Moving Game

Everything the NFL does is based on the bottom line. The Pro Bowl game is played because it generates revenue. The league announced that they will play the 2017 edition in Orlando, Florida.

The game is a farce and boring to watch. So many players skip it because of the Super Bowl and injuries. As a result, the rosters are watered down.

It must be a nice perk to play it in Hawaii. I'm sure most players have been to Orlando.

Paying the Butler

The Pats have proven over the years that they will not let one player's contract hold them hostage. We have seen the departure of valued veterans who no longer fit under their salary cap.

CB Malcolm Butler has skipped the recent OTA's to try to shine some light on his request for some type of tweak to his contract. He doesn't hold much leverage with the team because of his service time. They have him for $600,000 this season, but he is a restricted free agent after the end of the season.

Will they try to renegotiate the contract of the 2015 Pro Bowl selectee? Butler was signed in 2014 as an undrafted player. Do they feel they can find another player like him? Cornerbacks command a high salary in the free agent market. Are they willing to pay him or let him test the waters next year?

I'm sure they will do what they feel is best for the team.

The Rex and Rob Show

The games between the Pats and Bills should be filled with hype now that Rob Ryan has joined brother Rex in Buffalo.

Rob was on Coach Belichick's staff for several years and called him the greatest coach in NFL history. The brothers are determined to end the losing ways of the Bills with the Pats.

It remains to be seen whether they will be successful, but there will be a lot of great quotes leading up to the games.

Navy To NFL

The Secretary of Defense announced that Navy QB Keenan Reynolds will be allowed to play in the NFL this season. This assumes that the 6th round pick will make the Baltimore Ravens roster. The record setting QB will be converted to a running back, which most feel is his best position.

He still needs to complete his five year service commitment. The Navy plans to use him for recruitment purposes while he plays for the Ravens. They will get a lot of free publicity out of this.

Maybe The End For Wes

WR Wes Welker had a very revealing interview the other night on the NFL Network. He admitted that he has not decided whether or not play next season. The 35 year old free agent has a history of concussions. He needs to find a team that wants him before he can even try to make their roster.

When you hear comments like his, it's only a matter of time before he holds a retirement press conference. He doesn't seem to have the fire to get ready for training camp.

Will he sign a one day contract with the Dolphins, Pats, Broncos or Rams to retire as member of their team.

Holding His Sign

A local college football player has been standing outside of the Gillette Stadium parking lot for the past month with a sign asking for a tryout. The former receiver for UMass Dartmouth is hoping to attract the attention of the scouting or coaching staff.

The local media has picked up on it and is calling for the Pats to give the guy an opportunity. It's a nice story, but if the team was interested, they would reach out to him.

Reports indicate that someone from the team spoke to him the other day and encouraged him to pursue his dream with other teams.

Some players get overlooked in the Scouting Combine and Draft. Not many slip through the cracks.

Erik Kramer

Most former NFL players fade away from the news cycle once they retire. Former Lions QB Erik Kramer returned to the sports pages after revealing his failed suicide attempt last year.

He shot himself under his chin. The bullet traveled through his chin, tongue, sinus cavity and exited through the top of his head. Somehow, he was able to survive and spent nine months in rehab after leaving the hospital.

He said his attempt was not due to CTE and concussions. He claims a lifelong battle with depression lead him to that point. Hopefully, players at risk seek the help they need.

Edelman Turns 30

Julian Edelman turned 30 the other day. He is still a young man, but getting older for the NFL. It's an age that can make a player expendable, especially if he carries a large salary cap number.

Edelman is underpaid compared to others at his position. He has stayed silent on this issue. How long will he be around for? It's hard to think in years when it comes to the NFL.

Brady's Last Stand

Tom Brady's lawyers filed another appeal of his suspension in Deflategate. The NFL has spent $25 million on the investigation and legal fees while the NFLPA is on the hook for $18 million.

Most legal experts think this is a last chance move to get his suspension overturned. At least he is buying more time by delaying the process through litigation.

Easley's Window Closing

DL Dominique Easley came to the Pats as the 29th overall pick in 2014. In spite of having ACL surgeries on both knees while in college, the team took a chance on him because of his great potential.

He played well in spurts, but ended up on Injured Reserve for both seasons. His unwillingness to listen tot he coaching staff and follow prescribed injury rehabilitation lead the team to release him on April 13th.

It took five weeks before the Rams signed him to the veteran minimum of $600,000 without any bonuses or incentives.

While the Pats still owe him some money, this is basically his last chance to have a career in the NFL. If he flames out, he will join a long list of former first round picks who had a short and unproductive career.

More Than Just Fenway?

Former Houston RB Arian Foster created a great deal of speculation when he was seen at a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Is he here to meet with the Pats?

Foster is trying to come back from a torn Achilles tendon suffered last season and will be 30 in August. Assuming he can pass a physical, it would be worth bringing him to training camp to see if he has anything left.

Take The Over

I don't gamble on sports, but a Las Vegas odds-maker has given the Pats a 10.5 over and under for winning games. They did the same the Seahawks, Panthers and Cardinals.

I would take the over for the Pats if I bet. They are assuming that Tom Brady will miss four games and Jimmy Garapollo will be a failure.

The numbers will change before the start of the season.

Brady Is #5

The Sporting News should be embarrassed by the list of the "Top 40 All-Time NFL Hated Players". I think their publication stopped being relevant many years ago. The poll has no scientific validity. It was done just to stir the news cycle.

Tom Brady was destined to make the list at #5. Micheal Vick headed the list followed by Terrell Owens, Ndamukong Suh, Greg Hardy, Brady, Ray Lewis, Bill Romanowski, Ben Roethlisberger, Adam "Pacman" Jones and Adrian Peterson.

The fact that Ray Rice, Aaron Hernandez, Rae Carruth and OJ Simpson are not on the list further destroys any credibility of the poll.

Kevin's Call To Hall

Former Pats RB Kevin Faulk is certainly a worthy newly elected member of the team's Hall of Fame. He beat out LB Mike Vrabel and CB Raymond Clayborn.

The election process is stilled flawed. Fans seem to only vote for players from the Parcells/Belichick era. I can understand since many of the voters never saw Clayborn play. He is more than a worthy candidate. He would be a star on today's team, but will get overlooked in future years.

The entire process is a sham if Coach Bill Parcells can't even get on the ballot.

Jet Not Flying

The New York Jets and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick are millions of dollars apart in their negotiations over a new contract.

The market for quarterbacks is very inflated. It's a great job to be a back-up because it pays so well. They also take fewer hits.

The Jets are wasting valuable time with Fitzpatrick. They know they need him, but want to name the price. It's not happening right now.

Missing Time

Most players want to avoid surgery if possible. Teams often make the final decision with input from the player. It's hard to figure out why the Pats waited so long for WR Danny Amendola before they announced that he had procedures done on his left knee and ankle.

His recovery might delay his participation in training camp and perhaps the start of the season. This happens all the time around the league. Managing injuries is a big challenge for all.

Will We Know Jonathan Next Year?

Running the fastest 40 by a cornerback (4.33) at the Scouting Combine should get you drafted, but it didn't for Jonathan Jones of Auburn.

He ended up signing with he Pats as an undrafted free agent. He has a story like Malcolm Butler, although he played in the SEC.

Will he make the team? Does it really matter that he ran a 4.33?

Elandon Roberts

Statistics in college don't always mean being picked high in the draft or future success in the NFL. The Pats selected LB Elandon Roberts in the 6th round and 214th overall.

Last year at Houston, he lead all Division 1 players with 88 solo tackles. His 142 stops lead the AAC.

Many felt he slipped in the draft because of his size (6' 235 pounds). He is considerably smaller than Dont'a Hightower (6-3, 265), Jamie Collins (6-3, 250) and recently retired Jerod Mayo (6-1, 250).

Could his size keep him from making the team?

The Cover Man

Should Pats fan be concerned about the Madden Curse now that Rob Gronkowski will be on the cover of the Madden 17 video game? Some of the players who were selected for previous years suffered injuries or had sub-par seasons.

The NFL is a very violent game. Things can happen on any play. Gronk is a hard player to tackle and takes huge hits.

Hopefully, things go well for him next season.

Kicking Less

The story was big enough to get time on the network evening news. Pop Warner Football will try a one year test and eliminate kickoffs for ages 5-10. They will look at the result at the end of the season. It's all about player safety at such a young age.

So many injuries in college and the NFL happen on kickoffs. Pop Warner kids can really vary in their size at those ages.

Many agree that the kickoff may go away from all levels of football. If it does, it will change the game forever.

The new NFL rule of placing the ball on the 25 yard line after a touchback may actually create more kick returns and injuries.

Moss Reinvented

WR Randy Moss had a great career in New England before he burned his way out of town with some outrageous press conferences. He is one of the last players who would ever be part of the broadcast media.

His great work at Fox Sports has landed him a job with ESPN as a studio analyst. His comments were very insightful and showed great knowledge of the game.

I'm looking forward to hearing from him next season.

Not Like Tim

Undrafted players will do almost anything to make the roster, including changing positions. QB Vander Lann was the Division II player of the year for the last two season, but realized his future was not at quarterback.

After the New York Jets signed him, they decided to convert him to a tight end. He embraced the move and is now working on his routes and blocking.

During an interview, he cited Tim Tebow as someone who was not willing to play another position as suggested by many. Tebow has not played during the last three seasons.

Future Stars

The Pats signed nine undrafted players shortly after the conclusion of the draft. They are an interesting group, including two tight ends and three defensive backs. Will any of them make the roster?

Every team signs undrafted players. The Pats have a history of finding some gems. In 2014, Malcolm Butler went from being undrafted to making the game winning play in the Super Bowl.

Danny Gives Up Cash

Some players chase every dollar. They sign big contracts, but never see most of it. Players get released because of their salary cap hit.

For the second consecutive year, WR Danny Amendola has restructured his contract in order to stay with the team. His cap hit for 2016 was $6.8 million. There was no way the Pats were going to put up with this.

Amendola saw the writing on the wall. He knows he is in a good place with the Pats. He agreed to a two year deal for $7.35 million, with $750,000 in  performance bonuses.

He was smart in doing this. He knows he is better off here. Other players would have become free agents.

It Wasn't Joe

I was listening to a Boston sports talk show last night while driving home. The host kept teasing the audience by saying that he would announce the worst pick of Bill Belichick's era.

It turns out to be LS Joe Cardona of Navy who was a 5th round pick last year. He has a five year military commitment, but was able to play last season while also serving at a Newport, RI facility.

I think it's pointless to talk about picks after the 4th round. It's a roll of the dice. I'm sure Coach Belichick selected him because of his loyalty to the Naval Academy where his late father coached for 33 years. The host questioned using a 5th round pick on a long snapper.

I was expecting something more profound than this selection.

Picking Mistakes

Too much has been written about mock drafts and players leaving college early. There are some hard facts that I read yesterday.

Underclassmen continue to leave with one year of eligibility left. They think they can hit a financial jackpot. Of the 107 who chose this, 30 went undrafted.

Twenty of the 101 Senior Bowl participants went undrafted.

The Scouting Combine continues to look foolish with 216 of 333 being selected, but leaving out 117 (35.1%). Teams reached out to 37 non-invitees.

The league is filled with stories of undrafted players who become successful and first round disasters. It happens every year. The draft is very unpredictable. It won't be any different in the future.

Time To Waste Money

Just about all players who sign contracts have never had so much money in the life. Many spend their money on foolish things like cars and jewelry. After their playing days are over, they will be broke.

I hate to read stories about frivolous spending. We see it every year. I find it so refreshing when I read something about a player making good financial investments and growing their money.

The Big Hit

LaremyTunsil from Ole Miss was projected to be among the top five picks in the NFL draft. A lot of money was on the table. Shortly before the draft, a video surfaced of him wearing a gas mask and smoking some type of substance.

This caused a great deal of panic among teams. He slipped down to 13th before being selected by the Miami Dolphins. Tunsil said one of his social media accounts had ben hacked.

He said the video was from two years ago. No matter what happened, his later selection will cost him about $8 million in contract money. It will also make him the poster boy for the dangers of social media.

Start Measuring His Jacket

If RB Kevin Faulk was trying to campaign for fan votes for the team's Hall of Fame, he hit a hone run the other night when he introduced the Pats #78 overall pick.

He want to the podium neatly dressed in a blazer and wore a replica Tom Brady game jersey. As he announced the pick, he said:  "The Patriots and Tom Brady select OL Joe Thuney from North Carolina State. His comments got many boos from the audience in Chicago.

His words drew raves from fans, Nick Casserio and Coach Belichick. It was a legacy moment for the former star. His comments will live forever and only endear him more to fans.

He might have sewn up the election that night.