Patriots Looking to Make History

The New England Patriots have great expectations for the 2009-2010 NFL season, and why shouldn’t they? The team has gathered a slew of seasoned veterans including Fred Taylor, Joey Galloway and Shawn Springs this offseason, and the return of both Laurence Maroney and Tom Brady suggest that the Patriots mean business in the upcoming months. New England is largely considered one of (if not the) best teams in the league, and with three Super Bowl championships in the 2000s already under their belt, the Patriots are out for one more, seeking to make history in the 2000s and match the 1970s Steelers and 1980s 49ers as teams with four Super Bowl titles in a decade.

The Patriots are more than qualified for this feat, especially considering that the team has made the NFL playoffs six times already in the 2000s, just missing the playoffs last year despite an 11-5 record with backup QB Matt Cassel stepping in for the injured Tom Brady. New England is looking to post another undefeated season like that of 2007, so look for this NFL superpower as it comes steamrolling into the 2009 NFL season with high hopes and lofty goals.

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

Vick to New England?

The Atlanta Falcons made it official and released suspended quarterback Michael Vick over the weekend, sparking nationwide speculation of where the former star player will wind up before the regular season of the NFL starts in September. Vick’s incredible versatility could make him an asset almost anywhere across the country, but his bad reputation still stinging from his conviction of running a dogfighting ring two years ago has made Vick’s situation a sticky one. Several teams around the league have already issued statements saying they’d pass on the opportunity to sign Vick due to his criminal ties, but there are still plenty of other teams who would perhaps consider picking up the recently-freed QB, namely the New England Patriots.

The Patriots were one of the first teams to be thrown in the mix of where Vick could end up should he leave the Falcons, and now Pats fans and critics alike are taking a closer look at where Vick could fit in the scheme of things. The Patriots already have a solid QB in Tom Brady, but using Vick as a potential backup and in receiving and running could help enhance the team’s offense as well as give Vick’s reputation a boost. Should the Pats sign Vick for a one-year deal, it could benefit both sides, as he could also be considered a higher piece of property for another team in 2010.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on June 15, 2009 - Post a comment

Patriots Pass on Pass Once Again

The New England Patriots signed running back Patrick Pass, a former Patriot who spent last season out of the league, to the team’s roster last Thursday, June 4, but the Pats announced yesterday that they had once again cut him, bringing an abrupt end to Pass’ NFL comeback for now. Pass attended workouts with the Patriots last week and this week before getting the axe from the team yesterday, putting him back on the market as a free agent.

Pass has a long history with the Patriots, playing for the team from 2000-2006 as a backup. He is a very versatile player who has played positions as running back, blocking back and fullback. As part of his stint with the Pats last week, Pass was one of only seven remaining Patriots on the team who were on all three of the team’s championship Super Bowl teams. The Pats may have signed Pass and let him go a week later as a way to try and put his name back into the mix in the NFL, but nothing is for certain. Pass has been out of the league since after 2007, when he was cut after playing one game with the New York Giants.

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

Wilfork Reports for Duty

New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork missed all 12 of the team’s voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) over the last two months, but the disgruntled player made his return to the football field in Foxborough yesterday, as he attended the Patriots’ mandatory minicamp - a contractual obligation. Nothing has yet been resolved concerning a new contract for Wilfork, who is going into the last year of his initial six-year agreement, but the DT is agreeing to go along with the terms of his contract, proving he still wants to stay in New England.

There are still 30 Patriots whose contracts are set to expire at the end of this season, but Wilfork is so far one of the only players voicing his opinion about an extension. “Six years in, and I want to get locked up (in a contract) because I don’t want to go on the free market,” Wilfork said. “It’s a possibility if I reach that part, I won’t be here, and I don’t want that to happen.” Ultimately, the tackle has repeated, “I’m still a Patriot, and I want to be a Patriot.”

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

Pats Swing Clubs for Charity

The New England Patriots were together on Monday, and not on the football field. The team took some time out of its rigorous offseason schedule to participate in the annual New England Patriots Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament, where teammates competed against each other in a golf game of sorts. Tom Brady was looking healthy as ever as he had a drive of 281 yards in the longest drive contest, coming in at second place behind teammate Tedy Bruschi, whose best shot was at 287 yards. After the results were announced, defensive lineman Jarvis Green, the master of ceremonies for the day, took the microphone and asked, “How does it feel to be second place, Tom?” The injury-free Brady responded later with, “Golf’s like riding a bike for me. I’m always consistently average. My putting, that’s the problem.”

The New England Patriots Foundation Golf Tournament, played at The International in Bolton, Massachusetts, attracted a large crowd of spectators, and proceeds from the event went to the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, which supports a number of local charities. Next up for the Patriots is a minicamp next Wednesday through Friday in Foxborough.

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

Former Patriot Sagapolutele Passes Away

The New England Patriots are currently in a battle with tackle Vince Wilfork over a new contract, but today the team is taking a step back from money talk and giving its condolences to the family of Pio Sagapolutele, as the former Patriot passed away over the weekend at age 39. Sagapolutele, a standout defensive lineman in the ’90s, was a Bill Belichick protégé from the time he was drafted to the Belichick-aided Browns in 1991 out of San Diego State, and he played for Cleveland through the 1995 season, then coming aboard the New England Patriots roster in 1996 when Belichick was the assistant to Bill Parcells. Sagapolutele played one season with the New Orleans Saints in 1997 before nagging injuries forced his early exit from the game, and the famed defensive lineman passed away last weekend after suffering a brain aneurysm.

In a statement recently released by the New England Patriots, coach Bill Belichick said, “I am very sad to hear the news about Pio. When we drafted him as part of our first draft class in Cleveland, we saw a touch, hard-working, dependable player and that is exactly what Pio brought to his teams on a daily and yearly basis. He was a quiet leader and a significant contributor to the record-setting ‘94 Browns defense in 1994 and then again with the Patriots ‘96 AFC Championship season. My prayers are with Yvonne and the entire Sagapolutele family.”

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

Pats Sign RB Pass

The New England Patriots have been sizing up their depth charts for the last several weeks, and the team has once again confronted a weak position, adding free agent running back Patrick Pass to the lineup. Pass is no new face around New England, as he has before played for the Patriots’ special teams. The 31-year-old has played both tailback and fullback for the Patriots, and he’s expected to appear on the special teams once again.

Once a standout at the University of Georgia, Patrick Pass joined the New England Patriots as a seventh-round draft pick in 2000, spending seven seasons with the Patriots before being signed by the New York Giants for one game in 2007. Pass was out of the NFL in 2008, but he’s just been given the green light by the Patriots for ‘09. The veteran RB was likely tapped to replace Heath Evans, who left New England for New Orleans earlier in the free agency. Though Pass has not played in more than three games since 2006, he’s expected to play a minor role as part of New England’s lineup this season.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on June 8, 2009 - Post a comment

Pats-Jets Rivalry Heats Up

The New York Jets have undergone a makeover of sorts since America last saw the Brett Favre-led team on the football field, and perhaps it all starts with Rex Ryan, the Jets’ new head coach. The very vocal Ryan is extremely different from New York’s former head coach Eric Mangini, especially when it comes to his players’ outspoken tendencies, a practice that Mangini scorned. This week, Ryan has spurred a media frenzy concerning the 2009 Jets, and it all started with a comment the head coach made to the media concerning the team’s biggest rivals, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. In an interview on WFAN on Wednesday, Ryan made some enemies in New England quickly when he said, “I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings. I came here to win, let’s put it that way… I’m certainly not intimidated by New England or anybody else.”

Ryan has also been encouraging his players’ smack talk this week, especially when backing up a comment that safety Kerry Rhodes made on his Twitter account that said “We will be the best defense in the league this year.” Going along with the smugness, Ryan agreed with Rhodes, saying, “I’m excited about that comment.” No matter how much the Jets talk up their defense, however, it’ll be time to see it all in action in just a few short months with the start of the ‘09 NFL season.

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

Wilfork Wants Answers… or at Least a New Contract

The New England Patriots have been busy sizing up their new crop of talent at this week’s OTAs, but one veteran figure who hasn’t been seen on the field during this time of Tom Brady’s return is Vince Wilfork, a five-year Patriots nose tackle who is entering the last season of a six-year deal he signed with New England as a rookie in 2004. Wilfork has made a huge statement to the Patriots and the league by boycotting the team’s OTAs, and he’s made it clear that the Patriots had better put the money where their mouth is when it comes to a new contract - and soon.

Wilfork is displeased at the slow rate it’s taken to negotiate a new contract, and the 6-foot-2-inch, 325-pound tackle has gone to the media about it, saying that, at the end of the day, “My main thing is that Vince Wilfork is looking out for Vince Wilfork, point-blank. Whatever it may be. If it calls for me to miss something, I’m going to miss it because I look forward to the future. That’s how I’m going to roll. Something may change in a couple of days, something might not change. I’ll take it day by day. I’m looking out for my family and myself. That’s the bottom line.”

Will the Patriots renew Wilfork’s contract before next week’s mandatory minicamp? It’s hard to tell, but Wilfork says he’s planning on staying with the team, recently making a statement that, “I’m going to play football, hopefully for the New England Patriots… That’s 100 percent true. Unless something changes, that’s the way I see it - I see Vince Wilfork putting on a Patriots uniform this season.”

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

Rodney Harrison Retires

After 15 seasons, 34 interceptions, 30 sacks and 11 forced fumbles, the great Rodney Harrison is calling it quits. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound tackle announced his retirement from the NFL last night, leaving another (perhaps expected) hole in the Patriots lineup but also a legend in the making. Harrison, a two-time Pro Bowl safety, will no longer suit up for Patriots games, but he will still be part of the NFL broadcasting this fall, becoming an analyst on the NBC program Football Night in America.

In a conference call today, Harrison told reporters, “I’m done. And I’m very much at peace with that. Football has been good to me; I worked hard and I played hard.” Harrison also let the country know he will not pull a Brett Favre and return to the league after announcing his retirement, saying, “I respect people in the National Football League too much not to put them on this joyride. I don’t want guys on my team or guys I played with to have to answer questions about Rodney Harrison’s return. When I made my decision to retire, I made my decision to retire… I’m done.”

Rodney Harrison started his NFL jaunt in 1994 with the San Diego Chargers and played for them through the 2002 season. Harrison has been with the Patriots since 2003, helping New England to two Super Bowl titles, but over the last couple seasons his invincibility started to wear off, and he even missed the last 10 games of last season after tearing a muscle in his right thigh.

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Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on June 3, 2009 - Post a comment


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