More FA Signings Make Belichick Feel Pleasant
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Posted Under: 2001 Patriots Offseason
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Patriots sign FAs Pleasant and Shaw today, plugging holes at two more positions. Rumours abound that other players such as Santiago, Compton, Cox and Logan may also come up here. Things are going as planned so far for Belichick in the free agent market, and the best may be yet to come.
Any day now, the Patriots will either not need their six pick or spend it on the best kicker out there.
That’s being facetious, of course. But the way things have been going in Foxborough, any draft strategy might be revised again and again to the point that you just might want to wait until the night before when you make your official mock draft.
From a winter of rejections by Pete Kendall, Brentson Buckner and Jason Ferguson, the Patriots have suddenly stumbled into a spring of Joe Panos, Marc Edwards, Mike Vrabel and now Anthony Pleasant and Terrance Shaw. And it looks like more are on the way.
Current Jets Bryan Cox and Ernie Logan might find their way back to Bill Belichick soon. The Patriots are also rumoured to be pursuing Detroit center Mike Compton, with the intent of switching him back to his old position, left guard. And another rumour broke that the Patriots have made an offer to tight end O.J. Santiago.
If all these guys happen to sign, two things are certain. The Patriots have taken major steps in fixing holes in both the starting unit and the reserve unit. And draft day strategy may change suddenly from urgent needs to logical choices.
Going into this offseason, the Patriots had needs in several areas. Offensive line was the biggest area of need, but holes existed in such areas as running back, tight end, wide receiver, defensive end, linebacker and cornerback. With Chad Eaton bolting to Seattle, add defensive tackle to the list.
Many of these needs have already been filled, in whole or in part. Signing Edwards the other day doesn’t give the Pats a breakaway rushing threat, but he is a good upgrade at the fullback position. Plus, he might just open up holes for another Edwards in the months to come, if Robert continues his miracle work.
Adding Panos and perhaps Compton to the offensive line will help greatly. Panos needs to return to old form before a series of injuries set in. He was a starting guard with Philadelphia before moving to Buffalo for reserve duty. The Lions moved Compton to center a year ago after playing his entire career at left guard; the Patriots would likely move Compton back to guard if they get him.
The Pats also helped their defensive line out greatly by plucking Pleasant, a man everyone thought they’d get last year. Belichick coached Pleasant in both Cleveland and Joisey. Pleasant was expected to sign last year with the Patriots, but instead bolted out to San Francisco. Pleasant would make a bookend pass rusher along with Willie McGinest.
A man in the middle is also needed. Logan would fit that bill, and Ted Washington is also still out there with no takers as of yet. Logan is strongly rumoured to be heading this way to be reunited with Belichick, and may not go the route Pleasant did last year.
Linebacker depth is a major problem for the Patriots, made worse by the release of Chris Slade. But with the signing of Vrabel (a big linebacker who can also play up on the line), and with the impending signing of Cox, it gives the Pats two serviceable linebackers who can help immediately. Cox’s age is a question (he turned 33 last month), but is a solid veteran who can help as long as he behaves himself. Add special teams expert Larry Izzo to the mix, and linebacker isn’t the problem it once was.
The Pats also may have caught themselves a starting right cornerback with the signing of Shaw. Shaw was a five-year starter in San Diego before being exiled to Miami and playing behind Patrick Surtain and Sam Madison. If nothing else, he’ll provide good competition for Kato Serwanga, Otis Smith and Antonio Langham.
The latest scuttlebutt has the Patriots making an offer to Santiago, the former Atlanta tight end who spent last year in Dallas. Santiago came to Foxborough in 1998, and greatly helped his Falcons whip tail on the Pats, 41-10. If Santiago can still play at that level, getting him to Foxborough would be a coup for Belichick. Santiago’s big negative is perceived attitude problems, something that may be keeping the lion’s share of suitors away.
It’s beginning to look a lot like 1996. So, does that mean that the Pats take David Terrell at six? Someone named Terry Glenn was the top ’96 pick, remember?
Whatever the case, Belichick is clearly making great gains with his personnel signings. He may have lost out on guys like Kendall, Buckner and Ferguson, but he has since made up for it, and all signs point to more on the way. There will be no earth-shattering free agent coming here, but instead a bunch of steady guys that will try and duplicate what the 1996 crop did.
If the Pats can lure Compton into the fold (Compton visited here recently), it may take Leonard Davis off of the list for the six pick. Davis is a tackle, and there’s no guarantee he’ll still be there at six. It would still be a great get for the Pats, but with Adrian Klemm and Greg Robinson-Randall as possible starting tackles for the Patriots, and no need to move Klemm to guard with Panos and Compton around, it might veer the Pats away from Davis.
The next area you’d have to look at would be the defensive line. If Logan does indeed come here to line up alongside Pleasant and McGinest, and/or if Washington somehow comes here to plug up the middle, Richard Seymour or Gerard Warren are no longer flaming needs at six. End Andre Carter might not be either, especially with Greg Spires and Vrabel ready to provide extra help at defensive end.
So, if all these guys sign up, you might be looking at the game breaker to line up opposite Glenn. Terrell of Michigan would be the first choice, and either Koren Robinson or Santana Moss as Plan B if Terrell goes early.
One thing is certain: unlike 1996, Belichick isn’t going to be torqued off if the top draft pick is a wideout. He’ll be the one making the pick, not Bob Kraft.
Take Terrell/Robinson/Moss, then move Troy Brown back to slot/third down duty, and there you have it. All holes filled.
Here would be your starters on offense: Drew Bledsoe, Robert Edwards/J.R. Redmond/Kevin Faulk, Marc Edwards, Glenn, Terrell/Robinson/Moss, Santiago, Klemm, Panos, Damien Woody, Compton, Randall.
And on defense: McGinest, Logan/Bobby Hamilton, Pleasant, Tedi Bruschi, Cox, Ted Johnson, Andy Katzenmoyer/Mike Vrabel, Ty Law, Shaw, Lawyer Milloy, Tebucky Jones/Tony George.
There’s still a lot of “ifs” and “maybes” here. An “offer” and a “rumour” are not at all the same thing as a “signing”. Cox and Logan are the closest things to signed thus far among the “might bes”. Compton merely visited here and Santiago is also being pursued by Cleveland.
But things around Foxborough suddenly look pretty good. Belichick is doing exactly what he said he would do, and that is bring in second-tier free agents, guys who he can mold together and build a good team with. With the AFC East in a rather flux state right now, 2001 would be a great year to spring this Patriot team on the division.
Big names may continue to stay away from here. But hey, 1996 worked. Five little guys can be better than one big guy. You can feel the optimism seeping back into Norfolk County.
Forgive the cliche, folks. But Patriot Nation is feeling very Pleasant right now.
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