Let Him Wear #15

WR Reggie Wayne is one of those players that Coach Belichick has coveted for many years. The Pats finally signed him, but will be make the final 53 man roster?

This reminds me of when they signed Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson. He was never able to master the playbook and had a minimal impact on the team.

A few years ago, the Pats signed future Hall of Fame safety John Lynch, but he never made it out of training camp and retired.

A local sports writer mentioned that Rob Gronkoski should give his number 87 to his new teammate who wore it with the Colts. He is currently wearing number 15 since joining the Pats.

It would be one thing if Gronk was a rookie or journeyman. He has earned his stripes in the league and is marching towards Canton. There is no reason to surrender his number to a guy who might not even be on the opening day roster.

Vick's Last Stand

Michael Vick has reached a point where he is without a team. He was in Pittsburgh for a meeting with the Steelers. At this stage, his best option is to be a backup somewhere.

They might be a good fit as backup QB Bruce Gradkowski will be out for an extended period with a finger injury.

Vick is 35, but still has something left. He is fighting to keep this from being the end. He wants to leave on his terms.

Rex In No Hurry

Going into the third preseason game, teams like to know who will be their starting quarterback. The Houston Texans announced that Brian Hoyer has won the job over Ryan Mallet. Hoyer will be the starter, but will be on a short leash.

Meanwhile in Buffalo, Rex Ryan is taking his time to make his decision. He needs to choose from Matt Cassel, Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel. Each player brings their own unique skills to the huddle.

Rex said that his decision will be made a few days before their opening game. It's probably not the best way to proceed, but Rex does his own thing.

Wayne's World

If you stay around long enough in the NFL, you will eventually get kicked to the curb. We are seeing that with former Colts WR Reggie Wayne.

In spite of being 6th all-time in receptions and 8th for yards, the Colts had no desire to keep him for the 2015 season.

A number of teams expressed interest, but nothing worked out. He had surgery for a torn triceps muscle from an injury last season.

He was in Foxborough today for a physical. His name has been mentioned a number of times in the past. He finally made it here. This might be his last stop on a brilliant career.

Paranoid Peyton

Peyton Manning and his former coach Tony Dungy are now talking about their concern that the Colts locker room was bugged whenever they played the Pats at Gillette Stadium.

Their concern was such that they would often whisper or talk in the hallways. The Colts allegedly had the room swept for listening devices before every game.

This seems to be a bit of a reach and sounds more like sour grapes from two guys who had little success against Belichick and Brady.

Ryan's Issue

Eli Manning is denying that he wants to be the highest paid player in the NFL. He has been involved in negotiations for a contract extension, but claims it never came from him or his agent.

Manning's situation has a big impact on backup QB Ryan Nassib who is under contract with the team through 2016. He has thrown only five regular season passes. Manning has started 167 straight games and shows no signs of slowing down.

If the Giants commit long term to Manning, where does this leave Nassib after 2016? He would be foolish not to test the open market. He needs to get some playing time to establish a market for himself in the future.

Erik Kramer

After surviving an attempted suicide, former NFL QB Erik Kramer could become the voice of players who are dealing with brain injuries in retirement.

Kramer was found in a California motel room after police were dispatched to do a wellness check. He was suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

His ex-wife believes the suicide attempt was a result of brain damage while playing in the NFL. She claims he suffered from depression since his time with the Chicago Bears which ended in 1998.

Kramer played 13 seasons, including four in the CFL. In 83 games (67 starts), he was 31-36 with a 57.3% completion rate and 92 TD's.

What will his life be like after he recovers? Will he talk about it? He has a chance to help other players if he tells his story.

Seven Months

There was another courtroom meeting in New York City today, but nothing was resolved in Tom Brady's four game suspension.

Today is the seven month anniversary of the start of Deflategate. Who ever thought it would get to this point? There is no resolution in sight.

It would be interesting to see the total cost of this in the end. It's great job security for all the lawyers involved.

Drag Time

Tom Brady was not with the team today as he was in New York City for talks with Commissioner Roger Goodell about his four game suspension. There will be another courtroom hearing tomorrow, but Brady probably won't be there.

Nothing got done today according to sources. It doesn't appear it will be resolved by tomorrow. It looks like it's headed to Sept 4th when the judge can either issue a ruling or let this drag on.

Tebow 15

It seems like QB Tim Tebow is third or fourth on the Philadelphia Eagles depth chart. He finally had a chance to play against the Colts after sitting out the last two seasons. Doe he have a chance to make the roster?

He completed 6 of 12 passes for 69 yards and had a TD on a 15 yard run. His versatility is the key for him grabbing a spot. He wants to play quarterback, but his running ability might help him stick.

Tyler Gaffney

It's a long road for many players to get to the NFL. It's one thing to be in training camp, but another to actually be on the game day roster.

RB Tyler Gaffney will be spending his second season on Injured Reserve. The only positive thing is that he has service credit for two seasons.

He was drafted in 2014 by the Carolina Panthers as the overall 204th selection. He hurt his knee in training camp and was released. The Pats claimed him off waivers and stashed him on their IR list.

Things were looking good for 2015 until he got injured in the first week of camp. The Pats waived him, but all teams passed. He will spend another season on IR with an uncertain future.

Rex Belonged There

I read excerpts from an interview with Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan which will be aired next week on HBO. I agree with his comments about his firing at the end of last season.

He said the whole thing was orchestrated by the media who backed owner Woody Johnson into the corner and demanded the firing of GM John Idzak and Ryan.

Rex claims he is still close to Johnson and could have coached the team for 20 years. He was made for the Big Apple. I was disappointed to see the Jets get rid of him.

He has excited the Bills fan base with his larger than life personality. He is good for the NFL.