New England Patriots thread (MOD WARNING - #4503)

Mr. Guappa

Matthew Wells LB Miss. St.

Would have thought we'd have drafted at least one corner by now.

Son Of A Vidic

Mr. Guappa wrote: »

Matthew Wells LB Miss. St.

Would have thought we'd have drafted at least one corner by now.

Baffling alright why he haven't drafted a CB. Even if they are 100% happy with what they have, surely having a developmental prospect would be the prudent thing to do.

Paully D

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Just heard he's also the first Navy guy drafted in 20 years. Mad to use up a 5th round pick on him.

What's his situation with regards to service now?

Son Of A Vidic

Paully D wrote: »

What's his situation with regards to service now?

He needs clearance from the Navy first before he joins the Pats. If the Navy refuses, then we just wasted a 5th round pick, but he won't count against the roster in that scenario. I think the Navy will green light him though because it's such a rare thing to happen and it's great PR also.

On another note, I see his long snaps were recorded at over 40 MPH, which is the fastest in NFL history.

paulie21

AJ Derby, TE from Arkansas. Played QB till his senior year.

Hazys

Finally a corner, Darryl Roberts from Marshall. Looks very good value late in the 7th at least on paper

Hazys

Don't know what the SPARQ score is but it doesnt look like bad news

@NEPD_Loyko

Darryl Roberts the #2 SPARQ CB

paulie21

Xzavier Dickson, LB, Alabama, is the last pick for us

Hazys

Kentucky Derby in the morning, private jet to Mayweather Pacquiao fight in the evening...fml i'd love to be those guys just for 30 seconds


@Edelman11

@RobGronkowski @DannyAmendola @Zegna left derby now to the fight rocking out to that #geazy #patsboomsqaud

Hazys

Tom Brady ****faced on a day long bender getting interviewed at the fight...fcuking hilarious

JaMarcusHustle

Two of the more notable UDFAs we've picked up are Devin Gardner from Michigan and Chris Harper from Cal.

Son Of A Vidic

Hazys wrote: »

Tom Brady ****faced on a day long bender getting interviewed at the fight...fcuking hilarious

Would love to see that. What a weekend those guys are having, well deserved too, because once they return to Foxboro they'll be giving 110% and sweating blood for the next 8-9 months. Pleased to see we finally picked up a CB. Roberts appears to have very good speed and is a pretty strong kid who repped out 23 on the bench press. So he should be an interesting developmental prospect.

BaronVon

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Just heard he's also the first Navy guy drafted in 20 years. Mad to use up a 5th round pick on him.

How dialed in was Patriots coach Bill Belichick to Navy long snapper Joe Cardona in the draft? After the Patriots visited the White House on April 23, Belichick was in Annapolis and had dinner with Cardona. Then by the time the draft had rolled around, Belichick targeted the fifth round as the spot he devoted to Cardona -- widely viewed as the draft's top snapper -- to make sure he wouldn't get away (the pick was made 166th overall). I sensed Belichick, whose ties to the Navy are well documented, took great pride in making that pick on a prospect he views as not just a top-notch player, but also a top-notch person. Furthermore, by using a fifth-round pick, it could strengthen Cardona's case to play (instead of his military commitment) because that's a significant investment when compared to an undrafted rookie deal. I think that means a lot to Belichick.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4781081/quick-hit-thoughts-around-the-patriots-nfl

Son Of A Vidic

infacteh wrote: »

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Just heard he's also the first Navy guy drafted in 20 years. Mad to use up a 5th round pick on him.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4781081/quick-hit-thoughts-around-the-patriots-nfl

My tune changed last night when I discovered this....

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

I see his long snaps were recorded at over 40 MPH, which is the fastest in NFL history.

We had a couple of games last year with problematic snaps. So if this guy can LS well and do it with lighting speed, it should give the kicker a bigger safety net to operate with.

I suppose this is what separates Bill from the rest of the pack - his attention to the finest detail and the littlest things. And that's the reason why we usually have one of the best ST units in the league. A Navy guy of great character, then Bill brings him to dinner before the draft. Safe to say he loves the guy and the only way he probably won't make the roster, is if he's completely incompetent,

Son Of A Vidic

To cap off their weekend, I see the lads had a wee family reunion at the Derby...

eagle eye

I was pretty happy with the draft. I know a lot of people were thinking we needed a corner but I'm pretty confident that we will do alright there. Dennard had a hamstring injury most of last season and it certainly hampered him. Butler and Logan Ryan looked promising last year and I also have some hope that Chekwa could be a big surprise. I think all the young guys will have come on a lot for experiencing a year with Revis and Browner.

Anyways back to the draft and I'm looking forward to Malcolm Brown wreaking havoc with Easley hopefully breaking through. I expect to see a 4-3 next season.

another thing with that long snapper is the he's supposed to be "the all time character/intangibles guy" not something the pats are in need of but its hardly bad news

Mr. Guappa

Alfonzo Dennard to be released according to Ian Rapoport - http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/05/report-patriots-to-release-alfonzo-dennard/

Surprising move if true - I figured he would be set for a big role this year.

JaMarcusHustle

Per Jeff Howe on Twitter:

"Dennard's work ethic and commitment to the game were routinely questioned by those in the building during his tenure."

Well, that'll do it alright.

SK1979

How are we doing for cap space once we get all the draft picks signed up?

Surely we'll need to bring in at least one more corner from free agency (are there any decent ones left)?

JaMarcusHustle

SK1979 wrote: »

How are we doing for cap space once we get all the draft picks signed up?

Surely we'll need to bring in at least one more corner from free agency (are there any decent ones left)?

It was a horrible year for free agent CBs anyway, so what's left is slim pickings.

Tarell Brown....Chris Owens.....Cassius Vaughn...... we're better off with what we have tbh.

eagle eye

JaMarcusHustle wrote: »

Per Jeff Howe on Twitter:

"Dennard's work ethic and commitment to the game were routinely questioned by those in the building during his tenure."

Well, that'll do it alright.

This sort of throwaway comment is why I despise social media so much.

I very much doubt that work ethic was an issue because he lasted three years. Belichick would have had him out the door before the end of his first TC if that was an issue.

Son Of A Vidic

eagle eye wrote: »

I was pretty happy with the draft. I know a lot of people were thinking we needed a corner but I'm pretty confident that we will do alright there. Dennard had a hamstring injury most of last season and it certainly hampered him. Butler and Logan Ryan looked promising last year and I also have some hope that Chekwa could be a big surprise. I think all the young guys will have come on a lot for experiencing a year with Revis and Browner.

Anyways back to the draft and I'm looking forward to Malcolm Brown wreaking havoc with Easley hopefully breaking through. I expect to see a 4-3 next season.

I agree, I think we had a very good draft. I really like the move towards a more powerful & more versatile D line. I'm also very pleased with the strengthening of the interior O line. Better still that most of our picks should be competing for starting jobs. If the new guys start on the O line, then not only should Brady be safer, but I expect our run game to become even more effective. We all knew the better corners would be gone by our first pick, but we picked up a guy who should slot into STs as a developmental prospect. Corner remains the main area with questions and Dennard's surprising release only puts more question marks over the position.

The Dennard situation is mystifying though. I thought he'd come back hungrier and fitter and I was hoping he and Butler would secure starter roles. Ending 2013, he looked like an automatic starter for 2014. Prior to Talib's arrival, he was our best CB on the roster. Then he lost his starter role in 2014 and when he did play, he was rubbish compared to his play in 2013. Interesting to listen to the lads on PFW speaking about it. They spewed out the general media speculation, but they also mentioned that he's a 'head case' several times. Which I thought was interesting. Something has obviously gone wrong and we''ll probably never know the reason behind his release.

JaMarcusHustle

eagle eye wrote: »

This sort of throwaway comment is why I despise social media so much.

And yet here you are

Fr Tod Umptious

The Wells report points at Brady, and others.

This will be fun

http://itiswhatitis.weei.com/sports/newengland/football/patriots/2015/05/06/wells-report-released-says-qb-tom-brady-generally-aware-of-fact-footballs-were-underinflated/

“For the reasons described in this Report, and after a comprehensive investigation, we have concluded that, in connection with the AFC Championship Game, it is more probable than not that New England Patriots personnel participated in violations of the Playing Rules and were involved in a deliberate effort to circumvent the rules. In particular, we have concluded that it is more probable than not that Jim McNally (the Officials Locker Room attendant for the Patriots) and John Jastremski (an equipment assistant for the Patriots) participated in a deliberate effort to release air from Patriots game balls after the balls were examined by the referee. Based on the evidence, it also is our view that it is more probable than not that Tom Brady (the quarterback for the Patriots) was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of McNally and Jastremski involving the release of air from Patriots game balls.”

paulie21

Sounds like a lot of guess work tbh, no hard evidence, 3 out of 4 of the Colts footballs were found underinflated as well still no mention in the mainstream media

Fr Tod Umptious

paulie21 wrote: »

Sounds like a lot of guess work tbh, no hard evidence, 3 out of 4 of the Colts footballs were found underinflated as well still no mention in the mainstream media

WEEI is pretty main stream in New England.

As is Boston.com

And sure ESPN is mainstream full stop

DecStone

paulie21 wrote: »

Sounds like a lot of guess work tbh, no hard evidence, 3 out of 4 of the Colts footballs were found underinflated as well still no mention in the mainstream media

It is now - just three examples:


http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2015/05/06/deflategate-wells-report-concludes-more-probable-than-not-patriots-violated-league-rules-tom-brady-aware-of-activities/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/06/us/nfl-deflategate-report/

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/deflategate-report-patriots-didn-deliberately-break-rules-article-1.2212472

Hazys

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

WEEI is pretty main stream in New England.

As is Boston.com

And sure ESPN is mainstream full stop

DecStone wrote: »

It is now - just three examples:


http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2015/05/06/deflategate-wells-report-concludes-more-probable-than-not-patriots-violated-league-rules-tom-brady-aware-of-activities/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/06/us/nfl-deflategate-report/

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/deflategate-report-patriots-didn-deliberately-break-rules-article-1.2212472

I'm no scientist but I think he is referring to the fact that the mainstream media doesn't care about the fact that the Colts balls we're deflated below the legal limit too not that nobody is covering the Wells report...its the lead article on front page of CNN.com ffs

lol

DecStone

Hazys wrote: »

I'm no scientist but I think he is referring to the fact that the mainstream media doesn't care about the fact that the Colts balls we're deflated below the legal limit too not that nobody is covering the Wells report...its the lead article on front page of CNN.com ffs

lol

Maybe you're right - but it's getting worse out there:

Tom Brady cheated his way to a Super Bowl

You still want that apology, Robert Kraft? The one you’ve been smarmily waiting for since February, acting high and mighty in your two-toned shirts, certain that the New England Patriots had nothing to do with the Deflategate controversy and projecting such a confident air with your statements that there’s “no smoking gun,” leading most to believe that you knew something they didn’t — that the Wells Report was a witch hunt that would exonerate those always-honest Patriots?

It was anything but. Despite the headlines that say the Patriots weren’t proved to be involved in wrongdoing in the long-awaited Wells Report, they were. Just because it was lower-level employees doesn’t make the Pats any less culpable. No, the report didn’t reveal some massive Watergate-style cover-up, but told us what we generally expected: Some assistant managers were messing around with the football, likely at the behest of Tom Brady. It’s not cause for a football death penalty, but it’s still cheating and shows the Pats haven’t learned a thing in the decade since their dalliance with illegal videotaping of teams.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/05/tom-brady-cheater-new-england-patriots-wells-report-deflategate