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Pat' off season and next year (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter PMENFAN
- Start date
Exile
Footballguy
Well, yes and no. I've thought all off-season that they'd make a move to improve the LBs, but it hasn't happened. I've also said several times that I only see 3 starters on the team right now (Bruschi, Colvin, Vrabel). That said...who are they going to bring in? I can only think of 2 impact LBs who might be available:1) The aforementioned Edwards. He was reportedly on the trade block a few months back, but Charger fans I've spoken to don't think he still is. If he isn't traded, he *might* be cut...at which point the Pats are one of about 5 or 6 teams who would make a run at him.
2) Ahmad Brooks, LB from Virginia will be in the Supplemental Draft in July. On the plus side, he's a 1st round talent who played in the most Patriot-like defense in college ball. On the minus side, he had a horrible injury-riddled junior season and then was kicked off his college team. Never mind the fact there's no guarentee we'd even get him...or even want him (depends on why he was kicked off the team and whether Belichick thinks it's a big issue or not).
That's a lot of ifs...enough that I think there's probably a better than 50% chance that we will go into the season with what we have at LB.
If we do, I think we'll see a lot of substitutions at that 4th LB spot designed to get the most out of Monty Biesel, Tully Banta-Cain, Ryan Claridge, and whoever else can make some plays. We'll also probably see a bit more 4-3 defenses.
AJ Smith talking about Caldwell.
http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/proj...o.221e0d50.html
Patriots Notebook: Ex-boss praises Caldwell
01:00 AM EDT on Friday, May 12, 2006
BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer
Reche Caldwell has barely made an impact yet in the NFL. Who says he's poised to make one now?
His former boss, of all people. San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith yesterday predicted that wide receiver Caldwell, acquired by the Patriots this offseason, will have an impact in New England.
"That organization really knows how to get packages together for particular players and get the most out of people," Smith said. "I've seen it time and time again. They bring a player in that hasn't had success and give him specific instruction that lets the player know what he needs to do to succeed. It's like individual lesson plans.Wade Phillips (the Chargers' defensive coordinator) does that here. (Patriots head coach Bill Belichick) gets most of the credit for his emphasis on defense, but he gets the most out of players on defense and offense."
While with the Chargers, Caldwell. . . .
"He's been hurt," Smith explained. "He's really had some tough gos physically. With a change of scenery, he really could prosper."
Smith said Caldwell had no real shortcomings in terms of going over the middle or working in a system that called on receivers to make post-snap reads of corners and safeties and run corresponding routes.
"He just couldn't catch a break (in San Diego)," Smith said. "He is very talented. The Patriots are taking a chance on that talent and hoping he stays healthy. In this league, players and coaches move all the time and they go from one place where they weren't performing well to another place where they prosper. We just made a deal like that to get (wide receiver)Rashaun Woods for (defensive back) Sammie Davis. Maybe the change benefits both players."
http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/proj...o.221e0d50.html
Patriots Notebook: Ex-boss praises Caldwell
01:00 AM EDT on Friday, May 12, 2006
BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer
Reche Caldwell has barely made an impact yet in the NFL. Who says he's poised to make one now?
His former boss, of all people. San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith yesterday predicted that wide receiver Caldwell, acquired by the Patriots this offseason, will have an impact in New England.
"That organization really knows how to get packages together for particular players and get the most out of people," Smith said. "I've seen it time and time again. They bring a player in that hasn't had success and give him specific instruction that lets the player know what he needs to do to succeed. It's like individual lesson plans.Wade Phillips (the Chargers' defensive coordinator) does that here. (Patriots head coach Bill Belichick) gets most of the credit for his emphasis on defense, but he gets the most out of players on defense and offense."
While with the Chargers, Caldwell. . . .
"He's been hurt," Smith explained. "He's really had some tough gos physically. With a change of scenery, he really could prosper."
Smith said Caldwell had no real shortcomings in terms of going over the middle or working in a system that called on receivers to make post-snap reads of corners and safeties and run corresponding routes.
"He just couldn't catch a break (in San Diego)," Smith said. "He is very talented. The Patriots are taking a chance on that talent and hoping he stays healthy. In this league, players and coaches move all the time and they go from one place where they weren't performing well to another place where they prosper. We just made a deal like that to get (wide receiver)Rashaun Woods for (defensive back) Sammie Davis. Maybe the change benefits both players."
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Borat
Footballguy
I don't see the major issue at LB, I really don't. This group is no worse than what we had at the beginning of last year - we were without Bruschi then, and we're without McGinest now. In fact, I'd say we're better off this year than we were last year, because Colvin is back to 100%, Bruschi is back, Beisel has spent a year in the system, Banta-Cain has another year's experience behind him, and maybe Claridge can step up this year.
Bruschi, Vrabel, and Colvin are all very good players, at or near Pro Bowl level. Out of the Banta-Cain/Claridge/Beisel/Alexander group, I'm confident someone will emerge who can do a decent job.
We may not be as deep as we have been in years past, but this isn't the disaster some seem to be making it out to be.
Bruschi, Vrabel, and Colvin are all very good players, at or near Pro Bowl level. Out of the Banta-Cain/Claridge/Beisel/Alexander group, I'm confident someone will emerge who can do a decent job.
We may not be as deep as we have been in years past, but this isn't the disaster some seem to be making it out to be.
Exile
Footballguy
Maybe not a disaster...but I definitely an area of concern.The bolded comment about the LBs at the beginning of last year is no consolation at all because that group sucked. Rather than compare this group to that one, we should look at the group at end of the season. By then, Bruschi was back, Colvin was 100% and Beisel had spent the full season in the system. So basically the difference between the group at the end of last year and the current group is that we're looking at some improvement from Biesel and Tully Banta-Cain plus possible contributions by Ryan Claridge to replace Willie McGinnest (who was a major part of the late season success).
And that's not a major issue?
nerangers
Footballguy
Rookie numbers
Rookie jersey numbers for draft picks, as assigned by the Patriots for this weekend’s mini-camp:
Laurence Maroney -- 39
Chad Jackson -- 17
David Thomas -- 86
Garrett Mills -- 45
Stephen Gostkowski -- 3
Ryan O’Callaghan -- 68
Dan Stevenson -- 63
Le Kevin Smith -- 65
Willie Andrews -- 38
Patriots | Andrews will wear No. 38
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:05:29 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots CB Willie Andrews will wear No. 38 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | Smith will wear No. 65
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:05:09 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots DL Le Kevin Smith will wear No. 65 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | Stevenson will wear No. 63
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:04:46 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots OG Dan Stevenson will wear No. 63 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | Mincey will wear No. 58
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:03:47 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots DL Jeremy Mincey will wear No. 58 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | O'Callaghan will wear No. 68
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:03:22 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots OT Ryan O'Callaghan will wear No. 68 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | Gostkowski will wear No. 3
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:03:09 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots PK Stephen Gostkowski will wear No. 3 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | G. Mills will wear No. 45
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:02:55 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots TE Garrett Mills will wear No. 45 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | D. Thomas will wear No. 86
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:02:35 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots TE David Thomas will wear No. 86 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | C. Jackson will wear No. 17
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:01:50 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots WR Chad Jackson will wear No. 17 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | Maroney will wear No. 39
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:01:35 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots RB Laurence Maroney will wear No. 39 during the team's minicamp.
Rookie jersey numbers for draft picks, as assigned by the Patriots for this weekend’s mini-camp:
Laurence Maroney -- 39
Chad Jackson -- 17
David Thomas -- 86
Garrett Mills -- 45
Stephen Gostkowski -- 3
Ryan O’Callaghan -- 68
Dan Stevenson -- 63
Le Kevin Smith -- 65
Willie Andrews -- 38
Patriots | Andrews will wear No. 38
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:05:29 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots CB Willie Andrews will wear No. 38 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | Smith will wear No. 65
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:05:09 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots DL Le Kevin Smith will wear No. 65 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | Stevenson will wear No. 63
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:04:46 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots OG Dan Stevenson will wear No. 63 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | Mincey will wear No. 58
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:03:47 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots DL Jeremy Mincey will wear No. 58 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | O'Callaghan will wear No. 68
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:03:22 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots OT Ryan O'Callaghan will wear No. 68 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | Gostkowski will wear No. 3
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:03:09 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots PK Stephen Gostkowski will wear No. 3 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | G. Mills will wear No. 45
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:02:55 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots TE Garrett Mills will wear No. 45 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | D. Thomas will wear No. 86
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:02:35 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots TE David Thomas will wear No. 86 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | C. Jackson will wear No. 17
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:01:50 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots WR Chad Jackson will wear No. 17 during the team's minicamp.
Patriots | Maroney will wear No. 39
Fri, 12 May 2006 18:01:35 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots RB Laurence Maroney will wear No. 39 during the team's minicamp.
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nerangers
Footballguy
College ties (from boston.com)
When looking at the pipeline between the New England Patriots and University of Florida football program, the most promiment link is between head coaches Bill Belichick and Urban Meyer. The two have spent time together in recent years, trading ideas on team-building and Xs and Os.
But the pipeline goes deeper than just Belichick-Meyer, and it includes a strong New England connection.
Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli played football at Central Connecticut State from 1983-87. Florida assistant coach Steve Addazio played at Central Connecticut State from 1978-81. Also, Patriots special assignment scout Frank Leonard played and coached at Central Connecticut State.
"We're all proud Blue Devils," said Addazio, a longtime friend of Pioli and Leonard.
That connection could be part of the reason that five University of Florida players will participate in the Patriots' rookie minicamp this weekend. The Patriots drafted receiver Chad Jackson in the second round and outside linebacker Jeremy Mincey in the sixth round, while signing cornerback Vernell Brown, offensive tackle Randy Hand and safety Jarvis Herring to free-agent contracts.
Central Connecticut State, which now competes in the Northeast Conference, has a few other distinguised alumni in the NFL, including Texans assistant coach Mike Sherman and Jaguars assistant coach Dave Campo. In the college ranks, Iowa State defensive coordinator John Skladany, who helped Ellis Hobbs develop into a NFL-caliber cornerback, is a Central Connecticut State alum.
"There's a great fraternity from the school out there," said Addazio.
Addazio first met Pioli in 1985, when Pioli was a player at the school. He said the two struck up a friendship at that time, and 20 years later, Addazio jokes that sometimes he's mistaken for Pioli "because we're kind of built the same way, have the same hairline, and are both Northeast guys."
Both Central Connecticut State guys, too.
"That's something we're proud of," Addazio said.
When looking at the pipeline between the New England Patriots and University of Florida football program, the most promiment link is between head coaches Bill Belichick and Urban Meyer. The two have spent time together in recent years, trading ideas on team-building and Xs and Os.
But the pipeline goes deeper than just Belichick-Meyer, and it includes a strong New England connection.
Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli played football at Central Connecticut State from 1983-87. Florida assistant coach Steve Addazio played at Central Connecticut State from 1978-81. Also, Patriots special assignment scout Frank Leonard played and coached at Central Connecticut State.
"We're all proud Blue Devils," said Addazio, a longtime friend of Pioli and Leonard.
That connection could be part of the reason that five University of Florida players will participate in the Patriots' rookie minicamp this weekend. The Patriots drafted receiver Chad Jackson in the second round and outside linebacker Jeremy Mincey in the sixth round, while signing cornerback Vernell Brown, offensive tackle Randy Hand and safety Jarvis Herring to free-agent contracts.
Central Connecticut State, which now competes in the Northeast Conference, has a few other distinguised alumni in the NFL, including Texans assistant coach Mike Sherman and Jaguars assistant coach Dave Campo. In the college ranks, Iowa State defensive coordinator John Skladany, who helped Ellis Hobbs develop into a NFL-caliber cornerback, is a Central Connecticut State alum.
"There's a great fraternity from the school out there," said Addazio.
Addazio first met Pioli in 1985, when Pioli was a player at the school. He said the two struck up a friendship at that time, and 20 years later, Addazio jokes that sometimes he's mistaken for Pioli "because we're kind of built the same way, have the same hairline, and are both Northeast guys."
Both Central Connecticut State guys, too.
"That's something we're proud of," Addazio said.
nerangers
Footballguy
A look ahead to rookie mini-camp Tom Casale, Patriots Football Weekly
Rookie mini-camp kicks off this weekend to give the coaches their first look at the Patriots rookies and undrafted free agents. Here are some things to keep an eye on over the next two days.
Rookie mini-camp is finally here and while it doesn’t have the flare and excitement of training camp, it’s a way for football-crazed junkies to pass the empty void known as summer. Not much goes on during the rookie camp but here are some of the things fans should keep their eye on:
· How are the Patriots using David Thomas and Garrett Mills? Is Mills lining up at tight end or are they moving him around a lot? This will be one of the more intriguing stories this summer because a lot of fans want to know just how the team plans on using Mills.
· Is the next Willie McGinest in this group? The Patriots selected mostly offensive players in the draft but two guys – Jeremy Mincey and Pierre Woods – have a chance to contribute as edge pass rushers. Mincey played defensive end at Florida and Woods played both end and outside linebacker at Michigan. It will be interesting to see if either, or both, players can make the transition to a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL.
· Just how polished is Chad Jackson as a receiver? It takes most receivers two or three years before they really start producing but the word is Jackson is a polished player and great route-runner. The Patriots are hoping that Jackson can come in right away and contribute so we’ll get our first glance at how far he needs to go in this mini-camp.
· Is Freddie Roach a diamond in the rough? Most draft publications had Roach rated as one of the top five middle linebackers but he went undrafted. No one knows for sure why a player doesn’t get drafted but past injury problems had to be a factor with Roach, who has injured his right knee twice since high school. As far as on the field goes, Roach was a very productive player for a dominant Alabama defense last year. Roach doesn’t have great speed but he has the instincts and work ethic that could make him a real find for the Patriots.
· Just how strong a leg does Stephen Gostkowski have? We’ve been hearing about Gostkowski’s booming leg since he was drafted and this will be the first time it will be on display. Obviously, kicking in rookie mini-camp is a lot different than kicking in an actual game but it’s going to be interesting to see how deep Gostkowski’s kick offs go and how accurate he is in his first stint as a Patriot.
· How much do the Patriots like quarterback Corey Bramlet? It was reported that the team gave Bramlet a three-year deal, which could mean he is more than just training camp fodder. Bramlet didn’t have a great senior year – throwing 16 touchdowns and 18 interceptions – but like Matt Cassel last year, perhaps the Patriots see something in Bramlet they like. Tom Brady is set as the starter and one would think Cassel’s spot on the roster is secure as well. The team will probably bring in a veteran once Doug Flutie lets them know if he’s retuning or not, which means Bramlet could end up on the practice squad as a developmental quarterback. He’ll get his first chance to state his case for a roster spot this weekend.
· Finally, which player will make the early impression with coaches and the media? We all know Chad Jackson and Laurence Maroney will make the team but there’s always that one player who seems to come out of nowhere and surprises everybody. I’m going to throw a name out there: Sam Smith out of Delaware State. Smith played linebacker and safety in college but at 200 pounds, he’s too small to play linebacker in the NFL. However, he’s a physical player with a lot of speed and his versatility will help him in New England. Smith could be a solid developmental prospect in the defensive backfield, so watch out for him over the next couple of months. He’s my early choice as an undrafted free agent who could find his way onto the Patriots practice squad but you never know who will surprise. That’s part of the fun of mini-camps and training camp.
Rookie mini-camp kicks off this weekend to give the coaches their first look at the Patriots rookies and undrafted free agents. Here are some things to keep an eye on over the next two days.
Rookie mini-camp is finally here and while it doesn’t have the flare and excitement of training camp, it’s a way for football-crazed junkies to pass the empty void known as summer. Not much goes on during the rookie camp but here are some of the things fans should keep their eye on:
· How are the Patriots using David Thomas and Garrett Mills? Is Mills lining up at tight end or are they moving him around a lot? This will be one of the more intriguing stories this summer because a lot of fans want to know just how the team plans on using Mills.
· Is the next Willie McGinest in this group? The Patriots selected mostly offensive players in the draft but two guys – Jeremy Mincey and Pierre Woods – have a chance to contribute as edge pass rushers. Mincey played defensive end at Florida and Woods played both end and outside linebacker at Michigan. It will be interesting to see if either, or both, players can make the transition to a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL.
· Just how polished is Chad Jackson as a receiver? It takes most receivers two or three years before they really start producing but the word is Jackson is a polished player and great route-runner. The Patriots are hoping that Jackson can come in right away and contribute so we’ll get our first glance at how far he needs to go in this mini-camp.
· Is Freddie Roach a diamond in the rough? Most draft publications had Roach rated as one of the top five middle linebackers but he went undrafted. No one knows for sure why a player doesn’t get drafted but past injury problems had to be a factor with Roach, who has injured his right knee twice since high school. As far as on the field goes, Roach was a very productive player for a dominant Alabama defense last year. Roach doesn’t have great speed but he has the instincts and work ethic that could make him a real find for the Patriots.
· Just how strong a leg does Stephen Gostkowski have? We’ve been hearing about Gostkowski’s booming leg since he was drafted and this will be the first time it will be on display. Obviously, kicking in rookie mini-camp is a lot different than kicking in an actual game but it’s going to be interesting to see how deep Gostkowski’s kick offs go and how accurate he is in his first stint as a Patriot.
· How much do the Patriots like quarterback Corey Bramlet? It was reported that the team gave Bramlet a three-year deal, which could mean he is more than just training camp fodder. Bramlet didn’t have a great senior year – throwing 16 touchdowns and 18 interceptions – but like Matt Cassel last year, perhaps the Patriots see something in Bramlet they like. Tom Brady is set as the starter and one would think Cassel’s spot on the roster is secure as well. The team will probably bring in a veteran once Doug Flutie lets them know if he’s retuning or not, which means Bramlet could end up on the practice squad as a developmental quarterback. He’ll get his first chance to state his case for a roster spot this weekend.
· Finally, which player will make the early impression with coaches and the media? We all know Chad Jackson and Laurence Maroney will make the team but there’s always that one player who seems to come out of nowhere and surprises everybody. I’m going to throw a name out there: Sam Smith out of Delaware State. Smith played linebacker and safety in college but at 200 pounds, he’s too small to play linebacker in the NFL. However, he’s a physical player with a lot of speed and his versatility will help him in New England. Smith could be a solid developmental prospect in the defensive backfield, so watch out for him over the next couple of months. He’s my early choice as an undrafted free agent who could find his way onto the Patriots practice squad but you never know who will surprise. That’s part of the fun of mini-camps and training camp.
nerangers
Footballguy
Patriots | Maroney lands endorsement deal
Thu, 11 May 2006 21:15:03 -0700
Donna Goodison, of the Boston Herald, reports New England Patriots rookie RB Laurence Maroney has signed a multiyear endorsement deal with Reebok, a unit of Adidas. Maroney will compete wearing the brand's Rbk Performance product collection, including the Pump Down and Out cleats and Rbk Speed Grip gloves.
Thu, 11 May 2006 21:15:03 -0700
Donna Goodison, of the Boston Herald, reports New England Patriots rookie RB Laurence Maroney has signed a multiyear endorsement deal with Reebok, a unit of Adidas. Maroney will compete wearing the brand's Rbk Performance product collection, including the Pump Down and Out cleats and Rbk Speed Grip gloves.
nerangers
Footballguy
Bill's take (from boston.com)
The full transcript from Bill Belichick's press conference at Patriots rookie minicamp:
How much time do you have for questions from them?
"We encourage them to ask questions. Anything they don't understand, usually if one guy doesn't ask it or if one guy is thinking about and does ask it, there are other guys that have that same question, they just might be afraid to speak up. We encourage that a lot of times on an individual basis, the position coaches or other people in the organization, some logistics, things like that. Guys come from so many different backgrounds, the systems they were in, their experience, their techniques and so forth, that it's just hard for us to know what each guy ... what different words or different terms or different techniques and how they have been taught. So we try to give them our information, but again, encourage them to [ask for] feedback and we quiz them on it to make sure that we're teaching it and they're learning it. It's a two-way street, the information flow."
You've had a taste of each guy at this point. How much an evaluation is this weekend for them?
"I think it's less of an evaluation than it is an instruction period. Again, I think the big thing for us is to get everybody the information so they can learn it, they can build on it, and build a foundation. The bigger part of the evaluation certainly will come in training camp, but sometimes it's just like anything else that any of us do. You don't always learn the skill the first time it's given to you. You have to go out and practice it and then come back and look at it and sometimes teach it again or look at a situation that maybe it is the same but it's not quite the same. I think that's all just part of the process. I think the evaluation really is in training camp and the preseason games much more than it is in a camp like this. We just want to try to get everybody as much up to speed and into the program and get them as much information as we can so they will be able to go out and perform and be evaluated kind of on equal footing with everybody else. Obviously our veteran players are a lot further ahead of these guys. They have been training for two-and-a-half months in our system. They know our program. They know our terminology and these guys don't know anything. But it's always that way."
In a small camp like this one, can you accomplish everything you need to by practicing indoors? Do you lose anything by not being outside?
"No, I think we'll be all right. That's a good facility. That's been a big plus for us since we've had that the last few years. The quality of the practices is so much better than what it was in that little tiny bubble there. At least we can run our routes and kick the ball and do all of those things. We don't have that many guys out there, so we are not as tight on space as what we are in training camp when you try to put 85 bodies in there. We are at about a third of that. Yes, it's fine. It's very good."
Are you trying to throw as much as possible at these guys or do you just want to try to give them a phase and not give them too much this weekend?
"I don't think we could throw everything at them even if we wanted to. There's only so much time and so many plays and so much film we can watch. So we try to go at a pace that we feel is a good learning pace. For some guys that maybe is a little bit slower. For other guys, it maybe is a little bit faster. But, we try to hit the midpoint on that and then you adjust as you go. You go to the next practice and if you feel like you have everything down, maybe you decide to put in something additionally that you hadn't originally scheduled. Sometimes you cut something out and say, 'We need a little bit more time to get this part of it right. We're going to take a little more time on that and cut something out that we had expected to go in,' but that's just normal teaching progression. There are always adjustments like that that you need to make. No, we're not trying to throw the whole playbook at them. We just hope we can get a lot of the basics and fundamentals right so that as we do add things, it will make sense and those blocks will be in place and we can build on them."
Do you try to impress on them that this is their opportunity to get some individual instruction without it being a massive training camp where there are 80 guys out there?
"Absolutely. They're going to get a lot of attention. They're going to get a lot of opportunity here and as the veteran players come in and we merge the whole team together, then these players will get less, absolutely. They need to know and understand that and take advantage of every opportunity that they get both individually and from when we do teamwork, which there is only so much of that we can do because the volume of guys is low. But a lot of the individual work does carry over into those situations. So, absolutely, they need to do that."
What impressed you about Freddie Roach that caused you to bring him in?
"Well, Freddie has been a very productive player. I think he physically has skills that we feel like will be competitive in our scheme as an inside linebacker. He's been a productive player at a high level of competition collegiately."
Is special teams a huge component of this first month that they're in your system?
"Special teams is important and we work on it every day. Again, it's more important to some positions than others. Not that it isn't important, but it's not really a make or break thing for an offensive lineman, but it probably is for a linebacker or a secondary guy. Some of that depends on the position a little bit, but we do work on it every day and that's just part of the whole orientation. Again, a lot of guys that come into the National Football League have not had very much work on special teams because they're usually the better players and a lot of times, a lot of teams will use freshman or sophomore or those types of guys in those roles. So players now, that may be their primary role at this level, where it might not have been any role or maybe a lesser role for them collegiately, at least in the last year or two. It's not always the case, but frequently it is so there's kind of a little bit of a teaching of new techniques and new responsibilities for guys who have been maybe primarily offensive or defensive players now have a significant special teams role."
How many of these guys can catch punts?
"That's a good question. We're probably looking at about a dozen of them out there today. How many would be able to do it at this level? That's one of the things that we try to take a look at. Again, a lot more of that will really come into focus in training camp, but at least we get some idea. There will probably be a couple of guys that we can eliminate that just probably would just have too far to go. But it looks like there are a number of guys that can handle the ball fairly well just based on what we saw out there today."
A guy like Willie Andrews, that's a spot where he can come in and contribute?
"Yeah, well he's done it. He's returned collegiately. We have a number of guys on our roster that have returned either punts or kickoffs and we'll certainly take a look at them in those spots. Whether they're better or not as good as people we have or other players that do that role, we'll have to see."
Of the list of things that Chad Jackson does well, what do you think would be near the top that would give him success at this level?
"We'll have to see. That remains to be seen."
Why did you trade up for him?
"We drafted him because we feel like he has the ability to contribute in our system. As a receiver, he can get open and catch the ball. That's what every receiver has to do. How all of that manifests itself, we have a long process to go through to see that."
I understand that this is more teaching than evaluation but if there are any players that can sort of show something to you, is that receivers, corners and quarterbacks in this kind of camp?
"I think everybody can learn in this camp and that's what they need to do, so that when they do get a chance to compete in a real competitive football environment in training camp, that they are able to go out there and do their best. That's what it's all geared towards. Every position."
You took a couple of players, [Garrett] Mills and [Dave] Thomas, who seem like they have similar skills. Do you look at them both as tight ends or do you start the evaluation of that right now and decide where a guy like Mills would end up?
"No, we don't try to pigeonhole anybody. We try to teach them our system and we'll see how their roles and responsibilities fall as we put our team together and get into practices and let them do different things and see how they perform at those different positions. Maybe they're versatile and maybe they're not. We'll see. But we want to give them the information so that they will have an opportunity to work at those spots and how well they do and what those things will turn out to be, we'll just have to wait and see."
How much of what Texas asked their tight ends to do is comparable to what you ask your tight ends to do?
"I think there are certainly some similarities. There are some things that you can work off of. There are a lot of differences too and certainly a different level, the level of players. It's not unique to Texas. They're a great team. They played a tough schedule and it's a high level of competition, but the competition level in this league is a little bit higher than that. So the guys they're blocking, the guys they're running routes against, the guys they're covering in the kicking game, they're just better in this league. How that works, we'll just have to wait and see. I think Dave has a good base from what they did there and the skills -- he'll have to refine them and improve them at this level, but he definitely has something to work with."
Is operating primarily out of the shotgun a big change for a tight end?
"There are some changes. There are some plays that you wouldn't run out of that type of offense that we would run more out of in our system. Again, you get that with almost every college player, whatever system they use is not going to be the same as ours. We're kind of in a unique situation with kids from Notre Dame, whereas they probably have a better working knowledge of our system than anybody we've had. Not that that makes them anything. Still, it's a much higher level of competition, but at least they kind of know the terminology in the system. That's a plus for them. Hopefully everybody else will catch up and again the competition will be on even footing when we get to training camp. That's the goal."
Does a guy like [Jeremy] Mincey who you are going to be standing up when he was playing down in college, do you have to start the process of tearing him down and building him into a different player than maybe he had been in college at this point?
"He has a lot of different skills to learn and work on, a lot of different coverage concepts that he wasn't involved in. Again, that's a common situation for most outside linebackers for 3-4 teams, but a little different say from what we just talked about with Dave who played tight end. I think what he did was more similar to what an NFL tight end would do than what a defensive end in college to a 3-4 outside linebacker. There is probably more adjustment there."
Is it even more important for him because he has to digest a new position in addition to learning the new system?
"I think it's important for everybody and certainly it's a transition for those players, but again, many players that have come before him have done it. I think we know what to expect and know how to go about trying to make that transition. Some players are able to make it and some aren't. We'll just have to wait and see. I don't think we're doing anything here that we haven't done before or hasn't been done before. It's just...that's what it is. But that's the way it usually is at that spot."
You added a couple of veteran linebackers last week. How do you feel the roster is shaping up?
"It's competition. Any players that we feel like can be competitive on our team, and again there are a lot of different roles that they can be competitive in, then we'll put them out there and see how it turns out. The two guys we signed last week, we felt like they'll be competitive both defensively and in the kicking game. We'll see how it goes with Jeremy [Loyd] and Barry [Gardner], just like everybody else."
You have five guys from Florida here this weekend.
"Yeah, we rented a plane to bring them back in."
[Laughter] What is it about their program?
"I think it's just more coincidental that it worked out that way. It wasn't that we necessarily targeted one school. It just kind of, in the free agency process, it just kind of worked out that way with them, with Randy [Hand], Vernell [brown] and Jarvis [Herring]."
Was it the fact that you spent a little time down there scouting Mincey and [Chad] Jackson and saw those guys as well?
"I don't know. I was at other schools and we didn't get five guys. I think it's just more coincidental. I don't think it's anything ... I don't read that much into it."
Did you go to Wyoming? [Laughter]
"[Laughter] No, I didn't."
Who is responsible for Corey Bramlet?
"We do everything collectively. The scouting staff."
What strengths does he have?
"I think Corey is a productive quarterback. He's been in a system where you can evaluate his throwing and some of the things that we do. I think that he's going to be competitive in that position, so that's why we brought him in. He has a good arm. He looks like he handles the ball and handles the rush fairly well. Again, we're talking about a different level, but those are some of the things that he did well."
What did you like about Vernell Brown? I hear intangibles seem to be a big thing with him.
"Yeah, well he is a great competitor, but I think he covered well competitively in a good conference returning punts. So, again, we'll put him into those competition spots and see how it goes. Again, anybody that plays well at a high level of competition in college, we'll see how they do at this level."
Do you expect any veteran transactions?
"I wouldn't expect any this weekend."
The full transcript from Bill Belichick's press conference at Patriots rookie minicamp:
How much time do you have for questions from them?
"We encourage them to ask questions. Anything they don't understand, usually if one guy doesn't ask it or if one guy is thinking about and does ask it, there are other guys that have that same question, they just might be afraid to speak up. We encourage that a lot of times on an individual basis, the position coaches or other people in the organization, some logistics, things like that. Guys come from so many different backgrounds, the systems they were in, their experience, their techniques and so forth, that it's just hard for us to know what each guy ... what different words or different terms or different techniques and how they have been taught. So we try to give them our information, but again, encourage them to [ask for] feedback and we quiz them on it to make sure that we're teaching it and they're learning it. It's a two-way street, the information flow."
You've had a taste of each guy at this point. How much an evaluation is this weekend for them?
"I think it's less of an evaluation than it is an instruction period. Again, I think the big thing for us is to get everybody the information so they can learn it, they can build on it, and build a foundation. The bigger part of the evaluation certainly will come in training camp, but sometimes it's just like anything else that any of us do. You don't always learn the skill the first time it's given to you. You have to go out and practice it and then come back and look at it and sometimes teach it again or look at a situation that maybe it is the same but it's not quite the same. I think that's all just part of the process. I think the evaluation really is in training camp and the preseason games much more than it is in a camp like this. We just want to try to get everybody as much up to speed and into the program and get them as much information as we can so they will be able to go out and perform and be evaluated kind of on equal footing with everybody else. Obviously our veteran players are a lot further ahead of these guys. They have been training for two-and-a-half months in our system. They know our program. They know our terminology and these guys don't know anything. But it's always that way."
In a small camp like this one, can you accomplish everything you need to by practicing indoors? Do you lose anything by not being outside?
"No, I think we'll be all right. That's a good facility. That's been a big plus for us since we've had that the last few years. The quality of the practices is so much better than what it was in that little tiny bubble there. At least we can run our routes and kick the ball and do all of those things. We don't have that many guys out there, so we are not as tight on space as what we are in training camp when you try to put 85 bodies in there. We are at about a third of that. Yes, it's fine. It's very good."
Are you trying to throw as much as possible at these guys or do you just want to try to give them a phase and not give them too much this weekend?
"I don't think we could throw everything at them even if we wanted to. There's only so much time and so many plays and so much film we can watch. So we try to go at a pace that we feel is a good learning pace. For some guys that maybe is a little bit slower. For other guys, it maybe is a little bit faster. But, we try to hit the midpoint on that and then you adjust as you go. You go to the next practice and if you feel like you have everything down, maybe you decide to put in something additionally that you hadn't originally scheduled. Sometimes you cut something out and say, 'We need a little bit more time to get this part of it right. We're going to take a little more time on that and cut something out that we had expected to go in,' but that's just normal teaching progression. There are always adjustments like that that you need to make. No, we're not trying to throw the whole playbook at them. We just hope we can get a lot of the basics and fundamentals right so that as we do add things, it will make sense and those blocks will be in place and we can build on them."
Do you try to impress on them that this is their opportunity to get some individual instruction without it being a massive training camp where there are 80 guys out there?
"Absolutely. They're going to get a lot of attention. They're going to get a lot of opportunity here and as the veteran players come in and we merge the whole team together, then these players will get less, absolutely. They need to know and understand that and take advantage of every opportunity that they get both individually and from when we do teamwork, which there is only so much of that we can do because the volume of guys is low. But a lot of the individual work does carry over into those situations. So, absolutely, they need to do that."
What impressed you about Freddie Roach that caused you to bring him in?
"Well, Freddie has been a very productive player. I think he physically has skills that we feel like will be competitive in our scheme as an inside linebacker. He's been a productive player at a high level of competition collegiately."
Is special teams a huge component of this first month that they're in your system?
"Special teams is important and we work on it every day. Again, it's more important to some positions than others. Not that it isn't important, but it's not really a make or break thing for an offensive lineman, but it probably is for a linebacker or a secondary guy. Some of that depends on the position a little bit, but we do work on it every day and that's just part of the whole orientation. Again, a lot of guys that come into the National Football League have not had very much work on special teams because they're usually the better players and a lot of times, a lot of teams will use freshman or sophomore or those types of guys in those roles. So players now, that may be their primary role at this level, where it might not have been any role or maybe a lesser role for them collegiately, at least in the last year or two. It's not always the case, but frequently it is so there's kind of a little bit of a teaching of new techniques and new responsibilities for guys who have been maybe primarily offensive or defensive players now have a significant special teams role."
How many of these guys can catch punts?
"That's a good question. We're probably looking at about a dozen of them out there today. How many would be able to do it at this level? That's one of the things that we try to take a look at. Again, a lot more of that will really come into focus in training camp, but at least we get some idea. There will probably be a couple of guys that we can eliminate that just probably would just have too far to go. But it looks like there are a number of guys that can handle the ball fairly well just based on what we saw out there today."
A guy like Willie Andrews, that's a spot where he can come in and contribute?
"Yeah, well he's done it. He's returned collegiately. We have a number of guys on our roster that have returned either punts or kickoffs and we'll certainly take a look at them in those spots. Whether they're better or not as good as people we have or other players that do that role, we'll have to see."
Of the list of things that Chad Jackson does well, what do you think would be near the top that would give him success at this level?
"We'll have to see. That remains to be seen."
Why did you trade up for him?
"We drafted him because we feel like he has the ability to contribute in our system. As a receiver, he can get open and catch the ball. That's what every receiver has to do. How all of that manifests itself, we have a long process to go through to see that."
I understand that this is more teaching than evaluation but if there are any players that can sort of show something to you, is that receivers, corners and quarterbacks in this kind of camp?
"I think everybody can learn in this camp and that's what they need to do, so that when they do get a chance to compete in a real competitive football environment in training camp, that they are able to go out there and do their best. That's what it's all geared towards. Every position."
You took a couple of players, [Garrett] Mills and [Dave] Thomas, who seem like they have similar skills. Do you look at them both as tight ends or do you start the evaluation of that right now and decide where a guy like Mills would end up?
"No, we don't try to pigeonhole anybody. We try to teach them our system and we'll see how their roles and responsibilities fall as we put our team together and get into practices and let them do different things and see how they perform at those different positions. Maybe they're versatile and maybe they're not. We'll see. But we want to give them the information so that they will have an opportunity to work at those spots and how well they do and what those things will turn out to be, we'll just have to wait and see."
How much of what Texas asked their tight ends to do is comparable to what you ask your tight ends to do?
"I think there are certainly some similarities. There are some things that you can work off of. There are a lot of differences too and certainly a different level, the level of players. It's not unique to Texas. They're a great team. They played a tough schedule and it's a high level of competition, but the competition level in this league is a little bit higher than that. So the guys they're blocking, the guys they're running routes against, the guys they're covering in the kicking game, they're just better in this league. How that works, we'll just have to wait and see. I think Dave has a good base from what they did there and the skills -- he'll have to refine them and improve them at this level, but he definitely has something to work with."
Is operating primarily out of the shotgun a big change for a tight end?
"There are some changes. There are some plays that you wouldn't run out of that type of offense that we would run more out of in our system. Again, you get that with almost every college player, whatever system they use is not going to be the same as ours. We're kind of in a unique situation with kids from Notre Dame, whereas they probably have a better working knowledge of our system than anybody we've had. Not that that makes them anything. Still, it's a much higher level of competition, but at least they kind of know the terminology in the system. That's a plus for them. Hopefully everybody else will catch up and again the competition will be on even footing when we get to training camp. That's the goal."
Does a guy like [Jeremy] Mincey who you are going to be standing up when he was playing down in college, do you have to start the process of tearing him down and building him into a different player than maybe he had been in college at this point?
"He has a lot of different skills to learn and work on, a lot of different coverage concepts that he wasn't involved in. Again, that's a common situation for most outside linebackers for 3-4 teams, but a little different say from what we just talked about with Dave who played tight end. I think what he did was more similar to what an NFL tight end would do than what a defensive end in college to a 3-4 outside linebacker. There is probably more adjustment there."
Is it even more important for him because he has to digest a new position in addition to learning the new system?
"I think it's important for everybody and certainly it's a transition for those players, but again, many players that have come before him have done it. I think we know what to expect and know how to go about trying to make that transition. Some players are able to make it and some aren't. We'll just have to wait and see. I don't think we're doing anything here that we haven't done before or hasn't been done before. It's just...that's what it is. But that's the way it usually is at that spot."
You added a couple of veteran linebackers last week. How do you feel the roster is shaping up?
"It's competition. Any players that we feel like can be competitive on our team, and again there are a lot of different roles that they can be competitive in, then we'll put them out there and see how it turns out. The two guys we signed last week, we felt like they'll be competitive both defensively and in the kicking game. We'll see how it goes with Jeremy [Loyd] and Barry [Gardner], just like everybody else."
You have five guys from Florida here this weekend.
"Yeah, we rented a plane to bring them back in."
[Laughter] What is it about their program?
"I think it's just more coincidental that it worked out that way. It wasn't that we necessarily targeted one school. It just kind of, in the free agency process, it just kind of worked out that way with them, with Randy [Hand], Vernell [brown] and Jarvis [Herring]."
Was it the fact that you spent a little time down there scouting Mincey and [Chad] Jackson and saw those guys as well?
"I don't know. I was at other schools and we didn't get five guys. I think it's just more coincidental. I don't think it's anything ... I don't read that much into it."
Did you go to Wyoming? [Laughter]
"[Laughter] No, I didn't."
Who is responsible for Corey Bramlet?
"We do everything collectively. The scouting staff."
What strengths does he have?
"I think Corey is a productive quarterback. He's been in a system where you can evaluate his throwing and some of the things that we do. I think that he's going to be competitive in that position, so that's why we brought him in. He has a good arm. He looks like he handles the ball and handles the rush fairly well. Again, we're talking about a different level, but those are some of the things that he did well."
What did you like about Vernell Brown? I hear intangibles seem to be a big thing with him.
"Yeah, well he is a great competitor, but I think he covered well competitively in a good conference returning punts. So, again, we'll put him into those competition spots and see how it goes. Again, anybody that plays well at a high level of competition in college, we'll see how they do at this level."
Do you expect any veteran transactions?
"I wouldn't expect any this weekend."
nerangers
Footballguy
Practice view (from boston.com)
Observations from the Patriots’ rookie minicamp practice on Saturday afternoon:
* Receiver Chad Jackson made a positive first impression, catching everything thrown his way and making a few difficult grabs on high-thrown balls and one over the middle. Forced to pick one player who stood out from this practice, the answer would be Jackson.
* Players wore shorts, jerseys (no pads) and helmets for the indoor practice.
* There was a lot of work on pass-catching and running back Laurence Maroney and tight end David Thomas were consistent in hauling in throws from Corey Bramlet (the only QB in camp). Thomas made one very nice grab on a long crossing route, and Maroney outran outside linebacker Jeremy Mincey to snare a long touchdown toss.
* Tight end Garrett Mills wasn’t as consistent, with a few tough passes bouncing off his hands.
* Kicker Steve Gostkowski showed solid leg strength while booting kickoffs. He consistently was kicking the ball from one end zone to the other end zone in the 80-yard practice bubble.
* It was difficult to gauge the speed of all the players, but Maroney, Jackson and Thomas all gained separation when needed, and looked the part. Maroney looks fast.
* Six players were in for tryouts, including Holy Cross running back Steve Silva.
* Patriots vice chairman Jonathan Kraft watched the practice, chatting with vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli at times.
Sights & sounds (from boston.com)
Sights and sounds from the Patriots’ locker room at rookie minicamp:
* Kicker Steve Gostkowski, wearing jersey No. 3, has occupied Doug Flutie’s old locker. He’s next to fellow kicker Martin Gramatica (No. 7). Gostkowski drew a large media crowd and, quickly adapting to his surroundings, said his favorite baseball team is the Red Sox.
* Laurence Maroney on his first impressions of New England: “It’s like Minnesota. Cold. Nasty. I’m used to it.”
* Veterans Dan Koppen and Lonie Paxton were present in the locker room after participating in the team’s offseason program. When Paxton walked by rookie Dan Stevenson, who was conducting an interview, he told him that sometimes it's best not to say too much. Stevenson then joked that the interview was over. Such is the life of a rookie.
* Maroney on picking No. 39: “They gave me a list of numbers. I knew number 22 was gone [to Asante Samuel] and my next choice was number [Ellis Hobbs’] 27. It’s a new number for me, but like I said, the number doesn’t make me, you make the number.”
* Veteran linebacker Barry Gardner will wear No. 98, while fellow veteran linebacker Jeremy Loyd has No. 96.
The team's practice at 3 p.m. ET is open to the media. We'll have more a bit later in the day.
Observations from the Patriots’ rookie minicamp practice on Saturday afternoon:
* Receiver Chad Jackson made a positive first impression, catching everything thrown his way and making a few difficult grabs on high-thrown balls and one over the middle. Forced to pick one player who stood out from this practice, the answer would be Jackson.
* Players wore shorts, jerseys (no pads) and helmets for the indoor practice.
* There was a lot of work on pass-catching and running back Laurence Maroney and tight end David Thomas were consistent in hauling in throws from Corey Bramlet (the only QB in camp). Thomas made one very nice grab on a long crossing route, and Maroney outran outside linebacker Jeremy Mincey to snare a long touchdown toss.
* Tight end Garrett Mills wasn’t as consistent, with a few tough passes bouncing off his hands.
* Kicker Steve Gostkowski showed solid leg strength while booting kickoffs. He consistently was kicking the ball from one end zone to the other end zone in the 80-yard practice bubble.
* It was difficult to gauge the speed of all the players, but Maroney, Jackson and Thomas all gained separation when needed, and looked the part. Maroney looks fast.
* Six players were in for tryouts, including Holy Cross running back Steve Silva.
* Patriots vice chairman Jonathan Kraft watched the practice, chatting with vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli at times.
Sights & sounds (from boston.com)
Sights and sounds from the Patriots’ locker room at rookie minicamp:
* Kicker Steve Gostkowski, wearing jersey No. 3, has occupied Doug Flutie’s old locker. He’s next to fellow kicker Martin Gramatica (No. 7). Gostkowski drew a large media crowd and, quickly adapting to his surroundings, said his favorite baseball team is the Red Sox.
* Laurence Maroney on his first impressions of New England: “It’s like Minnesota. Cold. Nasty. I’m used to it.”
* Veterans Dan Koppen and Lonie Paxton were present in the locker room after participating in the team’s offseason program. When Paxton walked by rookie Dan Stevenson, who was conducting an interview, he told him that sometimes it's best not to say too much. Stevenson then joked that the interview was over. Such is the life of a rookie.
* Maroney on picking No. 39: “They gave me a list of numbers. I knew number 22 was gone [to Asante Samuel] and my next choice was number [Ellis Hobbs’] 27. It’s a new number for me, but like I said, the number doesn’t make me, you make the number.”
* Veteran linebacker Barry Gardner will wear No. 98, while fellow veteran linebacker Jeremy Loyd has No. 96.
The team's practice at 3 p.m. ET is open to the media. We'll have more a bit later in the day.
Last edited by a moderator:
nerangers
Footballguy
Rookie Mini-camp: Thomas, Mills catching on (full article)
Hang around an NFL locker room long enough and it’s a good bet you’ll hear someone talking about football being a business. It took David Thomas less than one night of sleep to come to that realization.
The Patriots made Thomas their third-round pick last month, and the tight end no doubt went to bed that night excited about the possibilities that were to come. When the draft resumed the next day, however, the Patriots tabbed another tight end, Tulsa’s Garrett Mills, with their first selection of the fourth round. In a matter of hours, Thomas got a lesson in NFL economics – No player is ever truly secure in his place on the team.
Hang around an NFL locker room long enough and it’s a good bet you’ll hear someone talking about football being a business. It took David Thomas less than one night of sleep to come to that realization.
The Patriots made Thomas their third-round pick last month, and the tight end no doubt went to bed that night excited about the possibilities that were to come. When the draft resumed the next day, however, the Patriots tabbed another tight end, Tulsa’s Garrett Mills, with their first selection of the fourth round. In a matter of hours, Thomas got a lesson in NFL economics – No player is ever truly secure in his place on the team.
nerangers
Footballguy
Rookie mini-camp: Saturday notes (full article from patriots.com)
Mini-camp notes (from Patriots.com)
Belichick mentioned in his press conference that about a dozen players had experience as returners and clearly the coach is not prone to hyperbole. No fewer than nine different players received kickoffs during a drill with Maroney leading off and Jackson also taking a turn. Seventh-round pick Willie Andrews, who is Baylor’s all-time leading kick and punt returner, was among the group. Gostkowski displayed a big leg during the drill, consistently kicking the ball the length of the fieldhouse. The playing field inside is roughly 70 yards and the kicks sent the returners into the end zone virtually every time. … Brian Barthelmes may be a prospect worth keeping an eye on. The 6-6, 288-pound offensive lineman started games at three different positions in college (27 at left guard, 10 at center and 1 at right guard), which is just the kind of versatility Belichick loves in his backup lineman. Plus, Barthelmes played at Virginia for Al Groh, who obviously has ties to Belichick from their days working together with the Giants, Patriots and Jets. … Remi Ayodele, a 6-2, 300-pound nose tackle out of Oklahoma, is the brother of former Jacksonville and current Dallas linebacker Akin Ayodele. Also, Bramlet’s brother, Casey, is currently a member of the Washington Redskins. Sticking with the family theme, former Vanderbilt wideout Erik Davis is the cousin of seven-year NFL linebacker Quinton Caver, who played for Dallas in 2005. … With Bramlet the lone quarterback in camp, director of pro personnel Nick Caserio took his usual spot as fill-in passer during drills. Caserio was a quarterback during his playing days at John Carroll University in Ohio. … Veterans Dan Koppen and Lonie Paxton were present in the locker room after their workouts. Paxton joked with sixth-round pick Dan Stevenson as he was conducting an interview, telling the rookie that it’s best not to say too much. At that point, Stevenson joked that his interview was over. … Belichick was asked about Barry Gardner and Jeremy Loyd, the pair of veteran linebackers added to the roster recently. “It’s competition. Any players that we feel can be competitive on our team, then we’ll put them out there and see how it turns out. The two guys we signed last week we feel like they’ll be competitive both defensively and in the kicking game.” … In case anyone was wondering, unlike last year at this time, former linebacker Roman Phifer’s locker was not in tact at the end of the room.
Mini-camp notes (from Patriots.com)
Belichick mentioned in his press conference that about a dozen players had experience as returners and clearly the coach is not prone to hyperbole. No fewer than nine different players received kickoffs during a drill with Maroney leading off and Jackson also taking a turn. Seventh-round pick Willie Andrews, who is Baylor’s all-time leading kick and punt returner, was among the group. Gostkowski displayed a big leg during the drill, consistently kicking the ball the length of the fieldhouse. The playing field inside is roughly 70 yards and the kicks sent the returners into the end zone virtually every time. … Brian Barthelmes may be a prospect worth keeping an eye on. The 6-6, 288-pound offensive lineman started games at three different positions in college (27 at left guard, 10 at center and 1 at right guard), which is just the kind of versatility Belichick loves in his backup lineman. Plus, Barthelmes played at Virginia for Al Groh, who obviously has ties to Belichick from their days working together with the Giants, Patriots and Jets. … Remi Ayodele, a 6-2, 300-pound nose tackle out of Oklahoma, is the brother of former Jacksonville and current Dallas linebacker Akin Ayodele. Also, Bramlet’s brother, Casey, is currently a member of the Washington Redskins. Sticking with the family theme, former Vanderbilt wideout Erik Davis is the cousin of seven-year NFL linebacker Quinton Caver, who played for Dallas in 2005. … With Bramlet the lone quarterback in camp, director of pro personnel Nick Caserio took his usual spot as fill-in passer during drills. Caserio was a quarterback during his playing days at John Carroll University in Ohio. … Veterans Dan Koppen and Lonie Paxton were present in the locker room after their workouts. Paxton joked with sixth-round pick Dan Stevenson as he was conducting an interview, telling the rookie that it’s best not to say too much. At that point, Stevenson joked that his interview was over. … Belichick was asked about Barry Gardner and Jeremy Loyd, the pair of veteran linebackers added to the roster recently. “It’s competition. Any players that we feel can be competitive on our team, then we’ll put them out there and see how it turns out. The two guys we signed last week we feel like they’ll be competitive both defensively and in the kicking game.” … In case anyone was wondering, unlike last year at this time, former linebacker Roman Phifer’s locker was not in tact at the end of the room.
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nerangers
Footballguy
Notes from Sunday's Mini-camp
Sunday practice (from boston.com)
Observations from the Patriots’ rookie minicamp practice on Sunday morning:
* Head coach Bill Belichick spent some early time with the outside linebackers -- Jeremy Mincey and Pierre Woods -- giving them one-on-one instruction as the team was broken into drills specific by position.
* Players wore shorts, jerseys and helmets (no pads).
* With heavy rains in the area, the workout was held inside at the Dana Farber Fieldhouse.
* Laurence Maroney, Chad Jackson and David Thomas, the team’s top three draft picks, continue to snare most every catchable ball thrown their way. Jackson, specifically, seems to catch balls away from his body with fine form.
* Defensive back Vernell Brown (free agent) intercepted a pass thrown late and behind Chad Jackson in passing drills. Cornerback Willie Andrews (7th round) had a nice pass breakup on Jackson along the sideline, closing fast as the ball was thrown a bit late.
* Tight ends David Thomas and Garrett Mills worked on long snapping in a punt drill. Thomas seemed a bit more polished with the skill. Mills had a nice catch across the middle in passing drills later in the practice, as the ball arrived as he cut.
* Dan Stevenson, the sixth-round pick who primarily played right guard at Notre Dame, got some work in at center.
* Corey Bramlet remains the lone quarterback in camp.
* Rookie free agent receiver Matt Shelton had a few drops in positional work. Fellow rookie free agent Erik Davis had one drop, but also made some nice catches.
* Running back Steve Silva, one of six tryouts at Saturday’s afternoon practice, was not present this morning.
* Team owner Robert Kraft was in attendance, and watched most of the practice with vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli.
Bill's take
Patriots coach Bill Belichick held a press conference with the media on Sunday (11:30 a.m. ET) on the second day of the team’s rookie minicamp. He was in an upbeat mood and opened with the following statement:
“I want to say happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there. Sorry we have to have minicamp on this day, but that’s kind of the way the schedule fell. That’s the way it goes, but that’s probably the most important thing today, all those mothers who have done such a good job.
"We’re rolling along here, in day two, or page two of that novel we were talking about yesterday. Again, just a lot of information, a lot of just trying to get everyone into the program. I thought we made some progress. Obviously we have miles and miles to go, but there are some encouraging things in terms of the learning and the progression and being able to get things done a little better than they were yesterday. That’s a good thing. Thank goodness we have the facility and we can go inside. That’s been a big plus. I don’t know what we’d get done outside -- work on our snorkeling. It’s tough out there.”
Belichick added that the team won’t have any rookies leaving after the rookie minicamp. Some teams can’t have rookies at the facility due to a NFL rule that states players can’t join their team until their college graduates. He said following the rookie minicamp, the rookies join the team’s offseason program.
We’ll have more to come in a bit. The locker room is now open with rookies meeting with the press.
Sights & sounds
Sights and sounds from the Patriots’ locker room on the second day of the team’s rookie minicamp:
* Outside linebacker Pierre Woods, inside linebacker Corey Mays, defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith and quarterback Corey Bramlet were the primary players answering questions, as many of the other rookies weren’t present.
* Bramlet, wearing a large ice pack on his right throwing shoulder, on being the only quarterback in camp: “Yesterday was kind of a struggle, as far as mentally a little bit. But I feel like I’m throwing the ball well, taking some big steps today as far as mentally and getting things going. I feel like I’m on the right track.”
* The old locker of veteran linebacker Willie McGinest has yet to be occupied by a new player.
* Bramlet on his free-agent options after the draft: “I was talking to Jacksonville and Indianapolis as well, but this was easily my first choice.”
* Reserve offensive linemen Wesley Britt and Ross Tucker were a few of the players from last year’s team/practice squad present in the locker room.
* Mays said he has extensive experience on special teams, playing on the kickoff, kickoff return, punt, and punt return units at Notre Dame.
We'll have a full transcript from coach Bill Belichick a bit later in the day.
Sunday practice (from boston.com)
Observations from the Patriots’ rookie minicamp practice on Sunday morning:
* Head coach Bill Belichick spent some early time with the outside linebackers -- Jeremy Mincey and Pierre Woods -- giving them one-on-one instruction as the team was broken into drills specific by position.
* Players wore shorts, jerseys and helmets (no pads).
* With heavy rains in the area, the workout was held inside at the Dana Farber Fieldhouse.
* Laurence Maroney, Chad Jackson and David Thomas, the team’s top three draft picks, continue to snare most every catchable ball thrown their way. Jackson, specifically, seems to catch balls away from his body with fine form.
* Defensive back Vernell Brown (free agent) intercepted a pass thrown late and behind Chad Jackson in passing drills. Cornerback Willie Andrews (7th round) had a nice pass breakup on Jackson along the sideline, closing fast as the ball was thrown a bit late.
* Tight ends David Thomas and Garrett Mills worked on long snapping in a punt drill. Thomas seemed a bit more polished with the skill. Mills had a nice catch across the middle in passing drills later in the practice, as the ball arrived as he cut.
* Dan Stevenson, the sixth-round pick who primarily played right guard at Notre Dame, got some work in at center.
* Corey Bramlet remains the lone quarterback in camp.
* Rookie free agent receiver Matt Shelton had a few drops in positional work. Fellow rookie free agent Erik Davis had one drop, but also made some nice catches.
* Running back Steve Silva, one of six tryouts at Saturday’s afternoon practice, was not present this morning.
* Team owner Robert Kraft was in attendance, and watched most of the practice with vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli.
Bill's take
Patriots coach Bill Belichick held a press conference with the media on Sunday (11:30 a.m. ET) on the second day of the team’s rookie minicamp. He was in an upbeat mood and opened with the following statement:
“I want to say happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there. Sorry we have to have minicamp on this day, but that’s kind of the way the schedule fell. That’s the way it goes, but that’s probably the most important thing today, all those mothers who have done such a good job.
"We’re rolling along here, in day two, or page two of that novel we were talking about yesterday. Again, just a lot of information, a lot of just trying to get everyone into the program. I thought we made some progress. Obviously we have miles and miles to go, but there are some encouraging things in terms of the learning and the progression and being able to get things done a little better than they were yesterday. That’s a good thing. Thank goodness we have the facility and we can go inside. That’s been a big plus. I don’t know what we’d get done outside -- work on our snorkeling. It’s tough out there.”
Belichick added that the team won’t have any rookies leaving after the rookie minicamp. Some teams can’t have rookies at the facility due to a NFL rule that states players can’t join their team until their college graduates. He said following the rookie minicamp, the rookies join the team’s offseason program.
We’ll have more to come in a bit. The locker room is now open with rookies meeting with the press.
Sights & sounds
Sights and sounds from the Patriots’ locker room on the second day of the team’s rookie minicamp:
* Outside linebacker Pierre Woods, inside linebacker Corey Mays, defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith and quarterback Corey Bramlet were the primary players answering questions, as many of the other rookies weren’t present.
* Bramlet, wearing a large ice pack on his right throwing shoulder, on being the only quarterback in camp: “Yesterday was kind of a struggle, as far as mentally a little bit. But I feel like I’m throwing the ball well, taking some big steps today as far as mentally and getting things going. I feel like I’m on the right track.”
* The old locker of veteran linebacker Willie McGinest has yet to be occupied by a new player.
* Bramlet on his free-agent options after the draft: “I was talking to Jacksonville and Indianapolis as well, but this was easily my first choice.”
* Reserve offensive linemen Wesley Britt and Ross Tucker were a few of the players from last year’s team/practice squad present in the locker room.
* Mays said he has extensive experience on special teams, playing on the kickoff, kickoff return, punt, and punt return units at Notre Dame.
We'll have a full transcript from coach Bill Belichick a bit later in the day.
Last edited by a moderator:
nerangers
Footballguy
a couple articles to check out:
Rookies have a lot to learn (full article)
Patriot hopefuls find they're not know-it-alls
By Jerome Solomon, Globe Staff | May 14, 2006
FOXBOROUGH -- The most difficult thing about the NFL thus far for Patriots rookies -- all of two weeks into their professional careers -- is the back-to-school nature of the business.
The team began a two-day minicamp for first-year players yesterday, with the objective being to indoctrinate the newcomers in the ways of being a Patriot.
Just a small taste of the playbook was enough to let the 31 players know there is much to digest.
He wouldn't mind being average Joe
(full article)
By Mike Reiss and Jerome Solomon, Globe Staff | May 14, 2006
FOXBOROUGH -- For this weekend's rookie minicamp, former Notre Dame offensive lineman Dan Stevenson has been assigned jersey No. 63, which was worn by guard Joe Andruzzi for five seasons in New England (2000-04). It's a nice fit.
Notre Dame coach and former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis had told Stevenson -- and several NFL coaches and scouts who visited South Bend, Ind. -- that Stevenson reminds him of Andruzzi.
Undrafted Roach still feels wanted (full article)
His eyes trained on the ESPN crawl, the Patriots on the phone, Alabama linebacker Freddie Roach was holding his breath. Not for his name to appear, mind you, like most late-round prospects would. No, Roach was looking for the draft to just end.
He didn’t want to be picked. Because that would give Roach the one thing that he really didn’t have during his senior year in Tuscaloosa: control. With 255 selections made, Roach got the freedom he craved and quickly signed with a Patriots team that made him feel wanted.
Being taken in the sixth or seventh round doesn’t guarantee a roster spot anyway. So Roach figured the team that was talking to him through draft’s end, the same team that had blown kisses to him through March, was where his best shot was as an undrafted free agent.
“The ultimate goal is to make a team, so to do that, you have to go somewhere where they have a value on you,” said Roach’s agent, Mark Slough. “New England showed that early on and all the way through.”
Yesterday, the courtship ended with Roach in a Patriots uniform attending his first NFL minicamp
Rookies have a lot to learn (full article)
Patriot hopefuls find they're not know-it-alls
By Jerome Solomon, Globe Staff | May 14, 2006
FOXBOROUGH -- The most difficult thing about the NFL thus far for Patriots rookies -- all of two weeks into their professional careers -- is the back-to-school nature of the business.
The team began a two-day minicamp for first-year players yesterday, with the objective being to indoctrinate the newcomers in the ways of being a Patriot.
Just a small taste of the playbook was enough to let the 31 players know there is much to digest.
He wouldn't mind being average Joe
(full article)
By Mike Reiss and Jerome Solomon, Globe Staff | May 14, 2006
FOXBOROUGH -- For this weekend's rookie minicamp, former Notre Dame offensive lineman Dan Stevenson has been assigned jersey No. 63, which was worn by guard Joe Andruzzi for five seasons in New England (2000-04). It's a nice fit.
Notre Dame coach and former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis had told Stevenson -- and several NFL coaches and scouts who visited South Bend, Ind. -- that Stevenson reminds him of Andruzzi.
Undrafted Roach still feels wanted (full article)
His eyes trained on the ESPN crawl, the Patriots on the phone, Alabama linebacker Freddie Roach was holding his breath. Not for his name to appear, mind you, like most late-round prospects would. No, Roach was looking for the draft to just end.
He didn’t want to be picked. Because that would give Roach the one thing that he really didn’t have during his senior year in Tuscaloosa: control. With 255 selections made, Roach got the freedom he craved and quickly signed with a Patriots team that made him feel wanted.
Being taken in the sixth or seventh round doesn’t guarantee a roster spot anyway. So Roach figured the team that was talking to him through draft’s end, the same team that had blown kisses to him through March, was where his best shot was as an undrafted free agent.
“The ultimate goal is to make a team, so to do that, you have to go somewhere where they have a value on you,” said Roach’s agent, Mark Slough. “New England showed that early on and all the way through.”
Yesterday, the courtship ended with Roach in a Patriots uniform attending his first NFL minicamp
Last edited by a moderator:
nerangers
Footballguy
Patriots | Team's first three draft picks continue catching well
Sun, 14 May 2006 13:23:26 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots RB Laurence Maroney, WR Chad Jackson and TE David Thomas continue to catch almost every catchable ball thrown their way Sunday, May 14. Jackson has been catching balls away from his body with fine form.
Patriots | Thomas working on long snapping
Sun, 14 May 2006 13:23:08 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots TE David Thomas worked on long snapping in a punt drill Sunday, May 14.
Patriots | Mills working on long snapping
Sun, 14 May 2006 13:22:54 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots TE Garrett Mills worked on long snapping in a punt drill Sunday, May 14.
Patriots | Stevenson does some work at center
Sun, 14 May 2006 13:22:41 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots OG Dan Stevenson worked some at center Sunday, May 14.
Patriots | Silva not in attendance Sunday
Sun, 14 May 2006 13:22:19 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports undrafted rookie free agent RB Steve Silva was not present at the New England Patriots' morning session Sunday, May 14.
Sun, 14 May 2006 13:23:26 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots RB Laurence Maroney, WR Chad Jackson and TE David Thomas continue to catch almost every catchable ball thrown their way Sunday, May 14. Jackson has been catching balls away from his body with fine form.
Patriots | Thomas working on long snapping
Sun, 14 May 2006 13:23:08 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots TE David Thomas worked on long snapping in a punt drill Sunday, May 14.
Patriots | Mills working on long snapping
Sun, 14 May 2006 13:22:54 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots TE Garrett Mills worked on long snapping in a punt drill Sunday, May 14.
Patriots | Stevenson does some work at center
Sun, 14 May 2006 13:22:41 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots OG Dan Stevenson worked some at center Sunday, May 14.
Patriots | Silva not in attendance Sunday
Sun, 14 May 2006 13:22:19 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports undrafted rookie free agent RB Steve Silva was not present at the New England Patriots' morning session Sunday, May 14.
nerangers
Footballguy
Final Bill
Transcript from Patriots coach Bill Belichick's press conference on Sunday at Gillette Stadium:
Does Garrett Mills have an edge because he was used in many ways at Tulsa?“I don’t know if he’s ahead in the system but I think he has a lot of different skills. He’s run routes as a tight end, as a back, as a receiver. He’s been in a pretty sophisticated offense. So I think that his skills, he’s had an opportunity to work on some of those things. In terms of the system and terminology and all that -- he probably still has a lot of learning to do there. But he’s a smart kid, he seems to be picking it up pretty quick, as does Dave [Thomas]. You know, the tight ends and fullback, whatever you want to call those guys, they really do most of the formationing. The quarterback, tailback and linemen don’t move too much. The receivers move some, but less than the tight ends or fullbacks. In terms of formationing and being involved in the running game and passing game, dealing with linebackers, secondary players and at times linemen, it’s kind of like playing middle linebacker. You just have a lot more things to deal with, regardless of what the play is. Pete [Mangurian] is doing a great job with them. He’s a very good teacher and I think he categorizes things well for them to learn them. They’re working hard to try to get them down. It’s a lot of learning.”
Is that one of those positions where you can’t minimize the workload -- they need to learn everything right off the bat because they’re involved in everything?“Well, hopefully they can do them. Sometimes you end up with players like that, who are better at one thing than another, and that sometimes can make you predictable -- you only use the player to do the thing that he does well. It’s obviously better if you can get someone with multiple skills that can be productive in the running game, the passing game, that can run vertical routes as well as short, intermediate possession type patterns, that can pass protect. You have a much more expansive offense at that position than if a player can just do one thing, or if you have to do one thing in the system.”
Where do you start the learning process with players at that position?“With those players, they’re responsible for learning multiple positions and we’re going to look at them doing things these couple of days and into next week and into minicamps and passing camps and we’ll see how it goes. I’m sure we’re going to have to modify some of those roles as we go, and we wouldn’t expect them to do everything. I think you don’t want to get into a situation where you tell the guy to learn one thing and you get 15, 20 practices down the road and you say ‘Know what? Why don’t you start learning [something else].’ Then he’s lost all the foundation. You give them a broader base, and if it looks like it’s too much, then you cut it back. If it isn’t, then at some point you have the foundation built so whichever way you want to go you can emphasize that and hopefully get it executed. We’re doing that with our linemen too. We’re moving those guys, they’ve been in different positions. Defensively, switching the linebackers, safeties, and all that so that they at least get exposed to the different spots. At some point, we’ll zero in after we know what their best spot is relative to the other people we have.”
When you have a personal relationship with a college coach, does that make you feel more comfortable bringing a college guy in here?“No, not necessarily. I don’t think it hurts, but there are plenty of players that scouts have seen, we’ve seen at the Senior Bowl or combine, or some were in to interview them here; you just kind of get to know everybody through the process. We’re bringing in players, we’re not brining in coaches. Each player has his own individual unique way of style of play, learning, personality, whatever it is. I think we have to take whoever those people are and blend them in with the team.”
Would a guy who played for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame have a better idea of what you expect because he’s been in that system?“I think that’s possible, sure, we’ve talked about that. We’ve had players, from Nick [saban] at LSU, Charlie [Weis] at Notre Dame, guys that run programs -- I’m not saying they’re the same -- but at least there are some similarities. I think that probably helps the player make the transition. But from our standpoint, we’re starting from square one with everybody and just building from the bottom up. I don’t think you want to start one guy here and another guy there and another guy somewhere else. You start them all at the same place and let them grow, and maybe some of them grow faster than others or can broaden out into different positions and responsibilities more easily than others.”
At the same time, with the coaches, because they know your system they can explain to you ‘This kid fits your system this way…’
“Talking to Al [Groh] at Virginia, or Charlie [Weis], or Pat [Hill], or Kirk [Ferentz], that have some similarities to our system, yes, you can ask those questions and they may have a little better feel for what we’re doing relative to someone who hasn’t worked with us or been in this type of system.”
With the three rookie linebackers, who are free agents, what do you think led them to fall out of the draft?“I don’t know. At the end of the draft, you just kind of look at the players who are left in positions that you need to fill out your roster with -- and take a look at the grades you have on them and skim through the reports -- and try to attract the ones that you think will have the best fit in your program, and you work with the agents, recruit the player and all that. You go through that whole process. When it comes to the end of the draft, you kind of look at what’s up there and deal with that group. Honestly, we don’t sit around and say ‘Why did Arizona take this guy instead of that guy?’ It doesn’t really matter. The players that are left are the ones that are left and those are the ones you pick from.”
Which of these players will have to leave the team because of the NFL rule that states a player can’t be with his NFL team if his college hasn’t held graduation?“I think we’re OK on that.”
How long do they stay and can you talk about the next step for the rookies after this camp…
“They’ll be in the offseason program, and we’ll start to blend them in with the other players who are here. Then in June, we have passing camps and minicamps, which will be full-team activities. It will be a little less than that the next couple weeks. We’ll try to get them caught up -- not that they’re going to get caught up –- in relative terms, try to close the gap a little bit to where our other players are, so we can be functional out there. That’s what we’ll do the next couple of weeks, get these younger players, trying to get them caught up with our veteran guys.”
By the end of last year, what was your satisfaction level with your secondary?
"I thought defensively we played better in the second half of the year. It doesn't really make any difference. It's a new year. We're starting all over again at every position. Offense. Defense. Special teams. You name it. So is everybody else. We are a lot more focused on going forward and trying to put the most competitive team we can out on the field. It doesn't really matter where we were last year.
As you evaluate though how you build your roster this year, you can't take a player who had a good second half and say, 'Okay we can assume that he's going to start off where he finished off last year?'
"I don't think we assume anybody starts off where anybody was last year. I think we all start at the same place, me included. We're putting together a new team. We have new teams on our schedule and new challenges to face. We'll put together the best group that we can. I don't think last year really means anything one way or the other. We are all starting from scratch. We all have to put it together and it will be constructed a little bit differently than it was last year, but that's true ever year."
In terms of having elite corners, I've heard some people say...
"Which people are those?"
Media.
"Are these more unnamed sources? Just random sources?"
Media, probably talking heads.
"National media? Local media?"
I would say all of them. National and internet, how's that? Anyway, that with all the spread formations, five receivers etcetera, that the days of needing that one shutdown corner will not be what it was in the past or it has changed. Would you agree with that or disagree with that?"Would I agree with the national media internet or not? I think I'm pretty neutral. It might be true. It might not. It just would depend on the situation. I'm sure there's some validity to that statement. I'm not sure exactly what context it was made in. Does that help you out?"
Yes. But does it change the number of corners you are playing at any given time if there are more receivers on the field?
"I think it varies from game to game and from situation to situation. It wasn't that long ago when we were playing teams like Houston and Atlanta that had four wide outs on the field every single snap. Detroit, they were running the run and shoot. So, you better have somebody that can get out there and cover them. You see less of that now, but you see quite a few multiple receiver sets. Some teams run them more than others. So, I think you have to be ready to defend that type of scheme. I think you also have to be ready to defend teams that we saw last year, like San Diego that are predominantly two back teams and have a good blocking fullback and try to close some formations down and run the ball at you. Pittsburgh. Teams like that. You see all of that and whatever you're not very good at, you're probably going to see more of that than the things that you defend the best. I think it varies. Certainly in passing situations, third down, two minute and things like that, the more of that you see, then obviously the more receivers and more spread formations you're going to see. That's more situation oriented."
The thought that the value has gone down on the cornerback who wins almost every battle, that doesn't seem to make any sense either.
"Well, I wouldn't say that. I think there is a premium on defensive players that can rush the passer and defensive players that can cover. I think that is reflected in the draft, free agency, any salary surveys that you do, I think that would be reflected in those players. It has been for as long as I can remember and probably will always be that way. As long as you are throwing the ball in the NFL, which there is still more passing than there is running. It's been that way. No, I don't think there is a diminished value on that."
How is Rodney Harrison progressing?
"Good. Rodney has worked hard. He always does."
With the new guys, do you find that they are intimidated by their surroundings or maybe nervous by what is ahead of them?
"I'm sure there are probably all of those emotions to one degree or another, some players more so than others. Yeah, it's different. I think it's just like any of us anytime we go into something that we've never been in before and that's like these guys. They're trying to earn a spot on the roster. It's their livelihood. It's what they want to do. Sure, there are a little bit of all of those adjectives, whatever you want to say. Anxiety. Nervousness. Apprehension. Excitement. Whatever. A little bit of everything. But in the end, all of that will quiet down and settle down as everybody gets familiar with their surroundings and the system and their teammates and their coaches and all that. Football players are going to go out and play football. It will be a little bit of an adjustment. It's an adjustment for us. We are dealing with some different, new players. But again, that's something that we deal with annually. I don't think it's that big of a deal. I just think it's part of the process. There's no real shortcut to it."
The guys who are here on tryouts, is it hard to evaluate them out of pads and how is that different than evaluating a guy that you've seen for three weeks in pads during training camp?
"Well, it's a lot different, but that's all we have to go on. We have the tape of their college performances in those games. We've looked at that. Based on that and whatever else, they are here and we can evaluate what we can evaluate, which is what we are able to do out there. It's certainly not what we would have in training camp, but we understand that. But that's more than we knew a day or two days ago."
When you evaluate receivers is there a particular way you would like to see them catch the ball?
"Yes, sure. Fundamentally, we coach catching skills based on the location of the ball and sometimes the type of route and position the receiver's body between the defender and the ball, things like that. There are certain fundamental things that are absolutely the way you want to teach catching. That doesn't mean every ball is caught that way, but there is a fundamental way to teach it. So, yes."
What are your impressions of Chad Jackson so far in that regard?
"Of his hands? I think he catches the ball well. I thought that he caught it well in college and I thought that he caught it well today and yesterday."
The fundamental things you talked about, do you see those in him?
"I think he can improve on them. I think anybody can improve on them."
Is it your sense that Chad has miles and miles to go to learn how to run crisp, advanced routes in the National Football League?
"I don't know. How many miles? I don't know. He can improve just like everybody else. I think he has some good skills to work with. How quickly that will come along and how well he'll do the things that he needs to do, just like everybody else, that remains to be seen. We've been out there one day. I think he does some good things. I think there are other things that he can improve on. We have a long way to go. He has a long way to go. In some time, we'll see how much ground gets covered."
Did Pierre Woods play a 3-4 outside linebacker at Michigan and is that what you envision him doing here?
"He would definitely do that here. Yes. He is an outside linebacker here all the way. He has played some on his feet. He played probably more down than up. There were times where he was up and they ran some blitz zones and things like that where he did have some opportunities in coverage, but not all that many. There are not many college teams playing the 3-4 defense. There are very few."
You have so many defensive backs on the roster. It seems like a larger number than you had last year at this point.
"How many did we go to camp with last year? Didn't we have like 15?"
But you have more than that at this point.
"Well, I think you always have a few more players on the roster in late May and June than what you end up with when you finally go to camp at the end of July. I would say the numbers are going to be about the same, certainly within two, maybe within one, I don't know. It's because you need certain numbers to go to camp with. If you start putting two or three extra guys at one position, then they're going to have to come from somewhere else unless you have enough depth to be able to [do that]. That group with the smaller numbers, unless somehow they are able to either take more reps or however you're going to do it, it's just hard to have a much higher number in one group than another. Three players, I'm just saying, that would be a lot. Not saying you couldn't do it, but it would be a lot to carry three extra offensive linemen or three extra DB's, or three extra linebackers. Where are you pulling them from?"
Have you talked to Doug [Flutie] at all since the draft?
"Any conversations I have with players, I respect the player-coach relationship so I won’t comment on those."
Getting back to the tryout players. Do those guys have a little bit more to prove in this camp in these couple of days because there really is no guarantee with them and is it difficult because this is more of a teaching camp than an evaluation camp?
"I think that is probably a fair statement. They have to show something to continue to be here. But I think we all know in the National Football League, right now, the roster size is a lot bigger than what it’s going to be, even in training camp, and certainly in the final cutdown. Everybody is playing for a job. I don't think it takes too long for them to realize that. It's not like college where you get a four-year scholarship and all of that. That's not the business we’re in. Even guys that are on any team, that doesn't mean they will stay on that team. In fact, we know there are a lot of them that won't stay on that team. I think that settles in as reality pretty quickly for these guys. The guys that aren't drafted and they sign and they’re on a team and all of that, but the reality is whether you are a draft choice or a free agent signing or a veteran player, that spot is contingent on your performance. I think that is one thing that it doesn't take too long for everybody to realize, if they didn't realize it before they’re on the team, it doesn't take too long for them to realize it now. There are a lot more lockers in that locker room than what there is going to be players. That's the way it is.
In your experience, can you think of a guy in that fashion that came in and really made an impact in the league eventually?
"I can think of a lot of them. Jim Burt for one. The guy started at nose for I don't know how many years with the Giants and the 49ers. I don't know how many Super Bowls he won, whatever it was, three. Randall Gay started in the Super Bowl two years ago.
Was Burt a tryout guy?
"I can’t remember. I don't think he was a tryout."
Can you think of a tryout guy?
"Steve Neal. You can't get any more of a free agent than him. I put the emphasis on 'free', too.
Those guys have to make a big impression in a setting like this just because it’s not guaranteed for them right?
"I think they have to do enough for you to say, ‘Well, we want to bring the guy back,’ or, ‘We want to keep working with him.’ Right, because you're not committed to bringing them back. They're not committed to coming back. So if he doesn't do enough to at least make you say, ‘Hey, we want to keep working with the guy,’ then that's it and we’re going to move on and work with somebody else. Yes, he would have to do enough for that. Yes."
Will you have an afternoon session today and will you work some more
tomorrow morning?
"Yes, we’re going to go out this afternoon. We'll keep working with them tomorrow. Once we hit May 15, they are here full-time. We will be working with them all through the offseason program and all the way into the passing camps in the June minicamp."
Did Corey Bramlet do a good enough of a job of putting the ball where it needed to be so that receivers could get the proper practice?
"I think Corey has done some good things. There are certainly a lot of things that he needs to work on, things that were a lot less than perfect. He learns from them and for the most part improves them the next time the situation comes up. Yes, it's been functional out there. Again, coming in as a quarterback, learning the system and seeing different coverages as the defense is running some different things, but that’s the NFL. That's the way it's going to be. I'm sure he's learning a lot and he has a lot to learn. But he has done some things out there that have been positive and some of the things that he didn't do as well yesterday, they looked a little better this morning. Any time a player can keep improving, you want to keep working with him. It's the guys that kind of level off or start to go the other way as you pile things on and the performance starts to go in the other direction. That's when you have to worry about what the future is going to be.
Did Garrett Mills improve today from yesterday?
"I think really most of the players did. We practiced better today than either one of the practices yesterday. I thought yesterday we were kind of [off to] a slow start in the morning, or some things were better in the afternoon. But maybe a part of that too was a little bit of fatigue, a little bit of information overload, a little bit of brain freeze. So a lot of things that should have been better in the afternoon really weren’t, but then there was more progress today, so we'll see how it goes this afternoon. We've given them quite a bit of information. They have a lot of things to think about, communication with their teammates, the scheme and techniques. Like we talked about before, there maybe a little bit of the whole anxiety
of the situation and being tight or whatever. There are a lot of things that are coming together, but again that is normal. We'll just work our way through it.
So if this camp is a novel, what is the name of it?
"I don’t know, but it’s page two of it."
Les Misérables? [Laughter]
"[Laughter] There you go."
Transcript from Patriots coach Bill Belichick's press conference on Sunday at Gillette Stadium:
Does Garrett Mills have an edge because he was used in many ways at Tulsa?“I don’t know if he’s ahead in the system but I think he has a lot of different skills. He’s run routes as a tight end, as a back, as a receiver. He’s been in a pretty sophisticated offense. So I think that his skills, he’s had an opportunity to work on some of those things. In terms of the system and terminology and all that -- he probably still has a lot of learning to do there. But he’s a smart kid, he seems to be picking it up pretty quick, as does Dave [Thomas]. You know, the tight ends and fullback, whatever you want to call those guys, they really do most of the formationing. The quarterback, tailback and linemen don’t move too much. The receivers move some, but less than the tight ends or fullbacks. In terms of formationing and being involved in the running game and passing game, dealing with linebackers, secondary players and at times linemen, it’s kind of like playing middle linebacker. You just have a lot more things to deal with, regardless of what the play is. Pete [Mangurian] is doing a great job with them. He’s a very good teacher and I think he categorizes things well for them to learn them. They’re working hard to try to get them down. It’s a lot of learning.”
Is that one of those positions where you can’t minimize the workload -- they need to learn everything right off the bat because they’re involved in everything?“Well, hopefully they can do them. Sometimes you end up with players like that, who are better at one thing than another, and that sometimes can make you predictable -- you only use the player to do the thing that he does well. It’s obviously better if you can get someone with multiple skills that can be productive in the running game, the passing game, that can run vertical routes as well as short, intermediate possession type patterns, that can pass protect. You have a much more expansive offense at that position than if a player can just do one thing, or if you have to do one thing in the system.”
Where do you start the learning process with players at that position?“With those players, they’re responsible for learning multiple positions and we’re going to look at them doing things these couple of days and into next week and into minicamps and passing camps and we’ll see how it goes. I’m sure we’re going to have to modify some of those roles as we go, and we wouldn’t expect them to do everything. I think you don’t want to get into a situation where you tell the guy to learn one thing and you get 15, 20 practices down the road and you say ‘Know what? Why don’t you start learning [something else].’ Then he’s lost all the foundation. You give them a broader base, and if it looks like it’s too much, then you cut it back. If it isn’t, then at some point you have the foundation built so whichever way you want to go you can emphasize that and hopefully get it executed. We’re doing that with our linemen too. We’re moving those guys, they’ve been in different positions. Defensively, switching the linebackers, safeties, and all that so that they at least get exposed to the different spots. At some point, we’ll zero in after we know what their best spot is relative to the other people we have.”
When you have a personal relationship with a college coach, does that make you feel more comfortable bringing a college guy in here?“No, not necessarily. I don’t think it hurts, but there are plenty of players that scouts have seen, we’ve seen at the Senior Bowl or combine, or some were in to interview them here; you just kind of get to know everybody through the process. We’re bringing in players, we’re not brining in coaches. Each player has his own individual unique way of style of play, learning, personality, whatever it is. I think we have to take whoever those people are and blend them in with the team.”
Would a guy who played for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame have a better idea of what you expect because he’s been in that system?“I think that’s possible, sure, we’ve talked about that. We’ve had players, from Nick [saban] at LSU, Charlie [Weis] at Notre Dame, guys that run programs -- I’m not saying they’re the same -- but at least there are some similarities. I think that probably helps the player make the transition. But from our standpoint, we’re starting from square one with everybody and just building from the bottom up. I don’t think you want to start one guy here and another guy there and another guy somewhere else. You start them all at the same place and let them grow, and maybe some of them grow faster than others or can broaden out into different positions and responsibilities more easily than others.”
At the same time, with the coaches, because they know your system they can explain to you ‘This kid fits your system this way…’
“Talking to Al [Groh] at Virginia, or Charlie [Weis], or Pat [Hill], or Kirk [Ferentz], that have some similarities to our system, yes, you can ask those questions and they may have a little better feel for what we’re doing relative to someone who hasn’t worked with us or been in this type of system.”
With the three rookie linebackers, who are free agents, what do you think led them to fall out of the draft?“I don’t know. At the end of the draft, you just kind of look at the players who are left in positions that you need to fill out your roster with -- and take a look at the grades you have on them and skim through the reports -- and try to attract the ones that you think will have the best fit in your program, and you work with the agents, recruit the player and all that. You go through that whole process. When it comes to the end of the draft, you kind of look at what’s up there and deal with that group. Honestly, we don’t sit around and say ‘Why did Arizona take this guy instead of that guy?’ It doesn’t really matter. The players that are left are the ones that are left and those are the ones you pick from.”
Which of these players will have to leave the team because of the NFL rule that states a player can’t be with his NFL team if his college hasn’t held graduation?“I think we’re OK on that.”
How long do they stay and can you talk about the next step for the rookies after this camp…
“They’ll be in the offseason program, and we’ll start to blend them in with the other players who are here. Then in June, we have passing camps and minicamps, which will be full-team activities. It will be a little less than that the next couple weeks. We’ll try to get them caught up -- not that they’re going to get caught up –- in relative terms, try to close the gap a little bit to where our other players are, so we can be functional out there. That’s what we’ll do the next couple of weeks, get these younger players, trying to get them caught up with our veteran guys.”
By the end of last year, what was your satisfaction level with your secondary?
"I thought defensively we played better in the second half of the year. It doesn't really make any difference. It's a new year. We're starting all over again at every position. Offense. Defense. Special teams. You name it. So is everybody else. We are a lot more focused on going forward and trying to put the most competitive team we can out on the field. It doesn't really matter where we were last year.
As you evaluate though how you build your roster this year, you can't take a player who had a good second half and say, 'Okay we can assume that he's going to start off where he finished off last year?'
"I don't think we assume anybody starts off where anybody was last year. I think we all start at the same place, me included. We're putting together a new team. We have new teams on our schedule and new challenges to face. We'll put together the best group that we can. I don't think last year really means anything one way or the other. We are all starting from scratch. We all have to put it together and it will be constructed a little bit differently than it was last year, but that's true ever year."
In terms of having elite corners, I've heard some people say...
"Which people are those?"
Media.
"Are these more unnamed sources? Just random sources?"
Media, probably talking heads.
"National media? Local media?"
I would say all of them. National and internet, how's that? Anyway, that with all the spread formations, five receivers etcetera, that the days of needing that one shutdown corner will not be what it was in the past or it has changed. Would you agree with that or disagree with that?"Would I agree with the national media internet or not? I think I'm pretty neutral. It might be true. It might not. It just would depend on the situation. I'm sure there's some validity to that statement. I'm not sure exactly what context it was made in. Does that help you out?"
Yes. But does it change the number of corners you are playing at any given time if there are more receivers on the field?
"I think it varies from game to game and from situation to situation. It wasn't that long ago when we were playing teams like Houston and Atlanta that had four wide outs on the field every single snap. Detroit, they were running the run and shoot. So, you better have somebody that can get out there and cover them. You see less of that now, but you see quite a few multiple receiver sets. Some teams run them more than others. So, I think you have to be ready to defend that type of scheme. I think you also have to be ready to defend teams that we saw last year, like San Diego that are predominantly two back teams and have a good blocking fullback and try to close some formations down and run the ball at you. Pittsburgh. Teams like that. You see all of that and whatever you're not very good at, you're probably going to see more of that than the things that you defend the best. I think it varies. Certainly in passing situations, third down, two minute and things like that, the more of that you see, then obviously the more receivers and more spread formations you're going to see. That's more situation oriented."
The thought that the value has gone down on the cornerback who wins almost every battle, that doesn't seem to make any sense either.
"Well, I wouldn't say that. I think there is a premium on defensive players that can rush the passer and defensive players that can cover. I think that is reflected in the draft, free agency, any salary surveys that you do, I think that would be reflected in those players. It has been for as long as I can remember and probably will always be that way. As long as you are throwing the ball in the NFL, which there is still more passing than there is running. It's been that way. No, I don't think there is a diminished value on that."
How is Rodney Harrison progressing?
"Good. Rodney has worked hard. He always does."
With the new guys, do you find that they are intimidated by their surroundings or maybe nervous by what is ahead of them?
"I'm sure there are probably all of those emotions to one degree or another, some players more so than others. Yeah, it's different. I think it's just like any of us anytime we go into something that we've never been in before and that's like these guys. They're trying to earn a spot on the roster. It's their livelihood. It's what they want to do. Sure, there are a little bit of all of those adjectives, whatever you want to say. Anxiety. Nervousness. Apprehension. Excitement. Whatever. A little bit of everything. But in the end, all of that will quiet down and settle down as everybody gets familiar with their surroundings and the system and their teammates and their coaches and all that. Football players are going to go out and play football. It will be a little bit of an adjustment. It's an adjustment for us. We are dealing with some different, new players. But again, that's something that we deal with annually. I don't think it's that big of a deal. I just think it's part of the process. There's no real shortcut to it."
The guys who are here on tryouts, is it hard to evaluate them out of pads and how is that different than evaluating a guy that you've seen for three weeks in pads during training camp?
"Well, it's a lot different, but that's all we have to go on. We have the tape of their college performances in those games. We've looked at that. Based on that and whatever else, they are here and we can evaluate what we can evaluate, which is what we are able to do out there. It's certainly not what we would have in training camp, but we understand that. But that's more than we knew a day or two days ago."
When you evaluate receivers is there a particular way you would like to see them catch the ball?
"Yes, sure. Fundamentally, we coach catching skills based on the location of the ball and sometimes the type of route and position the receiver's body between the defender and the ball, things like that. There are certain fundamental things that are absolutely the way you want to teach catching. That doesn't mean every ball is caught that way, but there is a fundamental way to teach it. So, yes."
What are your impressions of Chad Jackson so far in that regard?
"Of his hands? I think he catches the ball well. I thought that he caught it well in college and I thought that he caught it well today and yesterday."
The fundamental things you talked about, do you see those in him?
"I think he can improve on them. I think anybody can improve on them."
Is it your sense that Chad has miles and miles to go to learn how to run crisp, advanced routes in the National Football League?
"I don't know. How many miles? I don't know. He can improve just like everybody else. I think he has some good skills to work with. How quickly that will come along and how well he'll do the things that he needs to do, just like everybody else, that remains to be seen. We've been out there one day. I think he does some good things. I think there are other things that he can improve on. We have a long way to go. He has a long way to go. In some time, we'll see how much ground gets covered."
Did Pierre Woods play a 3-4 outside linebacker at Michigan and is that what you envision him doing here?
"He would definitely do that here. Yes. He is an outside linebacker here all the way. He has played some on his feet. He played probably more down than up. There were times where he was up and they ran some blitz zones and things like that where he did have some opportunities in coverage, but not all that many. There are not many college teams playing the 3-4 defense. There are very few."
You have so many defensive backs on the roster. It seems like a larger number than you had last year at this point.
"How many did we go to camp with last year? Didn't we have like 15?"
But you have more than that at this point.
"Well, I think you always have a few more players on the roster in late May and June than what you end up with when you finally go to camp at the end of July. I would say the numbers are going to be about the same, certainly within two, maybe within one, I don't know. It's because you need certain numbers to go to camp with. If you start putting two or three extra guys at one position, then they're going to have to come from somewhere else unless you have enough depth to be able to [do that]. That group with the smaller numbers, unless somehow they are able to either take more reps or however you're going to do it, it's just hard to have a much higher number in one group than another. Three players, I'm just saying, that would be a lot. Not saying you couldn't do it, but it would be a lot to carry three extra offensive linemen or three extra DB's, or three extra linebackers. Where are you pulling them from?"
Have you talked to Doug [Flutie] at all since the draft?
"Any conversations I have with players, I respect the player-coach relationship so I won’t comment on those."
Getting back to the tryout players. Do those guys have a little bit more to prove in this camp in these couple of days because there really is no guarantee with them and is it difficult because this is more of a teaching camp than an evaluation camp?
"I think that is probably a fair statement. They have to show something to continue to be here. But I think we all know in the National Football League, right now, the roster size is a lot bigger than what it’s going to be, even in training camp, and certainly in the final cutdown. Everybody is playing for a job. I don't think it takes too long for them to realize that. It's not like college where you get a four-year scholarship and all of that. That's not the business we’re in. Even guys that are on any team, that doesn't mean they will stay on that team. In fact, we know there are a lot of them that won't stay on that team. I think that settles in as reality pretty quickly for these guys. The guys that aren't drafted and they sign and they’re on a team and all of that, but the reality is whether you are a draft choice or a free agent signing or a veteran player, that spot is contingent on your performance. I think that is one thing that it doesn't take too long for everybody to realize, if they didn't realize it before they’re on the team, it doesn't take too long for them to realize it now. There are a lot more lockers in that locker room than what there is going to be players. That's the way it is.
In your experience, can you think of a guy in that fashion that came in and really made an impact in the league eventually?
"I can think of a lot of them. Jim Burt for one. The guy started at nose for I don't know how many years with the Giants and the 49ers. I don't know how many Super Bowls he won, whatever it was, three. Randall Gay started in the Super Bowl two years ago.
Was Burt a tryout guy?
"I can’t remember. I don't think he was a tryout."
Can you think of a tryout guy?
"Steve Neal. You can't get any more of a free agent than him. I put the emphasis on 'free', too.
Those guys have to make a big impression in a setting like this just because it’s not guaranteed for them right?
"I think they have to do enough for you to say, ‘Well, we want to bring the guy back,’ or, ‘We want to keep working with him.’ Right, because you're not committed to bringing them back. They're not committed to coming back. So if he doesn't do enough to at least make you say, ‘Hey, we want to keep working with the guy,’ then that's it and we’re going to move on and work with somebody else. Yes, he would have to do enough for that. Yes."
Will you have an afternoon session today and will you work some more
tomorrow morning?
"Yes, we’re going to go out this afternoon. We'll keep working with them tomorrow. Once we hit May 15, they are here full-time. We will be working with them all through the offseason program and all the way into the passing camps in the June minicamp."
Did Corey Bramlet do a good enough of a job of putting the ball where it needed to be so that receivers could get the proper practice?
"I think Corey has done some good things. There are certainly a lot of things that he needs to work on, things that were a lot less than perfect. He learns from them and for the most part improves them the next time the situation comes up. Yes, it's been functional out there. Again, coming in as a quarterback, learning the system and seeing different coverages as the defense is running some different things, but that’s the NFL. That's the way it's going to be. I'm sure he's learning a lot and he has a lot to learn. But he has done some things out there that have been positive and some of the things that he didn't do as well yesterday, they looked a little better this morning. Any time a player can keep improving, you want to keep working with him. It's the guys that kind of level off or start to go the other way as you pile things on and the performance starts to go in the other direction. That's when you have to worry about what the future is going to be.
Did Garrett Mills improve today from yesterday?
"I think really most of the players did. We practiced better today than either one of the practices yesterday. I thought yesterday we were kind of [off to] a slow start in the morning, or some things were better in the afternoon. But maybe a part of that too was a little bit of fatigue, a little bit of information overload, a little bit of brain freeze. So a lot of things that should have been better in the afternoon really weren’t, but then there was more progress today, so we'll see how it goes this afternoon. We've given them quite a bit of information. They have a lot of things to think about, communication with their teammates, the scheme and techniques. Like we talked about before, there maybe a little bit of the whole anxiety
of the situation and being tight or whatever. There are a lot of things that are coming together, but again that is normal. We'll just work our way through it.
So if this camp is a novel, what is the name of it?
"I don’t know, but it’s page two of it."
Les Misérables? [Laughter]
"[Laughter] There you go."
Boston
Footballguy
Sunday mini-camp notes
· The most impressive player on the field Sunday was tight end David Thomas. Everything seems to come easy for Thomas. He got down the field quickly, ran great routes and caught everything thrown his way. Thomas is very smooth in and out of his breaks. He showed the ability to go up and snatch the ball out of the air, even when a defender had tight coverage on him. Nobody on the field could cover him.
· After struggling a little bit yesterday and even early Sunday, Garrett Mills bounced back to have a nice practice. The H-back made some nice catches and showed that he’s a very good route runner.
· Chad Jackson had another good practice, catching virtual every pass in his direction. His hands are like suction cups where he just swallows any ball near him. Jackson does a very good job of catching the ball with his hands and not letting it get to his body. One negative on Jackson is that he sometimes struggles coming out of his breaks. He’s so fast that occasionally his feet get tangled up and he either trips over them or looses his footing. Being a more controlled route runner is something Jackson will need to work on over the next couple of months.
· Randy Hand is a mountain of a man and although he played mostly tackle in college, the Patriots had him lining up at guard on Sunday while Dan Stevenson – a guard at Notre Dame - played center. Overall, the Patriots new crop of offensive linemen all looked like big, mobile players with a lot of strength.
· Corey Bramlet made a lot of nice throws throughout practice. Bramlet seems to know when to fire the ball in there and when to take something off his throws so his receivers can run under the ball and make the catch. He’s very accurate throwing over the middle and I thought he had a very impressive day at quarterback.
· Matt Shelton had some trouble catching the ball in a couple of drills and was forced to do push-ups after his drops. At 6-0, 170 pounds, Shelton is a long shot to make the team and dropping balls early on in camp won’t help his cause any.
· Willie Andrews made some nice plays on Sunday. He showed good recovery speed, knocking down a couple of balls intended for Chad Jackson. He was the one defensive back that was able to stay with Jackson on a consistent basis.
· Laurence Maroney caught the ball well out of the backfield. He didn’t always create separation from the defender but he displayed good hands for a back that didn’t catch the ball much in college.
· Inside linebackers Corey Mays and Freddie Roach both struggled in coverage. Each player lost their man at times and had difficulties trying to stay with Thomas and Mills in the flats.
· The most impressive player on the field Sunday was tight end David Thomas. Everything seems to come easy for Thomas. He got down the field quickly, ran great routes and caught everything thrown his way. Thomas is very smooth in and out of his breaks. He showed the ability to go up and snatch the ball out of the air, even when a defender had tight coverage on him. Nobody on the field could cover him.
· After struggling a little bit yesterday and even early Sunday, Garrett Mills bounced back to have a nice practice. The H-back made some nice catches and showed that he’s a very good route runner.
· Chad Jackson had another good practice, catching virtual every pass in his direction. His hands are like suction cups where he just swallows any ball near him. Jackson does a very good job of catching the ball with his hands and not letting it get to his body. One negative on Jackson is that he sometimes struggles coming out of his breaks. He’s so fast that occasionally his feet get tangled up and he either trips over them or looses his footing. Being a more controlled route runner is something Jackson will need to work on over the next couple of months.
· Randy Hand is a mountain of a man and although he played mostly tackle in college, the Patriots had him lining up at guard on Sunday while Dan Stevenson – a guard at Notre Dame - played center. Overall, the Patriots new crop of offensive linemen all looked like big, mobile players with a lot of strength.
· Corey Bramlet made a lot of nice throws throughout practice. Bramlet seems to know when to fire the ball in there and when to take something off his throws so his receivers can run under the ball and make the catch. He’s very accurate throwing over the middle and I thought he had a very impressive day at quarterback.
· Matt Shelton had some trouble catching the ball in a couple of drills and was forced to do push-ups after his drops. At 6-0, 170 pounds, Shelton is a long shot to make the team and dropping balls early on in camp won’t help his cause any.
· Willie Andrews made some nice plays on Sunday. He showed good recovery speed, knocking down a couple of balls intended for Chad Jackson. He was the one defensive back that was able to stay with Jackson on a consistent basis.
· Laurence Maroney caught the ball well out of the backfield. He didn’t always create separation from the defender but he displayed good hands for a back that didn’t catch the ball much in college.
· Inside linebackers Corey Mays and Freddie Roach both struggled in coverage. Each player lost their man at times and had difficulties trying to stay with Thomas and Mills in the flats.
nerangers
Footballguy
Patriots | W. Johnson given a tryout
Mon, 15 May 2006 06:28:52 -0700
The Boston Globe reports the New England Patriots are giving undrafted rookie free agent OL Will Johnson (Harvard) a tryout at their current rookie minicamp.
Patriots | J. Wallace given a tryout
Mon, 15 May 2006 06:22:58 -0700
The Boston Globe reports the New England Patriots are giving undrafted rookie free agent WR Jakari Wallace (Minnesota) a tryout at their current rookie minicamp. Since he is a tryout player, he was not listed on the roster, and head coach Bill Belichick was reluctant to share any information on his identity, smiling and saying it was a secret. Wallace is only 5-8, 172 pounds, but he was the fastest player on the Minnesota roster last season.
Patriots | Team checking out T. Law
Mon, 15 May 2006 05:42:57 -0700
Michael Felger, of the Boston Herald, reports according to sources, free agent CB Ty Law (Jets) was scheduled to undergo a physical with the New England Patriots last Friday, May 12, as part of a visit with the team. Patriots' officials would not confirm the visit. The Pats have an abundance of salary cap space (as much as $16 million). However, Law's reported asking price of $10 million in first-year money is probably not in the team's plans. One source in Foxboro said recently the brunt of the talks are being handled personally between Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick and Law.
Mon, 15 May 2006 06:28:52 -0700
The Boston Globe reports the New England Patriots are giving undrafted rookie free agent OL Will Johnson (Harvard) a tryout at their current rookie minicamp.
Patriots | J. Wallace given a tryout
Mon, 15 May 2006 06:22:58 -0700
The Boston Globe reports the New England Patriots are giving undrafted rookie free agent WR Jakari Wallace (Minnesota) a tryout at their current rookie minicamp. Since he is a tryout player, he was not listed on the roster, and head coach Bill Belichick was reluctant to share any information on his identity, smiling and saying it was a secret. Wallace is only 5-8, 172 pounds, but he was the fastest player on the Minnesota roster last season.
Patriots | Team checking out T. Law
Mon, 15 May 2006 05:42:57 -0700
Michael Felger, of the Boston Herald, reports according to sources, free agent CB Ty Law (Jets) was scheduled to undergo a physical with the New England Patriots last Friday, May 12, as part of a visit with the team. Patriots' officials would not confirm the visit. The Pats have an abundance of salary cap space (as much as $16 million). However, Law's reported asking price of $10 million in first-year money is probably not in the team's plans. One source in Foxboro said recently the brunt of the talks are being handled personally between Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick and Law.
Last edited by a moderator:
nerangers
Footballguy
Patriots | Belichick sees Woods as 3-4 outside LB
Sun, 14 May 2006 22:27:30 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said he envisions LB Pierre Woods as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Belichick said, "He would definitely do that here. Yes. He is an outside linebacker here all the way. He has played some on his feet. He played probably more down than up. There were times where he was up and they ran some blitz zones and things like that where he did have some opportunities in coverage, but not all that many. There are not many college teams playing the 3-4 defense. There are very few."
Patriots | Bramlet looking good in rookie camp
Sun, 14 May 2006 17:37:46 -0700
The Associated Press reports New England Patriots rookie QB Corey Bramlet is the only quarterback at rookie camp and he's trying to make the best of the situation. "It's kind of nice to be able to take all the reps and get into the offense," said Bramlet, an undrafted free agent from Wyoming. "It's a good way to start learning. I just have to take advantage of it." Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Bramlet "has done some good things" at the camp, which continues Monday, May 15. Bramlet said he felt much more comfortable Sunday, May 14, with a couple of practice sessions under his belt. "(Saturday) was kind of a struggle mentally a little bit," Bramlet said. "But I feel like I'm throwing the ball well. I took a big step today as far as mentally getting things going. I feel like I'm definitely on the right track."
Sun, 14 May 2006 22:27:30 -0700
Mike Reiss, of the Boston Globe, reports New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said he envisions LB Pierre Woods as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Belichick said, "He would definitely do that here. Yes. He is an outside linebacker here all the way. He has played some on his feet. He played probably more down than up. There were times where he was up and they ran some blitz zones and things like that where he did have some opportunities in coverage, but not all that many. There are not many college teams playing the 3-4 defense. There are very few."
Patriots | Bramlet looking good in rookie camp
Sun, 14 May 2006 17:37:46 -0700
The Associated Press reports New England Patriots rookie QB Corey Bramlet is the only quarterback at rookie camp and he's trying to make the best of the situation. "It's kind of nice to be able to take all the reps and get into the offense," said Bramlet, an undrafted free agent from Wyoming. "It's a good way to start learning. I just have to take advantage of it." Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Bramlet "has done some good things" at the camp, which continues Monday, May 15. Bramlet said he felt much more comfortable Sunday, May 14, with a couple of practice sessions under his belt. "(Saturday) was kind of a struggle mentally a little bit," Bramlet said. "But I feel like I'm throwing the ball well. I took a big step today as far as mentally getting things going. I feel like I'm definitely on the right track."
nerangers
Footballguy
TRIBUTE TO DOUG FLUTIE!
Flutie flavor
FOXBOROUGH -- Doug Flutie is currently answering questions from the media at Gillette Stadium. He said he will work for ABC/ESPN as a sports broadcaster.
As cameras snapped, the press conference began with owner Robert Kraft speaking on Flutie. Kraft then presented Flutie a check for $22,000 for the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick then spoke about his memories on Flutie.
After that, Flutie took center stage and recapped some of the memorable moments of his career.
Kraft on Flutie
Monday’s press conference began with owner Robert Kraft addressing those in attendance.
“I appreciate being able to be here today because I think I represent three constituencies –- one is all the sports fans of New England, another is as a trustee of Boston College, and the third is owner of the Patriots. From the Hail Mary pass, to winning the Heisman, to the drop kick that he and Bill [belichick] partnered with, I think that encapsulates a great, great career.
“When we all think of Doug Flutie, we think of what an amazing, amazing player he was. In today’s day and age, here’s a young man who loves the game, who always entertained us. It was never about the money. Like some of us, he was vertically challenged but he never let it slow him down. Wherever he went, he excelled. So all of us who dreamt about being professional athletes and didn’t just have the skills set have always branded with him and seen him as someone really special in our lives who we can relate to.
“I can’t think of one time, when he was on the field, where he didn’t make us feel proud as sports fans of New England. In that regard, we think about how he could get it up to perform in front of the home crowd. As a starter in the NFL, his record was 23-9. In the old Foxboro Stadium, it was 12-2 as a starter. And as a player for the Patriots, it was 5-0. So I think that’s the best [winning] percentage of any quarterback. I know that will make another one of our quarterbacks a little antsy there.
“When he was at Boston College, he wore number 22. With his two visits to the Patriots as a player here, he wore number two. Since his career spanned from the Heisman trophy to the present time in ’06, that’s 22 years. So we have a little presentation that we want to make to him. As great as he was on the field, he took a very challenging situation in his personal life and turned it into something very positive –- with the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation, trying to work towards a cure towards autism. He has shown a great effort off the field in ways that all of us here at the Patriots are very proud. I can speak for my family, we’re very happy that he’s retiring as a Patriot. We see him as a long-term ambassador of the Patriots and New England sports arena. We’d like to present him with a little thank-you for all he has done.”
Kraft then presented Flutie a check for $22,000, from the Patriots Foundation, to be directed toward the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. Kraft also had a framed piece that included a color picture of Flutie's dropkick and two black-and-white photos from Flutie's playing days -- one with him holding the Heisman trophy. The piece had the words "The Kraft family honors a hometown hero" across the top.
The overall press conference lasted 45 minutes. After Kraft spoke, Patriots coach Bill Belichick stepped to the podium and shared his thoughts on Flutie.
Belichick on Flutie
Patriots coach Bill Belichick, dressed in jeans and his trademark gray sweatshirt with cut sleeves, was the second person to speak at the press conference announcing Doug Flutie’s retirement.
His statement:
“Doug is really a special athlete. The way he’s taken over this region as an athlete, I think, has been remarkable. Just like the way we see him take over a football game. Unfortunately, I’ve been on the other side of several of those games that he took over, when I was trying to defend him.
“My relationship with Doug has been a very long one, a very enjoyable one. We have a very good mutual friend, [singer] Jon Bon Jovi. We’ve mostly competed against each other, but I did have the opportunity to coach him in the ’98 Pro Bowl in Hawaii and, of course, also here last year. That was a great honor and a thrill.
“When we were in the Pro Bowl, Doug went in for the first series -- each quarterback plays about a quarter, quarter-and-a-half, whatever it was. So Doug goes in for his first series and we’re calling plays, and I think it was three-and-out. It wasn’t going very well. I said ‘Look, Doug, why don’t you do the same thing you did all year? Just throw it up there to [Eric] Moulds, hit him for about 50 [yards], like you did against us all game.’ And sure enough, he went in there and just let it fly. Moulds ran it down and man, I’m telling you, I was glad to see that combination end in Buffalo.
“But that’s kind of typical Doug Flutie. He just makes things happen on the football field. He’s had an unbelievable career –- in college, professionally, in Canada. His accomplishments up there [in Canada] are more than legendary. And his success in the National Football League, being a Pro Bowl player and all that. That’s carried off the field, as Robert [Kraft] mentioned. His devotion to his son, his family. The foundation is an accomplishment, and what they’ve done in terms of addressing autism. More even than that is Doug’s relationship with kids. I’ve seen it first hand, from my family. He has such an energy and enthusiasm about sports, about the game, about life that he brings to young people -- both to his family and how supportive he is of his nephews and his family in sports, and also to other people in the region. The different events he participates in are just awesome.
“Last night, it was interesting, we had our rookies in for an orientation and we showed them a highlight clip that involved a lot of plays. One of the plays was the Hail Mary against Miami. Most of those kids were in diapers when Doug threw that pass. And here [Doug] is, still playing. It just goes to show the length of his career, and the accomplishments of his career that have been remarkable.
“Going forward, whatever Doug decides to do, I’m sure he’ll bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to it. It’s been a great experience and I take a lot of pride in our friendship, and the opportunity to coach Doug. He’ll always have a special place in my career when I think back to all the players I’ve coached. In the 31 years that I’ve coached in the NFL, we’ve had a lot of game-plans, a lot of plays -- the trick plays like Kevin Faulk throwing back to Tom Brady in ’01, and we had David Patten catching the lateral and throwing to Troy Brown in Indianapolis -- plays like that, and defensively, special blitzes and things like that.
“But I think the dropkick was a play that was a very important play in football in the first half of the 20th century. And it’s been out of circulation for a long time. I don’t think there’s ever been a special play in my coaching career that we’ve had as much fun with as a team, as an organization. There’s no player that’s more appropriate, or more deserving, to execute that play than Doug Flutie. It was a lot of fun for the team. It was such a historical play for this game. To be able to bring it back after 60 years, or whatever it was, it was just awesome. Probably the one play that we had the most fun with in my career. That would be it. Doug really inspired us to do that. We were batting 3 out of 4 practicing it, but it came through when he had to.
“I’m going to turn it over to Doug. It’s been a great honor to coach him. I consider him a good friend. I’ll let him take it from here.”
Belichick and Flutie then embraced before Flutie spoke at the podium.
Flutie: Lucky Man
After owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick spoke at the podium, Doug Flutie -- wearing blue jeans and a black short-sleeved button-down shirt -- stepped to center stage.
His opening statement:
“I want to say thanks for giving me the opportunity to do this here. More importantly than all that was bringing me back here for one more year, to New England, to have the opportunity to have my daughter, in her senior year of high school, to be with her friends year-round. To be able to watch my nephews play ball. All that was very important to me. Those of you who know me know how attached I am to this area.
“Along those lines, yes, I am officially retiring. For me, I’d like to look at it as moving along in my life and looking forward as to what is coming. I wanted to approach it all along that I was planning on taking a job with the networks [ABC/ESPN], and we’d announce that. That’s kind of the way I wanted to direct it initially, but everybody wanted to hear that ‘are you retiring?’ thing, so we did this approach in going to announce it.
“Looking back for me, it’s been 21 years. I’ve had more fun, and enjoyment, at this game than anything else. I just love playing football. I love competing -- all of you who know me, the basketball and whatnot -- I enjoy playing. It’s still a game to me. The game has changed over the years. The last 3-4 years it really hasn’t been a lot of fun. Bill [belichick], putting that dropkick in for me to do, kind of put the fun back in the game; to me what the game is all about. It’s about competing out on the field, finding a way to win, and having fun doing it. That’s been my approach throughout my life and the way I’ve approached this game. I’m just a big kid. I think that’s pretty evident in the fact that … I joined a men’s baseball league with my brothers this spring. That kind of indicated [what I was doing football-wise]. I had told them all along ‘when I retire, as long as I can still walk, we’re going to do this.’ That’s what I’m all about.
“I look back and it started out with the USFL. Donald Trump gave me the opportunity to play with Herschel Walker, in the same backfield. On to the Chicago Bears to play for Mike Ditka and that great team they had. Coming back to New England and had the opportunity to play with a guy I still consider a friend –- and talk to every now and then, not as often as I would like –- Steve Grogan. I had the opportunity to learn under Steve and all the guys we played with in the late 80s. That’s why it’s fun for me to see the old [Patriots] helmet up here. Then I went to Canada. I’ll tell you what, I had more fun playing football in Canada in my career, especially my last two years in Toronto. There were great players and great coaches, all along the line up there. Guys like Pinball Clemons to play with, Don Matthews coaching us, a guy named Allen Pitts in Calgary had 2,000-yard receiving seasons. I had the opportunity to play with my brother for a year up there. All those types of things that meant so much to me. It kind of re-instilled my confidence in myself at the quarterback position, which allowed me to come back [to the NFL] to Buffalo, and step on the field in my first year and make it to a Pro Bowl, and had the honor of playing for Bill Belichick in the Pro Bowl. Like [bill] said, Eric Moulds, I’ll tell you what, that was a fun year. Throw the ball up to Eric. It was a great group of guys in Buffalo that I played with; A.J. Smith and John Butler brought me there, and gave me the opportunity to get back to the NFL. At that point, I was saying ‘OK, I’ll give it a shot.’ I was ready to retire, after Toronto. I said to my wife ‘I’ll give it two years.’ Here it is eight years later, actually almost nine years later, and I’m finally retired -- because I enjoyed playing the game and you keep going. Having the chance to play with Drew Brees and for Wade Phillips in Buffalo, and also having Wade out in San Diego, it was a lot of fun every step of the way for me. To finish it up by coming back here was very special for me. Then having the dropkick.
“When I tell these stories, I did play for three different teams up in Canada and we bounced around a lot. I don’t know a lot of families that could have endured the travel and the moving and bouncing around. My wife and I have been together since we were 15 years old. I love her dearly. Everyone says there is a woman behind every man, all that stuff, and I’d be lost without her. She was there every step of the way. Every step of the way. Traveling around, with the kids as they got older in school age -- Alexa and Dougie. It’s a strain on [Alexa and Dougie] as well. I talked to Alexa today and she said ‘You don’t have to do this. You can play one more year. I’m 18 years old and I can be a Patriots cheerleader next year and you still play.’ They’ve been supportive. My wife would never, never be the wife that said ‘I want you to retire.' She made a point to make that perfectly clear in the last few years. Then as I’m coming down here today she said ‘Are you sure you want to do this? What am I going to do? I’m not going to go to a game if you’re not playing.’ Now we’re at the point, and I am at the point, where I enjoy watching my nephews play ball, actually more than stepping on the field myself. I love watching my daughter’s dance recitals; she’s doing an internship with Boston Ballet. Her life is starting to take off. I am at a different point in my life, where I’m enjoying that stuff more than my own. It’s just been a fun run for me. All the players, all the coaches, everyone that’s been involved.
“I’m very appreciative. To the fans, the amazing thing in my career, since Day 1, I’ve always felt like I gained strength from the fans being behind me. I always felt like the critics were out there, and they were in big numbers, and the jury was always out, and I said to this day ‘I’m going to announce my retirement and they’ll say ‘See, I told you he couldn’t do it.’ The fans were the ones that always had no doubt in my abilities and the things I would do on the field, and they enjoyed watching me play. I definitely always gained my strength from the fans. Walking out on the field, knowing they were anticipating something great happening, and that we would win, no matter what the situation. They didn’t give up faith, and you knew you had an opportunity. I kind of felt that obligation to them, that I’d have to pull a rabbit out of the hat or find a way to win.
“There is a song by Lynyrd Skynard. Johnnie Van Zandt wrote the lyrics. One verse of the song called ‘Lucky Man’: ‘I want to thank you for the time that you’ve been with me, I hope it meant as much to you to share these memories. There is a guiding light that always seems to be shining. If I did it all again, I’d be happy until the end. I’m a lucky man.’ That is exactly how I feel. Every word of that whole song. So much of it, I hope the fans enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you.”
Flutie flavor
FOXBOROUGH -- Doug Flutie is currently answering questions from the media at Gillette Stadium. He said he will work for ABC/ESPN as a sports broadcaster.
As cameras snapped, the press conference began with owner Robert Kraft speaking on Flutie. Kraft then presented Flutie a check for $22,000 for the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick then spoke about his memories on Flutie.
After that, Flutie took center stage and recapped some of the memorable moments of his career.
Kraft on Flutie
Monday’s press conference began with owner Robert Kraft addressing those in attendance.
“I appreciate being able to be here today because I think I represent three constituencies –- one is all the sports fans of New England, another is as a trustee of Boston College, and the third is owner of the Patriots. From the Hail Mary pass, to winning the Heisman, to the drop kick that he and Bill [belichick] partnered with, I think that encapsulates a great, great career.
“When we all think of Doug Flutie, we think of what an amazing, amazing player he was. In today’s day and age, here’s a young man who loves the game, who always entertained us. It was never about the money. Like some of us, he was vertically challenged but he never let it slow him down. Wherever he went, he excelled. So all of us who dreamt about being professional athletes and didn’t just have the skills set have always branded with him and seen him as someone really special in our lives who we can relate to.
“I can’t think of one time, when he was on the field, where he didn’t make us feel proud as sports fans of New England. In that regard, we think about how he could get it up to perform in front of the home crowd. As a starter in the NFL, his record was 23-9. In the old Foxboro Stadium, it was 12-2 as a starter. And as a player for the Patriots, it was 5-0. So I think that’s the best [winning] percentage of any quarterback. I know that will make another one of our quarterbacks a little antsy there.
“When he was at Boston College, he wore number 22. With his two visits to the Patriots as a player here, he wore number two. Since his career spanned from the Heisman trophy to the present time in ’06, that’s 22 years. So we have a little presentation that we want to make to him. As great as he was on the field, he took a very challenging situation in his personal life and turned it into something very positive –- with the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation, trying to work towards a cure towards autism. He has shown a great effort off the field in ways that all of us here at the Patriots are very proud. I can speak for my family, we’re very happy that he’s retiring as a Patriot. We see him as a long-term ambassador of the Patriots and New England sports arena. We’d like to present him with a little thank-you for all he has done.”
Kraft then presented Flutie a check for $22,000, from the Patriots Foundation, to be directed toward the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. Kraft also had a framed piece that included a color picture of Flutie's dropkick and two black-and-white photos from Flutie's playing days -- one with him holding the Heisman trophy. The piece had the words "The Kraft family honors a hometown hero" across the top.
The overall press conference lasted 45 minutes. After Kraft spoke, Patriots coach Bill Belichick stepped to the podium and shared his thoughts on Flutie.
Belichick on Flutie
Patriots coach Bill Belichick, dressed in jeans and his trademark gray sweatshirt with cut sleeves, was the second person to speak at the press conference announcing Doug Flutie’s retirement.
His statement:
“Doug is really a special athlete. The way he’s taken over this region as an athlete, I think, has been remarkable. Just like the way we see him take over a football game. Unfortunately, I’ve been on the other side of several of those games that he took over, when I was trying to defend him.
“My relationship with Doug has been a very long one, a very enjoyable one. We have a very good mutual friend, [singer] Jon Bon Jovi. We’ve mostly competed against each other, but I did have the opportunity to coach him in the ’98 Pro Bowl in Hawaii and, of course, also here last year. That was a great honor and a thrill.
“When we were in the Pro Bowl, Doug went in for the first series -- each quarterback plays about a quarter, quarter-and-a-half, whatever it was. So Doug goes in for his first series and we’re calling plays, and I think it was three-and-out. It wasn’t going very well. I said ‘Look, Doug, why don’t you do the same thing you did all year? Just throw it up there to [Eric] Moulds, hit him for about 50 [yards], like you did against us all game.’ And sure enough, he went in there and just let it fly. Moulds ran it down and man, I’m telling you, I was glad to see that combination end in Buffalo.
“But that’s kind of typical Doug Flutie. He just makes things happen on the football field. He’s had an unbelievable career –- in college, professionally, in Canada. His accomplishments up there [in Canada] are more than legendary. And his success in the National Football League, being a Pro Bowl player and all that. That’s carried off the field, as Robert [Kraft] mentioned. His devotion to his son, his family. The foundation is an accomplishment, and what they’ve done in terms of addressing autism. More even than that is Doug’s relationship with kids. I’ve seen it first hand, from my family. He has such an energy and enthusiasm about sports, about the game, about life that he brings to young people -- both to his family and how supportive he is of his nephews and his family in sports, and also to other people in the region. The different events he participates in are just awesome.
“Last night, it was interesting, we had our rookies in for an orientation and we showed them a highlight clip that involved a lot of plays. One of the plays was the Hail Mary against Miami. Most of those kids were in diapers when Doug threw that pass. And here [Doug] is, still playing. It just goes to show the length of his career, and the accomplishments of his career that have been remarkable.
“Going forward, whatever Doug decides to do, I’m sure he’ll bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to it. It’s been a great experience and I take a lot of pride in our friendship, and the opportunity to coach Doug. He’ll always have a special place in my career when I think back to all the players I’ve coached. In the 31 years that I’ve coached in the NFL, we’ve had a lot of game-plans, a lot of plays -- the trick plays like Kevin Faulk throwing back to Tom Brady in ’01, and we had David Patten catching the lateral and throwing to Troy Brown in Indianapolis -- plays like that, and defensively, special blitzes and things like that.
“But I think the dropkick was a play that was a very important play in football in the first half of the 20th century. And it’s been out of circulation for a long time. I don’t think there’s ever been a special play in my coaching career that we’ve had as much fun with as a team, as an organization. There’s no player that’s more appropriate, or more deserving, to execute that play than Doug Flutie. It was a lot of fun for the team. It was such a historical play for this game. To be able to bring it back after 60 years, or whatever it was, it was just awesome. Probably the one play that we had the most fun with in my career. That would be it. Doug really inspired us to do that. We were batting 3 out of 4 practicing it, but it came through when he had to.
“I’m going to turn it over to Doug. It’s been a great honor to coach him. I consider him a good friend. I’ll let him take it from here.”
Belichick and Flutie then embraced before Flutie spoke at the podium.
Flutie: Lucky Man
After owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick spoke at the podium, Doug Flutie -- wearing blue jeans and a black short-sleeved button-down shirt -- stepped to center stage.
His opening statement:
“I want to say thanks for giving me the opportunity to do this here. More importantly than all that was bringing me back here for one more year, to New England, to have the opportunity to have my daughter, in her senior year of high school, to be with her friends year-round. To be able to watch my nephews play ball. All that was very important to me. Those of you who know me know how attached I am to this area.
“Along those lines, yes, I am officially retiring. For me, I’d like to look at it as moving along in my life and looking forward as to what is coming. I wanted to approach it all along that I was planning on taking a job with the networks [ABC/ESPN], and we’d announce that. That’s kind of the way I wanted to direct it initially, but everybody wanted to hear that ‘are you retiring?’ thing, so we did this approach in going to announce it.
“Looking back for me, it’s been 21 years. I’ve had more fun, and enjoyment, at this game than anything else. I just love playing football. I love competing -- all of you who know me, the basketball and whatnot -- I enjoy playing. It’s still a game to me. The game has changed over the years. The last 3-4 years it really hasn’t been a lot of fun. Bill [belichick], putting that dropkick in for me to do, kind of put the fun back in the game; to me what the game is all about. It’s about competing out on the field, finding a way to win, and having fun doing it. That’s been my approach throughout my life and the way I’ve approached this game. I’m just a big kid. I think that’s pretty evident in the fact that … I joined a men’s baseball league with my brothers this spring. That kind of indicated [what I was doing football-wise]. I had told them all along ‘when I retire, as long as I can still walk, we’re going to do this.’ That’s what I’m all about.
“I look back and it started out with the USFL. Donald Trump gave me the opportunity to play with Herschel Walker, in the same backfield. On to the Chicago Bears to play for Mike Ditka and that great team they had. Coming back to New England and had the opportunity to play with a guy I still consider a friend –- and talk to every now and then, not as often as I would like –- Steve Grogan. I had the opportunity to learn under Steve and all the guys we played with in the late 80s. That’s why it’s fun for me to see the old [Patriots] helmet up here. Then I went to Canada. I’ll tell you what, I had more fun playing football in Canada in my career, especially my last two years in Toronto. There were great players and great coaches, all along the line up there. Guys like Pinball Clemons to play with, Don Matthews coaching us, a guy named Allen Pitts in Calgary had 2,000-yard receiving seasons. I had the opportunity to play with my brother for a year up there. All those types of things that meant so much to me. It kind of re-instilled my confidence in myself at the quarterback position, which allowed me to come back [to the NFL] to Buffalo, and step on the field in my first year and make it to a Pro Bowl, and had the honor of playing for Bill Belichick in the Pro Bowl. Like [bill] said, Eric Moulds, I’ll tell you what, that was a fun year. Throw the ball up to Eric. It was a great group of guys in Buffalo that I played with; A.J. Smith and John Butler brought me there, and gave me the opportunity to get back to the NFL. At that point, I was saying ‘OK, I’ll give it a shot.’ I was ready to retire, after Toronto. I said to my wife ‘I’ll give it two years.’ Here it is eight years later, actually almost nine years later, and I’m finally retired -- because I enjoyed playing the game and you keep going. Having the chance to play with Drew Brees and for Wade Phillips in Buffalo, and also having Wade out in San Diego, it was a lot of fun every step of the way for me. To finish it up by coming back here was very special for me. Then having the dropkick.
“When I tell these stories, I did play for three different teams up in Canada and we bounced around a lot. I don’t know a lot of families that could have endured the travel and the moving and bouncing around. My wife and I have been together since we were 15 years old. I love her dearly. Everyone says there is a woman behind every man, all that stuff, and I’d be lost without her. She was there every step of the way. Every step of the way. Traveling around, with the kids as they got older in school age -- Alexa and Dougie. It’s a strain on [Alexa and Dougie] as well. I talked to Alexa today and she said ‘You don’t have to do this. You can play one more year. I’m 18 years old and I can be a Patriots cheerleader next year and you still play.’ They’ve been supportive. My wife would never, never be the wife that said ‘I want you to retire.' She made a point to make that perfectly clear in the last few years. Then as I’m coming down here today she said ‘Are you sure you want to do this? What am I going to do? I’m not going to go to a game if you’re not playing.’ Now we’re at the point, and I am at the point, where I enjoy watching my nephews play ball, actually more than stepping on the field myself. I love watching my daughter’s dance recitals; she’s doing an internship with Boston Ballet. Her life is starting to take off. I am at a different point in my life, where I’m enjoying that stuff more than my own. It’s just been a fun run for me. All the players, all the coaches, everyone that’s been involved.
“I’m very appreciative. To the fans, the amazing thing in my career, since Day 1, I’ve always felt like I gained strength from the fans being behind me. I always felt like the critics were out there, and they were in big numbers, and the jury was always out, and I said to this day ‘I’m going to announce my retirement and they’ll say ‘See, I told you he couldn’t do it.’ The fans were the ones that always had no doubt in my abilities and the things I would do on the field, and they enjoyed watching me play. I definitely always gained my strength from the fans. Walking out on the field, knowing they were anticipating something great happening, and that we would win, no matter what the situation. They didn’t give up faith, and you knew you had an opportunity. I kind of felt that obligation to them, that I’d have to pull a rabbit out of the hat or find a way to win.
“There is a song by Lynyrd Skynard. Johnnie Van Zandt wrote the lyrics. One verse of the song called ‘Lucky Man’: ‘I want to thank you for the time that you’ve been with me, I hope it meant as much to you to share these memories. There is a guiding light that always seems to be shining. If I did it all again, I’d be happy until the end. I’m a lucky man.’ That is exactly how I feel. Every word of that whole song. So much of it, I hope the fans enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you.”
nerangers
Footballguy
Patriots | Law's agent confirms physical
Tue, 16 May 2006 05:25:36 -0700
Jerome Solomon, of the Boston Globe, reports free agent CB Ty Law's (Jets) agent, Carl Poston, said Law took a physical for the Patriots last week. There have been no serious talks about a contract between Law and the Patriots.
Patriots | Mincey at linebacker
Tue, 16 May 2006 05:24:44 -0700
John Tomase, of the Boston Herald, reports New England Patriots LB Jeremy Mincey is transitioning from defensive end to linebacker. "It's totally different," said Mincey. "When they said I'd be playing standup linebacker. I thought it would be more defensive end oriented, but it's linebacker. I've got to adjust to the terminology and everything else."
Tue, 16 May 2006 05:25:36 -0700
Jerome Solomon, of the Boston Globe, reports free agent CB Ty Law's (Jets) agent, Carl Poston, said Law took a physical for the Patriots last week. There have been no serious talks about a contract between Law and the Patriots.
Patriots | Mincey at linebacker
Tue, 16 May 2006 05:24:44 -0700
John Tomase, of the Boston Herald, reports New England Patriots LB Jeremy Mincey is transitioning from defensive end to linebacker. "It's totally different," said Mincey. "When they said I'd be playing standup linebacker. I thought it would be more defensive end oriented, but it's linebacker. I've got to adjust to the terminology and everything else."
nerangers
Footballguy
Horsing around
Anyone up for a game of horse?
Patriots backup quarterback Matt Cassel is looking for a new partner following the retirement of Doug Flutie. As part of their warm-up routine before games in 2005, the two quarterbacks had a regular competition.
Cassel explains:
“It’s a fun game, just like horse [in basketball] where you start on the 5-yard line and try to hit the crossbar,” he said. “Every time you hit the crossbar, you move back 5 yards, all the way back to the 25. We’d do it every week and have a lot of fun with it.”
Flutie dominated early in the season.
“He had opened his mouth on something, and I went on a tear and started to pull away,” Flutie said.
But Cassel began closing the gap around midseason.
“And I can confidently say that I did win the series,” Cassel joked.
Said Flutie: “I think the cold-weather games got to me.”
Cassel, who turns 24 tomorrow, spoke to the Boston Globe in Tuesday's editions about possibly stepping into Flutie’s old No. 2 quarterback role. Flutie also said that he believes that Cassel is ready to emerge.
Anyone up for a game of horse?
Patriots backup quarterback Matt Cassel is looking for a new partner following the retirement of Doug Flutie. As part of their warm-up routine before games in 2005, the two quarterbacks had a regular competition.
Cassel explains:
“It’s a fun game, just like horse [in basketball] where you start on the 5-yard line and try to hit the crossbar,” he said. “Every time you hit the crossbar, you move back 5 yards, all the way back to the 25. We’d do it every week and have a lot of fun with it.”
Flutie dominated early in the season.
“He had opened his mouth on something, and I went on a tear and started to pull away,” Flutie said.
But Cassel began closing the gap around midseason.
“And I can confidently say that I did win the series,” Cassel joked.
Said Flutie: “I think the cold-weather games got to me.”
Cassel, who turns 24 tomorrow, spoke to the Boston Globe in Tuesday's editions about possibly stepping into Flutie’s old No. 2 quarterback role. Flutie also said that he believes that Cassel is ready to emerge.
nerangers
Footballguy
Secondary re-set (from boston.com)
The Patriots waived rookie free agent safety Sam Smith (Delaware State) on Wednesday.
Smith (6-feet, 200 pounds) was a longshot to make the final roster.
The team's secondary now breaks down like this:
Safety (10)
Rodney Harrison
Artrell Hawkins
Jarvis Herring
Keon Jackson
Tebucky Jones
Mel Mitchell
James Sanders
Guss Scott
Ray Ventrone
Eugene Wilson
Cornerback (10)
Willie Andrews
Vernell Brown
Randall Gay
Ellis Hobbs
Hank Poteat
Asante Samuel
Chad Scott
Antwain Spann
Eric Warfield
Gemara Williams
Of the 20 players, about 10 would project to make the 53-man roster.
Some players, like Randall Gay and Chad Scott, can also play safety. Others, such as Artrell Hawkins, also have experience at cornerback.
Smith waived
The Patriots waived rookie safety Sam Smith on Wednesday. Smith, out of Delaware State, was signed as an undrafted free agent on May 8.
The Patriots waived rookie free agent safety Sam Smith (Delaware State) on Wednesday.
Smith (6-feet, 200 pounds) was a longshot to make the final roster.
The team's secondary now breaks down like this:
Safety (10)
Rodney Harrison
Artrell Hawkins
Jarvis Herring
Keon Jackson
Tebucky Jones
Mel Mitchell
James Sanders
Guss Scott
Ray Ventrone
Eugene Wilson
Cornerback (10)
Willie Andrews
Vernell Brown
Randall Gay
Ellis Hobbs
Hank Poteat
Asante Samuel
Chad Scott
Antwain Spann
Eric Warfield
Gemara Williams
Of the 20 players, about 10 would project to make the 53-man roster.
Some players, like Randall Gay and Chad Scott, can also play safety. Others, such as Artrell Hawkins, also have experience at cornerback.
Smith waived
The Patriots waived rookie safety Sam Smith on Wednesday. Smith, out of Delaware State, was signed as an undrafted free agent on May 8.
nerangers
Footballguy
Kraft on WEEI (from boston.com)
Patriots owner Robert Kraft was a guest of the “Dale & Holley Show” on Boston sports radio station WEEI on Tuesday.
The parts of the interview that stood out to me were:
* Kraft’s direct involvement in efforts to place a team in Los Angeles.
* His reference to the Saints’ first home game this season (vs. Atlanta) and how the hype machine will likely be pumping Reggie Bush vs. Michael Vick.
* Avoiding to reveal the length of Bill Belichick’s contract.
* His reference to potential free agents whose goal is to be the highest paid player.
* His thoughts on last year’s Patriots-Broncos playoff game.
A few nuggets passed along from the interview:
1) Kraft spent Monday night with NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and high-ranking officials from the University of Southern California. “We had dinner and were talking about [NFL] teams coming to LA, which is very important for the next 10, 20 years.”
2) Kraft said he takes pride in the NFL’s efforts to help the Saints return to New Orleans and the Superdome this season. “I believe it’s the third week of the season [sept. 25] that we’ll be playing a home game there. No one felt it could be done before November, or bag the whole season. The leadership role that our management group, under commissioner [Paul] Tagliabue, I think he’s made seven trips [there] and organized the business community. … The first home game in the Superdome is Atlanta vs. New Orleans. Michael Vick vs. Reggie Bush. It will be a pretty special day.”
3) Asked about the status of Bill Belichick’s contract and its length, Kraft said: “I think we’ve created a certain sense of stability here. I think if you want to be successful in the NFL, having stability in an era of free agency -- whether it be coaches, players, organization -- when you’re fortunate to do well people are after you every way they can. The brilliance of the league is that it’s geared to try to make everyone mediocre, 8-8. Those organizations that can manage a little bit better have a chance to do better. It doesn’t guarantee anything, because we know the toll that injuries can have on the business. As a hopefully prudent manager, I try to do the best I can to create a sense of stability here. Bill is going into his seventh year. I think it’s worked pretty well all around.”
4) Kraft spoke of how Willie McGinest’s free-agent departure affected him: “That was a very difficult situation. Willie was the first guy we drafted since we bought the team. There are a lot of circumstances going on that I’m not sure are totally apparent to everyone. In the end, the most important thing to me is that we win, to put our team in the best position to be able to win come the fall. Because I know what I feel like when we lose a game. We only have 16 regular-season games. Losing a game is much lower than any high you get out of winning. I want to put ourselves in a position to lose as little as you can. At the same time, you want to balance that with trying to have a sense of continuity and stability. You also want players, and I think it’s the culture here, where winning is the first thing. How they conduct themselves off the field is as important to us as that, and I think is part of winning. But if making the most money is a player’s priority, I’m not sure it’s going to work here. But I think we have a responsibility to make sure we’re at market conditions at all times, and are paying people fairly. When you cross the line, then it’s something I think our football people understand better what it means to the chemistry of the locker room than how we as fans look at an individual situation. In the end, you can’t pay everyone to be the highest-paid guy on your team. You could, or would have an option to, if you didn’t have a salary cap. In the end, it’s going to come back and attack you very severely if you don’t have a sense of financial discipline and understand value the same as in any other business. I understand the fans going nuts and being disappointed and questioning some of the decisions the organization has made. But I can assure them, that right or wrong, every decision that’s being made is to try to put the New England Patriots in the best position to win football games. That’s our mission statement.”
5) On the draft and finding players for the Patriots, and the luck of finding someone like Tom Brady: “We spend a lot of money on scouting and drafting. A lot of teams do. … What’s clear to me is that there is no formula. It’s not an exact science. The key is that you need people in your system who have good product knowledge, that understand what their system is about and have a philosophy, and aren’t afraid to go out and make decisions. Look at Doug Flutie as a good example. What would have happened if someone recognized his ability and he came into the NFL earlier in his career? And someone adapted an offensive system that suited his purposes? We have an assistant strength and conditioning coach [Harold Nash] who played in the CFL. A lot of people think he would have been a great safety, but he never got his chance [in the NFL], he was cut by the Giants and New Orleans [saints] in training camp. I was thinking about that, because sometimes I work out and he helps me out. You think how much is luck or fate, or someone having an eye to see you, and then develop you. I think of Ryan Leaf, for example. Obviously, everyone had him in the top few picks [in 1998]. I don’t think anyone had him off their [draft] boards. If he had gone to a different system, and gotten different development skills with people who had skills around him, might he be in the league today? I don’t know. All I know is that I’m thankful that the good Lord helped guide us to Tom Brady. What a special young man he is. …”
6) On his thoughts after last year’s Patriots-Broncos playoff game: “September 24, at 8:15, our first night game on the NBC network, we’ll be playing Denver. We’ll see what happens. I don’t intend to get fined, but we hope the referees see it like it is. I know our guys will be ready to go. … I promise you, come September 24th, you watch the effort that will be put out in that game. Let’s just say, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a lot of preparation going into it.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft was a guest of the “Dale & Holley Show” on Boston sports radio station WEEI on Tuesday.
The parts of the interview that stood out to me were:
* Kraft’s direct involvement in efforts to place a team in Los Angeles.
* His reference to the Saints’ first home game this season (vs. Atlanta) and how the hype machine will likely be pumping Reggie Bush vs. Michael Vick.
* Avoiding to reveal the length of Bill Belichick’s contract.
* His reference to potential free agents whose goal is to be the highest paid player.
* His thoughts on last year’s Patriots-Broncos playoff game.
A few nuggets passed along from the interview:
1) Kraft spent Monday night with NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and high-ranking officials from the University of Southern California. “We had dinner and were talking about [NFL] teams coming to LA, which is very important for the next 10, 20 years.”
2) Kraft said he takes pride in the NFL’s efforts to help the Saints return to New Orleans and the Superdome this season. “I believe it’s the third week of the season [sept. 25] that we’ll be playing a home game there. No one felt it could be done before November, or bag the whole season. The leadership role that our management group, under commissioner [Paul] Tagliabue, I think he’s made seven trips [there] and organized the business community. … The first home game in the Superdome is Atlanta vs. New Orleans. Michael Vick vs. Reggie Bush. It will be a pretty special day.”
3) Asked about the status of Bill Belichick’s contract and its length, Kraft said: “I think we’ve created a certain sense of stability here. I think if you want to be successful in the NFL, having stability in an era of free agency -- whether it be coaches, players, organization -- when you’re fortunate to do well people are after you every way they can. The brilliance of the league is that it’s geared to try to make everyone mediocre, 8-8. Those organizations that can manage a little bit better have a chance to do better. It doesn’t guarantee anything, because we know the toll that injuries can have on the business. As a hopefully prudent manager, I try to do the best I can to create a sense of stability here. Bill is going into his seventh year. I think it’s worked pretty well all around.”
4) Kraft spoke of how Willie McGinest’s free-agent departure affected him: “That was a very difficult situation. Willie was the first guy we drafted since we bought the team. There are a lot of circumstances going on that I’m not sure are totally apparent to everyone. In the end, the most important thing to me is that we win, to put our team in the best position to be able to win come the fall. Because I know what I feel like when we lose a game. We only have 16 regular-season games. Losing a game is much lower than any high you get out of winning. I want to put ourselves in a position to lose as little as you can. At the same time, you want to balance that with trying to have a sense of continuity and stability. You also want players, and I think it’s the culture here, where winning is the first thing. How they conduct themselves off the field is as important to us as that, and I think is part of winning. But if making the most money is a player’s priority, I’m not sure it’s going to work here. But I think we have a responsibility to make sure we’re at market conditions at all times, and are paying people fairly. When you cross the line, then it’s something I think our football people understand better what it means to the chemistry of the locker room than how we as fans look at an individual situation. In the end, you can’t pay everyone to be the highest-paid guy on your team. You could, or would have an option to, if you didn’t have a salary cap. In the end, it’s going to come back and attack you very severely if you don’t have a sense of financial discipline and understand value the same as in any other business. I understand the fans going nuts and being disappointed and questioning some of the decisions the organization has made. But I can assure them, that right or wrong, every decision that’s being made is to try to put the New England Patriots in the best position to win football games. That’s our mission statement.”
5) On the draft and finding players for the Patriots, and the luck of finding someone like Tom Brady: “We spend a lot of money on scouting and drafting. A lot of teams do. … What’s clear to me is that there is no formula. It’s not an exact science. The key is that you need people in your system who have good product knowledge, that understand what their system is about and have a philosophy, and aren’t afraid to go out and make decisions. Look at Doug Flutie as a good example. What would have happened if someone recognized his ability and he came into the NFL earlier in his career? And someone adapted an offensive system that suited his purposes? We have an assistant strength and conditioning coach [Harold Nash] who played in the CFL. A lot of people think he would have been a great safety, but he never got his chance [in the NFL], he was cut by the Giants and New Orleans [saints] in training camp. I was thinking about that, because sometimes I work out and he helps me out. You think how much is luck or fate, or someone having an eye to see you, and then develop you. I think of Ryan Leaf, for example. Obviously, everyone had him in the top few picks [in 1998]. I don’t think anyone had him off their [draft] boards. If he had gone to a different system, and gotten different development skills with people who had skills around him, might he be in the league today? I don’t know. All I know is that I’m thankful that the good Lord helped guide us to Tom Brady. What a special young man he is. …”
6) On his thoughts after last year’s Patriots-Broncos playoff game: “September 24, at 8:15, our first night game on the NBC network, we’ll be playing Denver. We’ll see what happens. I don’t intend to get fined, but we hope the referees see it like it is. I know our guys will be ready to go. … I promise you, come September 24th, you watch the effort that will be put out in that game. Let’s just say, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a lot of preparation going into it.”
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nerangers
Footballguy
Patriots | Team has not made contact with Fiedler
Wed, 17 May 2006 07:00:07 -0700
John Tomase, of the Boston Herald, reports the New England Patriots may pursue a veteran backup quarterback, but one free agent they have yet to contact is QB Jay Fiedler (Jets). Fiedler dislocated his shoulder last season and is still recovering from surgery. He recently began throwing 25-30 yards. He has spoken to the New York Giants and two other teams about backup jobs, but has not heard from the Pats. "I've known Scott Pioli a long time," Fiedler's agent, Brian Levy, said. "If New England is interested, they'll get in touch. It wouldn't be a problem." Levy said Fiedler has long admired Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick. Feidler has resigned himself to being a No. 2 quarterback, according to Levy. Should the Patriots call, Levy believes Fiedler would be a good fit.
Patriots | Maroney fitting right in
Wed, 17 May 2006 05:24:01 -0700
Michael Felger, of the Boston Herald, reports New England Patriots rookie RB Laurence Maroney is fitting in with his new team. "We all come from the same playing field because what we did in college doesn't matter any more," said Maroney at Patriots rookie minicamp. "That's irrelevant. We're all on the next level and we haven't done anything for the Patriots yet. I've got to work just as hard as they do."
Wed, 17 May 2006 07:00:07 -0700
John Tomase, of the Boston Herald, reports the New England Patriots may pursue a veteran backup quarterback, but one free agent they have yet to contact is QB Jay Fiedler (Jets). Fiedler dislocated his shoulder last season and is still recovering from surgery. He recently began throwing 25-30 yards. He has spoken to the New York Giants and two other teams about backup jobs, but has not heard from the Pats. "I've known Scott Pioli a long time," Fiedler's agent, Brian Levy, said. "If New England is interested, they'll get in touch. It wouldn't be a problem." Levy said Fiedler has long admired Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick. Feidler has resigned himself to being a No. 2 quarterback, according to Levy. Should the Patriots call, Levy believes Fiedler would be a good fit.
Patriots | Maroney fitting right in
Wed, 17 May 2006 05:24:01 -0700
Michael Felger, of the Boston Herald, reports New England Patriots rookie RB Laurence Maroney is fitting in with his new team. "We all come from the same playing field because what we did in college doesn't matter any more," said Maroney at Patriots rookie minicamp. "That's irrelevant. We're all on the next level and we haven't done anything for the Patriots yet. I've got to work just as hard as they do."
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nerangers
Footballguy
NFL | Law may have to lower his price
Thu, 18 May 2006 19:43:36 -0700
John Tomase, of the Boston Herald, reports free agent CB Ty Law (Jets) has still not received a contract offer to his liking. Law is reportedly asking for at least a $10 million signing bonus. The Kansas City Chiefs have been linked to Law as the most logical choice, but have refused to entertain that much money for the 32-year-old defensive back. The Chiefs have not invited Law for a visit or talked with the free agent, but Law remains in contact with Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards on a personal basis. The Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots are also said to be interested in Law, but the Titans are facing salary cap issues and the Patriots typically do not pay for high priced free agents.
NFL | Supplemental draft coming in July
Thu, 18 May 2006 15:35:44 -0700
Gil Brandt, of NFL.com, reports the NFL will hold a supplemental draft July 13. Rules of the supplemental draft stipulate that it has to take place at least 10 days prior to opening of first training camp. Draft order is determined by a weighted system that is divided into three groupings. First comes the teams that had six or fewer wins last season, followed by non-playoff teams that had more than six wins, followed by the eight playoff teams. The paperwork hasn't officially been filed yet for this year's supplemental draft, but there are at least two players who will get a close look from scouts around the league, LB Ahmad Brooks (Virginia) and DE Jason Berryman (Iowa State).
Thu, 18 May 2006 19:43:36 -0700
John Tomase, of the Boston Herald, reports free agent CB Ty Law (Jets) has still not received a contract offer to his liking. Law is reportedly asking for at least a $10 million signing bonus. The Kansas City Chiefs have been linked to Law as the most logical choice, but have refused to entertain that much money for the 32-year-old defensive back. The Chiefs have not invited Law for a visit or talked with the free agent, but Law remains in contact with Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards on a personal basis. The Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots are also said to be interested in Law, but the Titans are facing salary cap issues and the Patriots typically do not pay for high priced free agents.
NFL | Supplemental draft coming in July
Thu, 18 May 2006 15:35:44 -0700
Gil Brandt, of NFL.com, reports the NFL will hold a supplemental draft July 13. Rules of the supplemental draft stipulate that it has to take place at least 10 days prior to opening of first training camp. Draft order is determined by a weighted system that is divided into three groupings. First comes the teams that had six or fewer wins last season, followed by non-playoff teams that had more than six wins, followed by the eight playoff teams. The paperwork hasn't officially been filed yet for this year's supplemental draft, but there are at least two players who will get a close look from scouts around the league, LB Ahmad Brooks (Virginia) and DE Jason Berryman (Iowa State).
nerangers
Footballguy
Pats in community (just a side story...no real FF news)
ROXBURY -- When Robert Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, he implemented a community service initiative for the team’s players. Each year, players have been asked to make 10 appearances throughout the New England region.
On Wednesday, tight end Benjamin Watson and nose tackle Vince Wilfork were doing their part.
For one hour, the Patriots’ three-year veterans worked out and spoke to approximately 40 kids about the importance of physical fitness at the Body by Brady 4 Kidz Gym in Roxbury. The gym officially opened on Monday and is “the first program in the city where kids can come, with a prescription, to lose weight,” according to owner Brandy Cruthird.
Watson was impressed.
“It looks like our weight room,” he said.
Wilfork told the kids how lucky they were to have a place to work out.
“When I was growing up, I didn’t have an opportunity like this,” he said. “The only thing I knew was to eat and play football. I think the main thing is to let them know it’s OK to be working out, that they should be working out.”
The message was received, according to one youngster in attendance.
“I think it’s cool they came to talk to us, because most kids around here don’t get to see people like that,” said 11-year-old Isaiah Phoenix, of Roxbury.
As is often the case, there was also some behind-the-scenes, playful ribbing between the two Patriots players. After completing a music video game of “Dance Dance Revolution” -- which ties into fitness because players must move their feet at a fast pace -- Watson was asked about motivation when it comes to working out.
“See that guy in the white shirt?” he said, pointing to the 6-foot-2, 325-pound Wilfork. “If he can work out, anybody can work out.”
Later informed that a tight end was calling him out, Wilfork fired back: “Who are you talking about? Daniel Graham? That’s the only tight end I know of.”
ROXBURY -- When Robert Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, he implemented a community service initiative for the team’s players. Each year, players have been asked to make 10 appearances throughout the New England region.
On Wednesday, tight end Benjamin Watson and nose tackle Vince Wilfork were doing their part.
For one hour, the Patriots’ three-year veterans worked out and spoke to approximately 40 kids about the importance of physical fitness at the Body by Brady 4 Kidz Gym in Roxbury. The gym officially opened on Monday and is “the first program in the city where kids can come, with a prescription, to lose weight,” according to owner Brandy Cruthird.
Watson was impressed.
“It looks like our weight room,” he said.
Wilfork told the kids how lucky they were to have a place to work out.
“When I was growing up, I didn’t have an opportunity like this,” he said. “The only thing I knew was to eat and play football. I think the main thing is to let them know it’s OK to be working out, that they should be working out.”
The message was received, according to one youngster in attendance.
“I think it’s cool they came to talk to us, because most kids around here don’t get to see people like that,” said 11-year-old Isaiah Phoenix, of Roxbury.
As is often the case, there was also some behind-the-scenes, playful ribbing between the two Patriots players. After completing a music video game of “Dance Dance Revolution” -- which ties into fitness because players must move their feet at a fast pace -- Watson was asked about motivation when it comes to working out.
“See that guy in the white shirt?” he said, pointing to the 6-foot-2, 325-pound Wilfork. “If he can work out, anybody can work out.”
Later informed that a tight end was calling him out, Wilfork fired back: “Who are you talking about? Daniel Graham? That’s the only tight end I know of.”
Exile
Footballguy
The last I read, Brooks had gone up to 280 but had lost 10 pounds working with that trainer. Supposedly he wants to lose another 10 by his Pro Day which will probably be sometime in June.That aside, I'd love to see Law and Brooks both become Patriots (for the right money and draft pick, respectively, of course). Law would immediately solidify the secondary (even if he isn't quite the Ty Law of the past). And even if Brooks doesn't contribute right away, he'd pair with Colvin to form half of a young LB corps for the future.
nerangers
Footballguy
Patriots | Light looking forward to 2006
Fri, 19 May 2006 13:28:21 -0700
Andy Hart, of Patriots.com, reports New England Patriots OT Matt Light is looking forward to getting back on the field since suffering a broken leg Sept. 25, 2005, versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. "It's going well," Light said of his rehabilitation. "Right now, we're in the full swing of things – phase two of a pretty intense workout this off-season. I do everything I can do. Right now, I'm feeling as good as I can possibly feel at this point."
Patriots | Brown knows his time is dwindling
Fri, 19 May 2006 05:28:03 -0700
John Tomase, of the Boston Herald, reports New England Patriots WR Troy Brown knows his days on the football field coming towards the end. "I've always said I don't want to be on the field if somebody is going to get hurt because my game isn't up to par, or I'm going to get hurt because I can't perform," Brown said. "I'm at a point in my life where I have to learn from other guys' mistakes and recognize that everything comes to an end. At the same time, I started playing this game in second grade when I was seven years old. When there's a passion burning inside you, it will never be completely easy to walk away."
Fri, 19 May 2006 13:28:21 -0700
Andy Hart, of Patriots.com, reports New England Patriots OT Matt Light is looking forward to getting back on the field since suffering a broken leg Sept. 25, 2005, versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. "It's going well," Light said of his rehabilitation. "Right now, we're in the full swing of things – phase two of a pretty intense workout this off-season. I do everything I can do. Right now, I'm feeling as good as I can possibly feel at this point."
Patriots | Brown knows his time is dwindling
Fri, 19 May 2006 05:28:03 -0700
John Tomase, of the Boston Herald, reports New England Patriots WR Troy Brown knows his days on the football field coming towards the end. "I've always said I don't want to be on the field if somebody is going to get hurt because my game isn't up to par, or I'm going to get hurt because I can't perform," Brown said. "I'm at a point in my life where I have to learn from other guys' mistakes and recognize that everything comes to an end. At the same time, I started playing this game in second grade when I was seven years old. When there's a passion burning inside you, it will never be completely easy to walk away."
Exile
Footballguy
I read it in an ESPN Insider story. I posted a link to it in a Ahmad Brooks-related thread, but I don't have time to find it right now.And yeah, the implication of the article was definitely that he wasn't in shape, so that's why he was working with the trainer. I think ideally he'll end up playing at around 250-260.
If I remember, Kirkland was something like 270 during his prime. He was HUGE for a LB (at least at the time).
Boston
Footballguy
The fact this kid isn't in shape is a huge red flag. You would think that after he got the boot off of UVA he'd be a perfect citizen trying to impress NFL teams. Does anyone know why he got the boot? Since BB knows Groh I'm sure he'll have all the inside info on what his deal is. That being said a kid who got kicked off his college team and than let himself get out of shape doesn't really fit the Patriot player profile.
Exile
Footballguy
Yeah, I tend to agree with you on that. However, I still hold out hope that whatever problems he has aren't that bad and that Belichick will still consider him (after talking to Groh).FYI...while I don't think the reason for his dismissal was officially stated, the rumor was that it was marijuana-related.
nerangers
Footballguy
Key dates
Some key dates ahead on the NFL and Patriots calendars:
* May 22-23 -- NFL spring owners meeting, in Denver
* May 27 -- World Bowl XIV for NFL Europe season
* June 12 -- Patriots Charitable Foundation Annual Golf Tournament
* June 13-14 -- Full-squad minicamp at Gillette Stadium
The team has yet to announce a starting date for its summer training camp.
Some key dates ahead on the NFL and Patriots calendars:
* May 22-23 -- NFL spring owners meeting, in Denver
* May 27 -- World Bowl XIV for NFL Europe season
* June 12 -- Patriots Charitable Foundation Annual Golf Tournament
* June 13-14 -- Full-squad minicamp at Gillette Stadium
The team has yet to announce a starting date for its summer training camp.
nerangers
Footballguy
nerangers
Footballguy
Law’s asking, but no one’s answering (full article)
John Tomase of the Boston Herald writes that despite being the top free agent left on the market, the veteran cornerback has yet to receive an offer to his liking. Law reportedly seeks a $10 million signing bonus, but with salary cap dollars tightening as draft picks sign, his odds of cashing in appear to be shrinking by the day. Kansas City, considered a prime suitor for Law’s services, has not hosted him for a visit or a physical. Law has instead stayed in touch with coach Herman Edwards, who had him with the Jets last year. The Chiefs have balked at Law’s asking price. Their interest could be affected by this weekend’s minicamp, which will provide a clearer answer of what they have at corner opposite Patrick Surtain. Law has visited the Pats and Titans, but hasn’t discussed money with either team. He passed a physical with the Titans last week, but is not considered a priority because they only have $100,000 in cap space
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nerangers
Footballguy
nerangers
Footballguy
Just thought this was interesting...
Jeff Gordon of FoxSports.com offers a top 10 list of the greatest clutch players in sports. Three players from New England sports teams were included on the list; Tom Brady(1), Adam Vinatieri(8) and David Ortiz(9).
Also, just another little tidbit...
USA Today's Inside Slant" writes that in many ways Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is very different from the team's average fan. Three Super Bowl rings, two MVPs, a Hollywood actress girlfriend, visits with the Pope and endless other worldly travels tend to separate him from the average man. But for most of the off-season, Brady was very much in the same boat as the average fan as he watched veteran teammates such as Willie McGinest, Adam Vinatieri and No. 2 wideout David Givens depart through free agency. Despite his role as a team captain and franchise player, Brady, like those filling Gillette Stadium each Sunday in the fall, was resigned to watching from afar as his team went through a surprisingly extreme off-season makeover.
Jeff Gordon of FoxSports.com offers a top 10 list of the greatest clutch players in sports. Three players from New England sports teams were included on the list; Tom Brady(1), Adam Vinatieri(8) and David Ortiz(9).
Also, just another little tidbit...
USA Today's Inside Slant" writes that in many ways Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is very different from the team's average fan. Three Super Bowl rings, two MVPs, a Hollywood actress girlfriend, visits with the Pope and endless other worldly travels tend to separate him from the average man. But for most of the off-season, Brady was very much in the same boat as the average fan as he watched veteran teammates such as Willie McGinest, Adam Vinatieri and No. 2 wideout David Givens depart through free agency. Despite his role as a team captain and franchise player, Brady, like those filling Gillette Stadium each Sunday in the fall, was resigned to watching from afar as his team went through a surprisingly extreme off-season makeover.
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nerangers
Footballguy
This made me laugh when I read about Rob Johnson's comments...I am guessing the Doug Fluting will be taking over for Pete Prisco! lol
Pete Prisco On Doug Flutie Retiring: 'So What?'
Source: Pete Prisco, CBS Sportsline
Doug Flutie retired Monday. So what? How many really knew he was still playing? If it wasn't for that comedic drop kick he had last season, the one that made a farce of a game to the delight of the buffoons on some network shows, we'd have all thought he retired years ago.
Kudos to him for making it to the league, but let's not get carried away. Doug Flutie was nothing more than an NFL journeyman. In fact, he's one of the NFL's most-overrated players ever. And another thing: He really wasn't that good a teammate, which some like to portray him as being. The word is Norv Turner couldn't stand him when he was the coach in San Diego. And former Buffalo Bills quarterback Rob Johnson, who was involved in a nasty fight for the starting job with Flutie a few years back, said Flutie was a backstabber who couldn't be trusted. So as the little guy walks into the broadcast booth, let's not make him more than he was. There have been many backup quarterbacks who did what he did in the NFL. Was he a great CFL player? You bet. But so were Danny McManus, Damon Allen and Mike Clemons. Do you know they are?
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Can't say I agree with him on this, but I'm sure some do. Doug Flutie will never be considered a great NFL player. But he was a guy that played football for a long time and seemed to have a great time doing it while bringing us as fans some good memories.
Pete Prisco On Doug Flutie Retiring: 'So What?'
Source: Pete Prisco, CBS Sportsline
Doug Flutie retired Monday. So what? How many really knew he was still playing? If it wasn't for that comedic drop kick he had last season, the one that made a farce of a game to the delight of the buffoons on some network shows, we'd have all thought he retired years ago.
Kudos to him for making it to the league, but let's not get carried away. Doug Flutie was nothing more than an NFL journeyman. In fact, he's one of the NFL's most-overrated players ever. And another thing: He really wasn't that good a teammate, which some like to portray him as being. The word is Norv Turner couldn't stand him when he was the coach in San Diego. And former Buffalo Bills quarterback Rob Johnson, who was involved in a nasty fight for the starting job with Flutie a few years back, said Flutie was a backstabber who couldn't be trusted. So as the little guy walks into the broadcast booth, let's not make him more than he was. There have been many backup quarterbacks who did what he did in the NFL. Was he a great CFL player? You bet. But so were Danny McManus, Damon Allen and Mike Clemons. Do you know they are?
[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]
Can't say I agree with him on this, but I'm sure some do. Doug Flutie will never be considered a great NFL player. But he was a guy that played football for a long time and seemed to have a great time doing it while bringing us as fans some good memories.
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