Re: Pats sign C/G Mike Flynn
I'd venture to say the same thing about 10+ year vet LBs sitting by the phone all summer long.
Flynn was cut to save some money for a lousy team in re-building mode (in other words, looking to get younger; they also had a former second round pick to replace him at C). In June, he said he was 99% sure he was done with the NFL (retired). He's also said to have taken pride in playing for just one team.
Those don't look like sure-fire signs of a player who is done. Looks to me more like a guy who probably has a little left in the tank for the right team and the right situation (I don't know a ton about his play on the field though, just saying the ofoff seasontuff shouldn't be the reason for dismissing this move). I like this signing.
I'll add a little background with Welbourne too. He was part of the Great KC Offensive line along with Roaf and all the other probowlers. They all got old and retired, and Welbourne was the youngest, but he said he would retire too.
Herm and the GM went to his home and talked him into playing one more season, which he did. Then they let him go into retirement. He came out of retirement to sign here, and perhaps win a ring. So a valid ex-starter trying to eke out another year.
If you watched the Offensive line after Yates went down at the start of the Bucs third Q, it was like night and day.
The Pats couldn't run right before he came in and then were getting yards 4-5 at a clip, running right. All the pass pressure from the Buc left side stopped. Now it's true Welbourne was going against scrubs, but the difference was dramatic. IMHO he has ALREADY WON the starting RG position, off that Bucs second half play.
Flynn is going to be the swing C and hopefully G too. Russ Hochstein may or may not be heavily injured, but with both, they have great interior line depth.
Britt is close to being a starter, at both tackle spots and provides great depth at tackle. When Neal comes back in late midseason, or Ross even earlier, the O-line should be extraordinarily deep.
BTW, Connolly is earning a job as a swing G, but apparently not as a shotgun C. One more year on the PS and he will challenge, next year ...
If I were Matt Cassel I would be looking forward to a game for the first time. He has a a complete O- line and they will let him have more than cameos with the good recievers. The Oline will run the ball, to all sides, and protect him so he can throw too. And not constantly at 3rd and 15. Finally, an opportunity to show what he can do, without having his hands tied behind his back...
