Are the Pats taking on too much?

Bill Belichick's organizational multi-tasking may be spreading his personnel too thin. This year the Patriots have Nick Caserio (a front office person) also coaching the DB's and now a unseasoned Quarterback's coach working with the Head coach on calling offensive plays! Why can't the Patriots hire a designated Offensive Coordinator or Defensive Backs coach?? I know they didn't believe in giving former Coordinators Charlie Weiss and Romeo Crennel pay raises but are the Patriots this cheap or is Belichick this much of a control freak?

Either way, it may be catch-up with him and the Patriot's are suffering because of it.

In Bill We Trust?

With Rodney Harrison and Teddy Bruschi retiring and no Josh McDaniel calling plays to help Tom Brady allude all the blitz packages and ease back from injury, the Patriots were already depleted from last year. On top of that Coach Bill Belichick traded Mike Vrabel, Richard Seymour, Russ Hochstein and Ellis Hobbs for draft picks.
The draft pick he got from KC for Vrabel and Matt Cassel was used to pick Pat Chung who didn't play one down on defense in the embarrassing loss to the New York Jets last week. Also, for a coach who doesn't believe in looking past the next week's opponent, Belichick trades an All-Pro in Seymour for a draft pick in 2011.
I'm not sure if the Patriots are secretly rebuilding but aside from Jerod Mayo, they haven't had a lot of luck in the draft latelty (solid 3rd and 4th rounders like O’Connell and Thomas were recently let go for nothing). This is made worse by the fact that Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker are in their prime right now and the Patriots are facing one of most competitive schedules this year. On top of that, for some reason Belichick decided not to hire a pure Offensive Coordinator or even sign an experienced back-up QB this year to help Brady.
So no pass-rush or leadership on Defense and no direction and support on Offense makes me think that with all these (non) moves, the old football coach has already let Brady, Moss, and the 2009 team down.

The 2009 NFL Draft

The New England Patriots have 11 selections in the NFL Draft this weekend including 6 in the first three rounds. As in past years, Coach Bill Belichick and the Pats won't use all 11 picks and will probably either trade away a few for next year or package some to move up the draft board and aquire a player that may be dropping.

That said, after listening to all the pundits and so-called experts, here is my take on what areas the Patriots will try to target in order of priority.

1. DEFENSIVE LINE: Even though the Patriots still need Linebacker help, the feeling is that they don't view any of the famed Linebacking corps coming out of USC (Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, and Rey Maualuga) as can't miss prospects within their system as they did with Jerod Mayo last year. Plus Richard Seymour's contract will need to be renegotiated soon, so look for the Pats to select Robert Ayers with the 23rd pick in the first round. Ayers is a Defensive End from Tennesse (like J. Mayo) who could possibly be converted to a pass rushing linebacker like former Patriot Willie McGinest.
   
2. DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: Just like pitching in baseball, you can never have enough Defensive Backfield depth in football. Plus Ellis Hobbs and newcomer Leigh Bodden are in their final year of their contracts, so look for the Patriots to take a stab at local product CornerBack Darius Butler from UConn with the 34th pick.


3. OFFENSIVE LINE: Whether it be the SuperBowl loss to the NY Giants 2 years ago or the first game against the KC Chiefs last year, Tom Brady returns to a line of blockers that couldn't effectively protect him the last 2 games he's played in. Also, 11 out of 14 players of this group are entering the final year of their contract. Plus, this draft year is deep in Offensive Line talent, so I could see the Patriots picking-up one or two Offensive Linemen between the second to fourth rounds.


4. RUNNING BACK/WIDE RECEIVER: With Kevin Faulk getting older, Laurence Maroney still not producing, and Fred Taylor more of a short term solution, I could see the Patriots possibly picking-up another unheralded Running Back in the middle-to-late rounds like UConn's Donald Brown. Also, the signing of Joey Galloway is another short term answer at Wide Receiver, so the Pats also may select a Wideout with upside in the middle-to-late rounds.


5. QUARTERBACK: I think the Patriots are more interested in using West Virgina Quarterback Pat White as a 'red herring' in this weekend's draft than a 'wildcat' in the upcoming season, but that doesn't mean the Pats won't try to develop another Matt Cassel with a late round pick.

Notes from the Coast: Patriots' Post-mortem

It was a courageous season that ended with a miraculous 11-5 record. However, when you lose the MVP of the NFL, your starting RB, as well as many other key players to injury, and then have to rely on a New York team to get into the playoffs, it shouldn't be a surprise that the 2008 Patriots will not be playing into 2009. Here are some thoughts on a very grueling and somewhat disappointing season.

• Bill Belichick won't win the Coach of the Year Award (see Miami Coach Tony Sparano instead) but after winning all year with a bunch of scrap-heap players, some rookies, a retiree, and a QB that hadn't started a game since High School, Belichick has probably done his best coaching this year.
• Big props to 39 year old future Hall of Famer Junior Seau for getting off his surfboard in San Diego and coming out of retirement to rejoin the Pats when they needed him. In previous years the incentive was to finally win a SuperBowl but this year it appears Junior simply wanted to help out a coach and organization he has grown to respect.
• Player I want back next year: Rodney Harrison--With a young Secondary, the Pats could use his leadership and guile for another year. I just hope he has something left in the tank after all his recent injuries.
• Player I don't want back next year: Lawrence Maroney--He has one more year left on his rookie contract but with all the nagging injuries and a bunch of unfulfilled potential, I think it's time time the Pats labeled this draft pick a "bust".
• I do think Scott Pioli may accept the Head of Football Operations job Cleveland, as long as, Eric Magini is not chosen by the Browns' Owner as the new Head Coach.
• My guess is that after seeing what happened to Eric Mangini in New York recently that Pats' Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels may wait a little longer before accepting a head coaching job in the NFL.
• Had Charlie Weiss gotten the axe from Notre Dame, there may have been a chance that he and Romeo Crennel would have considered returning to the place of their greatest success as Coordinators under Bill Belichick in New England.
• Some are reporting (and dreading) that Tom Brady is behind schedule in rehabbing his injured knee and may need another surgery which would keep him out of the 2009 season. However, we will all know the truth come March 1st when the Patriots will be forced to slap their franchise tag on back-up QB Matt Cassel for a possible insurance policy in case Brady's knee is not progressing.
• Talk about unfair, next year will be the third year in a row that the Patriots will have to play Peyton Manning and the mighty Colts -- at Indianapolis!
• Again unfair, the Chargers made the NFL play-offs with an 8-8 record and the Patriots at 11-5 do not. Yet, because the Chargers have a worse record, they could draft as many as 8 spots ahead of the Pats in the 2009 NFL Draft next April.

Notes from the Coast: Back from the Dead Post

It took 22 years, 4 GMs, 3 Presidents of Basketball operations and unfortunately 2 untimely deaths, but the Boston Celtics finally hoisted banner #17 to the rafters the other night. It was a very touching ceremony that involved former Celtic greats passing the trophy/championship baton to a weeping Paul Pierce. And the whole thing only took 15 minutes!

• Could Bill Belichick be having his best coaching year in 2008? Tom Brady, Lawrence Maroney, and Rodney Harrison are all out for the season yet the Patriots stand at 5-2 while the Colts and Chargers are only 3-4 and 3-5 respectively. At this point in the season the Pats amazingly have a better record than over-hyped 'Brett & the Jets' team down Route 95, as well as, the highly-touted and Superbowl favored Dallas Cowboys.
• Thank goodness the Phillies won the World Series! Miracle year or not, there was no way a team like Tampa which has only been in the league 10 years, barely gets any fans, and whose top player only makes $6M deserved to win it all.
• Don't look now but the Boston Bruins are a young and talented team. After back-to-back shut outs by Goalie Tim Thomas the B's are also 5-2 on the young season and just 1 point out of first place. Unfortunately, Thomas is 34 yrs old and as the elder statesman of the Bruins, he'll be hard-pressed to keep up this pace throughout the long season.
• "Industry sources believe the Yankees will make a serious push for Manny Ramirez to play right field next year." That industry source is simply agent Scott Boras trying to drive up the price and/or years for Manny's next contract which puts Dodger's GM Ned Colletti lose-lose situation because the bidding will probably start at 4 yrs $25M.
• Celtic Banner factoid; The word "NBA" is stenciled over a white basketball background if the Celts clinched their championship title at home and over green if it was done on the road.

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.

Who is Matt Walsh?

If Senator Arlen Specter has his way, Matt Walsh will blow the lid off Spygate and possibly discredit all the Patriots success since Bill Belichick arrived in 2000. However, the Senate investigation may prove just as painful for Walsh as his motivation will be called into question and his credibility possibly destroyed.

Walsh's background is very cloudy to say the least. His Bio says he worked for both the Scouting and Video depts for the Patriots while some sources report that he never worked in the Pats' Video dept. His resume says he worked for the team until 2003 while his wedding site claims he left in the Pats in January of 2001, a few weeks before the infamous taping of the Rams walk-through. Either way, the big question is why he left the team in the first place and why as a Golf pro in Maui he still has Patriots' video tapes dating back to 2001.

Walsh claims he left the organization voluntarily because of a job offer with the Cologne Centurions in NFL Europe. Considering how much Belichick likes to keep the braintrust intact and promote from within (Jets Head Coach Eric Mangini once served as his ball boy), it seems a huge stretch that Walsh left the Pats on his own for a position in Europe.

Pats' GM Scott Pioli recently admitted that Matt Walsh was dismissed because he was caught taping phone conversations in the front office. Based on this info, it seems Walsh may have begun a blackmail campaign in an effort to cover-up some issue he had with the team back then. This would also explain why he still has the video tapes with him over 6,000 miles away in Maui. Also, his wedding site shows Walsh with bunch of official NFL footballs that he likely didn't buy and unless the Pats routinely give away 'game balls' to low-level employees, videotapes might not be the only thing Matt Walsh "borrowed" from the franchise when he left.

Finally, Walsh's Bio also states that after an All-State high school playing career, he went on to play golf collegiately at Springfield College, yet no one can find him listed on any Golf teams at the school. Also, it claims that upon graduation he trained with the United States National Bobsled team in Lake Placid, along with working in professional hockey for two seasons. It seems the only thing Walsh hasn't done is tell the truth.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell may have already known the extent of Matt Walsh's credibility since he tried to make the taping of the Rams' practice a non-issue. However, now that Sen. Specter has re-opened the investigation, he will soon learn that his 'star witness' has an inconsistent past.

Notes from the Coast:

With a two week build up before the Superbowl, it's amazing how crazy the analysis of game can get. I heard ESPN's Merril Hodge say that he predicts the Giants will beat the Patriots simply because they have played them tough already this year. Analysts and prognosticators should remember that Eli and the Giants played a nearly perfect game and had nothing to lose in the week 17 match-up and it was the Patriots who felt all the pressure to complete the season a perfect 16-0. Yet one mistake by Eli was all it took for the Pats to win. Also, it was Bill Belichick, not Tom Coughlin, who got his 'genius' reputation by always making the right adjustments after playing a team the second time around. Remember that the loss the Patriots suffered to the Rams during the 2001 season paved the way for the Patriots upset of the Rams in that year's Superbowl.

• Last weekend Marc Savard became the first Boston Bruin to score a last minute game-winning goal in the NHL All-star game since the legendary Raymond Jean Bourque did it in 1996.
• 1996 was also the last time the Patriots lost a Superbowl. That year Boston Globe sports writer Wil McDonough broke a story days before the big game that Bill Parcels would be leaving the Patriots after the season. It became a major distraction that may have cost the Pats the Superbowl that year. This year the Globe is at it again. It appears the a bunch of Globe writers have already penned a book called "19-0" that is available for pre-order. Thanks guys, perfect bulletin board material for the New York Giants.
• I don't understand why the Red Sox offered Brad Wilkerson a 1 year deal to be a back-up First baseman and Outfielder when they have World Series hero Bobby Kielty waiting in the wings and Brandon Moss is already playing some first base in Winter Ball. Let's move on from the Johan Santana saga, deal Coco Crisp, sign Kielty, and focus on defending our Championship already.
• On that note, the Minnesota Twins probably overplayed their hand in the Johan Santana trade negotiations. Neither the Mets, Yankees, or Red Sox improved their offers since December and neither team was eager to sign Santana to the 7 year contact extension he desired. Also, one thing the Twins may have underestimated is the fact that because they are in different leagues, both the Sox and Yankees were never threatened by having the Mets in the mix. That's probably why the Twins were desperately trying to get the LA Angels into the talks.
• Tom Brady being injured for this Superbowl definitely adds drama to the big game and could end up growing his legendary status. If Brady hobbles to his 4th Superbowl win on a bum ankle this Sunday, not only will it bolster his reputation as a winner but he probably will surpass Superbowl heroes Terry Bradshaw and his idol Joe Montana as one of the greatest Quarterbacks of all-time.
• Maybe I am caught up in the Suberbowl hype and over analysis too because I'm still not sure if the Patriots will cover the 13 point spread this Sunday. Can the Giants get consistent pressure on Brady? Will Tom play like he did against the Jaguars or against the Chargers? Will the Giants focus on Welker or Moss? Will Randy Moss catch 1 pass or 10? Which team will win the turnover and Special Teams battles? Will Tom Petty put us to sleep with his half-time show? Too many questions to answer, so my pick is P-men 28 :: G-men 17. Go Pats!

Notes from the Coast:

You've got to love all the hype leading up to a SuperBowl. Especially when a team from New York is involved. Tom Brady is seen in a walking cast, then in cowboy boots. He is injured and now maybe he isn't? Better yet, it's a big hoax being put on the conspiracy starved New York media by Brady and Belichick. Give me a break!
As reported, Brady probably does have a mild high ankle sprain. Yes, it probably did hinder him (along with a possible flu) in the game against the Chargers. No, it won't keep him out of the SuperBowl. And no, there isn't any conspiracy. Unlike a sneaker, which Brady often wears, a cowboy boot can provide support similar to a walking brace.

• Congrats to Eli Manning for coming through against the Pack. Even though I wanted a Patriots-Packers rematch in SuperBowl XLII, I found myself rooting for the kid and the upset during last Sunday's game. They thought Steve Young had a monkey on his back before he finally led the San Francisco 49'ers to a championship after Joe Montana left town. How about having a Heisman Trophy winning father and an MVP brother who both play the same position as you? Then, you tell the world that you won't play in San Diego and instead end up in the media craze of New York City. Eli had a lot to live up to and he may have come close with those two road play-off wins against the Packers and Cowboys.
• Norm Chow is back in LA and back in college football, but not with USC. The offensive guru will be the new coordinator under Rick Neuheisel at UCLA. Before Trojan fans get all worked-up about cross-town loyalty, it was Pete Carroll and his admiration for Lane Kiflin that forced Chow out of USC and to the NFL. Now with Chow on board and Karl Dorrell back at Receivers' coach, the Bruins have an opportunity to create an in-state rivalry similar to Miami and Florida State in the 1990's.
• MLB Trade Rumors blog has a great piece on 'What Might Have Been' had the Red Sox and Florida Marlins not made the Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell for Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, et al. deal.
• Weird coincidence that Bruins' Goalie Tim Thomas gets added to the NHL All-Star team on Monday and then lets in 4 goals in 2 periods against the Canadiens that same night. Fortunately he didn't look as bad as the B's Goalie he replaced. Alex Auld gave up a goal within the first 14 seconds of the game and 4 goals in the first period of a ugly 8-2 loss to the Habs.
• With a strong running game, a Quarterback that is finally putting it all together, and upset wins on the road in the play-offs, people are comparing this 2007 Giants team to the Patriots team that went to the Superbowl 20 years ago. Unfortunately that Patriots team got killed by the Bears in SuperBowl XX 46-10 and if all goes well, the same outcome will happen to the Giants again this year.
• Also, for those who want to compare this Giants team with the squad that upset the Bills and their vaunted offense in Superbowl XXV; remember Bill Belichick was with that Giants team in 1990 but he's not with them now in 2007.