Julius Peppers is a Patriot!

Okay, so that might be a little premature to report on, but the scenario just fits so perfectly. Julius Peppers is the disgruntled Pro Bowl defensive end and standout Carolina Panthers player who has made it shockingly clear to the NFL that he wants out of Charlotte and will only settle for one of four stellar teams in the league that plays a 3-4 defense. The New England Patriots are looking for some veteran talent to back up their (conveniently) open linebacker position in the absence of Mike Vrabel, which leaves the American public to think that the Patriots could certainly be one of the teams (and the only one in the AFC?) that Julius Peppers would agree to a trade with, converting him to outside linebacker in the Pats’ 3-4 defense.

Perhaps it is because of this perfect fit that rumors have been flying that Julius Peppers will accept a trade with the Patriots, but for now the Panthers have denied any reports that they’ve been discussing a trade with the New England Patriots. In a deal reported by NFL.com, the Panthers would trade Peppers to the Patriots for a second-round pick (34th overall), which the Patriots picked up from trading Matt Cassel to Kansas City. Trade talks cannot commence, however, until Peppers signs his one-year $16.7 million deal or until his agent makes a deal with another NFL team and comes to the Panthers for approval. We say to keep an eye out for the final stages of the Julius Peppers saga to rapidly come to a close, and brace yourself, New England, for your new outside linebacker.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on March 17, 2009 - Post a comment

Galloway Joins Belichick’s Crew

New England seems to be a place where all the NFL’s oldest players come to revive their fading careers, and the newest vet to climb onboard the Bill Belichick Express is Joey Galloway, the 37-year-old wide receiver coming straight to Foxborough out of Tampa Bay. Galloway was released by the Bucs on Feb. 25 and spent the following weeks making visits to New England, Pittsburgh and Buffalo, ultimately opting for Patriots attire for next season. According to Galloway’s agent, the wide receiver’s decision to join the Patriots was a “simple” one because it was a “compelling opportunity to play for a premier owner, organization, team and coach.”

Galloway’s one-year deal with New England comes after he spent an aggravating part of last season sidelined with an ankle injury, and he finished the season with 13 catches for 138 yards and no touchdowns. Though last year was a deal-breaker for Galloway and the Bucs, the speedy wide receiver has a stellar record to back him up, becoming the second player in NFL history to post three 1,000-yard receiving seasons with two different teams. Galloway joined the league in 1995 when he was pulled by the Seattle Seahawks as the eighth overall pick in the NFL Draft. He then played for Dallas from 2000-2003 and joined the Bucs in 2004.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on March 16, 2009 - Post a comment

Evans’ Emotional Departure from New England

When former New England Patriots fullback Heath Evans took the mic at a Red Sox game this week, he introduced himself as the “I hate to say it, but former fullback for the New England Patriots.” So is the sentiment that Evans has been displaying since his departure from the team last week, when he accepted a two-year deal with the New Orleans Saints. Evans took the deal with the Saints after spending four years with the Patriots, and his admiration for Bill Belichick and the Pats was very evident this week as the fullback grudgingly started the trek from Foxborough, stating, “Emotionally, it was hard, but business-wise, it was a simple decision. Emotionally, doggone it, I was going to take far less money and far less security and come home to Boston; I had no intentions of leaving. I never expected the Patriots to be the highest bidder or even close, but it was just too much of a distance to feel comfortable.”

While there was talk about Heath Evans joining former teammates Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel in Kansas City, the fullback ultimately accepted a deal with the New Orleans Saints that would guarantee him more money than what New England offered him. While he goes to join Drew Brees for the next two seasons, Evans has not counted out a future with the Patriots, telling Boston fans at the Red Sox game this week, “You guys are the greatest fans in the world. I loved my four years in New England, who knows, maybe I’ll get back there one day.”

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on March 13, 2009 - Post a comment

Farewell, Larry Izzo

He’s no Brett Favre, but longtime New England Patriots special teams captain Larry Izzo has traded in his longtime colors for a green and white number, doing the unthinkable and inking a deal with the New York Jets. In an undisclosed deal announced yesterday, Izzo agreed to join the New York NFL team, leaving the New England dynasty to become a linebacker for the Jets. The four-time Pro Bowl special teams player and three-time Super Bowl champion got sentimental in an e-mail yesterday, saying, “I’d like to thank Mr. (Robert) Kraft, coach (Bill) Belichick, and the entire Patriots organization, coaches, staff and fans, for being so supportive during my eight years in New England. It was an incredible honor to play with so many talented players who have become lifelong friends.”

Izzo came to New England in 2001 after playing five seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He joined the Dolphins in 1996 after playing in college at Rice. Larry Izzo found a fit with the Patriots and has been a great asset to the team throughout the 2000s, but now he will travel to New York to make a run with the Jets. Izzo’s move to the Jets will not be without baggage, however, as he is still scheduled to testify in the Barry Bonds perjury trial regarding his interactions with Bonds’ personal trainer Greg Anderson.

We can’t help but think that Larry Izzo’s drastic switch from the Patriots to rival Jets was more about the money than anything else, so all we have to say about this deal is adios, Izzo!

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on March 12, 2009 - Post a comment

Pats Sign Bodden, Hodel

Continuing the drive to stock up on cornerbacks, the New England Patriots spent yesterday making a deal with CB Leigh Bodden, who was recently cut by the Detroit Lions. The Patriots signed Bodden to a one-year, $750,000 deal, and although a long-term deal with another team could have been desirable to Bodden, the cornerback recently made a statement as to his plan on attack, explaining why he signed a one-year agreement with the Pats after being sought after by several teams by saying, “The Patriots always are destined to make the playoffs and hopefully I can shoot for that, make the playoffs, play good in the playoffs and hit free agency again. I’d rather not, New England is a great team and I would rather re-sign with them, and hopefully we can come to terms during the season. If not, then after the season.” Before he was part of the Detroit Lions’ 0-16 season, Bodden was a five-year Cleveland Brown, where he came into the NFL as an undrafted rookie out of Duquesne.

Another new face in New England is long snapper Nathan Hodel, who signed with the Patriots after the team lost Lonie Paxton to the Denver Broncos. Hodel spent the last seven NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, and the 31-year-old player will now make his debut with the Patriots after inking an undisclosed deal yesterday.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on March 11, 2009 - Post a comment

Enough about Tom Brady

Yes, Tom Brady will return to his throne as the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots next season - and yes, he will bring with him to the New England palace his new queen, Gisele Bündchen. America’s newest power couple has caused quite the stir in the tabloids for the last several weeks, but that doesn’t mean that gossip should make the rounds in the football realm.

Tom and Gisele are no Jessica and Tony and, likewise, the Patriots are not the Cowboys, so stop right there when analyzing the future of the New England Patriots. Brady and Bündchen have been a couple since 2006 and Brady has continued to stay consistent through it all, so rumors flying that Tom Brady’s personal life will interfere with his game should dissolve – and quickly at that. When it comes to the nation’s most coveted quarterback, we’ll let the facts speak for themselves. Since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, Brady has become the NFL’s Most Valuable Player (2007), scoring an assortment of franchise and league records including most touchdown passes in a season (in 2007 with 50), highest completion percentage in a game (92.9% in October 2007) and several more. This 10-year NFL veteran will be just fine next season, so Pats fans should turn their energies toward more important issues in the offseason - such as the upcoming draft – instead of Tom Brady’s personal life.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on March 10, 2009 - Post a comment

Preceding Draft, Brady Comes to Mind

The upcoming NFL Draft promises great things for the 2009 football season, and anticipation for next month’s draft has already caused a stir amongst the league. When it comes to the NFL Draft, this is where coaches separate themselves in terms of good versus great, as it all comes down to strategy. While looking at all of the eligible draft picks for this year, it’s easy to make comparisons to some of the best draft picks of all time, and yesterday the NFL Network made a list of these names, compiling the top 10 draft steals in NFL history. Coming in at number one on this list? Tom Brady – no surprise here.

Brady was drafted in the sixth round of the NFL Draft in 2000 and has since led the New England Patriots to four Super Bowls and three titles, become one of the most coveted quarterbacks in league history. Brady’s place atop the top 10 draft steals beats out Joe Montana, the number two draft steal in league history as a third-round pick in 1979. Rounding out the top five on the list are Terrell Davis (sixth-round pick in 1995), Deacon Jones (14th-round pick in 1961) and Dan Marino (first-round pick in 1983), respectively, and Bo Jackson (seventh-round pick in 1987), Shannon Sharpe (seventh-round pick in 1990), Ray Guy (first-round pick in 1973), Larry Wilson (seventh-round pick in 1960) and Roger Staubach (10th-round pick in 1964) finish out the list. Will the Patriots be able to add another name to this list in the near future? Stick around to find out!

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on March 9, 2009 - Post a comment

Pats Load Up with Springs, Lewis

The New England Patriots have made quite a few moves so far in the free agency, and two significant deals are in the works today that will add even more depth to this dominating team. The Patriots are ending the week minus a couple strong players, but they are also gaining worthy veterans in the meantime. The newest additions to New England are free agent cornerback Shawn Springs, formerly of the Washington Redskins, and wide receiver Greg Lewis, picked up from Philadelphia.

The Patriots signed Lewis to a contract yesterday that will also give the Pats an undisclosed pick (rumored to be a seventh-rounder) in the 2010 draft in exchange for a fifth-round pick for the Eagles in this year’s draft. Lewis is expected to take the place of Jabar Gaffney, who recently signed with the Broncos. New England’s signing with Shawn Springs is still in the works, but the CB has allegedly agreed to a contract with the Patriots, though he has also been shopped around Philadelphia. Springs, a 12-year NFL veteran who has also played with the Seahawks, was released from the Redskins last week and could help fill the ever-present void of Asante Samuel.

After picking up free agents Lewis and Springs, the Patriots then re-signed safety James Sanders, punter Chris Hanson and reserve linebacker Eric Alexander, letting go of linebacker Darrell Robertson.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on March 6, 2009 - Post a comment

McDaniels Builds ‘Patriots 2.0′ in Denver

The rumored Matt Cassel/Jay Cutler trade talks involving the Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Bucs and Detroit Lions obviously didn’t work out, but they still left several football fans wondering about the bond that new Broncos head coach and former Patriots staff member Josh McDaniels has with his old team. Cassel was one of the first Patriots to be considered for a chance to play under the direction of McDaniels, but today’s news proves that he will not be the last.

In a deal solidified yesterday, McDaniels and the Denver Broncos signed former New England Patriot and free agent running back LaMont Jordan to a two-year, $2.5 million contract, bringing the nine-year NFL veteran to Denver. Jordan has also spent time playing with the Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets since 2001, when he was plucked from the second round of the NFL Draft.

While LaMont Jordan is the most recent Patriot signed by former New England offensive coordinator McDaniels, the Broncos have also been busy in the offseason luring former Pats long snapper Lonie Paxton and wide receiver Jabar Gaffney into their blue and orange getup, sparking speculation that McDaniels is on the path to creating a spinoff version of the Patriots in Denver.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on March 5, 2009 - Post a comment

Another Taylor to New England?

The Patriots snatched up ex-Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor in a deal last week that places the 33-year-old player and 11-year NFL veteran in the ranks of the Bill Belichick army for the 2009 season, and he may not be the only veteran named Taylor who is on his way to New England. Another NFL Taylor who goes by the name Jason may just have his chance to shine for the Patriots next season, as well.

34-year-old Jason Taylor, a six-time Pro Bowl defensive end and former Dancing with the Stars competitor who has spent most of his current 12 years in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, was recently cut by the Washington Redskins for not complying with the team’s offseason workout schedule, leaving him and his $8 million salary out to dry. While he’s now being shopped around the league, speculation is abuzz that Taylor will find a place with Bill Belichick and Co. as a New England Patriot in the near future. This former NFL Defensive Player of the Year has been both a 4-3 end and a 3-4 linebacker, and his versatility and experience could prove to be extremely valuable to the Pats. On top of that, Taylor’s career 120.5 sacks is an undeniable number, leaving Patriots fans wondering whether another Taylor is soon to be added to the New England Patriots lineup.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on March 4, 2009 - Post a comment


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