Friday Patriots Notebook 2/20: Edelman's Hit on Jeremy Lane Also Injured the CB's Knee, Lafayette RB resembles Edelman, More Notes
Edelman's hit may sideline Seattle's Lane heading into 2015. (USA TODAY Images)
Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman once filled in at cornerback during the 2011 season and knows how to hit people, and it appears Seahawks defensive back Jeremy Lane suffered more than a broken arm when Edelman hit him following Tom Brady's interception in the Super Bowl.
According to ProFootballTalk.com, Seattle general manager John Schneider apparently revealed that Lane also sustained a knee injury when Edelman hit him on his return which will require surgery. Now it seems that surgery may keep him out by the time the 2015 season begins, leaving the team thin at the position.
That's bad news for Seattle, who may lose their other starting corner, Byron Maxwell, this offseason to free agency. Listening to Schneider's press conference on Thursday it seems like he has doubts about Maxwell's return and that the market should be strong for his services. Schneider said that if they lose him, they'll simply have to look for another player like him.
"I'm sure down here at the combine you're talking to a ton of different agents, and so his people are going to do the same thing," said Schneider. "We've had great discussions with them, we have a good relationship with those guys. Byron's one of ours, it would be hard to see him leave but I would think his market would be pretty strong. He's a heck of a kid and a heck of a player."
"We're not changing anything we do and so if Byron does move on, we'll be hopefully having another young Byron Maxwell out there. He's a great guy."
After losing against the Patriots earlier this month, it's a game Schneider also said he hasn't gotten over and that it will stay with him. The Patriots have been in this position before having lost two previous Super Bowls and know all too well what it feels like. This time around they came out on the right end of things, which is now pushing Schneider to try and make his team better heading into 2015.
"No, I'm not over it, I think it's always going to stay with you," said Schneider. "It's just part of life. There's a lot of big games that I've been a part of that don't got your way, you can go all the way back to high school if you want. It drives you."
COLTS GRIGSON ADMITS THEY NOTIFIED THE LEAGUE BEFORE PLAYING NEW ENGLAND:
One of the more bizarre things that happened on Thursday was the fact that Colts GM Ryan Grigson admitted to reporters that they did reach out to the NFL about their "concerns" prior to their showdown against the Patriots in the AFC Championship game that lead to the Deflate Gate mess that has dragged on and still hasn't been resolved. It's the first time we've heard a direct admission from anyone inside the Colts' camp that they tipped off the league about the matter.
 Brady and the Patriots demolished the Colts 45-7. (USA TODAY Images) |
"I’m not going to get into specifics. Like I said, the report should have all the information for everybody. But just did my job and here we are. Hopefully, you know, everything will come out and everyone will be able to have a clear look at the situation."
"We had concerns just like I think any General Manager would do, [they] want their team to play on a level playing field, and we took the proper steps to try to ensure that and it’s up to the league to make sure that happens. Again, if rules were broken, we’ll see…if not, that’s what the investigation is for. But again, we’re just doing our jobs and trying to ensure we're giving our team the best chance to win on a level playing field."
Grigson's admission adds further fuel to the fire by those who believe the league blindsided the Patriots with this whole situation. As we know, the vehement denials by Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick proves that they believe otherwise, so as Grigson said, we'll see how it plays out.
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Yet another conflicting note surrounding Grigson's admission, Colts coach Chuck Pagano claimed he was unaware of the team's prior concerns before the game, which seems a little strange that the head coach would be kept in the dark as he prepared his players for the contest. He also shot down some of the theories that the Colts deflated the ball that D'Qwell Jackson brought to the sideline, saying "That's ludicrous."... If Jeff Howe's latest report surrounding Shane Vereen is true, it seems that the Patriots running back may soon be headed elsewhere this offseason. According to Howe, Vereen is reportedly seeking a deal worth $5 million a season as a free agent which likely means he'll hit the open market on March 10th when free agency begins. Howe points out that Vereen's perference would be to stay, but he also highlights former Patriot running back Kevin Faulk's largest deal, which was for six years and worth $15-million. Looking back and remembering how valuable Faulk was it's hard to feel like Vereen has reached that level yet. Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston said in his chat Thursday that a respected NFL source mentioned to him that a benchmark was Donald Brown's three-year, $10.5 million pact that included $4 million guaranteed. As a result, it's tough to imagine a huge payday in Vereen's future if it comes down to that, but obviously there's plenty of time for the two sides to bridge the gap...Most Patriots fans have seen the way Julian Edelman has evolved, going from a running quarterback to one of the best receivers in the league and Lafayette running back Ross Scheuerman apparently looks a little like him to many NFL talent evaluaters who have seen him. Scheuerman said he's willing to make the transition. He told the Allentown Morning Call, "A lot of teams have talked to me about that and they see me playing a little bit of that position as well, so it's something I'm willing to do." ... Former Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallett is coming off of an injury down in Houston, but the Texans seem focused on re-signing him and GM Rick Smith told the Houston Chronicle he was impressed with what he saw from Mallett's brief time on the field before the injury. "I was impressed," Smith said. "He worked hard and obviously played pretty good that (Cleveland) game. … Somewhere along the line there, (he) suffered that injury. So it was disappointing for him, but we're hopeful that we'll get him back as well and he'll have another opportunity to continue to help us." ... The Patriots are already doing some due diligence as they meet with players, with Doug Kyed of NESN reporting that the team met with Iowa OL Brandon Scherff on Wednesday night. The team currently holds the 32 overall pick in the first round and Scherff is believed to be a Top-10 pick, which makes him seem like an unlikely candidate. Although given how crazy the draft tends to go sometimes, anything could happen...Malcolm Butler is getting a little love in his home town, with WHDH reporting that the city of Vicksburg Mississippi is set to honor him with a parade. He's a Vicksburg High School graduate from the class of 2009, and will also reportedly receive a key to the city. Good for him, it's well-deserved...Devin McCourty and his brother Jason are set to host their second annual Casino Night from 7-10 pm Saturday at Brother Jimmy's BBQ in the dowtown part of New Brunswick. Tickets are $75 per person and corporate sponsorship opportunities are available beginning at $2,000. "It's amazing the amount of traction that it has picked up and the fact that people now associate us with this," Jason said. "With Devin making it to the Super Bowl this year, I was out in Arizona doing Radio Row, wearing a (Tackle Sickle Cell) T-shirt and speaking about it to different outlets that we would never have imagined." Hopefully it goes well.
