A Block of Alge posted by Randolph Charlotin

With a gaping hole at tight end, the Patriots decided not to wait until the draft to begin addressing the problem. They signed four-time Pro Bowler Alge Crumpler from Tennessee.

Unfortunately this is a signing that sounds better than it actually is. The 32-year-old Crumpler is three years from his last Pro Bowl season in 2006. Since then his receiving yards have steadily dropped year after year. Today Crumpler is a blocking TE with receiving skills well beyond the average blocking tight end.

Crumpler takes the role of Chris Baker last year. Crumpler is a better receiver than Baker, but he won’t get many opportunities to catch passes if Baker’s 14 receptions last year is a reliable predictor.

Crumpler likely will see the ball more, but he isn’t the threat he used to be. New England still needs a receiving tight end following Ben Watson’s departure. That might come from the draft.

This draft has good depth at the TE position. My personal favorite, Oklahoma’s Jermaine Gresham, could still be available early in the second round. If the Pats address a different need, I like Florida’s Aaron Hernandez as a possibility later in the second round.

Odrick Isn't Seymour posted by Mike Dussault

The three months in between the end of the season and the draft always seem to drag out until you've done so much  research and seen so many mock drafts you tend to get attached to certain guys and lose sight of who the best player for your draft slot really is.

Lately most of Patriots Nation seems to be trending toward Penn State's Jared Odrick as good fit for the Patriots at the 22nd overall slot, especially with the departure of Jarvis Green to Denver. Odrick seems to have the size and intangibles to make a good 5-techinque, a position that Jarvis Green was ill fit for when he was thrust into it following the trade of Richard Seymour.

DE is a position of need and Odrick is by all accounts a great kid who loves football and competes on every down. Sounds like a perfect fit right? As recently as yesterday he was my number one target. However last night my opinion began to sway a bit.

I re-watched this year's Senior Bowl focusing solely on Odrick and I came away thinking he was just okay. Now yes, he was playing in a 4-3 defense in this game,  and his responsibilities were different than they would be playing in the Patriots 3-4, but to me Odrick didn't look like a first rounder.

Both Brandon Graham, and Dan Williams both looked like better players to me. Impact players who were constantly making plays. Odrick was blockable. Not to say he stood out in a bad way, but if you're thinking he's the next Richard Seymour you're going to be disappointed.

It's easy to look at Seymour's dimensions, see Odrick as a close fit, and pencil him into the starting lineup. But I think that far exceeds reality. In fact now I am starting to lean back towards Brandon Graham, Jerry Hughes and Dan Williams over Odrick, if only because it seems to me they bring more of what the Patriots lack most: playmakers.

Can't Keep Them All posted by Randolph Charlotin

While the current tally for New England during free agency doesn’t include DE Julius Peppers or WR Anquan Boldin, I’d say the Pats are having a decent off-season. The only free agent they signed, LB Marques Murrell, isn’t a marquee free agent. But the Patriots had success keeping their free agents.

Of the 15 free agents, six I absolutely wanted back: LB Tully Banta-Cain, CB Leigh Bodden, RB Kevin Faulk, K Stephen Gostkowski, OG Logan Mankins, and NT Vince Wilfork. Of those six, three re-signed. And OG Stephen Neal re-signed as well, which is a bonus.

Most recently Bodden unexpectedly came back. He was wooed by Houston but ultimately returned for four years, $22.5 million. So Bodden got the payday he was searching for and remains on a playoff-caliber team, something that wasn’t guaranteed with the rising Texans.

Now, of course, there is no way the Pats could keep everybody. The first departure is DE Jarvis Green to Denver for four years and $20 million.

I wish Green the best of luck, unless he’s playing against the Pats, of course. But I maintain that the Pats could do better than Green.

Jarvis had a great eight years with the Pats, but for the last two years, Green hasn’t been the same player. In years past, he was the pass rush specialist on the D-line, substituting on passing downs.

He was tremendous in 2006 and 2007, as he totaled 14 sacks. But since then Green’s production dropped to three sacks in the last two years.

Green’s role changed in ’09 as he became a starter once DE Richard Seymour was traded. And Jarvis was good enough at holding the point of attack and playing the run. But he was unable to get to the quarterback, and for that he lost value. The Pats could had used more sacks, but Green only had one in 13 games played.

Pro Football Focus' Rankings of the 2009 Patriots Defense posted by Mike Dussault

I came upon a website today that breaks down every play of the NFL season and awards grades to each player accordingly: www.profootballfocus.com. What you get is an expansive database, with hard numerical data ranking player performance. While fans never get to break down the game film or know exactly how the coaches are grading out the players, this is a good resource with some really interesting stuff. I won't challenge their method or their football credentials, rather I looked at each player on the 2009 Patriots defense and found their season rankings. Here's the list from best to worst:

1. Tully Banta Cain: 21.8
2. Vince Wilfork: 9.6
3. Leigh Bodden: 6.8
4. Brandon Meriweather: 5.0
5. Ty Warren: 3.9
6. Rob Ninkovich: 3.4
7. Patrick Chung: 1.8
8. Shawn Springs: 1.7
9. Junior Seau: .8
10. James Sanders: -1.4
11. Myron Pryor: -1.7
12. Terrence Wheatley: -1.9
13. Derrick Burgess: -2.2
14. Gary Guyton: -2.2
15. Mike Wright: -3.8
16. Jerod Mayo: -3.5
17. Ron Brace: -4.2
18. Brandon McGowan: -4.4
19. Darius Butler: -5.1
20. Adalius Thomas: -8.5
21. Jonathan Wilhite: -9.6
22. Jarvis Green: -14.1

So what can we take from this? As a Patriots fan much of how the rankings played out rang true to me. The following ideas were reinforced by the data:

• Jarvis Green was out of position as a starting 5-technique in the 3-4 base desfense.
• Jonathan Wilhite was consistently attacked and exploited.
• Adalius Thomas was ineffective, even when used as a pass rusher as he was against Indy.

ReBuilding The New England Patriots Defense posted by Mike Dussault

Many Patriots fans seem to still be under the delusion that their defense is a mere pass rusher away from returning to an elite, Super Bowl-caliber squad. The reality is that the Patriots defense began a full on rebuild in 2009, making the AFC East title they won even more impressive considering it was done with such a young and inconsistent defense.

The core leadership of the early Super Bowl defenses, like Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, and Rodney Harrison was born of playoff disappointment early in their careers, just as this season's playoff loss will be a building block for young leaders like Jerod Mayo and Brandon Meriweather.

So what are the biggest holes to fill? I believe that the number one need for this team right now is a right defensive end to replace Richard Seymour. For all the talk about the Pats lack of pressure on the passer, it was the run defense that was most lacking in the playoff loss. Stopping the run must be first and foremost for any defense and the Patriots lacked a starting quality 5-techinique in 2009.

Jarvis Green is better suited as an inside pass rusher. Mike Wright is a solid player, but far from an impact defender. Defensive Ends in the 3-4 defense must be mountains of men, who can tie up multiple blockers while holding their ground. These players are hard to find, as evidenced by the fact that both Seymour and Ty Warren were 1st round picks.

That is why I'm taking a long hard look at Jared Odrick at the 22nd spot in the draft. Odrick has the size, but we're still unsure if he has the strength necessary as a 5-technique.

And on the 4th Day of Free Agency the Jets & Dolphins Apparently Passed the Patriots.... posted by Mike Dussault

Free Agency just started on Friday, and the Jets and Dolphins have both made significant moves while the Patriots have stuck to signing their own guys, and it's become a popular article around the interwebs whether these moves have dethroned New England as the AFC East favorites.

First of all, Miami and New York should be doing whatever they can do to pass the Patriots this year. No one realized it heading into last year but 2009 was the year Bill Belichick had to begin rebuilding his defense. He realized it at the end of training camp and unloaded Richard Seymour to Oakland. But the Patriots are well suited for the rebuild that is ahead of them.

Jerod Mayo and Vince Wilfork will be the centerpieces of the new defense. And will 4 picks in the first two rounds of this years draft, as well as 2 1st-rounders in next years, the Patriots are in position to add a lot of quality players in the next two seasons. Meaning if you're going to beat the Patriots you better do it now before all this talent is added and begins to gel.

That being said, while Miami and New York both added potential playmakers to their respective defenses, their offenses (the things that would exploit a young/inexperienced Patriot defense) remain fairly unthreatening. Not to say they aren't respectable but the loss of Thomas Jones for the Jets shouldn't be minimized, nor should Miami's continued lack of a dangerous passing game.

So let's all take a deep breath, there are still alot of Free Agents out there, mid-level veterans like those that the first Patriots dynasty were built on. We're clearly a long ways away from how the rosters will look on opening day, and there are still plenty of additions and subtractions for every team.

Quick Update posted by Randolph Charlotin

As soon as I turned off my laptop and turned on my tv, I learned the Patriots reached an agreement with OG Stephen Neal. While not an elite player at his position, he's been solid for the Pats for years at right guard. Now New England has to get Logan Mankins signed.

Meanwhile, in search for receiver help, Buffalo's Josh Reed is scheduled to visit Monday. He's an ideal slot receiver, but nothing more. He failed as a starter with the Bills and joining an organization like the Patriots won't provide him with more opportunities to do anything more than be a third option. But given a choice, I'd rather Reed over David Patten, whom the Patriots recently signed. No offense to what Patten did for the Pats in the past, but he's aging. I'd rather someone with more left in his career.

And CB Leigh Bodden apparently is drawing a lot of attention from Houston. After losing Dunta Robinson, they need to replace their top corner. Bodden might not be as good as Robinson, but Leigh can handle the responsibility that comes with being the left corner.

Home Takes Priority posted by Randolph Charlotin

Most fans dream of the free agents the Patriots can sign when open season starts. Usually those dreams don’t include the team’s free agents.

On an active opening day to free agency, the Patriots decided to take care of their own instead of shopping for new arrivals. They first re-signed OLB Tully Banta-Cain and later reached an agreement with NT Vince Wilfork.

The truth is, New England doesn't have to make a splash in free agency this year. They had to keep key players from leaving the Gillette Stadium pool.

Of New England’s 14 free agents, half of them I hope re-sign with the team. By retaining Banta-Cain and Wilfork, that leaves five I hope go nowhere: CB Leigh Bodden, RB Kevin Faulk, K Stephen Gostkowski, G Logan Mankins, and G Stephen Neal. As for everyone else (DE/LB Derrick Burgess, DE Jarvis Green, P Chris Hanson, LB Pierre Woods, RB Chris Taylor, and TE Ben Waston; LB Junior Seau retired) , the Pats can do better, although I would make an exception for Green.

Getting back to the headliners, by season’s end, I was doubtful the Pats would bring back TBC and Wilfork. I was convinced Vince wanted top dollar and NE wouldn’t meet that price. And Tully, on the strength of a 10-sack season, would sign a lucrative deal with another team.

But I have to give Banta-Cain credit. After the season, his only desire for a return was to be paid starter’s money. New England resigned him for three years at an average of just over $4 million per year. That seems like a bargain considering how much other pass rushers will get this off-season. For perspective, Detroit signed Tennessee DE Kyle Vanden Bosch for four years, $26 million (better than $6 mil per) after a three sack season.

Hours Away posted by Randolph Charlotin

With less than five hours before free agency begins, let me get a few thoughts out of my mind:

Be sure to sign the Leigh Bodden thank-you card. He’s not coming back. He’s the second-best corner back available in free agency after Houston’s Dunta Robinson. It shouldn’t take him long to find an offer that he can’t pass up. His gamble to sign a one year deal with a promise from the Patriots that they wouldn’t franchise him will pay off. He erased his years with Detroit, including the 0-16 season, from everyone’s mind. Wish you luck at your next career stop, Leigh, as long as it’s not with an AFC East team.

Want to know what’s the value of LB Adalius Thomas? None. It’s not that there aren’t any teams that want him, but no team will make a trade offer for a guy they know the Pats want to dump. They know the divorce is coming, so they’ll wait until New England cuts him and sign Thomas without giving up compensation. One of those teams rumored to be interested in Thomas as a free agent is the New York Jets, where Thomas would be reunited with his former defensive coordinator, Jets head coach Rex Ryan. Guess which two games Thomas circles on his calendar if he matriculates to the Jets?

If that happens, the Pats should take the Jets’ Thomas. The Jets recently cut RB Thomas Jones to save money. New York says they want to re-sign him, but New England should swoop in and steal him away. I’d like him better than Fred Taylor because Jones is younger (31 to Taylor’s 34) and Thomas has been more durable. He missed just three games since 2004 to Taylor’s 22 games. I’m also concerned about the aging backfield, with Laurence Maroney the only RB younger than 30. Taylor and Sammy Morris (four last year, 17 since signing with the Pats in 2007) both missed games. Because the coaching staff won’t utilize BenJarvus Green-Ellis, he isn’t part of the conversation.

Remembering Mosi posted by Randolph Charlotin

It’s been a cold week for NFL runningbacks. After years of service, both San Diego’s LaDanian Tomlinson and Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook were unceremoniously cut by their respective teams.

Tomlinson and Westbrook combined for 18,485 yards rushing and 175 touchdowns on the ground, but were shown no appreciation for years of hard work.

But if you think they had it tough, name the fullbacks that cleared the path for Tomlinson and Westbrook during the prime of their careers.

If you named more than just Lorenzo Neal with San Diego, you’re doing great. Fullbacks play in the shadows of stars even though the runningbacks follow in the footsteps of their obscure security escort. Only if the fullback becomes synonymous with the halfback do they get a piece of the limelight: Emmitt Smith and Darryl Johnston; Roger Craig and Tom Rathman. Otherwise fullbacks are treated as dispensable and easily replaced.

It was a fate expected for Mosi Tatupu, a fullback drafted in the eighth round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He was a professional wingman, enabling the runningbacks to cut through the crowd and shine while getting lost among the big uglies.

But for 13 years, as the Patriots tried over and over to find a star to play the leading role in the backfield, Tatupu kept barreling his way through defenders, doing his best supporting actor year in and year out. Thanks to his toughness and consistency, he developed a following, Mosi’s Mooses, for his play as a fullback, short yardage specialist, and special teamer.

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