OT: Ben Watson still pluggin' along

[Tunescribe]

This guy is pretty amazing, still going at age 37. He just signed up for a second stint with the Saints. Kind of makes you wonder what might've been had he stayed a Patriot. (Who can ever forget that tackle of Champ Bailey?) Oh, and an interesting little tidbit I didn't know: he scored a 48 (!!!) on his Wonderlic Test coming into the pros -- tied for the third-highest score ever.

 

[signbabybrady]

I've always liked him. He might not have fully lived up to the hype of a first rounder but he's always been a very solid pro. And he seems like a very good guy to boot. He helped us win some big games and for that I thank him.

 

[Tunescribe]

I don't even remember why the hell he was let go. Imagine, he was drafted way back in freaking 2004!

 

[maust]

A pro's pro.

I don't even remember why the hell he was let go. Imagine, he was drafted way back in freaking 2004!

Ironically injuries kept him off the field quite a bit when he was in nE. He missed something like half the games played while he was here

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Gronk is in a league of his own but back in 04 Watson was considered an athletic freak by TE standards. That play on bailey showed why we took him.

 

[Boomer B]

I'll always remember him in Brady's return 1st game 09 against the Bills. Down by 2 scores late. Brady hits Watson over the middle for a TD. We recover a fumble and Brady hits Watson again on the the same play. Game over.

 

[Tunescribe]

I'll always remember him in Brady's return 1st game 09 against the Bills. Down by 2 scores late. Brady hits Watson over the middle for a TD. We recover a fumble and Brady hits Watson again on the the same play. Game over.

That was a miracle game, I was there. The Bills fumbled the kickoff late then allowed the winning touchdown pass. Amazing stuff.

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

I'm shocked every time I hear his name and it being the same Ben Watson drafted by us.

This thread also managed to shock me, not to be dark but honestly saw the title and thought something bad had happened to him as I once again assumed he was out of the NFL by now.

Quite impressive!

 

[Tunescribe]

saw the title and thought something bad had happened to him as I once again assumed he was out of the NFL by now.

Sorry for that, I just elongated the title.

 

[Joker]

let me rip open an old scar...sorry

 

[InRodWeRust]

I still have my Ben Watson jersey that I got on sale for $10 after the Patriots lost him to the Browns. I wore it in 2010 when my wife and I went to the Pats vs Browns game in Cleveland. Going to that game was our anniversary present to each other. Unfortunately the Pats got stomped when Peyton Hillis decided to play the game of his life just to ruin our day and then fade off to obscurity.

 

[Joey007]

About to enter his 15th year in the league.

The man has performed like a fine wine. Better with age.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

A genuine good guy

 

[SammyBlueCat]

let me rip open an old scar...sorry

That's what I've been talking about!!!

 

[Wordsmyth]

I'll always remember him in Brady's return 1st game 09 against the Bills. Down by 2 scores late. Brady hits Watson over the middle for a TD. We recover a fumble and Brady hits Watson again on the the same play. Game over.

Brady's comeback game, after missing the previous season with an ACL.

 

[fnordcircle]

He was very talented but had a lot of rough injuries and, iirc, it was either some serious dropsies or fumble issues.

Nothing but respect for the guy but I can't fault the team for letting him go.

 

[supafly]

What did he recently sign for? I kind of thought that we may have been in the market for his services, but I expect they’ll be taking a TE in the draft.

 

[MassPats38]

I liked Ben, but he was part of the housecleaning after the miserable 2009 season. Not a great blocker, and not the best hands if I recall (some great catches in his career, though). His quote here (it is ESPN, but they wrote the article with his quote) in 2009 probably indicates something in why he did not come back (more or less, he was tired of trying to please other people and worrying about their expectations).

I will always like Ben for that heads up play against Denver, It is good to see he has stuck around for as long as he has. His exit coincided with the appearance of Gronk and Hernandez with Crumpler, so the group improved dramatically and immediately. Not Watson's fault, just a very talented group.

 

[PittPatriot]

I always liked him for his Wonderlic scores and athletic ability. The idea of having Daniel Graham and Watson as a two headed monster was something we all were probably excited about. It always bothered me how he caught the ball with his body so often... obviously he must be doing something right to stick around all of these years.

His contract negotiation as a rookie was brutal. I remember he held out for a long time because the patriots demanded a ridiculous six-year contract. The idea of a first round player signing a relatively cheap 6-year contract in today’s game seems absolutely unreal and unfair.

His patriots tenure spanned the darkest times of the Brady Era. His first playoff loss, the heartbreak in Indianapolis, the perfect season lost, the ACL injury and missing the playoffs with Cassel, and of course the “I just can’t get these guys to play the way I want” season.

 

[DarrylS]

Always liked Watson his personality etc., but he never quite lived up to the hype for the Patriots.. more than one highlight, but he did not seem to "have it" when he played for the Pats.. then there were the injuries.

For us who have been with the Pats for a while, the abilities of Francis and Coates always tempered how I feel about what tight ends can do.. .