RayClay

Fryar was tremendously talented, but "troubled". He never really came into his own until he quit substances and joined Miami. Still put up decent, not great numbers.

Morgan was just reliable as can be. I guess their avg. yds was greater and % less in those days so # catches was less.

Plus they ran the ball pretty well back then.

__________________

ATippett56

Stanley "Steamer" Morgan
Irving "if it's not a knife in the kitchen, it's a fork in the road" Fryar

fgssand

What a great moment it will be to see Troy break the all time # of reception record for the Pats.

I was fortunate enough to be able see Grogan & Morgan hook up quite often. Stanley Steamers deep catches for TD's were absolutley a thing of beauty to behold. Stanley had that extra burst of speed or 5th gear which would always kick in just as he plucked the ball out of the air. This would enable him to turn on the after burners and totally leave covering DB's in his dust.

Troy Brown is probably the most driven athelete I have ever had the pleasure to watch. What a survivor, what a smart player, a real live true football player. Troy Brown belongs in the Patriots HOF for sure - maybe, just maybe in Canton as well?

zarakotas5

For the long termers:

Irving Fryar=Deion Branch?

You know, considering FA and all

RayClay

That's what I remember. I was surprised he caught as many balls with us as he did.

__________________

RayClay

I'm not sure I understand? = in what way?

__________________

zarakotas5

Troy Brown should never have to pay for another drink or meal in NE, but Hall of Fame, no way.

That said: Troy Brown should be in the hall of football players, whatever that means.

ilduce06410

i completely agree.
troy can still find the holes in the coverage (see game againt cardinals) but he's not fast enuf anymore to escape once he has the ball.
with deion his elusiveness vs DBs reminds me more of a roadrunner-wile e. coyote thing. with troy, it's a 10-yard catch and then get hammered.
IMHO troy is thoroughly aware of this. he knows what he can and cannot do. he can do a no.1 thing, but patriots will still have to stretch the field somehow.
also--who'll be the slot receiver? watson? if it's watson in the slot, BB won't be able to do the little where's waldo games with 2 TEs and the FB. the entire offensive set is affected.

zarakotas5

RayClay:

I may get this wrong. I was curious of other's ideas, but here goes (besides the quote):

My idea was that we all had high hopes for Fryar. He woulda, coulda, shoulda, a la our present Deion situation. I still think back as to what might have been had we had Fryar as Fryer was expected to be. Similarly, we have a decent/semi-great receiver that is capable of truly great things. Yet, as fans, we are getting the shaft, again, via cliche, woulda, coulda, shoulda. I really didn't have any real point beyond this, but I was curious if anyone else felt it was similarly non-important, all things considered.

fgssand

No way - While Irving was here he was very young, dumb and immature. Always talented but he wasted those talents in NE. He was into drugs, had many family problems (bubbled over with the famous wife/knife incident) and DWI (yes, he left Foxboro at halftime and slammed his car into a tree high on alcohol or drugs or both), he was just your ordinary NFL malcontent. After he left, he turned his life and career totally around. He became a man of God and righted his sinking ship in the process. I hope he continued to do well after football.

Deion Branch is hard working, serious and intelligent (at least he was until his agent stole his brain). Deion cares about life outside of football is a true family man and gives much of himself to charity. Sadly, none of his first years here are being talked about and who he really is, is not being conveyed that much at all.

I do not think the Pats are wrong here and I do think Deion is reaching for a contract beyond his true worth and value. However, that should not diminish him as a man and cannot take away his many successes. I wish he would wake up before it is too late. Once again ,I say something has to be missing from this situation that we have not found out about. It just does not make sense that Deion can be so dumb and his agent even stupider. Where are his freinds when he needs them - somebody that is close to him has to see what is going on and should be all over him.