) works a drill against defensive back Jamar Love, left, during football minicamp at the team's football facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday morning, May 1, 2009 Chung was the Patriots' first pick in the 2009 rookie draft chosen in the second round as the 34th pick overall. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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Continuing our series examining changes to the Patriots' positions, we take a gander at Safety. Writing these can be a bit precarious; as hytholdaeus pointed out in his comments, we're adding players at a breakneck pace. Let's also keep in mind that the roster is VERY fluid right now. Many guys will turn into training camp fodder and won't have a locker come cut day.

2008 Roster: Rodney Harrison (IR'd 10/22 with a thigh injury), Brandon Meriweather, Tank Williams (IR'd in preseason), James Sanders, Raymond Ventrone, Antwain Spann

2009 Roster: Brandon Meriweather, Tank Williams, James Sanders, Patrick Chung, Brandon McGowan, Raymond Ventrone, Antwain Spann

Rodney Harrison - The $64,000 question is, "Will Rodney return?" He dabbled a bit in broadcasting with booth time at the Super Bowl and said he was "testing the waters", but has he successfully scratched the itch? Can he turn the motor off? Does Belichick think he can add value? Whether or not his body will do what his mind wants it to is the question and can only be answered by himself and Belichick, but I believe his greatest contribution would be a Bruschi-like role, an on-field mentor, if you will. Bring him back for a year just to tidy things up a bit. If he decides to stay away, I believe it'll be because of some of the rules changes that came about this year.
Brandon Meriweather - Having worked under the mentorship of Rodney for two years, Brandon has come along nicely. He also had to jump in right quick when Harrison went down. If Brandon can develop that prowler instinct that his teacher has, I believe he'll be the future of that position for a very long time.
Tank Williams - I was practically crying when Tank went down last season. I was sooooo stoked to see what he could do, this hybrid safety/linebacker dude. A player in this position with the instincts and football IQ to pull off coverage and pass rushing is VERY dangerous to the opposition. We suffered a great deal with the pass rush and if we don't end up with a pass rushing OLB, Tank could fill that gap as well as the "other" back on nickel and dime packages.
James Sanders - Whew, thank goodness we resigned Sanders. A super productive free safety, he's always making solo tackles as an FS or on special teams. In his fifth year as a Patriot, New England wisely signed him to a three year deal worth approximately $9 million. James' knowledge of the playbook is second to none, therefore considered a valuable asset. I'd love to see him grow as a playmaker as well.
Patrick Chung - The new kid on the block, Patrick was NE's #1 2009 draft choice at 34 (thank you Matt Cassel and KC Chiefs!!). How he plays at a pro level remains to be seen, but he reminds me of Tank in that he's more of an "in-the-box" kind of guy and could be used quite a bit on rushing/blitzing packages as well as dime/nickel formations. Not a deep coverage guy, he could do well roaming the middle ground between deep safety and linebacker.
Brandon McGowan - Acquired today (dang, I have a headache), has five years of experience and could potentially be another nail in the coffin for a Rodney Harrison return. A solid backup guy, he'll add depth, but will have to battle it out for a fourth spot; Meriweather, Sanders, and Chung are the most likely top three.
Raymond Ventrone - Classified as a safety, but primarily special teams, Ventrone won't vie for a top spot on the defense. He may be brought in every once in a while, but that's about it.
Antwain Spann - Like Ventrone, Antwain is a special teams guy. I consider stability at this position just as important as other positions; Belichick is a special teams hound and hates when mistakes are made. I say give guys like Raymond and Antwain credit. That and Antwain was willing to give up his #28 to Fred Taylor. Class begets class and Fred decided to wear his college #21. Cool.

Analysis

Is it the end of an era? Are we seeing the departure of fan favorite, Rodney Harrison? Given the current crop of safeties who have been brought on and the rules changes "softening" the game in many a defensive player's eyes, I think we're not far away from his departure. Sad. RODNEY...DAH...MAN!!

The top two guys will be Meriweather and Sanders with Chung rotating in as he gains experience. Tank (gotta love a guy named Tank) will be used in very specific packages requiring a hybrid guy and/or someone to prowl the line or edges. McGowan, if he makes the roster, will add depth when needed.

I'm stoked to see what will happen. Losing Tank last year was a major blow, IMO, and I can't wait to see what he'll contribute. We were very thin at safety (same as many other positions) and things were getting a little dicey.

Alright, let's hear it.

Poll

Was 2008 Rodney's last season?

Yes

158 votes

No

95 votes

253 votes | Poll has closed

Patriots regular season - almost five months and counting

MaPatsFan — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:06:23 -0000

via i.cdn.turner.com

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With almost five months to go, I'm losing my mind already. Hoodie and company have been so busy with FA acquisitions that some have proclaimed the franchise ready to field a team. And we haven't even gone through the draft. There are soooo many reasons why I'm incredibly stoked to get this train rollin', but I thought I'd toss out a few and see where it goes from here.

Tom Brady - Duh! Master of the obvious, I know. I, as well as many fans, are indebted to Matt Cassel for being ready to take the reins and do such a good job in 2008. I was also indebted to him for accepting the franchise tag so readily, signing the tender, and allowing NE to deal him to KC. Without doing so, we would've received NOTHING for Matt and could've been faced with a very large cap space issue, to the tune of $14 million and change (Panthers and Julius Peppers anyone?). But that's old news. As indebted as I am to Matt, I'm doubly excited to see Tom Terrific take the reins back. Some of you may disagree with me (citing Moss is an elite receiver and should be able to battle DBs), but I've always felt Brady had a sixth sense with Moss and knows "where" to put the ball so that only Randy can catch it.
Offensive Line - Coming off of 2007, the OL was beaten up and, in my opinion, demoralized by the SB loss to the Giants. It showed as we prepared for the 2008 season; many starters had a tough time getting back in the swing of things and missed significant portions of training camp as well as struggled to take their starting positions for the regular season. I am also ready to blame this on a ridiculous run in the last five years. Success has its positives and negatives and one of the negatives is you play a longer season, leaving a shorter break before the start of the next season. The bad part of not making the 2008 playoffs is, well, we didn't make the playoffs. The good part is it allowed the longest rest in years for the 300 pounders. They'll come back strong and ready to protect Brady.
Running Backs - The addition of Fred Taylor is huge, in my opinion. I believe he still has a lot left in his tank but, more importantly, he'll provide mentorship for Laurence Maroney. Laurence is struggling with the same thing Fred battled with at the beginning of his career - injuries. Labeled "Fragile Freddy", Taylor will be able to offer advice to Maroney and try to keep him mentally "in the game". With three "general service" backs in Maroney, Taylor, and Morris, plus third down specialist Kevin Faulk, we should be in fine shape to mount a fairly significant running attack. Let's not forget surprise rookie BenJarvus Green-Ellis if needed.
Linebackers - Mayo is a beast and is the future of the Patriots linebacker corp. Gary Guyton was a surprise rookie talent and can fill in quite nicely at ILB. OLB is in good shape with most likely starters Thomas and Woods, supported by backups Redd and Crable. I'd like to see us grab an elite pass rusher in the draft, though; we struggled with that during 2008.
Cornerbacks - The serviceable Hobbs, along with FA vets Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs, supported by second year players Wheatley and Wilhite, have us covered. However, I do see the need for a risk taker, a "ball hawk". The current list of guys are decent in coverage, but we need a guy willing to go after the ball.
Safety - I'm less concerned about this position than I was a few months ago. Sure, Rodney Harrison may end his career this year and leave a hole at that position, but I believe Meriweather has done a fine job there. With James Sanders signed and hybrid safety/linebacker Tank Williams signed and healthy, I think things are good here. We could decide to go after a safety in the draft, but I think it would be no higher than mid to late second round.
Defensive Line - Sign Vince!! His contract isn't over until the end of the 2009 season, but we need to start thinking about it now. Wilfork is one of the premiere 3-4 nose tackles in the business and it would be ridiculous to lose him. Hopefully, he's not looking for Haynesworth money, but who knows. Defensive end Warren is signed to 2013, but Seymour is in the last year of his contract. Like Wilfork, SIGN HIM!! Richard is a beast and, with all of the rest we've had, will be an animal in 2009.
Wide Receivers - Moss and Welker obviously, but those two can't do it alone. When DBs scheme on them, there needs to be other options. With Gaffney gone, we picked up veteran Joey Galloway who could fit nicely in between the underneath and option routes owned by Welker and the sideline routes taken by Moss. I cringed all last season when Moss turned inside before running ten yards; I'm extremely happy Galloway, as well as Greg Lewis, will be around to handle those duties.

Where you at? What's got you excited about this season?

Poll

Are the Patriots positioned for a great 2009?

Ready to roll

329 votes

Wait until after the draft

187 votes

We're screwed

18 votes

534 votes | Poll has closed

ROTB Community Mock Draft: With the 34th Overall Pick, the New England Patriots Select...

Hawkwind — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 10:00:11 -0000

Alphonso Smith (CB), Wake Forest

5'9", 193

The Patriots secondary hasn't quite recovered yet from the loss of Asante Samuel and Deltha O'Neal is not the long term answer. The rest of the starting secondary is young and promising (Ellis Hobbs, Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders) but Smith bring a ball hawking attitude to the defense. His return ability is equally appealing and gives the Pats a couple of different return options. Here's what ROTB had to say about him in their potential draft profile:

Positives: Smith is a big player in a small package. He is very fast with explosive agility. He breaks well on the ball once it's released, and has great hands. Not scared to jam a larger receiver and be very physical with them. Also not afraid to be on an island, and can hold his own while staying shoulder to shoulder with any receiver he covers. Likes to help out against the run, and will often go after the ball carrier. Will try to strip the ball when gang tackling or at the bottom of a pile. Eyes are usually on the quarterback, and is able to adjust quickly to the ball's direction. Once he picks off a pass, he is a very dangerous returner, and may help on punt returns as well.

Negatives: Alphonso is short for a corner, and may struggle against larger, physical receivers. Although he had a great vertical jump at the combine, he may not be able to out-jump a tall receiver in the end zone. May have a hard time winning a battle for the ball with stronger receivers. Struggles with wide receiver blocks on running plays as well. Not a great tackler.

Overview: Smith is probably the 3rd or 4th best corner back in the draft. His great speed and physicality with receivers may make him a first round pick. He's been projected as a 1st round pick, but obviously slipped this far, and now that the Patriots were able draft him to improve their secondary.

First Round Pick: James Laurinaitis

Many thanks to my wife for submitting this pick. The Rams and myself are now on the clock with the Browns and Cardinal_Fang on deck. If anyone needs to refresh their memory on the second round draft order, check here.