Tommy Kelly

We seem to be moving onto the Tommy Kelly defensive line era. He spent his first nine years as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders. He comes here with a clean slate. The Pats gave him a two contract with some guaranteed money, whatever that is.

Things are in place for Kelly to make the roster. The release of Brendan Deadrick and Kyle Love created some roster space. The team has committed money to him.They will give him every chance to make the roster. Unless he gets hurt, he will be here on opening day.

Gronk Back In Town

Rob Gronkowski had one more setback to returning to the field. His agent described back surgery as "preventative maintenance", but nobody really does elective back surgery unless you play in the NFL. Gronk will miss part of training camp. Will he be ready for opening day? That's the big question.

He is starting to look very star-crossed with his accomplishments and injuries. His 58 TD's in his first three seasons put him in the company of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss as the only other players to do it. Both of them stayed healthy their entire career.

Gronk is becoming that familiar player who fights to the end to have a career, but injuries and the body end it prematurely. Will he become that guy? How many years will he play? What will the 2013 season look like for him?

Making A Name For Josh Boyce

Numbers in college don't really translate to success in the NFL. Every year, we see numerous players who never succeed in spit of their collegiate accomplishments. I wonder how Josh Boyce will fare with the Pats.

The 4th round pick from TCU has a very strong resume. His 22 touchdowns rank him at the top on the school's all-time list. He is also 3rd with 161 receptions and 2,535 receiving yards. Last season, he set a school record with 66 receptions for 891 yards and sevens TD's.

None of this will mean anything if he can't catch the ball from Tom Brady. He needs to separate himself from the other 10 receivers on the roster. Everyone has a great background. They wouldn't be here without it.

Keeping Joe Happy

Nate Montana, son of Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana, had a tryout with the San Francisco 49er's. Did they see anything in him that the scouts missed or is it an attempt to keep his father happy?

Nate had a very undistinguished college career at four different schools. He enrolled at Notre Dame in 2008 and attempted to earn a scholarship as a walk-on. That didn't work out so he enrolled at Pasadena City College for 2009. He returned to Notre Dame in 2010 before transferring again to the University of Montana for 2011. He finished his career at West Virginia Wesleyan during the 2012 season.

He managed to get on the field during his time at Notre Dame and completed 9 of 18 attempts for 116 yards. He fared better at West Virginia Wesleyan where he completed 225 of 436 for 2,480 yards.

Needless to say, there was not a lot of interest in him. Without his father's influence, he wouldn't even have a tryout. I wonder if he got his degree.
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Wanted By Jaws

If nothing works out for QB Tim Tebow, at least he has a potential home with the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. It might be his best hope if he wants to return to the NFL. There is no interest from teams at this point.

The team is partially owned by former QB and current  ESPN analyst Ron Jaworksi. Jaws loves the guy and wants him there for his leadership. It should be a no-brainer for Tebow if nothing else comes up.

After playing in the NFL and reaching the playoffs, it's a step back for Tebow, but a necessary one if he hopes to make a return to the league.

A Great Financial Move

When former Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis left the Pats after the 2004 season, he had nothing but the future ahead of him. After helping Coach Belichick win three Super Bowls, he was headed back to coach at Notre Dame, his alma mater. He was the toast of the town when he got there.

Half-way through the 2005 season, he signed a five year contract extension which committed him to the school until after the 2015 season. He lead the Fighting Irish to a 9-3 record and a Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State.

The 2006 team had a 10-3 record, but suffered a defeat to LSU in the Sugar Bowl. They also never lived up to their pre-season number two ranking.

From that point forward, it was all downhill with records of 3-9, 7-6 and 6-6. The school parted ways with him after the 2009 season. He left with a winning record of 35-27. However, they still owed him $19 million on his contract.

Weis returned to the NFL for the 2010 season as the Offensive Coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs. His relationship with Scott Pioli probably helped get the job. However, it didn't work out and Weis left for the same position in the college ranks with the Florida Gators for the 2011 season.

He lasted one season with Florida .He grabbed an opportunity to return to the head coaching ranks and lead the University of Kansas to a 1-11 record in 2012.

In spite of it all, Weiss picked up a check from Notre Dame for almost $2 million for the 2012 season. They will be paying him thru 2015. Who knows what might have happened if he stayed with the Pats and never left? He had Tom Brady in his prime. Could they have won more Super Bowls?

We will never know, but at least Charlie made some very serious money after rising through the coaching ranks. His departure to Notre Dame was for professional advancement as well as the money. He had mixed results as a coach, but certainly made out well financially.

Playing It Safe

I wonder if team owner Robert Kraft seriously believes that the NFL would ever play the Super Bowl in Foxborough. He is saying all of the right things to placate the local fans, but would the NFL host another cold weather game?

The league is keeping its fingers crossed for the 2014 game to be played at Met Life Stadium in New Jersey. An outdoor game in February could be a disaster if there is a sudden snow storm. Kraft was instrumental in steering the game to the Big Apple, but I think it's a one short deal for the league.

The game will be under close scrutiny by the NFL for any future consideration for cold weather sites.  The 2015 game will be played in Phoenix. They just awarded the 2016 to Santa Clara and the 2017 to Houston. They are playing it safe by staying with the warmer cities.

Keep Daddy Quiet

There are many analysts who think they know everything wrong with each team. These guys make a living talking about it. Fans have their own voice on talk radio shows where they can voice outrageous opinions no matter what. Coaches are always better off not listening to this stuff.

I had to laugh when I saw the comments from the father of Robert Griffin III. He told the Washington Post that his son is on schedule to be ready for the 2013 season as he comes back from major knee surgery. He also said that the Redskins offense needs to evolve into more of a passing game and rely less on his son running with the ball.

He makes a good point, but why is he speaking up about the offense of the Redskins? I can understand his comments about his son's recovery, but he should leave it there. RG III should tell his father to keep quiet. Coach Mike Shanahan doesn't need his father's input. He has been around the game long enough to know how to structure his offense.

Bad Move By Fans

Tim Tebow has been a controversial figure since he came into the NFL. His time in Denver started the "Tebow Time" media circus. He carried it forward to the New York Jets where he languished on the bench until they finally released him. Now, he is without a team and with few prospects of getting back into the league.

He playing style has been criticized as not being ready for he NFL in spite of leading the Broncos to the playoffs during the 2011 season. Most teams don't want the frenzy that seems to surround him.

Many thought he might end up with the Jacksonville Jaguars, his home team. Fans have started an on-line petition to let ownership know that they have no desire to see him play there. This is unprecedented for the league, especially for someone like Tebow who has no character issues.

As a fan, I'm disappointed in this action by them. I assume Jaguar ownership will not listen to the fans. If they do, they will continue their descent into the cellar of the NFL.

Brian Urlacher

Brian Urlacher parted ways with the Chicago Bears back in March when they were unable to reach a contract. He was destined to take a large pay cut and was not willing to do so. Today, he reached the end of the line when he announced his retirement.

He was the 9th overall pick of the 2000 draft and spent all of his 13 seasons with the Bears. His eight Pro Bowl appearances speak for his career.

I'm sure he will have many opportunities out there. He has appeared in television commercials and done some analyst work. Although he is only 34, his body is probably much more aged. As he begins his retirement, I can only imagine the physical issues he might face down the road.

He was a joy to watch and played the game with great passion. I wish he could have played forever, but that wasn't about to happen.

A Day For 54

It was no surprise to see former LB Tedy Bruschi get elected to the team's Hall of Fame. He was a slam- dunk in the voting done by the fans. He easily beat out the great OL Leon Gray and coach Chuck Fairbanks.

Bruschi's modern day accomplishments and three Super Bowl wins easily trumped the other two worthy candidates. It was only natural for today's fans to bypass Gray and Fairbanks. This type of voting will continue for future years as many of the former greats from the Super Bowl Championship teams will be considered for induction.

I think the team really needs to redefine the modern era for voting. Gray and Fairbanks deserve to be there. The Hall is not right without them.

Chad Does It Again

Former Pats WR Chad Johnson was arrested in Florida for violating terms of his probation in a domestic assault case involving his ex-wife. All he had to do was check in with his probation officer. For some reason, he didn't do it.

He caught a break to begin with after he head-butted his former wife, yet he couldn't seem to find the time to comply with the terms of his probation. I've always been a big fan of his, but he better have a good legal strategy. Maybe he should try and claim some time of brain injury from his days in the NFL. How else could you explain him being so stupid?

His incident last August resulted in his release by the Miami Dolphins and the end of his NFL career. That was not the way for a former six-time Pro Bowl to end it.

Just Another Player Arrested

The New York Jets can't seem to catch a break with some of their free agent signings. Last week, it started with the apparent retirement of QB David Garrard. Now, it's newly signed RB Mike Goodson who faces a weapons charge after a motor vehicle stop outside of New York City.

His car was found stopped in the left-center lane of Interstate 80 at 3:15am. A tow truck driver dialed 911  which resulted in Goodson and his passenger being arrested on an additional drug possession charge.

Goodson played three seasons for Carolina before spending 2012 with Oakland. He signed a three year/ $6.9 million deal with the Jets in March which included a $1 million signing bonus.

The Jets said they can't comment until the legal process is completed. No matter what happens, it looks like Goodson will get some type of suspension from the league.

Many free agent signings are a risk when considering the health of the player. It's hard to gauge whether a player has the potential to be arrested and ruin things for himself and the team. It often becomes a crap shoot.

Back To Gronk

It's still almost two months away from training camp and already the season is looking cloudy for Rob Gronkowski. He is getting ready for the fourth surgery on his infected arm and might need one more after that. To make matters worse, he is also facing possible back surgery.

This could put his ability to be ready for the start of the regular season in jeopardy. Gronk has another back issue unrelated to the one that caused him to miss time during his college career and dropped him into the second round of the draft.

It's beginning to look like the Pats won't have Gronk and Aaron Hernandez on the field at the same time. This duo made so many great plays together, but neither of them are able to stay healthy for a long period.

Coach Belichick has been stocking up on receivers. Will he be deviating from his two tight end offense? He probably will if he can't get the right combination of players on the field.

It's too early to speculate on Gronk, but it's not looking good.

Last Two Standing

Players get old in the NFL while they are still young. Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson are the only ones left from the 1998 draft. Manning, the number one overall pick,  has enjoyed a rebirth with the Denver Broncos. Woodson, the fourth overall, struggles to catch on with another team.

He has visited numerous teams including the Panthers, Raiders, Broncos and now the Giants. If he still wants to play, it will be for the veteran minimum. At the age of 36, teams look at him as "ancient". He has lost a step as a defensive back and that could be the ultimate cause of his demise.

I'm sure he will sign with some team. Whether he makes the final roster is another story. It certainly looks like Father Time is catching up to him.

Sanchez Gets Some Life

The quarterback circus continues with the New York Jets. After they cut Tim Tebow, they still had five on the roster. Gino Smith has made a big impact during his first appearance with the team. Mark Sanchez was considered to be on the bubble.

With the sudden retirement of David Garrad, it looks like Sanchez might get a second life. The only two quarterbacks left are Greg McElroy and Matt Sims.

Many thought the plan would be to release Sanchez and have Garrard mentor Smith until he is ready to start. McElroy would be the third. Now, it's all changed.

If the Jets plan to release Sanchez, they need to have another veteran on the roster. They should have known they were taking a risk with Garrard. He has not played since 2010 because of a left knee problem which ultimately forced him to retire.

Love Is Over

NFL teams are full of surprises when it comes to releasing players. That's why it was a shock to see the Pats release DL Kyle Love after three very productive seasons. Apparently, he has Type 2 Diabetes. The team doesn't seem to want to assume the medical risk of keeping him on the roster.

He was recently diagnosed after losing 20 pounds from his 6'1/315 frame. Other professional athletes have played with the illness, but it might be a real challenge for Love to find a team willing to take a risk.

Love was a fan favorite after fighting his way onto the roster as an undrafted college player in 2010. He was often seen as the heir apparent to Vince Wilfork, but now it will never happen.

Chuck Muncie

Former NFL RB Chuck Muncie joined a growing list of retired players who have died too soon. Muncie suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 60.

He enjoyed a brilliant NFL career over nine seasons, including three Pro Bowls. He rushed for 6,702 yards and 71 TD's. Muncie finished second in the 1975 Heisman Trophy balloting and was the third overall selection in the 1976 draft by the New Orleans Saints.

Unfortunately for him, the Saints were at their worst. He enjoyed some very productive seasons, including 1979 when he rushed 238 times for 1,198 yards and 11 TD's. He also caught 40 passes for 308 yards.

He was traded to the San Diego Chargers prior to the 1980 season. He played a vital role in the infamous Air Coryell offense that was the staple of those great Charger teams. The Chargers lost the AFC Championship game to the Cincinnati Bengals after the 1981 season in a contest played under absolute brutal weather.

He was suspended by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle after the first game of the 1984 season for cocaine use. After missing the entire season, he tried to return with the Minnesota Vikings in 1985, but quit for personal reasons.

His troubles continued after he was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 1989 for drug trafficking. After getting out of jail, he spent the rest of his years counseling adults and former gang members on drug issues. He established a charity that helped former gang members remove their tattoos which he felt hindered their ability to get a job from a prospective employer.

He also served as a volunteer counselor to athletes at the University of California, where he played.

A Second Round Pick Wasted

The NFL draft is never perfect. Where a player is selected doesn't guarantee future success. Early round picks fail just like 7th rounders. WR Titus Young is a great example.

He was selected in the 2011 draft by the Detroit Lions in the 2nd round and 44th overall. He left Boise State a year early for the draft.

His first two seasons were productive with 81 catches for 990 yards and two TD's. However, his activites off the field proved to his undoing. He has been arrested three times in the past week. It started last Sunday when he was arrested for possible OUI in Riverside County, California. He was arrested the next day for trying to break into the lot where his car was being held.

The other day, he was arrested for burglary in San Clemente, California. He also faces charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.

All of his legal issues probably spell the end of his NFL career. He was released by the Lions in February and signed by the St Louis Rams. Now, he is without a team and no future in the league.

Big Win In Florida

I don't think it's a good idea to have any type of public funding for stadiums. Teams try to squeeze money from the host city by threatening to move unless there are stadium improvements or a totally new one.

The San Francisco 49er's are finally getting a new one in Santa Clara. The city has agreed to create a Stadium Authority to borrow the $850 million for construction costs. The NFL also provided a $200 million loan. This thing will never pay for itself because it won't have enough events.. They just secured a $200 million /20 year contract with Levi's for naming rights.

Santa Clara appears to be the front runner to host Super Bowl L in 2016 because Florida legislators could not come up with a finance plan for $350 million in renovations to Sun Life Stadium.

I consider this to be a win for the public. I think it's a bad idea to finance renovations for a chance to host a Super Bowl. In both cases, public funds were involved. I just think it's a bad practice.

The Kraft family in Foxborough showed that a privately funded stadium can be built at a reasonable cost.

Doing It Their Way

The Pats recently completed their first rookie and free agent camp. There are so many new faces hoping for a chance to play in the NFL. They all say the right things. It's almost like it was rehearsed.

The Pats do a great job indoctrinating their players. Nobody speaks out of line. That's probably why they are here in the first place. It carries over to the veterans on the team. So many answers sound the same. It gets boring for the media. They are looking for the juicy stuff, but they won't find it here.

Anyone who gets out of line will soon find themselves looking for work. Some criticize the system, but you can't dispute the facts about winning games. In the end, that's what the business is all about.

Rod Shoate

Former Pats LB Rod Shoate will be part of the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame induction class. Unfortunately for him, he won't be part of the ceremony. He died of AIDS related illness back in 1999.

The honor come too late for an outstanding player who fought demons off the field. He was a four time Big-8 linebacker at Oklahoma and was part of the 1974 National Championship team. He was also a three time All-American selection.

The Pats drafted him as the 41st overall selection in the 2nd round of the 1975 draft which also included TE Russ Francis and QB Steve Grogan. Shoate was a vital part of the defense through the 1981 under Coach Chuck Fairbanks. He played another two seasons in the former USFL.

I wonder if traumatic head injuries played any roll in his post-career legal problems. He was arrested a number of times and served time in prison for various charges, including several related to illegal drugs. This might have hurt his chances for being inducted earlier.

He is among the many former NFL players who died too soon after their playing days were over.

Cruz Not Cruising

Many NFL players get contracts that they never live up to and end up being released by their team. Some perform way above the expectations of anyone. We are seeing that with WR Victor Cruz of the New York Giants.

Cruz was undrafted in 2009 and has been one of the league's most productive receivers over the last two seasons. As a restricted free agent, his options are limited. He is looking for about $10 million per season which the Giants are not going to offer. They are offering $7 million as a starting point.

If he signs his free agent tender, he will earn $2.879 million for 2013. This will still keep him below the level of pay he should be getting based on his production. So far, he has been the good soldier, but his lack of a contract might force him to miss the first mandatory mini-camp.

The Giants have the upper hand in the negotiations. He could sign the one year tender and become an unrestricted free agent after the season. There is a lot of money at stake on both sides. If Cruz makes the wrong decision, it could cost him millions and become something  he regrets for the rest of his life.

All Options Open

The news concerning Rob Gronkowski has not been good. He will be having a fourth surgery on his broken arm. Speculation surrounds a possible fifth operation. It doesn't appear that he will be ready by training camp if he has both procedures.

Where does this leave the Pats? Gronk is such a crucial piece of the offense. I thought they would select a tight end in the draft, but it didn't happen. How is the progress on the ACL injury to Jake Ballard? Will the team bring in another veteran free agent?

I'm sure all options are being explored at this point because it doesn't appear that Gronk is getting off to a great start in 2013.

Under The Influence

Many surveys end up with dubious results. Forbes magazine just proclaimed former Jets QB Tim Tebow as the most influential athlete. How did they arrive at this conclusion? Apparently, 29% of the survey respondents considered Tebow to be influential. Now that he has been released by the Jets, I wonder if they feel the same way. He finished ahead of swimmer Michael Phelps, sprinter Usain Bolt and Derek Jeter.

I don't think these surveys prove anything, especially when first place is only 29%. That's like saying 71% don't think he is influential.

A Numbers Game

It's getting to the point where some NFL teams can no longer retire the numbers of former players. With only 99, they start to run out of numbers fast on some teams when trying to dress the training camp roster.

Every team has a Ring of Honor or a Hall of Fame. The ultimate honor for any player is to have their number retired. Some teams are getting to the point where there is shortage of numbers. They are rethinking whether they can retire a legendary one.

Such is not he case with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They've had some success and the worst teams since their emergence into the NFL in 1976.

The only number they ever retired was #63 with Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selman. That will change now with #99 DT Warren Sapp.

When he gets inducted into the team's Ring of Honor, they will retire his number during the Monday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins on November 11th.

It should be retired because of his election to the Hall of Fame. You must retire those numbers or none at all.

Time To Head North

It's hard to believe that the release of a backup player could generate so much attention and controversy, but Tim Tebow and the New York Jets managed to do it. All of a sudden, Tebow appears to be toxic with no team willing to take a chance on him.

Tebow wants to keep playing quarterback, although some teams have suggested that he move to either tight end or running back. Some think that Coach Belichick will give him a shot, but nothing is on the public radar.

His time with the Jets was a complete disaster. It cost GM Mike Tannenbaum his job, as well as QB Coach Matt Cavanaugh and Offensive Coordinator Tony Sparano. Rex Ryan has been walking the plank and is on a very short leash for this season.

Some say his best chance is the CFL where the Montreal Allouettes hold his rights. He would still need to compete for playing time. The Orlando Predators of the Arena League have expressed some interest, but that's a long way from Sundays in the NFL.

Have we seen the last of Tebow? If he doesn't get another chance in the NFL this season, he needs to head north to Canada if he has any desire to keep playing. Otherwise, he can start his next career as a motivational speaker. I'm sure he will have more success with that and be better received.

All About The Name

Dan Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins, has always done things his way for better or worse. It hasn't been a successful endeavor in most cases. He as gone through numerous coaches. However, I agree with one thing. He is adamant abut keeping the nickname for his team.

The Washington Redskins have been under fire for decades by groups who oppose naming a team that some feel is derogatory to Native Americans.

In a recent Associated Press poll of 1,004 Americans, 79% agree that the name should be kept. The approval level was higher in 1989 when the last poll was taken. Back then, 89% were ok with it.

I don't think this issue will ever go away. When I enrolled at UMass in the fall of 1971, the teams were the UMass Redmen. That only lasted another year before they were forced to change to the Minutemen.

In recent years, the school has fought off a protest to change the name of the team again. Some felt that the Minutemen symbolized violence and was sexist in its name. They wanted the teams to become the Grey Wolves.

Ridley's Big Hit

Pats RB Steven Ridley recently spoke about the vicious, but legal hit, that Ravens LB Bernard Pollard gave him in the AFC Championship game. It was one of the biggest hits of the season and knocked him unconscious.

He claims to be recovered now, but is he? Ridley said the usual things that any player would have mentioned about it being part of football and that it was time for him to move on. He said it was the toughest hit of his career.

Will this one play come back to haunt him 20 years down the road? Losing consciousness is a very serious matter. His brain must have been bounced around in his head. This might be the one hit that causes him problems.

The Rutgers Route

Coach Bill Belichick has established a pattern of drafting from certain schools based on his relationship with the head coach. In 2010, he selected Brandon Spikes, Jermaine Cunningham and Aaron Hernandez from the University of Florida coached by his friend Urban Meyer. The roster has a couple of Alabama players coached by his former Defensive Coordinator at Cleveland, Nick Saban.

This year, he continued a stream of players from Rutgers University by drafting CB Logan Ryan, safety Duron Harmon and LB Steve Beauharnais. He also added CB Brandon Jones as an undrafted player. They will joing former Scarlet Knight Devin McCourty. The roster has also featured WR Tiquan Underwood and DL Alex Silvastro in recent years.

Belichick said that Rutgers is similar to his program in terms of the types of players recruited and how the program is run. The coach maintains a network of coaches at the college level who seem to provide a feeding system over the years.