The Patriots didn't do three things last week, and by not doing so, may have implied what will be done shortly.
Randy Moss was not franchised. To me, this means something good will happen. It seems as though Moss and the Patriots will be able to come to a multiple year deal for a decent price. The franchise tag is a great tool, but it only keeps a player for one year. It also tends to irritate that player so much so that they leave.
Speaking of franchise players leaving, Asante Samuel and the Patriots have not been able to come to terms. The Pro Bowl cornerback will go on the open market as a free agent. Some mediocre team will overpay for him, taking too large of a salary cap hit, then their fans will wonder why they are mediocre.
Samuel has become a top cornerback in the past two seasons. However, the money he will make will be too high of a price to retain his services.
The Patriots also didn't pick up Donte Stallworth's option. This was to be expected. The option would have kicked in a large signing bonus worth somewhere around $8M. That kind of hit on the salary cap would have been too much. So Stallworth is a free agent, but the Pats will probably try to get him to sign a new contract.
Source:
Boston.com
Boston sports blog featuring Patriots propaganda, and opinions on the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
RED SOX 2008 PREVIEW: THIRD BASE
Mike Lowell had one of the best seasons for a Red Sox third-baseman since Wade Boggs. He hit .324, which was good for 7th in the AL. He led the team in RBI with 120, which was also 5th in the AL. He hit .353 in the playoffs, and .400 in the World Series. He had 15 post-season RBI and was named World Series MVP.
Lowell was also very consistent last year. He only had one month in which he hit below .300, and only two months with fewer than 20 RBI.
One could very easily make the argument that he was the MVP of the team.
He'll be 34 this year, but there's no reason to think he'll be slowing down. He's found a niche in Boston. He hit .373 in Fenway last year, with 14 of his 21 HRs, and 73 of his 120 RBIs.
Lowell has also become a Yankee Killer. He hit .324 in the Bronx last year, and .382 against the Yankees. He had more RBIs against New York (18) than against any other team.
Although JD Drew was brought in to hit 5th, Lowell will probably start the season in that slot. He hit an appalling .448 as a #5 hitter last year. Lowell is clutch, too. He hit .356 with runners in scoring position.
If JD Drew hits this year, Lowell moves down nicely to 6th, making the top two thirds of the Red Sox order one of the fiercest in baseball.
Since coming to the Sox in 2006, he's hit 41 HRs, 84 doubles, and knocked in 200 runs.
He'll be spelled from time to time by Youkilis, and possibly Cora. With Sean Casey available to cover first, he'll probably get more time off than he has the past few seasons. Last year he played in every game but 6. He's played in 150+ games for four straight seasons. This year that may change, depending on the production Casey provides as a backup.
Mike Lowell is simply a championship calibre player. He's not a mega-star, but he does his job day in, day out. I hate using the term blue collar for athletes (Lowell made $9M last year), but Lowell's as close as it comes.
Sources:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com
Lowell was also very consistent last year. He only had one month in which he hit below .300, and only two months with fewer than 20 RBI.
One could very easily make the argument that he was the MVP of the team.
He'll be 34 this year, but there's no reason to think he'll be slowing down. He's found a niche in Boston. He hit .373 in Fenway last year, with 14 of his 21 HRs, and 73 of his 120 RBIs.
Lowell has also become a Yankee Killer. He hit .324 in the Bronx last year, and .382 against the Yankees. He had more RBIs against New York (18) than against any other team.
Although JD Drew was brought in to hit 5th, Lowell will probably start the season in that slot. He hit an appalling .448 as a #5 hitter last year. Lowell is clutch, too. He hit .356 with runners in scoring position.
If JD Drew hits this year, Lowell moves down nicely to 6th, making the top two thirds of the Red Sox order one of the fiercest in baseball.
Since coming to the Sox in 2006, he's hit 41 HRs, 84 doubles, and knocked in 200 runs.
He'll be spelled from time to time by Youkilis, and possibly Cora. With Sean Casey available to cover first, he'll probably get more time off than he has the past few seasons. Last year he played in every game but 6. He's played in 150+ games for four straight seasons. This year that may change, depending on the production Casey provides as a backup.
Mike Lowell is simply a championship calibre player. He's not a mega-star, but he does his job day in, day out. I hate using the term blue collar for athletes (Lowell made $9M last year), but Lowell's as close as it comes.
Sources:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
PATRIOTS OFF-SEASON THOUGHTS: RUNNINGBACK
If the Patriots offense had a weakness in 2007, it was the running game. It's hard to say that 1,849 yards is a weakness, but when compared to the passing game (4,865 yards), the fact that the running game wasn't amazing made it a relative weakness.
The Patriots averaged 115.6 yards per game, which was 13th in the NFL. The 4.1 yards per carry average was also good for 13th, and was the NFL average. The Pats scored 17 touchdowns on the ground, which was 6th best in the NFL. But that was only about 1/5 of their total points scored.
The bulk of the carries came from Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk. Combined, this trio had 1,484 yards on the ground, and 534 receiving yards.
It's difficult to say who was the feature back. Before getting injured, Sammy Morris had amassed 384 rushing yards in six games, rushing past the 100 mark against Cincinnati and Cleveland. Meanwhile, Maroney only had three 100 yard games all year.
But Maroney was also hampered by injuries. He missed a good deal of training camp, and missed weeks 4, 5, and 6.
One pattern with Maroney was a lack of consistency in his game. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry, but only had one game with an average of 4.0 to 4.9. He had four games below 3.5 yards per carry. He went from averaging 11.0 YPC against Miami to 2.4 YPC against the Giants. In the playoffs, he had two of his best games. Then he laid an egg in the Super Bowl, getting swamped behind the line numerous times.
Maroney, Morris, and Faulk will probably be the trio at runningback this year. Although Morris and Faulk are getting old for RBs (30 and 31, respectively), they're much more reliable than Maroney.
Laurence has sparks of greatness, but he needs the support of guys like Morris and Faulk to keep those sparks from going out. He has also yet to rush for 19 games in a year.
The Patriots do have the 7th overall pick in the draft, which means moving up to get Darren McFadden out of Arkansas isn't too tall of a task. If McFadden is available at 7th, look for the Patriots to take him simple because he's too talented to still be around so late.
One slim possibility of a player joining the team as a 4th tailback would be 230 pounder LaMont Jordan, former Jet, and now former Raider. Jordan's never taken off as a featured back, but he's bigger than average and just seems like a guy the Patriots might bring in and all of a sudden turn into a solid role player.
Heat Evans played "fullback" for the Pats in 2007, which is a position that doesn't exist very often in the Patriots scheme. He did well in this role, but with the Patriots offense being what it is, I can see them going without a fullback in 2008. If this happens, look for Heath's roster spot to be taken by a tailback.
The Patriots running game wasn't a weakness in 2007, but it wasn't much of a strength. A solid, consistent, and punishing run game can do wonders for an offense. Just the threat of it is enough to keep pass-rushing defensive linemen on their back feet. It wears down defensive linemen, linebackers, and DBs; especially if it is a balanced attack of power and finesse rushing. It spreads the field out. It can shorten a game. It sets up play-action.
The Patriots will once again be a pass-oriented team in 2008. But an improved running game will only help the passing game score more often, and more regularly. The Pats scored 586 points last year. With an improved running game, the sky is the limit. Maybe even 40 points a game.
Sources:
Pro-Football-Reference.com
The Patriots averaged 115.6 yards per game, which was 13th in the NFL. The 4.1 yards per carry average was also good for 13th, and was the NFL average. The Pats scored 17 touchdowns on the ground, which was 6th best in the NFL. But that was only about 1/5 of their total points scored.
The bulk of the carries came from Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk. Combined, this trio had 1,484 yards on the ground, and 534 receiving yards.
It's difficult to say who was the feature back. Before getting injured, Sammy Morris had amassed 384 rushing yards in six games, rushing past the 100 mark against Cincinnati and Cleveland. Meanwhile, Maroney only had three 100 yard games all year.
But Maroney was also hampered by injuries. He missed a good deal of training camp, and missed weeks 4, 5, and 6.
One pattern with Maroney was a lack of consistency in his game. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry, but only had one game with an average of 4.0 to 4.9. He had four games below 3.5 yards per carry. He went from averaging 11.0 YPC against Miami to 2.4 YPC against the Giants. In the playoffs, he had two of his best games. Then he laid an egg in the Super Bowl, getting swamped behind the line numerous times.
Maroney, Morris, and Faulk will probably be the trio at runningback this year. Although Morris and Faulk are getting old for RBs (30 and 31, respectively), they're much more reliable than Maroney.
Laurence has sparks of greatness, but he needs the support of guys like Morris and Faulk to keep those sparks from going out. He has also yet to rush for 19 games in a year.
The Patriots do have the 7th overall pick in the draft, which means moving up to get Darren McFadden out of Arkansas isn't too tall of a task. If McFadden is available at 7th, look for the Patriots to take him simple because he's too talented to still be around so late.
One slim possibility of a player joining the team as a 4th tailback would be 230 pounder LaMont Jordan, former Jet, and now former Raider. Jordan's never taken off as a featured back, but he's bigger than average and just seems like a guy the Patriots might bring in and all of a sudden turn into a solid role player.
Heat Evans played "fullback" for the Pats in 2007, which is a position that doesn't exist very often in the Patriots scheme. He did well in this role, but with the Patriots offense being what it is, I can see them going without a fullback in 2008. If this happens, look for Heath's roster spot to be taken by a tailback.
The Patriots running game wasn't a weakness in 2007, but it wasn't much of a strength. A solid, consistent, and punishing run game can do wonders for an offense. Just the threat of it is enough to keep pass-rushing defensive linemen on their back feet. It wears down defensive linemen, linebackers, and DBs; especially if it is a balanced attack of power and finesse rushing. It spreads the field out. It can shorten a game. It sets up play-action.
The Patriots will once again be a pass-oriented team in 2008. But an improved running game will only help the passing game score more often, and more regularly. The Pats scored 586 points last year. With an improved running game, the sky is the limit. Maybe even 40 points a game.
Sources:
Pro-Football-Reference.com
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
PATS OFFER A CONTRACT TO ZACH THOMAS
The Patriots met with Zach Thomas yesterday, and have reportedly offered him a contract. The terms of the deal are undisclosed.
I think this would be a solid signing. But the Pats need to get some younger, more explosive players in the middle of their linebacker corps. Thomas and Vrabel can play inside, but we've seen that for both of them, playing on the outside leads to more big plays.
Source:
Reiss's Pieces on Boston.com
I think this would be a solid signing. But the Pats need to get some younger, more explosive players in the middle of their linebacker corps. Thomas and Vrabel can play inside, but we've seen that for both of them, playing on the outside leads to more big plays.
Source:
Reiss's Pieces on Boston.com
RED SOX 2008 PREVIEW: SECOND BASE
2007 Rookie of the Year Dustin Pedroia starts his second full season at second base in 2008. Pedroia endured a rough start and wound up with some very solid numbers. He hit .317 (10th in the AL), with an OBP of .380. By the end of the year, he was the Sox leadoff hitter.
He had a dreadful month of April, going 10 for 55 (.182), and slugging a pathetic .236. But after that, he was great. He hit .333 for the rest of the season. Of his 50 RBI for the season, 48 came after April. Of his 48 extra basehits, 45 came after April. He even had a good post-season, hitting .283 in the playoffs with 10 RBI in 14 games. Although he didn't walk much, he didn't strike out much either. In fact, he was the 2nd hardest man in the AL to strikeout, only doing so once every 12.4 ABs.
Pedroia's recovery from a slow start was what impressed me the most. He raised his average over .130 points, and his slugging by more than .100. He took all the pressure that comes with being a rookie and playing Boston; and turned it into a great season.
With Ellsbury and Youkilis probably starting the season at the top of the batting order, Pedroia will probably hit 7th. This should get him some mop-up RBI opportunities from the big bats.
I wouldn't mind seeing him hit 9th, either. Although this would reduce his total at-bats, it would mean he'd be hitting in front of Ellsbury, Youkilis, and Ortiz. This might lead to more overall production. Pedroia is more of a place-setter than a power-based RBI hitter. If he hits in front of guys like Lugo and Varitek at the bottom of the order, his offensive contributions may be wasted.
Once again, Pedroia will be backed up by Alex Cora. Cora only hit .246 last year, but that's not too bad for the backup middle-infielder. There was a stretch early in the year when he was unstoppable. He was 24 for 76 (.316) in April and May, with 13 RBI.
Cora probably won't get much playing time at second base, especially with the short-leash Julio Lugo will be getting at short-stop.
Hopefully, the Red Sox have found a long-term, productive second baseman. That's something they haven't had in a long, long time.
Sources:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com
He had a dreadful month of April, going 10 for 55 (.182), and slugging a pathetic .236. But after that, he was great. He hit .333 for the rest of the season. Of his 50 RBI for the season, 48 came after April. Of his 48 extra basehits, 45 came after April. He even had a good post-season, hitting .283 in the playoffs with 10 RBI in 14 games. Although he didn't walk much, he didn't strike out much either. In fact, he was the 2nd hardest man in the AL to strikeout, only doing so once every 12.4 ABs.
Pedroia's recovery from a slow start was what impressed me the most. He raised his average over .130 points, and his slugging by more than .100. He took all the pressure that comes with being a rookie and playing Boston; and turned it into a great season.
With Ellsbury and Youkilis probably starting the season at the top of the batting order, Pedroia will probably hit 7th. This should get him some mop-up RBI opportunities from the big bats.
I wouldn't mind seeing him hit 9th, either. Although this would reduce his total at-bats, it would mean he'd be hitting in front of Ellsbury, Youkilis, and Ortiz. This might lead to more overall production. Pedroia is more of a place-setter than a power-based RBI hitter. If he hits in front of guys like Lugo and Varitek at the bottom of the order, his offensive contributions may be wasted.
Once again, Pedroia will be backed up by Alex Cora. Cora only hit .246 last year, but that's not too bad for the backup middle-infielder. There was a stretch early in the year when he was unstoppable. He was 24 for 76 (.316) in April and May, with 13 RBI.
Cora probably won't get much playing time at second base, especially with the short-leash Julio Lugo will be getting at short-stop.
Hopefully, the Red Sox have found a long-term, productive second baseman. That's something they haven't had in a long, long time.
Sources:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com
Monday, February 18, 2008
ZACH THOMAS RELEASED
The Dolphins released veteran middle linebacker Zach Thomas. The 12 year veteran turns 35 in September. Thomas has not publicly contemplated retiring, and seems to want to hook up to a contending team in an effort to win a Super Bowl ring.
Thomas only played in 5 games last season, missing time due to concussion and migraines. But he still had 52 tackles in those games. He's averaged 10.8 tackles per game over the last three seasons, which may be a product of Miami's suckiness (more offensive plays run by opponent, more running plays up the middle by opponent because they're ahead, mediocre defensive line, etc.).
When I first saw that Thomas was released, I instantly envisioned him in a Patriots uniform. He's experienced, he's a smart player, he's solid, he's consistent, and he'll probably be cheap.
One major concern is his age, of course. If Seau and/or Bruschi retire, we'd be essentially replacing them with another graying linebacker. Thomas is no longer a playmaker. He's not going to get sacks, or interceptions, or tip passes, or make tackles for a loss. He's a lot like Bruschi in that respect.
But I do think he'll wind up with the Patriots.
Sources:
Boston Globe
ESPN.com
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
RED SOX 2008 PREVIEW: FIRST BASE
Last year was a breakout season for Kevin Youkilis. He hit .288 with a .390 OBP. He was a versatile presence in the lineup, getting at-bats in all slots except leadoff and 9th. He knocked in 83 runs and scored 85. He also added 16 homeruns to the mix.
My one knock on Youk is a lack of consistency. He came out of the gate red hot, heated up to a supernova, then cooled off for the rest of the year. Youkilis had 152 hits, and nearly a third of them (45) came in the month of May. Half of his homeruns (8) were hit in April and May.
However, he picked it up for the post-season. In the ALCS, he hit .500 (14 for 28) with 3 homers, a double, a triple, 7 RBI, and 10 runs scored. If it hadn't been for Josh Beckett, he had a good case for ALCS MVP.
He was also a solid defensive player, winning the Gold Glove. The last Red Sox first baseman to win the Gold Glove was George Scott in 1971. Youk didn't make a single error at first base in 2007.
Pretty much every offensive number improved for Youkilis in 2007. He had more doubles, more homeruns, more RBI, higher average, higher OBP, and higher slugging.
One strange thing about his stats in 2007 was that he walked fewer times than he did in 2006. He also struck out fewer times. He's seeing fewer pitches, as you might have guessed. In '06, he saw 4.42 pitches per plate appearance. In 2007, it was down to 4.27. Youkilis is known for his ability to work a pitcher, but I don't think this dip in pitches is much to be concerned about. His strikeout to walk ratio saw a minuscule drop of 0.05. Basically, more of his at-bats are ending in hits, instead of walks and strikeouts; which is a good thing.
Youkilis fits in very nicely as the #2 hitter on this team. Last year, he hit 5th and 6th a great deal thanks to JD Drew's struggles. But to me, he's a perfect #2 hitter. He gets on base, he has some pop of his own, he works pitchers, he sets up for the big hitters. Batting #2 last year, he hit .305, with an OBP of .414. Those are great numbers for a #2 hitter.
But Youkilis might not stay at first-base all year. He's the #1 backup for Mike Lowell. Youk played 13 games at third last year, and 16 the year before. When Lowell gets a day off, look for Youkilis at the hot corner.
This means that Youkilis will be replaced at first by Sean Casey. Sean had a decent year with Detroit, hitting .296. He doesn't have the same power as he did earlier in his career, but perhaps some time on the bench, some favorable matchups, and the Green Monster sitting 310 feet away will change that.
Casey brings nothing but positives to the table. He's a well-liked guy, he's been around the block, he knows how to hit, he wanted to be here, he's got post-season experience (hit .529 in the '06 World Series), and he's a solid fielder.
Look for Casey to get more time than you'd think he would. With him, Francona can sit Youkilis or Lowell against tough righties and give them some extra rest.
Of course, for the games in NL ballparks, David Ortiz will probably see some playing time at first. Last year, the Sox worked out a platooning situation, sitting either Youk, Lowell, or Papi in National League parks. This year will probably see more of the same.
I am very curious to see if Casey keeps 21 as his number. The last Red Sox player to don that number appeared in front of Congress yesterday.
First-base is the deepest position on the Red Sox.
Sources:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com
My one knock on Youk is a lack of consistency. He came out of the gate red hot, heated up to a supernova, then cooled off for the rest of the year. Youkilis had 152 hits, and nearly a third of them (45) came in the month of May. Half of his homeruns (8) were hit in April and May.
However, he picked it up for the post-season. In the ALCS, he hit .500 (14 for 28) with 3 homers, a double, a triple, 7 RBI, and 10 runs scored. If it hadn't been for Josh Beckett, he had a good case for ALCS MVP.
He was also a solid defensive player, winning the Gold Glove. The last Red Sox first baseman to win the Gold Glove was George Scott in 1971. Youk didn't make a single error at first base in 2007.
Pretty much every offensive number improved for Youkilis in 2007. He had more doubles, more homeruns, more RBI, higher average, higher OBP, and higher slugging.
One strange thing about his stats in 2007 was that he walked fewer times than he did in 2006. He also struck out fewer times. He's seeing fewer pitches, as you might have guessed. In '06, he saw 4.42 pitches per plate appearance. In 2007, it was down to 4.27. Youkilis is known for his ability to work a pitcher, but I don't think this dip in pitches is much to be concerned about. His strikeout to walk ratio saw a minuscule drop of 0.05. Basically, more of his at-bats are ending in hits, instead of walks and strikeouts; which is a good thing.
Youkilis fits in very nicely as the #2 hitter on this team. Last year, he hit 5th and 6th a great deal thanks to JD Drew's struggles. But to me, he's a perfect #2 hitter. He gets on base, he has some pop of his own, he works pitchers, he sets up for the big hitters. Batting #2 last year, he hit .305, with an OBP of .414. Those are great numbers for a #2 hitter.
But Youkilis might not stay at first-base all year. He's the #1 backup for Mike Lowell. Youk played 13 games at third last year, and 16 the year before. When Lowell gets a day off, look for Youkilis at the hot corner.
This means that Youkilis will be replaced at first by Sean Casey. Sean had a decent year with Detroit, hitting .296. He doesn't have the same power as he did earlier in his career, but perhaps some time on the bench, some favorable matchups, and the Green Monster sitting 310 feet away will change that.
Casey brings nothing but positives to the table. He's a well-liked guy, he's been around the block, he knows how to hit, he wanted to be here, he's got post-season experience (hit .529 in the '06 World Series), and he's a solid fielder.
Look for Casey to get more time than you'd think he would. With him, Francona can sit Youkilis or Lowell against tough righties and give them some extra rest.
Of course, for the games in NL ballparks, David Ortiz will probably see some playing time at first. Last year, the Sox worked out a platooning situation, sitting either Youk, Lowell, or Papi in National League parks. This year will probably see more of the same.
I am very curious to see if Casey keeps 21 as his number. The last Red Sox player to don that number appeared in front of Congress yesterday.
First-base is the deepest position on the Red Sox.
Sources:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com
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