SB Nation User Blog: JohnHannahRules

Feed the Machine

JohnHannahRules — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:56:56 -0000

Pro football is about to devour another worker. I know that not many Patriots fans, myself included, harbor any great affection for Shawne Merriman, he of "lights out" fame and steroids infamy. But put fan-animus aside for the moment.

The guy has two torn ligaments in his left knee. The next bad block he fails to fend off may be the last bad block he ever has to worry about. Out for the season, right?

Sports Illustrated:

Surgery will have to wait for Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, who decided Wednesday he'll play this season despite two torn ligaments in his left knee.

I'm sorry, but this is completely f-ed up.

There is no way that the San Diego Chargers should permit Mr. Merriman to play for them this season. It shouldn't be allowed; it shouldn't be his decision to make. Here's a guy with his livelihood on the line (he thinks). His identity, his self-worth, his income are all tied to his performance on the field.

By and large, this is a good thing. It has driven him to success, made him one of the best at what he does and as a consequence it has made him a millionaire. But it has also shortened his life. It will certainly reduce his physical comfort for the rest of his time on the planet.

It is not a widely disseminated, downloaded or discussed fact that the average life expectancy for all pro football players, including all positions and backgrounds, is 55 years. Several insurance carriers say it is 51 years.

Fifty-five years. Think about that next time you see someone get laid out.

If any other industry in America allowed its workers to be abused in this fashion, there'd be a congressional investigation. Look. I get it. You play football by your choice. You buy the ticket, you take the ride. But be serious for a second: Shawne Merriman was groomed for this, and only this. Sure, that's partly his fault. But it's no accident that we find him here in uniform on fall Sundays. He was identified very early by a ruthlessly capitalistic system as a remarkable talent. He worked his way up through the farm system (High School and NCAA football) and was rewarded with a high draft pick and a big contract. More money in a year than I'll see in my lifetime.

What would your contract demand be, if you had to give up the last 30 years of your life to get it? What price for that?

So what do you think happens when a young man strikes that deal? We all know young men, in peak physical form. Some of us used to be one--myself for instance ("peak physical form" excepted). My own mortality is still a highly theoretical concept to me and I've now reached the ripe old age of 35. If someone had come to me at the age of 22 and said, "You are one of the few people in the world with the ability to be a professional football player. You may get a chance to earn millions, but the likelihood is that you'll probably pull the league minimum--still hundreds of thousands a year. Oh, and by the way, there's a chance you may only live to be 55." Do you know what I would have said? The same thing I would say today, right now, writing this: "Where do I sign?"

It really is too much to pass up, in our little football-loving world. It is a great game to play. And if you're any kind of an athlete -- even if only an intellectual one -- there's an irresistible hook. It's what I like to call "The Marine Challenge."

Here's the Marine Challenge: If you think you're pretty good at something, the second someone tells you you may not be good enough, it may not be right for you, heck, you may not even like it, that's not really what you hear. What you hear is, "Only the strong can make it. Are you strong?" The Few. The Proud. The Hooked.

Left: Hall of Famer Mike Webster, dead at 50 due to complications from "footballer's dementia."

Professional football relies on this truth. In training camp, they sweat you--putting you on tenterhooks regarding your job, rookie and vet alike. They squeeze you for every ounce, push your psychology to the limit. You're desperate to make the team, prove yourself, live up to the expectations of the coaches, your teammates, your self. And when they threaten to take it away, to tell you, "Hey. Sundays are over for you," you do anything to keep it. You know how I know Rodney Harrison loves the game? Because Mr. Harrison, a good man, resorted to HGH to get himself back on the field. He was desperate and he was scared that they were going to take his Sundays away.

I'm not arguing that we should abandon the system. I am saying that we need to acknowledge that there is a system, and we need to account for the damage that it does to people who really aren't the best protectors of their own interests. John Wade of the Panthers:

"I'm the one who chose to be a lineman. If I wanted to play football, I was going to be a lineman. That's the skill I was given. If you're really that worried about it, do something else."

Ok, I understand that mentality. It makes a lot of sense--in a limited sort of way. Wade was talking about how he basically force-feeds himself to keep his weight up. And maybe that's ok: you can shed weight when you're done with the game. But it's a stupid response when it comes to injuries like Merriman's. Here's why:

Steroids. We strive to create an environment where players don't need to take steroids to compete. We do that because we recognize that steroids are unhealthy and if you do them too much, they can kill you. They make you more susceptible to all kinds of ailments, including cancer. We still haven't succeeded in cleaning up the sport, but we're getting there--slowly. Steroids are too dangerous to players' health, and they are not in a position to say "no" if drugs are the norm.

Right: Lyle Alzado, died from inoperable brain cancer attributed to high steroid use.

If you don't like that example, here's another one: the flying wedge. This was a great way to block for kick returns back in the day. Blockers run back to where the ball is caught, form a wedge, link arms and run up the field. Problem? It was getting people killed. "If you're really that worried about it, do something else." Or you can change the game to protect the health of the players against unreasonable risks. Football is, and should always be, a dangerous sport to play. But it shouldn't get you routinely killed or maimed.

Enter Shawne Merriman and his savaged left knee. If he sits for the season, gets surgery, rehabs and makes a recovery, San Diego can look forward to enjoying the continuing services of Mr. Merriman for at least another two effective years if not more (barring, of course, injury). Or he can play today and be done tomorrow. It's a business decision. "Lights Out" puts butts in the seats. If he performs, ol' Norv might get to keep his job for another year. He might put the Bolts in the 'Bowl, too.

But the ethics of allowing your guy to go to work in this condition are horrid. When you have two torn ligaments in your knee, the chances that you might destroy the other one are pretty good. And that would be that: for the career, for the money, for Sundays, and for your knee. Here you go Mr. Merriman: a stylish cane with a lightening bolt on the knob.

Of course, Merriman wouldn't even get that from the 'Bolts. Just a nice handshake--maybe a number on the ring of fame. Buh-bye! It's been swell. But Shawne really isn't in a position to say "no." He can go, so he goes. That's the norm.

This is where the late Gene Upshaw really, really fell down on the job. Yes, he got the players more money, better contracts, etc. Free agency. A collective bargaining agreement. But he never attended to player safety. The the Player's Union never asked him to attend to the retirees--including the soon to be retired Mr. Merriman. A tremendous amount of money is made by everyone involved with pro football. The average career is about 3 1/2 years.

In light of all that, it just seems obvious to me that allowing a guy to go out there and compete with a piece of string holding his knee together is just about the most venal thing you can do.

Here Comes the Turk

JohnHannahRules — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:29:36 -0000

Let me preface this by saying if I were in charge I would cut Chad Jackson--outright release. I think the Pats will keep him, however.

Here's my practice squad guestimation:

Ryan Wendell	C
Titus Adams	NT
Vince Redd	LB
Ray Ventrone	S/WR
Stephen Spach	TE
CJ Jones	WR
Shawn Crable	LB
K O'Connell	QB

Projected (based on nothing much) Cuts (SD denotes "speed dial"):

Lewis Sanders (SD)	CB
Antwain Spann (SD)	CB/S
Jason Webster (SD)	CB
Jeff Shoate	CB
Santonio Thomas	DL
Kenny Smith	DL
Kyle Eckel (SD)	FB
Bo Ruud	LB
Victor Hobson	LB
Steve Fifita	NT
John Welbourn	OL
Stephen Sene	OL
Mike Flynn (SD)	OL
Jimmy Martin (SD)	OL
Dan Connolly (SD)	OL
BJGE	RB
Mark Dillard	S
Tyson DeVree	TE
Jonathan Stupar	TE
Sam Aiken	WR
Oliver Ross	OL
Gary Guyton	LB

What I'm about to say isn't going to be popular, but I don't think Matt Cassel has looked as bad as some people think. He's not Brady, that's for sure. But hear me out.

The line has played horribly in front of Cassel, as compared to both Gutierrez and O'Connell. I think that's because he goes in first, when the opponent's first team defense is in and coming hard. Gute and Kevin both have the benefit of playing behind a line that is every bit as cohesive a unit as the first team (not at all), but which is facing 2nd and 3rd team defensive units. Because of the way the Pats have been shuffling o-linemen this summer, the 2nd and third units are just about as up to speed as the first team. So there isn't the comparative drop-off.

Cassel has also been facing first team defensive backfields. So you're looking at our 2nd string QB facing a first team defensive backfield and looking like you'd expect a #2 to look. Matt's not getting #1 reps in practice. He's getting #2 reps. He doesn't have the chemistry--yet--with the WR's that Brady does. And let's face it: no one else ever will.

Gutierrez has a tendency to "lock" onto a receiver. Cassel, in contrast, seems to be more willing to go through his reads. Due to the problems I've outlined above, that has a tendency to get him sacked right now. But as those problems get fixed, there will be more time. Be honest: how do you think Brady would look behind the protection Cassel's been getting? He'd look, well, human at least.

I'm not saying this is the guy forever and ever. But if we dump him, the next most experienced guy in the system is Gutierrez, who is #3 for a reason: he doesn't know the system yet. And if we were to drop him in exchange for a FA veteran, we have another problem to add on top of the time-in-system question: who's it going to be? Sims? There just aren't that many out there.

Obviously there's a lot of room for argument, and he hasn't looked like a world beater. But neither have Maroney, Jordan, Faulk or Morris, and you don't see anyone asking for one of their heads.

IMO it's going to take until the end of September to get the line sorted out. Matt Light apparently practiced today, so that's a big step in the right direction. We aren't going to look like last year's juggernaut right out of the gate. But I think things will come around and, for this year at least, Cassel is a better than adequate backup.

Let's not shake this baby any more than we already have.

Shots Heard 'Round the Web: Pats Links 8/25/08

JohnHannahRules — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:48:16 -0000

With a tip o' the tri-corner to TSG, we bring you this edition of links for your Monday morning. We're floating that titular trial balloon, though it's ultimately up to MaPatsFan to decide how he wants to call it. Filling in for the Man today is your humble corresp., JHR. Greetings.

Plenty of consternation to go around in the media today. With the preseason nearly over and your Patriots due to face the (Super Bowl Champion) New York Giants on Thursday in the Meadowlands, none of the issues identified at the end of July have been addressed satisfactorily. Providing a quick rundown of all that ails us is Mike Vega of the Globe, in the Patriots Notebook. Reading Belichick's mind continues to be an exercise in Polit-Bureau tea-leaves. The only certainty seems to be O'Connell under center for some of the time on Thursday:

"Last night, we saw a little over a half with Cassel and a little less than a half with Gute, and next week against the Giants I'm sure we'll see Kevin get a chance to play some."

And if Brady, who participated during the media-access portion of Wednesday's practice, is unable to go against the Giants?

"Tom, if we decide to play him, then that'll be an opportunity for him," Belichick said. "If it's not and he doesn't [play], or if we don't decide to play him, then it'll be an opportunity for somebody else."

If we do, we do, if we don't we won't. The closest thing to a revealing comment might be this on the state of offensive disarray:

"Time is running real short and we're just going to have to work our way through it and work and get better as a total offensive unit. Not just the linemen, but the backs and the tight ends, and all the people who are involved."

Gamethread--Philly in the Preseason: The Big Number Three

JohnHannahRules — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:20:11 -0000

Conventional wisdom dictates that the third preseason game is the one we're waiting for: trot out the big guns and the starters for at least a half and really let them shake their rust off. Have you ever known Bill Belichick to do anything conventionally? Buckle up--this should be interesting. MaPatsFan has a good pre-game, as do Gasper and Reiss from the Globe. Tom will not be playing. Others not suiting up are as follows:

# CB Jason Webster # S Brandon Meriweather # RB LaMont Jordan # CB Mike Richardson # RB Kyle Eckel # OT Ryan O'Callaghan # C/G Russ Hochstein # LT Matt Light # C/G Billy Yates # WR Sam Aiken # DE Le Kevin Smith # DE Ty Warren # LB Adalius Thomas

Lots of potential starters there. New old-guy Flynn is in a uni--#75 on the night. Don't confuse him w/ Wilfork. Geez, doubling up on numbers, moving guys around...I don't know, Patriots fans. I just don't know.

The No inFo League

JohnHannahRules — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:00:54 -0000

The No inFo League

ProJo's Jim Donaldson with an evocative piece on what it used to be like to cover a professional sports franchise.

In just 15 years the league has gone from accessible and personal to a tightly controlled entertainment product. Stories like this help to explain the depersonalization of today's athletes and the abased nature of being a fan of today's game: we're so removed from the process of football, getting high on a free-based tonic of entertainment product. It's not really sports to us anymore--it's the Coliseum.

The NFL has done such a complete job of distancing the fan from the athlete, controlling the product, that the product lacks the immediacy--empathy--that it might once have had.

Who are these guys? The League really doesn't want us to know.

"Why should this matter to you — the fan, the reader?

"Because it distances you from the team, too. With the media kept at arm’s length — and more — you don’t get the stories, the anecdotes, the insights you want and deserve."

Well, I don't know that we necessarily deserve it. But the product is certainly thinner gruel than it used to be, and that's a sad loss.

Indy Panic: Has #18 thrown a shoe?

JohnHannahRules — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:22:59 -0000

Colts' leader and perennial all-star Peyton Manning had to have a second surgery on his knee this month--a fact that Colts are trying to keep under wraps.

According to bloggist and long-time NFL insider Mike Lombardi:

I talked to several people in the NFL yesterday who know things and they assure me that Peyton Manning’s knee is a huge concern for the Colts. Apparently Manning had to go through another procedure on his knee to clean things out after having his bursa sac removed last month. What is the most concerning is not the second operation (which the Colts are denying), but that they cannot control the swelling in Manning’s knee and any physical movement causes MORE swelling. Once he returns to the game, gets hit, has to place a load on the knee, and drive the ball, there can be swelling. All I know is that there is MUCH more here than meets the eye. Manning has the trainer come over to HIS home for rehab and is rarely seen. Now, I have been with some big-time quarterbacks in my career like Joe Montana and Rich Gannon and never have they rehabbed from home. I thought this was not an issue and that Manning would be back. However, after talking to my friends in the league, it’s clear that this is a HUGE concern short- and long-term for the Colts.

Now, we all know how unreliable the pajamas media are. Here we sit, huddled in our mom's basement, drinking like Amy Winehouse, furiously masturbating to pictures of the US Women's Beach Volleyball team, playing World of Warcraft, and (worst of all) Making Stuff Up about Important People.

And making the Traditional Media look old, slow and out of touch. All yur newz R teh suk!

(Ok, that's a little harsh. I don't do an ounce of my own reporting. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that I'm not allowed to, as the NFL and local franchises are in loose but definite collusion against the on-line media.)

Anyhoo, Lombardi's an insider but an outsider if you get my meaning. And since he's the only one with the story and he hasn't publicly sourced it, you've got to take it with a grain of salt.

That hasn't stopped our friends at Stampede Blue from basically crapping their pants. Not to say I wouldn't be doing the same if the Big Blue Shoe was on the Pats' foot.

I'm all in favor of a little schadenfreude, though. It's nice to know we aren't the only elite team in the league scared to death by the prospect of quarterback #2 (whomever that may be) trotting out in place of our beloved superstar.

By the way, if you haven't checked out The National Football Post yet, give a look. Nice.

In like Flynn? Or just in chaos?

JohnHannahRules — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:49:48 -0000

Greetings Patriots fans, from your designated trenchman. Seems I've assumed default oversight of the pig-pen, where the big boys battle, so in an effort to continue to uphold that role I bring you the latest in the ongoing saga of the Patriots' offensive line.

After bringing him in for a workout yesterday, the Patriots have signed Massachusetts homeboy Mike Flynn to a one year contract. The former standout at Springfield's Cathedral High and the University of Maine has played in the big leagues for 10 seasons, all of them for the Baltimore Ravens.

Flynn is the latest signing in a bewildering array of free-agents old and new that the Pioli/Belichick team has brought in to shore up the front wall. Spurred by a merry-go-round of injuries all along the front five, the Patriots now enter officially desperate waters. To bring in an o-lineman this late in camp is beyond cause for concern--it's indicative of a serious issue. That issue is depth.

More on Flynn and the rest of the fat guys over the jump.

[Reprising some of my earlier comments] In the opinion of this Pats-watcher, Mike Flynn is a better class of re-tread than we've had here lately. For the last ten seasons, Flynn has been the rock at the center of the Ravens' offensive line. Signed as a non-draftee free agent in 1997, Flynn was a four-year letter winner at Maine and a team captain. He battled his way onto the Ravens' roster and was a starter at guard during their run to the '01 Super Bowl. Later moved to center, he started 115 of 134 games.

The rock began to crumble a little bit over the last two seasons. He was hurt early in 2007 and although he did return to the field he wasn't quite the same. Blamed by many Ravens fans for their offensive line woes over the last part of his career, Brian Billick and Ozzie Newsome finally caved to Flynn's age and his salary-cap hit, releasing him this winter. Said Newsome:

There are sad, tough days in this business, and this is one of those...Mike Flynn represents everything good about the Ravens. [JHR: I know, I know. Just bear with me.] He fought his way into the NFL, fought his way into our starting lineup and he fought to help us win,'' Newsome said. ``When we list the true Ravens in our history - and there is a Ravens way that includes respect for your teammates and opponents, toughness, intelligence on the field, passion for the game - Mike will be high on that list.

Forgetting for the moment everything you instinctively feel about the Baltimore Stabbers, every clubhouse is a family--or it should be. Dysfunctional locker-rooms often can be picked out by the team's game-time performance. Flynn was a leader of the o-line there, but not above (or below) locker-room b.s. During last year--his tenth with the team--one of Flynn's teammates made up a "Mike Flynn Farewell Tour" t-shirt with the team's schedule printed on the back. The not-so-subtle swipe at the veteran was not exactly out-of-the-blue: "[W]hen you dish it out, you've got to expect some punishment back," said Flynn.

It's one thing to be a character, but it's much more important to have character. As near as I can tell, Flynn has that. In addition to Newsome's encomiums, Flynn made a strong impression at Maine:

In his first training camp with the Ravens in 1997, Flynn was an undrafted free agent offensive lineman from Maine who labored under a hot Westminster sun as a quiet, anonymous rookie just trying to make the team.

One day, in the middle of that set of circumstances, Flynn looked over toward the fan barrier and saw a member of the Maine coaching staff who had traveled south to see him practice. It may have seemed like a rather innocuous moment. However, it was proof that not only was Flynn the kind of player that inspired belief in those around him, he was willing to work to reinforce that belief.

He was elected to the University's sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

A final note of optimism: When he arrived in Baltimore, Flynn's position coach was Kirk Ferentz, now HC at the University of Iowa. Ferentz, a holdover from the franchise's years in Cleveland, coached Flynn through 1998 when he left for the Hawkeye job. In Cleveland he was offensive line coach under Bill Belichick. It's a strong bet that Belichick and Pioli consulted with Ferentz for some inside perspective and got a firm "thumbs up" before signing Flynn. [Note: It was erroneously reported by myself and others that Flynn played under Ferentz at Maine as well. The timing for that scenario isn't right. While Flynn may have been recruited by Ferentz, Kirk was gone by the time Flynn showed up in Orono where he is considered a member of Coach Mike Cosgrove's first recruiting class.]

But can he still play? Certainly that's the $64,000 question--though I've no idea what kind of a contract Flynn signed. He was released in the winter. I don't know what kind of shape he's kept in, but I do know that he was thinking about moving on. It was only in June that the Baltimore Sun reported Flynn was almost 100% sure he'd finished with football and was trying to transition into broadcasting.

Dan Connolly botched a shot-gun snap against the Bucs, and Russ Hochstein got banged up against the Ravens. Billy Yates has a pinched nerve in his neck. Barry Stokes and Anthony Clement are on IR, lost for the season. Ryan O'Callaghan isn't practicing regularly. That's almost all of your depth nicked up--unless you count these kids still in diapers: Ryan Wendell, Jimmy Martin and just-signed Stephen Sene. John Welbourne, signed only last week, is a likely starter tomorrow. Yikes.

Neal is still a PUPpy. Matt Light is nowhere to be found. (Though BB insists they're both "getting better every day." Whatever the hell that means.) Nick Kaczur, just a few weeks off the PUP list himself, is playing out of position.

It should by now be obvious that things are not where they should be, particularly at the interior of the line. We're lucky that (knock wood) Koppen and Mankins remain healthy. There's at least a good core there for Dante to anchor the movable parts to.

If I had to guess (and I do), I would say that you won't see much of Brady tomorrow, even if he is fully healthy. The offensive line is, for all intents and purposes, a brand new unit every day. I've said some before about relying on versatility as a substitute for depth. It has succeeded for the Patriots in the past, particularly in the linebacking corps and the secondary. We made it to the 'Bowl last year without Rosey Colvin in part because everyone back there could be moved mostly interchangeably (though you can argue that we really missed him on Black Sunday). We added Troy Brown as a slot-corner in the past with limited success--he even got a pick back there. Hochstein has at times filled in admirably for Koppen and Neal. In spite of my panning him for that day, Belichick continues to defend Russ's performance in the Super Bowl. But the fact is that having the same five guys work together consistently is the only way to develop reliably great line-play.

1-15 Rod Rust

So where does that leave us? It leaves me with my fingers crossed. This will be a winning season. But if it is to be a success by the New Patriot Standards (and thank god for that), it will be because the offensive line plays itself into form over the first 5-6 weeks and the defense holds the fort in the meantime.

After the display our defensive front 5 put on in Tampa, that is not assured--at least to this fan's eyes. But I remind myself, and you, gentle reader, that this is not the team we grew up with.

So here's to hope. Go Pats!

Historic Preseason Records,

JohnHannahRules — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:21:34 -0000

or, "Cool Yer Jets."

Year	Preseason	Regular	Post
2000	3-2	5-11	N/A
2001	3-1	11-5	3-0*
2002	3-1	9-7	N/A
2003	4-0	14-2	3-0*
2004	1-3	14-2	3-0*
2005	2-2	10-6	1-1
2006	2-2	12-4	2-1
2007	2-2	16-0	2-1

*denotes Super Bowl Victor

I admit that last night's display against Tampa was deplorable--but you can only say that as an outsider. There are some concrete things I took away from the 1st half (all I watched): The offensive line looked OK in pass protection, uneven in run-blocking. Matt Cassell is playing himself off the team. Ellis Hobbs still doesn't react quickly enough. The defensive line was somnolent at best. Jerod Mayo is, in fact, a rookie. We still have a good punter, and our kicker seems solid.

After that? Who can say. Only the coaching staff knows what they were looking for last night, or what they expected from various personnel packages. You'll read guesses and hand-wringing here and elsewhere, 'cause that's what us and them are here for. But keep that chart in the back of your mind (or right on your desk, if you have to).

Nothing is won in the preseason.

Plugging O-line Holes: Pats Sign Sene

JohnHannahRules — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:59:41 -0000

Well Pats fans, the oline woes have continued to multiply for the hometown team. Recently signed Barry Stokes hit the IR and is out for the season. There he joins early-pre-season signee Anthony Clement. Mike Reiss has a decent rundown on the financial hit to the team. But as he and every serious Patriot-watcher knows, the financial hit isn't the hardest hit.

The set-backs to Tom Brady's rampart and Maroney's vanguard continue to pile up. No offense to the kid, but Nick Kaczur is not an NFL-caliber left tackle. He and Wes Britt have been doing double-duty in camp lately, swapping in with the second team and moving from right to left.

Versatility is great. You've got to love it when some of your top guys can play anywhere on the line. But when you're banking on versatility in lieu of depth, or versatility as a strategy to deal with a lack of depth, well, that's cause for concern. [Footnote here to every JHR comment about unit cohesion on the o-line.]

Last week the Patriots picked up another youngster for Dante to mold. Stephen Sene was a rookie non-draftee FA picked up by the Rams this year. His bio is brief, but I did some checking around. Here's the skinny:

Sene comes from a tight-knit religious family in Colombia, South Carolina. He was heavily recruited by the SEC and ACC out of high school, ultimately going to South Carolina. After a redshirt year due to injury, he was poised to be a four-year SEC starter on the o-line. No mean feat. But things weren't quite right for Sene at SC.

It's not entirely clear but I think a combination of things were going on. He seems like a quiet kid, and his moral and spiritual life is very important to him. The big-time SEC atmosphere wasn't the right setting for him and he left.

In his first camp with Dodge City Community College in Kansas, he tore his ACL and didn't play a down. He became an assistant coach, working with the o-line. Liberty University tracked him down there and offered him a scholarship. He played two seasons with the Flames and became one of the premier offensive linemen in the Big South.

Not saying much, obviously, but you've got to give the kid credit for making the most of his second chance. He joins fellow Patriots rookie, linebacker Vince Redd, as the second Liberty alum in camp. Winning your league gets you some attention, apparently. Initially signed by the Rams, he was released at the end of July.

He was a project, and project o-linemen are longshots by definition. His admitted weakness is lower body strength, something he'll have to work on if he hopes to stick around for more than a year.

Normally, religion front-and-center in an athlete is a big downer for me. IMO, god doesn't give a shit about games--at least no god worth worshiping. But Sene's attachment to his faith seems an effortless extension of his persona rather than a pose or a shield. I find myself rooting for him to succeed here.

If he does, he'll probably wind up on the practice squad. MaPatsFan makes a good point about building from youth on the o-line in his preview post, echoing the concerns of others in regard to recent draft years. He's right about this year--we needed a quick infusion of youth in our linebacking corps. But in spite of the fact that we haven't hit for power in recent o-line drafts, there seems to be a solid foundation of youth there now.

In addition to Sene, Ryan Wendell, center from Fresno State, is another rookie in the trenches. Like Sene, he's a sharp, well-spoken kid who was a force in college. Jimmy Martin, with one year of tenure, rounds out a trio of young offensive linemen that the Patriots now have in camp. If they stick, they could form the nucleus of a strong o-line one or two years from now. In the meantime, however, it's into the deep end to sink or swim. For the sake of this year--at least the early weeks--I hope it's "swim."

Here's a decent video on Sene:

Remember: You Heard it Here First

JohnHannahRules — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:26:56 -0000

The Globe's Mike Reiss shifts his concern from the defensive backfield to the offensive line.

There have been some "stop-the-bleeding" signings up front in the last couple of days. In addition to first-year free agent Pete McMahon, two long in the tooth vets were brought in. McMahon, who played his college ball in Iowa under the tutelage of Kirk Ferentz and OC Ken O'Keefe, was drafted in 2005 by the Raiders, but has never played a down in anger and was out of the game completely for the last two seasons.

Joining him are Barry Stokes and John Welbourn. You can read Reiss' article here , and I'll leave it for him to put this in perspective. Needless to say, this kind of juggling on the front does not bode well for the early season. With Matt Light out this entire time and perennial back-ups O'Callaghan and Oliver Ross recently joining him, things are even more uncertain than I thought them to be earlier. Here's a run-down on Stokes and Welbourn:

Stokes , 34 years old, is the consummate jouneyman -- emphasis on "journey." It's no mean feat to play football for that long, but with stops at five different teams (including NFL-Europe's Claymores and the Lions on 3 separate occasions), you're solidly in the "average to serviceable" category. Stokes hails from Flint, Michigan and spent 3 stints with his hometown Lions. The guy seems to be a pretty good citizen, creating the Barry Stokes Foundation in that state and garnering some local recognition for it.

His career seemed to peak over the 2002 and 2003 seasons when he started in 16 and 13 games respectively for the Browns, playing in both left side spots. He missed an entire year with the Giants due to injury. As he's gotten older, he's been moved to the right, playing both guard and tackle. His career reflects that of a player on the cusp--not necessarily a liability but, for some reason, the kind of guy coaches are looking to upgrade when they can. We pick him up as a Jets retread, released by them in March.

If there's a silver lining here, it would be that the teams he's played for (most notably Miami, Detroit, Oakland) aren't necessarily known for developing linemen -- particularly during his years in town. He figures to be a decent run-blocker once he picks up the scheme. But his failure to stick anywhere does not bode overly well. He seems to be well-liked around the league, but a 34 year old 310 pound guy with a history of back and leg injuries is not going to pop out of the gate like he used to do.

John Welbourn is a couple of years younger than Stokes, and at least at one time was a solid second-rank NFL lineman. Drafted out of Cal in 1999 by the Eagles, he missed much of his first year with an injury. After that, however, he was a solid starter for them until being traded to Kansas City in 2003, who thought highly enough of him to give up a 2nd- and a 4th-round draft pick. He started at RT for the Chiefs for three seasons and at RG for all of 2007.

Looks rosy, right? Not so fast. Welbourn would have cost the Chiefs $2M this year, a contract he was under-performing in '07. He served 2 suspensions for violating the league's steroid policy, one in '05 and one in '06. He "retired" for the '06 benching but made a comeback -- sort of. Definitely in his twilight years at the start of the season last year, the poor performance of the Chiefs right side over the course of the year earned him a ticket out. Our friends at Arrowhead Pride labeled that line "the worst in franchise history."

These guys are bodies -- depth at best, and not too deep at that.

Right now, the right side of the line is Wesley Britt and Billy Yates, with a somewhat healthy Kaczur bumped to LT in Light's absence. Britt and Yates have the advantage of being "system guys," raised from NFL infancy by Dante Scarnecchia. This is a good thing -- relatively speaking. Yates in particular has seen some time on the field in important games. As Reiss observes, now isn't the time for panic. Yet. But it is certainly time for concern.

As I mentioned in my earlier discussion about the o-line, cohesion and mutual anticipation are key attributes of a successful line, and those are things that can only be built through reps. Good thing there's still a month to go.