Today In Patriots History August 28: Shaq Mason

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Shaq Mason​

Happy 31st birthday to Shaq Mason
Born Aug 28, 1993 in Columbia, Tennessee
Patriot guard, 2015-present; uniform #69
Pats 4th round (131st overall) selection of the 2015 draft, from Georgia Tech


Shaquille Olajuwon Mason (yes, he was named after the two basketball players) was the starter in three straight Super Bowls, earning rings from Super Bowl 51 against Atlanta and SB 53 versus the Rams. In each of his first four seasons the Pats ranked in the top-ten in total offense. Mason started ten regular season games at left guard for the Patriots in his rookie season, before moving to right guard for the team's two playoff games. He then settled in as New England's right guard for the next six years.

The Pats had a choice to make when Mason and Trey Flowers were both approaching the end of their rookie contracts. The team gave Mason a five year contract with $23.5 million in bonuses and guarantees, letting Flowers depart in free agency for Detroit.

After seven seasons in New England, the Pats traded Mason to Tampa Bay, eleven days prior to the 2022 draft. He played one season with the Bucs, and is now entering his second year with the Houston Texans. Both of those destinations are Pats-related: 2022 was Tom Brady's final season with the Bucs, and Nick Caserio is the GM in Houston. At age 30 Mason still appeared to be going strong; he didn't miss a single snap in 2023, blocking for C.J. Stroud.

Back to that 2022 draft. In the first round, Bill Belichick selected another guard to replace Mason: Cole Strange.

Shaq Mason played in 103 regular season games for the Patriots, with 98 starts - with the Patriots going 73-30 in the games he played. He also played in 13 postseason games for New England, with the Patriots going 9-4, including two super bowl victories.



August 27, 2018:

Source: Pats agree to 5-year deal with Mason

The Patriots and starting right guard Shaq Mason have agreed to a five-year contract extension worth up to $50 million, a league source confirms.

www.espn.com

The New England Patriots and starting right guard Shaq Mason have agreed to a five-year contract extension worth up to $50 million, a league source confirmed.​

Mason, a 2015 fourth-round draft choice out of Georgia Tech, will receive $23.5 million in bonuses and guarantees as part of the deal. That total includes the $1.9 million base salary he was scheduled to earn in 2018.​

Feb 27, 2019:

Best guard in NFL? Patriots' Shaq Mason earns impressive Pro Football Focus grade

The New England Patriots offensive line played very well during the 2018 regular season and throughout their run to Super Bowl LIII, and guard Shaq Mason was a huge reason for that success. Mason was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded guard of the 2018 campaign, besting all of his peers across...

www.nbcsports.com

The New England Patriots offensive line played very well during the 2018 regular season and throughout their run to Super Bowl LIII, and guard Shaq Mason was a huge reason for that success.​

Mason was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded guard of the 2018 campaign, besting all of his peers across the NFL with an 82.7 overall grade.​

The Patriots offensive line was PFF's fourth-highest graded unit for the regular season, and the group improved its performance in the playoffs by allowing only one sack of quarterback Tom Brady through three postseason games. New England's offensive line also played a leading role in the team crushing opponents on the ground with 485 rushing yards in the playoffs.​

The whole league passed on Mason in the 2015 NFL Draft before the Patriots finally selected the Georgia Tech product in the fourth round (131st overall). The Patriots also picked defensive end Trey Flowers in the fourth round of that draft, helping make the 2015 class one of the team's best in recent years.​

Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine

It’s become a cliché that most students, let alone student-athletes, prefer to sit in the back of the classroom, far from the lecturer’s monitoring gaze. But not Shaq Mason. Tech professors remember the 300-pound All-American offensive lineman sitting front-row and center, at full attention during their classes. It makes sense when you consider that Mason’s job on the gridiron is to be on the front lines, blowing holes in the defense for running backs and protecting the quarterback. Mason started 39 of 41 games for the Yellow Jackets in his last three years (2012–2014), including every game his junior and senior years, earning first-team All-ACC in 2013 and 2014 and first-team All-American in 2014. He was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft to help guard future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady en route to three Super Bowls. Mason works for more than just the glory and recognition. During the summer before his senior year at Tech, his girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl, Kamrie. From that moment on, Mason had the only reason he needed to show up for work every day.​

2015: 18-Page Slide Show of Mason at Georgia Tech - Patriots.com:

Best of Shaq Mason

March 18, 2022:

Mailbag: Why didn't the Patriots get more than a 5th for Shaq Mason?

Answering reader questions every Friday morning.

www.masslive.com

Why did they give up Shaq Mason for a 5th rounder? He is viewed as one of the better guards. Why couldn’t they get a 3rd or even a 4th for him? It seems like a poor return​

That’s absolutely a fair question.​

Mason was playing at a Pro Bowl caliber level last season — he’s still one of the best run-blockers in the NFL — and his contract wasn’t an albatross. For comparison’s sake, Amari Cooper was also traded to the Browns for a fifth-round pick but his money was awful ($20 million cap hit for the next three years).​

In Mason’s case, the Patriots saved $7 million in cap space, put $3 million in dead money on their books, and got appreciably worse in the process. It’s not an exaggeration to say the guard was safely one of the Top 5 players on the roster in 2021. With Ted Karras already gone in free agency, the offensive line has become a concern when it wasn’t before.​

Interestingly, it’s been a few years since the Patriots have received even a Day 2 pick via trade, and they’ve seen some noteworthy names go out the door.​

Along with Mason (5th), there’s been Stephon Gilmore (6th), Sony Michel (4th, 6th), Rob Gronkowski (4th), Duron Harmon (5th) and Demaryius Thomas (6th). The last Patriot to garner better than a Day 3 return was Brandin Cooks (1st, 6th with N.E. throwing in a 4th) back in 2018.​

It certainly seems like they could have gotten more for Mason (or simply kept him).​

March 18, 2022 - Bucs team website:

Bucs Acquire Patriots G Shaq Mason for Draft Pick

March 15, 2022:

Boston Sports Journal

Boston's fast-growing, fully-credentialed, flying-everywhere collection of professional journalists covering Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics and more…

www.bostonsportsjournal.com

On the flip side, there's Mason, who only rated above Isaiah Wynn among regular starters on the team. That's a tough look for a player with the seventh-highest cap number going into this season. Could that color the team the other way and have them possibly looking to move Mason for a net cap savings?​

In Mason's defense, if you can call it that, it really was a tale of two seasons for the right guard. In his first nine games, he was a minus-23 (-2.55 net). In the final seven games, Mason was dramatically better at minus-4 (-0.57). If Mason played like that the entire season, he easily would have been the best lineman on the team. The question for the Patriots is, which Mason are you confident in getting for the final two years of his contract? If it's the late-season Mason, he's definitely worth his contract. If it's the other guy ... it might be time to move on. . . .​

But the bottom line is, Mason did not have a strong first half of the season, and the Patriots rightfully questioned his future.​

What will the Patriots do on the line, now that Ted Karras and Mason are gone ... this is how I see the depth chart:​

May 31, 2022:

Did Patriots Make Mistake Trading Shaq Mason?

The Patriots' lack of offensive line depth has become a center of controversy since free agency.

www.si.com

Former New England Patriots offensive lineman Shaq Mason was a keystone in one of the best offensive lines in Patriots history. After being drafted by New England in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the young star quickly become one of the league's most consistent run blockers.​

Yet, with the Patriots' cap woes entering the 2022 offseason, head coach and general manager Bill Belichick was forced to trade Mason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a mere sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Perhaps even more infuriating than the return for the perennial top-five guard was the fact that Belichick immediately drafted Cole Strange, the lesser-known Chattanooga prospect, in the first round as a replacement for Mason.​

Pro Football Reference recently torched New England's offseason, and now ESPN is specifically pointing out the Mason loss as a major blow to the Patriots 2022 season. In its recent rankings highlighting the best and worst offseasons in the league, the Patriots ranked just 22nd.​

Says ESPN:​

The Pats' hands were tied by what they did last offseason, but I would have liked to see them find a way to keep Mason. Even if New England thinks Strange will emerge as a superstar, retaining Mason would have allowed the team to keep Mike Onwenu in a utility role, which is extremely important given how frequently Brown and fellow tackle Isaiah Wynn have been injured over the past few seasons.​

Since the team's improbable 2018 Super Bowl-winning effort, the team's offensive line has been critical to the offense's identity. With the loss of a player as important to the team as Mason, New England will hope that their young talent can grow to fill the gap.​

Player Profile - HoustonTexans.com:

Shaq Mason

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
TBC​

Happy 44th birthday to Tully Banta-Cain
Born Aug 28, 1980 in Mountain View, CA
Patriot OLB, 2003-06 and 2009-10; uniform #48 and #95
Pats 7th round (239th overall) selection of the 2003 draft, from Cal

Tully Banta-Cain played in 85 regular season games and 12 playoff games for the Patriots. He earned two rings with the Pats, for Super Bowls 38 and 39. When he retired he ranked 12th in franchise history with 23.5 sacks (now 15th).

In the 2006-07 wild card game TBC came through with a clutch performance. He had two sacks, three solo tackles, two tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits and a pass deflection as the Patriots defeated the Jets 37-16.

After four seasons in Foxboro Banta-Cain signed a 3-year, $12 million deal with San Francisco. The Niners released him in 2009 and he returned to the Patriots, becoming a starter - and one of the few bright spots on that '09 club. Early in the 2010 he was replaced by Jermaine Cunningham in the starting lineup. In late July of 2011 TBC underwent surgery for an abdominal strain, a procedure that would require a 4-5 week recovery period. The Patriots waived Banta-Cain on July 29, 2011.

All in all, the Patriots received a great return in value for a seventh round draft pick.



September 9, 2009:

Tully Banta-Cain Amped For Second Go-Around With Patriots - NESN.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — As a former seventh-round draft pick, New England Patriots linebacker Tully Banta-Cain has been fortunate enough to go home twice. Banta-Cain, selected by the Patriots with the 239th overall selection in 2003, was mildly productive throughout his first four seasons in New...

nesn.com

It’s been a good run so far for Banta-Cain, who is one of just nine seventh-round picks from 2003 to still be in the league (48 players were selected in that round, which included compensatory picks). But Banta-Cain wasn’t resting on his previous contract or prior experience with the Patriots when the team went to work during training camp and the preseason. As the summer progressed and Banta-Cain’s roster spot became more secure, his motor never let up.​

This preseason, he showed a glimpse of where he left off in his career year in 2006, registering two tackles and a sack in three games while showing a good ability to get toward the quarterback.​

Banta-Cain won’t head into the regular season as a starter, but he’ll get plenty of chances to contribute. After the departures of Mike Vrabel, linebacker Tedy Bruschi and defensive lineman Richard Seymour, the Patriots figure to dig deeply into their depth chart on a regular basis.​

August 9, 2010:

Banta-Cain has made himself a home in New England

You can go to a second home again.

www.tauntongazette.com

“San Francisco was a chance for me to go home and play in my backyard. I grew up a 49er fan so it was a great experience, but I obviously feel very comfortable being in a New England Patriot jersey.”​

In the aftermath of a career season — 60 tackles, 10 sacks in 2009 — Banta-Cain was signed by the Patriots to a three-year contract worth a potential $18 million that will extend his second stint in New England.​

So, sure, it’s a hefty price, but given the Patriots’ plight at the outside linebacker position, a bad situation made worse by Derrick Burgess’ no-show at training camp, where would they would be if Banta-Cain had up and left?​

Originally selected by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft, the native of Mountain View, Calif., and former All-Pac 10 defensive end at California spent four seasons in New England before the 49ers rewarded him for his 40-tackle, 5.5-sack campaign in 2006 by luring him home with a three-year, $12.2 million contract.​

July 27, 2011:

Tully Banta-Cain to be released by the Patriots

Banta-Cain had five sacks last season, second on the team.

www.masslive.com

What Tully Banta-Cain's departure means for the Patriots' pass rush

Banta-Cain led the Patriots with 15 sacks over the last two seasons.

www.masslive.com

Head coach Bill Belichick bucked conventional wisdom when he declined to draft an impact pass rusher in April, an aspect that many felt was an obvious need for a New England defense that collected just 14.5 sacks.​

And now by letting Banta-Cain, who led the team with 15 sacks the last two seasons, walk, putting a finger on where the Patriots' defense is heading becomes even more perplexing.​

That leaves Rob Ninkovich and Jermaine Cunningham as the top players at the outside spots, with Eric Moore, who recorded two sacks after being picked up for the last four gams of the season, likely assuming an increased role.​

Cunningham was going to be asked to assume an bigger role entering his second season and was considered to be one of the key cogs heading into the 2011 season, but he is now going to have to make that growth at a rapid rate due to the hurdles presented by the shortened lockout schedule.​

June 16, 2022 - Patriots.com

Former Patriot advances in 'America's Got Talent' with NFL Players Choir

Retired linebacker Tully Banta-Cain won two Super Bowl rings during his time with the New England Patriots, and it appears he's still chasing championships. This time, on a different stage.​

He and fellow members of the NFL Players Chorus performed on Tuesday's nationally televised episode of America's Got Talent, advancing to the next round of the competition after singing "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers.​

Notoriously tough judge Simon Cowell made them work for it, though, requesting an acapella rendition to better gauge the group's harmonization. That secured three unanimous "yes" votes from Cowell and fellow judges Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara.​

July 10, 2024:

Ex-New England Patriot brings Beach Football League to Hampton Beach

Tully Banta-Cain, who won Super Bowl rings with the Patriots in 2003 and 2004, announced his new pro football league on the sand last year.

www.seacoastonline.com

A slew of former New England Patriots are touching down at Hampton Beach this Labor Day Weekend as part of two-time Super Bowl Champion Tully Banta-Cain’s touring Beach Football League.​

Banta-Cain, who won Super Bowl rings with the Patriots in 2003 and 2004, announced his new pro football league on the sand last year with teams featuring former NFL players alongside up-and-comers looking to try out. The first tryout event will be on Aug. 31 at Hampton Beach, where signups are available online now at no cost. Registration will be $50 starting July 30, according to the website.​

The day will feature former Patriots like Jamie Collins and Devin McCourty, as well as other former pro football players and meet and greet opportunities, as well as tackle and flag exhibition games. The event is funded jointly through the Hampton Beach Village District and the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce.​

A recent fan of Hampton Beach, Banta-Cain said he fell in love with the “vibe” on Ocean Boulevard. He hopes to make it a regular stop for future Beach Football League tournaments, which will feature 8-on-8 tackle football games.​

Banta-Cain said his new Beach Football League is staking a claim in the world of sand athletics that has become increasingly popular for other sports. He pointed to the growth in popularity of beach volleyball, an Olympic sport since 1996, and beach soccer, which has its own FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.​

“Why not football now?” Banta-Cain said.​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Danny Aiken​

Happy 36th birthday to Danny Aiken
Born Aug 28, 1988 in Roanoke, Virginia
Patriot LS, 2011-2014; uniform #48
Claimed off waivers from Buffalo on September 4, 2011


The Bills originally signed the 6'4, 250 pound University of Virginia grad as an undrafted rookie in 2011. The Patriots claimed Aiken a few days after releasing Matt Katula, ending speculation that the team might use Rob Ninkovich as their long snapper.

Danny Aiken spent four seasons as the Patriot long snapper, and also played in ten playoff games with the team. He appeared in two Super Bowls, earning a ring in SB 49 against Seattle. Aiken had back surgery in that offseason and was not re-signed, as the Pats drafted Joe Cardona in 2016.

Kelly Aiken congratulates her husband​

Aiken played in a total of 63 regular season games with the Patriots, plus ten postseason games. The Pats went 49-15 in regular season games he played in, plus 7-3 in the playoffs. He won a super bowl ring for New England's 28-24 victory over Seattle on Fbruary 1, 2015. Danny Aiken played in three games with the Giants in 2015 before being placed on injured reserve, finishing his NFL career.

Danny Aiken being 'interviewed' by a Seattle Seahawks cheerleader during media week, prior to SB 49​

From 2018 to 2021 Aiken served as the head football coach at Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Former Patriots Super Bowl champion now teaching students art of football

Even though he's retired from the NFL, he is still on the field and loving what he does.

www.wdbj7.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
The Investment Wizard/Stalking Victim​

Happy 60th birthday to Greg Baty
Born Aug 28, 1964; from Sparta, New Jersey
Patriot TE, 1986-1987; uniform #48, #85
Pats 8th round (220th overall) selection of the 1986 draft, from Stanford


Greg Baty played in 21 games with seven starts for the Pats, with 52 receptions and four touchdowns. His rookie season was the most productive year of his NFL career, when he had 37 receptions for 331 yards and two touchdowns. He was waived by the Pats on Nov 12, 1987 after the club had picked up former first round pick Willie Scott to back up Lin Dawson at tight end.

Allegedly he was signed and released by five different teams as retribution for being the team representative during the players strike in 1987. Eventually Baty caught on with Miami, spending five seasons with the Dolphins. He played in 102 games over eight NFL seasons, with 883 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.


In the 1990 offseason a former high school classmate attempted to kidnap Baty's wife. The incident was one of several that led to anti-stalking laws, and was televised on an episode of Rescue 911 and Obsessed: Dark Obsessions. The perp must have been seriously deranged, to decide to go after the wife of a 6'6, 260 pound football player.


January 27, 1995:

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Stalker-seen-near-home-held-again-3159778.php

A convicted stalker whose pursuit of a Menlo Park woman resulted in the state's first anti-stalking law has been arrested again after he was reportedly seen in her neighborhood, just one month after his release from state prison.​

Stagner, 32, was paroled from state prison Dec. 19 after serving four years for the attempted kidnapping of former high school acquaintance Kathleen Gallagher Baty, 31. He apparently became obsessed with her when the two competed in track together at Sequoia High School in Redwood City.​

Baty's ordeal helped persuade state lawmakers to pass a law in 1991 making stalking a felony.​

Stagner began stalking Baty in 1982, police said. They said he began by burglarizing her parents' home to get her address while she was a student at UCLA.​

He would hide in the bushes and wait for her to come home from dates. She obtained many restraining orders, in the process running up hundreds of dollars in attorney fees.​

In 1990, Stagner got into the Batys' home and tried to kidnap her. Police were alerted, and Stagner was arrested after an 11-hour standoff.​

He was sentenced to eight years in prison, serving four of those before he was granted parole.​

Dec 17, 2014:

Greg Baty scores with investments and jobs - S. Florida Business & Wealth

Baty is a principal in Fort Lauderdale with Hamilton Lane, which manages the $500 million Florida Growth Fund. The fund was created in 2009 to invest up to 1.5 percent

sfbwmag.com

Baty is a principal in Fort Lauderdale with Hamilton Lane, which manages the $500 million Florida Growth Fund. The fund was created in 2009 to invest up to 1.5 percent of state pension funds in private equity investments that would help foster job growth.​

Feb 26, 2024:

Sussex County History Today: Sparta’s Greg Baty and the NFL

The dream of practically every boy who plays football is to make it in the NFL. Greg Baty of Sparta lived the dream for nine years. He grew up in Spar...

www.spartaindependent.com

He grew up in Sparta and went to Stanford. He spent most of his time with the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins and experienced stints with the Rams, 49ers, Cardinals, Giants and Buccaneers. He was a tight end and at times was the long snapper on punts or kicks.​

“Yes, I caught passes from four NFL Hall of Famers: John Elway when at Stanford, Steve Young, Joe Montana and Dan Marino for five years when with the Dolphins,” he said.​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Don McKinnon​

In memory of Don McKinnon, who would have turned 83 today
Born Aug 28, 1941 in Arlington, Mass.
Died January 25, 2015 at the age of 73 in Wakefield, Rhode Island]
Patriot LB/C, 1963-1964; uniform #51
Pats 10th round (79th overall) selection of the 1963 draft, from Dartmouth


Like many Boston Patriots, Don McKinnon was a local guy. He grew up in Arlington, went to Matignon High School in Cambridge, then went up to Hanover, New Hampshire for college at Dartmouth. Don played in all 14 regular season and two playoff games in his rookie 1963 season, then three more games in '64.

Don McKinnon, 73 | Block Island Times

At Dartmouth, the soft spoken, likable recruit studied sociology and helped lead the ’62 football squad to the Ivy League championship as team captain and an All-American center on the Big Green’s offensive line. It wasn’t easy; McKinnon came off a severe injury - two ruptured tendons and a broken bone in his ankle - to lead Dartmouth to its first undefeated season in almost 40 years.​

“Tackled by McKinnon” sounded like a tape recording at most Dartmouth games. On big plays, he routinely shed blockers and made tackles for losses. Besides selection to the All-America national collegiate football team, he was named to the All-East, All-Ivy and All-New England teams. What’s more, he won the George H. “Bulger” Lowe Award as the best Division I college football player in New England.​

The pros were calling, and the “Big D” as he was known, was drafted by the New York Giants and the Boston Patriots. He signed with his hometown Patriots. As a 22-year old rookie, McKinnon beat out veteran linebackers and played in 17 games over the 1963-1964 seasons before being hobbled by injuries. He fractured his hip during training camp but continued to play. “He’ll be a great one,” predicted Patriots Coach Mike Holovak. But it wasn’t to be. Leg injuries cut short what many expected to be a Hall of Fame career.​

​

After leaving the Patriots, Don acquired a stockbroker’s license. He started his new career with Wainwright & Co in Boston. He wed Nancy Hailer, a Lesley College graduate and budding professional model. They soon found themselves in Manhattan, where Don took an executive position with Becker Paribas heading its trading, convertible and over-the-counter desks. He then moved to Moseley Hallgarten & Estabrook where he served as vice president and sat on the board of directors. From there, he rose to Executive Director of Nomura Securities International’s equities division in New York. He headed American stock trading for the Japanese giant, traveling often to Tokyo before retiring in the mid-1990s.​

In retirement, McKinnon dabbled in films, playing minor roles in acclaimed Hollywood director Wes Anderson’s movies, “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “The Life Aquatic.” He appeared with stars such as Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston, Owen and Luke Wilson. The famous Wilson brothers’ father, Bobby Wilson, was Don’s longtime friend from Dartmouth.​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Reyna, Rufus, Ricky and Russell​

Happy 61st birthday to Reyna Thompson
Born Aug 28, 1963 in Dallas
Patriot CB, 1993; uniform #21
Signed as a veteran free agent on April 24, 1993

Reyna Thompson was a ninth round draft pick out of Baylor by the Dolphins in 1986. After three years with Miami he played with the Giants for four seasons. While there he won one super bowl and was named to the 1990 Pro Bowl as a special teamer.

Thompson had played for Bill Parcells for two years with the Giants, and was one of many players who reunited with Tuna in New England. Reyna Thompson played in 15 games with six starts for the Pats in his final NFL season, with one interception and one sack.

In his post-NFL life Thompson taught high school English at Olympic Heights Community High School in Boca Raton, Florida. In 2015, Thompson served as the head football coach for West Broward High School, leading the Bobcats to its first District playoff in the school's history. He has also served as the head coach for Hollywood Hills High School in south Florida.

Happy 34th birthday to Rufus Johnson
Born Aug 28, 1990 in Mesquite, Texas
Patriot DE, 2015; uniform #70, #59
Signed to a future contract on Dec 31, 2014

Rufus Johnson was a sixth round pick by New Orleans in 2013, where he spent most of the season on the practice squad. He made the 2015 Pats 53-man roster out of training camp, and got on the field in week two against Buffalo for 13 snaps on defense and 11 on special teams. After two weeks being inactive with an undisclosed illness, Johnson was placed on the Non-Football Illness List on October 28, ending his 2015 season. He was waived as part of final roster cuts on September 3, 2016. Initially he was signed to the practice squad, but was cut three days later for LB Quentin Gase.


Oct 28, 2015:

Patriots Add Three Safeties, Place Rufus Johnson On NFI, Cut Cornerback - NESN.com

Apparently the New England Patriots can’t have enough safeties. The Patriots claimed safety Dewey McDonald off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday. They also signed safeties Ross Ventrone and Floyd Raven to their practice squad. They now have 10 safeties between their 53-man roster...

nesn.com

Apparently the New England Patriots can’t have enough safeties.​

The Patriots claimed safety Dewey McDonald off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday. They also signed safeties Ross Ventrone and Floyd Raven to their practice squad. They now have 10 safeties between their 53-man roster and practice squad.​

McDonald, Ventrone and Raven join safeties Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Duron Harmon, Jordan Richards, Tavon Wilson, Nate Ebner and Brandon King on the Patriots.​

To make room, the Patriots placed linebacker Rufus Johnson on non-football illness/reserve, ending his season. They also cut cornerback Brandon Dixon from their practice squad.​

Johnson appeared in one game for the Patriots this season, making one tackle. He missed practice for two consecutive weeks with an illness.​

Sept 7, 2016 - Patriots.com

Patriots sign LB Quentin Gause to practice squad; Release LB Rufus Johnson from practice squad

Rufus Johnson, 26, originally was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on Feb. 6, 2015. The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder, played in one game for the Patriots in 2015 and made on tackle before being placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list on Oct. 28. He originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick by New Orleans out of Tarleton State in the 2013 NFL Draft. Johnson spent the 2013 regular season on the practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster for the postseason.​

Happy 59th birthday to Ricky Atkinson
Born Aug 28, 1965 in Middletown, Connecticut
Patriot CB, 1987; uniform #22
Signed as a free agent on May 1, 1987

A New England native, Ricky Atkinson went to Valley Regional High School, which is about 30 miles east of New Haven and 40 miles south of Hartford. He played his college football at Southern Connecticut State. Atkinson made it to the NFL for one week six game on Raymond Berry's 1987 Patriots team - the third and final Replacement Players game.

May 3, 1987:
Pats sign SCSU's Atkinson - Hartford Courant

Southern Connecticut State University announced that defensive back Ricky Atkinson has signed a free-agent contract with the Patriots​

Atkinson, a native of Deep River, was the only Connecticut player named to the Kodak Coaches' College Division II All-America team. Atkinson was also named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division II team for the third consecutive year.​

Happy 44th birthday to Russell Stuvaints
Born Aug 28, 1980 in Pittsburgh
Patriot S, 2004 practice squad
Signed as a free agent to the practice squad on September 7, 2004

Pittsburgh re-signed Stuvaints to their active roster, off the Pats practice squad, seven days after the Patriots signed him. The Pennsylvania native and product of Youngstown State was a special teams ace who played in 23 games in two stints for the Steelers from 2003 to 2005.

Russell Stuvaints, Steelers Safety, 2003-2006 – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

In 2004 I was on the practice squad and I went to the Patriots for a week on their practice squad and they told me they were going to put me on their active roster when the season started. But the guy the Steelers kept over me tore his hamstring so they ended up bringing me back. It was my best year – I scored a touchdown against the Browns. LeBeau got me on the field a lot. It was a great experience and we had an excellent season before we lost to the Patriots in the championship game.​

I work now for the PCA – Packaging Corporation of America here in Pittsburgh. I have two sons – eight and six – and enjoy spending time with them and coaching them in their sports. They are making me proud – they play baseball, t-ball……​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Cups of Coffee and other August 28 Birthdays​

Happy 41st birthday to Nate Washington
Born Aug 28, 1983 in Toledo, Ohio
Patriot WR, 2016 offseason; uniform #84
Signed as a veteran free agent on March 24, 2016

Nate Washington is part of a very long list of NFL starting veteran wide receivers that were signed by the Patriots at the end of their career, that did not make the Pats roster. Nate played in 159 games with 45 touchdowns, averaging 15.2 yards per catch with Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Houston. He was four days shy of turning 33 when the Pats released him, opting to start the season with Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola and Malcolm Mitchell at receiver for the week one roster.

June 8, 2016:

Washington on fast track to earn a spot with Patriots

FOXBORO — Nate Washington turns 33 in August. He is obviously not “the future” for the Patriots at the wide receiver position. That would be players like rookie Malcolm Mitchell or free agent signee Chris Hogan. But Washington could be the near future. Speed — or a lack of it — becomes...

www.nbcsportsboston.com

Nate Washington turns 33 in August. He is obviously not “the future” for the Patriots at the wide receiver position. That would be players like rookie Malcolm Mitchell or free agent signee Chris Hogan.​

But Washington could be the near future. Speed -- or a lack of it -- becomes depressingly easy to notice when a wideout starts to lose it. We saw it last year during Reggie Wayne’s Patriots cameo. But Washington -- a former Steeler, Titan and Texan -- still gets down the field and out of his breaks.​

With the Patriots at the top of the wideout depth chart -- Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman -- not at full speed because of offseason surgeries, Washington will get reps. And he will get looks.​

He is a bona-fide outside receiver with a 15.2 career yards per catch average. Last season, when he was with Houston, Washington pulled in a 49-yarder against the Patriots on an otherwise bleak night for the Texans. He finished 2015 with 47 catches for 658 yards and four touchdowns.​

Aside from “how it was” elsewhere, what the Patriots “do” resembles what the Texans do since Houston head coach Bill O’Brien came up in the Patriots system.​

Happy 30th birthday to Scooby Wright
Born Aug 28, 1994 in Windsor, California
Patriot ILB, 2019 offseason & practice squad; uniform #96
Signed as a free agent Aug 25, 2019

Philip Anthony 'Scooby' Wright III has two connections with the Patriots. He was selected by the Browns with a 7th round (250th overall) pick in the 2016 draft. The Pats had packaged that draft pick and two others in a trade to Miami on Day 3 of the 2016 draft, moving up to acquire a fifth round pick. The Pats then packaged that with a 7th in a trade with Seattle, moving up 16 spots to the fourth round. There the Pats drafted DE Deatrich Wise, and with a 7th they also received in return chose WR Devin Lucien.

Arizona signed Wright off the Cleveland practice squad, where he had spent most of the 2016 season. He bounced back and forth between the 53 man roster and practice squad, for two seasons, appearing mostly on special teams in 13 games. Wright started the final preseason game just days after signing with the Pats (and six days before final roster cuts), recording two sacks against the Giants. In retrospect he was a warm body to put on the field to eliminate risk of injury to others that were going to make the team.

Wright was added to the practice squad on September 20 when edge rusher Gerri Green was released, and FB Jakob Johnson was promoted to take the spot vacated when James Develin went on IR. Wright's time in Foxboro was an extended second tryout. He was released 11 days later, and has been out of the NFL since. On October 15 he was selected by the DC Defenders on the first day of the XFL draft.

Scooby Wright made two sacks in his only start with the Patriots​

Happy 31st birthday to Trevor Bates
Born Aug 28, 1993 in Westbrook, Maine
Patriot LB, 2016-2017 (offseason and practice squad); uniform #44
Signed as free agent on Nov 17, 2016

Trevor Bates is a New England native, an alum of Westbrook High School and the University of Maine. He was a seventh round draft pick by the Colts in 2016, making it to the Indy roster for one game after spending the first four weeks on their practice squad.

Bates spent the last half of 2016 on the Pats practice squad; he was released on Sept 5, 2017, then spent time on the Giants practice squad. Bates then played in nine games for Detroit in 2018, logging two snaps on defense and 156 on special teams. Early in 2019 Bates refused to pay a cab fare, punched a NYC sergeant in the face, and was arrested. The Lions released him six weeks later.

Aug 22, 2017:

Former Maine linebacker Trevor Bates is a sleeper to make New England Patriots roster

Trevor Bates did a little bit of everything for the Patriots' scout team a year ago, arriving as a strong side linebacker and eventually picking up experience at all three spots.

www.masslive.com

In part due to injuries and absences, Bates got a chance to play outside linebacker with the starters during joint practices in West Virginia. He did well in pass-rushing situations on Wednesday, twice providing pressure in the Houston backfield. On one rep, Bates blasted through 240-pound running back D'Onta Foreman, who was in pass protection, and got to the quarterback. On the next rep, he won easily off the edge and would have had a sack.​

Bates was rewarded with playing time in Saturday's preseason loss to the Texans; he entered the game before veteran Jonathan Freeny, which may suggest his standing on the depth chart.​

In the second quarter, Bates played on the line as a pass rusher, dropped into coverage, and looked effective against the run. Additionally, he appeared on every special teams unit. Late in the game, Bates re-entered following Elandon Roberts' injury and called plays for the Pats defense.​

Other players born on this date with a New England connection:

- Jim Lynch (1945-2022)
Draft Pick Trade
On December 30, 1964, the Boston Patriots traded a 1965 draft pick and a 1967 second to Kansas City for backup quarterback and part time punter Eddie Wilson. The Chiefs used that '97 draft pick on Jim Lynch. The linebacker from Notre Dame proceeded to play 11 seasons for Kansas City, with 17 interceptions in 151 games, and was part of the Chiefs' winning Super Bowl IV defense that held the Jets, Raiders and Viking to just 20 points combined in the 1969 postseason.

- Ken Clarke, 68 (1956)
Boston English High School
DT played in 203 games from 1978-91, mostly with the Eagles.

- Danny Lansanah, 39 (1985)
UConn
Linebacker played in 38 games from 2008 to 2015, primarily with Tampa Bay.

- Lou DeFilippo (1916-2000)
Born in East Haven, CT; Hillhouse HS, New Haven
Tackle for the 1941-1947 Giants




Other pro football players born on August 28 include:

- Ben Agajanian (1919-2018)
While playing in college, Agajanian had four toes of his kicking foot crushed in a work accident and then amputated in 1939 - leading to his being given the nickname "The Toeless Wonder". He was one of pro football's first kicking specialists, and played from 1945 to 1964 - the longest tenure at that time. With a career that went from 1945 to 1964, it is ironically fitting that he lived to the age of 98.

Ben Agajanian, Square-Shoed Kicking Star, Dies at 98 (Published 2018)

Though missing four toes because of an accident, he was pro football’s first career kicking specialist, playing for nine teams until he was 45.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Pape]

wanted to post some of these yesterday... didnt get the chance...

Greg Baty - sporting both 48 & 85




Don McKinnon (he's hiding in the pile)


Reyna Thompson





few of those guys, I got nothing... I remember trying to find Ricky Atkinson but got blanked...