Re: The Mike O'Meara Show
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Date: March 09, 2010 03:12PM
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Pats formalize signings of Wilfork, Neal
Link|Comments (3) Posted by Albert Breer March 9, 2010 02:23 PM
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The Patriots today made official the re-signing of NT Vince Wilfork and G Stephen Neal, deals that went down late last week and helped secure the team's position in the trenches.
The photo on your right -- from the Patriots official Twitter feed -- gives you the visual of the deal with Wilfork going into the books today.
For one reason or another, OLB Tully Banta-Cain's three-year contract wasn't part of this particular release, but I'm sure that one's coming, too.
UPDATE (2:50 p.m.): Actually ... Just got a head's up that Banta-Cain's signing was announced officially last week. So that's done, too, and the decks are clear, but it seems like the days of free agency sure are starting to run together.
Wilfork: 'We're very happy staying put'
Link|Comments (3) Posted by Albert Breer March 9, 2010 12:56 PM
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Patriots NT Vince Wilfork has come out publicly for the first time since signing his five-year, $40 million deal, speaking with the team's official Web site (I believe it was the dot-com guys Erik Scalavino and Paul Perillo talking with Big Vince) about securing his future as a core member of the club.
"We're very happy staying put, staying in New England for five more years," Wilfork said in an interview that you can find audio of here. "I never wanted to leave. My family, my kids, I think, are happier than I am. Not because of the long-term deal, just that we don't have to move anywhere. I'm excited. We're all excited. We definitely got done what we wanted to get done out of the deal."
Wilfork was pretty frank during the 12-minute talk, and didn't sugarcoat the situation. And so it was that he was fairly open about the bumps along the way.
"When I signed here as a rookie six years ago, going on my seventh year here now, first thing I said is I want to start and end my career here in New England," Wilfork said. "That's been the motive all this while. I mean, did I get frustrated at times? Of course.
"That's business, that's a negotiation. I'd never been through (this kind of) negotiation. Certain things were pissing us off, and we're going back-and-forth, and I'm not the type of person that likes to go back-and-forth, so I was just like, 'When's it going to be over?'"
FULL ENTRY
The best of what's left
Link|Comments (3) Posted by Albert Breer March 9, 2010 12:17 PM
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I mentioned in my Anquan Boldin post how top talent on the free-agent market is sparse. And so I figured some of you guys wanted a better idea of what's out there.
So I went to ESPN.com, and their free-agent tracker, and here -- after five days -- are the Top 20 unrestricted free agents still available, as ranked by the Web site's scouts:
1. Saints S Darren Sharper
2. Bengals G Bobbie Williams
3. Ravens WR Derrick Mason
4. Eagles RB Brian Westbrook
5. Buccaneers WR Antonio Bryant
6. Titans LB Keith Bulluck
7. Bills WR Terrell Owens
8. Saints DE Paul Spicer
9. Patriots CB Leigh Bodden
10. Patriots DE/OLB Derrick Burgess
11. Ravens DE Dwan Edwards
12. Rams DE Leonard Little
13. Texans OT Chester Pitts
14. Dolphins DE Jason Taylor
15. Panthers DE Tyler Brayton
16. Browns C Rex Hadnot
17. Bengals RB Larry Johnson
18. Patriots TE Benjamin Watson
19. Lions LB Larry Foote
20. Bears DE Adewale Ogunleye
... Thought it was interesting that there are three Patriots -- only one (Bodden) of whom they've made a real effort at keeping -- on that list. I think that shows how limited everyone options are, but the other side of it is that with the dollars being spent on the secondary market in check, there could be some bargains out there.
Will Boldin be the one who got away?
Link|Comments (21) Posted by Albert Breer March 9, 2010 10:25 AM
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As the Patriots hosted a group of free agents on Monday, you had to wonder if, when all's said and done, this question will hover over the offseason: What if Anquan Boldin had come here?
Finances, most certainly, played a role here, in that Boldin and Baltimore were able to work out a four-year, $28 million deal -- with $10 million guaranteed -- to ensure that the new marriage would get off on the right foot.
But the draft-pick compensation here makes this deal an interesting one to examine. New England gave up third- and fifth-round picks for Derrick Burgess in August. Baltimore surrendered third- and fourth-round picks for Boldin, and got a fifth-rounder back in the deal.
And since receiver has become a position of need in the same way pass-rusher was a need last year (after the failed pursuit of Jason Taylor), you have to wonder if the Patriots will, at some point, have to pay to make up the difference here the way they had to make up for swinging-and-missing on Taylor last year.
Yes, they signed David Patten, and yes, they brought in Josh Reed for a visit, but it's hard to believe they'll be able to find a difference-maker of Boldin's caliber, barring a highly unlikely run at an RFA like Brandon Marshall or Vincent Jackson. Remember, last year, the Patriots let Jabar Gaffney walk, and tried to fill the hole on the roster with Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis hoping one would pan out. Neither did, and they were left in the lurch.
Remember, we're still just five days in here. There's plenty of time to take care of the problem. But the team's options aren't quite what they were a couple days ago.
Bodden tale a twisted one
Link|Comments (23) Posted by Albert Breer March 8, 2010 09:33 PM
Bodden23.jpgI think my pal Lindsay Jones (that's @PostBroncos to you guys) of the Denver Post put it best with this Tweet: I love me some Twitter, but this Leigh Bodden mess is a reminder of how it can be dangerous.
Here's hoping this game of he-said, she-said ends soon.
And now, what I've heard ... According to a source with intimate knowledge of the situation, Patriots free-agent CB Leigh Bodden is expected to make a decision on his future in the next 24 hours.
Bodden was in Houston to visit with the Texans today, and his camp has maintained that the Patriots would have a shot at retaining the corner when it gets to decision time, which is now upon us.
Had things remained up in the air, Seattle was going to be the next team for Bodden to visit, though it doesn't appear as if that will happen at this point. The Steelers have also had discussions with the free agent, who spent his first five seasons with the Browns, and played for Detroit in 2008.
And so there you have it, as far as I know it. We'll pass along more answers as we get them.
Murrell visited today, too
Link|Comments (23) Posted by Albert Breer March 8, 2010 07:12 PM
Murrell.jpgOn the heels of the news coming that Alge Crumpler is visiting Foxborough today, we pass along this -- A source has confirmed that Jets special teamer Marques Murrell is there with him.
Murrell's in his third NFL season, having come into the league as undrafted free agent with the Eagles in 2007. He was released by the Eagles before playing a game for them, and picked up by the Jets.
The Jets chose not to tender Murrell, and he's already paid a visit to the Broncos.
A couple of interesting things on Murrell. First, he played for Div. I-AA powerhouse Applachian State, which means he does have a winning pedigree. And second, he's the younger brother of Adrian Murrell, the ex-Jets running back who was together with Patriots coach Bill Belichick (then the NYJ defensive coordinator) in New York in 1997.
ESPNBoston.com first reported on the visit.
Patriots host TE Crumpler
Link|Comments (25) Posted by Christopher L. Gasper, Globe Staff March 8, 2010 05:57 PM
Crumpler.jpgThe Patriots are hosting veteran tight end Alge Crumper today, according to league sources. The team has to find someone to play tight end with Benjamin Watson a free agent and Chris Baker sent packing last Thursday.
That left Robbie Agnone and Rob Myers as the Patriots tight ends.
The 32-year-old Crumpler, who had 27 receptions for 222 yards and a touchdown last season, is available because the Titans put the first-round tender on tight end Bo Scaife and are high on second-year tight end Jared Cook.
Cook, ironically, was drafted by the Titans last year (No. 89 overall) with a third-round pick they picked up from the Patriots in exchange for a 2010 second rounder.
UPDATE (6:30 p.m.): It's Breer (just for clarity's sake) updating Chris' news here with a link for you ... Check it out, and you'll see that Crumpler played on 700 of the Titans' 1,039 offensive snaps in 2009 (67.4 percent), which is a pretty good number all things considered.
And if you look closely at the Pro Football Focus metrics, you'll see he played a pretty serious hand in Chris Johnson's 2,000-yard season.
Green to visit Denver
Link|Comments (0) Posted by Albert Breer March 8, 2010 05:18 PM
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Patriots DE Jarvis Green is set to start his free-agent tour, according to agent Albert Elias, and is en route now to visit the Denver Broncos.
Green's strategy all along was to wait out the first wave of free agency, and now that the market has settled, he's ready to go.
Green will arrive in Colorado tonight, and has his meetings with the Broncos and coach Josh McDaniels, the ex-Patriots offensive coordinator, set up for tomorrow.
The Broncos have already signed one 3-4 defensive end in Justin Bannan, but the ex-Raven has a fairly different skill set than the versatile Green. Denver also hosted another ex-Raven end, Dwan Edwards, on Sunday, but Edwards left Colorado without a deal.
Green's reps and Denver have spoken on parameters for a potential deal and while nothing is in place, both sides felt comfortable enough to make the trip happen.
Gillette's new field taking shape
Link|Comments (1) Posted by Albert Breer March 8, 2010 04:53 PM
Gillette field.jpegThat picture to the right, straight from the Patriots' official Twitter feed, is the new FieldTurf going down at Gillette Stadium.
You can get a closer look at the actual surface right here.
So what is it, exactly? Well, Real Patriots says, "It's FieldTurf's newest creation", which is to say it's the next generation of the fake stuff. It's actually called Duraspine PRO, and it has as much to do, believe it or not, with soccer as it does with football.
See, the new stuff is expected to fall in line with FIFA's strict guidelines for playing conditions for international soccer. And seeing as though Patriots owner Robert Kraft owns a soccer team, and is on the board of directors for the United States' bid to get the World Cup here in 2018 or 2022, it all makes sense.
Anyway, this stuff is supposed to play as closer to natural grass than any surface before it has. Pretty amazing, when you consider how we all got here in the first place.
Here's your own personal film vault
Link|Comments (1) Posted by Albert Breer March 8, 2010 03:14 PM
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If the suspense of free agency is killing you (OK, it probably isn't), then I may have just found the elixir ...
Go to Hulu, an underrated Web site for some time that just struck a deal to carry NFL Films content.
And if you're a real football junky, settle in, because there's a boatload of cool stuff to go through there. If you follow this link, you can access a whole plethora of stuff, including the America's Game series, season highlights packages, Super Bowl highlight shows, and the "Game of the Week" episodes that give you perspective of the action from the NFL Films cameras. Pretty cool overall.
I hope this doesn't read too much like press release, because I wouldn't put it up if I wasn't going to spend some time going through the thing myself. Always been a big fan of NFL Films' work (the contribution of people like Steve Sabol to the league, as I'm sure you guys know, has been immeasurable), and this is kind of a one-stop shop for all of it. So check it out.
Watson set to check out Browns
Link|Comments (16) Posted by Albert Breer March 8, 2010 01:35 PM
Watson.jpgBenjamin Watson is visiting with the Seahawks today and, according to Pro Football Talk, the Browns are next.
Cleveland will host Watson on Wednesday, provided he leaves Seattle unsigned.
One connection in Cleveland is the obvious one -- Eric Mangini was with the Patriots when they drafted Watson in 2004, and spent two years on the same practice fields as the tight end. But there's another, less obvious tie there in the presence of offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
Daboll was receivers coach with the Patriots during Watson's first three years in New England, and was there for Watson's most statistically productive season, in 2006. Now, obviously, he wasn't Watson's position coach, but there surely is some passing-game overlap with the tight ends and receivers, so Daboll's certainly worked with him extensively.
Evan Moore (12 catches), Robert Royal (11 catches) and Steve Heiden (10 catches) were the Browns' leading pass-catchers at the position last year, after they dealt Kellen Winslow to the Bucs.
Another side of Bill Belichick
Link|Comments (1) Posted by Albert Breer March 8, 2010 12:35 PM
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Since about 99.9 percent of the public knows just about nothing about the coaches and players they watch outside of what they see on the field, it's always interesting when you get a different viewpoint on those who you root for or against.
And in this morning's Boston Globe, Stan Grossfeld gave you guys that kind of viewpoint on Bill Belichick, showing the man as a father, rather than as Patriots coach.
Think he's cool, calm and collected on the Foxborough sideline? Well, it's a little different when he's watching his kids play or coach, and that's what he explained about watching his daughter Amanda (in the black skullcap there, talking to midfielder Dayna Defliese) help lead the UMass women's lacrosse team.
"You don't have any control over it," Belichick told Grossfeld. "At least when you're involved in your own gave, you have a little more control over it."
And that's all I'm gonna give you guys here. Scroll back up, click on the link, and check it out. It'll be worth your time.
Is the power shifting in the AFC East?
Link|Comments (66) Posted by Albert Breer March 8, 2010 09:43 AM
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The Jets and Dolphins were both active over the first weekend of free agency.
Miami has Karlos Dansby in the fold, and it looks like Ryan Clark could soon join him in aqua. Meanwhile, New York dealt for a player with All-Pro ability, in Antonio Cromartie, and a little less in the maturity department, while dealing off Kerry Rhodes and whacking Thomas Jones and Lito Sheppard.
I went over why the Jets think Cromartie will return to form -- New York's scheme fits him, and the locker room is strong -- in my Sunday Notes. Another thing I talked to Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum about on Saturday was the team's approach of giving up draft picks, like they did for Cromartie, and as they have in trades for vets Kris Jenkins, Brett Favre, Braylon Edwards and Jones, and in dealing up in the draft for Darrelle Revis, Mark Sanchez, Dustin Keller and Shonn Greene.
“Draft choices are very important,” said Tannenbaum, who grew up in Needham. “But I’ve always believed that quality over quantity is what gives you a chance at sustainable success. I’ve never been fixated on coming out of the draft with eight or 10 picks. That’s irrelevant, because you can make up for it with undrafted free agents and at the end of the summer with waiver claims. … It’s a year-round approach for us.”
Tannenbaum points to Mike DeVito (a Nauset High and UMaine grad signed after going undrafted) and David Clowney (a fifth-round pick of Green Bay who was released his rookie year) as examples of guys the Jets found that made up for lost draft picks. The Jets actually did a study on this in the past and found that, in many cases, you can find the same value on the undrafted market as you can in the sixth and seventh rounds of the draft.
k_dansby_blog.jpgGive the Jets credit for getting creative and finding a way to improve. They were seriously limited by the "Final Four Rules", which meant they could only pick up a UFA as they lost one of similar financial value (Marques Douglas and Tony Richardson were their only '09 starters who were UFAs), and they still found a way to make a serious improvement to an already nasty defense.
The Dolphins shouldn't be dismissed here, either. Of the big names, Dansby might have be the surest thing on a pretty barren market, and teaming him with Channing Crowder at ILB makes the Dolphins better. If they can get Clark done, then they'll have fixed two pretty substantial holes on defense, and be able to turn their focus to finding a couple playmakers on offense in the draft to help young QB Chad Henne.
Is it time to declare the Patriots' dominance over the division a thing of the past? No, not by a long shot. I mean, we're four days into the new league year, and a lot of things can happen. But it's hard to argue that, at this point, the Jets and Dolphins aren't substantially better than they were a few days ago. And it's tough to say the same about New England.
Is the Bodden's fate out of Pats' hands?
Link|Comments (22) Posted by Albert Breer March 8, 2010 08:40 AM
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The feeling all along has been that the Patriots will have their shot at retaining cornerback Leigh Bodden when the rubber hits the road and decision time arrives.
But seeing some of the comments Bodden made at Hobby Airport in Houston last night is enough to make you think that the cornerback won't be playing favorites with anyone.
So if the guys there on the left -- Texans general manager Rick Smith and coach Gary Kubiak -- step up and give Bodden what he wants, will he just go?
Maybe he will.
"I had a good year [in New England], but it's all about who wants me," Bodden told FOX 26. "If they want me, they can get me. If Houston wants me, they can get me. I'm just here to see what these guys have to offer and just meet the coaches."
My interpretation: Whoever wants me more gets me. And usually "wants me more" boils down to dollar signs.
Either way, it appears Bodden wants a quick resolution, and not some drawn-out World Tour to find his new team or decide to stay with his old one: "It's part of the business. Hopefully I can get things done with the Texans and just move on."
Remember, the days of taking five and six visits are things of the past. When players make a visit, they usually know how serious a team is about them. And so when Bodden intimates that things could get done in Houston quickly, folks, he really means it.
And here comes the second wave of UFAs
Link|Comments (8) Posted by Albert Breer March 7, 2010 05:39 PM
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After watching Julius Peppers sign for more than DeMarcus Ware, Karlos Dansby get a little sweeter deal than Bart Scott, Dunta Robinson outdo Asante Samuel, and Vince Wilfork become the highest paid 3-4 nose tackle in league history, one thing is clear:
The money is there.
Elite talent got elite bucks. So maybe it's now that we see the real effect that an uncertain future has on free agency. I addressed it in my Sunday Notes, and here's what Jason Chayut, the agent who got Dunta Robinson those big bucks, said after the first day-and-a-half of free agency.
“I wasn’t surprised by the top-tier guys at their positions getting paid; those guys are always going to get paid. The second-tier guys were the ones who will suffer. In the past, when those guys weren’t the best at their position, just the best available, they’d get overcompensated. That didn’t happen.’’
Chayut added that it's strange market, but the one thing that's clear is "the issue of overcompensation vs. getting value. Players didn’t get overpaid. And because of that, I have a strong suspicion that teams were waiting to do things until [this] week."
I can say -- to anyone suspecting collusion -- there's a different approach from one team to the next. The Bears, obviously, have kicked into win-now mode, and since they're operating without first- or second-round picks, they had to spend to execute. The Cowboys, meanwhile, had a plan set in place all along to sit back and let the market settle. The Panthers are pulling back all together.
Now, I believe signings like Aaron Kampman's in Jacksonville, Kyle Vanden Bosch's and Nate Burleson's in Detroit, and Tony Pashos's in Cleveland will help to spark the secondary market this week, with a very small primary market for UFAs (basically Julius Peppers, Karlos Dansby and Dunta Robinson) now clear, and teams and agents having a better handle on market value.
From the Patriots' perspective, it's already apparent with Leigh Bodden heading to Houston tonight (that post was updated at 5:51 p.m., so you know), Jarvis Green is getting set to work the market, and Bills WR Josh Reed visiting Foxborough tomorrow. Traditionally, the Patriots have feasted -- whether the signings were the right ones or the wrong ones -- on the secondary free agent market. And so it stands to reason they'll be ready for the temperature to turn up on those players right about now.
Bodden set to visit Texans
Link|Comments (15) Posted by Albert Breer March 7, 2010 01:55 PM
mark-sanchez-gary-guyton-leigh-bodden-2009-11-22-19-40-36.jpgPatriots free agent CB Leigh Bodden is set to start looking for his 2010 employer, with a visit to Houston.
According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans had gone back-and-forth on the idea of pursuing Bodden after losing their own big-ticket free-agent CB Dunta Robinson. Fair to say, then, that if Bodden's getting an offer from Houston, it won't be close to the six-year $57 million deal Robinson got from the Atlanta Falcons.
Bodden, like a lot of other players on the slower-than-usual secondary market, garnered immediate interest at the start of free agency on Friday, but had to wait a bit to make more concrete plans.
Now, it seems, more of those players will start to see things move along. Bodden is expected, no matter what happens, to give New England a fair shot at retaining him, though it's pretty clear he's not staying at a discounted rate.
UPDATE (5:42 p.m.): Through the magic of Twitter, we've got a whole bushel of things to add here. And let's go ...
@Alvin Keels (Bodden's agent) had this:"Leigh Bodden heading to Houston today for a visit with the Texans" ... Then @LeighBodden himself Tweeted: "I really need to try to get some sleep before we land. This is going to be a busy week for me so I better get all the rest that I can."
And respected veteran NFL scribe John McClain, of the Houston Chronicle, Tweeted this: "Bodden arrives in Houston tonight and will meet with the Texans at Reliant Stadium on Sunday. His price has come way down." Then, Globe-ex Jerome Solomon added this, with Houston needing to replace Robinson: "Text message from a Houston Texan: 'We BETTER sign Bodden.' ... I don't think it's as important as he does."
Usually if a player gets on a plane, he's serious about signing with a team. And while the Bodden camp has said that New England will be involved all the way through, I'd expect for the Texans to act aggressively to try to get something done, and then the ball would go back to the Patriots' court. So we'll see what happens.
Polian sticks up for ... Belichick?!?
Link|Comments (15) Posted by Albert Breer March 7, 2010 09:28 AM
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The MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference is this weekend over at the convention center and Boston's favorite foot