Patriots Re-Sign Two Young Defenders

According to a report on the New England Patriots’ web site, the Pats have re-signed exclusive rights free agent linebacker Eric Alexander and restricted free agent cornerback Randall Gay today. No terms were disclosed on either deal. Both men are in their mid-20s.  The Patriots obviously felt that both men are very important to New England’s defensive scheme, and rightfully so.

These are both good signings for the Patriots.  Alexander has put in his time learning the system in New England, and he logged very productive and consistent minutes for the Pats last season after spending his first two seasons with the team on the practice squad.  Conversely, Gay burst onto the scene with the Patriots in his rookie seasons, making a big splash, especially in the playoffs.  However, injuries have sidelined him quite a bit since then, but he hopes to return this year to make an impact yet again.

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Memories of a Fallen Patriot

The tragic death of Marquis Hill continues to dominate the headlines.  This story, from the Boston Herald, is from the point of view of Hill’s fiancee.  She remembers Hill as strong and kind.  As with nearly every account of this young man, it just seems that there wasn’t a bad bone in him.  He was truly a wonderful young man.
Hill seemed to represent all the was good about the athletes in the NFL, and in a time when the league is trying to alter its image for the better, it is players like Hill who should be at the forefront.  This is truly a tragic and unfortunate loss, for the league, the Patriots, and for Hill’s friends and family.  Condolences go out to everyone who was close to Marquis Hill.

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Patriots Lose Team Member in Tragic Accident

The death of Patriot Marquise Hill has been ruled and accidental drowning, according to a report on espn.com. Hill was apparently out on a personal watercraft with a female friend over the weekend when the two fell into the water into a swirling current without life vests. The woman was rescued. Hill, unfortunately, drowned before the rescue team arrived. His body was found a day later.

Hill was, by all accounts, an amazing young man. He played football with passion and heart, winning a national championship with LSU Tigers before being drafted by the New England Patriots. But his legacy as a man runs much deeper than football. Hill spent much of his free time and extra money helping rebuild the parts of Louisiana that were ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. He was regarded among those who met him as a hero. He will surely be missed.

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Patriots get Gay

The New England Patriots made another off-season acquisition, signing injury-plagued cornerback Randall Gay to a one year, 1.3 million dollar deal.  If Gay can stay healthy, he is expected to play a prominent role in the Patriots secondary, according the the Boston Herald. At the very least, Gay will provide a little more depth to the Pat’s secondary corps.

The Patriots have done everything in their power this off-season to deliver yet another Vince Lombardi Trophy to the city of Boston in the coming season.  Coach and team dictator Bill Bellichick has acquired many impact players, and has even taken a few chances, rather uncharacteristically.  Rather these chances pay off in the season remains to be seen.

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New Hall of Fame Gives Pats Proper Recognition

The New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft wanted a bold Hall of Fame to honor New England’s finest. He got it. Departing from the usual themes of Halls of Fame, the Patriots’ Hall of Fame will feature a four-story, $15 million interactive facility. Fans are encouraged to pass through this amazing building on their way to Gillette Stadium to get extra excited for the games. But this building offers more than enough to keep the whole family busy for an entire day.

Hall of fame inductees will be featured on three-story high pylons which will display real-time motion of the players. The building also boasts recordings of huddles and coaches’ talks in the locker room, accurately transplanting the spirit of the game into the Hall of Fame. And get this, they’re even going to display the snowplow used to clear a path for John Smith’s game-winning field goal against Miami in 1982. Be sure to get your New England Patriots tickets soon.

Another Season for Seasoned Vinny?

New England Patriots’ ironman Vinny Testaverde is back in the saddle. That’s right. The 43-year old veteran quarterback has returned to passing camp this week. This will add a 21st season to this former Heisman Trophy winner’s career. “He’s not retired. I doubt he’d be hanging out,” said his former agent Azzarelli. “He’s intent on playing.”

Well, he’ll at least be able to provide valuable counsel to Brady as he did in the previous season. The Patriots currently have three quarterbacks in their lineup: Tom Brady, Matt Cassell, and Matt Gutierrez. With only one touchdown pass last season, and having played just a few games, putting Testaverde back in the pocket might be a bit of a stretch. If he does play this season, it would at least provide some more significant NFL experience for a career in coaching. If Testaverde plays, this season will definitely be his last, so make sure you get your New England Patriots tickets today.

Junior’s Back

The New England Patriots gave a warm welcome back to Junior Seau. Seau, 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker, has officially signed back on with the Patriots. And New England fans and players sigh in relief. Seau’s skills and abilities will be a welcome plug, filling a hole in the Pat’s inside linebacker gap. Despite having broken his arm late last season, he’ll almost definitely get right back in the saddle as a starter this upcoming season.

Seau started at this position 10 out of 11 games last season before he suffered his injury from tackling Chicago’s Cedric Benson in Week 12. Putting Seau back in to play and adding free agent All-Pro Adalius Thomas to the current linebackers brings the Patriots linebacker crew to one of the deepest in the league. The Patriots now promise to deliver bone crushing defensive magic. Buy your New England Patriots tickets today.

The Waiting Game

Free agent running back Chris Brown’s representatives met with the Patriots last month to try to get the ball moving. Brown is still waiting on a significant development though before he pulls out the mighty pen. It’s speculated that he may even be holding out for a Patriots running back injury before he signs. There’s no reason to feel bad for Brown though.

Courting attempts have been made by the Bears, Colts, Packers, and Titans. But Brown hasn’t received any offers that suit him just yet. As one of the top free agent running backs, he does have the luxury of biding his time, for the moment anyway. Brown’s representative, Wynn Silberman, commented “We’ve had some cursory conversations with the Patriots. They respect what Chris can do. They felt he may prove to be a nice fit in their offensive scheme, a nice compliment to (Laurence) Maroney and the very legitimate backs they have, but at this point, we’re in a little bit of a holding pattern…We want to make sure he’s contributing.” Get your New England Patriots tickets today.

Moss Growing on Patriots

Despite alleged rumors that new-trade Randy Moss wouldn’t be present for the offseason conditioning program, he was indeed up and running this past Wednesday. He event attended a charity basketball game at Wellesley High School. “What a surprise. Everyone heard that (he wasn’t coming), then the guy comes in on Wednesday. Just being here - he doesn’t even have to work out - says a lot about him. He’s not the guy everyone thinks he is. He’s coming to work. He just wants to be a Patriot, man,” commented Jarvis Green.

This obviously says something about Moss’ character. Especially since he had been training for offseasons privately in Florida, even when he was a Raider. This work ethic is serving to bond him to the team, causing the Patriots to shed some doubts they may have had about Moss. “He seemed like a pretty good guy,” Green said. “I’m making assumptions here, but I think he wants to win.” Hopefully this means the Pats will be more than ready to work as a well-oiled unit come regular season. Get your New England Patriots tickets today.

Not for Meatheads

New England Patriots rookies recently battled through a weekend minicamp. Minicamp turned out to be quite the eye-opener for the rookies. And since we know there’s no hand holding or babysitting, and that coaches aren’t going to waste time on players deemed unworthy, receiving a string of profanities can even be a compliment. Interestingly enough, the playbook, not the miles of sprints, was found to be the major obstacle at minicamp. “It was like trying to read the phone book,” said defensive lineman Zach West. “They handed it to me and it was like, man, I need to do some more dead lifts or something just to lift this thing.”

Hairston also commented on the playbook, “The playbook is the biggest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. The playbook is thick. People don’t understand. It’s a great challenge. It forces you to focus very hard, pick up the little details, gather the information, and get after it.” This should dispel some beliefs that football is just for meatheads. There’s so much on the technical and tactical side that we don’t realize or think about. Which means the Pats usually do a pretty good job running their plays. When the plays are seamless and smooth, that’s when we know the rookies have integrated those “phone book” plays in their minds and on the field. Get your New England Patriots tickets today.

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