Part of my duties as a multi-network writer is to offer competing opinions or insider analysis on the Patriots for people who do not know the team that well, or are looking for a Patriots expert’s opinion. When they ask about Chad Jackson, I have to pause before I speak…
Let me put it this way, I’m a Chad fan. I always have been, and I probably will be for some time, unless he goes all Michael Vick on us. But with that being said, I have to honest as an analyst and that honesty requires me to divulge the following in a typical scouting report on Jackson.
Mind you, I’m not an NFL personnel evaluator, but I do play one on TV. wink wink
Jackson has world-class talent but suffers from “not getting it” syndrome. Jackson knows how to prepare, what to do to get in shape, what he needs to work on and he prepares harder than anyone on the planet. At least if you take Bill Belichick’s word for it LINK
But, with all that said, he still goes out on a Sunday afternoon in front of 70,000 people in the stands and hundreds of thousands of others watching at home on TV and runs the wrong route. OK, maybe it was a hot read, but isn’t he supposed to know that by now?
The Roster Shuffle Continues
Trying to keep up with the Patriots roster changes this week has been nothing short of a full-time gig. Though the Patriots continue to bring players in and let others go, the end result is that the team is finagling the bottom end of the roster.
The Patriots announced four roster moves Thursday. The team signed tight end Stephen Spach to the active roster and added punter Reggie Hodges to the practice squad. To make room, the team released tight end Jason Pociask from the active roster and tight end Tyson DeVree from the practice squad.
Stephen Spach is back, while former Jets tight end Jason Pociask was released. Spach made it through the final round of roster cuts only to be released in favor of Pociask on September 12, 2008. The Patriots took just 3 days to realize why the Jets cut Pociask over the weekend.
New England was fortunate to recall Spach before someone else signed him. They were not so fortunate with former Patriot Jonathan Stupar who signed on with the Buffalo Bills earlier this week after being released by the Patriots.
Practicing Or Not?
Tom Brady is at practice, but he’s injured. Wait… nope… he’s ok, he can still walk on it. Wait, he has a broken foot and will miss 2-4 weeks. Wait… he’s back at practice and off the injury report.
Do you get the feeling that some of the reports on Brady’s foot injury may be overblown?
Upheaval in New England, or part of the Master plan?
The New England Patriots parted ways with John Lynch and Chad Jackson on Sunday. Both moves were a surprise considering the team had already pared its roster to 53 the day before to comply with league rules. The moves were even more surprising when taking into account the players the Patriots picked up; a second year tight end and an offensive lineman who has bounced from one team to another. The net gain as of Tuesday was that cornerback Deltha O’Neal was signed to one of the spots vacated over the weekend.
Lynch Gone, But For How Long?
When the Patriots released John Lynch, it seemed odd that they would sign a veteran knowing that he had positives and negatives which might be a good fit for the team, only to release him a day after roster cuts. There seems to be more to the story than what it looks like on the surface (An aging vet not making the cut).
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick shared his appreciation for the veteran via a team release:
"It goes without saying but John is an all-time great safety, one of the league’s classiest professionals and his elite play speaks for itself," said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. "As has been the case in other situations, I would not rule anything out down the road."
Lynch responded by issuing his own statement, also published via a team press release.
The New England Patriots pared their roster back today by placing three players on reserve lists and releasing 14 others. The surprise move of the night was the team’s decision to retain quarterback Matt Cassel while sending quarterback Matt Gutierriez on his way. That wasn’t the only surprise.
The Patriots decision to part ways with Matt Gutierrez seems a bit illogical when comparing preseason performances of Matt Cassel and Gutierrez. Gutierrez led the team on more productive drives in each game except the last against New York. The experience Cassel provides obviously was a factor in the decision. but didn’t Gutierrez’s performance warrant the job?
Not according to the team.
Another surprise move was the decision to part ways with starting cornerback Fernando Bryant. Bryant’s poor showing against the Giants on Thursday night may have contributed to the decision. Though Bryant made a number of tackles during the evening, it was his decision to play patty-cake with Giants tight end Darcy Johnson, allowing him to stroll into the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown, that likely sealed Bryant’s fate.
"The little dude (Fernando Bryant) tried to tackle me up high and I drove him for a couple of yards," said Darcy after the game. "Especially when I saw the end zone was so close"
The departure of veteran linebacker Victor Hobson — also penciled in as a starter upon his arrival — was among the mild surprises.
The cutting has begin. New England released four players yesterday afternoon; DL Steve Fifita, DB Jeff Shoate, OL Jimmy Martin and TE Jonathan Stupar.
From the team’s press release:
Fifita, 26, was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on May 5, 2008. The 6-foot-1-inch, 312-pound nose tackle has played in 13 career games with one start, all with the Miami Dolphins in 2007. Fifita was originally signed by Miami as an undrafted rookie free agent on April 5, 2006.
Martin, 25, was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on Feb. 5, 2008. The 6-foot-5-inch, 306-pound offensive lineman has not appeared in an NFL game. Martin was originally drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round (226th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Shoate, 27, was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on Aug. 9, 2008. The 5-foot-10-inch, 180-pound cornerback has played in 14 career games, all with the Denver Broncos (seven games in 2004, seven games in 2007). Shoate was originally drafted by Denver in the fifth round (152nd overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Stupar, 24, was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted rookie free agent on May 2, 2008. The 6-foot-3-inch, 254-pound tight end attended the University of Virginia, where he played for four seasons from 2004-07.
So they keep asking…
(Questions from the fans in the stands)
Email me if you want your answer included in the next issue
What about Tom Brady’s foot?
The question usually comes in many sizes, colors and — if you will — flavors. The key is that the focus is on ‘Oh My God what happens if Brady can’t play?’
Let me offer this advice: Step away from the ledge, put down the (Gun, axe, bottle…), and take a deep breath.
According to my esteemed colleague, his doctor friend says that Brady will be fine. After all it’s just a bruise. Maybe Gisele can kiss it and make the booboo go away.
Is there help available for the offensive line?
Again, the question comes in a wide assortment of complaints, questions, concerns and outright rants. To be honest, I do understand what you’re concerned about, which is why I wrote this ( Stephen Neal post)
Between Mike Flynn and John Welbourn, Russ Hochstein and Billy Yates, the team should have at least ONE guy who can play. Scouting reports indicate Flynn and Welbourn were cast offs from their previous teams, but the reality is that they’re experienced veterans who were replaced by younger, cheaper guys with more long term upside. They can play, and they will play, but how well, only Dante Scarnecchia can tell you for sure.
The New England Patriots fell to the New York Giants 14-19 Thursday night in East Rutherford, N.J. It was New England’s fourth loss of the preseason (0-4), while the Giants improved their record to 2-2.
The night started off poorly for the Patriots who were without Tom Brady. Though Matt Light returned after missing most of camp due to an undisclosed illness, starting quarterback Matt Cassel was unsuccessful in leading the team to a score even with Light’s help. Cassel has struggled all preseason, and those struggles continued against the Giants.
The Patriots used many of their starters on offense and defense Thursday night. With the exception of Brady, Wes Welker, Ben Watson and Stephen Neal, the offense first team was on the field for the first period, and parts of the second.
With or without the starters in the lineup, the Patriots struggled. After electing to receive the kickoff, the Patriots took over from their own 28 and managed to move the ball to their own 49 before an incompletion forced their first of many punts on the night. The drive was an indication of more to come from the first team offense. For Cassel, his second series, ending similarly to the first (starting at the NE 28 ending in a punt from NE49), was his final possession of the preseason. His stats told the tale (4/6 for 37 yards, 0 sacks, 0 TDs, 0 INTs).
Patriots – Giants: What To Watch
There are plenty of interesting sidebars to this game aside from it being the last preseason contest for both clubs. (Loud roar goes up from NFL faithful). I’ll try to encapsulate them here.
Game: New England Patriots (-03) @ New York Giants (1-2)
Where: Giants Stadium, Meadowlands, N.J.
Weather: weather.com
Playing Surface: Artificial
TV: WNBC (New York), WCVB TV (Boston)
Announcers: Don Criqui, Randy Cross
What It’s Not:
No, it’s not a rematch of Super Bowl XLII, and for those pundits who are working hard to create that impression, it might make more sense to compare it to the August 30, 2007 Preseason game between these two teams.
What it Is:
A final tune-up for the 22 players facing the “Turk” (Poor SOB charged with the job of handing out pink slips). Roster cuts are due this weekend, and the players “on the bubble” have one more opportunity to show what they can do to help a team. Aside from that a win or a loss doesn’t matter, though the Giants do currently hold preseason bragging rights having won 10, while the Patriot have won just 7 of the 17 exhibition matchups.
What To Look For:
Key Injuries: Tom Brady is not expected to play after missing another practice session this week. It’s the fourth preseason game, and Brady needs to nurse that bone bruise on his foot.
Katherine Underwood files this report from the 2008 Patriots Gala on Aug 26 as the players talk about who looks good, the start of the season, and Larry Izzo being recognized for his community work by receiving the Ron Burton Award.
Read on to see if you agree. If you don’t, be sure to leave a comment with your choice below.
John Tomase
Columnist - Boston Herald
10/20/08 vs. Broncos
They’ll be due for a letdown after winning in SD - and is a loss to Denver ever a surprise?
Don Banks
NFL columnist - CNN/SI.com
10/12/08 @ Chargers
Payback for the Chargers, who have made beating New England their sole purpose in life these days.
Tom Curran
Writer - NBCSports.com
10/12/08 @ Chargers
Because the teams they play before San Diego suck.
Joe Haggerty
Writer - The Metro
09/14/08 @ Jets
Behold the power of a cheesehead scorned!
Scott Zolak
Football Analyst - WBCN Patriots
11/02/08 @ Colts
Pats/Colts has turned into Sox/Yanks. Both teams know each other all too well and history alone gets players thinking. Pats will not be challenged until Colt week, plus it’s in Indy @ the new stadium.
Ryen Russillo
ESPN Radio
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots placed offensive lineman Stephen Neal on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list Tuesday with a shoulder injury. That news at least allows Neal to return after week six of the regular season.
The team also placed lineman Ryan O’Callaghan on the reserve/injured list (shoulder), which isn’t good news. O’Callaghan will miss the entire regular season as he rehabs the injury.
The Patriots also released three players: FB Kyle Eckel, DB Jason Webster and OL Ryan Wendell.
What Losing Neal Means:
The team’s decision to put Neal on the reserve/PUP list leaves a hole at the position, which may very well be filled by Russ Hochstein. A perennial reserve player, Hochstein has plenty of starting experience for New England. He has started 8 regular season games at center and 10 regular season games at guard. In the playoffs, he has started two games at center, two games at guard and one game at tight end.
If Hochstein doesn’t return from the issue that has kept him out of practice for over a week, then Billy Yates should get the call. Yates has experience as a starting guard, but if he’s not available – or up to the task – New England has a number of free agents with starting experience including Mike Flynn and John Welbourn
Whenever I have a question concerning an injury to a local athlete, there’s only one guy I turn to: Dr. Eric Fornari, Orthopedic Surgery Resident at Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Fornari was lucky enough to have been matched with me as a roommate freshman year of college, and in the 10 years since has risen through the medical ranks to emerge as the Jacoby Ellsbury of local orthopedics—only a lot slower and uglier.
My conversations with Dr. Fornari always leave me feeling more knowledgeable about the injury at hand, and hopefully they’ll do the same for you. It’s not the vague reports of "day-to-day" that come from the Sox front office, but it’s also in a language that I can understand (which is saying a lot). So as injuries arise, Dr. Fornari will try to give us some better insight on what it all means. Today’s injury is Tom Brady, but first, a disclaimer or three.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed below are solely those of a young, though rather competent, Orthopedic Surgery resident
, and should not be interpreted as anything more. However, if you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact my editor.
Disclaimer 2: Repeat. This is not a breakdown of Tom Brady’s bone bruise. This is a merely an explanation of what a bone bruise usually means from a guys who’s treated his fair share.
Disclaimer 3: The Doc’s a Giants fan, which explains the cheap shot at the end.
Does It All Come Out In The Wash?
Is it really fair to judge Matt Cassel behind an offensive line that couldn’t protect Vince Young from getting creamed? Probably not, but that’s what looks like is going to happen unless by some miracle, the line returns to form and Cassel finds his groove on Thursday. The problem now is getting past the first round of roster cuts (80-to 75) by 4 pm Tuesday the 26th.
Will Cassel do it?
We have no doubt, but it’s that second cut (75 to 53) four days later which will likely seal his fate.
In his fourth year, Cassel has yet to show why he deserves to stay, other than an above-average sense of modesty and a certain class in which he carries himself and handles the barge load of criticism that’s been printed about him. Cassel isn’t just fighting for a roster spot in New England, he’s fighting to land on ANY roster in the league. His performance in Friday night’s 27-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was an improvement over his previous outings, but gave little cause to be hopeful it was enough to earn him another season behind Tom Brady.
Cassel said a little over a week ago that the criticism gets him going.
"It always fires you up," he said. "You go out there and you want to prove people wrong and get better."
Patriots – Eagles: What To Watch
Every week fans ask me what about this roster battle, or how does a particular player look. To address some of your emails, and to satisfy some of the cravings of a rabid fan base, let’s dive into the things to keep an eye on tonight as the Patriots battle the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
Keeping an eye on the QB:
Everyone’s eyes will be on the quarterbacks tonight as the Patriots decide whether to trot out the team’s franchise player Tom Brady, or to go one more week with the backup plan. So far, unless the Patriots quarterbacks were mobile, they faced heavy pressure and took a serious beating at the hands of two of the league’s better defenses. Tonight is another solid pressure defense, adding another dynamic to the decision to start or sit Brady.
If Brady plays:
If Brady is on the field, the thing to keep an eye on is his timing with his receivers while under pressure. The Patriots have rolled out fairly vanilla offensive gamelans to start the season, but they do have some trick plays up their sleeve. Brady will likely be given a few series to get into a rhythm. If he can show that he is on the same page with Wes Welker, Randy Moss and Jabar Gaffney the team will sit him to give more time to evaluate the backups, and to save both Brady’s arm and his legs for the more important regular season.
We’re catching up on the news and events affecting your New England Patriots.
Patriots Sign Mike Flynn
Another offensive lineman?
That’s the story. And it’s a good one from what I’ve been told by people ‘in the know.’ On Thursday, the Patriots announced the signing of veteran free agent Mike Flynn. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound University of Maine product played for the Baltimore Ravens the past ten seasons. He has been both a starting guard and center for Baltimore, including a key member of their offensive line during the team’s championship victory in Super Bowl XXXV. Flynn was also the starting center on the line that paved the way for Jamal Lewis’ career and franchise best season rushing for 2,066 yards in 2003.
Flynn was released by the Ravens on February 28, 2008 in what has been reported as a cap cutting move. Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times, told me that the Ravens wanted to go with a youth movement, and his released saved the team close to $2 million against the cap.
Baltimore signed G/C Jason Brown the following week for approx. $1.4 million. With the retirement of Jonathan Ogden and the release of Flynn, Baltimore has been forced to shuffle the lineup. Fortunately for New England, a player like Flynn was still on the market.
