patsox23
Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2004
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We heard a lot about this "unwritten rule" back when Mangini left (and talked to impending Patriots FAs like Matt Chatham on the flight back from Indy), and when Parcells made a point of saying he wouldn't go after Adam Vinatieri in free agency. It's not something that everyone adheres to, but it's certainly been a spoke in the Parcells/Belichick wheel of The Way It's Done. This, of course, doesn't extend to players who have been released, but in terms of guys who are FAs that the TEAM YOU JUST LEFT may plausibly be trying to bring back into the fold, it seems to be a point of honor.
Since Mangini's ex-Patriot tenure turned so quickly sour, it's easy for us to remember and focus on the iffy things he did, the alleged Branch tampering, the recruitment of players and coaches on the flight back from Indy, the stealing laptops and playbooks, the getting locked out of Gillette, etc... But something I'm wondering about - especially in light of the Kumbaya-flavored departure of Josh McDaniels (as close to a "son" Belichick has in the NFL) - is...Why did McDaniels, with not even a whiff of controversy (yet) go so aggressively after two guys who, while not impact players, were certainly among the Patriots FA class that one might plausibly assume the team might try to keep - Lonie Paxton and Jabar Gaffney.
Given the fact that this is the first I've/we've read about it - IOW, no stories whatsoever on this topic - and given the fact that this "unwritten rule" seems to most definitely exist, even if only for "The Parcells/Belichick Tree(s)," do you suppose these particular players were discussed by BB and McDaniels prior to Josh leaving town? Do you think he had Belichick's blessing to go so fast and hard after those guys?
I say this while fully acknowledging that those aren't major players, 'though I'd argue BOTH are more impactful than Matt Chatham was back when Mangini took off for jersey, and that caused quite a stink in and around the AFC East.
Thoughts?
Since Mangini's ex-Patriot tenure turned so quickly sour, it's easy for us to remember and focus on the iffy things he did, the alleged Branch tampering, the recruitment of players and coaches on the flight back from Indy, the stealing laptops and playbooks, the getting locked out of Gillette, etc... But something I'm wondering about - especially in light of the Kumbaya-flavored departure of Josh McDaniels (as close to a "son" Belichick has in the NFL) - is...Why did McDaniels, with not even a whiff of controversy (yet) go so aggressively after two guys who, while not impact players, were certainly among the Patriots FA class that one might plausibly assume the team might try to keep - Lonie Paxton and Jabar Gaffney.
Given the fact that this is the first I've/we've read about it - IOW, no stories whatsoever on this topic - and given the fact that this "unwritten rule" seems to most definitely exist, even if only for "The Parcells/Belichick Tree(s)," do you suppose these particular players were discussed by BB and McDaniels prior to Josh leaving town? Do you think he had Belichick's blessing to go so fast and hard after those guys?
I say this while fully acknowledging that those aren't major players, 'though I'd argue BOTH are more impactful than Matt Chatham was back when Mangini took off for jersey, and that caused quite a stink in and around the AFC East.
Thoughts?
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