Pasquarelli: Seau Signing "smacks of desperation"

[PatsWorldChamps]

This guy is a very good writer and has been a true believer in the Patriot way. He's right that Beisel, Brown, Gardener have been flops and that the Pats just haven't made a good LB move since the 2004 season. He's got a point... read it here->

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2554068

never heard "donut" pasquarelli and "good writer" in the same sentence before... maybe "article ripoff artist", but not "good writer"
did donut just re-report the PTI segment from tonight? he's known for ripping off PFT.

 

[PatsFan37]

Silk purse out of a Seau's ear?

Attention all print media editors reading this forum: You have your headline for tomorrow!

Well done!

Just to be clear, that was Pasquarelli's line. I assume it was his line, assuming he didn't steal it from someone else.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

never heard "donut" pasquarelli and "good writer" in the same sentence before... maybe "article ripoff artist", but not "good writer"
did donut just re-report the PTI segment from tonight? he's known for ripping off PFT.

Speaking of a guy who also gets a lot of things wrong. I love PFT but Florio has his share of whiffs, too. Most recently he "scooped" the Favre retirement this week that never came. In the past he's had the Patriots interested in a bunch of players that obviously we weren't interested in. The point is, all of these guys make mistakes.

I disagree with "Donut Man" on this issue but his "Morning After", "Scouts Take" "Overheard in the Pressbox" stuff are pretty good reads on Mondays during the season.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

Let me get this straight, we don't like the way pioli and bb have stocked the team with linebackers? Manning would disagree. The linebacking corps has been on the most feared in the league.

Manning stomped a mud hole in our rears last year. Second, I like the Seau signing. It's outside the box thinking. But I don't think our LB corps is the most feared in the league anymore. I don't see how you can defend that statement as of August of 2006. Servicable? You bet. Feared? Hardly.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

I have a feeling he will revitalize the "feared" status. Joining this team after a successful career does strange things to players that the so called experts believed to be over the hill, or just not vibrant players anymore.

Ihave a hunch this wil be the player grab of the season. Just a gut feeling.

And the reason I believe that is because of what Seau, himself , said....that he wants to come back for one reason only..to have a chance to win a super bowl and get a ring...he is hungry, very hungry....

I hope so. But until it happens it's just theory. Respectable theory, but theory nonetheless.

 

[patsox23]

Good read and I agree I with it.

Imagine my surprise.

 

[ZurielSmith]

Woot!! He's gonna be a Pro Bowler guys just you watch..

Belichick will get the most out of this mean mofo..Seau's graduated alright..graduated into a team with Super Bowl written all over it!

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Seau is this years Cox, or perhaps Phifer.


I was thinking the same thing.....

 

[RayClay]

He's not calling them "superstars" but "serviceabel" and all of them certainly are that....some more than others, but certainbly the kind of players that wil give you a good game now and then, and occasionally, BETTER than a good game. Not noticeable because they dont stand out, but they fill a need.

Not worth making a post about IMO. Hank Poteat trumps everybody on that list except Hawkins too.

 

[lobster]

Pasquarelli didn't rehash the dismal run defense statistics from the Falcon's game, so that's a plus. What Pasquarelli didn't say is playing inside LB in the 3-4 requires almost a hybrid DT-LB that is hard to find in the draft because most college LB's simply can't manage an NFL Center or Guard single-handedly. It's brutal in there against a top running team. The types that can handle a Guard or Center often don't have the necessary quickness to manage pass protection, as was the case with Ted Johnson who was lucky to defense a pass. That's why Bruschi is an elite player at ILB who should get more credit.

However I liked Jeremy Mincey's (58) play last week, although he is obviously struggling to learn to play LB. He has the strength, as a DL in college, to play inside LB and good weight at 260. The Pat's perhaps thought Mincey's height at 6' 3" is more indicative of an OLB, but I would like to see what he can do at ILB.

 

[Pats726]

However I liked Jeremy Mincey's (58) play last week, although he is obviously struggling to learn to play LB. He has the strength, as a DL in college, to play inside LB and good weight at 260. The Pat's perhaps thought Mincey's height at 6' 3" is more indicative of an OLB, but I would like to see what he can do at ILB.

It will take awhile to see where he fits in..first things first..remember how long TB took???

 

[rabthepat]

Only time will tell.............

 

[DaBruinz]

I would reduce that list to Artrell Hawkins.

I don't know what your point was and BB tries out a lot of affordable players to keep cap healthy, but everyone else is unproven or potential cuts.

Nothing wrong with it, but how about Randall Gay etc. from previous years.

I hate to be negative, but I wouldn't put that group on my acquisition resume.

Though I liked Santonio the other night, he and Wright might be cut, Evans definitely will, Mitchell and Stone are gone and might have been cut anyway. I think Chad Scott will be good, but who knows?

WOW. Nothing like throwing out things that are inaccurate.

The Patriots wanted to bring Michael Stone back. He decided to move on. Stone was the best special teamer last year.

Mel Mitchell had made this team. He signed a 2 year deal and is now on the IR due to a bicep injury. So, for you to say he is gone is totally inaccurate.

Its highly unlikely that Wright will get cut. However, he was a very good player for an undrafted free agent last year.

Beisel and Scott head the list of the most disappointing pickups in recent years. Right there with Steve Martin and Donald Hayes.

To be fair, the Pats have drafted well at some of those positions.

Beisel only heads the list if you had unrealistic expectations for him to begin win. Beisel was NOT brought in to start, yet was thrust into that position because of Ted Johnson's retirement. Beisel is converting from DE to ILB. A conversion that took Bruschi 2 years after having some 4 years in Belichick systems. To expect Beisel, who doesn't have the talent that Bruschi does, to be able to make the conversion after one season is just irresponsilbe and illogical. Even Vrabel had spent 4 years in the Pats system before being asked to move inside.

 

[Icculus]

What I like from Pasquarelli is that its desperation to sign a perrenial pro-bowler like Seau, but the Dolphins sign a perrenial average guy in Dan Wilkinson and it is a great move...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2555529

Wilkinson has never done anything big for any of the teams he played for in the past. He was "contemplating retirement" after being released from that defensive powerhouse Detroit Lions. "Enter Wilkinson, who demonstrated no sign of slippage in his three seasons with the Lions." If there was no slippage why did they cut him?

He delayed signing so he wouldn't have to go through the rigors of camp. Sounds like a great guy to bring in as an example to your young guys.

I just can't stand both Clayton and Pasquarelli when it comes to their biased reporting.

 

[bostonbuzz]

No team can have it all people...BB can't address and fix every issue the team faces all at the same time anyway...just can't happen. I don't think the Seau signing smacks of anything negative. For the Pats it can only be seen as a boon if it works out not a bust. Obvious to me anyway. There's nothing to lose and quite possibly everything to gain from the signing...

LB issues aside...once again the Pats will be ahead of the curve employing their flexible two, three, and four, TE sets...by the time the rest of the league figures it out and tries to emulate and defend the Pats will be moving onto something new...great stuff! Always nice to be a fan of the coach and team that defines the curve.

 

[Welker83]

Hey - we all question how much he has left in the tank - but when it comes to these types of moves, BB has a way of getting the last laugh

And isn't it just possible, given Seau's comments about wanting to "graduate" and move on to a "masters degree" with the Patriots indicate he felt his chances, and therefore motivation, to get a ring in Miami weren't all that good... and that his chances in NE are much higher - hence his rediscovered passion for football?

He's not doing this for the money - that much is clear.

Actually we didn't want him back..we'd rather keep a young development guy on the roster than lose him to a guy who will end up on IR anyway and then force us to sign someone PS scrub...

His masters degree sound bite was because in his retirement speech he said he felt like he was graduating so he is only referencing the fact that he is "going back to college"

 

[Welker83]

No team can have it all people...BB can't address and fix every issue the team faces all at the same time anyway...just can't happen. I don't think the Seau signing smacks of anything negative. For the Pats it can only be seen as a boon if it works out not a bust. Obvious to me anyway. There's nothing to lose and quite possibly everything to gain from the signing...

LB issues aside...once again the Pats will be ahead of the curve employing their flexible two, three, and four, TE sets...by the time the rest of the league figures it out and tries to emulate and defend the Pats will be moving onto something new...great stuff! Always nice to be a fan of the coach and team that defines the curve.

What does LB have to do with the TE? and if this TE set is so new why is over half the league already aswitched to a 2 TE set? Furthurmoe how is there a learning curve since the pats are FOLLOWING the trwend being set by the rest of the league...and to add injury to insult WHO IS SCARED OF A 4 TE set?

The only reason TE's are good are two reasons:
1. Matchup- If the team lines up in a 2 TE set and the defense is in a 4-3 if it's a passing play it forces either a LB or a Safety to cover the TE which generally is a mis-match and is easy to exploit...OR the team will adjust and go into a nickle so the offense will counter by switching to a running play where there is a TE blocking a DB which is a mis match... BUT if ther are no WR's then the only mismatch is in the running game as the CB's will be on the lead TE's.... So a 4 TE set is only good for running the ball, and short yardage scoring situations because the TE's are tall...

Therefore you create a very conservative run offense that will not average much becasue it allows the DB's to play in the box to stop the run while still being able to cover and catch up to the slower TE's...

FURTHERMORE IT'S NOT NEW...it used to be HEAVILY employed back in the days before THE FORWARD PASS!

the 4 TE set is so old it PREDATES THE HELMET!

Therefore: IT doesnt work!

 

[Welker83]

What I like from Pasquarelli is that its desperation to sign a perrenial pro-bowler like Seau, but the Dolphins sign a perrenial average guy in Dan Wilkinson and it is a great move...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2555529

Wilkinson has never done anything big for any of the teams he played for in the past. He was "contemplating retirement" after being released from that defensive powerhouse Detroit Lions. "Enter Wilkinson, who demonstrated no sign of slippage in his three seasons with the Lions." If there was no slippage why did they cut him?

He delayed signing so he wouldn't have to go through the rigors of camp. Sounds like a great guy to bring in as an example to your young guys.

I just can't stand both Clayton and Pasquarelli when it comes to their biased reporting.

Seau is 37 Wilkinson is 33...good luck trying to prove that one wrong...

 

[14thDragon]

Seau is 37 Wilkinson is 33...good luck trying to prove that one wrong...

Wilkinson has never been a pro-bowler.

 

[Welker83]

Wilkinson has never been a pro-bowler.

How many NT's have been pro-bowlers...or even more importantly how many NT's need to be Pro-bowlers to be good?