| Mike_Reiss | Hello all. This should be fun, following the New England Patriots in 2007. Whether you like the team’s moves or not in trades, the draft and free agency, I would think most are in agreement that the Patriots are going to be one of the more intriguing teams to watch this season. I’ll start by sharing my thoughts on Randy Moss. When initial reports surfaced that the Patriots might be interested in him, I semi-dismissed them, figuring Moss wasn’t the type of player the Patriots would add to the club. Then when the news broke that the team acquired him on Sunday morning, I was stunned. My first reaction was ‘do they know what they’re getting themselves into?’ Then, as the hours passed and I listened to Randy Moss, Bill Belichick and others, I was viewing the move in a different light. Essentially, I bought into the idea that Moss’s situation is very, very similar to that of Corey Dillon from 2004. Two ultra-competitive guys not happy in a losing environment, looking for structure, a chance to win, and a chance to be one of 53 guys, not No. 1 of 53 guys. Dillon’s situation worked out very well, so perhaps Moss’s will too. Also, there is the low-risk, high-reward factor. Talk about running the gamut of thoughts. Some might say I’m playing both sides of the fence on that one, or that perhaps my spine might need some strengthening, but that’s how my thoughts unfolded over the first 24 hours after Moss’s acquisition became official. I’m sure there will be some varied thoughts on Moss and we’ll try to get to them all over the next hour on this chat. But we'll mix it up as well, starting with some draft stuff. |
| DC17__Guest_ | Hi Mike. Do you get the feel that if Jon Beason was there at 28, the Patriots would have taken him instead of trading out? I thought he would have been a great fit at ILB. Is there a chance that they thought Beason would have fallen to 28 whereas Meriweather would not have? |
| Mike_Reiss | I was very high on Beason and think he could have been a great prospect to develop behind Tedy Bruschi. But I still think the Patriots would have traded out of 28 with the 49ers if Beason was on the board. I think the reason was speed. My feeling is that the Patriots weren't crazy about the linebacker crop, specifically in the speed department and the ability to play not just on first and second down, but also on third down. They did not believe Meriweather would make it to 28, with the Eagles at 26 the likely team to draft him. |
| TommyB__Guest_ | Do the Pats have a better chance of signing Asante Samuel to a long-term deal since they didn't draft as many players that they could have in the higher rounds? Does this free up cap space for Samuel? |
| Mike_Reiss | I don't think the draft, or any players the team picked or didn't pick, has any strong connection to Samuel. I also don't think the financial considerations have any connection to Samuel. Right now, I see the issue as two sides being apart in negotiations. Spoke with someone close to the negotiation today and the word is that nothing is happening right now on that front. |
| Acton__Guest_ | Instead of drafting a bunch of players in rounds 3 - 7 that will not make the team, wouldn't it have been better to roll the dice with
Michael Bush or trade a bunch of those picks for a second rounder pick that would be good enough to make the team? |
| Mike_Reiss | The Patriots picked eight players in rounds 4-7 and not all will make the team, although some should make the practice squad, which is part of the package. As we've seen in the past, the practice squad can be a valuable spot to develop players. At the same time, if the Patriots could have traded some of those 4th-to-7th round picks for a second-rounder, I assume they would have done it. I don't think the team with the second-round pick would make that type of trade, though. |
| PATS07__Guest_ | How would you compare Meriweather to Michael Griffin? What are each players strengths and weaknesses? If both were on the board do you still think that the Pats would have gone with Brandon? |
| Mike_Reiss | Meriweather = cover safety. Griffin = in-the-box, support-the-run safety. I think the Patriots liked Meriweather better, for the coverage ability. I think Griffin might have missed too many tackles for their liking. |
| nyjoseph__Guest_ | Mike, I am happy with all the moves the Pats have made in free agency and the draft. My question though is why didn't the Pats do something similar the last 2 years to capitalize on the Tom Brady Era? |
| Mike_Reiss | A lot of factors to this. The salary cap has increased significantly the last two years, making it a possibility. Also, I still don't think the team ever planned on losing Deion Branch. So I think those two factors -- plus the right players being available and willing to come to New England at agreeable prices -- have led to this approach. |
| Kirby__Guest_ | Why didn't the Pats take a chance on Brandon Siler from Fla late in the draft? They didn't address ILB again in this draft and Bruschi isn't going to play forever. Thanks! |
| Mike_Reiss | Not sure why Siler wasn't a pick for them, but I assume it comes back to the general thought that this linebacker spot lacked the speed they were looking for. My feeling is that the Patriots weren't looking for a two-down "run" linebacker to play first and second down, but a three-down linebacker who could be a factor in the passing game. Those players are tough to find. |
| zoke712__Guest_ | mike i was wondering if you knew anything about asante samuels situation with his contract and whether or not you think it will end up good or bad for the pats |
| Mike_Reiss | Right now, nothing going on there. The sides have until July 15/16 to strike a long-term deal, and then Samuel will only be allowed to sign the one-year tender. So I would expect the sides to take another stab at it before then. From a Patriots standpoint, now that the draft is over, there is more time to focus on that situation. |
| TheMarbleheadKid__Guest_ | Hi Mike, How will the new personnel affect how the Pats play offense? In other words, if they have Maroney in th backfield with Stallworth, Moss and Welker, that's a lot of speed. Will they run-and-shoot a lot? No huddle more? There won't be many defenses that can cover all those guys. |
| Mike_Reiss | Heard Bill Belichick talking about this on WEEI on Monday, and basically, the big thing is that the Patriots' offense is ever-evolving. They change their plan from week to week. Some weeks it might be four-wides and a spread attack. Other weeks it might be two-TEs and a power set. The additions of Moss/Stallworth/Welker obviously open up the chance for more of a wide-open attack, but I don't think the Patriots will be held to one specific thing. |
| Stu__Guest_ | Hey Mike...what are the chances Troy Brown still has a gig in a Pats uniform?? |
| Mike_Reiss | Bill Belichick repeated it again over the weekend. He expects Troy Brown to have a role on the team in 2007. Whatever that role is remains to be seen. |
| Mrinal__Guest_ | Hi Mike, with the acquisition of Randy Moss and the possibility of Troy Brown returning, I think the Pats now have 10 WR's in the team, I dont expect all to make it, your thoughts? Also what is the deal with the LB situation, I thought we needed more at that position.
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| Mike_Reiss | I would think the Patriots keep 5-6 receivers on their final roster. I'd put Moss, Stallworth and Welker as locks. Then you have Washington, Caldwell and Gaffney in the next category. I would think Chad Jackson will be on the physically unable to perform list. Then you have Bam Childress, Kelvin Kight and Jonathan Smith as longer shots -- and that's not mentioning Troy Brown. All in all, this should be tremendous competition in training camp. And with injuries, you never know how it will go. ... As for linebackers ... |
| Mike_Reiss | That probably is the one spot on the roster that lacks the needed depth at this time. I would expect the team to address it in the coming months in some form. Right now, you have Bruschi, Vrabel, Colvin and Thomas as the top four. The next four are Woods, Mays, Alexander and Izzo. I figure they want to be 10-12 deep heading into training camp. |
| stickybeef__Guest_ | Do Bob and Myra Kraft still value character players? It seems like their standards have dropped a little with the signing of Randy Moss |
| Mike_Reiss | I think the Krafts do value character. I like the comparison of the Moss trade to the Dillon trade of 2004. |
| VermontPatPatriot__Guest_ | Do you think the Clint Oldenberg pick, given their lack of need at OL and other OL picks, was also motivated to create depth at blocking TE, where the older TE Kyle Brady may break down over the season and there will be a need for a strong blocker for the running game? |
| Mike_Reiss | I hadn't thought of the Oldenburg pick in that regard. I looked at it as getting another player in the Dante Scarnecchia School of Young Offensive Linemen. In terms of developing a young tight end behind Brady, they do have tight end Matt Kranchick on the roster, and I think he falls into that category more so than Oldenburg. |
| FujiFast__Guest_ | So, the Pats have completely turned over their WR corp. What about their running game? Is LM going to be able to handle the feature position after nursing himself this offseason? What's his condition? What's the outlook for Sammy Morris? |
| Mike_Reiss | The running back spot has Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Heath Evans and Quadtrine Hill. I don't think they'll make Maroney the lead back in a Larry Johnson-type of way, but do think his carries will increase from last year. As for his health, he's been limited right now as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. I don't have any more specifics at this time, other than that he should be ready to go for 2007. At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if the Patriots sign a veteran to protect themselves, such as Chris Brown. As for Morris, he can fill in at all spots -- early downs and third down -- due to his versatile skills. |
| bradytomoss__Guest_ | Mike, great job this weekend. Does the drafting of Meriweather move Eugene Wilson to CB if Harrison is healthy? |
| Mike_Reiss | The Patriots won't be locked into one thing with Wilson, but I like the idea of him moving to cornerback. He should too, considering he is entering the last year of his contract, and solid corners often cash in. |
| Butterfingers_Brisby__Guest_ | Hi Mike, do you think there will be any surprise releases of veteran linebackers prior to training camp or the season that the Pats might pick up? I thought that all the salary-cap cuts have
already occurred. |
| Mike_Reiss | Bill Belichick made the point on WEEI on Monday: The Patriots have signed players in June/July in the past, and while it is unlikely that a lot of players will be cut between now and training camp, the Patriots will always take a look. I would expect another signing or two in this regard. |
| RMG__Guest_ | Mike, Can you tell me why the Patriots do not draft a linebacker in the early rounds of the draft? We seem to be lacking depth at inside linebacker. Any further news on Ed Hartwell? |
| Mike_Reiss | Hartwell was close to signing with the Bengals last night, but it's not official. I think the lack of a high linebacker pick was reflective of the Patriots' view that this linebacker crop was not fast enough to contribute in the passing game. They didn't want a two-down linebacker, but instead, a three-down linebacker, with third down a pretty key consideration. |
| Butterfingers_Brisby__Guest_ | Mike, who would you rate higher Marvin Harrison or Moss? I know Harrison has bigger career numbers, but he seems to disappear come playoff time. |
| Mike_Reiss | I'd rate Harrison higher. One consideration for me is his consistency over time. |
| Bill_2__Guest_ | Hey Mike...after listening to sports radio for the last few days, I can't get over how much people are
jumping on Moss. I completely understand why, because of his background, but why does everyone seem to overlook the fact that he took a $6M pay cut? Do you think that reflects his desire to change and win with the Pats or do you think he could still be a major headache? |
| Mike_Reiss | I do think the pay cut reflects his desire to change, although I also believe it's one thing to talk about it and another to act it. So based on Moss's history, I would have some reservations. The same feelings I had when Dillon came in 2004. But that worked out fine, so I'm willing to give it a chance with Moss. |
| William_naPolian__Guest_ | How do you rank the Patriots' offseason against that of the Super Bowl Champion Colts? |
| Mike_Reiss | I think the Patriots have had a better offseason than the Colts. I thought the Colts dropped the ball on two things -- not being more aggressive with linebacker Cato June (he signed a modest deal with Tampa Bay) and not tendering starting cornerback Jason David at a higher level and protecting themselves against losing him. |
| lb__Guest_ | Mike, How do you think the linebacker corps will perform this year, given they
didn't go for a high draft choice in that area? I thought the complaint from the Colts game was that they were too old and slow to cover their receivers. thanks. |
| Mike_Reiss | Adalius Thomas should help there, but I see a lack of depth there. That lack of depth is probably the biggest question on the roster in my mind, assuming Asante Samuel comes back. If one of the top four guys goes down, who steps up? |
| Eagle__Guest_ | More than Moss, I am more concerned with Meriweather, Moss is a proven commodity, Meriweather appears to be a college punk. |
| Mike_Reiss | Meriweather obviously didn't do himself any favors in the on-field brawl, and it's not smart to be firing off a gun at 6:30 in the morning outside of your residence. But in talking to some people who are close to him, they say that is not reflective of who he is. So I guess we'll have to see based on what he does in New England. |
| jmullahy__Guest_ | Hi Mike. I'm super
psyched for the season. Belichick mentioned there is still room for Troy Brown. While I am certainly hoping this is the case. What role can Troy play at this point in his career given the
receivers we have acquired? |
| Mike_Reiss | Good question. He's probably be a backup slot guy/returner to Wes Welker. With injuries, you never know, and the role could increase. He's an emergency defensive back but I can't imagine them switching him to that side of the ball permanently. Whatever his on-field role is, I think his off-field role also shouldn't be overlooked. He's a great locker room guy. |
| Marc_in_SF__Guest_ | I think the Pats had a wonderful offseason. I did feel that the Pats are not drafting some players that could help their needs. I felt they should draft a QB to back up Brady (Troy Smith). I feel they could of protected themselves by drafting at RB (Michael Bush) and Inside linebacker. But they decided to draft more OL and DE. Do you think there are needs at these positions as well or should I be thinking, "In Bill we Trust?" |
| Mike_Reiss | The quarterback they probably would have drafted, Matt Gutierrez, has agreed to sign as a free agent. So I think that covers that need. As for the running back, I would have endorsed picking Bush with the 91st overall pick that was traded to the Raiders, and giving him a year to get healthy and have him in the 2008 mix. But the one thing I wouldn't have done is simply to pick an inside linebacker just for the sake of picking an inside linebacker. They obviously didn't feel there were valuable players at that position. Now they'll probably look to other avenues, such as free agency to add some depth. |
| Cilla__Guest_ | With the departure of Corey Dillon, I'm a little worried about a big, strong back to punch it in in goal line situations. Your thoughts? |
| Mike_Reiss | Dillon was terrific in that role in 2006, but I think Maroney can do some of that. While his style is different than Dillon's, and he doesn't carry as much weight, Maroney is also big and powerful. |
| tom_brady__Guest_ | Hey Mike...pretty neat of me to restructure my contract, no? |
| Mike_Reiss | I thought it was interesting, tom_brady, on a few levels. First, the timing. Considering the Patriots could only speak with Randy Moss late Saturday night, that had to come together very quickly either late Saturday or early Sunday. It was one layer to a multi-layered process that had to be completed quickly to beat the clock. Also, I took it to mean that you fully endorsed the acquisition of Moss, because if you had reservations, you could have held back. But on the whole, I'm assuming you didn't take a pay cut and simply moved some numbers around, so let's keep it in the proper perspective. |
| allpats12__Guest_ | Mike, What is (Barry?) Gardner's status w/the team? How about the LB cut from the Eagles? Any tread left on his tires? |
| Mike_Reiss | Gardner's broken leg is threatening his career. When I checked in with his representatives about any interest he was getting around the league, their response was that he's focusing more on his quality of life than anything else. Dhani Jones was just cut by the Eagles. He's a former teammate of Tom Brady's at Michigan, but I haven't checked into the team's interest at this point. |
| chris__Guest_ | What is the Pat's salary cap situation after bringing Moss in? I was initially under the impression that his pay cut meant his cap hit would be low - - but your article today suggests the Pats are still on the hook for roughly 10 mill. What is Moss's cost in terms of cap space, and do we have any room left to get some linebacker depth? |
| Mike_Reiss | Salary cap stuff can be confusing. To try to simplify it, the Patriots had to assume Moss's initial contract to consummate the trade, which was $9.75 million. They didn't have the cap space, so they restructured Brady's contract. But then Moss tore up his deal, and signed the one-year, $3 million package that could be worth up to $5 million with incentives. So his cap hit is not the $9.75 million. It's going to be lower than that, in the $3-5 million range. Hope that helps. |
| BigGuy__Guest_ | Mike, any thoughts which of the round 4-7 players drafted have a reasonable shot of making 53-man roster? |
| Mike_Reiss | It's all speculation, but I'd look at Oscar Lua, the linebacker from USC taken in the seventh round. Based on their depth at linebacker, his odds might be higher than most assuming he competes well. I'd put him ahead of fifth-rounder Justin Rogers because Rogers will be making a position switch from defensive end to outside linebacker, and that might take more time. |
| dinanm__Guest_ | Dhani Jones plays OLB |
| Mike_Reiss | That is true, but I would project Jones to inside in the Patriots' 3-4. |
| stan__Guest_ | great job mike, why not bring back Corey
Dillon for cheap money, I would hate to see LM shoulder go down in late November. The other RB are not big guys |
| Mike_Reiss | I don't think Dillon is interested in playing right now. |
| Longtrail__Guest_ | Mike, are you concerned about Maroney's drop-off at the end of the year. He pretty much disappeared the
last half of the season? |
| Mike_Reiss | I thought that was more injury-related than anything. |
| jimfromWV__Guest_ | In your opinion, does Moss make the Patriots the team to beat in the AFC now? |
| Mike_Reiss | I believe he does. While we all know championships aren't won in the offseason, and a lot can change between now and the season opener, I believe the Patriots have added talent that makes them the favorite in the AFC. |
