Today In Patriots History May 3 in Pats History: UFA Vets That Didn't Make It To The Week One Roster

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Today in Patriots History
NFL vets that did not survive Pats training camp​

Happy 38th birthday to Joseph Addai
Born May 3, 1983 in Houston
Patriot RB, 2012 (offseason); uniform #29

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Addai was one of the two running backs to go late in the first round of the 2006 draft that the Patriots should have selected, rather than Laurence Maroney. The former LSU Tiger totaled 5,901 yards from scrimmage and 48 touchdowns during his six seasons with the Colts. The Patriots signed him on May 6, 2012 soon after being cut by Indy. Addai reportedly struggled with his conditioning test at the start of training camp, and just flat out quit the drill - which resulted in Bill Belichick quickly cutting him.

Joseph Addai was not the first veteran player signed by the Patriots in the offseason that failed to make it past training camp cuts and onto the week one roster, nor the last. One could assemble a decent football team with all the players that at one time were part of the Patriot organization, but never played a single down for the Pats.

QB: Rich Gannon, Fran Tarkenton, Matt Flynn, Andrew Walter, Tim Tebow
RB: Rocky Bleier, Duane Thomas, Tommy Mason, Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, Montee Ball, Bishop Sankey
FB: Eric Kettani, Tony Fiammetta, Spencer Larsen
TE: Marcus Pollard, Fred Davis, Lee Smith, Bo Scaife, Alex Smith, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, James O'Shaughnessy, Bear Pascoe
WR: Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne, Gary Collins, Demaryius Thomas, Michael Jenkins, Eric Decker, Kenny Britt, Nate Washington, Jordan Matthews, Andre Holmes, Andrew Hawkins, Brandon Gibson, Austin Carr, Jalen Saunders
OT: Bob Vogel, Corey Hilliard, Conor McDermott
G/C: Ted Larsen, Jonathan Cooper


DT: Dave Pureifory, Terrance Knighton, Phil Olsen, Frank Kearse
DE: Will Smith, Fred Dryer, Kony Ealy, Jonathan Fanene, Jeremy Mincey
LB: Lee Roy Jordan, Rip Hawkins, Marcus Benard, Victor Hobson, Kamu Grugier-Hill
S: John Lynch, Adrian Wilson, Tank Williams, Vinnie Sunseri, Brock Vereen
CB: Eric Warfield, Jeff Burris, EJ Biggers, Kenny Moore, Darryl Roberts, Troy Hill

K: Robbie Gould, Martín Gramática

Italics: drafted by AFL-era Patriots, but never signed with Pats.

 

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Today in Patriots History
May 3rd New England Patriots Drafts​

May 3, 1977: Day One (rounds 1-5) of the NFL Draft, from the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City
(Pats received a 1st and 2nd in the 1977 draft (1.16, 2.44) as well as two 1976 firsts in the Jim Plunkett trade from San Francisco, 4/5/76)
1.16 -- CB Raymond Clayborn, Texas
1.25 -- WR Stanley Morgan, Tennessee
2.44 -- RB Horace, Ivory, Oklahoma
2.52 -- TE Don Hasselbeck, Colorado
3.82 -- DB Sidney Brown, Oklahoma
4.109 - OT Gerald Skinner, Arkansas
(Pats had traded 5.135 to the St Louis Cardinals for DB Durwood Keeton on 8/28/75)

This day of drafting may have spoiled New England football fans for an eternity.




May 3, 1978: Day Two (rounds 7-12) of the NFL Draft
7.188 -- LB Mike Hawkins, Texas A&I
(Pats had traded John Sanders to Philadelphia for 8.198 on 9/6/77)
8.198 -- G Terry Falcon, Montana
8.215 -- RB Mosi Tatupu, USC
9.242 -- LB Tim Petersen, Arizona State
10.269 - DB Brian Ferguson, Miami
11.296 - LB Charlie Williams, Florida
12.328 - C John Gibney, Colgate
UDFA -- K Nick Lowery, Dartmouth

I think I will take 13 years of Mosi Tatupu over 95% of the annual draft picks that come this late.




May 3, 1979: Day One (rounds 1-6) of the NFL Draft, from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City
1.25 --- S Rick Sanford, South Carolina
2.52 --- DT Bob Golic, Notre Dame
(Pats had traded 3.81 and a 1980 4th to the Rams for WR Harold Jackson on 8/16/78)
4.106 -- P Eddie Hare, Tulsa
5.135 -- LB John Zamberlin, Pacific Lutheran
(Pats had traded 6.161 to Pittsburgh for DL Dave Pureifory on 8/22/78; the Pats waived Pureifory at the end of camp while the Steelers used the pick on CB Dwayne Woodruff, who had 37 interceptions over 12 seasons with Pittsburgh.)

Sanford was a good pick and Golic was a three-time Pro Bowler - except it was with the Browns, after the Patriots gave up on him too soon. Jackson had four good seasons in New England, so that was a good use of a third round pick. Hare only lasted one season, and Zamberlin was backup depth.


A side note about the 1979 draft: Buffalo had the first and fifth picks of the draft, thanks to a 1978 trade where they sent 31 year old OJ Simpson to San Francisco for a 1978 2nd and 3rd, a 1979 1st and 4th, and a 1980 2nd. Simpson would run for under 600 yards in each of his two seasons with the 49ers.

Buffalo used the number one overall pick that they received in the Simpson trade on LB Tom Cousineau, but the never played for the Bills. He instead signed with Montreal in the CFL for double the money Buffalo offered, playing there for three seasons. When he was ready to return Art Modell offered what was then the highest contract ever by the Cleveland. Buffalo still retained Cousineau's rights though, and the Browns were forced to give up three draft picks - one of which was used on QB Jim Kelly.

Another one-sided '79 draft trade involved Tampa Bay, who seemed to annually be on the wrong end of these deals. The previous year Chicago traded broken down defensive lineman Wally Chambers for the Bucs first round pick in the '79 draft; Chambers was able to start just two games in '78 and '79 was his final year in the NFL.

One other move that did work out was San Diego trading up seven spots from 20th to 13th overall, at the cost of their second round pick. The Chargers selected Hall of Fame TE Kellen Winslow; the two players the Browns drafted combined to start a total of eight games for Cleveland.




Other players born on this date with New England area connections:
- Ron Monaco, 58: not to be confused with Ron Mexico, Monaco was born in New Haven and grew up in Hamden CT. The linebacker played in 17 games in '86-87 with the Rams and Packers.
- Tom McCauley, 74: born in Worcester, the FS/PR was a 10th round 1969 draft pick by the Vikings who appeared in 32 games for Atlanta from 1969-71.
- Bernard Buzyniski: the Holy Cross grad was a linebacker who appeared in all 14 games for Buffalo in the AFL's inaugural 1960 season.
- Bob Davis: tackle for the 1948 Boston Yanks.
- Jack Cronin: wingback, PR, KR, P and K for the Providence Steamrollers from 1927-30, Cronin was born in Hingham and went to Dean and then BC. His brother and nephew also played in the NFL.
- Johnny Scott: the Exeter NH native was a back for the Buffalo All-Americans from 1920-23 who in one season scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and on an interception.

One Pro Football Hall of Famer born today:
- Dave Robinson, 80; Packer Pro Bowl linebacker won rings for Superbowls I and II.

Aside from Bernard Buzyniski, other tongue-twister football players born today include Cliff Thrift and Stan Sytsma, a Saints seventh round selection in '79.

 

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Today in Patriots History
Other May 3rd New England Patriots Transactions​

May 3, 1993: Patriots sign undrafted rookie free agents Arnold Ale, Bernie Legette, Corey Croom, Ronnie Harris and Vernon Lewis. Croom made the roster and proceeded to play in 43 games over the next three seasons. He is most notable for being called upon by Bill Parcells to be the surprise starter over Marion Butts at running back in the wild card game following the 1994 regular season. Croom had 60 rushes as a rookie but zero carries in '94, being used strictly on special teams or as a blocking fullback. On that day he had nine carries for 35 yards as the Patriots lost to Bill Belichick and the Browns in Cleveland, 20-13.




May 3, 2010: New England signs undrafted rookie Buddy Farnham
The wide receiver grew up in Andover and then went to Brown, where he was Ivy League Player of the Year. Farnham was a bit of a fan favorite, probably due in equal parts to being a local guy as well as playing the role of the underdog, undrafted and not from a big college football program. He spent some time on the practice squad but did not make the 53 after either the '10 or '11 training camps. Farnham spent one season in the arena league, then returned to Andover where he works in real estate.



May 3, 2012: National scout Kyle O’Brien leaves the Patriots after 12 years with the club. For 10 seasons (2002-11), O’Brien served in various roles within the New England Patriots player personnel department. The Patriots elevated O’Brien to national scout in his final two seasons (2010-11) in New England after his time as an area scout that covered five seasons (2002, 2006-09). In 2004-05, he was the Patriots’ pro personnel scout.

A graduate of Harvard where he lettered in lacrosse, O’Brien originally joined the Patriots as a player personnel intern in 2000 and continued those duties during the Patriots’ first Super Bowl season in 2001 while still attending Harvard. O'Brien went on to serve as a regional scout for the Chiefs in 2012, and then became the director of college scouting for Jacksonville from 2013-15. From 2016-2020 O'Brien served as the Vice President of Player Personnel for the Detroit Lions; he is now the Senior Personnel Executive for the New York Giants.

May 3, 2012: Bob Quinn is promoted to Director of Pro Scouting
A native of Norwood and graduate of UConn, Quinn began his career as a Player Personnel Assistant in 2000. He had spent the previous three years as Assistant Director of Pro Personnel, and replaced Director of Pro Personnel Jason Licht (now GM for the Bucs), who took a job the previous day with the Cardinals. From 2016 to 2020 Quinn was the General Manager of the Detroit Lions.



May 3, 2013: Patriots announce the signing of 19 undrafted rookie free agents
Despite the fact that only two starters from the 2012 team (WRs Wes Welker and Brandin Cooks) were not returning for the 2013 season, the Patriots did receive contributions from quite a few undrafted rookie free agents.

Among those that would make it to the Pats roster at some point were P Ryan Allen, WR Kenbrell Thompkins, DT Joe Vellano, G Josh Kline, S Kanorris Davis, DL Cory Grissom and TE Zach Sudfeld. DT Dewayne Cherrington also made it to an NFL roster, receiving a super bowl ring with Seattle.

Other names in that group some may remember include WR TJ Moe, OT Elvis Fisher, OL Chris McDonald (brother of Patriot OL Nick McDonald), C Matt Stankiewitch, RB Quentin Hines (now CEO of the Rivals Professional Football League) and CB Stephon Morris.