PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

New Patriots Swag Alert!

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Thoughts? I’m not running out to buy either. I continue to lobby for a job as a NFL swag designer. Every year they just throw on some random new lines and expect us fans to be impressed. Honestly, I’ll take the cheesy throwback swag from the 80’s over this stuff. Only thing I will say is that I like the fitting of the shirt. But that’s about it.

Of course this will all change once I see the actual Patriots on the sideline wearing this stuff. Then I’ll have to have it.

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Can anyone tell me who this guy is? I see him at just about every game, and missed the chance to get a picture with him in San Diego back in 2007.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/can-anyone-tell-me-who-this-guy-is-i-see-him-at/

Frenz: 5 Worst Case Free Agency Scenarios for Patriots

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Frenz: 5 Worst Case Free Agency Scenarios for Patriots

Frenz plays Debbie Downer today with the worst case scenarios the Pats could face next week when the Free Agency craziness begins (I hope). He hits the ball carrier dead facemask to chest with the Mankins/Light of it all. That is by far the biggest and perhaps only realistic place the Pats could stand to take a hit. Which of course would result in Tom Brady taking hits.

I’m sure they won’t be cutting Nick Kaczur before they know what’s going to happen with Light and Mankins no matter how much they’ll have to pay him. Let’s not forget it was Kaczur who was at LG filling in for Mankins before Connolly. But that will leave Solder to potentially start at LT and that gets a grade A “EEEEEEEK”, especially with Cameron Wake on deck for week one, followed by the always pressure packed Charger defense.

Given the choice I’d probably let Light go over Mankins for obvious age, talent, long term replacement and mauler reasons, but in the short term that’s definitely the tougher fix. We’ve seen in the past that BB will not hesitate to rip the band aid off when he knows a certain players window is closing (see Seymour), especially when there’s a high round draft pick behind him (don’t see Seymour).

Still we’ve been saying since we projected Solder as a Patriots pick before the draft that he’d need time. I’m just not sure if he’s going to get it. Otherwise we could be seeing some Mark Levoir at LT.

Ideally you get Light back on a one year deal, but the writing for him is on the wall. Actually about six feet, seven inches up the wall. Solder is the future. It’s doubtful Light would take a short term deal from the Pats and it’s even more doubtful that someone wouldn’t offer him a longer contract for more money. This is the last big contract he will get, he’ll want to maximize what he can get. Rumors have been floated that he already turned the Pats down just before the lockout madness began.

I still have hope that Mankins will be back for at least this season. Beyond that it’s doubtful. It will play out fast and furious, stay tuned…

The Legend of NEInsider: Vrabel & Mayo Edition

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Back during the 2007 and 2008 seasons an ESPN messageboard poster with the handle “NEInsider” made 14 posts purporting to be someone from within the Pats organization. Though the validity of his claims was fodder for messageboard debate, his posts were like crack to Patriots fans. Even to Pats-obsessors like me, it seemed like at least on the surface the posts could be for real.

We’ll never know for sure if he was legit or not, but he certainly had an interesting point of view on the Patriots. I took his posts as face value entertainment. Looking back now some of them were certainly way wrong. Like his predictions about Terrence Wheatley and Shawn Crable:

As I said on draft day believe me when I re-iterate that Wheatley is also potentially special. Another kid with off the charts intangibles and hands down the best change of direction from back pedal of any DB in the draft. Forget about his height. he played an entire game after a metal rod “broke” in his wrist. Super smart kid and a really good kid. Great man coverage and understands defense.

Crable is my favorite in the draft. No kid has ever come from tougher circumstances and made it. Another very smart kid. If you want a reason why Loyd Carr needed to be fired at Michigan this kid is it. A boatload of talent coached “down” . he has the ideal size, speed, and length to play outside and he wants to be the best. He will get the coaching he deserves here.

Although he certainly nailed Jerod Mayo:

Mayo was the player targeted from day one. He blew us away in the on-site inerview. This kid is super smart, tough, flexible, and loves the game and a very high charater kid. His football smarts are off the chart as are his intangibles and leadership. This kid NEVER takes a play off and during the interview process actually made suggestions and observations on sets we run that raised Bill’s eyebrows.

The trade was set up yesterday as Mayock just mentioned on NFL network. You will notice that ESPn had no interview with Bill but the NFL network did. ESPN asked and is still basically begging for Bill or Scott. Mayock and Bill have always been close and he has been the only guru Bill enjoys talking with. Mayock is highly respected around here.

A good deal of his other posts were about Spygate stuff. If you want to read what he had to say I suggest you hit up the link at the bottom of this article because there’s a moratorium on all things Spygate related here on the blog. But definitely some truthful points regarding the whole charade, regardless if NEInsider was really an insider or not. If you’re a rational, intelligent person who saw Spygate for the witch hunt that it really was then you’ll certainly like hearing an insider Patriots take whether it’s fabricated or not. Let’s just say ESPN gets hammered.

But what I found most interesting in hindsight was what he had to say below about the trade of Mike Vrabel, a move that has perplexed me more than just about any other during the Belichick regime.

Like many of his posts this one seems to be a pretty good explanation of why Vrabel was moved, though questions still remain in my mind. And unfortunately the signings of Fred Taylor and Chris Baker that they used Vrabel’s cap space for both ended up as busts. Still, an interesting take…

Vrabel will always be revered as long as i am involved in football but we needed to clear the cap. There was no desire to cut mike but his play had slipped and with bruschi, guyton, mayo he was not going inside. Kc stepped up and took him on friday for the proverbial pick to be named later which was really cap space or cash to us. Great move for kc since he will help them and a better move for us since we freed up the money to immediately sign taylor and baker. It was a win-win and was really separate from the cassel trade but was done with a belief the cassel trade would follow. Mike knew what was going on every second and was imho not upset at all because in essence mike will be the 3-4 coach on the field for kc which is what he has always wanted to be. The paperwork was at the nfl on friday signed and agreed to since mike passed his physical it was finalized. When cassel was traded we tidied up the pick to be named later by linking it to the #2 on saturday. There never was going to be a pick later. Kc did us a big favor here. Reese did an amazing job with bill during this entire process and has already eased the loss of someone as important as scott.

NEInsider hasn’t posted again in a few years now. Maybe he got canned from the Pats or got a “cease and desist” from BB. Or maybe he was just some knowledgeable Pats fan who got bored making stuff up. Who knows. But still interesting takes and insight that pass the initial bullshit test for me. I’ll leave it at that, take it for what it’s worth.

Sorry, couldn’t get the links to work, just google “NEInsider” and you’ll find your way to his original posts as well as discussion regarding his posts on PatsFans.com.