Patriots, Wilson Cut Ties

After a difficult 2007 season, Eugene Wilson has officially been cut by the New England Patriots.

Wilson’s season hit rock bottom after rookie Brandon Merriweather moved ahead of him on the depth chart late in the season. It has been a long fall from glory for the safety that started in two of the Patriots’ recent Super Bowls.

Recently, Wilson has suffered from injuries and maddeningly inconsistent play, prompting coach Bill Belichick to insert James Sanders (who played well throughout the season) into the starting spot ahead of Wilson throughout the entire season.

Although many Patriots fans cannot help but be grateful for the work that he did in those two Super Bowl years, this move was pretty inevitable. After a very average year from the secondary, the Patriots are looking to revamp that group into an elite secondary once again. As this latest move by the Pats indicates, Eugene Wilson is not part of that plan.

I wish him luck in wherever he goes next. Too bad he couldn’t keep it up here in New England.

Notes of Interest from February 25

Just a couple notes to wrap up the day:

It sounds like, if Roger Goodell is forced to suspend Bill Belichick due to new findings regarding Spygate, new secondary coach Dom Capers will likely become the interim head coach in his absence.

This sounds reasonable. After all, Capers is the only person on staff who has experience running the ship. Definitely more defensive minded, but I think that he would be a decent fill in in Belichick is suspended at some point. Wouldn’t want him being the head coach for too long, but for four games or so, I am comfortable with that.

In some final NFL Combine news, it sounds like the Patriots have met with Oklahoma defensive back Reggie Smith. In the meetin, Smith said that he and the Pats discussed, among other things, his ability to play corner and safety.

Interesting. Will admit that I only saw him play in their Bowl Game, so I cannot make a fair judgment on him. However, if he indeed can switch off between safety and cornerback and play both positions at a high level, that is a huge plus. The Pats have questions at both positions, so flexibility in a prospect is big. 

Rumors: Cowboys Interested in Moss; Saints Pursue Samuel

In what is some slightly disturbing news to Patriots fans, some recent rumors from the NFL Combine in Indy suggest that the Patriots are not close to striking a deal with wide receiver Randy Moss. What’s more disturbing is that sources are claiming that Moss might bolt from New England in favor of Dallas, Texas.

That would certainly be an interesting combo, Moss and Terrell Owens. It could literally be the best wide receiver duo in the history of the NFL. One problem: both are self absorbed mega receivers that want the ball. They both did revive their careers this past season, but they were the focus of their respective teams. How would they survive together?

While this is certainly contradictory to the common belief that the Pats are very close to striking a multi-year deal with Moss, it is still a thought that sends shivers down my spine as a Patriots fan.

However, I am not sure I fully buy into this rumor. For one, the Cowboys would have to invest an awful lot of money in just two players. Two, as I already outlined, there is no guarantee that one (or both) of them wouldn’t implode once they no longer became the focal point of the offense. If I am the Cowboys, I would target a secondary receiver to complement Owens, rather than go for another huge name that has had personality issues in the past.

Moss also seems to be very happy in New England, so I am not so sure how reliable this rumor of him jumping ship after only one season is. I still look for him to return to the Patriots, but, in free agency, anything can happen. I’m not ruling anything out yet.

On another note, it sounds like Asante Samuel may be drawing interest from the New Orleans Saints (see link above). Apparently, the Saints are the front runner, but the Philadelphia Eagles are still in the hunt, I hear. With all these teams lining up to pay Samuel what he wants, it is looking less and less likely that he will be patrolling the Patriots secondary in 2008.

Not that it ever was likely to begin with.

Lito Sheppard Drawing Interest from Pats?

Rumors are swirling, and the latest one has the Patriots expressing interest in Philadelphia Eagles veteran cornerback Lito Sheppard.

There’s a catch, though. The Eagles have claimed that they are not shopping the corner, and there is no indication that Sheppard has requested a trade from the team.

However, I can see the logic behind such a rumor. With Asante Samuel seeking a 10-year, $100 million contract, he most likely won’t be back. With his departure, New England will need to replace him. Ellis Hobbes and Randall Gay are widely considered to not be ready to assume the number one role in the secondary.

Still, I don’t think that Sheppard will be the one. The Eagles are rumored to be interested in pursuing Samuel, and they would bring him in to strengthen that secondary, and trading away Sheppard wouldn’t exactly help them achieve that goal.

The Patriots will need to pick up a new corner to replace Samuel (assuming nothing gets done), but Sheppard will not be the one to do so.

Shaun Rogers to NE?

Some people out in Detroit seem to think that a possible suitor for Detroit Lions defensive tackle could be the New England Patriots.

The basis for such thinking lies in the fact that the Patriots rely on a 3-4 defensive system. It is also widely believed that Rogers performs better in a 3-4 system, rather than the more common 4-3 base defense. Other possible suitors that were mentioned are the Jets, Browns, and Steelers – all teams that run the 3-4.

Of the teams listed, the Jets seem like the most logical choice as a trade partner. Word from Detroit is that the team is looking for a reliable middle linebacker to step in and asssume the role. The Jets, coincidentally, are allowing athletic inside linebacker Jonathan Vilma shop himself around to the rest of the league (except the Patriots). A trade like this would solve problems for both teams, with the Lions getting the experiences linebacker they are looking for and the Jets getting a run stuffer in exchange.

As far as the Patriots are concerned, I do not see the need for the team to facilitate a trade for this guy. To start, the Pats already have one of the best 3-4 defensive tackles in the game in Vince Wilfork. When Wilfork is not in the game, they typically will switch into a smaller, more athletic formation with Seymour, Warren, and Green on the field (Wright is often on the field in these situations as well).

Another concern that comes with Rogers is that he doesn’t always put forth a 100% effort. That is a major reason why he is being shipped out of Detroit. Why would the Patriots want to bring a player who doesn’t give it his all on every play. However, that was the knock on Randy Moss before he came here, and look how that one turned out.

In conclusion, I just don’t see how a guy like Rogers would fit into the Pats system. I think that this is more speculation rather than any concrete theories at this point.

Vilma Shops Himself Everywhere…Except Here

The plot thickens. It is being reported that the New York Jets’ stud linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been given permission to shop himself to every team in the league…except New England.

I can’t really say that I am surprised, given the quickly deteriorating situation between coaches Bill Belichick and Eric Mangini. It was cold two years ago when they met in the playoffs, and Spygate only inflamed the situation. These two coaches have an icy relationship at best, and it really isn’t surprising that Mangini has done this. Honestly, I think that Belichick would have done the same thing.

While this certainly adds fuel to the fire, I really am not dissapointed. Vilma is a physical specimen that would be of value to nearly every team in the league. However, over his few years with Mangini, Vilma has struggled to adjust to the Jets’ 3-4 defensive scheme. Mangini took this scheme with him from New England, so it is tough to imagine Vilma being that effective in New England.

Additionally, Vilma is coming off knee surgery, so his performance may be affected as well.

Only time will tell, but I don’t think that the Patriots wouldn’t benefit much from adding Vilma to their roster anyway.

Patriots Continue Meeting with Draft Hopefuls

Today it was announced that the Patriots have met with the following players, either at the Senior Bowl or at the NFL Combine:

Jamar Adams – S, Michigan (KFFL is reporting that the meeting the two parties had at the combine went well)

James Silva – S, Boston College (talked at the East-West game)

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – CB, Tennessee State

Aqib Talib - CB, Kansas

As you can see, there was an emphasis on defensive backs today. The two units that need the most help are the linebacking corps and the secondary. While most people are anticipating that the Patriots will draft a linebacker with their number seven draft pick, it would not be surprising to see them address the secondary with their first round pick.

With Asante Samuel likely gone, the team will definitely be thin in the secondary. Ideally, New England will be looking for someone who can play the middle of the field as well as on the corners. If the Patriots do not sign a defensive back in free agency, the team will go into camp with Ellis Hobbes, Randall Gay, Brandon Merriweather, Rodney Harrison, Eugene Wilson, and James Sanders as the primary contributors in the defensive backfield.

That is a shaky core. Harrison is slowing down and has had injury problems, Wilson looked down right terrible this past season, Hobbes and Gay are solid CB’s, but they are not #1 material. The Patriots will need to address the secondary either in the draft or free agency, and, with the lack of quality corners on the market, I am going to say that spend their second or third rounder on a DB.

That being said, if Belichick and his crew feel as if the linebackers are stable enough, they may very well use that number seven pick on a defensive back. I doubt it, but it wouldn’t shock me if they did.

My Take on Belichick and ‘Spygate’

Up to this point, I feel like everyone except me has posted an opinion regarding Spygate, so I am just going to get it over with and let the world know what I think.

The Patriots cheated (remember, I am a huge Patriots fan).

I will not try and justify why the Patriots did it or try and reason why it is OK for them to tape from the sidelines. However, I will take a look at why Belichick may have done it, how he was able to get away with it for so long, and just how much of an effect these tapes actually had on the games themselves.

Before I start, I want to make one thing clear: Bill Belichick did not misinterpret anything. I don’t care what you think about him, this is an intelligent man that knows the game of football. He is not one to misinterpret a rulebook. He knew very well what he was doing, and, now, he is paying the consequences.

If he knew what he was doing, why would he take the chance? I think it is important to consider why Belichick would use illegal taping methods.  We all know that this man is obsessive. He is consumed by his work and trying to win the Super Bowl. When most teams would be content with making it to their conference championship game, Belichick, after the 2006 loss to Indianapolis, went out and gave his roster (particularly the offensive side) a major overhaul, bringing in more big names in one off-season than he has done in his entire career.

So, it is actually not hard to see why Belichick broke the rules. He wants every little edge that he can get. Taping the opponents signals is a way to gain a slight advantage, so, he does it. He is always looking for a way to gain the upper hand, and he apparently thought that this way was worth the risk. It seems like it to, as he was able to do it for what appears to be about seven years. Now it’s coming back to bite him. We won’t know whether or not it was ‘worth the risk’ until the investigation is closed, but I have a hunch that, despite the public scrutiny, Belichick is not regretting anything that he has done up to this point.

Now that I have ranted on about how Belichick is looking to get the upper hand, it is important to look at just how much of an effect these tapes may have had on the outcome of these games.

In short, I do not believe that the tapes were such an advantage that they were a primary reason that the Patriots have enjoyed this success these past few years. However, I will acknowledge that they would give the Pats a slight edge. Anyone who has played football understands that game film is an important part of preparing for game day. However, they also know that, the amount of film has little to do with the games’ outcome. You can have all the knowledge you want, but if you can’t execute your plays and get your own technique right, you could have the opposing teams’ playbook and you wouldn’t win the game.

It all comes down to execution on game day, and the Patriots have, for the most part been fundamentally sound and done their jobs. Could these tapes been responsible for a few of these wins these past several years? Sure, but they in no way are responsible for the overall success that New England has had.

I think that is the big reason that many people keep wondering why the Patriots are being beaten so badly over this topic. It may not have been a major tool for them, but it is still against the rules. That is why I get sick when some Pats fans get defensive and claim that, since every other team does it, the Patriots should be exonerated. I may be a fan of the Patriots, but, more importantly, I am a fan of the game of football, so I believe that the Pats should be punished and I am just waiting for everything to come out so that we can truly understand the impact that this scandal may have had on the past seven to eight years.

Another aspect of this whole Spygate thing that I am very interested in is, how far back does it go? I know that there have been numerous rumors flying around about who the Patriots taped, but, so far, other than the New York Jets game this past season and a few others in the past, no one has produced any concrete evidence. I have a feeling that that will change of the course of the coming months, but we will have to wait and see. Belichick has acknowledged that they have been taping teams since 2000, so I am confident that there are a fair number of games that have been recorded illegally, but I will wait to see proof before coming to any concrete conclusions.

I have struggled with this next question for awhile, but I think that I have come to an answer: How come Belichick got away with illegal taping for so long?

My answer is this: Different commissioners.

Paul Tagliabue was a very good commissioner who did many great things for the NFL. However, I don’t believe that disciplining those who broke the rules was one of his strong suites. Why do you think the NFL has so many criminals and rule-breakers associated with the league right now? Tagliabue was lenient when it came to dolling out punishment, so players and coaches felt like they could get away with it.

In steps Roger Goodell, a fresh face at the head of the league. With him, he brought a promise to clean up the NFL and turn into a widely respected role model for all other professional sports leagues to model themselves after.

It didn’t take him long to get started. He suspended Chris Henry, the Bengals wide receiver, eight games. He suspended Tank Johnson four games. Pacman Jones of the Tennessee Titans has yet to be reinstated into the league after he was suspended before last season even began. Michael Vick is out indefinitely. In short, Goodell has brought the hammer down. Hard. Many of the disciplinary cases that he has dealt with saw rulings before these players were even convicted of their charges by the police (Tank Johnson is a good example). Through swift, strict discipline, he is trying to bring the league into a new era where discipline cases and arrests of NFL players are considered the exception rather than the norm.

So, what does this have to do with Spygate? Well, I believe that the NFL had at least some knowledge that the Patriots were doing something fishy long before they were finally caught in Week 1 of the 2007 season. However, I don’t think that Tagliabue had the guts to try and take down the most successful franchise that the league has had in the past decade. They may not have the history that many other teams around the league have, but, in today’s NFL, Robert Kraft and the Patriots are a powerful organization. Tagliabue and the other NFL brass did not want to upset the new dynasty of the NFL.

With this new league hierarchy, they aren’t afraid of sticking it to anybody. They came out and punished the team. Now, with more evidence starting to leak out, I expect that, if other major violations are eventually proved, the league will issue more punishment. In fact, I expect that they would. I hope they do if Matt Walsh can prove that the Patriots taped the Rams Super Bowl XXXVI walkthrough. Only then can we consider this to be a closed case.

I may sound like I am contradicting myself, saying that I am a Pats fan and that I hope that the league slaps more punishment onto the team, but, as I said earlier, I am first and foremost a fan of the game of football. If protecting the integrity of my favorite sport means punishing my favorite team, then so be it. I just want this all to come out in the open  so that we can truly see what is going on, and then start over. No more cameras, no more Spygate, no more anything other than straight up football.

Samuel to Philly?

Reports out of Philadelphia are suggesting that the Eagles may be taking a look at free agent cornerback Asante Samuel. Supposedly, the team was considering making a run at Seattle corner Marcus Trufant, but the Seahawks slapped him with the franchise tag. The other high-end corner, Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha, was also hit with the tag, making Samuel the lone elite corner on the open market.

This means that there will likely be some high-stakes bidding for his services, which also means that Samuel may get what he wants; a 10-year contract worth about $100 million (about $30 million guaranteed). The Eagles would certainly have to shell out a pretty penny to acquire Samuel, and indications are that the Philadelphia brass just may be willing to do that.

If any team is going to pay that amount to snag a defensive back in free agency, there is a good chance that it will be the Eagles. Their secondary is aging, especially when you look at safety Brian Dawkins and the injury-riddled veteran Lito Sheppard. Both have had injury concerns over the past couple seasons, and they are certainly not in their prime anymore.

However, a player of Samuel’s caliber can change any secondary from mediocre to good in a heartbeat. His sixteen picks over the past two seasons are an indication of that, and he also is solid in coverage. He may not be Champ Bailey or Al Harris when it comes to man coverage, but there aren’t that mant true shutdown corners in the league anymore. Samuel is a solid corner who is intelligent and, for the most part, takes risks that pay off.

But does he deserve the $100 million? The one concern is that he is a system player, succeeding in the Bill Belichick defense that is tailored to his strengths. That is how Belichick drafts anyway. He goes for players that are good fit for his system, not the best overall athlete. That factor certainly comes into play here. Samuel has never played for another team. He has never worked in another system. Bill Belichick drafted Samuel because the corner is a good fit for the Patriots’ defensive scheme. All teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles, should be wary of this fact when they consider throwing this kind of money around.

That being said, Samuel is still a corner that will have success, just maybe not at the level he has been playing at the past two seasons. He can certainly raise the level of Philly’s secondary, but they would be cautious when committing this kind of contract to one player.

Notes from February 23, 2008

Asante Samuel Wants $100 Million: Free agent cornerback Asante Samuel and his agent, Alonzo Shavers, are making it known that Samuel is looking for a contract in the range of 10 years and $100 million. This is significantly higher that Nate Clements’ record breaking contract signed last year. Well, this certainly makes it less likely that he’ll be back. I don’t care how badly Samuel wants to be in New England. If he is demanding that kind of contract from his next employer, Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli will not cave in and give this to him.

Falcons look to Emulate Pats: With the hiring of ex-Patriots director of college scouting Thomas Dimitroff coming on board with the Atlanta Falcons, it looks like the struggling franchise wishes to use the Patriots as a model for rebuilding their team. Cool. Its always nice being a role model.

Bruschi to Decide on Future Soon: According to his agent, Brad Blank, Tedy Bruschi will have a decision regarding his future soon. I love Tedy Bruschi. Class act, great player. Even at the ripe old age of 34, he still led the team in tackles with 99. Even though he is aging and slowing down, I still think that he could contribute to the Pats for another year. Ideally, the Patriots draft a young, athletic guy and Bruschi mentors him for a year or two. Whether or not that happens, we’ll see, but I would absolutely love to see this guy don the Patriot uniform for at least one more year.

Washington Wishes to Hang Around: Kelley Washington, the reserve wide receiver and special teams contributor, would like to remain in New England. Unfortunately, the Patriots are not going to pick up his $4 million option tag, so they will have to get a new contract in place if this were to happen. Kelley Washington was an important piece to the Patriots’ success in 2008. He caught very few balls, but he was an integral part of the special teams unit, where he made numerous key contributions throughout the season. While I agree that $4 million is too much, the Pats should bring him back at price tag closer to the $1-$1.5 million area. He would be well worth it.

Patriots on the Hunt at Combine: The following are players that the Patriots have met with either at the Senior Bowl or the NFL Combine:

• Darius Reynaud – WR, West Virginia
• Dexter M. Jackson – WR, Appalachian State
• Gosder Cherilus – OL, Boston College
• J Leman – ILB, Illinois
• Curtis Lofton - ILB, Oklahoma
• Shawn Crable – LB/DE, Michigan
• Vernon Gholston – LB/DE, Ohio State

Nothing too surprising here. Gholston is the All-Star of the group, and would probably be available when the Patriots pick at number seven. The strong emphasis on the linebacker/defensive end type is to be expected, as the Patriots looked weak in the linebacking corps late last season and desperately need to get younger. The offensive line looked weak in the Super Bowl, so the Patriots could take someone in the draft. I will reserve judgement on these guys until later, as I haven’t done enough homework yet to make a fari judgement.

Izzo Re-Signs; Talks Continue with Gaffney

It appears as if the Patriots have brought back a key special teams contributer in Larry Izzo for 2008. Drew Rosenhaus, Izzo’s agent, has said that the linebacker/special teams guru has verbal agreement with New England to return next year.

Additionally, it sounds like Jabar Gaffney is continuing negotiations with the team, and that the other wide receiver Rosenhaus represents, Donte Stallworth, will most likely be a free agent when all is said and done.

As for as Larry Izzo goes, he is one of those underrated guys that does more for the team than any stat sheet would indicate. Special teams is one third of the game, and it can be critical to the outcome. His leadership and great play on most of these special teams units is critical to how the special teams perform throughout the season.

As far as the wide receivers go, it is not surprising that this is how it is shaking out. When Belichick signed Stallworth last off-season, Stallworth was in a bad position where people were beginning to think that he was washed up because of injures, lack of production, etc. To prove himself, Stallworth negotiated a back heavy contract (pretty unusual in the NFL) where most of the money would come after his first year with the team. The Patriots would owe him something like $6 million to retain his services in 2008, unless they re-sign him to a new deal. My hunch is that the Patriots do not feel as if he is worth that sum and will release him.

The other wideout, Jabar Gaffney, has a much better chance of donning Patriot blue in 2008 than Stallworth does. He was productive in his role as the fourth wideout for the Patriots, and he made good use of his time on the field, snagging 36 balls for 449 yards (12.5 yards per catch) and five touchdowns.

The key here is that Gaffney will be much more affordable than Stallworth. Last season, Gaffney had a two year deal in place with the team when he signed with them last season. He was pretty affordable then, and he will be affordable now. I think that it is important for the Patriots to keep Gaffney around in 2008 if they want to come even close to having the same kind of offensive success that they had this year.

He will never have the numbers that Randy Moss or Wes Welker have. That’s because he doesn’t have the same kind of natural athletic ability that they have. But he is a receiver that has good size and hands with pretty good speed, and can really hurt the opposing defense if they don’t cover him well (with the Patriots offense, that is hard to do). He is important to keep, and I see him staying in New England in 2008.

Thomas Spurns Pats; Heads to Big D

Numerous sources are reporting that the hall of fame linebacker Zach Thomas will be heading to Dallas for what will likely be his final season.

The one year deal could be worth up to $3 million, with a $1 million signing bonus, $1 million guaranteed, and $1 million in incentives. While other offers from the Patriots and Saints were enticing, the opportunity to play in Texas (Thomas’ home state) was too good to pass up.

There were many New England fans who were excited about possibly having Thomas join the linebacking corps here, but I personally was never that high on the veteran. The Patriots are already old in that group, and they don’t need a player who has a history of concussions coming into that group. While he is still talented, I do not think Thomas would have answered many questions for the Patriots in 2008.

Another factor that is important to consider is that Thomas has primarily been a 4-3 linebacker his entire career. A player of his caliber would be able to adjust to the Patriots’ scheme I’m sure, but there is no guarantee. In Belichick’s complex schemes, it is better to have someone who is at least experienced in the basic formation of the defense.

That being said, I believe that he still has a little gas left in the tank, and I think that he will be a good fit down in Dallas. I have no ill-will towards Thomasl, as he is a tremendous player and a class-act. I wish him only the best. He just wouldn’t have been that great here in New England.