Tom Curran on Dan Patrick

[BadMoFo]

As long as Game 1 isn't on the road against the Colts, who really cares.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Is it so bad if Cassel rides the bench for the rest of the season after starting the first six games, and then we trade him next off season? If the front office thinks he's good enough, then waiting shouldn't hurt his trade value. If they think he might be a one-trick-pony, then they need to trade him now, when they think his value will be at its highest.

I'm inclined to think he's good enough that he'll do fine through the first six games.

The question here isn't really if Cassel's good enough or not--I think he is, too. The question is, is he better enough than O'Connell (or, say, a veteran signed in March) to justify paying him the franchise number?

 

[BelichickFan]

The question here isn't really if Cassel's good enough or not--I think he is, too. The question is, is he better enough than O'Connell (or, say, a veteran signed in March) to justify paying him the franchise number?

And to lose whatever we could trade Cassel for.

 

[ALP]

Here is my theory on Curran and the Brady knee...

If Brady is totally healthy and the Pats franchise Cassell and then trade him, I have heard that the NFL might frown on that. It is within the rules but not really why they have the franchise tag. The Pats have been caught up in the cheating bullsht and don't need any extra aggravation from the NFL front offices.

Curran's reliable source is within the organization and they are feeding him a line of bull. Brady is really healthy but the Pats want everyone to think he isn't. They will then franchise Cassell and trade him when Brady has made a "drastic and rapid" recovery during the preseason. This keeps the NFL off their backs as well as keeping Cassell for juicy trade bait. imo

prob is, we need teh cap space, so trading cassel so late (in the preseason) wont do

he will have to be traded b4 the draft for us to accomplish anything out of the tag and trade procedure...

 

[DaBruinz]

I think I have heard that argument before (not saying from you) and it pertained to Thomasse last year.

note: I am not saying that Curran is going all Thomasse on us just that the argument there doesn't fly.

IMO Currans article doesn't change a thing. I was concerned Brady wouldn't be ready week one prior to Currans article and I still am. I think there is a good chance Tom will be ready but I also don't think it is that far fetched to think the infection has set him back.

Ok.. back track a bit. Not sure if you have been through ACL surgery, but I have. It was the old style where they opened up my leg from mid shin to above my knee. They put dissolving sutures on the insided and staples on the out. Then I had made leg in a CAST and immobilized for 4 weeks... On top of the 4 weeks prior to the surgery where I couldn't move my leg. So, I had 8 weeks of muscle atrophy in my quad an hamstring, which were actually very developed (24 in around).. The Atrophy cost me 9 inches there and that is what cost me so much time to get back healthy. After 9 months, I was out playing softball, football and hockey again. Yes, I was wearing a brace, but I had 95% of my moblity back. The things that slowed me down were scar tissue and the amount of atrophy.

Now, lets also take into consideration that every heals differently. With that, Brady actually had a much less invasive surgery than I did as it was all done arthroscopically. That saves on the healing time. Even with the second surgery, its still done arthroscopically. 9 months from October is mid July. Before training camp. Brady has much better facilities for his re-hab than I did. And he's going to rehab more than I did. My guess is that he goes 4 times a week and 2-3 hours a pop and that doesn't include any home excercises that he does. Brady is getting approximately 50%-75% more rehab time than I did. Which means he'll be getting back into shape that much quicker.

When your muscles get working again, some scar tissue gets broken down, which helps you gain mobility and even more strength. The fact that, in December, Brady was walking without a limp tells me that he has full extension (between zero and 1 degree). This also tells me that his hamstrings and quads are gaining strength without issue. I think that its unlikely that Brady has another surgery unless its to clean the scar tissue, and then its not that much of a set back.

I'm going to be honest. I think that Curran has been duped. I think that the Patriots let it be know that Brady "wasn't getting healthy the way he should" to flush out some back channels they don't like to have. I think that whomever heard it is the one who told Curran. And, I am disappointed that Curran didn't talk to medical sources to get more information.

 

[DaBruinz]

We know the infection set him back. However if he can rehab full throttle starting in the next 4-6 weeks he is on the successful Rivers/Palmer schedule.

Brady's been rehabbing since Mid November.. I have no doubts that he's in full throttle mode at rehab now because of his walking without a limp.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

And to lose whatever we could trade Cassel for.

If the Pats franchise him and keep him, then, as of right now, he'd be an RFA, and the Pats could go through the whole tag and trade circus again. That said, that would be a factor too.

 

[DaBruinz]

If the Pats franchise him and keep him, then, as of right now, he'd be an RFA, and the Pats could go through the whole tag and trade circus again. That said, that would be a factor too.

Well, they couldn't tag him, they'd have to give him a qualifying RFA offer. Which would be 20% increase over this year's salary. So, instead of 14.7million, from this year, Cassel would be looking at a tender offer of 17.64 million.. Which isn't likely to happen... Though, they COULD trade his rights to another team the way the Pats acquired Welker.

If the Pats franchise him, its to trade him, in my opinion.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Well, they couldn't tag him, they'd have to give him a qualifying RFA offer. Which would be 20% increase over this year's salary. So, instead of 14.7million, from this year, Cassel would be looking at a tender offer of 17.64 million.. Which isn't likely to happen... Though, they COULD trade his rights to another team the way the Pats acquired Welker.

If the Pats franchise him, its to trade him, in my opinion.

Actually, they can: "Except as set forth in Section 10 below, each Club shall be permitted to designate one of its players who would otherwise be an Unrestricted Free Agent as a Franchise Player each season during the term of this Agreement. The player so designated may be one who would otherwise be a Restricted Free Agent."

In any case, though, per Miguel, it's 20% for the franchise tag, but only 10% for an RFA tender.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Yeah, but as much as it might be okay this year, franchising Cassel next years leaves us with the big problem of all of our own free agents next year, like Wilfork and Seymore. You're right - better to deal him now.

 

[ScottieC]

When will we all realize that when these guys write stories about the Patriots, they get immediate media attention and exposure from the whole country.

I like Curran - but I think, like most spygate stories from last year, that these so called experts with their league sources are many times forced into writing things based on hit counts, media attention, appearances and overall level of "celebrity" (be it good or bad - i.e. Tomasse) that their editors see for their outlet in the end.

How many times has Curran been named and his place of employment been talked about over the past week or two since the story broke?

Maybe I'm going a little too Oliver Stone about this, but I think this is about Ad revenue and ultimately $$'s.

My hope is Tom releases another update on his site soon.

 

[Rob0729]

I disagree, if you heard him on EEI last week his version is not all that different from others who have tended to have looked on the bright side too much...

Tom Curran is one of the best and does not try to be the local resident contrarian..

TC is the reliable source.. the others are just conjecture, King does not have inside info, Sharia Springer does not have the sources that TC has...

My problem with Curran is that based on his demeanor on WEEI last week, he seems to lost his objectivity since he has been coming under fire. Maybe it was me, but over the course of the show on WEEI, Curran seemed to make Brady's condition get worse and worse. He took every conflicting story to heart and even though he wouldn't attack Peter King personally, he seemed to attack the conflicting stories harder and harder and making his claims grander and grander. It almost seemed like he was having a temper tantrum on the radio.

Since then you have guys like Felger and Tomase by playing semantic games of what is ahead of schedule means to defend him. I think Curran and some of the other Boston media people not only lost their objectivity on this story, but their maturity and composure.

Curran may be right in this story, but I have lost some respect for him based on his handling of his conflicting stories. It just seems weird that no other reporter can find a single person who will back up his claims especially at least in a case or two (Michael Silver for example) have closer ties to Brady than Curran does.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Here is my theory on Curran and the Brady knee...

If Brady is totally healthy and the Pats franchise Cassell and then trade him, I have heard that the NFL might frown on that. It is within the rules but not really why they have the franchise tag. The Pats have been caught up in the cheating bullsht and don't need any extra aggravation from the NFL front offices.

Curran's reliable source is within the organization and they are feeding him a line of bull. Brady is really healthy but the Pats want everyone to think he isn't. They will then franchise Cassell and trade him when Brady has made a "drastic and rapid" recovery during the preseason. This keeps the NFL off their backs as well as keeping Cassell for juicy trade bait. imo

Definitely a possibility. Whether the Pats are the ones feeding the info I don't know but rumors of an unhealthy Brady would help erase a few future gray areas fo'sho.

 

[BradyManny]

My problem with Curran is that based on his demeanor on WEEI last week, he seems to lost his objectivity since he has been coming under fire. Maybe it was me, but over the course of the show on WEEI, Curran seemed to make Brady's condition get worse and worse. He took every conflicting story to heart and even though he wouldn't attack Peter King personally, he seemed to attack the conflicting stories harder and harder and making his claims grander and grander. It almost seemed like he was having a temper tantrum on the radio.

Since then you have guys like Felger and Tomase by playing semantic games of what is ahead of schedule means to defend him. I think Curran and some of the other Boston media people not only lost their objectivity on this story, but their maturity and composure.

Curran may be right in this story, but I have lost some respect for him based on his handling of his conflicting stories. It just seems weird that no other reporter can find a single person who will back up his claims especially at least in a case or two (Michael Silver for example) have closer ties to Brady than Curran does.

FWIW, I exchanged an email with Curran - who I've found to be one of the more reliable guys when it comes to responding to reader mail - and he was cordial in his response, and basically emphasized the staph infection being a bigger deal than other media have made it.

 

[PAPatsjunkie]

I'm just wondering if Curran would write a "mea culpa" article if Brady comes back on schedule, works out during the preseason and starts every game next season. I just wish there was some sort of accountability for these kinds of statements.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

There are only two outcomes to this saga:

MC is traded and a healthy TB starts in 2009. This means the Pats cheated by misusing the franchise tag and will be crucified for it.

TB is not ready to go and MC starts the season as QB. This means the Pats cheated by providing incorrect data to the media and will be crucified for it.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

As long as Game 1 isn't on the road against the Colts, who really cares.

Nope, week 1 always gets great ratings. They'll play Indy in November at night during sweeps month.......

 

[RayClay]

I disagree, if you heard him on EEI last week his version is not all that different from others who have tended to have looked on the bright side too much...

I think that's the point, though. Neither he nor casserly has any special info IMO. Just the extent of his injury plus the infection, could lead to a
late start.

Because they caught it and progress is made, Casserly soins it as better than expected.

Glass half empty, half full with same information.

 

[SVN]

I think that's the point, though. Neither he nor casserly has any special info IMO. Just the extent of his injury plus the infection, could lead to a
late start.

Because they caught it and progress is made, Casserly soins it as better than expected.

Glass half empty, half full with same information.

it seems like curran is projecting another surgery due to scar tissue/staph whatever which will cause the ultimate delay whereas the the rest might be reporting what the situation is now.

 

[Jackson 2]

My problem with Curran is that based on his demeanor on WEEI last week, he seems to lost his objectivity since he has been coming under fire. Maybe it was me, but over the course of the show on WEEI, Curran seemed to make Brady's condition get worse and worse. He took every conflicting story to heart and even though he wouldn't attack Peter King personally, he seemed to attack the conflicting stories harder and harder and making his claims grander and grander. It almost seemed like he was having a temper tantrum on the radio.

Since then you have guys like Felger and Tomase by playing semantic games of what is ahead of schedule means to defend him. I think Curran and some of the other Boston media people not only lost their objectivity on this story, but their maturity and composure.

Curran may be right in this story, but I have lost some respect for him based on his handling of his conflicting stories. It just seems weird that no other reporter can find a single person who will back up his claims especially at least in a case or two (Michael Silver for example) have closer ties to Brady than Curran does.

Bingo, you've got bingo. I've always liked Curran, but I think a part of him right now is wetting his pants thinking he's been played. He's always, correctly, perceived himself as a hip insider who calls it as he's seen it, and now he's reacting to the distinct possibility that he's been had. Survival mode...