Any Interest In Benjamin Watson?

[WinstonSmith]

Sure, but conditional on him hiring Peyton's wife as his personal trainer.

 

[Ivan]

I think he’s done. I really want them to go young at TE and WR. I would love a double dip at both positions.

 

[Patjew]

If the Pats can't put their hands in a good TE in the draft I can see that happening.

 

[fxmallon]

If considering Watson means we don't trade up to get Fant, that I'm all for the interest. But I wouldn't be for the signing. (If Martellus Bennett retired at a much younger age this year,then Watson should follow suit)

 

[Tunescribe]

John Bledsoe - Football - Washington State University Athletics

You might need to change your screen name to signbabybledsoe.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

For the position of TE 38 is long in the tooth. However, I was surprised to see 2017 80 targets (he's eating avocado ice cream?). He was targeted 45 times last season on a good offense where he started out the season fairly well but dropped markedly in the second half (he probably would have been near 80 if second half was like his first half of the season).

Regardless, has he been keeping somewhere near football shape this off season and still has the top level drive to want to put in the huge time to be productive at an NFL level? Will he take a contract that allows the Patriots to risk little and his pay is "good" only if he hits incentive targets?
IMHO when you're north of 30 in the NFL, once you accept and transition to retirement it's a huge reversal to get back to the NFL mentality. But being only months from the retirement he may still have the right mental frame of mind. So if he meets the physical and contractual conditions noted? No problem seeing him in the preseason to see if he has value at a position that is clearly (by a lot) the greatest need on the Patriots.

 

[Joey007]

Yes, we will be going after Bledsoe once Brady retires.

What? Not Scott Secules?

 

[luuked]

Signing him as veteran presence would have shades of Crumpler in 2010.

 

[stcjones]

Yes, we will be going after Bledsoe once Brady retires.

No way....for that to happen Mo Lewis would have to unretire, and after that Brady would have to unretire....wow this is getting so confusing!!!

 

[DarrylS]

I really like Watson as a man and as a player, but not sure he would be interested in coming back to NE as he seems to be firmly entrenched in the NOLA culture..

His wife is expecting to deliver twins in May... so another reason he may not want to be too far from home..

 

[RobertWeathers]

No

 

[Brewskies]

Only if we can sign someone young of the same quality. I like Ben but the Pats are becoming an old folk home.

In BB I Trust.

Go Pats

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Any Russ Francis sightings around Foxboro?

No because the imbeciles in the hall of shame selection committee are also morons

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Did we replace our character coach?

 

[captain stone]

Yes. At worst he still offers camp competition for ASJ.

I would take him ahead of ASJ and everybody else currently in the TE room in a heartbeat.

 

[mgteich]

I would take him ahead of ASJ and everybody else currently in the TE room in a heartbeat.

We wouldn't have to worry about him learning the plays. He was the 2nd smartest receiver we ever had, and one of the fastest.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Only if we can sign someone young of the same quality. I like Ben but the Pats are becoming an old folk home.

In BB I Trust.

Go Pats

I understand that concern. however, the Patriots need TE production (one might say desperately so). I just don't think the right approach is to rely on newbys at TE and let them figure it out in 2019 (and 2020?) while the extremely small window for Brady (and probably BB) is rapidly closing. IMHO without a TE who can catch 40 to 50 -- most especially some of those ultra critical 3 and 3s and a handful of 2nd/3rd and goals - will make an otherwise doable SB repeat notably less likely (the difference between being the bridesmaid instead of the bride is often a handful of plays). TE in today's NFL is that important, IMHO.

I'm actually hopeful (fan speak for praying) ASJ will be that guy. Yet that is at best an optimistic unlikelihood (pardon the oxymoron). Benjamin Watson (or Bennett as another example) coming out of retirement, showing in preseason they can do it, taking a nice but heavy incentivized contract and filling that role for one year?? That probably is the best realistic option for this glaring TE need. And while this may raise the Patriots' bill for Geritol, when the difference between the W or the L is someone MUST make a play, I expect the aged vet to make that play due to understanding the situation and the ability to pull something out of their bag of tricks, both things the aged vet should be capable of via their many years of experience.
(this doesn't preclude drafting a top TE prospect, which I am totally for)

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I really like Watson as a man and as a player, but not sure he would be interested in coming back to NE as he seems to be firmly entrenched in the NOLA culture..

His wife is expecting to deliver twins in May... so another reason he may not want to be too far from home..

He might be swayed for 7 to 8 months to join the slightly dented SB trophy culture .

Watson signing with the Patriots would have one supreme underlying reason, a last chance at a SB. And while your concern about family/home are certainly valid, the life of an NFL player is partly based on being absent (he was with Baltimore just two seasons ago, no?). So if he really wants to go out with a SB and his wife is on board, I suspect he'll make that 7 to 8 month absence sacrifice.
Now whether he is NFL shape mentally/physically and this story is true? We'll see...

 

[Brick27]

No because the imbeciles in the hall of shame selection committee are also morons

Your shameless pre-Belichick/flying Elvis Patriots gimmick is hilarious. Keep doing you, it’s fantastic.

 

[Brewskies]

I understand that concern. however, the Patriots need TE production (one might say desperately so). I just don't think the right approach is to rely on newbys at TE and let them figure it out in 2019 (and 2020?) while the extremely small window for Brady (and probably BB) is rapidly closing. IMHO without a TE who can catch 40 to 50 -- most especially some of those ultra critical 3 and 3s and a handful of 2nd/3rd and goals - will make an otherwise doable SB repeat notably less likely (the difference between being the bridesmaid instead of the bride is often a handful of plays). TE in today's NFL is that important, IMHO.

I'm actually hopeful (fan speak for praying) ASJ will be that guy. Yet that is at best an optimistic unlikelihood (pardon the oxymoron). Benjamin Watson (or Bennett as another example) coming out of retirement, showing in preseason they can do it, taking a nice but heavy incentivized contract and filling that role for one year?? That probably is the best realistic option for this glaring TE need. And while this may raise the Patriots' bill for Geritol, when the difference between the W or the L is someone MUST make a play, I expect the aged vet to make that play due to understanding the situation and the ability to pull something out of their bag of tricks, both things the aged vet should be capable of via their many years of experience.
(this doesn't preclude drafting a top TE prospect, which I am totally for)

Hi, I didn't say newbie I said that if there was a younger TE take him over Ben, if not take Ben. I can agree with most of what you are saying. Have a great off season. I love your handle, I have used the same elsewhere.