Free Agency, The Patriots Second Loss This Year

The NFL's most dominate team during the 07-08 season is not having the same success during Free Agency. Already suffering a few setbacks with big name players, the New England Patriots have managed to lock up one of their key guys.


The loss of Asante Samuel, was expected. After the year he had the Patriots, who are not known for paying big money to defensive backs, knew that they weren't going to come to a number that worked for them and kept Samuel happy. Samuel signing with the Eagles wasn't devastating but the accumulation of losses will add up.

Prior to Free Agency officially starting Zach Thomas was released by the Miami Dolphins. On his first trip to Foxboro the Patriots offered Thomas a contract. The offer was tabled while Thomas shopped his services to New Orleans and Dallas. Signing with Dallas a few days after the Patriots made their offer, Thomas began the trend of players opting not to sign with the Patriots.

The latest addition to the list of guys shopping their services, Randy Moss, is now weighing his options. The Patriots chose not to franchise tag Moss. The feeling prior to free agency was that it was a matter of when, not if the Patriots would bring Moss back into the fold. Now that guys are moving all over, it appears the two parties are any where near a deal. The Patriots it seems are trying to get Moss to give a hometown discount to a team he has only played one season for.

Tedi Bruschi on the other hand did resign with Patriots. Whether he got the discount or gave the discount isn't known yet. The details of the one-year deal aren't public yet. Though the fact he wanted a deal for more than one year is known.

That maybe the key point for guys who are deciding to look elsewhere. The Patriots now have a consistent trend of getting rid of guys if they anticipate any kind of decline in performance. I don't fault them it is a business and the team has to do what's best for it. They shouldn't be surprised though when players start to look elsewhere to take care of their own best interest.

Alright people it's March and to us sports fans that means March Madness, Spring Training, and NFL Free Agency. To a lot of people March means March of Dimes.

My sister is walking for the March of Dimes, click on her banner below, and head to the comments section where you'll find a woman who mentions that March of Dimes helped her family care for her when she was young. That's my Grandmother. Along with beating me for my abuse of the English language on this blog, she has beaten Polio, and a stroke.

SHE DRINKS YOUR MILKSHAKE

If you can donate great if not just check out her comment

NFL Moves

Small disclaimer:I know the posting has been a little light lately. I have been busy. (Yes, despite what Tony Kornheiser thinks, I am not sitting in my mom's basement waiting to write the next post) Now that I have a little time let get to the business at hand

The New England Patriots off season moves are always top billing for me. While despising the franchise is easy, arguing with their results is not. This year's surprising moves include not only what they've done but also what's been done to them.

They started their offseason shockfest by choosing not to franchise tag Randy Moss. He doesn't officially become a free agent until February 29th. I think at that point we'll find out if the Patriots have a deal in place with Randy or if they really know something we don't.

One of the areas where New England is aging quickly is at linebacker. With retirement questions swirling around Tedi Bruschi and Junior Seau, the Patriots surprised no one when they brought in recently released Zach Thomas, offering him a contract before he even left the facility. The surprises started coming when Thomas opted not to sign with the Patriots, choosing Dallas instead(ending my string of referring to him as Seau 2.0). The Patriots then did the last thing people expected cut Roosevelt Colvin from their already questionable linebacking core.

With any other team I would be boldly prediciting that both Randy Moss and Roosevelt Colvin will be back in Foxboro. That these moves were simply adjustments to the salary cap and how the contract numbers play out. With the Patriots though the only thing I am ever sure of is that I have no idea what is coming next. I do know better than to question the moves of a team that was won win away from a dynasty. A word that is rare these days in the parity driven NFL.

New England Patriots Offseason

New England Patriots have certainly had better offseasons recently. After one of the greatest seasons in history, an offseason begun watching the other team celebrate your defeat is difficult. The continuing, evergrowing struggle of spygate isn't helping. New England, in typical fashion, are not allowing that to detour them from the business of getting better.

The season long "what if they go 19-0" session was certainly entertainimg, but New England now faces the truth; they didn't shank a field goal, have a fluke fumble, or suffer catastrophic injuries. They were outplayed on the field, simple football, along with some great scheming by Giants defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnoulo, defeated them.

Which weakness, laid bare in the final game, will the Patriots address through the draft. With definite need at linebacker, Kieth Rivers(LB-USC) would be a likely prospect. Belichick has said in the past, he doesn not like to draft linebackers. Feeling that they can be evaluated much better after a few years in the league. Belichick's evaluation of recently released Dolphin, Zach Thomas, must have been good. Thomas was offered a contract during his visit to New England shortly after the Dolphins cut him loose.

Those two factors make a LB unlikely in the first round. The front line of the Patriots defense needs some attention. A solid group all year long, but they began to show their age as the season progressed, a situation likely to get worse not better. frontline options this earlyin the draft should still be good. Franchise defensive prospects Sedrick Ellis(DT-USC) and Vernon Gholston could still be available for New England. Ellis would be a great fit for Belichick, his motor suits Belichick play 60 minutes mantra. After his performance at the Senior Bowl he may not last until the Patriots pick. Gholston, certanly not be a bad consolation prize, may not be the best fit for the 3-4 the Patriots play. Whichever they choose to address it will be with the Niners #7 pick. The Patriots #31 pick was surredered as a penaty for spygate. The Giants now have the #31 pick.

New England is making all these preperations amidst ongiong spygate drama. Former video Assistant, Matt Walsh, has claimed he video taped the Rams wolk through prior to their Superbowl meeting with the Patriots. Belichick has denied ever filming or seeing film of a walk through. Alongside that back and forth Senator Arlen Specter is pressuring Roger Goodell with a laundry list of accusations; why did he punish Belichick priot to seeing the tapes, why did he destroy the tapes, why if he knew about Matt Walsh hasn't he persued questioning him.

Belichick has flatly denied Walsh's accusations. Along with personell director, Scott Pioli, Belicheck has gone out of his way to minimize Walsh. While Goodell and Belichick would love to see this go away; Specter, and the group of former Rams suing Belichick and the Patriots, seem bound to make sure that doesn't happen.

Belichick and Pioli Finally Comment On Spygate

The Boston Globe got what would seem like a big scoop. They got Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli to discuss Spygate as well as former Video Assistant Matt Walsh. I am calling Lee Corso(Not so fast me friend) on the scoop.

Belichick answered questions immediately after the ruling by the league. By answered I mean he said about 3 sentences and then said "That's all I have to say about that". Now all of a sudden he's chatty cathy. What Boston Globe reporter Mike Reiss just asked nicely and all of a sudden Darth Sweatshirt is ready to open up. I am not buying it.

This is clearly a preemptive strike against the fact that the NFL and Matt Walsh seem to be getting a little closer to working out a deal. Walsh wants to be protected from any kind of lawsuit. Whether the league will give it because they really want the truth or they end up giving it because Senator Specter and Congress force Roger Goodell's hand, is yet to be seen. But the why they do it isn't nearly as important as the fact it seems likely to happen.

Not only was Belichick trying to downplay the value of information gained from the Spygate tapes when asked about the use of the other teams signals to make halftime adjustments. Belichick said that was "never, never" the case.

He described the impact of the tapes as "minimal" to the Patriots' preparations, rating it a "one" on a scale of 1 to 100.

Belichick also teamed up with Pioli to downplay the role Matt Walsh had within the company, Belichick stated that he "couldn't pick Walsh out of a line up". While Pioli made sure it was clear the Walsh was let go for secretly recording Pioli. Apparently trying to discredit him.

My real question is if you aren't doing anything questionable why do your employees feel the need to secretly record you.