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Well, this is my 1st off-season review for this year. Call it the Pre-Free Agency / Pre-Combine review. For the purpose of this review, I am going to consider ERFA and RFA as part of the team.
QB - Brady, Cassel, - Cassel showed that he has real potential. The Pats went for several weeks last season without a veteran back-up until they brought in Vinny Testaverde. This will be Cassel’s 3rd year wth the team and could be his last depending on how he performs in pre-season. The Pats usually sign a youngster either as a UDFA or draft a QB late for TC. It will be interesting to see if Vinny returns for one more run or if the Patriots bring in a different veteran.
Free Agents: Vinny Testaverde (UFA)
RB – Corey Dillon, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney, Earl Charles– Big question marks here beyond Maroney. Why? Because Dillon will be 32 and made some comments about retiring right after the Colts game. Were they heat of the moment words or were they real? We won’t know for awhile. Regardless, Dillon wasn’t exactly the “Clock Killin” Dillon we were all used to. Yes, he split time with Maroney, but he also was injured yet again.
Kevin Faulk is on the wrong side of 30 now and he was injured again. When healthy, he’s one of the best 3rd down backs in the league. The problem is keeping him healthy.
Earl Charles spent the year on the NFLE IR list.
I can definitely see the Pats drafting another RB regardless of what Dillon does. Brian Leonard is an intriguing prospect as the new hybrid back to Faulk. Other players include Tony Hunt and Lorenzo Booker.
In free agency, the Pats could look to Ahman Green, Domenic Rhodes, or Marcel Shipp.
Free Agents: Earl Charles (ERFA)
FB – Heath Evans, Quadtrine Hill – Evans is what he is. An average FB. He has average running skills and average to above average blocking skills. He has average receiving skills. Unfortunately, the Pats had to rely on him in a critical situation and Brady obviously didn’t trust him.
Hill supposedly excels as a receiver out of the backfield and is a solid straight-line runner.
Garrett Mills was mentioned as a possible FB/TE/H-back type player in the mold of Chris Cooley, but he red-shirted last season and will need to work through camp to get onto the roster.
I could see the Pats drafting Leonard to do work at both FB and RB and giving the Pats a lot more versatility out of the backfield.
Free Agents: Patrick Pass (UFA)
O-Line – Matt Light, Nick Kaczur, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Russ Hochstein, Wesley Britt, Stephen Neal, Gene Mruczkowski, Billy Yates, Sean Bubin, Ryan O’Callaghan, Brian Barthelmes- 4 of the 5 starters seem to be set with Light, Mankins, Koppen and Neal from left to right. The question mark is RT where the Pats will have Kaczur, Britt, O’Callaghan and Bubin fighting it out next season. Hochstein continues to be a solid reserve. Yates is an RFA and should be back. If not, then Mruczkowski will be more than happy to stick around.
The Pats have 11 O-linemen signed or probably tendered, including Yates and Mruczkowski. Many of whom are signed through 2009. The Pats may draft a C/G type player. I don’t see them taking an OT in the draft unless someone they absolutely love and feel will immediately start over Light or O’Callaghan or Kaczur falls to them
Look for a couple of JAG guards in free agency.
Free Agents: Billy Yates (RFA), Gene Mruczkowski (ERFA), Wesley Britt (ERFA)
TE – Ben Watson, David Thomas, Garrett Mills, Rodney Trafford – Graham is a UFA. I hope that the Pats re-sign him as he is a monster blocking and he can make the catch when called upon. The issue has been his durability, which reared its head again this season. Ben Watson was Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde this year. But part of the is the fact that he was under abnormal pressure to be the top receiver on the team. David Thomas had 1 good game, then disappeared. Garrett Mills was a game-day scratch until he was finally given the medical red-shirt with Pass going active.
With how Watson played, I definitely would like Graham back. Especially since neither can seem to stay on the field for more than a few games. Maybe a 3 man rotation with Thomas would help their longevity.
Free Agents: Daniel Graham (UFA)
WR- Jabar Gaffney, “BAM”Childress, Chad Jackson, Reche’ Caldwell, Zuriel Smith, Kelvin Kight, Jonathan Smith – We had to live through the lies last year from Meion.. err…. Deion Branch after Given left for a 5 year deal worth $24 million. Neither Branch nor Givens were spectacular last year. The Pats attempted to shore things up with a trade for Doug Gabriel, but Gabriel refused to be coached and did his own thing and was released.
Currently, the Pats have Caldwell and Gaffney as their starters. Both took some time to get used to the system and both seemed to click in the play-offs until the Colts game where Caldwell had 1 major drop. Kelvin Kight beat out Bam Childress for a roster spot and it wasn’t until the end of the season that Bam was re-signed of the Pats practice squad.
Troy Brown is again contemplating retirement.
Chad Jackson is a major question mark, though a report from his High School coach was that Jackson needed at least a year to learn a system. If that is the case, we should expect big things out of Jackson this year.
Bringing in someone like Kevin Curtis or Drew Bennett could help this corps become solid the way it was in 2003. Kight or Jackson stepping up could also solidify this group.
Free Agents:Troy Brown, “Bam” Childress (ERFA), Kelvin Kight (ERFA), Zuriel Smith (ERFA)
QB - Brady, Cassel, - Cassel showed that he has real potential. The Pats went for several weeks last season without a veteran back-up until they brought in Vinny Testaverde. This will be Cassel’s 3rd year wth the team and could be his last depending on how he performs in pre-season. The Pats usually sign a youngster either as a UDFA or draft a QB late for TC. It will be interesting to see if Vinny returns for one more run or if the Patriots bring in a different veteran.
Free Agents: Vinny Testaverde (UFA)
RB – Corey Dillon, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney, Earl Charles– Big question marks here beyond Maroney. Why? Because Dillon will be 32 and made some comments about retiring right after the Colts game. Were they heat of the moment words or were they real? We won’t know for awhile. Regardless, Dillon wasn’t exactly the “Clock Killin” Dillon we were all used to. Yes, he split time with Maroney, but he also was injured yet again.
Kevin Faulk is on the wrong side of 30 now and he was injured again. When healthy, he’s one of the best 3rd down backs in the league. The problem is keeping him healthy.
Earl Charles spent the year on the NFLE IR list.
I can definitely see the Pats drafting another RB regardless of what Dillon does. Brian Leonard is an intriguing prospect as the new hybrid back to Faulk. Other players include Tony Hunt and Lorenzo Booker.
In free agency, the Pats could look to Ahman Green, Domenic Rhodes, or Marcel Shipp.
Free Agents: Earl Charles (ERFA)
FB – Heath Evans, Quadtrine Hill – Evans is what he is. An average FB. He has average running skills and average to above average blocking skills. He has average receiving skills. Unfortunately, the Pats had to rely on him in a critical situation and Brady obviously didn’t trust him.
Hill supposedly excels as a receiver out of the backfield and is a solid straight-line runner.
Garrett Mills was mentioned as a possible FB/TE/H-back type player in the mold of Chris Cooley, but he red-shirted last season and will need to work through camp to get onto the roster.
I could see the Pats drafting Leonard to do work at both FB and RB and giving the Pats a lot more versatility out of the backfield.
Free Agents: Patrick Pass (UFA)
O-Line – Matt Light, Nick Kaczur, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Russ Hochstein, Wesley Britt, Stephen Neal, Gene Mruczkowski, Billy Yates, Sean Bubin, Ryan O’Callaghan, Brian Barthelmes- 4 of the 5 starters seem to be set with Light, Mankins, Koppen and Neal from left to right. The question mark is RT where the Pats will have Kaczur, Britt, O’Callaghan and Bubin fighting it out next season. Hochstein continues to be a solid reserve. Yates is an RFA and should be back. If not, then Mruczkowski will be more than happy to stick around.
The Pats have 11 O-linemen signed or probably tendered, including Yates and Mruczkowski. Many of whom are signed through 2009. The Pats may draft a C/G type player. I don’t see them taking an OT in the draft unless someone they absolutely love and feel will immediately start over Light or O’Callaghan or Kaczur falls to them
Look for a couple of JAG guards in free agency.
Free Agents: Billy Yates (RFA), Gene Mruczkowski (ERFA), Wesley Britt (ERFA)
TE – Ben Watson, David Thomas, Garrett Mills, Rodney Trafford – Graham is a UFA. I hope that the Pats re-sign him as he is a monster blocking and he can make the catch when called upon. The issue has been his durability, which reared its head again this season. Ben Watson was Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde this year. But part of the is the fact that he was under abnormal pressure to be the top receiver on the team. David Thomas had 1 good game, then disappeared. Garrett Mills was a game-day scratch until he was finally given the medical red-shirt with Pass going active.
With how Watson played, I definitely would like Graham back. Especially since neither can seem to stay on the field for more than a few games. Maybe a 3 man rotation with Thomas would help their longevity.
Free Agents: Daniel Graham (UFA)
WR- Jabar Gaffney, “BAM”Childress, Chad Jackson, Reche’ Caldwell, Zuriel Smith, Kelvin Kight, Jonathan Smith – We had to live through the lies last year from Meion.. err…. Deion Branch after Given left for a 5 year deal worth $24 million. Neither Branch nor Givens were spectacular last year. The Pats attempted to shore things up with a trade for Doug Gabriel, but Gabriel refused to be coached and did his own thing and was released.
Currently, the Pats have Caldwell and Gaffney as their starters. Both took some time to get used to the system and both seemed to click in the play-offs until the Colts game where Caldwell had 1 major drop. Kelvin Kight beat out Bam Childress for a roster spot and it wasn’t until the end of the season that Bam was re-signed of the Pats practice squad.
Troy Brown is again contemplating retirement.
Chad Jackson is a major question mark, though a report from his High School coach was that Jackson needed at least a year to learn a system. If that is the case, we should expect big things out of Jackson this year.
Bringing in someone like Kevin Curtis or Drew Bennett could help this corps become solid the way it was in 2003. Kight or Jackson stepping up could also solidify this group.
Free Agents:Troy Brown, “Bam” Childress (ERFA), Kelvin Kight (ERFA), Zuriel Smith (ERFA)
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