No Incentive For Making It

The Pats having nothing at stake financially when it comes to Tim Tebow. He signed a two year contract for the veteran minimum of $630,000 for 2013 and $740,000 for  2014. He has playing time incentives for the 2014 contract.

If he ever met the incentives, it would be a dire situation for the Pats because that would mean Tom Brady would be out of action. If he plays 60% of the offensive plays in 2014, he will get a $500,000 bonus. If he gets 80% of the snaps, he will pick up $1.5 million. If he leads them to at least ten wins, he would grab another $2 million.

As much as I like signing him, I don't see them winning more than ten games with hm. It would also mean that Brady would have been seriously injured.

Tebow Time

The signing of Tim Tebow has certainly created a media frenzy around here. What will his role be with the team? So far, it appears to be a third string quarterback. Will he make he final 53 man roster? It seems hard to believe that Coach Belichick would keep three players at that position.

Will he play any tight end or running back? The situation could change any day. Many fans are in an uproar over the signing. They assume that he will make the team and become a distraction. He needs to earn a roster spot. He won't be on the team as a stunt. He either produces or will be looking for another team.

I think Coach Belichick will handle the distraction of having him on the team. He will tell the media what he wants them to know. Who knows how this will play out? I have doubts whether he will be on the opening day roster. This is Tebow's best chance to restart his NFL career. It might be his last opportunity. Time will tell.

A Bad Day For Chad

Today was the day when Chad Johnson was to find out his fate for violating his probation terms in Florida on his domestic assault charge. He was facing possible jail time, but it looked like he would skate.

Everything was going fine until he slapped his lawyer on the backside in front of the judge. This earned him a 30 day jail term because the judge didn't think Chad was taking the charges seriously enough.

Chad has acted like a clown throughout his career. He was never mean spirited and was basically a happy go lucky type of guy. For once, he should have kept a lid on it. He gave a very lame excuse for missing meetings with his probation officer. He should have been contrite, but he wasn't.

Hopefully, this is not the beginning of a downward spiral for him. I've always been a fan of his, but I feel things are going to get worse for him. His time with the Pats was not a bright moment. He was a good soldier, but lost the ability to adapt to the Pats offense.

Jim Kelly

I hope things work out for Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Bills. He just underwent surgery on his jaw for cancer. They removed part of it. Reports say that his prognosis is good.

Kelly certainly had a star-crossed career in the NFL. He holds virtually every Bills career passing record. He appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls, but will forever be known as they only quaterback to lose four consecutive ones. Such was the curse for those Marv Levy teams.

Now, he is in a new battle. I hope things work out for him. He was a great player and always gave the Pats a handful

That Time Of The Season

It's less than eight weeks away until the Pats have a preseason game with the Philadelphia Eagles. The schedule is filled with prime time television games.This will certainly keep the team focused week to week.

It's interesting to see the 2013 Pats schedule posted on my refrigerator. It's that time of the season to do this. It's only a matter of time before training camp.

Is It Really The Last Time?

Terrell Owens has threatened to retire if he doesn't play this season. That might be a good idea after not being on a team for the two regular seasons. He was in training camp with Seattle last August, but never survived the final cut.

It's certainly not from his playing ability of skills. He is not the vintage T.O, but he can be a fourth or fifth receiver if he is willing to check his ego and give up the ball. Any team could use a receiver with his skills and accomplishments. Most teams would rather bypass his baggage and sign a free agent.

If T.O doesn't make it to the opening season, I bet he lingers throughout 2013 with the hope of a player getting hurt or if a team gets desperate.

Ray & Eric

Special teams player Ray Ventrone is a great story of perseverance. The Pats signed him as an undrafted player in 2005. He spent the season on their practice squad while Eric Mangini was the defensive coordinator.

Mangini moved onto the head coaching job with the New York Jets. When the Pats released Ventrone in 2007, the Jets signed him. He stayed with them until his release in 2008. He began his second tenure with the Pats before departing in 2009 for a four year contract with the Cleveland Browns where Mangini moved to after being fired by the Jets.

Mangini got himself fired a second time and resurfaced on ESPN. The San Francisco 49er's just hired him as "Special Offensive Analyst". One of the first moves he made was to have the 49er's sign Ventrone. They are back together for a third time.

Through it all, Ventone has been able to play in 73 NFL games and stick around in the league since 2005. I wonder if he will end up with the Pats again

Not Getting Along

Hall of Fame QB Joe Namath turned 70 last Friday. Broadway Joe is probably the greatest player in New York Jets history. However, he remains estranged from the team and has little contact with it. He does not speak to owner Woody Johnson. Some of this has resulted from Joe's criticism of the Jets over the last couple of seasons.

The team has disappointed many fans with their dismal record. He has not been afraid to speak his mind. As a result, he has taken heat from everyone, including the players. What should be the role of former players when it comes to commenting about the current team?

Jim Brown parted ways with the Cleveland Browns last year as a result of his rift with GM Mike Holmgren. He has recently rejoined the browns as a special adviser after Holmgren's departure. Brown skipped a Ring of Honor ceremony last year because of his feelings.

Mike Ditka has been on the outs with the Bears since his firing as the head coach in 1992. Now, they are finally reconciling. Ditka's number will be retired during a ceremony this season. It should have been done a long time ago.

A number of former Pats are now broadcasters with high profile positions. Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Heath Evans and Willie MacGinest need to be impartial when talking about the Pats. I'm sure it's difficult at times since they all won Super Bowls with their former team.

Friday Is His Day

JeMarcus Russell is a story that never ends. The first overall pick of 2007 who was one of the league's all-time busts has a tryout scheduled with the Chicago Bears on Friday.

Russell made untold millions and blew it all. He was out of the league before he even knew. He made a lot of money, but he must always wear the tag of the worst overall pick ever.

He can only hope to sign a contract and get to training camp. A guy so immensely talented is bound to interest some teams. Russell has worked with a trainer and lost 50 pounds to get down to his playing weight of 265.

Have his skills eroded? We shall find out on Friday when he gets his test. It's worth a shot on both sides.

The Odds Look Good

Odds makers have high hopes for the Pats this season. The off-shore gambling site Bovada has given them the highest over/under for wins with 11.5, tied with the Broncos. The 49er's are next with 11, followed by Green Bay, Seattle and Houston all with 10.5. It doesn't really mean anything. That amount of wins would probably get them a first round bye for the playoffs and home field advantage.

In the end, it's all about what happens in the post-season. The regular season sets the table for the playoffs. Getting to the AFC Championship game last year was a major accomplishment. Winning it would have been better. It's great to have a winning record, but the whole season comes down to the playoffs.

If the Pats get 12 or more wins, they will be heading in the right direction if the team is healthy. There are so many variables to consider at this point.

The Seat Isn't Hot

Writers try to invent controversy. Someone came up with a list of five coaches who are on the "hot seat" for 2013. They might be right, but we haven't even started training camp. Teams will evolve over time. Camp tells a lot about the team for the season, but it's not inclusive.

As a fan of the Pats, we have become spoiled by never having a coaching issue since 1993. Bill Parcells left after the 1996 under bad circumstances, but nobody has ever been on the "hot seat" in the time of the Kraft family ownership. That means a lot to the stability of the franchise.

49er's Take A Hit

Organized Team Activities are a very important part of the preparation for the upcoming season. The latest CBA has changed how they are conducted. They are now done without any pads and contact.

However, that doesn't stop players from getting injured.The San Francisco 49er's suffered a huge loss when WR Michael Crabtree went down with a torn right Achilles tendon. He was injured during seven-on-seven drills. The team is silent on whether he will return during 2013.

Crabtree was a critical part of the 49er's offense last season when he caught 85 passes for 1,105 yards. Unfortunately, he won't be the last player who suffers a devastating injury during the OTA's and training camp. It's part of the game