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Bad memories for Bryant

Email|Link|Comments (16) Posted by Mike Reiss, Globe Staff January 28, 2009 05:00 AM

TAMPA – Cornerback Fernando Bryant never saw it coming.

Having participated in the Patriots’ offseason program and then playing with the first unit throughout 2008 training camp, Bryant had no reason to think he wouldn’t be with the Patriots. So he hopped on a plane and headed home to Georgia over the Labor Day weekend when NFL teams were making their final cuts.

When the Patriots called Bryant and asked him to come to the facility, he was about 1,000 miles away, so the bad news was delivered over the phone.

Bryant is still puzzled where things went wrong.

“Throughout my football career, that’s one of the most disheartening things that has ever happened to me,” he said. “I thought I was doing everything I was asked to – I never missed a practice, I played hurt, I was always there on time, I was making the plays they were asking me to make, I was consistent, I knew the scheme, no off the field problems. To this day, I still don’t know.”

Bryant was out of football for the first half of the season, before hooking on with the Steelers on Nov. 11. He briefly helped the Steelers navigate through a difficult stretch of injuries, but has mostly been inactive of late.

From what he saw from the Patriots this season, he believes he could have helped.

“We watch film and you see them because of the common teams we play,” Bryant said. “You can’t tell me that I couldn’t play in that secondary this year.”

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16 comments so far...

He's got a point. He's certainly not any worse than hobbs and delta o'neal were.

And why didn't they call him when everyone went down injured?

Posted by gick January 28, 09 06:39 AM

Tough decisions are made everyday. Deal with it and more on, you can only play the cards you are dealt.

Posted by Josh of Australia January 28, 09 06:41 AM

I could tell him that he couldn't play in that secondary this year. He looked terrible with the Pats, and just as bad with the Steelers. In fact, he's seen so little field time in Pittsburgh it makes me wonder why they even bothered to sign him.

If he's lucky, he might see the field on special teams during the Super Bowl

Posted by Greg January 28, 09 06:54 AM

At most he was about 1200-1300 miles away if he was in the south-western corner of Georgia. "Several thousand" would only apply to western Montana and Wyoming and New Mexico, and most of Utah and Arizona (2000 mile radius).

Posted by Rob January 28, 09 07:16 AM

I think the last pre-season game, against Giants, in which Bryant was dragged into the end-zone for TD was the result of being cut. After that performance, I knew he was not going to make it, especially in Belichick team.

Posted by Aki January 28, 09 07:45 AM

I will agree with him that it was surprising that he got cut to everyone, especially him. However, he never showed he was good enough to keep, I mean, he also got cut from a team that went on to go 0-16. I don't think he would have changed that. Just like I don't think he could have helped our secondary.

Why was he out of football for so long? He is just a practice player for the Steelers. I honestly think he would have been a Delta O'Neal without the random lucky picks.

Posted by ProvMan January 28, 09 07:47 AM

Ha Ha, My grandmama could have played in that secondary!

Posted by jp January 28, 09 07:55 AM

its a shame the pats secondary stinks,and is the worst in he NFL.bryant is better then who we have now.I here all this stupid hype about wilhite,hobbs,and wheatly,and they are lowsy.and they will be lowsy next season they are good back-ups.the pats need some serious secondary help.

Posted by Darryl January 28, 09 08:24 AM

How surprising that guys who get cut are not happy with the team that cut them. Wow. What other revalations can we glean from media day. Two inactive bench players made the Superbowl, yipee, too bad the Patriots cut them.

We shouldn't cut anyone, or they might have their feelings hurt... they should cancel the Superbowl because someone else might lose, and that would be sad. Everyone deserves to win, everyone should get a ring, we are all entitled.

Posted by fuzzy1 January 28, 09 08:26 AM

ProvMan has a funny, but true, point - that the 0 & 16 Lions cut him earlier in the year. I when I saw him cut initially I figured it had to do with him playing 15 yards off the line on every snap regardless of down, distance and field position. However, it really seems like the whole team was doing that this year.

The NFL is not different than any other sport you played when you were a kid in terms of "try outs". With limited time to evaluate and a lot of information to process you run the risk of being cut if you don't show them a reason you should be there.

Posted by Sonny_Corlione January 28, 09 08:27 AM

The Patriots obviously and I think will continue to go with youth. It didn't work out, but 11-5 was very close. One wonders if Hobbs has reached his peak. It would have been nice if he could have bounced back from the Super Bowl season with a stronger year. But it is hard to judge as he had a lot of responsibilities and change.

Posted by Space Bandito January 28, 09 08:47 AM

I agree with Aki. If he thinks he was "making the plays they were asking me to make" he wasn't watching the same film as the rest of patriots nation

Posted by Andy M January 28, 09 08:53 AM

no offense to the players but our secondary s*cks. stats don't lie.

Posted by Alex January 28, 09 09:59 AM

He can use his terrible towel to dry his tears. Suck it up Fernando! Get your ring riding the pines and STFU. You were released because you didn't make the cut and they didn't think enough of you to call you back even when the entire secondary went down. Live with it.

Posted by Rich January 28, 09 10:02 AM

He was horrendous in the preseason as he was constantly burned and playing 15 yards off receivers. He deserved to get cut.

Posted by jspats121 January 28, 09 10:46 AM

Daryl, what secondary were you watching? Wheatley did an awesome job in the Colts game before coming down from a tipped pass and breaking his wrist. Wilhite was also very serviceable considering he's a rookie and will only improve as he learns the system.

Hobbs got torched because he's not a number one corner, and his consistent bane was the fade route in the red zone.

Deltha O'Neal was the weak point, particularly when Thomas got injured. I didn't track it, but I saw what I thought were teams attacking the zones to the side where O'Neal and the OLB replacements were playing.

I have to believe that the defense will be better given any kind of continuity. While injuries are par for the course in the NFL, I think that this year was abnormal and extreme.

Posted by Nick C. January 29, 09 12:18 AM

DO NOT HIT THE SUBMIT BUTTON MORE THAN ONCE!

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Mike Reiss, Christopher L. Gasper and the rest of the Globe team provide regular updates –and a behind-the-scenes look– on the daily happenings of the Patriots.

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