Today In Patriots History March 1: Happy Birthday to Mike Wright

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Mike Wright​

Happy 43rd birthday to Mike Wright
Born March 1, 1982 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Patriot DT/DE, 2005-2011; uniform #99
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on April 29, 2005
Pats résumé: 7 seasons, 81 games (22 starts); 134 tackles (18 for a loss), 15 sacks


Mike Wright was a quality defender who could effectively fill multiple roles: nose tackle or right defensive end in 3-4 sets, or DT or DE in a 4-3 or 4-2 formation. As an undrafted rookie he was primarily used on special teams, but his playing time soon increased. 5-Technique, 3-Tech, 1-Tech, it didn't matter; he could play anywhere on the line. He was effective whether it be as a rotational guy to give somebody like Vince Wifork a breather, or as a starter. Unfortunately Wright ended up on injured reserve a couple of times, and too many concussions caused his career to come to an end before the age of 30.




Dec 28, 2006 - Patriots.com
Interesting full-length article on the obstacles that Mike Wright had to overcome to play college football as a walk-on for the University of Cincinnati:

The Wright Stuff

There was a time, not too long ago, when Patriots defensive lineman Mike Wright seriously considered walking away from his dream. Wright was a junior in college with one season of Division II football on his resume and two full seasons missed due to an NC

www.patriots.com

There was a time, not too long ago, when Patriots defensive lineman Mike Wright seriously considered walking away from his dream. Wright was a junior in college with one season of Division II football on his resume and two full seasons missed due to an NCAA transfer rule and a serious knee injury.​

March 23, 2009 - Mike Reiss:

After further review...

Looking back at a busy two weeks for the Patriots, as the team garnered its fair share of headlines.

www.boston.com

In testing free agency, defensive lineman Mike Wright was likely looking for an opportunity to start along with the type of salary that comes with it, similar to Kenyon Coleman going from Dallas to the Jets prior to the 2007 season. It didn’t happen for Wright, but he was smart to keep dialogue open with the Patriots. His four-year pact to return to New England is reflective of a veteran backup role, but includes incentives to increase the value should he become a starter. Wright is a valuable player on a 45-man game-day roster, because he backs up two spots (nose, end) and also contributes on special teams.​

Oct 13, 2011 - Mike Dussault:

Losing interior pass rusher Mike Wright a big blow to Patriots

Tough news out of Foxboro today with Mike Wright being put on IR for a second straight season due to lingering effects of a concussion. I’ve been preaching for a while now that Wright was pos…

www.patspropaganda.com

Tough news out of Foxboro today with Mike Wright being put on IR for a second straight season due to lingering effects of a concussion. I’ve been preaching for a while now that Wright was possibly the number one injured Patriot that they most needed back for his interior pass rush skills.​

Many Patriots fans are always clamoring for a “pass rusher” thinking only outside linebackers are real pass rushers. The reality is that Mike Wright was arguably the best pass rusher on the Pats, he just did it from the interior of the line.​

You can have elite outside pass rushers but if the quarterback is able to step up into the pocket it won’t matter. That push up the middle is vital and there is not a Patriot currently on the roster able to get up field with quickness and power required to do so.​

The Patriots now must face a second straight season without their top two interior rushers in Wright and Myron Pryor. This will put more pressure on Vince Wilfork to play more downs, and also put a spotlight on Albert Haynesworth to start picking up some of the slack so Wilfork doesn’t get burned out.​

There’s no way to sugarcoat this one, it’s going to hurt in the place the Pats already hurt the most. Even if Wright comes back (and who knows if he even should at this point) the Patriots will have to address this area in the 2012 off-season. Neither he nor Pryor can be counted on to stay healthy for an entire season.​

Feb 22, 2012 - Gregg Rosenthal:

Patriots release Mike Wright, Rich Ohrnberger

Mike Wright joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005.

www.nbcsports.com

Mike Wright joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. A history of concussions now threaten his career.​

Letting go of Wright must have been a difficult choice for New England. He led or tied for the team lead in sacks in 2009 and 2010, but missed the final two months of 2010 because of repeated concussions and almost all of 2011 because of recurring concussion problems. Wright was due $2.1 million next season.​

New England needs to add a lot of bodies to their defensive line this offseason. Wright’s dismissal creates another hole on a depth chart that is filled with aging veterans and free agents on the defensive line.​

For the second straight year, New England Patriot Mike Wright's season ended prematurely due to a concussion.​

Feb 22, 2012 - Nick Underhill:

Patriots release defensive lineman Mike Wright after long battle with concussions

Wright's future in the NFL is now in jeopardy.

www.masslive.com

Mike Wright’s future in the NFL is now in jeopardy.​

A defensive tackle that joined the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent was released Wednesday, and a history of concussions may dictate that he never plays again.​

Wright, who recorded 15 sacks in 81 games with New England, was placed on injured reserve Oct. 14 due to concussions after being inactive for the previous four games.​

May 3, 2018:

Mike Wright ’96

www.springer-ld.org

Mike Wright attended Purcell Marian High School following his graduation from Springer. He then spent one semester at Ashland University playing Division II football, before transferring to the University of Cincinnati to play Division I football. He was named Cincinnati's "newcomer of the year" for defense in 2003. After two successful seasons with the Bearcats, Mike graduated from UC with a major in Criminal Justice. He played football for the NFL's New England Patriots from 2005 to 2012. Mike was the featured speaker at Springer's annual event A Springer Celebration! in 2015, and has visited the school several times since, leading The Mike Wright Challenge, which encourages our students to establish habits of physical fitness. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife and two children, and is a real estate agent for Wright Property Advisors. Mike serves on the Board of Trustees for Springer School and Center.​

June 1, 2019 - David Latham
Below is a good retrospective/biography on Mike Wright:

99 Days to Kickoff: Mike Wright

Former New England Patriots defensive lineman Mike Wright spent seven years with the New England Patriots before concussions ended his career.

lastwordonsports.com

Mike Wright wasn’t a Hall of Fame talent, but the 6’4” defensive lineman was a solid role player capable of lining up all along the defensive line. He certainly falls under the “what could have been” category, as the versatile defensive lineman appeared to only be improving. He suffered his first concussion at age 28​

Mike Wright (defensive end) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Mike Wright Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for Mike Wright. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[turkeyneck]

Wright was a great fill-in piece of the type that BB used to be super at acquiring. One of my favorites during his time here.

 

[Pape]

Wright was a great fill-in piece of the type that BB used to be super at acquiring. One of my favorites during his time here.

he was a baller... here he is, having a couple god damn snacks lol


and Rich Ohrnberger

 

[Wozzy]

It’s funny how the game has changed, when Wright played there was maybe one of his type on a defense. The rest of the DT’s were massive guys like Seymour, Washington, Warren or Wilfork.

Now undersized cat quick DT’s are more the norm and teams often carry one or two massive guys max who can play nose tackle. He was a great situational pass rusher on the interior for that time.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Ted Bachman, and older March 1 Trivia​

March 1, 1978:
The Patriots sign free agents Ted Bachman and William Tiagnad (sp?)

Bachman was a CB who originally played with Calgary in the CFL in 1973-74, before the New Mexico State grad was signed by the Browns in 1976. His final stop in the NFL was with the Patriots, who signed him early in the 1978 offseason but was cut by Chuck Fairbanks prior to start of the season. Bachman played in 13 NFL games, all in 1976, with Miami and Cleveland, and also spent time with Seattle.

In his post-football life Bachman was a CPA, and worked as the Head Controller for the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Ted Bachman, Jr.

Ted, Theodore Lewis Bachman, Jr., went home to be with the Lord on September 28th, 2023, in Los Angeles California with his wife, Dr. Dalel Tartak by his side.

www.ridgecrestca.com

March 1, 1995:
New England signs veteran free agent Bobby Abrams

Abrams entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie from Michigan in 1990. He was well traveled, signing nine times with five different teams, playing in 74 games from '90-'95 - and collecting three super bowl rings with the Giants and Cowboys in the process. He played in nine games for the Pats in '95, then went on IR on August 20, 1996. The Pars released him with an injury settlement three weeks later, and he never caught on with another team. In his post-NFL life Abrams is a high school principal in Montgomery, Alabama.

Bobby Abrams - MHSFCA

www.mhsfca.com

How the NFL prepared Bobby Abrams for his role as Jeff Davis High School principal

A native of Detroit, Principal Bobby Abrams was one of two rookies to compete in Super Bowl XXV. Even back then, he knew he wanted to be a school administrator.

www.montgomeryadvertiser.com

March 1, 1995:
The Patriots lose FB Kevin Turner in free agency after he signs with Philadelphia in free agency

Because this occured prior to genuine free agency, New England received compensation back from the Eagles in exchange for Turner.
In this case it was a third round draft pick - which was used to select RB Curtis Martin.

Fomer NFL, Alabama player Kevin Turner dies after ALS battle

Kevin Turner, a fullback who played eight NFL seasons after starring at Alabama, lost his long battle to Lou Gehrig's disease Thursday. He was 46.

www.espn.com

Ex-Patriot Kevin Turner’s children battle the nurse who became his wife and heir - The Boston Globe

Turner died a year after marrying his nurse, who now gets his NFL pension, but his parents claim he wasn’t mentally fit to make decisions.

www.bostonglobe.com

March 1, 2001:
Two players become restricted free agents: RB Harold Shaw, and DE Greg Spires.
In addition, nine others become unrestricted free agents: OT Bruce Armstrong, RB Tony Carter, DT Chad Eaton, DE Bobby Hamilton, LB Rob Holmberg, G Sale Isaia, DL Brandon Mitchell, DT Chuck Osborne and S Matt Stevens.




March 1, 2002:

Pats re-sign running back Antowain Smith

Patriots' Smith signs five-year deal

BOSTON -- Antowain Smith, the running back who revived New England's rushing game last season, signed a five-year contract to remain with the Patriots yesterday. Kennard Maguire, Smith's agent, con…

www.southcoasttoday.com

Antowain Smith, the running back who revived New England's rushing game last season, signed a five-year contract to remain with the Patriots yesterday.​

Kennard Maguire, Smith's agent, confirmed Smith had signed the deal on the first day of the free agent signing period but did not provide details. The Boston Globe's Web site, citing unidentified league sources, reported the deal was for almost $21 million, with a signing bonus of about $5 million.​

Smith, 29, earned $1.1 million last season -- his first with the Patriots after four with Buffalo -- including about $600,000 in incentives. His running was a key element in the team's drive to its first Super Bowl title.​

He rushed for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns on 287 carries and had 92 yards on 18 attempts in the Patriots' 20-17 Super Bowl win over the St. Louis Rams.​

Smith, a former first-round pick by Buffalo, provided the Patriots with consistency they lacked since Curtis Martin signed with the New York Jets.​

March 1, 2003:
Monti Ossenfort is hired as a Personnel Assistant. He had worked the previous season in Houston as a Pro Personnel Intern for Charlie Casserly, would return to the Texans in 2004 - and then return to the Patriots, from 2006 to 2019.




March 1, 2004:

Patriots re-sign OL Russ Hochstein

Russ Hochstein, 26, started three games for the Patriots in 2003, including the AFC Championship game and Super Bowl XXXVIII. The 6-foot-4-inch, 305-pound offensive lineman entered the 2003 season on the team's practice squad, but was activated on Sept. 14 and appeared in 14 of the next 15 games.​

The Patriots also hired Brian Flores as a Scouting Assistant. A 2003 graduate from Boston College, this was Flores' first job in the NFL, his initiation to the "20-20" club: work 20 hours a day, for $20,000 a year. He is now the Defensive Coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.

Patriots defensive signal caller Brian Flores excels on his football journey

FOXBORO — The distance between the two New York City neighborhoods in Brooklyn is roughly 10 miles. Depending on traffic, a car ride from Brownsville to Dyker Heights will take around 40 minutes. …

www.telegram.com

The Patriots' next coaching star? His odds were incredibly long

Brian Flores grew up in the housing projects of one of New York's toughest neighborhoods. Now he's the defensive playcaller for one of the NFL's premier teams and the next Bill Belichick protégé.

www.espn.com

March 1, 2005:

Brown bagged by Patriots: Option declined so fan favorite is now a free agent

www.milforddailynews.com

In the four weeks since winning their third Super Bowl in four years, the Patriots' offseason plan has become clear:​

Protect the youth. Expose the aged.​

That approach was obvious yesterday when the Pats allowed veteran receiver/defensive back Troy Brown to enter free agency by declining a $2.5 million option bonus while tendering their four restricted free agents at a level that should discourage opposing offer sheets.​

The 33-year-old Brown, who stands as one of the most beloved players in Patriots history, was free to start shopping himself as of midnight last night.​

Sources close to Brown said he would like to return to the Pats, but only for a fair-market contract. In the meantime, no one should be surprised if Bill Parcells in Dallas or Romeo Crennel in Cleveland takes a run at the 12-year veteran.​

Report: Pats decline option on WR-DB Troy Brown

Report: Pats decline option on WR-DB Troy Brown

www.espn.com

What started out as a lab experiment for depth purposes turned into a necessary exercise when both of New England's starting cornerbacks - Ty Law and Tyrone Poole - suffered season-ending injuries and Troy Brown was pressed into duty at nickel back. He held up pretty well, recording three interceptions and five passes defensed.​

Brown is the franchise's third all-time leading receiver with 475 catches and the all-time leader in punt return yards.​

In New England's 2001 championship season, Brown set a club record with 101 catches for 1,199 yards and returned two punts for touchdowns. The following year, he had 97 receptions.​

Brown slipped to fourth receiver last season, taking a backseat to David Givens, Deion Branch and David Patten and finishing with just 17 catches for 184 yards.​

March 1, 2006:
Patriots hire Josh Boyer as a Defensive Assistant

This was Boyer's first job in the NFL. After graduating from Muskingum College, where he played football as a wide receiver and defensive back, he began his coaching career in 2000 as a graduate assistant at King's College in Pennsylvania. He then served in the same role at the University of Dayton (2001) and Kent State (2002-03). In 2004, Boyer served as the Defensive Backs Coach at Bryant University; he then worked as Defensive Coordinator at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 2005 before joining the Patriots.


The Patriots also hired Monti Ossenfort, who had worked for them in 2003 as a Personnel Assistant, as an Area Scout.

 

[Pape]

Today in Patriots History
Ted Bachman, and older March 1 Trivia​

March 1, 1978:
The Patriots sign free agents Ted Bachman and William Tiagnad (sp?)

The 1978 Media Guide lists free agent Tiaguad on page 36 and rookie Tiagwad, Bill on page 37... played WR at Central Connecticut ... if you hit up that school site they list a Michael Tiagwad... Michael William or William Michael maybe?

1978 media guide – New England Patriots

www.sportsarchive.net

Michael Tiagwad

Michael Tiagwad

ccsubluedevils.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
More recent March 1 Trivia​

March 1, 2008:
Brian Flores is promoted to Special Teams Assistant

Flores had joined the Patriots as a scouting assistant in 2004, at the age of 23. After two years in that position he was promoted to Pro Scout in 2006, until taking this coaching job.




March 1, 2010:
The Patriots promote Brian Flores to Offensive Assistant and Special Teams Coach




March 1, 2011:
Monti Ossenfort is promoted to Assistant Director of College Scouting

Ossenfort began his NFL career as an intern with the Vikings in 2001, and joined the Pats as a Personnel Assistant in 2003.
He was an Area Scout from 2006-08 and National Scout from 2009-10 with the Patriots.


Pats sign Marcus Stroud

Patriots and Stroud in reported deal

Defensive lineman Marcus Stroud, released by the Buffalo Bills last month, will stay in the AFC East. He signed a two-year deal yesterday with the New England Patriots, according to ESPN.com. Stroud,…

www.telegram.com

Defensive lineman Marcus Stroud, released by the Buffalo Bills last month, will stay in the AFC East. He signed a two-year deal yesterday with the New England Patriots, according to ESPN.com.​

Stroud, 32, is a former first-round pick out of Georgia by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He will enter his 11th season in the NFL, and has been to three Pro Bowls.​

Stroud, at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, didn’t fit in the with Bills’ long-term plans. He struggled in their switch from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4 last season. For his career, he has 29-1/2 sacks and 39 passes defensed.​

Though the Patriots have not officially announced the move, Stroud did accept congratulations from former teammates on Twitter.​

More to come on this signing on March 4, when it was officially announced




March 1, 2013:
The Pats hire Dave Ziegler as Assistant Director of Pro Scouting

The John Carroll grad had previously worked with Denver as their Player Personnel Assistant in 2010, and as a scout for the Broncos from 2011-2012.

Patriots release FB Larsen, OL Hix

The New England Patriots released fullback Spencer Larsen and waived offensive tackle Kyle Hix on Friday.Larsen spent all of last season on injured reserve.

www.espn.com

The New England Patriots released fullback Spencer Larsen and waived offensive tackle Kyle Hix on Friday.​

Larsen spent all of last season on injured reserve. The versatile fullback, linebacker and special-teamer signed a two-year deal last April. He was set to earn a $750,000 base salary in 2013.​

Hix, who attended the University of Texas, was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and spent the previous two seasons on injured reserve.​

March 1, 2020:
Patriots promote Cole Popovich to Co-Offensive Line Coach

Popovich would share duties with Carmen Bricilloin, because it takes two people to replace Dante Scarnecchia.
He began his career with the Patriots in 2016 as a Coaching Assistant, and became an Assistant Running Backs Coach in 2019.

In addition, Dave Ziegler is promoted to Assistant Director of Player Personnel.




March 1, 2024:

Patriots release J.C. Jackson, up cap space before free agency

Releasing J.C. Jackson creates about $13.5 million in cap space, as the Patriots now have over $100 million in space ahead of free agency.

www.espn.com

The New England Patriots released cornerback J.C. Jackson on Friday, an expected move due to financial considerations.​

The Patriots had acquired Jackson from the Los Angeles Chargers in October after they lost rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez, a 2023 first-round pick, to a season-ending shoulder injury. Jackson had fallen out of favor with the Chargers, who signed him to a five-year, $82.5 million contract as a free agent in March 2022.​

As part of the trade, which included a swap of late-round 2025 draft picks, Jackson had reworked his contract to significantly lessen the financial burden on the Patriots in 2023 with a base salary of $2 million.​

But Jackson's base salaries for 2024, 2025 and 2026 were all in the $12 million range, making it unlikely he would still be in New England under those terms.​

Releasing him creates about $13.5 million in cap space, and the Patriots now have more than $101 million in space, according to the Roster Management System, as they start a rebuild under first-year coach Jerod Mayo and with director of scouting Eliot Wolf having final personnel authority.​

Jackson played in nine games (six starts) for the Patriots last season but didn't accompany the team to its November game in Germany after he missed a curfew. Jackson later ended the year on the reserve/non-football injury list because of what his agent described as "mental health issues."​

Analysis: Patriots Release CB J.C. Jackson, Top Takeaways from Tight End and Cornerback Workouts at the Combine -- Evan Lazar, Patriots.com

New England moving on from Jackson leaves them with the following corners under contract for 2024: Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Shaun Wade, Isaiah Bolden, and Marco Wilson. Do-it-all DB Myles Bryant is an unrestricted free agent, while second-year corner Alex Austin, who finished strong in 2023, is an exclusive rights free agent.​

New England's defense is at its best when it has a third rotational corner who can cover in passing situations. Over the years, we've referred to this as the Jason McCourty role. Marcus Jones could play on the outside in certain matchups or come on as a primary nickel when the Patriots face lighter personnel, but you'd like to see them have some size as an option.​

Patriots News 3-3, Jackson Released, Salary Cap Grows | PatsFans.com

“You don’t want to game plan for me. You want to game plan with me,” Drake Maye said at the NFL Combine this week.

www.patsfans.com

Player Signing - Patriots re-sign Canadian QB Nathan Rourke

Per Justin Dunk:

www.patsfans.com

Report: Patriots re-sign QB Nathan Rourke

The Patriots are re-signing former CFL quarterback Nathan Rourke, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.

www.nbcsports.com

The Patriots are re-signing former CFL quarterback Nathan Rourke, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.​

New England claimed Rourke off waivers from Jacksonville on Dec. 18 after losing Malik Cunningham to the Ravens and Will Grier to the Chargers.​

After finishing his collegiate career at Ohio University, Rourke played a couple of seasons in the CFL for the BC Lions. He then signed with Jacksonville in January of 2023 and has bounced between the practice squad and the active roster.​

Rourke gives New England three quarterbacks on their roster, as he joins Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones.​