Fish Wrap Round-up

[Box_O_Rocks]

Guregian...
http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1005419

While his sample includes only offseason conditioning, voluntary passing camp and a three-day minicamp, Kyle Brady has gotten a pretty good idea why the Patriots have won three Super Bowls.

The veteran tight end has been impressed by what he’s seen and is now a part of.

“While each individual season is a story unto itself, you can certainly see the fire and the desire and the professionalism and the hard work, all of the things that you would expect that make a team a championship team,” he said yesterday at the conclusion of minicamp. “Those ingredients you clearly see in many of the guys who have been here for that run. They’re very professional in their attitude and demeanor.
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The 6-foot-6, 280-pound Brady, who has played with the Jets and Jaguars over the course of 13 NFL seasons, also has gotten a kick out of seeing unrestricted free agent Vinny Testaverde, who took part in the three-day minicamp.

“I joke with him all the time,” Brady said of the 43-year-old, who’s looking for a backup job. “Back in ’98, I thought he was old, and now we’re reunited 10 years later. It’s amazing. The guy takes very good care of himself and is a consummate professional.”
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At one point, he played catch with Kevin Faulk [stats], and once again threw left-handed, drawing laughter from linebacker Adalius Thomas. Maroney did toss a few right-handed, but very gingerly.
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Yesterday, [Wes Welker] was 1-for-2, missing his first attempt, before drilling his second through the uprights as his teammates cheered.

Kicker Stephen Gostkowski’s assessment?

“He looked pretty good. It was impressive,” he said. “I doubt he’s kicked in a while. Maybe next time, I can line up and get a catch from Tom (Brady) at receiver.”
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Josh Miller, who was placed on injured reserve last season to undergo shoulder surgery, indicated yesterday he felt great, and was ready to resume his role as punter.

He felt so good, in fact, he thought he could win any punting competition going forward.

http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1005420

The thought of what Adam Vinatieri’s replacement would have to endure was daunting, overwhelming.

Some even ventured to say his mission was impossible.

How could anyone replace a legend, the best clutch kicker anyone had ever seen, a guy who won two Super Bowls with his right foot?
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Only Gostkowski managed to rise from the sea of doubt last season and actually made people learn how to correctly pronounce his last name.
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“It’s not so much about confidence, it’s about being comfortable, finding that rhythm,” he said at the conclusion of minicamp. “The more I kicked last year, the more I got comfortable. I’m still working to build on that every day.
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“I still have to prove to my team I’m going to be the guy here, just like I was last year,” Gostkowski said. “I’m just going to work hard to be more comfortable than I was last year, work hard to get more comfortable every day. We still have a long way to go before the season, but it starts now. This is where you start to get better for the season.”
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At the close of camp each day, Gostkowski has been brought on to make kicks. He’s had players - even coach Bill Belichick - attempt to distract him.

“Coach Belichick has a good way of making you feel antsy. He’ll stand right next to you, throw a hat in your way, stuff to try and make you break your concentration,” Gostkowski said. “And then (Mike) Vrabel and Rosevelt (Colvin), they talk.

“It’s good help. In a game, you don’t get half of that. They do a good job putting us in situations that get us prepared. . . . It’s all about staying calm and doing the same thing every time.”

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Breer...
http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1005421

The 2005 season was tough enough on Eugene Wilson after winning Super Bowl rings each of his first two seasons in the NFL. He was forced to battle a perception that his game slipped when Rodney Harrison [stats] went down, then watched his season end three weeks too early.

Little did he know then how far the bottom would fall out in 2006.

After starting the season’s first three games, Wilson sat out the next two with groin and hamstring injuries. Then he re-aggravated the hamstring at Buffalo in Week 7, which was followed by six weeks as a game-day inactive and, finally, his placement on injured reserve Dec. 4.
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That evening, Colts tight end Dallas Clark ripped through the Patriots [team stats] secondary, and into the area Wilson would’ve been covering, for six catches and 137 yards. And yes, sitting at home, Wilson wondered if he might have made a difference.

At this point, though, those feelings have subsided.

“Most definitely, it was tough not being out there,” he said. “But it’s in the past and now, we’re moving forward.”

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Tomase...
http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1005430

The Patriots concluded yesterday’s practice with a series of sprints, and the same duo crossed the finish line first virtually every time - wide receivers Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney.
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The offseason was trying for the pair, to say the least. Only Gaffney addressed reporters yesterday, but it’s safe to say he spoke for his friend and fellow Florida Gator.

“Every time you turned on the TV, we had picked up somebody else,” he said. “But as it came together, it was for the best. It brings the best out of all of us, because they’re not just coming in here and jumping in. No spot is secure. They have to work, and that makes us work. It’s going to make whoever the coaching staff puts out there as a starter that much better.”
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“(Belichick) doesn’t care who you are - an eight-time Pro Bowler, a first-round draft pick,” Gaffney said. “The best guys are going to play. So just come in here and work. Nobody (should) get down on themselves. Just work, and whoever is the best out there is going to play.”
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“We know if we want to stay up there and have a chance to start on this team, we’re going to have to come out here and work hard and bring our best every day because we have a lot of good receivers here,” Gaffney said. “Hard work always pays off.”

http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1005429

Oh, how life changed for Benjamin Watson last year.
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On any particular pass route, he was likely to be chipped at the line, taken underneath by a linebacker, and then doubled downfield by a safety. He still posted career-best numbers of 49 catches for 643 yards, but it was a struggle, particularly after he was anointed the Next Great Tight End in the preseason.

“It was a little bit different, that’s for sure,” Watson said. “I had to work a little bit harder. One thing I’ve definitely been trying to learn from the receivers we have now, guys that are experienced, is to learn from them as far as getting open and beating man-to-man coverage.”
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Watson believes learning to operate against double and triple coverage accelerated his maturation process.

“I think so,” he said. “You’ve got to get thrown in the fire in order to grow to some extent. There were some good things I did last year, as well as some bad things I need to keep working on and need to grow on. This is a whole new season and it’s exciting.”

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Former LSU star Green one of NFL's good guys
http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070608/UPDATES02/70608005/1006/SPORTS

Former LSU standout Jarvis Green gets it.

I don't think we will see him in Roger Goodell's disciplinary doghouse anytime soon. The New England Patriots defensive end is too busy with business pursuits, and with being a husband and father. The adventurous entrepreneur also is a caring, involved member of his community back home in Louisiana.
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Green, with a degree in construction engineering, continues to cobble together job skills that will bolster his future, while giving him a constructive outlet for idle hours. Face it: When you're young, well off and well-known, you never think the big party is going to end. Perhaps that is one reason why too many players take chances with their lives, reputations and careers.

"Players have a lot of free time, and guys can get into trouble because of that," Green said. "One of my coaches always says, 'A lot of time and a lot of money is a bad combination.' In a long day, anything can happen -- for better or worse. You hope younger generations can learn. I'm very cautious because I have three kids. My life is for them, it's not for me anymore."
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Learning to do the right thing comes from example. And it starts at the top, whether it's a league CEO enforcing conduct policies or an owner insisting that professionalism be paramount in an organization.

"Listening to the philosophies of Mr. (Robert) Kraft and Coach Belichick changed my thoughts about what I was going to do after football," Green said.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://news.bostonherald.com/blogs/patriots/

Tomorrow [today now], we’ll post 10 things we took from this minicamp.

June 7th, 2007
Belichick addresses the press
Posted by Albert Breer at 3:39 pm

Little change of pace today, as coach Bill Belichick spoke to the media from the practice field, rather than on the field. After this, we’ll wrap up the day with some things picked up from players after their their final mandatory workout before training camp begins on July 27. Here’s the rundown of the coach’s comments:

BB: We’ve had a good…it’s really been three weeks, this is the last week, a different number of days in those weeks, but anyway, putting all of those together, I think that we have a lot of our system installed. We’re working a lot of players, a lot of different combinations and I think that it’s been good for them to experience it and work against the other side of the ball and get familiar with it. Obviously we have a long way to go and this is still an important time coming up between now and training camp for the players to train and be in top condition and work on some of the things that we’ve gone over in the last three weeks. That being said, I think we’ve done, not all we can do, but we’ve done a lot and we’re a lot further ahead than we were three weeks ago when we started coming off of the offseason program. We’ve introduced the rookies to a lot of our system and so we’re ready to get in shape and get ready to go and come back to training camp in July. That’s where we are.

Q: Generally, do you think that the new players have picked up the system pretty well?

BB: I think everybody is working at it. I think we have a long way to go and there’s a difference between coming out here running it in mini-camp and running it in pads on a competitive level in training camp. So we’ll see what happens when we come to that point.

Q: How do you assess mini-camp? When the coaches sit down, how do you break it down after the three days?

BB: Well, we put in new stuff every day and we come out and run it and then we correct it the next day and run it the following day and see if we can improve on it and get it right and get closer to having it look the way we want it to look. Based on that, I’d say we’ve made progress. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than it was.

Q: Have you been impressed by any player in particular?

BB: I think that they’re all working hard and they’re trying to get it down. Like I said, we’re working on a lot of different combinations, so it’s not so much an evaluation camp as it is a teaching camp and trying to get everybody to understand, not only what they’re doing, but the overall concept of the play.

Q: [On the importance of players’ conditioning]

BB: Well, it’s that time of year. Players are running, they’re conditioning now and getting ready for training camp. We don’t do as much in the offseason program because we’re out here practicing on these days, but the conditioning part of it is important and it’s an important part of the player’s preparation for camp. There’s no reason to let that go.

Q: When you look at what you wanted to get accomplished in these couple of days, do you think you’ve reached that goal?

BB: We set a schedule for the things that we wanted to install and work on and we basically have been able to stay on that schedule, right. That’s not a complete schedule, but it takes into account the time we’ve had, so I think we’ve made some progress on that, yes.

Q: The players have six weeks off now. Did you remind them that they still need to come back in shape or are they pretty well aware of that?

BB: We talk to the players about what the expectations are for them. We still have a program that some of them will be here following for the next few weeks, because the offseason program is going to continue to go. That doesn’t end, it’s just the mini-camp ends. It will be outlined for them.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070608/SPORTS04/706070369/1002/sports

USC football head coach Pete Carroll was in the valley June 1 to address a couple hundred USC alumni and fans at the Indian Wells Country Club as part of a fundraiser for the local Trojan alumni club.
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QUESTION: How do you think Oscar Lua is going to do in the pros, now that he has been drafted by the Patriots?

ANSWER: Hopefully, he'll do really well. They've looked really long and hard at him, they knew what they were getting, and I would think that he would fit into their plans. He's gotta make it through a tough camp and make the team. He's probably going to make it on special teams and fight for a backup spot. He's a good kid, he's going to work real hard, he's really smart and he's going to have to work toward this challenge.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

King...
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070608/SPORTS/206080345/-1/sports

Welcome to the Age of Adalius.

Adalius Thomas says he’s glad to be a member of the New England Patriots. But don’t expect miracles right away.
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Thomas has a lot of flexibility, having played eight different defensive positions, similar to that of former Patriot Willie McGinest. Veteran and surefire Hall of Famer Junior Seau is back and the Patriots are in talks with free agent Chad Brown.

“Adalius is a very flexible player,” Belichick said. “And he, along with really all of our linebackers, Mike (Vrabel), Tedy, Rosie (Colvin) and Junior and all of those guys are pretty versatile and we shuffle them around quite a bit.
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“I’m here to learn, improve in the system, get better, work on some things and listen to coaching,” said Thomas, who was drafted by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 draft. “It’s a great group of guys. We’re coming in here with an open mind and trying to get some chemistry. I’m just trying to learn and fit in right . . . Wherever I’m put, that’s where I’m playing.’’
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“As far as championship-wise, we leave that for the play to be done,” he said. “We’re just trying to get better week in and week out, every day. Take it one day at a time. You can’t just come in here and start talking like that.”

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Pires...
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070608/SPORTS/706080402

Then again, besides safety Rashad Baker, the rest of them got the memo there wasn't supposed to be any contact.

But beyond the contract squabble with cornerback Asante "Show Me The Money" Samuel and a few missing faces — namely defensive lineman Richard Seymour and rookie safety Brandon Meriweather — the New England Patriots, who have been aptly described as "loaded," concluded their three-day mini-camp on a high-note and appear to be well on the road to beginning training camp, which opens in seven weeks, almost seamlessly.
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It's pretty obvious to even the most casual observer that the occasionally casual Randy Moss is still capable of being ranked among the NFL's special talents regardless of position. He's got speed, quickness and is a ball magnet. He's still a receiver that won't go over the middle, but who cares when you can run a go-pattern that can't be stopped even by rows of spike strips.

But there's a contingent of Patriots players waiting to find out if this is truly a new and reconstituted Moss.
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For tight end Ben Watson, going on tour with the USO to Iraq earlier this year most definitely had him on edge.
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After expressing his displeasure with how the offensive line ran through their end of practice gasser, Belichick, who apparently doesn't like certain position players running together, scowled and demanded that the group do it two more times.

For their second run, however, the same group — Matt Light, Dan Koppen, Russ Hochstein, Ryan O'Callaghan, Mankins, Nick Kaczur and Steve Neal — reunited at the end line and held one another's hand as they proceeded to huff and puff the length of the football field.

Give the big boys credited, too. The coordinated effort made Belichick smile.
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Maybe it's because of the pickup basketball games he played in the off-season or the yoga classes, but Harrison's speed is most definitely back to normal and his gait appeared very smooth which is all very promising considering the back-to-back knee injuries he's sustained.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Farinella...
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2007/06/08/sports/sports3.txt

The always-entertaining Josh Miller is back in his place about 10 yards back of the line of scrimmage, booming punts for the New England Patriots.

Shelved midway through last season with a shoulder injury that Miller chalked up to mechanics, the 12th-year NFL veteran is virtually assured of his roster spot unless first-year veteran Danny Baugher kicks the daylights out of the ball in training camp.

That's not very likely, but Miller isn't quite as ready to accept the job as others might be to give it to him. Straightening out mechanics after losing half a season to injury isn't the easiest thing in the world, he said Thursday at Gillette Stadium.

"For a year there, I got into some bad habits punting the ball," he said after the end of the last full-squad minicamp practice. "I was jamming myself instead of getting the ball out there, so I'm trying to straighten that out.

"I'm fine … my shoulder is fine, and luckily I have a couple of months to get it going here before camp," he said.
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"I look at it like, there's only 32 jobs in the league, and if you have one of them, you should be happy," he said. "If I'm healthy, I know I'll have one of them.

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2007/06/08/sports/sports2.txt

The arrival of Randy Moss on the scene tended to obscure their presence somewhat, almost to the point where it was forgotten that they were the vanguard - the first wave of talented wide receivers to bolster one of the biggest weaknesses of the 2006 New England Patriots.

Donté Stallworth, Kelley Washington and Wesley Welker were originally the players upon whom Tom Brady was going to rely to give the receiving corps the jolt it needed after last season. They may have all taken a back seat in the public consciousness in recent weeks because of the media frenzy over the mercurial Moss, but make no mistake - they are still going to be the ones who will do the most to redefine what it means to throw and catch the football in New England.

But as each of them said during this week's full-squad minicamp at Gillette Stadium, they'll have to travel a long road before promise turns into production.
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With the influx of new talent, it's quick to assume that the receivers who carried the largest share of the load last year, Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney, would be on the outside looking in. But Washington warned against making that snap judgment.

"They're good receivers," he said. "They produced for the team last year. We're the new guys that they brought in, but they have their talent.

"Everybody brings a little something different to the table … they had a really great camp, and us new guys, we're kind of learning how the system works and we were asking those guys a lot of questions. They handled themselves well. They're professionals," he said.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Manza-Young...
http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/sp_fbn_pats08_06-08-07_E25UKU9.330e7c8.html

“When they first asked me (to go on the tour), I was like, ‘Go where? When?,’ ” the tight end said yesterday, adding that his parents and wife, Kirsten, were nervous about him making the trip. “We went to places all over Iraq. It’s tough out there for them. I have great respect for anyone in the armed forces.”

Watson has kept in touch with one of the servicemen he met, a Patriots fan who pilots a C-130 cargo plane. He is hoping that the man will be able to come to a game at Gillette Stadium when he comes home.
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But while Graham can’t be replaced as a friend, Watson has discovered that Kyle Brady is a good guy to know as well.

Signed as a free agent, the 13-year veteran was impressive on the field this week during mini-camp. Though many believe Brady was brought in primarily to be a blocker — as Graham was — he looked smooth in the passing game.

That’s not the only thing that stands out about Brady, though.

“He’s huge,” Watson answered when asked about Brady, his eyes widening. “He’s a guy of great character, he loves his family, he loves the Lord. We connected on that level.”
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When he gets on the field now, Watson’s memories of the trip to the Middle East are not far from his mind.

“It’s definitely surreal; going there was sobering,” he said. “There, it’s life and death. (Football) is real to us, it’s important to us, but that’s life and death.”

http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/sp_fbn_patsjo08_06-08-07_E25UKN4.330f4f1.html

There is still a long way to go before the 2007 regular season even gets under way, but as starts go, Patriots coach Bill Belichick seemed satisfied that his team began laying a good foundation over the three days of its mini-camp.
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Welker did have a couple of drops yesterday, but it was the first time over the four days of media-access sessions — three this week and last week’s passing camp — that Welker looked the least bit shaky. When he did miss the ball, he was demonstrably upset about it.
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Training camp officially begins on Friday, July 27, with the opening session at 8:45 a.m.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=219510

Help is available — or could be soon

June 1 ain't what it used to be.
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So no one expected a massive pool of talent to come available last weekend.

Still, 2007 rosters are far from set. Teams are watching the waiver wire closely for the few worthy names that may still shake loose.
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"This time of year, teams look forward and focus on some younger players," one AFC personnel director says. "But once the season starts, you just want to win games. By the second preseason game, these guys will be off the board."

Asante Samuel, CB, Patriots.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=219501

Offseason's best and worst moves

BEST

1. Raiders trade Randy Moss.
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2. Patriots get Randy Moss. Hey, one man's garbage is another's trophy. If any team can get Moss motivated and productive again, it's the highly functional Patriots.
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WORST

3. Chargers shut down Martyball. You think new coach Norv Turner wouldn't trade resumes with predecessor Marty Schottenheimer -- postseason failures included -- in a San Diego second?

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=219518

Offseason report card: Big-game hunters

The New England Patriots, the franchise that helped restore faith in the draft and inspire caution in free-agent spending while winning three Super Bowls from 2001-04, went shopping this offseason. Like Wilma Flintstone and Betty Rubble used to go shopping.
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You'd think the Patriots were atoning for the sins of a season gone awry. Truth is, New England was one of only five teams that won 12 or more games in '06, along with Indianapolis, Chicago, San Diego and Baltimore. The Patriots responded by writing checks like they were Post-it notes. The other four heavyweights basically took a nap.
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The Patriots declined comment for this story, saying they want to downplay their offseason moves. Representatives of the other teams insist their passivity is part of a larger plan, and it all begins with drafting good players who fit the overall scheme.
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The Patriots' aggressiveness took most analysts by surprise. And though coach Bill Belichick and personnel chief Scott Pioli drew mostly applause for the maneuvers, many remain curious to see how well the pieces will fit together.

"They've strengthened themselves offensively," one rival AFC East executive says. "Now they can sift through those receivers and see who fits what they're trying to do. Now they can take Ben Watson and put him as a tight end rather than flexing him up. But now I think the pressure is on Tom Brady. Can Brady get it to them? And can the line hold up?"

The likely answer to both questions is yes. Not because of Brady's arm or Donte' Stallworth's speed or Moss' leaping ability, necessarily, but because these are the Patriots and we have learned to assume all of their tactics will pan out. "They've won three championships. I don't think the Chargers have won any," San Diego's Smith says. "When New England does things, I pay attention."
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A
Patriots In Belichick's system, Adalius Thomas could be the new Willie McGinest. And this year's third receiver, Wes Welker, might be better than last year's No. 1, Reche Caldwell. Oh, and don't overlook cornerback Tory James.
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B
Jets
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C-
Bills
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F
Dolphins

 

[patfanken]

Thanks Box. I particularly liked the articles on Green and Watson. They are both guys who seem to "get it", Green especially.

 

[PatsMyBoyz!]

Good stuff Box,thank you!
I like this one from the Big Game Hunters article:
"You'd think the Patriots were atoning for the sins of a season gone awry. Truth is, New England was one of only five teams that won 12 or more games in '06, along with Indianapolis, Chicago, San Diego and Baltimore. The Patriots responded by writing checks like they were Post-it notes. The other four heavyweights basically took a nap."
I love this team.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/patriots/

10 things to take
Posted by Albert Breer at 10:56 am

To finish off minicamp, we’re bringing 10 things emerging from the three workouts that were open up to us. And I’m gonna try to telling myself … It’s June, It’s June, It’s June …

OK. Let’s go:

1) In a corner. The Patriots have really, really loaded up this year, no matter what they might actually say. So it’d be a shame to see Asante Samuel’s situation throw a haymaker at the team’s quest for a fourth title.
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2) Deal making: I say the Samuel situation is big enough to grab two spots here (and even three if you scroll down.) So what’s the problem right now? Simple. We’re hearing, pretty emphatically, that the corner has the offer he wants from “several teams.” And given that, he feels like signing the $7.79 million tender makes little sense.
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3) Missing Meriweather: Don’t be fooling yourself, even as a rookie, S Brandon Meriweather is expected to be a pretty big part of the team’s defense in 2006. That’s why the team is being careful with him.
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4) Load of a linebacker: It’s well-documented, by now, how impressive Adalius Thomas looked athletically at this camp.
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5) Receiving line: It’s not exactly breaking news, but for those who were wondering, here you go. The Patriots have improved at wideout.
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6) Charlie Hustle: Leaving Wes Welker out of the last item was, indeed, intentional. He deserves his own number on this list.
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7) Lacking Laurence: RB Laurence Maroney’s presence over the last two days of camp provided about as much insight to his status as his being in the bubble riding a bike would have.
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8) Tightened up: I like Daniel Graham a lot as a football player. But the fact is, the Patriots are just fine at tight end.
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9. The Moss factor: So Randy Moss isn’t always hustling around. So what?
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10. Field focus: It’s often hard to gage what’s inside a team this early in the year. From the way the guys acted over the last four days, though, these Patriots seem to be very, very focused. To be honest, they look more zoned in now than they did even in September of last year.

 

[37Harrison]

Great stuff BOR, thanks for posting it!

I can't wait for this season to begin, how I love this team!!!

 

[BB_dynasty]

Can't wait for the season. Thanks Box.