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Patriots Free Agency: Day #2 Updates

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The Patriots are once again following their model of allowing the market to settle before pouncing on all the value deals that will be available after the first 24-48 hours of free agency. Of course, this drives Patriots fans nuts and this year the main target of their ire is how quickly the wide receiver market has been cleaned out.

There’s little question the Pats need to add a starting-quality receiver in free agency. And despite being linked to almost every top wide out on the market, the Pats have yet to land anyone and the pickings are getting slimmer and slimmer. Mohamed Sanu is visiting Atlanta today but no one expects him to actually leave there for New England as he said he planned to do.

Rishard Matthews, the next in line target after Sanu, signed in Tennessee last night. So there’s not much left for the Pats, other than 35-year old Anquan Bolden, who could certainly fill a role in New England but is no longer an every down impact player who could extend the field horizontally and vertically.

Today’s latest update is that Chris Hogan, a receiver with a low RFA tender from Buffalo, will be visiting the team. Hogan has had a couple good performances against the Pats (2014 – 5/72, 1 TD, 2015 – 6/95) and is a former lacrosse player and even has punting experience. Yes, a lot of this seems right up Bill Belichick and the Patriots alley. Add in his 6’1″, 220 pound size and it seems like Hogan could be an undercover gem. You also might remember his nickname “7-11” because he was always open as a rookie free agent in Dolphins camp during Hard Knocks.

So yes, Hogan makes sense, but he’s certainly not the flashy name many are hoping for, but you know, that’s just how the Pats build their team, especially at the receiver position.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3-_rGZmymM

Running back is the other position of need and what’s been most interesting to me is that the Pats have been connected to Bilal Powell (who is re-signing with the Jets) and Benny Cunningham (scheduled to visit NE). My main focus of need was an early down pounder. CJ Anderson (also due for a visit) is a perfect model, as would fallback option Khiry Robinson (signed with Jets), but Powell and Cunningham are more receiving backs and the Pats have James White and Dion Lewis seemingly entrenched in that role.

So this makes me wonder how good the Pats feel about White. He certainly flashed some big plays once Lewis went down, but he also had just six catches on 14 targets in the AFC Championship. He also seems to bring little-to-no value actually running the ball, unlike Lewis who the Pats clearly love for obvious reasons.

At the very least it seems like the Pats want another option to pair with White until Lewis is fully recovered from ACL surgery. The Pats schedule is a tough one this year and will likely have some tough tests right out of the gate. There’s also the chance Tom Brady is suspended. It’d appear they’re taking no chances by having dynamic threats for September.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3a9lxi_alI

Patriots Free Agency Day #1 Recap

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Hard to write a recap when news is constantly breaking during free agency, but here’s what went down with the Pats in the first day, at least so far.

Yes, they did make a signing, special teamer/back up linebacker Ramon Humber who was with the Saints last year. Another classic Patriots opening salvo of free agency, going with a guy that not even a crazed Pats blogger like me was aware of. I’d relate this signing more to the retirement of Dane Fletcher and departure of Tavon Wilson (who signed with the Lions), than the starter’s hole at middle linebacker. This is the kind of player the Pats love, and the kind that gives them one of the best special teams units year in and year out. Many dismiss that, but we saw the impact bad special teams play can have firsthand last year.

There were reports Mohamed Sanu was signing for $7 million per year (a number the Pats are never going to touch) with the Falcons, although later in the day he told Josina Anderson of ESPN that he was scheduled to go to New England after Atlanta. We’ll see if he actually does. If not, the wide receiver market continues to thin out. Rishard Matthews and Jermaine Kearse seem like the only good X-WR fits left and neither one of them gets me too excited. There’s been reports the Pats are interested in Anquan Bolden and James Jones, but I don’t really see the benefit of either. Or let me put it like this, when was the last time a receiver over 30 not named Randy Moss came to New England and clicked with Brady and the offense? The answer — NO ONE.

Jeremy Kerley was released by the Jets and he’s a player that seems like the perfect fit for what the Pats like to do. No, he’s not filling the X-WR need, but he can easily backup Edelman and Amendola, if not make Amendola and his salary expendable. That will be something to watch in the coming days if they can figure the money out.

With Matt Forte ending up with the Jets, the Pats will have to look elsewhere and really, CJ Anderson and his low-round tender by the Broncos is the most attractive option to me. Anderson is young and exactly the kind of early down wrecking ball the Pats need. Another RB name that has popped up via Mike Loyko is Khiry Robinson, from New Orleans who is coming off a nasty leg fracture last season. Again, Robinson has that size and hard running ability the Pats need. So either of those guys are great fits and I’d assume Robinson to be the favorite with Denver doing everything they can to keep Anderson.

Wednesday Afternoon Patriots Free Agency Catch Up

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The last 24 hours has illustrated just how dumb the “legal tampering period” is, as numerous teams are already reporting deals in place with many of the top free agents on the market.  So who cares what happens at 4pm today? It’s not like the old days when there would be a deluge of information the moment the league year started.

Anyway, the Patriots haven’t had an active day so far, but there have been plenty of reports about who they’re interested in and the headline is at the wide receiver position.

The need at wide receiver is an obvious one, with Brandon LaFell‘s departure it’s the only true starter spot open on the entire team. But now the Pats are down to Rishard Matthews and Mohamed Sanu as potential targets, though I’m not sure either are true X-receivers for the Patriots’ system that would fit the role that LaFell played (well in 2014).

I’ve always liked Sanu. He’s got good size, is smart and versatile, but my main interest in him was in upgrading the slot spot. But again, he’d fit nicely with this receiver corps and make up for some of the size they lost with LaFell. As for Matthews I’m less interested. He’s less than physical and doesn’t really bring anything interesting to the party.

Jermaine Kearse might just be the best value option left if they miss out on Sanu.

The Pats have also reportedly expressed an interest in Jets running back Bilal Powell. This is a move I didn’t really see coming because I always saw Powell as more of a third-down back, which the Pats already have two pretty good ones of in Dion Lewis (recovering from ACL surgery) and James White. Powell seems a bit redundant to me, but when you look at what the Pats had left at the end of 2015 there’s no question they sure could’ve used him then.

Hope remains that the Pats will also get in on Matt Forte. So far, other than some reported interest from the Packers, things have been pretty quiet on that front. I still think that Joique Bell is my under-the-radar guy.

We all know the Pats play things close to the vest, and that for them free agency isn’t about the early splashy moves but the good value deals that will play out over the next couple weeks. There’s still plenty of action to come.

The Prop Shop is Back! Tees! Tanks! Hoodies! Get Some!

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What better way to kick off the new league year than re-opening The Prop Shop with a bunch of new tees? Yes there’s Patriots ones but also some that are just general football ones, aka things that the NFL can never give me a cease and desist again for. My favorite is the New England Spec Ops tee, made for those doing the secret dirty work in Foxboro (aka Pink Stripes)… wink wink…

Head over and check everything out at The Prop Shop! There’s $10 deals on our old inventory, a re-do of our original Do Your Job tee (circa 2010) and five other new tees that I hope you all find lovely. There’s sweatshirts, ladies tees, and tank tops too! Something for everyone!

Patriots Keep Branch, Stage Set for Free Agency

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The 2016 NFL league year starts in just hours now and with it will come a flurry of free agency moves mostly made by the bottom third of the league trying to climb back into relevance. As for the Patriots, things have been pretty quiet thus far in the “legal tampering period.” If the last 15 years tell us anything about Bill Belichick and free agency it’s that this time is used to fill holes with at least temporary fixes, most often with castoffs or under-the-radar types who will either blossom in New England or get beaten out by someone else and end up on the side of the road.

There were only two bits of Pats news on Tuesday, that the team had picked up Alan Branch‘s option while also trying to actively retain Akiem Hicks. Reports were that Hicks had as many as 10 other suitors, giving the impression that he’d likely get a more lucrative offer elsewhere.

It seemed like Hicks and Branch were very much connected as they’d be competing for a similar if not the same exact role — starting next to Malcom Brown on the interior. Hicks is younger and has a higher ceiling, but Branch had an excellent year in New England in 2015 and should be expected to do the same in 2016 now that he’s on board. It would still be great to land Hicks as well, but this is a deep year in the draft for defensive tackles so the Pats should ultimately be okay.

And honestly, I thought Hicks was good last year, but the majority opinion now seems to be that he was great. Integral even? I don’t know. He had 1 solo tackle in the playoffs. No sacks. I mean, I get it, he’s 26 has great size and is good against the pass and run. But he’s still not as good as Malcom Brown was as a rookie so all this buzz is just for DT #2 and with Easley back (and hopefully putting together his first healthy season) the pass rushing DT role isn’t empty either. So yeah, they’ll be fine if he walks. And if they keep him, it could make Branch expendable if he comes to camp out of shape, which is always possible.

So that’s all we get on the eve of Free Agency, and really, it shouldn’t be all that surprising. This is what the Patriots do. Play it cool and under the radar, until all of sudden… SPLASH.

I think the Pats should add a running back, wide receiver and middle linebacker as priorities in free agency. Matt Forte seems to be more and more a pipe dream the more I think about him, and I just don’t see an ideal X-WR to replace Brandon LaFell. At MLB I think they could look at a veteran and preserve him in a two-down run-stopping role.

Put it this way, they must get better at those positions, and expecting a rookie who won’t come until 60th overall to step in and start at those spots is foolish. At the very least they’ll put a vet in those positions and make the rookie win the role.

Things will get interesting quickly tomorrow, and nowhere will that be more true that here on the blog where I’m relaunching the Prop Shop with a collection of t-shirts I hope you all like. Let the 2016 journey begin!

Reflections on a Rival: Happy Trails, Peyton Manning

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A rivalry for the ages is over and even Patriots fans should appreciate Peyton. (AP Photo/ Charles Krupa)

As you might’ve heard already, Peyton Manning is retiring. It’s hard to imagine an NFL landscape without Manning, much less being a Patriots fan and knowing Manning will no longer be in the way in the AFC. Aside from all the Brady vs. Manning debate, Peyton was the ultimate rival and ended Tom Brady and the Patriots season more times than anyone else.

This isn’t going to be another Brady vs. Manning article, nor will it be one where we dive into all the allegations that surround Manning as he calls it quits. This is about tipping the cap to a rival who enhanced all of our football viewing experiences over the last 15-plus years.

The painful place to start with Manning are the six times he beat the Patriots, the most painful of which were the 2006, 2013 and 2015 AFC Championships. Then there’s the most infamous regular season loss of Belichick’s reign, the 4th-and-2 game. Of those, the 2006 AFC Championship and the 4th-and-2 game stand out the most.

In 2013, the decimated Pats were a shell of themselves in the AFC Championship, and in 2015 Manning was a shell of himself. Those weren’t defining Patriots vs. Peyton games. But 2006’s AFC Championship was one of those infamous Patriots dynasty games where I remember every single ebb and flow of the game, and the 2009 4th-and-2 game played out much the same way — Patriots get a big lead, Manning hits unstoppable mode and the Pats run out of gas right at the end. There aren’t many worse ways to lose a game, especially if it’s to go to the Super Bowl, but those two games embodied everything about what made Manning great, and a terrifying opponent to face.

Beating Manning was what defined the early days of the Patriots dynasty. In 2003 and 2004, Manning was lighting up the rest of the NFL, but it was the New England defense, a veteran squad perfectly in tune with Bill Belichick, that got the last laugh four times in those two seasons, including twice in the playoffs. Those were the years that established Brady-Manning, despite them meeting twice in 2001 to little fanfare.

Then came 2005, when the Patriots’ defense had started to come apart. That made it open season for Manning as he led the Colts to three-straight wins – including 2006’s regular season win in Foxboro, the last time Manning would beat Brady in New England. And after capturing his first Super Bowl in 2006, Brady-Manning/Patriots-Peyton truly became a rivalry.

Then came the Pats’ offensive retooling in 2007 that set the stage for another one of the best games in the Patriots recent history. Both teams were undefeated when they faced off in the middle of the season and the Pats would come from behind to knock Manning off in Indy, the last time they’d ever beat Peyton on the road.

Manning’s Bronco years saw Denver travel to New England three straight seasons from 2012-2014 and lose all three in epic fashion. In 2012 the Pats put up 250 rushing yards on the Broncos in a 31-21 win. In 2013, the Pats erased a 24-0 halftime deficit to win 34-31 in overtime. Finally, in 2014, the Patriots left no doubt, hammering the Broncos in all aspects 43-21.

It was that game in 2014 when I knew it might be last time to catch a Brady-Manning game. I met up before the game with Nick Stevens (aka Fitzy), George Kippenham (aka the “other” Pats guy”) and Jerry Thornton. Then we watched the Pats destroy Manning and the Broncos in a game that featured just about everything you could ask for. It was pretty much the perfect day and one I’ll never forget. We hoped at the time it would be the last ever Brady-Manning game, but we just had to settle for it being the last Brady win over Manning. I’ll take it.

As the venue shifted back to Denver, starting with the 2013 AFC Championship, things unfolded differently, culminating with two fluky games in 2015 that defined (and ended) the Patriots’ season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8bEE0X58Ss

For all the talk of the Brady-Manning rivalry, after 2007 all that really mattered was who was playing at home. In each game from that point the home team always seemed to get the bounces, or catch fire with unstoppable momentum at the key moments.

What will I remember most about facing a Peyton Manning team? That no lead, no matter how large, was ever safe. Manning always seemed to know exactly where to go with the ball and who to pick on. Bill Belichick got plenty of criticism trying to close the 4th-and-2 game out by going for it in his own territory, but that sums up facing Peyton Manning. Once he got a read on things it was near impossible to stop him.

The AFC just won’t be the same without Peyton Manning. No matter how he looked at the end of last season, just knowing that the Patriots won’t have to face him and all the storylines and attention the game would receive is both exciting and sad. Exciting because it’s one less thing to worry about on the way to the Super Bowl, but sad because we’ll never see two of the great QBs to ever play the game face off again.

He is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. I don’t care to convince anyone which quarterbacks were better or worse than him. He will always be a huge part of the Patriots history and his legacy is unavoidably enmeshed with Belichick and Brady’s.

The Pats had their moments vs. Manning, and he had his moments against them. Now, at the end of it all, it’s easy to say he made football better for even Patriots fans, whether they were beating him or losing to him. He gave you a million reasons to watch, to be nervous, to want to beat him, and almost every single game was an epic battle. Whether you loved or hated him, he reset the bar for NFL quarterback play and it was a privilege to watch him compete.

Peyton Manning retires from NFL; Tom Brady: ‘He set the standard’ | The MMQB with Peter King

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“What just happened, winning the Super Bowl in his last game, is a perfect way to end a career. But what he’s accomplished through all these years, what makes it so admirable, is the pressure he’s had on him his whole life. He was the highest-rated recruit in high school. He was the biggest quarterback in college football. He was the first pick in the draft. Who has lived up to the expectations year after year after year as well as Peyton? He’s done it so gracefully, so admirably. He set the standard for how to play the quarterback position.”

Source: Peyton Manning retires from NFL; Tom Brady: ‘He set the standard’ | The MMQB with Peter King

Nothing has been clearer in the last day how much mutual respect Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have for each other. From this piece from The MMQB with Brady praising Manning, to Manning specifically mentioning post-game handshakes with Brady in his final press conference, these two and their rivalry has defined the AFC for the last decade-plus.

Now, on the verge of Free Agency, you wonder how the Manning vacuum will be filled. No, he wasn’t the same threat anymore by the end, but the weight of Manning’s presence could always be felt even when his arm was toast. Now it’s hard to argue that Brady and the Pats stand alone in the AFC. Plenty of teams will make free agency splashes that will be spun as making a new contender or two in the AFC, but free agency rarely wins championships and a healthy Patriots team in 2016 is still easily the class of the conference.