- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
- Messages
- 15,520
- Reaction score
- 27,522
...on this beautiful Sunday in NE.
1. I think the reason for this post is the fact that NEXT Sunday we will actually have some live football to talk about. I'm just starting early.
2. Major hopes for this week of practice:
a. Both Stallworth, and Seymour get on the field for real practice time, even if I don't expect them to play in the first exhibition game.
b. We get some feedback that Asante Samuel will be back in camp within 10 days
c. Pierre Woods will continue to impress
d. We get word that Moroney will be ready for contact by the 2nd exhibition game
e. Everyone else stays healthy.
3. Most important things to look for on Friday... IMHO
a. how far back Rodney Harrison is. Are all we getting at this point is his mind and leadership skill, or is he going to be a factor rather than a liability in the pass defense. Over the course of preaseaon, it
will be interesting to see if the Pats pull Rodney when they put in their nickel and dime packages in pure passing situations.
b. I want to see where Brady and his receivers are at this point of camp. I know they will only play a couple of series, but it will be interesting to see if they are meshing. Perhaps for that reason Brady might play a bit more in the early exhibition games to try and develop more cohesion with his new receivers.
c. I want to see if I can notice any appreciable diffence in the running attack with the "new" zone blocking schemes the Pats are trying to implement. Clearly they will be doing different things, I just want to see if the casual observer can notice a difference. BTW-Nice story in the papers on that subject today.
d. I want to see significant improvement from Matt Cassell We still get some unsettling reports about happy feet and slow decisions from camp. I want to see a much smoother, calmer, professional performance out of Cassell. Rohan got to this point too, but couldn't take the next step, and now he's gone. Does the future hold the same fate for Cassell. It is critical for Cassell show us this improvement or we will be at risk at back up QB
e. Finally, I'll be taking a close look at the secondary. I want to see how the OTHER CB's play. Can Gay and/or James be legitimate alternatives if Samuel is gone? How far has Ellis Hobbs progressed from his strong finish last season? Is Sanders REALLY the future SS, and IS Merriweather worth a guaranteed $7MM
That's a lot to look for so I'm hoping I'm hoping that there will be a LOT of replays in this game.
4. I'm begining to think that Troy will start the season on PUP along with Jackson. I'm just wondering if at this point Troy is nothing more than insurance in case of several injuries to the WR corps. It actually works out well this way. He got his contract and will be paid this year. He is part of the team, yet I wonder if at this point of his career he is nothing more than a spare part and he got the gig more on who he was, rather than what he can currently do.
5. Can anyone tell me WTF Brady Quinn is THINKING???? Or for that matter what ANY of these rookie holdouts are thinking. They are being offered contracts that were unthinkable just a decade ago, and they turn their noses at them like they were spit. What is it that Merriweather got, $7MM guaranteed for being the 24th pick. That's nuts for a kid that never played a down, and Quinn is risking his entire first year because he wants MORE.
IMHO He is basically saying that I'm going to be a bust and I need as much as I can get in my first contract because I'm never going to see another one. That can be the only reason, Quinn in particular. Just by signing the current Cleveland offer he will make more than half the league's starting QBs, even though he is unlikely to play much in his first year....so whatever he makes this year he basically stole. That's NUTS.
He's worried about his paycheck if he becomes the franchise QB 4 or 5 years from now???? Hey Brady, get a EFFIN' clue. IF, and right now thats a BIG IF, you become a franchise QB, then you will get BOATLOADS of additional money to go along with the obscene amount of money you got when you signed your rookie contract,when you become a FA or extend your contract. Here's a novel thought. How about trying to EARN the money on the field. AND where is Charlie Weiss in all this, did he suddenly lose Quinn's cell number??? BTW- Did I mention the current system is NUTS!
6. Poor Romeo Crennell. He deserved better than the mess he inherited over in Cleveland. He's also had some horrid luck with injuries losing Wislow and Bently for most of his tenure. Now they invest not only a first round pick this year on a loser of a QB, they lose their first pick NEXT year as well.
I can only think back to the fact that if Tony FRIGGIN Romo had caught the damned ball it would have been the Pats that Cleveland would have been talking to, and the Pats would now have both Merriweather AND Cleveland's #1 pick plus whatever else Dallas got. (IIRC I think it was Cleveland's 2nd round pick)
7. I think the coverage we are getting from camp couldn't be better. From the guys and gals who honor us with their first person impression on practise like the redoubtable Mrs B, to Sean and Pats1, it is great. Not only that I think the guys at PFW have done an equally good job on the Patriots.com web sign with their blogs and podcasts. Really, when you think back to what he had to read and listen to, just a few years ago, you realize how far we have come.
8. File this under "close calls, but if the Pats hadn't had the China trip cancelled they would now be getting ready to pack for a trip that would have taken them from Boston to Seattle to Beijing a round trip journey of approximately 18 THOUSAND miles.uch:
9. File this under "things that make you go HMMMMM". We are all thinking of how important it is that we get off to a good start...right. Well maybe we shouldn't. Think about it. In 2001, we started off 1-3, in 2003 it was 2-2, and the end result were 2 superbowl banners. On the other hand in 2002 we started off 3-0, and again in 2006 we started off 4-1 and we all know that those seasons turned out to be much less satisfying.
Now it is true that we have the anomaly of having us start out with 6 straight wins in 2004, but if we have to concider THAT fact, there would be less of a reason to go HMMMM....wouldn't it?
10. If Samuel isn't in camp in the next 10 days, then if I'm Pioli, I'm on the phone to the Jets and Vikings seriously looking to do a trade for one of THEIR disgruntled CBs.
1. I think the reason for this post is the fact that NEXT Sunday we will actually have some live football to talk about. I'm just starting early.
2. Major hopes for this week of practice:
a. Both Stallworth, and Seymour get on the field for real practice time, even if I don't expect them to play in the first exhibition game.
b. We get some feedback that Asante Samuel will be back in camp within 10 days
c. Pierre Woods will continue to impress
d. We get word that Moroney will be ready for contact by the 2nd exhibition game
e. Everyone else stays healthy.
3. Most important things to look for on Friday... IMHO
a. how far back Rodney Harrison is. Are all we getting at this point is his mind and leadership skill, or is he going to be a factor rather than a liability in the pass defense. Over the course of preaseaon, it
will be interesting to see if the Pats pull Rodney when they put in their nickel and dime packages in pure passing situations.
b. I want to see where Brady and his receivers are at this point of camp. I know they will only play a couple of series, but it will be interesting to see if they are meshing. Perhaps for that reason Brady might play a bit more in the early exhibition games to try and develop more cohesion with his new receivers.
c. I want to see if I can notice any appreciable diffence in the running attack with the "new" zone blocking schemes the Pats are trying to implement. Clearly they will be doing different things, I just want to see if the casual observer can notice a difference. BTW-Nice story in the papers on that subject today.
d. I want to see significant improvement from Matt Cassell We still get some unsettling reports about happy feet and slow decisions from camp. I want to see a much smoother, calmer, professional performance out of Cassell. Rohan got to this point too, but couldn't take the next step, and now he's gone. Does the future hold the same fate for Cassell. It is critical for Cassell show us this improvement or we will be at risk at back up QB
e. Finally, I'll be taking a close look at the secondary. I want to see how the OTHER CB's play. Can Gay and/or James be legitimate alternatives if Samuel is gone? How far has Ellis Hobbs progressed from his strong finish last season? Is Sanders REALLY the future SS, and IS Merriweather worth a guaranteed $7MM
That's a lot to look for so I'm hoping I'm hoping that there will be a LOT of replays in this game.
4. I'm begining to think that Troy will start the season on PUP along with Jackson. I'm just wondering if at this point Troy is nothing more than insurance in case of several injuries to the WR corps. It actually works out well this way. He got his contract and will be paid this year. He is part of the team, yet I wonder if at this point of his career he is nothing more than a spare part and he got the gig more on who he was, rather than what he can currently do.
5. Can anyone tell me WTF Brady Quinn is THINKING???? Or for that matter what ANY of these rookie holdouts are thinking. They are being offered contracts that were unthinkable just a decade ago, and they turn their noses at them like they were spit. What is it that Merriweather got, $7MM guaranteed for being the 24th pick. That's nuts for a kid that never played a down, and Quinn is risking his entire first year because he wants MORE.
IMHO He is basically saying that I'm going to be a bust and I need as much as I can get in my first contract because I'm never going to see another one. That can be the only reason, Quinn in particular. Just by signing the current Cleveland offer he will make more than half the league's starting QBs, even though he is unlikely to play much in his first year....so whatever he makes this year he basically stole. That's NUTS.
He's worried about his paycheck if he becomes the franchise QB 4 or 5 years from now???? Hey Brady, get a EFFIN' clue. IF, and right now thats a BIG IF, you become a franchise QB, then you will get BOATLOADS of additional money to go along with the obscene amount of money you got when you signed your rookie contract,when you become a FA or extend your contract. Here's a novel thought. How about trying to EARN the money on the field. AND where is Charlie Weiss in all this, did he suddenly lose Quinn's cell number??? BTW- Did I mention the current system is NUTS!
6. Poor Romeo Crennell. He deserved better than the mess he inherited over in Cleveland. He's also had some horrid luck with injuries losing Wislow and Bently for most of his tenure. Now they invest not only a first round pick this year on a loser of a QB, they lose their first pick NEXT year as well.
I can only think back to the fact that if Tony FRIGGIN Romo had caught the damned ball it would have been the Pats that Cleveland would have been talking to, and the Pats would now have both Merriweather AND Cleveland's #1 pick plus whatever else Dallas got. (IIRC I think it was Cleveland's 2nd round pick)
7. I think the coverage we are getting from camp couldn't be better. From the guys and gals who honor us with their first person impression on practise like the redoubtable Mrs B, to Sean and Pats1, it is great. Not only that I think the guys at PFW have done an equally good job on the Patriots.com web sign with their blogs and podcasts. Really, when you think back to what he had to read and listen to, just a few years ago, you realize how far we have come.
8. File this under "close calls, but if the Pats hadn't had the China trip cancelled they would now be getting ready to pack for a trip that would have taken them from Boston to Seattle to Beijing a round trip journey of approximately 18 THOUSAND miles.
uch:9. File this under "things that make you go HMMMMM". We are all thinking of how important it is that we get off to a good start...right. Well maybe we shouldn't. Think about it. In 2001, we started off 1-3, in 2003 it was 2-2, and the end result were 2 superbowl banners. On the other hand in 2002 we started off 3-0, and again in 2006 we started off 4-1 and we all know that those seasons turned out to be much less satisfying.
Now it is true that we have the anomaly of having us start out with 6 straight wins in 2004, but if we have to concider THAT fact, there would be less of a reason to go HMMMM....wouldn't it?
10. If Samuel isn't in camp in the next 10 days, then if I'm Pioli, I'm on the phone to the Jets and Vikings seriously looking to do a trade for one of THEIR disgruntled CBs.
Last edited:
