MORSE: Senior Bow Wrap-Up, NFL Dates

Senior Bowl Wrap-Up

We just should have called this the Jack Bech Bowl. The TCU WR put together three solid days of practice and was named one of the Practice Players of the week for the American Team. Bech was nice special interest story all week. His bother Tiger was one of the victims killed in the Terrorist attack in New Orleans. His brother played at Princeton and Bech wore his number in tribute to him, as did all the players wear the #7 on their helmets.

Bech Balled out with 6 catches and the game winning catch for a TD as the clock expired giving the American Team the victory. I love Bech. He says there is no such thing as a 50/50 catch. He says if it’s thrown to him anywhere near his catch radius, it’s a 75/25 ball. It’s “My” ball. What’s more impressive is his blocking, whether it isa crack back on a LB or downfield on a DB.

Grey Zabel the North Dakota State OT plated Guard and Center. After his outstanding week, in which he was selected as the Practice Player of the Week by execs of each of the 32 teams. He is now projected to be a 1^st round pick. Some scouts say he is a plug and play at either a Guard or Center and will be All-Pro player.

Darius Alexander DL Toledo was disruptive all week and finished it up on Saturday. He made himself a lot of money and is now projected as a Day Two pick. Alexander was not as noticeable in the game, but the practices were where he shined.

In the game itself, Sa’Vion Jones DT of LSU was constantly in the backfield. He was matched up against Grey Zabel early in the game and that was quite a battle. Jones won his share of those making plays in the backfield. It appeared that he would sell out and shoot one of the gaps hoping to disrupt the play, which he did quite a few times.

Landon Jackson EDGE Arkansas had three sacks but that was all against OT Carson Vinson from Alabama A&M. Vinson had a good week but a very bad game and it showed up against the better competition.

Anthony Belton OT North Carolina State also had a good week but struggled at times in the game. He got called for a procedure penalty early. He did improve his draft position to a mid-round draft pick.

Jalen Royals was invisible for most of the game. I was very disappointed that he was not targeted until midway through the 4^th quarter. Was that he wasn’t getting open, the QB didn’t have the time to throw to him when his play was called. He did have a 2-point conversion catch. His size and speed will keep him as a 3^rd round selection and should still be on the Patriots radar.

David Walker an Edge player from Central Arkansas had two sacks in the game. The 6’2” 260-pound pass rusher runs a projected 4.65 40-yard dash.

Dan Jackson Safety Georgia isn’t the most physically imposing player, but he delivers good clean hits. During the week he separated Jack Bech in the endzone and in the game he had a big clean hit over the middle knocking the ball out of a TE’s grasp. The Patriots have a need at Safety and everything I have read about Jackson is that he is a very intelligent and instinctive player.

Brashard Smith RB SMU had a 40-yard Kickoff Return to help set up the American team for a score. The 5’10” 196-pound back has 4.41 speed.

Sebastion Castro Safety Iowa made a couple of big plays including a 4^th down open field tackle that prevented a 1^st down.

The best throw of the day was a 43-yard bomb from QB Tyler Elgersma to WR Pat Bryant. Elgersma won the Canadian version of the Heisman.

Jeffrey Bassa LB Oregon He didn’t do anything extraordinary in the game itself, but several clips showed what a leader he is.

HBCU Legacy Bowl Feb 2025

This game will be played on Saturday February 22^nd at 4:00 on NFL Network. This is a college all-star game for players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Last season no players from HBCU schools were selected in the draft. In 2023 the Patriots selected Isaiah Bolden who was the only player drafted from an HBCU school.

NFL Draft Combine 27 Feb – 2 Mar

The annual Underwear Olympics will be held in Indianapolis again. At this event, all teams will conduct formal interviews (20 minutes) with players and get official heights and weights. The players will undergo Physicals as well as the field tests which include the 40-yard dash.

Free Agency

Franchise Tag period Feb 18^th – Mar 4^th

Legal Tampering Mar 10^th

Free Agents can sign 4:00 EST Mar 12^th.

Matthew Slater not returning

Mike Reiss reported today that Matthew Slater will not be returning to the team. This is very disappointing news because I felt that Slater brought a spiritual influence to the team and a mentor for the younger players coming into the league.

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About Mark Morse

Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.

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