Tag: New England Patriots (Page 33 of 72)

      Patriots sign Torry Holt, but why?

      April 20, 2010 /

      Tom Curran of WEEI reports via his Twitter page that the Patriots have agreed to terms with wide receiver Torry Holt on a one-year, $1.7 million contract. Curran doesn’t get into why they signed him, however, which is the question I have.

      The Patriots have a habit of signing aging veterans on their last or next-to-last legs (see Fred Taylor, Shawn Springs, Joey Galloway, Marcus Pollard and Kyle Brady) and who are looking for a Super Bowl ring before they exit stage left. In the case of Holt, he technically gives the Pats what they need (a receiver), but he’ll hardly be the answer.

      More than anything, New England needs to add a playmaker opposite Randy Moss. Julian Edelman can play the slot position until Wes Welker returns from the knee injury he suffered in Week 17 of last year, but Holt isn’t the answer on the other side. He was somewhat effective for the first five or six games last season in Jacksonville, but then he faded badly down the stretch.

      It’s never a bad idea to add competition to any position group, but this signing seems like a waste in my eyes. Chances are the Pats will still add a receiver in the middle rounds this weekend.


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      2010 NFL Mock Draft Version 2.0

      April 12, 2010 /

      With the Redskins’ acquisition of Donovan McNabb, it’s a perfect time to update my mock draft. In my first mock, I had the Redskins taking Jimmy Clausen at No. 4, but with their need at quarterback being filled with the trade for McNabb, the dynamics in the top 10 have changed.

      Here’s my second crack at predicting the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

      (Side note: If I have the team selecting the same player as I did in my first mock, then my explanation of the pick will be the same in most occasions.)

      1. St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
      I have Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh rated as the unquestioned best player in this year’s draft. (Well, I don’t have an official ranking per se, but in my head he’s No. 1.) But that doesn’t mean I think the Rams will take him. Teams usually get quirky about the No. 1 overall pick. They feel as though they have to match the contract with the position in order to justify the player they’re taking, which is completely backwards when you think about it. A team should mostly be concerned with taking the right player that matches their scheme. But I digress. Bradford is the top rated quarterback and the Rams have a major need at the position now that the ultra-brutal Marc Bulger has been released. The Rams feel as though they need to breathe some excitement into their dull franchise and taking Bradford should do the trick. Is he the right player? That’s debatable.

      2. Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
      Their trade for DT Corey Williams kind of throws me off a little, but I still think that if Suh is available the Lions won’t pass on him. Jim Schwartz built one hell of a defense in Tennessee centered around Albert Haynesworth and he could view Suh the same way. He’s a difference-maker up front and regardless of whether or not he and Williams play the same position, if Suh is as good as I think he is then Schwartz will find a way to utilize him. Offensive tackle Russell Okung has been mentioned at this pick but again, if Suh is available I can’t see the Lions leaving him on the board.

      3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
      If the Rams wind up taking Bradford with the top pick, you might be able to hear the sounds of screams and jubilation coming from Tampa. That’s because the Bucs would love to land one of the two stud defensive tackles in this draft and if Bradford goes No. 1, then either Suh or McCoy would slip to Tampa here. Some people are down on McCoy after he only benched 225 pounds 23 times at the combine, but that’s not a justifiable reason for his stock to slip. A lot of defensive tackles are forced to shed weight for the combine and when they do, they lose strength in the process. Besides, not taking a player because of how he performed on the bench at the combine is ridiculous notion anyway. McCoy would be a great fit for the Bucs.

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      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      2010 NFL Mock Draft Version 1.0

      March 18, 2010 /

      The full mock is finally completed!

      I waited a lot longer than I normally do to compile my first mock draft of the year. Normally I whip up my first batch of mock draft right after the scouting combine, but this year I wanted to see what happened at the start of free agency before I even remotely considered whom teams would select in April.

      I get as excited as any true draftnik about mock drafts, but how could anyone venture a guess at what player a team will select without knowing what big free agents signed where? It’s like taking a long road trip to a place you’ve never been before without your GPS. (Wow, have the times changed. A couple of years ago, I would have ended that sentence with “without your map” but that damn technology continues to track us down like a bear preying on an injured deer.)

      Below is my first crack at predicting the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. As usual, feel free to argue my picks as much as you like but please, debate with some dignity. Don’t be the doucher that ruins the fun of mock drafts by spewing venom in the comments section of a sports blog. There may not be anything more pathetic.

      1. St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
      I have Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh rated as the unquestioned best player in this year’s draft. (Well, I don’t have an official ranking per se, but in my head he’s No. 1.) But that doesn’t mean I think the Rams will take him. Teams usually get funny about the No. 1 overall pick. They feel as though they have to match the contract with the position in order to justify the player they’re taking, which is completely backwards when you think about it. A team should be most concerned with taking the right player that matches their scheme. But I digress. Bradford is the top rated quarterback and the Rams have a major need at the position with Marc Bulger proving over the past two years that he’s better suited to run the scout team offense in practice and then the first unit on Sundays. The Rams feel as though they need to breathe some excitement into their dull franchise and taking Bradford should do the trick. Is he the right player? That’s debatable.

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      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Ty Warren setting a great example for young athletes

      March 16, 2010 /

      Patriots defensive end Ty Warren will pass on a $250,000 offseason workout bonus in order to go back to school and get his college degree this spring.

      From ESPN.com:

      “I try to put the kids in the best educational system possible and I think there is something to be said for their father, who has been blessed to play in the NFL and do something he’s loved to do, going back and finishing what he started,” Warren said from the campus of Texas A&M. “In the big picture, I think it’s important for me to do what I’m doing. I can sacrifice that bonus for that.”

      As it stands, Warren is on pace to walk in graduation next spring. He’s majoring in agriculture leadership and development and already has his post-playing career in mind; he hopes to help those at A&M get more involved in the local community.

      “If we end up having a lockout in 2011, that’s where you can find me, working with students,” Warren said.

      And even if there isn’t a lockout, Warren is thinking beyond next year.

      “If I’m fortunate enough to play 12, 13 years, but then find myself getting cut in training camp, I’m not going to put myself in a situation where I don’t have my degree,” he said. “I’m not going to give myself up like that. I need to have options, so I feel like right now is a time where I need to dictate what I’m doing in the offseason.

      I never fault athletes who decide to leave school early before earning their degree because hey, we all have a dream – who am I to criticize an athletes’ decision?

      That said, it’s great to see a player like Warren set an example for young athletes by going back to school. As he noted in the article, football careers only last so long and after that, a college degree will take a player further in life than the NFL will. One would hope that players are investing their money wisely, but whether they are or they aren’t, education is always important and Warren is setting an example of that.

      This is a great story, especially considering that several athletes every year decide to skip offseason workouts because they have an axe to grind. It’s finally nice to see a positive spin on a situation like this.

      NFL

      Brandon Marshall in Seattle for a visit, but who else is interested?

      March 7, 2010 /

      Things could be heating up on the Brandon Marshall trade front. Here’s what we know so far:

      – On Saturday, Marshall was reportedly in Seattle doing a meet-and-greet with the Seahawks. While they didn’t sign the restricted free agent to an offer sheet, the Seattle Times speculates that the Seahawks would send the No. 6 overall pick in April’s draft to the Broncos for Marshall.

      If that sounds far-fetched, it’s probably because it is. In fact, ESPN NFC West beat writer Mike Sando says that he would be shocked if the Hawks parted with their top pick, although that doesn’t mean the two sides can’t work out another trade if Marshall is signed to an offer sheet.

      – Mike Lombardi of the National Football Post writes that the Seahawks could have competition for Marshall shortly, although he doesn’t say which teams could be interested. The very reliable Rotoworld.com speculates that the Patriots, Falcons and Bengals make sense.

      Out of the three teams Rotoworld mentions, I think the Patriots and Bengals do make sense, although I highly doubt the Falcons would join the party. While they would love to add another big time playmaker opposite Roddy White, I doubt they’ll part with their first round pick (19th overall) to address the offensive side of the ball with holes at outside linebacker and defensive end. GM Thomas Dimitroff would like to continue his rebuilding project on defense and it makes it harder for him to do that without a first round pick. I think Dunta Robinson was the only big splash the Falcons will make this offseason.

      We’ll monitor this situation next week and see if a) the Seahawks eventually sign Marshall to an offer sheet and/or b) another team joins the race.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

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