Pats Opening Thoughts

Posted on September 10, 2012 by jtulz07

Nothing will ever quite compensate for how much I hate Mondays, but since I’ve yet to figure out how to avoid them I guess starting the week with a Pat’s opening day win is about as close as I’ll get to my euphoric beginning of the work week. It was no 59-0 victory but damn was it pleasing to watch. Just flat out domination.

For the first time since Curtis Martin graced New England’s presence we finally saw a solid running game to accompany Tom Brady’s offense, with an exception to Corey Dillon’s short lived run as a Patriot. Continue reading →

Pats Opener

Posted on September 7, 2012 by christoph131

With the Offensive Line weaker than ever, and the lack of time the starters played in our 1-3 preseason, will the Patriots be able to cover their spread against the energized Titans. I am willing to bet that Chris Johnson has a huge season just as he did three years ago when he had over 2000 rushing yards and 16 TD’s. Last season was more of a fluke after his big contract extension. This year, he will be ready to play.

However, our young-looking defense is now one year more experienced, and recieved big help from rookies Hightower and Jones. Plus, Wilfork’s 300 pound figure makes it hard for any running back to come up the middle.

The spread on the game is +6 going to the Titans. Will the Patriots be able to cover? I think that they will but I wouldn’t be expecting the same 59-0 blowout from 2009. Although, Brady’s 6 TD passes in that game would be great since he is now on my fantasy team. Enjoy your weekend!

Pats-Welker Cant Agree, Will Play Season with Franchise Tag

Posted on July 17, 2012 by leibo4

The New England Patriots and Wes Welker could not come to an agreement yesterday. He will play the next season at a 1 year contract worth $9.5 million. Now that the deadline has passed, the Patriots cannot renegotiate with Welker until after the season is over.

Other notable players such as Ray Rice (5 years $40 Million) and Matt Forte (4 years $32 Million) struck deals just before the deadline yesterday, getting the payday they deserved.

Welker, with 330 catches in the past three years, wasn’t as lucky. He had earlier signed the franchise tender to show the Patriots faith, but by doing so may have cornered himself. The Patriots felt no reason to sign a 31 year old reciever who has previously torn his ACL to a long term contract when they have him for this season. Whether they will franchise him again next year, sign him to a longer contract, or just let him go remains to be seen.

I would have liked to see the Patriots sign Welker to a 3 year deal totally anywhere from $24-28 million. That would have been around the same contract that they gave to Randy Moss. Reward him for always being true to the Patriots and the hard work that he has given them. If he plays well anyways they are going to be on the hook for over $11 million to franchise him again, or give him a new three year contract. This just doesn’t seem to make much sense from the Patriots standpoint, unless they are counting Welker to have a down year.

Gronk Still Being Gronk

Posted on April 9, 2012 by jtulz07

The Celtics are finishing up their season strong heading into the playoffs, the B’s start their playoff run Thursday at home, and the Red Sox open up at home Friday despite their subpar start to the season, yet the Pats still make headlines, all thanks to Gronk and his continuing quest to make the cover of Madden.

Patriots Offseason Q&A

Posted on March 26, 2012 by davecouture

PATRIOTS Q&A

So I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the internet about the Patriots recently and there have been a lot of fan questions about the Patriots and primarily their most recent offseason moves so I figured it was worth my time to put together an article answering some of the most frequent questions.

What are the Patriots plans at the Wide Receiver position after their most recent signings?

The Patriots have made several Wide Receiver moves so far this offseason; with the most notable move being the signing of Brandon Lloyd. The Patriots have an abundance of bodies at the receiver position and clearly they all won’t be able to be on the roster come opening day. What their exact plan is no one can tell. Chad Ochocinco restructured his contract recently to take a pay cut, which in my eyes would be viewed as a sign that he might be back for round two. Anthony Gonzalez is frequently injured but when healthy has potential to be a solid option. The re-signing of Deion Branch was a surprise to me, especially after the signing of Lloyd. I’m not convinced Stallworth will make the team but even that is still a possibility. The bottom line is someone has to get cut/traded. It hurts to even think about it; but with the depth the Patriots have at the position now it could be an option that Welker is traded or released. In no way am I saying Anthony Gonzalez is Welker talent, but if he can get the job done at the same position as Welker I don’t see a purpose in paying Wes over $9mil this season. I believe a lot of the restructured contracts could be leading to a record breaking deal for Gronk. Even without Welker Brady will have plenty of options to go to so if you can use the money elsewhere (AKA defense) I would certainly do it.

Who will carry the load for the Patriots at Running Back?

With Green-Ellis signing with the Bengals the Patriots are left without any experience at the Running Back position. Ridley showed flashes of talent but is fumble prone and that certainly won’t fare well with Bellichick if it continues. Shane Vereen may be a viable option if healthy also. Woodhead is certainly not an every down back in the NFL either. Don’t hold your breath that the Pats will sign that every down back everyone has hoped for since the retirement of Corey Dillon. The Patriots will more than likely use a running back by committee type of game plan which isn’t anything new to them. I’m assuming the Patriots will bring in the Sammy Morris or Lamont Jordan type of veteran to take a few carries and add depth to the position, but don’t expect much. The Pats don’t rely on the run game like some teams so I don’t see this being a major concern.

What will the Patriots do with their four picks in the first two rounds?

My bet is the Patriots will more than likely trade one or two of the picks like they always do. Something like one of their first rounder’s this year for a third this year and a first next year. Let’s say the Pats change their style up a bit and use all their picks.

Pick No. 27 : The Patriots will more than likely address the defensive side of the ball early and often in the draft so here are a few of their options with this pick.

Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina

Gilmore has good size for a corner standing at 6’1” and has experience at the college level. He lacks elite speed but with the right coaching he could get by with what he has and be a solid NFL cornerback.

Nick Perry, DE/OLD USC

Perry is a solid pass rusher and would be a great fit for the Patriots 3-4 defense.

Pick No. 31: The Patriots will probably stick with defense with this pick. I’m thinking they go with a linebacker and then some secondary help with their first two picks.

Mark Barron, S Alabama

Barron has serious talent and was one of the best safeties in the country as a sophomore two years ago. Barron is a three year starter and could be a steal at this pick. He is a hard hitter and has good size for a safety. If Barron is still here I don’t see any way the Pats take anyone else.

Pick No. 48: The Pats will probably also go defense with this pick. They have many holes on that side of the ball.

Vinny Curry, DE/OLB Marshall

Curry has a great combination of speed and size which makes him a very versatile player and that is something Bellichick loves. Curry put up phenomenal numbers in college but those stats can also be skewed seeing as he played in a weak conference.

Harrison Smith, SS Notre Dame

If the Pats don’t take a safety in the first round expect them to take one here. Smith is a smart player who doesn’t get beat deep often.

Pick No. 63

Options:

Brandon Boykin, CB Georgia

Trumaine Johnson, CB/S Montana

Chase Minnifield, CB Virginia

That’s all for today folks. If you have any Patriots questions for us leave them

A New Savior in Denver

Posted on March 20, 2012 by jtulz07

In the past six months the sports world has been overwhelmed with two triumphant stories of individual athletes who defied the odds. The most notable coming from the NFL in Tim Tebow and most recently in the NBA with Jeremy Lin. Each has caused a media frenzy that I don’t think any of us have seen before. Tebow Mania, Bronco’s Savior, Linsanity, Super Lintendo. The list of puns and corny titles go on. But the two “Cinderella” stories have since died down. We all know what happened to Tebow when he stepped foot on the turf at Gillette Stadium in the playoffs and the hype around Jeremy Lin has since settled down, as the Knicks have been on a skid. But once again, Tebow finds himself in the headlines in a much different way.

At the end of the Bronco’s season, John Elway announced that Tebow would be the team’s starting QB heading into next year. Sorry Timmy, but I don’t exactly see that happening any more. With Peyton Manning now heading to Denver, I think even Tebow knew to start packing his bags. In a way, you gotta feel bad for the guy. Then again, it’s pretty funny. Tebow spent all season winning games in the most unlikely ways, gaining an immense fan base in no time, and redefining the phrase “becoming a household name”. But it has to be rough with all the progress he’s made and what he did for the Denver organization to be put in a position to expectedly get ousted in a heartbeat by Manning. Although painful, I’m sure Tebow won’t even argue with his replacement, I mean who could? Don’t get me wrong, I can’t hate on Tebow. He’s clearly a good guy and he showed he could win (some games) but the Pat’s certainly put him in his place in the playoffs, so no hard feelings. Nothing definite has happened with his place in Denver or potential trade, but I’m sure once things begin panning out as to where he will end up, Tebow will once again be the sole topic of ESPN.

Gronk’s Going Viral! (Again)

Posted on March 9, 2012 by christoph131

For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, Patriots star Tight End Rob Gronkowski has made a YouTube video to make his case for why he should be on the cover of Madden 2013. I guess he couldn’t care less about the Madden curse.. He is going up against one player from every other team, but also going up against Wes Welker. Anyways, this video is hilarious and just describes Gronk in full. Take a look!

Patriots Offseason: Defensive Line

Posted on February 27, 2012 by davecouture

The Patriots defensive line played better than most had expected coming into the season last year and at times was a bright spot for a primarily bad defense. Andre Carter was a great surprise and played exceptional prior to his season ending knee injury. Mark Anderson proved to be a great signing considering once Carter went down he stepped right in and ended the regular season with 10 sacks. Both Carter and Anderson will be free agents this offseason so keeping both seems rather unlikely. If healthy Carter is the more likely signing but as players age injuries like Carter suffered are much harder to bounce back from. Shaun Ellis and Gerard Warren are also free agents and I don’t expect the Pats to hang on to either, as they are both far past their prime. The anchor of the defensive line is obviously big Vince Wilfork and he will certainly maintain that role next year. Kyle Love and Brandon Deadrick have both been great surprises for the Pats, but they are not exactly quality NFL starters. Through the recent years the Patriots been reluctant to use first round picks on defensive lineman, but I expect that pattern to change this year. Of course if the Pats make a move prior to the draft and sign a top-tier free agent to play defensive end then they will more than likely shy away from defensive lineman in the first couple rounds. There are many quality options this offseason so talent certainly won’t be the issue. Some of the possible Patriots options are as follows.

Mario Williams: Obviously this signing would be a huge stretch, and with a young and very talented Texans team Williams might be more willing to stick around. He would certainly help turn this defense around who ranked 31^st in yards against last season. Williams would be used as a hybrid D-Line / Outside Linebacker for the Patriots.

Robert Mathis: Mathis is a great pass rusher with Pro-Bowl talent and would be a huge upgrade for the Pats. Mathis is more likely to leave Indy seeing as they are clearly about to begin their rebuilding process and when that occurs the veterans usually are not a part of their plans.

Aaron Smith: Smith might stay put in Pittsburgh but this would certainly be a viable option for the Pats. Belichick loves to stack depth at the defensive line position with veterans so this would certainly be along the lines of a typical Patriots signing. Smith has shown he can get after the QB.

Other possible options:

Raheem Brock

Amobi Okoye

John Abraham

Patriots Offseason: Offensive Line

Posted on February 21, 2012 by davecouture

The Patriots offensive line certainly was not a concern last season and I don’t see it being a primary concern this offseason. The only position that will be addressed should be the center position. Dan Koppen and his backup/utility man Dan Connolly will be free agents this offseason and although neither should be very expensive signings, both could potentially end up elsewhere. If healthy Koppen is certainly a quality center but there are certainly other options the Pats may consider. Connolly seems to be a great fit in the Patriots offensive line because of his versatility to play both guard positions as well as center. Heck, the guy can even return a kick when called upon. Most people, as well as myself saw Brian Waters as a one-year average fill in but after his pro-bowl season last year it looks like he will be back for another year. With Logan Mankins and Waters in the guard positions the Pats are as solid as it comes there. The tackle situation looks very promising as well. Matt Light looks like he still has some left in the tank and with the combination of Sebastian Vollmer and Nate Solder on the opposite side the Pats look pretty solid up front. The Patriots also have Marcus Cannon in the waiting, Cannon is a huge presence on the line standing at 6’5” and weighing 358. Overall the Patriots offensive line should be very solid. If Koppen walks and the Pats are not content with Connolly as their starting center they will definitely have a few possible options.

Jeff Saturday: Even with Saturday playing for the enemy for many years he still praised Patriots owner Bob Kraft and credited him by saying the lockout could not have ended without the help of Kraft. Saturday is a class act and a Patriots type of guy. Rumor has it Saturday is mulling retirement, but if he opts to remain in the league I would imagine he wouldn’t be a piece to the Colts rebuilding process. Saturday is a quality center and could be a solid fit for the Pats at a reasonably low-cost.

Matt Birk: A veteran center that could come in and be a leader on the offensive line at a low-cost.

Patriots Offseason: Tight Ends

Posted on February 16, 2012 by davecouture

The Patriots clearly do not need to address the tight end position this offseason. With Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez the Pats have two of the top tight ends in all of football. Gronkowski is not only an elite pass-catching tight end; he is also one of the best blockers at his position. I’m sure the Patriots will carry three tight ends on the roster so expect them to go after a veteran as more of a blocking presence to throw out their on the occasional running down. I’m sure the Patriots will be looking to give the tight end tandem some new contracts very soon. Whether or not that will happen this off-season has yet to be determined, but either way Hernandez and Gronkowski have earned themselves a serious payday. If healthy; the Patriots will enter the 2012 season with by far the best tight end tandem in the NFL.