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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKId6hIxJZk
Top 10 Plays New England vs Washington Week 14, 2011 (by PatriotsRazorDotCom)
Happy Friday! You might want to mute this one… but good highlights.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/top-10-plays-new-england-vs-washington-week-14/
What a season Gronk had. Just starting to really appreciate it and wow do I hope he’s a Patriot for life. If he is he’ll have Brady for maybe the first half and then be the veteran tight end to the heir to the throne (not convinced it’s Mallet just yet). Of course a veteran tight end can be an inexperienced QBs best friend so hopefully he helps ease that horrible, horrible transition we’ll unfortunately have to go through at some point.
In the meantime I can’t wait to enjoy the few precious seasons of young meathead Gronk, and Brady still in his prime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufkHymQEuqc
Greg Bedard reports that the Pats have come to terms with Dan Connolly, and also speculates that it likely means the end of the line for Dan Koppen in New England, which is the end of era.
We all took for granted how seamlessly Connolly replaced Koppen this year at center, which is no easy task. Clearly the Patriots like what he did and perhaps see a long term future for him there. Although I wouldn’t rule him out at guard either.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/greg-bedard-reports-that-the-pats-have-come-to/
The Patriots announced their second and third outside Free Agent signings today, finalizing a three-year pact with former Chargers Safety Steve Gregory, and defensive tackle Marcus Harrison.
Gregory was San Diego’s starter at safety in 2011, and while that’s not exactly a compliment, he played a lot of snaps and also has special teams experience.
Gregory and Harrison join Jonathan Fanene as the newest Patriots, while the team is also reportedly scheduled to meet with safety Laron Landry, wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez and DE/OLB Trevor Scott.
The Pats free agency plan is slowly becoming apparent: adding depth in the defensive front seven and at safety, while also kicking the tires on a wide out like Gonzalez. There’s no question the Pats lack depth at these positions and they are strategically rounding out the roster to protect themselves.
Fanene makes sense as the first singing as he projects to be the much needed situational pass rusher alongside a hopefully healthy Myron Pryor. For two seasons the Pats have lacked a true interior pass rushing threat due to injuries to Pryor and Mike Wright, forcing them to use Vince Wilfork in passing down situations, which is not his strength.
Most fans calling for pass rushers might not have realized it when Fanene signed, but he could be a significant part of the answer to the pass rush problems that have plagued New England, especially against the three-step drop passing game. The impact of a quality interior rusher is often understated, but against a team like Buffalo who like to get the ball out quick, interior rushers are invaluable. Especially one who can cause disruption like Fanene is known to do.
As always the Patriots are rounding out their roster at the positions they most lacked depth with mid-level veterans who may be devalued due to injuries or lack of playing time and/or opportunity. The aim is to go into the draft without a glaring personnel need. There could still be a talent need, but the base of competition at each position should be set.
What does this mean for the rest of the AFC East?
The Williams signing gives the Bills arguably the best defense in the division. While the New York Jets will certainly take umbrage with that statement based on their outstanding secondary, the Bills now have a defense that features playmakers on every level. From Williams and Dareus controlling the line of scrimmage to Nick Barnett and Jairus Byrd making critical plays in back seven, the Bills have a deep and talented lineup that can thrive against any offensive style.
In the AFC East, the unit has to match up against the New England Patriots’ diversified attack. The Pats place a premium on spreading the field with multiple formations and personnel groupings, while using the short passing game to stretch the defense horizontally. After watching the New York Giants’ front four throttle the attack in Super Bowl XLVI, the Bills now have the capability of using a similar approach in a pair of division games.
For the Miami Dolphins and Jets, the Bills’ revamped defense now possesses a front line to control the game in the trenches, neutralizing both teams’ ground-based attacks. The size and athleticism of the defensive line can create penetration at the point, allowing the linebackers to flow freely to the ball.
NFL.com news: Mario Williams takes stout Buffalo defense to next level
And on the third day of Free Agency Buffalo ascended to the top defense in the AFC East…
A scout’s take on Landry | National Football Post
Laron Landry is reportedly scheduled to meet with the Patriots this weekend and the reaction to potentially adding him to the mix has been a mixed bag from Pats fans worried that he’s just another injury prone player.
Personally I don’t really worry too much about guys who are labelled as “injury prone”. You’re going to lose players to injuries every year, but more often than not they’re of the freaky nature of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s impossible to predict who will get hurt, even if you have had a year or two of injuries.
Now Landry definitely has issues with his achilles that needs to be checked out, but if it’s healed I don’t see it as a reason not to bring him aboard. Let’s not forget this is a safety who ran a sub-4.4 at the combine, and was taken sixth overall.
It’s taking chances on guys like this who are attainable at a lesser price due to their injury that can really pay off. Let’s remember Rob Gronkowski was taken off many draft boards because of his back issues.
Some will say he’s not enough of a free safety type to be a good fit with Patrick Chung. To that I say, did you see how many games Chung played last year? The Patriots need talented bodies at safety no matter what their specialty is. We’ll let the “who plays where” of it all work itself out in training camp and over the course of the season.
Here’s what the scout has to say about Landry:
– Plays extremely hard; tough football player – Top tier athlete – More explosion than power; has strength, but will struggle at the point of attack – Limited ball skills – Not as physical as advertised in the run front – More of a hitter; will come downhill on a WR; size up players in the open field – Wants to go low on tackles – Questionable study habits – Will help a team early in the season; but will he stay healthy?
What if the market made the Patriots realize they have it pretty good with Welker, who they know isn’t going to demand an idiotic deal, and it brought the sides closer to a contract extension that would enable Welker to retire as a Patriot? That’s where we think this is going. Call it a moment of crystallization for the Patriots in regards to Welker or whatever you want, but sometimes you need outside factors to make both sides realize what they have is special and they need to find a way to keep it going.
Welker deserves his own big haul – The Boston Globe
Here’s one positive take on the Welker contract situation from Greg Bedard. The Patriots had to know that there would be huge contracts given to wide receivers as soon as free agency hit, and the Pats inability to get a deal done with Welker beforehand would hurt their leverage. I doubt the Pats thought free agency would do anything but give Welker more ammo for a bigger deal. Now they’re in this position let’s hope Bedard is right and they’re still able to lock him up with a reasonable deal.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/what-if-the-market-made-the-patriots-realize-they/
The word that this photo brings to mind? Overmatched.
