A Patriot For Life: Bledsoe Tied Down

FOXBOROUGH — Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox, 1939-60.
Let’s see how much character you all have out there.

If you are a person of real class, this would be no problem for you. If one of these thoughts entered your mind during the past twelve months, you should stand up right now and admit this to the world. If for nothing else, it might help you save face with the rest of Patriot Nation. It also might make looking at what face you shave tomorrow morning just a bit easier.

Okay, here goes.

You thought the Patriots were going to let Drew Bledsoe walk as a free agent at the end of the year, and replace him with Michael Bishop.

You thought the Patriots would trade Bledsoe to Seattle and their top pick, then turn around and trade Seattle’s pick and our top pick to San Diego for the top pick in the draft, and use it to select Michael Vick of Virginia Tech.

You thought the Patriots would forget about Seattle and just deal Drew straight up for the top pick.

You thought the Patriots would trade Bledsoe to Arizona for the two pick and use it on Drew Brees of Purdue.

You were convinced that Bledsoe was no longer the quarterback of the future for the Patriots, and as long as he didn’t leave scot-free, it didn’t matter how he left, so long as he left.

Bill Russell, Boston Celtics, 1956-69.

There’s something seductive about someone like Vick. And, as all of you have come to know so well in the past two years, the same goes for Bishop.

If you think about it, the mobile quarterback who is also a breakaway running threat is a great weapon in anyone’s offense. More and more teams nowadays are featuring this kind of quarterback. From Steve McNair to Donovan McNabb to Daunte Culpepper to Aaron Brooks, this kind of quarterback adds so much to an offense, such that they become a defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare. You have to think about containment, yet what to do when his passing numbers go up because defenders have to stay at home and contain.

And it sure makes leadfoots like Bledsoe look clumsy, obsolete, and just plain un-sexy.

Well, Patriot Nation, the dreaming, conjecturing and guessing is all over. Bledsoe is staying put. The next ten years of his pro football life will be spent headquartered in this charming hamlet just down the road from Norwood. The chances of Vick or Bishop taking over this offense any time soon are forever dashed.

Today was a red-letter day in Patriot history, never mind league history. For Patriot Nation, the long term ramifications are twofold, and both of them are critical in the long term heritage of this franchise.

Carl Yastrzemski, Boston Red Sox, 1961-83.

Bledsoe today signed a ten-year, $103 million deal, the richest in NFL history. If Brett Favre set the market last week, Bledsoe just set it again. Bledsoe, who had been having agent problems (Leigh Steinberg did not close this deal, David Dunn did), hung on in limbo for the past few months, with a $9.8 million cap hit staring his team in the face for this year. Today, it all finally came together.

The first obvious impact Bledsoe’s signing has is on the team itself. There will never be a controversy with Bishop again. There will never be any question about who Da Man in New England is. There will never be any confusion over who the Patriot team leader is.

The decision to stick with Bledsoe was a no-brainer from a football standpoint, though it didn’t really come off as such. The length of time it took to seal this deal made several Patriot fans worry greatly about the team’s true commitment to Bledsoe. But there is no question that everyone in upper management, starting with the head man himself, understands that if the Patriots are to get back to the Super Bowl someday, Bledsoe is the main man who will lead them there.

Everyone who follows the Patriots should have no problem understanding why Bledsoe’s signing is so important. When Bledsoe has time to throw, he possesses one of the best, if not the best, arms in the league. He combines dart-like speed with pinpoint accuracy, and makes throws that only perhaps two or three quarterbacks in the league other than himself can do.

If Bledsoe has the time, and if he has men who can catch the ball, Bledsoe is a big-time quarterback who can take a team deep in the postseason. The scary thing is that Bledsoe is exponentially better now than he was in 1996. He has cut way down on his mistakes, and he doesn’t suffer through mid-game funks like he once did, sacks and blitzes notwithstanding.

Most importantly, Bledsoe has shown that he is extremely tough. He has fought through debilitating hand injuries twice in the last three years. He has shown the leadership skills, as well as the talent, to pull off comeback wins. He also has shown less compunction to get into a player’s face and chew his tail off if need be (go ask Tony Simmons if you need more proof).

John Havlicek, Boston Celtics, 1962-78.

But Bledsoe’s signing actually transcends anything to do with football. Locking him in for literally the rest of his career was important to a franchise that is bereft of great tradition.

For a franchise that is perhaps better known for Monday night drunken louts, getting clobbered by Da Bears in the Super Bowl, Patrick Sullivan getting clobbered by Matt Millen, and Lisa Olson getting flashed by Zeke Mowatt, having a player of Bledsoe’s stature playing his whole career in Foxborough is nothing but good for a team that needs a centerpiece player for all time.

Guys like Ray Bourque, Mo Vaughn, Dwight Evans, and Bobby Orr will never be like Bledsoe. These four distinguished gents should have played their whole careers in Boston. These four gents should have been Boston lifers. Vaughn has hinted that he’d love to return to the east coast, but his career record will always list “Anaheim” somewhere.

Bob Kraft admitted that he agressively sought out Bledsoe to get this deal going, and that he “wasn’t subtle” in doing so. Bledsoe and Kraft have a relationship that is special, and neither wanted to part company. Kraft’s interests in the Patriots deal chiefly in wins and losses. But for a former longtime season ticket holder like Kraft, don’t think for a second that team heritage didn’t come into his thinking as he was calling all over Montana these past few days.

Kraft knows exactly what Bledsoe means to this franchise, both in the short term and the long term. Dealing Bledsoe away was risky at least and a PR nightmare at worst. A player of Bledsoe’s stature deserves to spend his whole career with one team, especially if that’s the primary wish of the player in the first place.

John Hannah, New England Patriots, 1973-85.

Hannah was the best guard ever to play the game. But Hannah has unfairly been the subject of indirect ridicule. Many football fans nationwide condemn the Patriots for calling a guard the best player in team history. The only other team that comes to mind with a similar self-esteem caveat might be the New Orleans Saints, whose best all-time player is arguably a kicker (Morten Andersen).

With all due apologies to Hannah, the Patriots might like it better if a quarterback holds the palm for best player in franchise history. Like it or not, the quarterback will always be more of a glamour position than guard. Hannah will continue to be the NFL’s best-ever guard, and Bledsoe will be the standard-bearer for all Patriots, past, present and future.

Right now, Bledsoe is no Hannah. But he now is in a position to finish his career on such a pedestal.

The cap ramifications are nice. So is the fact that rumours, speculation and worry can now end. Bledsoe is the quarterback of the future for the Patriots. Wherever they are to be led, Bledsoe will do the leading.

And his long Patriot career will be of great benefit to the franchise, such that only a Vince or two or three will be better. Heck, if Bledsoe can bring at least one Vince to Foxborough, you have to be thrilled to death with the events of today.

As for Vick, he’ll learn to enjoy Seaport Village, Mission Valley, and maybe even Black’s Beach. He can shoot up to La Jolla for some golf, then cruise down to Coronado Island later on, taking in that great view from the bridge. Two things are certain: Ryan Leaf will be the easiest NFL act to follow, and Vick will love The City That Gave Us Ted Williams.

And as for Bishop, either he learns to be a content backup, or he’ll go to a team who would start him. Surely someone out there will want to take a chance on Bishop, with good reason. He remains way too good a prospect to just cast aside and forget.

As for New England, let’s now focus on getting someone to block. Now that there’s no question whatsoever as to who they’ll block for.

Larry Bird, Boston Celtics, 1979-92.

Guys, move over. Make room for Drew.

About Bob George

Covering Boston Sports since 1997. Native of Worcester, Mass. Attended UMass and Univ of Michigan. Lives in California. Just recently retired after 40 years of public school teaching. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thepic4139" rel="nofollow noopener"><strong>Podcasts on YouTube at @thepic4139</strong></a>

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