Is Willie Willing to Adjust? posted by Randolph Charlotin

Remember how Willie McGinest was irked when Junior Seau signed with the Patriots and was allowed to wear “55” right after Willie left for Cleveland? Well it sounds like McGinest wants to erase the years the fraud wore his number.

While speaking with The Boston Herald, McGinest said, “Yeah, I’ve talked to (quarterback) Tom (Brady), (defensive end Richard) Seymour and some other guys there. Those guys are lifelong friends, and I’ve heard some people say that it’d be a good fit. Why wouldn’t you want to be a part of that? And with all the history I have, what we accomplished in the playoffs, that wouldn’t be a bad way to finish up.”

This is the first indication I’ve heard that Willie wants to play one more year. After the Browns released him, McGinest was contemplating retirement. Whether it’s an itch he must scratch for one more season or more about joining a championship-caliber team that he has a long history with for one more run at a ring, McGinest wants to play with the Pats in ’09. He wants his 55 back.

Calling Seau a fraud is harsh language, but don’t take me seriously. Remember it’s because of Seau that McGinest wore 55 in the first place. As a marquee LB at USC, the worthy ‘backer earns the right to wear the number. Seau did it before McGinest did. And when they reached the pros, they continued to wear it for their respective teams.

So when the 17-year veteran came out of retirement to play with New England back in 2006, out of respect he got the 55 McGinest made famous with the Pats for the last 12 years.

Last Call for Bruschi in 2010? posted by Randolph Charlotin

Last week LB Tedy Bruschi expressed the possibility of playing beyond this season. Before kicking off the “Tee Off with Tedy” golf event, Bruschi said is attention is on this season and he won’t look beyond 2009. But after he finishes this season, he will check how he feels and decide then.

However he decides, I doubt Tedy will make it a long and drawn out process like former Green Bay/New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre. He’ll figure it out soon and get back to the coaching staff.

The good news for the Patriots is Bruschi is his own agent. With this being the final year of his contract, if Bruschi decides to play another year, he is unlikely to shop around looking for the highest bidder. Money isn’t what drives Tedy. He appreciates the Pats taking that chance on him in the 1996 NFL Draft and cherishes the moments associated with the three Super Bowl championships. If Bruschi plays an additional year, he wants it to be with New England.

The bad news for Bruschi, though, is will he be considered useful enough to the team? You don’t win championships by being sentimental. Bruschi witnessed that approach first hand.

Head coach Bill Belichick, while expressing how difficult the decisions were, still released safety Lawyer Milloy, traded linebacker Mike Vrabel, and already replaced safety Rodney Harrision well before Harrision announced his retirement.

This year Bruschi’s roster spot is safe. He will start next to emerging LB Jerod Mayo. But already Tedy is being phased out. Bruschi predominantly plays on run downs. When it’s an obvious passing down, Gary Guyton replaces Bruschi.

Conversation with Kerry Byrne of Cold Hard Football Facts posted by Randolph Charlotin

I had the opportunity to sit and talk with Kerry Byrne, the creator of ColdHardFootballFacts.com. We talked a little about his site and what's coming, as well as a little about the Patriots. If the video doesn't open, just follow the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxd_8JnOxWM

NFL Summer Fun posted by Brady Fredericksen

Long time no see! While this 65 degree sunny-sometimes summer has been upon us, I haven’t forgotten about my valued 6 and a half readers! Ha, getting back on topic, we’ve had quite the start to an exciting summer in the sporting world. Whether it be baseball, football, or basketball there’s been something to talk about.

Stallworth-y Punishment?
What a surprise, athletes and drunk driving, whoda’ thunk? Sure, most people have driven drunk, but for Cleveland Browns receiver Dante Stallworth a little more then swerving went down that night. Stallworth, whose known more for his blazing speed and iffy hands in the NFL, has recently been sentenced to 30 days in jail, loss of his drivers license for life and following his release from jail, he must serve two years of house arrest and spend eight years on probation.
My first thought is I want that lawyer if I ever get into trouble.
My second thought would be how does anyone pull that off?
Plea deal or not, the killing of a human being should be punished a little bit harder then that. I think most of us could deal with house arrest while being a receiver in the NFL. For some reason, athletes can get a free pass in many serious incidents like this. St. Louis Rams defensive end Leonard Little did the EXACT same thing in 1998, and after serving just 90 days in jail, Leonard Little went on to become one of the top pass rushers in the league.
Had you or I killed someone while driving drunk our goose would have been cooked… but hey, what can you do? Sadly, I don’t have a snappy joke to end that because there really isn’t an excuse for this.
Continue reading "NFL Summer Fun"

Deep Thoughts posted by Randolph Charlotin

Earlier this week the Patriots further streamlined the linebacking corps by releasing rookie free agent ILB Antonio Appleby. Released before the University of Virginia product was OLB Angelo Craig.

That leaves Eric Alexander, Tedy Bruschi, Tully Banta-Cain, Vinny Ciurciu, Shawn Crable, Gary Guyton, Jerod Mayo, Pierre Woods, Vince Redd, Paris Lenon, and Adalius Thomas as the roster LBs (rookie Tyrone McKenzie is on injured reserve for the year).

In the short term, I sense one more veteran addition before the season starts. But I believe New England is thinking further than that.

There are two things on my mind. First off it’s those two 2010 second round picks they traded for during the NFL Draft. If I’m right, that gives N.E. three second round picks along with their first rounder. With all those early picks in stock, they have at their disposal the tools needed to trade up in the draft if need be.

I still look at the OLB situation as questionable since, as of right now, there isn’t a starter opposite Thomas. Whether one of the young guys steps in, the Pats bring in a veteran to man the position, or they fill the hole based by using the ‘backers based on situations, nothing seems definite as of right now. Performance in 2009 will determine whether the problem as been solved or if New England must address a better long term solution.

A little voice inside my head makes me believe the Patriots have already targeted a player for next year. Maybe he’s a top-10 pick in the draft. Or maybe there’s a restricted free agent they will try to pry away from another team.

Two Points posted by Randolph Charlotin

One down, eleven to go. On Friday, June 12th, the Patriots reached a contract agreement with fourth round pick, OL Rich Ohrnberger. He hasn’t signed the contract yet, but the hard part is done.

With Ohrnberger a formality, the next question is how long will it take to sign the remaining eleven draft picks?

New England has a very good history of signing their draft picks. Only TE Benjamin Watson had a prolonged holdout before signing a rookie contract. With no first round picks, one would guess the Pats will have an easy time getting everyone under contract.

But the sheer number of draft picks presents a different set of complications. New England has set aside a pool of money for the draft picks and every individual is reaching for as much cash as possible. It’s easier to cut a pie in fewer pieces.

The toughest group to get signed likely will be the four second round picks, DT Ron Brace, CB Darius Butler, S Patrick Chung, and OT Sebastian Vollmer. And ultimately I expect the drafted dozen to all be under contract by the time training camp starts on July 30th.

Then we’ll see of those dozen who actually make the team. Only two of nine did (S Brandon Merriweather and CB Mike Richardson) out of the 2007 rookie class.

In related news, released Dallas DE/LB Greg Ellis signed a deal with Oakland. Does this pave the way for the discussed trade between the Raiders and the Patriots for DE Derrick Burgess? It seems more like a possibility now that the Silver and Black have an additional defensive end. We’ll wait and see.

Shallow Halls posted by Randolph Charlotin

Pop quiz!

Quick, look at this old skool Patriots jersey and name the player.

If your answer is a Laurence Maroney 2009 AFL 50th Anniversary jersey, then you really need to learn about the Patriots history.

This is a throwback Sam Cunningham jersey, also known as Sam “Bam” Cunningham. He was a Patriot from 1973-79 and 1981-82. He was part of a backfield that rushed for over 3,000 yards. 1978’s 3,165 yards rushing is an NFL record that still stands today. Cunningham is the Patriots all-time leading rusher.

Why am I telling you this? Because on Wednesday the Patriots announced that the fans voted Jim Nance as the latest addition to the Patriots Hall of Fame, beating out defensive lineman Houston Antwine and center Jon Morris.

Sorry to be mean, but I find it a little strange that the franchise’s second all-time leading rusher goes into the Patriots Hall of Fame ahead of the leader.

Nance did have the more impressive career. He set a then-Patriots record with 1,458 rushing yards in 1966. He averaged 104.1 yards per game that year, a franchise record. His 45 career rushing touchdowns is still a record for the Pats. He’s the only AFL player with back-to-back 1,000 seasons.

Yet Nance is second to Cunningham because “Bam” has longevity on his side. While Nance had those two peak years, Cunningham was steadier in the long run. Sam had just one 1,000-yard season, but he also had two 800-yard seasons, one 700-yard, a 600-yard, and two 500-yard years. Nance’s production dropped to one 700-yard, two 500-yard, a 400-yard and a 300-yard season.

Closing Speed posted by Randolph Charlotin

As I’ve been busy with work as well as producing video interviews, I haven’t been able to post like I should. To make up for lost time I’m going to cover a few subjects in one post:

On the day Rodney Harrison retired, two ESPN analysts were asked if Harrison is a future Hall of Famer. The ex-coach didn’t hesitate to say yes, pointing to Rodney’s record of being the only defensive back with at least 30 interceptions and 30 sacks. The former receiver compared Harrison to today’s best safetys, Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu and Baltimore’s Ed Reed, and said no.

The dilemma for Harrison is as much respect he earned as a player, he was hated by opponents. He earned a reputation as a dirty player for playing to the whistle, sometimes beyond the whistle. That, along with being a ferocious hitter, made him well disliked by offensive players.

It showed in his lack of Pro Bowl selections, just three in 15 seasons. But it doesn’t reflect his years of quality play, as one season he was selected as an All Pro, but wasn’t a Pro Bowler.

Coaches appreciate the difference-maker Harrison was, as do Rodney’s former teammates. Harrison was what Polamalu and Reed are today. There are not a lot of safetys in the Hall of Fame, but Harrison earned his place, regardless of his number of Pro Bowl selections. While the accolades don’t say enough for Harrison, his reputation should say enough to get Rodney into the Hall.

Nose tackle Vince Wilfork ended his “holdout” by attending the mandatory minicamp on Wednesday, his first appearance in Foxborough this off-season. He was contractually obligated to attend or likely be fined $500,000, which is almost a quarter of his 2009 salary.

Patriots Have Reason to Fear Rex Ryan's Defense posted by Mike Dussault

It's still only June, not even five months since Rex Ryan was hired as the newest head coach of the New York Jets, and he's already been stirring up drama in the AFC East.

First came Bart Scott, the Inside Linebacker Ryan brought with him from Baltimore, proclaiming the Jets to have a  new "swagger-licious" attitude. Practices were now fun and vocal, a swift departure from how things were run under Eric Mangini. After just a few OTA practices, the Jets already had a new confidence under Ryan.

Then came Ryan stating he  wasn't there to kiss Bill Belichick's rings, a statement that the even-keeled Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss  found to be in a disrespectful tone.

Miami's Channing Crowder took on Ryan's comments that the Jets would contend for a Super Bowl, saying Ryan was  "going absolutely nuts".

Ryan didn't hesitate to shoot back at Crowder, without even being prompted to by reporters, welcoming the back and forth and saying he wasn't afraid to  "ruffle some feathers".

All in all, this off-season has been a far cry from business as usual in the AFC East, and we all have Rex Ryan to thank. Usually the pinnacle of controversy was the Patriots signing a former Jet or vice versa.

Even as a Patriots fan, I'm enjoying the chatter. It's a breath of fresh air and a nice switch from the current boring norm of head coaches not saying anything that could be used as "bulletin board" material. Plus it's building the anticipation for the Jets-Patriots week two clash even more than before.

Oversaturation of the Sports Blogosphere posted by Mike Dussault

This might be my first ever non-Patriots related blog posting but I've been kicking around these thoughts for a while and it's time to share them with the world.

I started blogging about the Patriots in late 2007 when the WGA writer's strike effectively left me with a paying job but nothing to do. I found an ad for this website on Craigslist, and the mention of making any money at all to do something like write about my beloved team sounded like at least a fun way to pass the time.

I also started writing at Bleacher Report, where my work got more hits but didn't make the penny or two a day I made here on the blog. It was never about the money anyway, it was about writing and showing a perspective on sports not often here... that of the fan.

I've had some good days on the blog and over at Bleacher Report. I had a couple articles featured on Fox Sports. I had another article that got over 5000 hits. I even had a video I made featured on the front page of Cold Hard Football Facts. Blogging on the Patriots has been pretty rewarding for a hobby, even though I've made a grand total of $23.67 after a year and a half of Google Adsensing.

However I'm not the only one who has gotten the sportsblogging bug.

Over at Bleacher Report there were approximately 300 Patriots community members when I began. But today there are nearly 1000. Bleacher Report has been a huge success, making deals with Fox Sports and CBS Sportsline, and having many articles featured those sites.

Of course it's the perfect marriage, people are insanely passionate about sports and more than willing to write and share their thoughts about their favorite and least favorite teams for free. Free content on the internet is gold, so its understandable why so many internet entrepeneurs are trying to start sites that feature the musings of sports fans. 

Bruschi yet to decide future beyond 2009 (AP)

There were 67 young Tedy Bruschis playing football on the New England Patriots field on Tuesday. And one 36-year-old Bruschi who may be doing that just one more season. The boys and girls, aged 7 to 14, all were wearing dark-blue Patriots jerseys with Bruschi's name and number 54 on them, given as part of the linebacker's one-day football camp at Gillette Stadium. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Ex-NFL LB pleads not guilty to 1994 murder

A former NFL linebacker has pleaded not guilty to killing a wealthy Southern California businessman 14 years ago.Orange County district attorney's spokeswoman Farrah Emami says Eric Naposki entered the plea Thursday in Superior Court in Newport Beach.Naposki, who played in the late 1980s for the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, is charged with one count of murder in the December 1994 shooting of millionaire William Francis McLaughlin. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

Patriots release RB Pass after 1 week (AP)

The New England Patriots have released running back Patrick Pass a week after signing him. Pass was cut Thursday, ending his bid to stick with the team he played for from 2000-2006 as a backup. He was released after the 2006 season, played one game with the New York Giants in 2007 and then dropped out of football. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Wilfork at Pats practice despite contract dispute

Nose tackle Vince Wilfork is practicing again with the New England Patriots.Wilfork attended the first day of the team's mandatory three-day minicamp on Wednesday after skipping all 12 days of voluntary organized team activities.He missed those workouts to emphasize his desire for a new contract to replace the six-year deal that ends after this season. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

Deal-seeking Wilfork back with Patriots (AP)

Nose tackle Vince Wilfork is practicing again with the New England Patriots. Wilfork attended the first day of the team's mandatory three-day minicamp on Wednesday after skipping all 12 days of voluntary organized team activities. He missed those workouts to emphasize his desire for a new contract to replace the six-year deal that ends after this season. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports