Ellis’ Dismissal In Europe Should End His Time in New England
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Posted Under: 2000 Patriots Season
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The world came to Barcelona in 1992. By any and all accounts, the Olympians had a pretty fair time.
Montjuic Stadium accorded stunning mountain views that perhaps only Sun Devil Stadium can even come close to in the states. People talk about New York City being the “city that never sleeps”, but those folks perhaps have never been to Barcelona. Normal sleeping hours for the local young are usually 6 to 11 AM. The evening hours are for literally anything but sleeping. Too much partying to be had.
The city is located in eastern Spain, right on the Mediterranean Sea, just a few miles (kilometres over there) south of the French border. In this region, you find the Pyrenees mountain range, home to most of the world’s Basque population and their tasty cuisine. Naturally, being by the sea, you have make the beach scene now and then.
Yawn. Boring. No wonder poor Ed Ellis ran afoul over there.
Ellis’ demise and subsequent dismissal from the Barcelona Dragons has sent Patriot Nation into unilateral disgust. Sent over to NFLE to work himself into a position where he can challenge for a starting tackle job for the Patriots this year, Ellis is now the leading candidate to be cut in order to make room for newly-signed Antonio Langham. Considering all that was expected of Ellis, and considering his membership in the biggest collection of draft buffoons this side of the Dirty Dozen, Ellis has disgraced himself to the point that it may be derelict if Bill Belichick somehow finds a way to keep this man around into training camp.
In his three undignified years with the Patriots, the fourth round selection in the 1997 Draft (would Maggot have been a better selection?) has shown nothing at all to establish himself as the heir apparent to Bruce Armstrong, who was cut a few months back and is still floundering around in limbo. Few folks had even heard of Ellis when Bobby Grier selected him on the second day of that year’s draft. Today, most every Patriot fan has heard of Ellis. Except they know Ellis like Red Sox fans know Danny Cater.
The only thing remarkable about Ellis is his sheer size. He stands six-foot-seven and weighs 330 pounds. Grier drafted Ellis largely (no pun intended) on this basis. Big guys are sometimes referred to as a “house”; Ellis seems more like a “hotel”.
Unfortunately, to succeed in today’s NFL at the tackle position, you need much more than sheer size. You need technique, speed, and heart. For all left tackles, you are the chief bodyguard of any right-handed quarterback. So you might also add brains and common sense to the equation.
Thus far, Ellis has shown none of these qualities. With his exodus from Spain, he is showing extreme deficiencies in the latter three categories. He lacks the heart to make himself better, the brains to know what he has to do, and the common sense to understand his status with the Patriots.
What must Armstrong be thinking about Ellis? The Patriots must be thanking their lucky stars every day Army remains free and unsigned.
Ellis has two strikes against him by being drafted in 1997. It is amazing that Belichick allowed Grier to be in the War Room this year, considering that 1997 has to be one of the worst drafts in team history, if not the worst. Grier is acting in an advisory role, and had far less say in the draft as opposed to the previous three years. Belichick is using Grier as an aid to help him get absorbed into his new position quicker. The fact that Belichick had the final say really didn’t torque off too many Patriot fans anywhere.
If Ellis goes, it will leave only Chris Carter and Brandon Mitchell from this ugly bunch to still remain with the club. Carter may be the next to go, and that might happen sometime between June 1 and the final cutdown day. Carter had a checkered season last year as free safety, and Tony George ought to move right in and start this year.
The demise of Ellis may be the most maddening of all from the Class of 1997, with fellow behemoth Damon Denson (cut last year) right behind. These two men were supposed to be the huge offensive linemen of the future. With Army and Zefross Moss cut, the future is right now. Denson is out of football and Ellis is perhaps right behind him. This hurts the Patriots deeply.
Ellis was sent to Barcelona to get much needed playing time. He could have spent lots of time working on the finer points of foot movement. He could have picked up on blocking techniques designed to stop speedy defensive ends, linebackers and blitzing secondary men. He could have learned how to use his massive size to his advantage. Most of all, he could have built up his stamina so he could block effectively into the fourth quarter if he did indeed win a starting job.
Instead, we hear John Belushi’s ghost scream, “But, noooooooooooo!”
His coach, former BC head man Jack Bicknell, was incredibly diplomatic in announcing the sacking of Ellis. Bicknell told the Boston Globe that Ellis “struggled from the beginning. He just wasn’t comfortable in this setting. It’s a long way from home, a different country, and so when all was said and done, we decided it was best for him to go home.” What he didn’t touch upon were the more intricate details as to Ellis’ release from the Dragons.
The Globe reported that Ellis “had problems making it to meetings on time, had a skirmish or two with teammates, and had lifestyle issues.” You have to wonder about this man’s desire to play in the NFL. If he truly wanted to start for the Patriots, the last thing you’d be reading about is this sort of thing.
John Madden ran a liberal ship in his heyday with the bad boys from Oakland. He didn’t care if his thugs who maim and cripple went out and got wasted every night. All he had were three simple rules. One of them, believe it or not, was “Be on time!” Did no one ever offer to buy poor Ed a wristwatch?
It is near impossible for any player to get along with all 52 of his teammates, just as it is impossible for a head coach to please all of his men. As a professional, one needs to put the good of the team ahead of all interpersonal conflicts. Apparently Ellis didn’t have a firm grip on this area. In most every case in professional team sports, clubhouse cancers are usually sent packing. Just ask the Jets about some guy named Keyshawn.
Ellis might have a good case with the “lifestyle” issue. Being far away from home might be tough on a guy. Granted, it’s not Iraq, China, Russia, or some other place so culturally different from the United States. But though differences exist, how much different is western Europe from the USA?
Travelers who go to visit Europe usually get Europasses, which enable the traveler easy access to most every country not formerly behind the Iron Curtain. Talk abounded once over unifying the currencies of most of these countries. Folks talk about seeing “seven countries in ten days”.
In this region, civil unrest is minimal outside of northern Ireland and the former Yugoslavia. Some of the monarchies over there make visitors pine for the freedom that the USA offers. But there really doesn’t seem to be a lot over there that would be so detestable to Ellis, especially since Barcelona was recently center stage for the sporting world in 1992 and received rave ratings as a great city while the summer games were there.
How did Ellis handle the 1998 trip to Mexico City? What if the team draws a date someday in Japan?
The guy has to go. He had his chance to be someone and he tossed it in the trash. Let him shuffle off to Buffalo, where he went to college.
The Patriots can always try and get Army back. Adrian Klemm might have played Ellis out of a job anyway. Or Jason Williams. Right now Ellis is a roster space, filled with cap room that needs to be trimmed.
He adds to the slop that is the legacy of the 1997 draft. He shows no desire to excel in the NFL. There is no reason to invest any more time in this guy.
Give me all the Sean Morey stories that you can. And close the book on this Ellis guy.
Send him off to oblivion. You might find it along the shores of Lake Erie, who knows. It’s where he belongs.
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