Mass Exodus?

It's safe to say that the off-season has not got off to a good start in Foxboro. To begin, Asante Samuel signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on the first day of free agency. One must assume the Patriots didn't want the All-Pro back because Samuel didn't even ask the Pats to counter the Eagles' offer. Last year Samuel was given the franchise tag but was promised it would not be given this year, so he was free to leave town and he did so at the first chance. What's more unfortunate is that Lance Briggs and the Chicago Bears were in a similar situation as the Pats and Samuel last year, yet both were able to reconcile and sign a new contract this year.

Also, over the weekend Randall Gay, a possible replacement for Samuel, left the Patriots and signed with the New Orleans Saints. On top of that, Eugene Wilson was told by the team that he would not be resigned which leaves the team with more holes in an already weak defensive backfield. Another weak area for the Pats is the Tight End position. After Daniel Graham left for the Broncos last year, the Pats signed Kyle Brady to replace Graham's blocking and when healthy the veteran filled in fine, but now we learn that the Patriots released Brady with another year left on his contract. These all sound like moves for a team desperate to free up salary cap space, yet Kyle Brady was making minimal dollars and the Patriots are projected to be $22 million under the cap.

Which leaves us with the Randy Moss saga. If the Pats are choosing to gather money to resign Moss, then why isn't he signed yet? He was brought in last year to give Tom Brady a much needed weapon and there is no one in free agency or the draft with the same impact on a passing game. Donte Stallworth (a possible replacement) was already let go and signed with Cleveland, Moss wants to stay and the Pats need him, so what is the hold-up?

Granted all the free agency signings the Patriots made last year didn't bring a fourth Superbowl Championship but it wasn't a failure by any means either. They had a very potent team that was only one play away from the title, so why let everyone go? Why haven't they used their franchise tag on anyone? The Pats do still have the 7th overall pick (and at least one pick in each round) of this year's NFL draft; however, their success in the draft has been limited to Offensive and Defensive Lineman lately, both of which are the current strengths of team. Also, the Pats have learned that drafting specialized positions like Wide-receiver and Defensive backs is hit or miss and seem to prefer picking up seasoned Linebackers from other teams. That said, I'm not sure what Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli have up their sleeve but the window of opportunity is closing fast both on the off-season and on a veteran-laden team seeking another title.

Notes from the Coast:

With Defensive backs Asante Samuel and Eugene Wilson hitting the open market and probably leaving the Patriots soon, there is a rumor that Ty Law may want to come back to Foxboro. In his 13th season, Law is defintely on the down-side of his career but still might perform effectively within the Pats' defensive schemes and could help tutor young players like Brandon Merriweather and Mike Richardson. Also, a return to the Patriots could improve Law's chances of entering the NFL Hall of Fame one day.

• I think Bartolo Colon was a nice pick-up for the Red Sox. The cost is minimal and as Theo always says, it's a long season and you can never have enough pitching. Now with Schilling out for an undetermined amount of time, the Sox will have Colon, Buchholz, Tavarez, and Snyder to help fill in the gap.
• The Sam Cassell watch continues. Should a Clipper buyout occur, it appears the Celtics are the team Sam Cassell would most want to sign with. However, time is crucial because Cassell must be on another roster by March 1 to be eligible for the playoffs. Also, once a buyout is finalized Cassell still would have to sit through a 48-hour period to clear waivers and like sharks in the water, both the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets also appear interested in Cassell's services and have as much as $2-$4 mill more to offer him under their exceptions.
• Interesting to note how the New York Jets are the first team to covet (and at times illegally pursue) Patriots' personell, yet when Jets' Linebacker Jonathan Vilma was granted permission to seek a trade this off-season, the only team he was told not to talk to was the Pats.
• Why is having the best record so important to the Celtics? Because whoever finishes with the second best record in the East has to play LeBron James and the much improved and healthy Cavaliers in the second round of the NBA play-offs.
• Congrats to Terry Francona on his much deserved contract extension. Hard to imagine that his year Francona will become the first Red Sox Manager to skipper the team for 5 consecutive years since Joe Cronin did it 60 years ago. Tito even passes three Managers (Dick Williams, Darrel Johnson, and John McNamara) who all took the Red Sox to the World Series.