Today In Patriots History Feb 15: Happy Birthday to Marc Wilson

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Marc Wilson​

Happy 68th birthday to Marc Wilson
Born February 15, 1957; in Bremerton, Washington; grew up in the Seattle suburb of Shoreline, WA
Patriot QB, 1989-1990; uniform #15
Signed as a veteran free agent on April 8, 1989


Oakland drafted Marc Wilson fifteenth overall in 1980, from BYU. He earned the first of his two super bowl rings as a rookie, backing up Jim Plunkett. He stared nine games the following year when Plunkett was hurt, leading the team to four 4th quarter comebacks. Once healthy, Plunkett reclaimed the starting position and the Raiders won another super bowl in '83. But the following year Plunkett was 37, and his body was showing its age. Wilson started ten games in '84 and became the full time starter a year later, going 11-2 in 1985. However, over the years in Oakland and LA Wilson was making more top-ten appearances in sacks and interceptions than in passing yards or touchdowns. Mike Shanahan replaced Tom Flores as head coach in 1988 and released Wilson on June 3rd, opting to bring in veteran Jay Schroeder and second-year QB Steve Beuerlein instead.

Wilson spent the rest of the 1988 offseason with Green Bay, but the Packers cut him on August 30 - and he spent the entire season out of football, working in land development in the Seattle area. With his NFL career seemingly over, Wilson got one more chance from the quarterback-needy Patriots. Four quarterbacks - Doug Flutie, Steve Grogan, Tony Eason and Tom Ramsey - had started at QB for Raymond Berry in '88. That carousel would continue for Berry's final season in New England, with the addition of Wilson and subtraction of Ramsey.

At age 32 - and out of football for a full season - the Marc Wilson signing was just throwing spaghetti against the wall, to see what might stick while hoping for a Hail Mary. It turned out that he was just a stop gap at the position until the Patriots bottomed out in 1992 and were able to draft Drew Bledsoe in the '93 draft. Wilson went 1-3 as a starter in '89, then 0-6 in the disastrous 1990 Rod Rust season. During those two seasons Wilson was sacked 39 times in limited action (10 starts), throwing nine touchdown passes and 16 interceptions. He retired on April 25, 1991 with a record of 32-28 in 60 NFL starts, throwing for 14,391 yards with 86 TD and 102 picks.

Raiders QB Wilson Didn't Live Up to His Promise

An honorable man on and off the field, Raiders QB Marc Wilson never lived up to the promise he had coming out of BYU.

www.si.com

Quarterback Marc Wilson is the sixth-leading passer in the history of the Oakland-Los Angeles-Oakland Raiders, but it’s safe to say that longtime fans of Raider Nation and even Wilson himself, believe there could have been more.​

The Raiders drafted the 6-6, 205-pound Wilson in the first round (No. 15 overall) of the 1980 NFL Draft out of BYU, where he was the Cougars’ first-ever consensus All-American, won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, and was selected Most Valuable Player of the Senior Bowl.​

“I was best (in high school) at baseball, next was basketball and, by far, football was the thing I was least good at,” Wilson said a few years ago when he admitted his pro career was not what he hoped it would be. “Football was the one I liked the least. It was the only game, and I don’t want this to sound wrong, that I felt like I couldn’t control. It used to drive me crazy.​

“ … I think I’d be less than honest if I didn’t say I had moments of sadness over my pro career and wished it had turned out different. I don’t know what else I could have done. I really felt I did all I could do.”​

Where Are They Now? Marc Wilson, former Shorecrest, BYU, NFL quarterback - Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Dec 19, 2006:

Marc Wilson is a Bellevue-based real-estate developer who once was a quarterback. Considering the square footage and yardage on his résumé, an obvious question in his two identities is this: "What's the difference?"​

​

Wilson, 49, has made a life of breaking huddles and completing business deals and passes. He's covered a lot of ground.​

Wilson made an easier transition to real-estate development, going into partnership with a mentor, Jim Howton, who has since retired. The former quarterback lives in Woodinville with his wife, Colleen, and has four children -- Travis, Katie, Jane and Ryan -- all former or current BYU students.​

He remains in remarkably good shape, even after 12 surgeries, including four on his left shoulder. For sporting outlets, Wilson plays lots of golf and walks when he can. He wants to gather together his old Shorecrest baseball buddies, the ones who shared in an unforgettable championship, and have a reunion.​

24:20 Interview:

 

[denverpatsfan]

Today in Patriots History
Marc Wilson​

Happy 68th birthday to Marc Wilson
Born February 15, 1957; in Bremerton, Washington; grew up in the Seattle suburb of Shoreline, WA
Patriot QB, 1989-1990; uniform #15
Signed as a veteran free agent on April 8, 1989


Oakland drafted Marc Wilson fifteenth overall in 1980, from BYU. He earned the first of his two super bowl rings as a rookie, backing up Jim Plunkett. He stared nine games the following year when Plunkett was hurt, leading the team to four 4th quarter comebacks. Once healthy, Plunkett reclaimed the starting position and the Raiders won another super bowl in '83. But the following year Plunkett was 37, and his body was showing its age. Wilson started ten games in '84 and became the full time starter a year later, going 11-2 in 1985. However, over the years in Oakland and LA Wilson was making more top-ten appearances in sacks and interceptions than in passing yards or touchdowns. Mike Shanahan replaced Tom Flores as head coach in 1988 and released Wilson on June 3rd, opting to bring in veteran Jay Schroeder and second-year QB Steve Beuerlein instead.

Wilson spent the rest of the 1988 offseason with Green Bay, but the Packers cut him on August 30 - and he spent the entire season out of football, working in land development in the Seattle area. With his NFL career seemingly over, Wilson got one more chance from the quarterback-needy Patriots. Four quarterbacks - Doug Flutie, Steve Grogan, Tony Eason and Tom Ramsey - had started at QB for Raymond Berry in '88. That carousel would continue for Berry's final season in New England, with the addition of Wilson and subtraction of Ramsey.

At age 32 - and out of football for a full season - the Marc Wilson signing was just throwing spaghetti against the wall, to see what might stick while hoping for a Hail Mary. It turned out that he was just a stop gap at the position until the Patriots bottomed out in 1992 and were able to draft Drew Bledsoe in the '93 draft. Wilson went 1-3 as a starter in '89, then 0-6 in the disastrous 1990 Rod Rust season. During those two seasons Wilson was sacked 39 times in limited action (10 starts), throwing nine touchdown passes and 16 interceptions. He retired on April 25, 1991 with a record of 32-28 in 60 NFL starts, throwing for 14,391 yards with 86 TD and 102 picks.

Raiders QB Wilson Didn't Live Up to His Promise

An honorable man on and off the field, Raiders QB Marc Wilson never lived up to the promise he had coming out of BYU.

www.si.com

Quarterback Marc Wilson is the sixth-leading passer in the history of the Oakland-Los Angeles-Oakland Raiders, but it’s safe to say that longtime fans of Raider Nation and even Wilson himself, believe there could have been more.​

The Raiders drafted the 6-6, 205-pound Wilson in the first round (No. 15 overall) of the 1980 NFL Draft out of BYU, where he was the Cougars’ first-ever consensus All-American, won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, and was selected Most Valuable Player of the Senior Bowl.​

“I was best (in high school) at baseball, next was basketball and, by far, football was the thing I was least good at,” Wilson said a few years ago when he admitted his pro career was not what he hoped it would be. “Football was the one I liked the least. It was the only game, and I don’t want this to sound wrong, that I felt like I couldn’t control. It used to drive me crazy.​

“ … I think I’d be less than honest if I didn’t say I had moments of sadness over my pro career and wished it had turned out different. I don’t know what else I could have done. I really felt I did all I could do.”​

Where Are They Now? Marc Wilson, former Shorecrest, BYU, NFL quarterback - Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Dec 19, 2006:

Marc Wilson is a Bellevue-based real-estate developer who once was a quarterback. Considering the square footage and yardage on his résumé, an obvious question in his two identities is this: "What's the difference?"​

​

Wilson, 49, has made a life of breaking huddles and completing business deals and passes. He's covered a lot of ground.​

Wilson made an easier transition to real-estate development, going into partnership with a mentor, Jim Howton, who has since retired. The former quarterback lives in Woodinville with his wife, Colleen, and has four children -- Travis, Katie, Jane and Ryan -- all former or current BYU students.​

He remains in remarkably good shape, even after 12 surgeries, including four on his left shoulder. For sporting outlets, Wilson plays lots of golf and walks when he can. He wants to gather together his old Shorecrest baseball buddies, the ones who shared in an unforgettable championship, and have a reunion.​

24:20 Interview:

He was worse that Mac Jones...

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Cleveland Browns' Curse of Bill Belichick
Art Modell fires The Hoodie

On February 15, 1996 Art Modell fired Bill Belichick.

Conventional wisdom is that the Browns fired Belichick but that is not factually correct. Six days prior to his termination the NFL owners approved the franchise’s move to Baltimore. The league also announced an agreement with Cleveland that would keep the Browns name and history in the city for a new team to begin play by 1999. Technically Belichick was fired by a Baltimore franchise that had yet to be named the Ravens.

Regardless of the timeline, Cleveland never embraced BB – and the Browns seem to have suffered from the Curse of Belichick ever since. While it is true (and often repeated) that the Browns had a losing record under Belichick, fans and sports writers should dig a bit deeper before jumping to conclusions.

Belichick's staff in Cleveland included Nick Saban, Kirk Ferentz, Al Groh, Bill O'Brien, Josh McDaniels, Jim Schwartz, Eric Mangini, Romeo Crennel, Charlie Weis and Ozzie Newsome​

Belichick inherited an aging three-win team with bad contracts, placing it in a very poor salary cap position. Two years later QB Bernie Kosar had become insubordinate, freelancing and changing plays to the detriment of the team and contrary to the game plan. Owner Art Modell and all the coaches were unanimous in the decision to cut Kosar. Everyone knew cutting a local product that was well liked by both the fans and press would be difficult. Then when Modell was bombarded with questions by the media he shriveled and threw a scapegoat under the bus, hanging Belichick out to dry for releasing the fan favorite.

Those circumstances plus an injury to Vinny Testaverde led to a third mediocre season, when third-stringer Todd Philcox was forced to start. Just one year later the Browns went 11-5 - proving the decision to move on from Kosar was correct - and defeated Bill Parcells and the Patriots in the playoffs. Year Five began with a 3-point loss at Foxboro, followed by three solid victories – by a cumulative score of 71-30. At that one-quarter point of the 1995 season the Browns were considered to be one of the top two or three teams in the NFL.

Rather than waiting until the season was finished, Modell inexplicably prematurely announced that the team would relocate for the 1996 season, while there were still 12 games yet to be played. It was unchartered territory for any head coach to navigate. With an unprecedented amount of distractions the Browns won just two more games.

The Browns are now on their 12th head coach since Belichick. In that time they have made it to the playoffs three times in 26 attempts. Since resuming operations in 1999 the Browns have a record of 136-268-1. Prior to Pittsburgh's self-inflicted implosion in the wild card game four years ago, the last Cleveland head coach to win a playoff game was Belichick, in 1994 – before many current NFL fans were born.

Think about this. Art Modell fired not one, but two of the greatest coaches in football history: Belichick and Paul Brown. That alone should permanently exclude him from any consideration for the Hall of Fame, though for some unknown reason it keeps happening.


The silver lining is that Bill Belichick learned valuable lessons from his time in Cleveland. In order to avoid a repeat scenario of dealing with inferior owners, he walked away from the Jets and instead became head coach of the Patriots. The Bernie Kosar situation taught him how to transition from a fan favorite to a better option at quarterback, despite enormous public pressure. And the move to Baltimore was a lesson on how to maintain focus and ‘ignore the noise’ outside the locker room.

​

List of Cleveland Browns quarterbacks since Belichick was fired:

PLAYER STARTS YEARS Baker Mayfield 59 2018 to '21 Tim Couch 59 1999 to '03 Derek Anderson 34 2006 to '09 Colt McCoy 21 2010 to '12 Brandon Weeden 20 2012 to '13 Charlie Frye 19 2005 to '07 Deshaun Watson 19 2022 to '24 Brian Hoyer 16 2013 to '14 Deshone Kizer 15 2017 Kelly Holcomb 12 2001 to '04 Brady Quinn 12 2007 to '09 Trent Dilfer 11 2005 Josh McCown 11 2015 to '16 Jacoby Brissett 11 2022 Jeff Garcia 10 2004 Doug Pederson 8 2000 Jason Campbell 8 2013 Johnny Manziel 8 2014 to '15 Cody Kessler 8 2016 to '17 Seneca Wallace 7 2010 to '11 Jameis Winston 7 2024 Robert Griffin III 5 2016 Joe Flacco 5 2023 Dorian Thompson-Robinson 5 2023 to '24 Luke McCown 4 2004 Jake Delhomme 4 2010 Ken Dorsey 3 2006 to '08 Tyrod Taylor 3 2018 Ty Detmer 2 1999 Austin Davis 2 2015 Case Keenum 2 2020 to '21 P.J. Walker 2 2023 Spergon Wynn 1 2000 Bruce Gradkowski 1 2008 Thad Lewis 1 2012 Connor Shaw 1 2014 Kevin Hogan 1 2016 to '17 Nick Mullens 1 2021 Jeff Driskel 1 2023 Bailey Zappe 1 2024

List of Cleveland Browns coaches since 1990:

Coach From To G W L T W-L% G plyf W plyf L plyf Chmp Kevin Stefanski 2020 2024 84 40 44 0 .476 3 1 2 0 Freddie Kitchens 2019 2019 16 6 10 0 .375 0 0 0 0 Gregg Williams 2018 2018 8 5 3 0 .625 0 0 0 0 Hue Jackson 2016 2018 40 3 36 1 .088 0 0 0 0 Mike Pettine 2014 2015 32 10 22 0 .313 0 0 0 0 Rob Chudzinski 2013 2013 16 4 12 0 .250 0 0 0 0 Pat Shurmur 2011 2012 32 9 23 0 .281 0 0 0 0 Eric Mangini 2009 2010 32 10 22 0 .313 0 0 0 0 Romeo Crennel 2005 2008 64 24 40 0 .375 0 0 0 0 Terry Robiskie 2004 2004 5 1 4 0 .200 0 0 0 0 Butch Davis 2001 2004 59 24 35 0 .407 1 0 1 0 Chris Palmer 1999 2000 32 5 27 0 .156 0 0 0 0 Bill Belichick 1991 1995 80 36 44 0 .450 2 1 1 0 Jim Shofner 1990 1990 7 1 6 0 .143 0 0 0 0

 

[jmt57]

He was worse that Mac Jones...

Yes, though in Wilson's case he was only supposed to be a third string backup who held for FGs and PATs.

The defense in '89 was awful, and the 1990 roster played poorly on both sides of the ball.

Consider the 1990 offensive line, other than Armstrong.
I don't even recognize most of the names.
LT - Bruce Armstrong
LG - Chris Gambol
C - David Douglas
RG - Damian Johnson
RT - Danny Villa

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Tom Hennessey​

In memory of Tom Hennessey, who would have turned 83 today
Born February 15, 1942; from Brookline (1942-2012)
Patriot CB, 1965-1966; uniform #30

Tom Hennessey played with the semi-pro Boston Sweepers for one year after graduating from Holy Cross. That led to a tryout for the Patriots, and playing pro football at Fenway Park just a few miles from where he grew up. Hennessey was an overachiever, and after two seasons banging heads with guys forty pounds heavier he decided to step away from football. He never missed a single game in his two seasons with the Pats, recording eight interceptions. He went on to a 28-year career in the Boston public school system and also served on Brookline’s Board of Selectman and School Committee.

Oct 31, 1965: Tom Hennessey intercepts a pass intended for Lance Alworth in a 22-6 victory at San Diego.​

The obituary below is well worth the read:

Column: Tom Hennessey -- Brookline’s humble sports hero

A shock wave followed by a river of emotion flowed through Brookline last week after word spread that Tom Hennessey, a popular and respected sports icon, educator and political figure, had died. A Br…

www.wickedlocal.com

Tom Hennessey; Boston schools headmaster was fleet running back at Brookline High and Holy Cross

A star football player at Brookline High School, Tom Hennessey went on to excel at the College of the Holy Cross and play for the Boston Patriots. He also was a headmaster for the Boston public schools and was known for giving back to the community. “Tom devoted his life to giving back, always...

www.boston.com

Former Patriots DB Tom Hennessey passed away

Brookline honors Tom Hennessey

Last month, the town of Brookline honored Thomas P. Hennessey by renaming the current Cypress Street Playground, which will become Thomas P. Hennessey Athletic Fields at Cypress Street Playground.

www.wickedlocal.com

Other players born on this date with a New England connection:
Brian Brennan, 63 (1962)
Boston College
Gerard Phelan was the player that caught Doug Flutie’s iconic Hail Mary. Brian Brennan was the other wide receiver on that BC team, and he went on to play nine seasons in the NFL. Brennan played in 132 NFL games, mostly with Cleveland. He had 334 receptions with 20 touchdowns, plus 24 more catches and four TD in the postseason. Since then Brennan has worked in the financial industry and became Managing Director at Key Bank, then COO of KeyBanc Capital Markets.

Brian Brennan (1994) - Varsity Club Hall of Fame - Boston College Athletics

Boston College Athletics

bceagles.com

A BDA Q&A with Brian Brennan, Head of Fixed Income Capital Markets at KeyBanc Capital Markets

A BDA Q&A with Brian Brennan, Head of Fixed Income Capital Markets at KeyBanc Capital Markets

fi-insights.bdamerica.org

Where are your former Browns now? WR Brian Brennan

25 questions with Bernie Kosar’s favorite receiver

www.dawgsbynature.com

Elbert Werwaiss (1905-1965)
Born in New Haven; Dean Academy, Franklin MA
'Mule' Werwaiss played nine games as a tackle for the 1926 Hartford Blues.


Bill Kovacsy (1901-1980)
Born in Bridgeport, CT
Offensive lineman for the Hammond Pros.


Dan Ahern (1898-1963)
Born and raised in Manchester NH; Manchester Central High School
Another lineman, Ahern was a Georgetown grad who played for the Washington (football) Senators.


Charlie Clark (1898-1960)
Born in Somerville; Milton Academy; Harvard
Clark is the only person from Milton Academy to make it to the NFL. He played for the Chicago Cardinals in 1924.


Paul Dufault, 61 (1964)
Born in Bridgeport; Spaulding HS, Rochester NH; University of New Hampshire
The center played with the Raiders briefly in the eighties. He is one of only two NFL players from Spaulding High School.

 

[Pape]

Today in Patriots History
Marc Wilson​

Happy 68th birthday to Marc Wilson
Born February 15, 1957; in Bremerton, Washington; grew up in the Seattle suburb of Shoreline, WA
Patriot QB, 1989-1990; uniform #15
Signed as a veteran free agent on April 8, 1989


Oakland drafted Marc Wilson fifteenth overall in 1980, from BYU. He earned the first of his two super bowl rings as a rookie, backing up Jim Plunkett. He stared nine games the following year when Plunkett was hurt, leading the team to four 4th quarter comebacks. Once healthy, Plunkett reclaimed the starting position and the Raiders won another super bowl in '83. But the following year Plunkett was 37, and his body was showing its age. Wilson started ten games in '84 and became the full time starter a year later, going 11-2 in 1985. However, over the years in Oakland and LA Wilson was making more top-ten appearances in sacks and interceptions than in passing yards or touchdowns. Mike Shanahan replaced Tom Flores as head coach in 1988 and released Wilson on June 3rd, opting to bring in veteran Jay Schroeder and second-year QB Steve Beuerlein instead.

Wilson spent the rest of the 1988 offseason with Green Bay, but the Packers cut him on August 30 - and he spent the entire season out of football, working in land development in the Seattle area. With his NFL career seemingly over, Wilson got one more chance from the quarterback-needy Patriots. Four quarterbacks - Doug Flutie, Steve Grogan, Tony Eason and Tom Ramsey - had started at QB for Raymond Berry in '88. That carousel would continue for Berry's final season in New England, with the addition of Wilson and subtraction of Ramsey.

At age 32 - and out of football for a full season - the Marc Wilson signing was just throwing spaghetti against the wall, to see what might stick while hoping for a Hail Mary. It turned out that he was just a stop gap at the position until the Patriots bottomed out in 1992 and were able to draft Drew Bledsoe in the '93 draft. Wilson went 1-3 as a starter in '89, then 0-6 in the disastrous 1990 Rod Rust season. During those two seasons Wilson was sacked 39 times in limited action (10 starts), throwing nine touchdown passes and 16 interceptions. He retired on April 25, 1991 with a record of 32-28 in 60 NFL starts, throwing for 14,391 yards with 86 TD and 102 picks.

Raiders QB Wilson Didn't Live Up to His Promise

An honorable man on and off the field, Raiders QB Marc Wilson never lived up to the promise he had coming out of BYU.

www.si.com

Quarterback Marc Wilson is the sixth-leading passer in the history of the Oakland-Los Angeles-Oakland Raiders, but it’s safe to say that longtime fans of Raider Nation and even Wilson himself, believe there could have been more.​

The Raiders drafted the 6-6, 205-pound Wilson in the first round (No. 15 overall) of the 1980 NFL Draft out of BYU, where he was the Cougars’ first-ever consensus All-American, won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, and was selected Most Valuable Player of the Senior Bowl.​

“I was best (in high school) at baseball, next was basketball and, by far, football was the thing I was least good at,” Wilson said a few years ago when he admitted his pro career was not what he hoped it would be. “Football was the one I liked the least. It was the only game, and I don’t want this to sound wrong, that I felt like I couldn’t control. It used to drive me crazy.​

“ … I think I’d be less than honest if I didn’t say I had moments of sadness over my pro career and wished it had turned out different. I don’t know what else I could have done. I really felt I did all I could do.”​

Where Are They Now? Marc Wilson, former Shorecrest, BYU, NFL quarterback - Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Dec 19, 2006:

Marc Wilson is a Bellevue-based real-estate developer who once was a quarterback. Considering the square footage and yardage on his résumé, an obvious question in his two identities is this: "What's the difference?"​

​

Wilson, 49, has made a life of breaking huddles and completing business deals and passes. He's covered a lot of ground.​

Wilson made an easier transition to real-estate development, going into partnership with a mentor, Jim Howton, who has since retired. The former quarterback lives in Woodinville with his wife, Colleen, and has four children -- Travis, Katie, Jane and Ryan -- all former or current BYU students.​

He remains in remarkably good shape, even after 12 surgeries, including four on his left shoulder. For sporting outlets, Wilson plays lots of golf and walks when he can. He wants to gather together his old Shorecrest baseball buddies, the ones who shared in an unforgettable championship, and have a reunion.​

24:20 Interview:

For some reason i always confused him/his name with Wade Wilson

 

[denverpatsfan]

Yes, though in Wilson's case he was only supposed to be a third string backup who held for FGs and PATs.

The defense in '89 was awful, and the 1990 roster played poorly on both sides of the ball.

Consider the 1990 offensive line, other than Armstrong.
I don't even recognize most of the names.
LT - Bruce Armstrong
LG - Chris Gambol
C - David Douglas
RG - Damian Johnson
RT - Danny Villa

Tackles are better than anyone on the 24 roster...

 

[TommyD4207]

He was worse that Mac Jones...

He's by far the worst QB I've seen in a Patriots uniform. I heard Joe Kapp was bad, I wasn't old enough to see it.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

Then again, he did play 'great' against the Patriots in the 1985 AFC Playoffs.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Oakland drafted Marc Wilson fifteenth overall in 1980, from BYU. He earned the first of his two super bowl rings as a rookie, backing up Jim Plunkett. He stared nine games the following year when Plunkett was hurt, leading the team to four 4th quarter comebacks. Once healthy, Plunkett reclaimed the starting position and the Raiders won another super bowl in '83. But the following year Plunkett was 37, and his body was showing its age. Wilson started ten games in '84 and became the full time starter a year later, going 11-2 in 1985. However, over the years in Oakland and LA Wilson was making more top-ten appearances in sacks and interceptions than in passing yards or touchdowns. Mike Shanahan replaced Tom Flores as head coach in 1988 and released Wilson on June 3rd, opting to bring in veteran Jay Schroeder and second-year QB Steve Beuerlein instead.

Starting Marc Wilson over even a creaky, aging but active and available Jim Plunkett is just as much of a guarantee to lose as starting Tony Eason over even a creaky, aging but active and available Steve Grogan.

With his NFL career seemingly over, Wilson got one more chance from the quarterback-needy Patriots. Four quarterbacks - Doug Flutie, Steve Grogan, Tony Eason and Tom Ramsey - had started at QB for Raymond Berry in '88. That carousel would continue for Berry's final season in New England, with the addition of Wilson and subtraction of Ramsey.

At age 32 - and out of football for a full season - the Marc Wilson signing was just throwing spaghetti against the wall, to see what might stick while hoping for a Hail Mary. It turned out that he was just a stop gap at the position until the Patriots bottomed out in 1992 and were able to draft Drew Bledsoe in the '93 draft. Wilson went 1-3 as a starter in '89, then 0-6 in the disastrous 1990 Rod Rust season. During those two seasons Wilson was sacked 39 times in limited action (10 starts), throwing nine touchdown passes and 16 interceptions. He retired on April 25, 1991 with a record of 32-28 in 60 NFL starts, throwing for 14,391 yards with 86 TD and 102 picks.

Flutie was released, not picked up by any NFL team and was exiled to the CFL, where to no surprise for me he rewrote the record book and won three titles.

That situation at the quarterback position is just what the Patriots would have had this century after releasing the nondescript, skinny kid Tom Brady before the 2001 season.