SB Nation - Matthew Slater

What should the New England Patriots do with Matthew Slater

MaPatsFan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:56:50 -0000

We all saw it. We all saw it and cringed. Your elbow isn't designed to go that way, but Matthew Slater's did. There has been little information coming out of Foxborough, MA (big surprise!), so it's difficult to determine the extent of Matthew's injury. That being said, we need to move quickly. I'm sure Hoodie's got this covered, but why not put Slater on IR and free up a roster spot? Wouldn't that be the prudent thing to do? Which position would you think needs some taking care of and do you have a player in mind? Maybe QB to thicken up the ranks? I wonder if Feeley is still around.

Oh, if you're TRULY into gruesome-ness, I've managed to dig up the video of Slater's injury. Without the benefit of slow motion, it's pretty darn hard to tell if it was that bad. Slow it down a bit and, OUCH!!

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

Postgame Analysis: New England Patriots defeat New York Giants, 38-27

MaPatsFan — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:10:23 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

3 months ago: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, right, sits on the bench with Brian Hoyer, left, during the New York Giants' first drive in a preseason NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. Brady remained on the bench when the Patriots got the ball as Hoyer started the game. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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You would've had every right to turn the game off last night. With 5:58 left in the first quarter, backup Giants QB David Carr hit WR Hakeem Nicks for New York's third touchdown. The game looked like a train wreck for our fine boys from Foxborough. However, as Marima said, once we stopped recognizing the names on the Giants' jerseys, thing started coming around.

For a preseason game, I thought this was more exciting than most. A comeback win, some young dudes getting a chance to show their stuff, it was all good fun. It was also their last chance to show what they had.

Patrick Chung - Maybe I overestimated this young man's talent or maybe he's just a rookie, but watching Chung get burned...twice...was painful. In one classic rookie mistake, two Giants receivers lined up on the left, cris-crossed, leaving Chung confused about what to do. He hesitated, thinking man-to-man coverage when he should've instantly switched assignments or dropped back into zone. First year mistake. I can let it pass.
Brian Hoyer - His performance leaves me more confused than ever. After a shaky start against the Giants' first stringers, Hoyer settled into a rhythm and looked pretty darn good. 18 for 25 and 242 yards is nothing to sneeze at. He also appeared to develop a super connection with Terrence Nunn, throwing 3 for 64 with a long of 30. His lone TD pass was in traffic to WR Robert Ortiz. Nicely done. Unless Hoodie knows something I don't know (always the case), Hoyer made a good pitch for the QB backup job behind Brady and it appears the pitch was SO good, in fact, that Andrew Walter has been released (props to bforce3 in the links commentary).
BenJarvus Green-Ellis - Law Firm rocked, it's as simple as that. In my opinion, he showed better downfield vision than Laurence Maroney. One of the commentators made the statement that BJGE waits for plays to develop and follows his guards for protection. Very observant and exactly why he did so well. He also doesn't stop pumping those legs, getting a few extra yards out of every play. It also doesn't hurt that Belichick followed him to the bench after one touchdown, complimenting him the whole way. Can you spell "R-O-S-T-E-R S-P-O-T?" I knew you could. Oh, did I mention 4 receptions for 22 yards? Very Kevin Faulk-like. Some have talked about the Patriots cutting Sammy Morris and only keeping four backs. Sammy is one of the most reliable backs we have, so I don't necessarily see that unless Hoodie's desperate to free up a spot.
Greg Lewis - I have no idea how Greg Lewis held onto the ball after that high/low hit. He got hammered and still hung on. That alone tells me he's a tough nut and soldier on the field, willing to get smacked for the good of the team.
Sebastian Vollmer - Vollmer is a stud or darn close to it. He's young, big, and strong. Let's not forget smart, too. He seems to be picking up very quickly and that's something we desperately need for this offensive line; 11 of 13 players' contracts are up in 2009 (or is it 10 - I forget).

Overall, an entertaining game to watch once things got started. I hope Matthew Slater's elbow isn't a permanent injury and he gets a chance this season. It would, however, open up a spot for Terrence Nunn. PUP Slater and make the decision later.

Now we have the Bills to look forward to and a half-time tribute to #54.

Postgame Analysis: New England Patriots defeat Washington Redskins, 27-24

MaPatsFan — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:26:57 -0000

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

3 months ago: New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski (3) and holder Chris Hanson (6) celebrate after Gostkowski kicked the go-ahead field goal with eight seconds remaining in a preseason NFL football game, Friday, Aug. 28, 2009, in Landover, Md. The Patriots won 27-24. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

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Yes, ladies and gents, it was a Stephen Gostkowski field goal that put this game in the win column for the New England Patriots. Yes, I know, it takes the whole team to pull off a win, but we won by 3. I think you get the point. There were some shining moments, some average ones, and some downright horrendous play. But that's what preseason is all about - it's like a rehearsal, a time to work out the kinks and see what's what.

As we've discussed before, Hoodie uses preseason games like they're supposed to be used - to try stuff out and give players, especially the ones who need them, valuable NFL reps. I thought it was interesting that, amongst others, Wes Welker, Kevin Faulk, and Shawn Springs were not present. There could be any number of reasons from personal issues to the need to rest, but I have a different theory: Belichick wanted to see how the team would do without those weapons in the arsenal. It forced the team to play differently, using Greg Lewis and Randy Moss in close. It also gave Laurence Maroney a chance to rack up 3 for 30 yards receiving without Faulk to take charge. And with Shawn Springs not present, Darius Butler got far more reps than he normally would.

More after the jump...

The Good

Brady & Moss - Tom Brady and Randy Moss connected for two long ball touchdowns, 26 and 27 yards respectively. I'm not ready to declare them in 2007 season form, but it was good to see Tom connecting with #81 on some nice adjusted pass plays (on one TD, Moss had to change his route inside and Brady correctly read the adjustment).
Laurence Maroney - Yes, Maroney was a bit inconsistent, but there were inklings of possibilities to come. He made some nice horizontal cuts to get between the defensive line and linebackers. However, 7 for 16 doesn't necessarily put him at the top of the running back corps. The real reason I have him in the "Good" section is his receptions. Pulling down 3 for 30 yards, he was very Kevin Faulk-ish. Who knows, maybe that's the plan for him. He also had a very nice kickoff return for 35 yards.
Stephen Gostkowski - G Man continues to prove why he's one of the best kickers in football. He's always money when extra points and field goals are needed. But, I think he's just as valuable, if not more valuable, on kickoffs. With two touchbacks, Gostkowski pins Skins on their 20, eliminating the possibility of a breakout return.
Pass Rushing - With 4 sacks to their credit, it appears pressure was the name of the game (DT Steve Williams had 2).

The Bad

Pass Coverage - Allowing 268 yards passing, coverage was weak at best. Our corners are still getting burned, but that could be youth coming into play; Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley, and Jonathan Wilhite saw a lot of action and they're still learning. Let's hope they learn fast because we need it.
The Backfield - Overall, I was not impressed. I've been hoping Fred Taylor would come in and light the place up, but I'm not seeing it. Laurence Maroney still struggles trying to find the holes. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say the Skins did a nice job of plugging up the holes, but Sammy Morris always seems to find a way through. The lone bright spot in this mess was BenJarvus Green-Ellis with 6 for 49.

The Ugly

Penalties - 7 for 82 yards. When you have an 11.7 yard average, there were some expensive ones in there. Matthew Slater's 15 yard fair catch interference penalty was just plain dumb, a mental error. If the kick returner is clearly waving a fair catch, do everything you can to get out of the way. Stop, fall down, something. A 23 yard defensive pass interference by Darius Butler didn't help either and a 15 yard roughing the passer by Steve Williams was hard to take.
Brady's Shoulder - Having Albert Haynesworth fall on Brady and jam his throwing shoulder into the ground was not fun to watch. Seeing Brady try to loosen his shoulder up on the sidelines was even less fun to watch. But not seeing start the third quarter was the worst. Mike Reiss has a super breakdown of the play which shows just how complex it can be to defend against rushes as well as maintain primary and secondary blocking assignments.

What's your Good, Bad, and Ugly? Who's on the bubble and who made a name for themselves? Don't forget, our armchair coaches will have their analysis up within the next day or so.

New England Patriots Training Camp - second day musings

MaPatsFan — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:17:13 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

4 months ago: New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker (83) hangs onto a fair catch while holding a second football as wide receiver Matthew Slater (18) moves in during their NFL training camp session at the team's football facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday morning, July 31, 2009. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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Belichick's infamous for the drill pictured above. It's all about ball handling skills. Remember last season when Matthew Slater dropped a punt return during a crucial time? Yeah, apparently he didn't pay enough attention to this drill. Basically, Coach puts a ball in your hand and then you need to catch another one kicked to you. Bill sometimes uses it to reward the team. Catch it and he'll end practice early. Last year's hero was Vince Wilfork. Yep, 325 pound Vince won the day.

On a side note, you can hover over the picture above and click "Browse more photos" to get a gallery of Training Camp pix. I wouldn't want you to lose out on anything!!

As you can probably imagine, Tom Brady is the centerpiece of training camp. He had a very long (by Patriots standards) interview with members of the media. There were many highlights, but most notable was that he'll play in preseason games:

Q: Do you think you’ll play in the preseason?

TB: Yeah, I think I’ll play. I think I’ll play. I mean, last year it wasn’t like I wasn’t supposed to play. I would have loved to have played. Just some circumstances came up where I couldn’t. I think it’s really important for a quarterback to be out there playing. If you’re the leader of the offense, you’ve got to be out there leading in the preseason and in practices. I’m excited for those games because I think we can make improvements in those games.

Of course, Boston Globe reporter Mike Reiss has a way cool wrapup of Day 2, first Patriots practice and Day 2, second Patriots practice. A few VERY notable quotes from the second Practice notes:

1) Extra work for Julian Edelman. One mark of a player striving for excellence is acknowledging his weaknesses and working to improve them. Rookie receiver Julian Edelman falls into that category. After struggling in the morning practice catching punts, Edelman was the first player spotted on the field today, and was working one-on-one with special teams coach Scott O’Brien. A JUGS machine fired punts in his direction. During full-team work, Edelman was better catching punts, and he also delivered one of the catches of the day at receiver.

2) Laurence Maroney/Fred Taylor combination. As players arrived on the field from the locker room, it was interesting to note that Maroney and Taylor were side by side, chatting it up. It has been mentioned before that Taylor had the label of being an injury-prone running back early in his career, and worked hard to shed that reputation. Maroney is currently in that situation, and it appears as if the two have struck up a rapport.

We talked quite a bit about the Laurence Maroney/Fred Taylor potential connection on this site and it looks like it's taking hold. Ok, so I wasn't that much of a genius. Maroney would naturally seek out Taylor. In fact, I'm quite sure it was part of Belichick's master plan when he brought Taylor on. Yeah, it was obvious, wasn't it and I'm not that much of a genius. Stop laughing. Seriously.

Ian Rapoport, beat reporter for the Herald, has a funny piece on Adalius Thomas. Here's one funny quote:

And Belichick went into an answer about how Thomas is "pretty versatile" and that he could "play anywhere." He noted how if you go back to Thomas’ Ravens days, he even played a little corner.

Having forgotten about that, I light-heartedly asked if he’ll be doing that for the Pats. The coach continued without hesitation but with only a hint of a smile. "Maybe in a situation — goal line or short-yardage — I think he could," he said.

Any guesses as to where Adalius lined up in the afternoon for one play? That’s right: Corner. It’s probably just a coincidence. But I laughed, anyway. Well-played.

If there was ever an question as to how Tom Brady feels about Randy Moss, I think it's dispelled here:

"He’s the best receiver, probably, ever to play the game," Brady said. "It’s easy to have to great chemistry with Randy. You just to throw it where he’s running because he’s usually open."

Miami Herald reporter, Jeff Darlington, reported Michael Vick was working out with the Patriots yesterday. He pulled a John Tomase, overly trusting his "sources", and got burned. However, he did a standup job of publicly flogging himself for the mistake.

It looks like I should stick to covering the Miami Dolphins and stop worrying about other teams in the division. Mike Reiss, the most respected reporter in the New England area, is reporting that Vick was not in New England and will not be in New England. If Reiss reports it, I'll take it as gospel. I'll now attempt to get down to the bottom of the inaccuracy of my sources. My sincere apologies for any waves I caused as a result of this report.

To wrap things up, former Patriots safety-turned-football-analyst has these words to say about a Vick as a potential Patriot:

"(New England) would be an ideal place for Michael Vick to go," Harrison said, "because it’s such a family environment. … and (Tom) Brady would be great for him. Brady would teach him how to be a pro."

That's all she wrote for today. Any thoughts on the Vick situation? Does Wonderboy appear stoked to get back on the field? Adalius Thomas at corner?!?!?

I'm trying my best to make it to Sunday morning's practice. Is there anything you want me to look for? Add it here and I'll see what I can do.

Patriots changes by position: Wide Receiver

MaPatsFan — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:37:31 -0000

More photos » by Eric Shelton - AP

6 months ago: New England Patriot's wide receivers Wes Welker ( 83) and Randy Moss (81) prepare for football practice in Foxborough, Mass., Thursday, May 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Eric Shelton)

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When a team structures their aerial assault around a receiver or receivers, you KNOW they're stars. Such is the case with Wes Welker and Randy Moss. The one-two punch that decimated defenses during 2007, Moss owned the sidelines while Welker provided plenty of checkdown or slant options to keep the chains moving. If you're new to this forum, you may not know of my insane man crush with Wes Welker. Sure, Moss gets an enormous amount of credit for what he does and usually gets the flashy touchdown. But Welker is grinding it out, yard after slot route yard. Our Colts contributor-in-residence, shake n bake, suggested Welker takes "long handoffs". Aptly put, in my mind.

In my opinion, these guys had the element of surprise for the first half of 2007 until teams got film on them. Looking at their production from first to second half, things tapered off through no fault of their own; there was simply more available information for oppositions to look at and teams worked hard to shut them down. Donte Stallworth was an option, but he never panned out, in my opinion. Jabar Gaffney filled the role as #3/#4 when needed, but it wasn't enough of a difference. In comes Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis. With that in mind, let's walk through the receivers.

Randy Moss - It's hard to find fault with a guy who holds the regular season touchdown record for wide receivers. In truly epic fashion, Moss broke the receiving record with 23 and Tom Brady broke the passing record with 50 on the same play. A Patriots fan couldn't have asked for a cooler moment. Brady steps into the pocket, launches a bomb downfield and takes a hit milliseconds after. Moss pulls down the beautifully thrown pass and walks into history.

When Brady went down in 2008, Moss and Cassel struggled to find a rhythm. As an elite receiver, should Randy have been able to fight away DB's or is there some truth to Brady simply knowing where to put the ball with Moss? Opinions vary, but what I do know is Moss wasn't the same in 2008. Rival fans were practically chanting, "Here comes the old Randy!!", but that's a superficial arguement at best. Cassel needed safe routes and one of the tactics was to turn #81 inside after 10 or so yards. Frightening, in my mind. Moss is tall and lanky, a target for a hungry linebacker; he doesn't have the quickness and footwork of his diminutive teammate. Keep him dancing down the sidelines 30 something yards downfield or prowling the back corners of the endzone.

Wes Welker - Is it a stretch to say Wes has been one of the most influential Patriots receivers in the past 10 years? Not to me because I'm biased; Wes is, hands down, my favorite Patriot and is the jersey I wear on gameday. If the play isn't designed for Wes, he's Brady's first choice for a checkdown or option. In the reception category, Wes is a machine tying for the record in 2007 and #2 in 2008 (subtract Steeler Ryan Clark's game ending hit and Wes, more than likely, would've had the 2008 record, too). Wes's "stop short, spin around" antics are legendary for leaving DB's flatfooted. The "Little Engine that Can" is a YAC machine with 5.7 in 2007 followed by 6.8 in 2008. He's the chain mover of this crowd.

Greg Lewis - Known as "Glew" by Philadelphia teammates and fans alike, Lewis joins the Patriots for his seventh year in the league. A steady producer throughout his career, Greg will also see time on kickoff and punt returns. But, what he could add more than anything else, is a midfield option between Welker and Moss. Three inches taller than Wes, he may have the reach to pull down those passes while mixed in with linebackers. However, an interesting twist is he's been observed having a VERY long stride during OTA's. Possible long ball duties?

Joey Galloway - A shortened 2008 due to injury is not the place to look. 2005 - 2007 he was a machine exceeding 1,000 yards each year. As a punt and kick returner, he's no slouch either. The question will be does Galloway have enough gas left after 14 seasons in the NFL? It's hard to tell, but I do think he can provide another deep threat for Brady and, if all else fails, a decoy for Moss. However, if things click and Joey proves the naysayers wrong, a Moss/Galloway/Welker lineup on the same side will scare the daylights out of DB's.

Julian Edelman - A lot has been written about this rookie and you can understand why. He's a quarterback, running back, and wide receiver all rolled into one. If he's even average at these positions at an NFL level, he'll be a consistent threat. Wildcat anyone?

Sam Aiken, Robert Ortiz, Terrence Nunn, Tyree Barnes, Matthew Slater, Brandon Tate, Shun White - In this group, Patriots veterans Aiken and Slater will have the advantage. Tyree Barnes has shown some consistency in OTA's and could challenge Aiken and Slater for a spot. Naval Academy grad Shun White is a wait-and-see prospect as he may not hit the Patriots for a few years (Naval Academy grads owe the government military service for their free education).

Analysis

It's no mystery Moss and Welker will be the main guys, but what do you do when defenses blanket them? Do you go with the potentially dangerous running attack we're developing? Checkdown to Faulk? Or maybe pull in Lewis for a three wideout and Galloway for a four? Whatever the scenario, I think we're looking at some crazy combinations that'll really make defenses think. And if we can mix it up, maybe keep defenses guessing throughout the year.

Shots Heard 'Round The Web - Patriots Links 6/09/09

Marima — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:34:25 -0000

Richard Seymour celebrates after recovering a fumble in the final two minutes of play against the Seattle Seahawks on December 7, 2008. The Patriots defeated the Seahawks in Seattle 24-21.

View full size photo »

TOP SHOTS

Erik Scalavino notes Richard Seymour, also in the last year of his contract, feels he will be better than last year.

"I’m looking to build on that at this point. That’s my focus," Seymour said Monday at the golf tourney. "Statistics can be misleading, but at the same time, I said before that season that I felt a lot better, and the statistics spoke for themselves. I matched my career high for sacks and tackles. I’m looking to be better than that this season because I’ve put in the work and I’ve been able to train.

"I’m 29 years old now and I really feel better than I did as a rookie. Total body-wise, I feel great. I’m stronger, I’m leaner. I just feel good all the way around. I’m definitely looking for big things this season. I’m at the end of my contract and I’m in a great situation. I know the ability and talent I have."

Karen Guregian reports Patriots' owner Robert Kraft's thoughts on the Vince Wilfork situation.

"I’m a big fan of Vince Wilfork. Unfortunately, the business part of this game, this is something that goes on every year with most teams," Kraft said. "We’re lucky to have Vince. I hope he’s here for the long term. These things usually have a way of working themselves out. We’re privileged to have some pretty good football people making the decisions.

"We’re in a unique period in the evolution of the labor relations, so there is a lot of things factoring in here. But in the end, everyone should know that the Patriots are always trying to make decisions to put our franchise and team in the best position to win consistently. That’s what our mantra is."

More Shots after the jump...

TEAM SHOTS

Patriots.com mini-camp schedule and coverage for this week.
Patriots Now! Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament. (6 min. video)
Paul Perillo talks with Richard Seymour and Tank Williams at the golf tournament yesterday.
Paul Perillo notes Randy Moss easily took the prize for the most unique looking of all Patriots players.
Andy Hart wonders if Patrick Pass will replace Heath Evans if he makes the roster.

LOCAL SHOTS

Mike Reiss points out that fan favorite RB Kevin Faulk is entering his 11th year in the NFL with no evidence, or future plans, of slowing down. Reiss also offers some Nuggets from the Golf Course.
Mike Reiss notes that if Vince Wilfork doesn't attend the Patriots mandatory mini-camp tomorrow he could lose up to $500,000.
Christopher Price offers some pretty good quotes of note from yesterday's golf tournament in Bolton.
Dale & Holley (WEEI) hosted an appearance by Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork, sharing their thoughts on the upcoming season, Rodney Harrison and Wilfork's contract situation. (16 min. audio)
Dale & Holley (WEEI) Patriots owner Robert Kraft sat down at the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament to kick off the annual Dale and Holley Owners Series. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell joined the show as well to talk about the state of the NFL and the New England Patriots. (36 min. audio)
Chad Finn offers the transcript of Vince Wilfork's WEEI sportsradio Q & A.
Christopher Price offers some highlights from Robert Kraft's and Roger Goodell's conversation on WEEI Monday.
Chris Gasper focuses on Logan Mankins, who like Wilfork is in the last year of his rookie contract but opted to participate in the voluntary OTAs. Quick video here.
Karen Guregian says that contract talks aren't a big deal to Logan Mankins.
Christopher Gasper talks with Matthew Slater and Terrence Wheatley about kick-off returns, and Stephen Gostkowski about getting into a rhythm with the new long snappers.
Karen Guregian reports that at the moment, Ty Warren, rehabbing his surgeries, is on track to be a full participant in training camp at the end of July.
Jessica Isner tells Bostonians to be on the lookout for Paul "Fitzy" Fitzgerald who will be roaming the city streets looking for contestants for his new NESN game show, "Pocket Money."

LONG SHOTS

Tim Graham (ESPN) Logan Mankins' signature is his bond.
Matt Sohn (Pro Football Weekly) Patriots outlook at inside linebacker beginning to take shape.
Jason Cole (Yahoo! Sports) Manning adjusting to Colts' shaken foundation.
Michael Lombardi (Nat'l Football Post) The Favre Watch.
Alan Schwartz (NY Times) New guidelines on young athlete's concussions stir controversy.
Cold Hard Football Facts looks at a new stat they'll be using, called the Passer Rating Differential.

Forbes Magazine Says Patriots Are The NFL's Worst Drafters

Skeller — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:00:11 -0000

An interesting (though somewhat bizarre) article in Forbes Magazine rating the drafting success of each of the NFL's 32 teams.

Here's a thought: Instead of looking at how many draftees make the team's active roster, a better barometer of success might be a survey of the last three years of drafts for all 32 NFL teams.

To judge them, we looked at the percentage of players from those three draft classes who were still listed as active members of the team. The results were surprising.

Yeah, I'll say they were surprising. The top three teams were the Texans (who needed to keep the guys they drafted since they didn't have anybody on the roster), the Colts and the Giants. Hmmm. I guess I can't argue with the success of the Colts and Giants.

The worst team in the NFL? The New England Patriots.

I immediately thought the reason the Pats came in last was that they don't usually need to draft starters. Guys they draft tend to be for depth, not because there's a gaping hole. I'll give them credit, there really haven't been any gaping holes in the Pats' lineup the past three years.

But then I decided to look back at their draft history. For fantasy-related purposes, I'm only looking at QB, RB, WR, TE and K. If you want to argue that they've been masters of the defensive draft, I'm not arguing with you here.

2006

Round 1 - RB Laurence Maroney (passed on DeAngelo Williams and Joseph Addai)

Round 2 - WR Chad Jackson (passed on Greg Jennings)

Round 3 - TE David Thomas (passed on Owen Daniels)

Round 4 - RB Garrett Mills (passed on Leon Washington)

Round 4 - K Stephen Gostkowski

2007

Round 6 - RB Justise Hairson (passed on Ahmad Bradshaw)

2008

Round 3 - QB Kevin O'Connell

Round 5 - WR Matthew Slater

It's too early to decide how the 2008 guys will turn out. O'Connell might be a great QB -- in fact, he may be starting this year depending on how Brady is doing. But the previous two draft years, quite frankly, stunk.

Yeah, yeah, I know, the Patriots are a great team, I'm not arguing that. They have a regular season record of 39-9 over those three seasons so they're usually drafting at the end of the round and they're not looking to draft stars. I get it, I really do.

But still....man, that's not good. How many 16-0 seasons would the Patriots have put together with Joseph Addai, Greg Jennings and Leon Washington on their team the past three years? That's freaking scary.

So while I think the Forbes article is flawed in a lot of ways, they do make a good point. The Patriots have not done well drafting the fantasy positions (except for kicker) the past three years. Like most people, I had assumed that the Patriots had been draft geniuses.

New England Patriots - Rookie and Sophomore Contributions (Part 1)

NESilver — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:30:06 -0000

Hey everyone, welcome to the NESilver version of Pats Pulpit! That's right! I'm taking over! Mwahaha... oh, sorry, did I say that out loud? Ahem. Anyway... I'll be taking over the stat duties, and splitting time with MaPatsFan on position profiles and free agent signings. We'll get a good rotation going there. Consider us a bit like Gary Guyton and Tedy Bruschi, or Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris. Wait, does that mean one of us is gonna be injured frequently? Hmm... this wasn't in the job description...

Okay, so with that out of the way, I wanted to focus on our most recent draftees with my first post. I figured that would be a good way to kick things off, since we're getting closer to the draft and all. It's an exciting time of year, where everyone's excited about how well their team will do next season, and you can definitely include me in that bunch. Just for the record, I am a BIG optimist and a major homer for our New England Patriots, which means I fully expect every single one of our draftees to turn into studs and Pro-Bowlers every year. Is that really so unreasonable? I sure don't think so.

With that said, here's the list of our draft picks for the past two years who are currently still a part of the team.

Sophomores (2007 Class)
Brandon Meriweather - 1st Round, 24th overall
Mike Richardson - 6th Round, 202nd overall
Matt Gutierrez - Undrafted Rookie Free Agent

Rookies (2008 Class)
Jerod Mayo - 1st Round, 10th overall
Terrence Wheatley - 2nd Round, 62nd overall
Shawn Crable - 3rd Round, 78th overall
Kevin O'Connell - 3rd Round, 94th overall
Jonathan Wilhite - 4th Round, 129th overall
Matthew Slater - 5th Round, 153rd overall
Bo Ruud - 6th Round, 197th overall
Gary Guyton - Undrafted Rookie Free Agent
BenJarvus Green-Ellis - Undrafted Rookie Free Agent
Vince Redd - Undrafted Rookie Free Agent

As you probably gathered from the title, I'll be splitting this into two parts. We'll start with the sophomore class in this post. Bill Belichick has often said that the biggest leap in improvement for a football player is usually between their first and second year in the league (which means we should be pretty excited about some of our rookies who got significant playing time this year - woohoo!).

The big name on that list is Brandon Meriweather, our first rounder from 2007. He began his first year predominantly on special teams, though he did occasionally see time on defense. He recorded 27 tackles in his first year, and although he seemed to be around the ball often enough, the big knock against him were the interceptions he dropped. He dropped at least three of them, including a potential game-ender against the Baltimore Ravens and another one during the playoffs, in "The game that shall not be mentioned." Despite showing some potential, there were some people who were a little down on him. Here are the stats for his second year:

		Sacks		Interceptions			Tackles
	G	Sacks	YdsL	Int	Yds	IntTD	Solo	Ast	Total
2008 - Brandon Meriweather	16	2.0	19	4	25	0	57	20	77

In 2008, he became a bigger part of the rotation at safety with Sanders and Harrison, and he worked hard during the offseason to improve those stone hands with a jugs machine. The difference was clearly noticeable this past year, as Meriweather notched his first career interception during Week 2 against the Jets, picking off the non-retired Brett Favre. After Rodney Harrison was injured on Week 7 and done for the season, Meriweather didn't miss a single snap on defense (according to Reiss, he was present for 85% of the defensive snaps in total), recording 83 total tackles (I'm going off NFL.com with this one, SBNation says 77 for some reason), 4 interceptions, and 9 passes defended.. He also notched two sacks, including a strip-sack to clinch the game against the Seattle Seahawks. While there's still plenty of room for improvement, Brandon Meriweather looks to be a keeper thus far.

Mike Richardson and Matt Gutierrez are more difficult to gauge in terms of improvement. Both of these players are far down the depth chart, and because they don't see a ton of playing time, there aren't many stats to work with (so no pretty little stat box for these guys). Richardson spent his entire rookie season on IR and started his 2008 campaign on the practice squad. He was finally activated to the roster during Week 7 against the Denver Broncos. He played for six games and recorded 17 total tackles.

Matt Gutierrez got a little bit of playing time in 2007 when games were far out of reach, but nothing significant. In 2008, he was being hyped up by the media as the guy who would supplant Matt Cassel for the backup quarterback position, only to get cut at the end of preseason (though he was later brought back to the practice squad). However, when Tom Brady was injured, Gutierrez found himself back on the roster as the emergency quarterback, so he's managed to stick around. Bill Belichick has praised him for his strong work ethic before, but he finds himself behind Kevin O'Connel and Tom Brady heading into 2009. In preseason, he went 29-of-45 for 362 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He saw no playing time during the regular season.

Next fanpost I'll focus on our gigantic rookie class (at least, in comparison to the sophomores).

Game Recap: Steelers defeat Patriots, 33-10

MaPatsFan — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:44:20 -0000

patriots.com

Ugly, butt ugly. Plain and simple. That was some really bad football by our Patriots. But, before I get into it, anyone who lays this on Cassel wasn't watching the game. Sure, he had his share of mistakes, but overall he played solid ball. When the cast around you CAN'T...HOLD...ONTO...THE...BALL, there's not much you can do.

30 unanswered points. You read that right; Bill Belichick's Patriots haven't done that in like 5 years. Just poor football on our part and a Steelers' team ready to create and take advantage of opportunities. Outplayed, big time.

Positives

Mike Vrabel's interception to setup a TD.
[EDIT] Kevin Faulk with 6 for 73, one gain a 41 yarder

Negatives

Gostkowski, usually money, misses a 27 yarder with 21 seconds left in the half.
Matthew Slater muffs a kickoff return catch and Pittsburgh recovers. Two plays later, Hines Ward muscles his way into the endzone. I was wondering why he was in there instead of Hobbs or Faulk or Welker. Was BB trying to rest the other guys? We'll never know. All I know is Slater will be catching about 412,378,954,123,315 kickoff return balls in practice this week. Or maybe he won't...which would be worse for him. Being ignored is a death sentence.
Pittsburgh OLB James Harrison is allowed in the backfield on Cassel's blind side and manages 2 strip sacks. That side of the O line fell apart on keeping track of him. What's his contract status? Can we pick him up? :-(
Our receivers, so hot in the last couple of games, simply couldn't find the handle. Randy, with two sure touchdown catches, is the most guilty of them all. Those were not only lost points, but momentum killers. Make those kind of catches and the opposition is demoralized.
Third down efficiency was 1/13. JHR caught this in the open thread and I think he's right: this was a MAJOR factor in this loss. Third and some yardage? Let's just throw every time, which leads me to my next point...
Why the hell were we passing sooooooo much when Kevin Faulk was having such a good game? I mean, 6 for 73 with a 41 yarder...and you're throwing the ball?!?!? We were running against one of the best run defenses in the business. Aarrgghh!!!
Deltha O'Neal is a serious liability. If not a shutdown corner, Asante Samuel was pretty darn close. O'Neal is a "throw it here" corner.
1 for 4 in the redzone. Couple that with a horrid third down efficiency and we were in for a long night.
We have no answer for the RB pair of Mewelde Moore and Willie Parker. Combined, they blasted through us for 154 yards.
Time of possession for the Steelers' was 35:05 vs. the Patriots' 24:55. Our defense was on the field too, too much.

Using Shake's wildcard standing post, we're still in the mix. I just hate relying on other teams to lose for us to make it. I think I need a drink.