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Answering your questions
Looking through the comments section of the blog and answering some questions. ...
Pro Bowl is the week prior to Super Bowl. Am I correct this is a change?
This is a change. The NFL is trying it for the 2009 season to see how it works. The Pro Bowl has become an afterthought to many, and the thinking is that by putting it in the same location at the Super Bowl, it might generate some more excitement and have more players suit up. Also, more media members will be able to cover it. Obviously, players in the Super Bowl won't be playing in the Pro Bowl. I personally like the idea, although those who annually took the trip to Hawaii aren't as excited about it.
Where is our Rookie of the year Mayo?
Mayo has not been at on-field practices for organized team activities and wasn't part of on-field work at mandatory minicamp. Like Ty Warren (double groin surgery) and Jarvis Green (shoulder), he is recovering from an undisclosed physical ailment. I have not been able to confirm what it is. I don't think it's a major deal. I saw him last week at the team's golf tournament and he appeared in good spirits and wasn't on crutches or anything like that.
Isn't [Patrick Pass's signing and quick release] just a little insulting to the player?
Not in this case, because I think the Patriots were doing Pass a favor. This actually happens across the league in different forms, where a team might bring a player in for a visit to help him get his name on the league wire. Sometimes that can spark another team to take a closer look, or help an agent prove to a client that he/she is doing all they can to get the player with a club. Pass had been out of the league for most of the last two seasons.
If Julian Edelman makes the final 53, do you think they will keep only 2 QBs so that they can carry an extra linebacker/receiver/safety instead? If so, does that mean designating O'Connell as the emergency QB on gameday? Would Gutierrez be eligible for the practice squad?
I think it would be a consideration, Mark, if they felt someone like quarterback Brian Hoyer could make it through to the practice squad. To me, it's a little risky and we're going to have to see how the injury situation plays out in camp/preseason. Right now, I think it's too early to definitively say one way or the other. I think O'Connell would be the true No. 2 quarterback and not the emergency option on game-day. I am not sure if Gutierrez has practice squad eligibility (updated: 10:30 a.m.).
How can you have a wedge with less than three players?
On kickoff returns, I think we'll see some two-man blocking combinations, with a single blocker close by. Or just straight-up man-to-man, one-on-one blocking. I know special teams coaches I've spoken with around the NFL are curious how officials will be interpreting the wedge rule, and once that becomes more clear, it will be easier to answer this question.
Is there anything football-wise to look forward to before the end of July?
Not much, although the supplemental draft is July 16. The last time the Patriots made a selection was 1999 with J'Juan Cherry, who is often confused with Je'Rod Cherry. The former Cherry, who cost the Patriots a fourth-round draft choice when Bobby Grier was running the player personnel department, never panned out.
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Mike, I'd really love to know why the Pats are playing in Indianapolis again this year. What gives?!
The Pat's "system" is to screw-over a highly productive, yet underpaid player.
Years ago it was Asante Samuel. A fourth round draft pick who played like a top ten pick. More recently it's Vince Wilfork. A player who should be making FIVE to SIX times as much as he is currently making.
And the next player the Pat's are going to screw-over is Jerod Mayo. The only problem is that Mayo is SMART. He's not going to buy into the diamond king owner's smaltz. And I'm willing to bet that Mayo believes in Barack Obama's Middle east policy.
Exactly why do we need a Pro Bowl?
Mike, What is supplemental Draft?
No Bill, I look at it very differently. The Lions' or Raiders' "systems," for example, take in guys with huge potential and never let them realize it, thus their rookie deal might be the only contract they ever get to sign. The guys the Patriots sign get a rookie contract according to their draft position just like everyone else. The difference is, the Patriots system allows them to get better production than they are likely to have anywhere else. Then, when their rookie deal expires, they get a big payday.
In other words, rookies are lucky to be drafted by a team with a good system. Outplaying their rookie deal is the best thing that could happen to them.
This trend is pretty well established.
What does obama's middle east policy have to do with an excellent middle linebacker? If Mayo is a team guy he will stick around. Rings are better than a giant contract, just ask Deion Branch. He'll never even see the playoffs again.
Bill
On a team with as many good players as the pats, there is no way to pay everyone what their agent tells them they can get as a free agent. The Pats would have to let half their team go if they paid them all that way.
How come people keep talking about us not paying players what they want, like the pats org. is dumb or evil? dont people relize they cant pay everyone what they want. ie. Vince W. if we had gave asante S what he wanted then some other player or players would not be paid. Duh!
Scott, how do you know that Branch is unhappy? Yeah, maybe he'd like another ring, but I doubt he's crying into his money-stuffed pillow about it.
I called at 10o'clock the day the tickets were released to ticketmaster and i could only get standing room ticket.How do you explain that and how can somebody get ticket.
Bill, in Asante's case how can it be considered "screwing over" when he got his big payday? The Pats system sees the Patriots developing young middle-round talent from the draft and often they realize their great potential and, upon the expiration of their contract, know they can get a big new deal. The problem is, the Pats don't believe in paying top dollar to too many players and would rather use that money to pay the middle talent and hope that someone emerges and takes place. It is a business decision and, if the only thing players like Asante or Adam Vinatieri were concerned with was getting the big payday, they both got it so they aren't complaing either. I don't see why you are. The results of the last decade speaks for itself.
BigBoyPatsFan - In 2006, when the AFC East last played AFC South, the Pats had the home field advantage, so this year the Colts get to play at home. Assuming that the NFL continues to use the same scheduling system, the Pats next guaranteed opportunity to play the Colts would be in 2012, when the Pats would get to play at home. Also, the last two years, the Pats were scheduled to play away games with the identically ranked team of AFC South (from previous years) which were the Colts both times. The Pats are scheduled to play home games with the identically ranked team of AFC South the next two years, whether they are the Colts or someone else. Hope this helps. P.S. I suspect that Indy will be in a rebuilding mode and the Pats will most likely not see them the next two years if the scheduling system stays the same. However, if the NFL adds more games, I suspect we will be playing teams in the same conference more regularly, which means more Pats-Colts games.
Pats had plenty of cap room to resign Asante.
How many rings have the Pats won since Branch left.
Mike,
I followed the link to Jeremy Jarmon. It was only a brief of what happened. Tried to google his name and got little information. Is there any interesting information you could post to give us something to think about? These are dull times it baseball bores you and contract talks are not personal.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
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