Sunday, May 31, 2020

Four Is Enough


In these crazy times when teams can't get together, it makes all the sense in the world for the Pats to go with Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham at quarterback. Both of them have time in the offensive system and with Coach Belichick.

You keep hearing stories of Josh Rosen being a player of interest. It might happen in another time, but BB is playing it close to the vest.

They have two undrafted QB's on the roster that will get a chance.

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Reggie & John


Coach Belichick was never shy about saying great compliments to opposing players. He did that with Colts WR Reggie Wayne. It's probably why Reggie hoped to play for the Pats in 2015, but it only lasted a few days. His career was over.

As Reggie explained in a recent interview, there was a $450,000 signing bonus that he was willing to give back to the team. Belichick waived him off and said to keep the money.

It's too bad he signed with the Pats so late in his career. It's like when they signed John Lynch.

Their careers ended in Foxborough.

Friday, May 29, 2020

Let's Practice Together


The NFL is crawling back to have some type of pre-season workouts.

The Governor has approved professional sports teams to reopen practice facilities in Massachusetts, but with big restrictions.

The league wants all teams to start at the same time. That might be very difficult in some locations.

Time will tell.

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Can't Just Study


NFL teams are doing their best to orientate their new players in light of being unable to meet or conduct drills.

Players can study the playbook and watch film all day, but they need to work on refining their skills.

We could see a lot of sloppy play if the season gets off the ground.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Will Might Be Julian


Fans need to move on from Tom Brady. It's a waste of time to lament over the past.

He seems to be so recharged with his new team and working so hard.

The Pats have Jarrett Stidham and his former teammate WR Will Hastings who went undrafted. He was Stidham's favorite target as a slot receiver at Auburn.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Logan Looking To Land


CB Logan Ryan parlayed his time in New England into a good free agent contract with the Titans.

He is now a free agent looking for around $10 million annually. The Jets are quite interested, but it will come down to the dollars.

Ryan has championship rings, so he is playing for a big contract at this point.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Temperature Is Too High


The NFL will need to adhere to so many safety guidelines to play in 2020. One thing we won't see are stories about players who gutted it out with the flu.

Players and coaches will have their temperature taken daily. They will be sent home if it goes about 100.3.

There is no doubt that someone will get sick in a pool of that many people.



Sunday, May 24, 2020

Joe's In New York


QB Joe Flacco was the MVP of Super Bowl XLVII, but it doesn't really matter at this point. The former 18th overall pick in 2008 was released by the Ravens after 11 seasons with them.

His time in Denver was ruined by a herniated disc that required surgery. His $1.5 million deal with the Jets for the 2020 season is the best chance to stay on the radar.

He faces an uphill battle to make the roster, but probably will for his veteran leadership.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

They Sell Beer For Money


I read a very interesting analysis of what it will take to get the NFL to play this season in light of the pandemic.

Nobody knows where we will be in September. Team owners know they can't fill stadiums to full capacity. Reports show that game day revenue with tickets, parking and concessions is at $5.5 billion.

It's a revenue stream that nobody wants to see end, but it will be a real challenge to see this season to the end.

We will be in uncharted waters.


Friday, May 22, 2020

Looking For Giant Money


Players of the same position love to see others get big contracts because they know it could trickle down to them.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey just signed a 4 year/$31.1 million contract extension. He was the second overall pick in the 2018 draft.

This looks good for Giants RB Saquon Barkley, the first overall pick in the same draft. He wants to renegotiate his rookie deal. McCaffrey's numbers gives him a starting point.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Dak Declines


Cowboys QB Dak Prescott should realize that he won't be able to beat owner Jerry Jones in contract negotiation.

He wants to be the highest paid player at that position and turned down a 5 year/$175 million offer.

NFL contracts are all smoke and mirrors because very few players ever see all of the money they signed for.

Prescott wanted a shorter length, but the Cowboys pushed for more years. They signed Andy Dalton because of this.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Guarding Too Much Money


The Pats have a huge salary cap problem with so much dead money on the books due to Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Stephen Gotskowski and Antonio Brown.

They have several players that are taking up huge amounts of space. They have committed $28.5 million to guards Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney. They lead the league in money spent on starting guards.

Although they are both great players, this is preventing them from signing other free agents.

Belichick would like to trade Thuney, but doesn't want him to go to a potential rival or get minimal in return.



Tuesday, May 19, 2020

How Happy Is Brady?


It's great to see Tom Brady having a rebirth in Tampa Bay. He seems so excited to be there in a new environment. He has sought out the phone numbers of teammates and thrown the ball to some of the key offensive players.

Tom Brady spent 20 years with the Pats. He is in a new world right now. It is so good for him and the NFL.

Coach Belichick is very happy going with Jarrett Stidham.

Monday, May 18, 2020

Stateside 2020



It was inevitable that the NFL would cancel its games in London and Mexico City. The upcoming season will be a logistical nightmare in light of the pandemic.

The Jaguars were slated to host two while the Dolphins and Falcons had one each. The Cardinals were to host in Mexico City.

It remains to be seen if the season starts on time.

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Don & Bill


As Coach Belichick moves forward to winning games and adding numbers to his legacy, he is ultimately chasing Don Shula for all-time wins.

Their relationship is so complex and will no-doubt be part of some show on the NFL Network.

It's exciting to see him going with Jarrett Stidham.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Not THe Way To Hire


The NFL needs to do a better job in hiring minority candidates for head coaching and front office jobs. Some teams do a much better job than others.

A radical proposal would allow teams to move up in the draft if they hired them.

Is this fair to the other teams that have done their duty?

Friday, May 15, 2020

Not Ready For 2021


The NFL is trying its best to go forward with the 2020 season. Nobody knows if the full schedule will be played or if fans will be in the stands. The story will evolve over the next few months.

It's easy to see that some members of the media have nothing to write about when they start projecting the 2021 NFL draft.

College football is still questionable for September. How can you evaluate players if they don't play?

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Brady Driving Prices


Tampa Bay is having a football renaissance since they signed Tom Brady. Season ticket requests have skyrocketed. The secondary ticket market has prices going through the roof.

Meanwhile in Foxborough, the Pats have a years long waiting list for season tickets, but the secondary prices continue to fall without the star attraction of Brady.

In the end, both franchises will continue to make money and increase in value.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Red Jacket For Seymour


Richard Seymour was selected to the Pats Hall of Fame over coach Bill Parcells and LB Mike Vrabel.

It was a great choice by the voters as Seymour has been a finalist for the HOF in Canton, but there was a question of why couldn't he get into the one in Foxborough.

Will Bill Parcells ever get voted in? Owner Robert Kraft could make an executive decision, but will that cheapen the honor?



Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Prime Time Brady


When Tom Brady signed with Tampa Bay, it forced the NFL and its broadcast partners to rearrange their television schedules to accommodate the fans who want to watch him.

During Weeks 5-12, Brady will be on once on Thursday night and two for Sunday and Monday.

The five broadcasts should yield huge ratings which is what the league wants.


Monday, May 11, 2020

New Brady Theory


The media will now be happy to discuss the latest Tom Brady conspiracy on why Tom Brady left the Pats.

They are now saying that his relationship with Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels broke down over play calling and the lack of offensive weapons.

With no games to discuss in any sports, this point will be debated to the end of the earth.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

TV Tom


Tom Brady is the best thing that ever happened to Tampa Bay. The NFL and their network providers went to great extremes to give him maximum exposure during Weeks 5-12.

They have him on one Thursday night game, as well as two on both Sunday and Monday nights.

He is reviving the franchise. The NFL loves that because it only increases the value of the league.


Saturday, May 9, 2020

College Football 2020


The NCAA has indicated that the college football season might be in jeopardy, especially if classes don't start on time.

Some schools around the nation could have an issue with summer practices and keeping players safe.

It will be a real challenge to have crowds in the stands.

Friday, May 8, 2020

Ready To Backup


Free agent QB Cam Newton has indicated that he is willing to consider being a backup this year. Teams appear to be all set with their starting quarterback.

Many feel that the former MVP should just sit out the season and try again next year.

Teams have not beaten a path to his door. At this point in his career, he needs to find a team and stay relevant.

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Leaving Whenever



Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh wrote an open letter to the college football community regarding the eligibility of players for the draft. He is making a radical proposal that makes a lot of sense.

Players who leave after three years for the draft would be able to return to school if they were not selected. They would also be able to declare for the draft at any point.

Schools make a great amount pf money from their players who get no part of it. Players mature at a different rate and some are ready for the NFL after one year.

The NCAA has too much control over them.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Frank Gore @ Jets


RB Frank Gore will be turning 37 shortly and just signed with the Jets, his third team in three years.

He was productive in Buffalo last season on a reduced workload of 599 yards to bring his career regular season total to 15,269.

He might be too far behind the 18,355 of Emmitte Smith, but has a chance to catch Walter Payton at 16,726.

He has been very durable over the years. Time will tell.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Not All Get Chances


NFL teams drafted 256 players and signed more than 1,000 undrafted free agents to fill out their 90 man roster.

There are winners and losers on both sides of the player competition. Teams have been unable to hold tryouts on players who might be part of the team's 90 in a normal situation. Some might never get the chance they have waited for.

Veteran players have an advantage because they already have their foot in the door and teams might be more willing to go with them.





Monday, May 4, 2020

No Way To Return


The NCAA should reconsider how they treat college football players who elect to leave school early in the hope of being drafted.

Since 2010, over 25% of them were not selected in one of the rounds. Many found their way to a team as an undrafted free agent.

TE Thaddeus Moss of LSU is a great example. The son of Randy Moss had a great year in 2019, including two TD receptions in the National Championship game.

He decided to take his chances in the draft, but a medical exam showed a fracture in his right foot. His stock dropped so much that he went undrafted. His best option was to sign with the Redskins for a $20,000 bonus.

Players such as Moss, should have an option to return to school. This injury cost him a great deal of money.






Sunday, May 3, 2020

No More Dalton talk


Many "experts" feel that the Pats cannot go into the 2020 season with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer as the depth chart for quarterbacks.

We have heard the narrative of the team signing former Bengals QB Andy Dalton. That talk finally ended yesterday when the Cowboys gave him a one year/$7 million deal to backup Dak Prescott.

Nobody seems to want to let Coach Belichick make his own decision about the quarterback position. They want some overpriced veteran to come in and try to learn a new offense during these times where practices might be limited because of the pandemic.

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Will It Happen On September 10th?


The NFL plans to open their season on September 10th and play the Super Bowl on February 7th. This is based upon many assumptions.

Will training camp start at the end of July? Playing the games, with or without fans, will present significant public health challenges.

It seems hard to believe that the season could begin without issues.

Friday, May 1, 2020

Pats HOF 2020


The voting process has begun for fans to select the latest candidate for the Pats Hall of Fame.

The ballot is composed of holdover candidates from multiple years. Fans can choose between Coach Bill Parcells, Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour.

A bottleneck is developing with an overflow from the Belichick/Brady era. There are so many worthy candidates in future years.

The fact that Bill Parcells is not a member shows a flaw in the entire process.