OT: Jimmy Williams cut by Falcons

[Crazyeechrispats1]

How does a guy who can't make the squad on a team with a horrible secondary improve a team with an impressive secondary?

Does it matter to anyone that our former head of scouting, the guy who helped shape our own team, cut this guy?

Everybody makes mistakes BB's only one I can think of was a few questionable draft reaches.
I mean maybe this guy just needs a change of scenery needs a locker roomed policed by harrison and bruschi and co.
I just think hey if he can help the team in any fashion it's worth a shot and Beoli would be the best judge of that.
Just don't be surprised if we see him in New Jersey or Miami but my guess is dallas.
There throwing everything against the wall in big D to see what sticks!

 

[Urgent]

The guy is supposed to be a real jerk.

He had the measurables coming out in the draft to be a top 15 pick, but there were big concerns about his attitude. He was originally rated the #1 CB in the 2006 draft, but ended up going #37. He reportedly refused to play safety during the draft interviews, which was a concern as well.

Atlanta didn't just cut him for the weight, although the weight is an indication of his general attitude. Why would the Patriots want to add a guy who doesn't care about the team enough to stay in shape? Who doesn't want to be versatile? Who is the opposite of team-first?

And Atlanta didn't cut him to save money -- as a third-year player, he almost certainly is on the third-year minimum salary, with all his money in the original signing bonus, which Atlanta has to recognize whether he is on the team or not. It's probably more expensive to release him.

Zero interest.

 

[mgteich]

Okay. Which two of the following are such likely contributers that they aren't open to camp competition? I guess seven players are enough to compete for two spots, but another is fine with me. Of course, I'd rather the CB addition be Ty Law.

Wilhite, Richardson, Spann, Ventrone, Andrews, Webster, Lew Sanders

I think the DB situation is looking rather good right now. If he couldn't keep his spot on the Falcons, I don't see much hope of him doing so on the Patriots.

 

[captain stone]

Another VA Tech player with character issues? What a shock.

Didn't Marcus Vick get himself arrested last week, too?

Frank Beamer runs a dirty program down in Blacksburg, and has done so for years. Shame on the VT alums/boosters/backers to allow this guy to continuously compromise the integrity of their alma mater.

As for Jimmy Williams the football player: there would be absolutely nothing wrong with our FO doing some detective work on him and bringing him to Foxborough for an interview/workout. Perhaps he could fill a role as Meriweather's backup at FS; or perhaps not, but what the hey, it's worth a shot.

 

[Rob0729]

If Dimitroff dumped Williams, I don't see Belichick and Pioli coming near him with a ten foot pole. Both Belichick and Pioli respect Dimitroff's talent evaluation skills (why else was he Pioli's right hand man before he left for Atlanta) and Dimitroff is trying to build a Patriots type of franchise down in Atlanta. If Williams couldn't stick in a Patriots-very lite type of organization, what makes anyone believe he could cut it with the Patriots?

I guarantee you that if Dimitroff thought Williams could make the Patriots' roster at all, he would never had cut him.

 

[Stanley]

As an avid follower and alumnus of Va Tech, I can speak to his college career. He was a starter for 3 years and could have left a year early but chose to stay. He was occasionally immature in his actions, but not a troublemaker. He was an extremely hard hitter, some on opposing teams might use the word vicious. It doesn't seem that he matured as he should in Atlanta, but then again, the team was run by relatively immature people. Also, Deangelo Hall was probably not a good influence. So, I guess I am in the camp that he might benefit from a change in scenery. He can cover a lot of field in a hurry and arrive with a serious blow. He caused a number of fumbles by receivers who would lay on the field for several seconds.

 

[Patjew]

Are you kidding me?

Definitely an upgrade over a starter on an 18-1 team. The guy is being cut after two seasons of doing nothing. he is not an upgrade over Willie Andrews nevermind starters.

Some might say that DW Toys has something against Sanders. I presume it has to do with bigamy, sodomy, or leperosy.

 

[mdhprime]

Okay. Which two of the following are such likely contributers that they aren't open to camp competition? I guess seven players are enough to compete for two spots, but another is fine with me. Of course, I'd rather the CB addition be Ty Law.

Wilhite, Richardson, Spann, Ventrone, Andrews, Webster, Lew Sanders

I have repeatedly heard from Belichick when he has been answering questions from the press that a player needs to fit a system. A player too slow to play corner and not strong enough to play safety and who has been cut from a team that has hit rock bottom does not seem to fit any system or be capable of providing any competition in camp. I would not be surprised if more DBs get signed, just not this one. As far as your initial question, I think all the players you mentioned are open to competition.

 

[signbabybrady]

I agree that comment is way over rated.. But I'm not a big Sanders fan.. I think he's avg at best. To me, he is the typical JAG..

As you stated you agreed with my assesment of Williams.

But I think Sanders is slightly better than a JAG. But maybe our disagreement is in the way we determine JAG. I don't see a starter as being a JAG. I see a JAG as an average guy on a team. He is good enough to get some reps but not really good enough to start. IMO Tully Banta Cain was a good example of this or Hochstein. I am not overly high on Sanders but I do think he can/has been more than an adequate starter. I think Merriweather has more ceiling and I like him better.

 

[patchick]

Some might say that DW Toys has something against Sanders. I presume it has to do with bigamy, sodomy, or leperosy.

I've gotten over the bigamy and sodomy incidents, but I can't forgive Sanders for the leprosy.

 

[PATSNUTme]

We haven't signed him yet? There must be teams out there looking for an underachieving, overwieght safety.

Another reason to be very careful drafting players. There are some, and this one appears to be one, who get their signing bonus and then "retire". Sullivan was a good example. This guy has Sullivan written all over him and I doubt if the Patriots make that mistake again.

 

[bradmahn]

We haven't signed him yet? There must be teams out there looking for an underachieving, overwieght safety.

Another reason to be very careful drafting players. There are some, and this one appears to be one, who get their signing bonus and then "retire". Sullivan was a good example. This guy has Sullivan written all over him and I doubt if the Patriots make that mistake again.

I wouldn't declare Sullivan a Patriot mistake, but that's just my way of looking at a guy who was brought in on a flier for a player who was just as useless. I don't think anyone realistically expected much from him.

Talent gets you a lot of second chances. I don't know if Williams is talented enough to warrant a second chance, but Sullivan is only relevant in that he was given that chance. I would bank on Williams also having to inspire more confidence in the coaching staff than Sullivan did because of the harder player limit and the fact that most of the training camp roster is all set.

 

[captain stone]

We haven't signed him yet? There must be teams out there looking for an underachieving, overwieght safety.

Another reason to be very careful drafting players. There are some, and this one appears to be one, who get their signing bonus and then "retire". Sullivan was a good example. This guy has Sullivan written all over him and I doubt if the Patriots make that mistake again.

Who's Sullivan?

 

[BTTA]

He's supposedly slow for a CB, Virginia Tech must have a fast track because his pro day numbers :

20 yard shuttle 4.14
3 cone 6.69

are pretty good.

At the combine, Wheatley posted a 4.20, 6.74 respectively and Wilhite was 4.41, 7.17 at his pro day. In fact the 6.69 3 cone would have been the best in this past year's CB draft (of the ones NFL Draft Scout has listed) as Wheatley was tied with DRC for the best.

Va Tech is infamous for having low speed timings. The high school kids they bring in miraculously drop their times significantly within a couple of months of showing up on campus.

Plus, he's a classic bad character guy coming out of that school. There's a lot to lose by signing people like this.

 

[Keegs]

i think we should bring him in and move him over to corner.

Hobbs is too short.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Who's Sullivan?

Jonathan Sullivan DT GA, drafted 6th over all by NO. Once he signed his contract and got his bonus he turned into his own Krispy Kreme. Then 3 years later NO traded him to us and we cut him.

We hoped that Seymour could motivate to keep him away keep away from the danish buffets and get to where he was in college. Didn't work.

 

[captain stone]

Aah yes. Johnny, we hardly knew ye. The trading of our '03 draft mistake for the Saints' mistake. I just don't understand what someone like JS was thinking, when he could have made the team as Wilfork's backup. Jimmy Williams is probably cut from the same cloth, and unless he has some epiphany, will end his career in the same manner. Pity.

 

[Terry Glenn is a cowgirl]

Some might say that DW Toys has something against Sanders. I presume it has to do with bigamy, sodomy, or leperosy.

Maybe he is his evil cousin????

 

[Terry Glenn is a cowgirl]

Jonathan Sullivan DT GA, drafted 6th over all by NO. Once he signed his contract and got his bonus he turned into his own Krispy Kreme. Then 3 years later NO traded him to us and we cut him.

We hoped that Seymour could motivate to keep him away keep away from the danish buffets and get to where he was in college. Didn't work.

He fought the lard, and the lard won...

 

[patsox23]

One thing I didn't miss the past few months is a thread like this one, where a high draft pick (or, say, a "bad seed") gets released and so people get all giddy about the prospect of Belichick and/or "the locker room" turning someone else's sh!t into New England-flavored shinola.

Enough. The guy blows. He's not coming here.