Ex-Patriots Where Are They Now
I got this from another messageboard. Kind of insightful on the careers of once contributal Patriots.
By Bill Barnwell
Joe Andruzzi, G, FA
Andruzzi, sadly, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma in May, and is currently undergoing chemotherapy at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Tom Ashworth, OL, SEA
Ashworth is the seventh lineman for a Seahawks offensive line that?s never looked the same since the departure of Steve Hutchison and the overuse of Shaun Alexander.
Tully Banta-Cain, OLB, SF
The pass rusher never seemed to get the hang of the Patriots scheme, and as a 49ers outside linebacker, he?s got 16 tackles and 1.5 sacks in eight games.
Monty Beisel, LB, ARI
Beisel?s a reserve linebacker for the Cardinals now; in eight games, he?s got 30 tackles and no sacks. He?s collecting years on his pension.
Deion Branch, WR, SEA
Remember when signing Branch seemed like a good idea? So, maybe my first column for then-BSMW didn?t turn out so accurately, but Branch has spent most of this season injured and has 22 catches for 343 yards in five games. Not exactly the production the Seahawks were looking for when they gave up a first-round pick for Branch.
Reche Caldwell, WR, WAS
Caldwell caught on with the Redskins following his release, but he?s only played one game, and went without a catch.
Matt Chatham, LB, NYJ
The linebacker who Peter King says started off the Belichick-Mangini feud spent the first seven weeks of the season on the PUP list with a foot injury. He?s a special teams player, but with Jonathan Vilma?s injury, Chatham becomes the primary reserve inside linebacker.
Andre? Davis, WR, HOU
Davis has finally got some playing time by moving to Houston, where he?s emerged as arguably the team?s top wideout with Andre Johnson?s injury. His 23 catches for 441 yards have him 36th in the league in both DPAR and DVOA.
Tim Dwight, WR, OAK
Dwight had his first and only catch of the season on Sunday against Houston, a 28-yard touchdown. You weren?t watching.
David Givens, WR, TEN
After tearing his ACL midway through the 2006 season, Givens was expected to return in time for the 2007 campaign, but he was placed on the PUP list to start the season, and as Givens is yet to be taken off the list at the time of writing, it looks like he?ll go on IR and miss the whole season. That bodes very poorly for Givens? future.
Terry Glenn, WR, DAL
Glenn?s career may very well be over following a series of knee complaints that led to two microfracture surgeries before the season. There?s a possibility he might return before the end of the season, but even if he does, the track record for aging wide receivers with knee injuries isn?t particularly good.
Daniel Graham, TE, DEN
On the receiving side, Graham has been nothing special, catching 16 passes for 149 yards. As a blocker, it?s harder to isolate his performance, but the Broncos rush offense has gone from being 20th last year to 18th this year (which also may have something to do with Matt Lepsis returning), so if there has been an effect, it hasn?t been great.
Damon Huard, QB, KC
The former backup has spent most of the season avoiding getting yanked; he ranked 31st in the league in DVOA and 32nd in DPAR, so there?s little pointing in his favor. Losing Larry Johnson will do him no favors.
Bethel Johnson, WR, FA
Johnson was waived by the Texans in the offseason, and his career appears to be over.
Dan Klecko, DL/LB, IND
Klecko is a spare part on the Colts defense, making four tackles on the campaign, while occasionally featuring in offensive sets.
Ty Law, CB, KC
Law?s been the weak point of an otherwise-superb Kansas City pass defense. Patrick Surtain lines up against #1 receivers for Kansas City, and their defensive DVOA against those wideouts is fifth in the league. Law lines up against #2 receivers; their DVOA against those receivers is 23rd.
Willie McGinest, LB, CLE
McGinest missed the first three games of the season with an injury, and since his return, he?s played a relatively limited role on the outside, mustering 11 tackles in five games. The decision to let him go seems relatively justified in hindsight.
Josh Miller, P, FA
The likable former punter caught on for a short stint with the Titans this year while Craig Hentrich was hurt. He?s waiting for a spot to open up, but then again, aren?t we all?
Lawyer Milloy, S, ATL
Speaking of justified decisions?even Tom Jackson knows by now that Milloy was on the decline when he left New England. He?s currently providing veteran leadership for a team that appears to have nothing in the way of veteran leadership.
David Patten, WR, NO
Patten picked up with the Saints in the offseason and has served as their slot receiver with some success, catching 24 passes for 422 yards and a 19.8% DVOA, leaving him sixteenth in the league.
Tyrone Poole, CB, FA
Poole was also cut by the Texans in the offseason and his career is probably done.
Hank Poteat, CB, NYJ
I gave Poteat the nickname of ?Craigslist? after all the times he had to pack up and head to and from Foxborough for short stints with the Patriots. He actually had the stability of a one-year deal this year, but he?s been part of a Jets pass defense which has been astoundingly stinky this year. In his defense, he might be the best cornerback they have, but that?s faint praise.
Todd Sauerbrun, P, DEN
The man hunting for Gramaticas is having an entirely average year for the Broncos when you strip out the advantage he gets for punting in the thin air of Denver.
Greg Spires, DE, TB
Spires missed this week?s game against the Cardinals after starting the first eight games of the season for the Buccaneers at defensive end, across from rookie Gaines Adams. Spires has 24 tackles and a sack in the Buccaneers? Tampa-2 defense, currently ranked 13th in the league.
Duane Starks, CB, FA
Starks was on the Raiders roster to start the season, but when JaMarcus Russell was signed, Starks was the one let go.
Vinny Testaverde, QB, CAR
If you?d picked a man on last year?s roster who would?ve been least likely to put up a performance of any relevance in 2007, Testaverde would have been the almost-universal pick. Of course, Testaverde managed to earn a start for the Panthers, although tendonitis (he?s old!) may keep him out for a while. Testaverde still has my admiration, though.
Keith Traylor, DT, MIA
Traylor?s contributed little to a Dolphins rush defense that has collapsed to 31st in the league. He?s just about done.
Adam Vinatieri, K, IND
That was Vinatieri you saw missing a field goal in the first quarter last week. According to our metrics for both scoring kicking as well as kickoffs, Stephen Gostkowski outpaces Vinateri in both. Oh, and that?s at about a quarter of the price.
Ted Washington, DT, CLE
Washington occupies the middle for a Cleveland defense that?s 18th in the league against the run. Sure, they may be 31st in the league against the pass, but realistically, Washington?s not on the field for most of those snaps, nor is it his job to rus?engag?engulf the passer.
Jermaine Wiggins, TE, FA
Wiggins was cut by the Jaguars in training camp, and is yet to catch on with another team despite catching 46 passes last season.
Damien Woody, OL, DET
When we last left Woody, he was impregnating women and on IR. This year, he?s played five games, starting three, and is a relatively high-paid bust on a relatively overrated team
