This is the most interesting position to watch this off-season. Randy Moss is an unrestricted free agent. The Patriots passed on the Stallworth option, making him a free agent. Jabar Gaffney is also an unrestricted free agent.
The Patriots did not franchise Moss. Many speculated that this non-action would lead to a long-term deal with the receiver. It has not, at least not yet.
There is an unsubstantiated and flimsy rumor that the Cowboys are interested in Moss. To me that is like saying "Men are interested in breasts." Of course they're interested!
The rumor has Moss and the Cowboys talking about a possible deal. There's also another rumor that Moss agreed to let the Patriots match any offer he received from another team.
The fate of Randy Moss will be the most dramatic saga in Patriots history since Bob Kraft threatened a move to Hartford. There will be reports, rumors, speculations, stipulations, heresay, conjecture, and people making things up.
But I feel as though Moss likes it here, but can't resist snooping around to see what else is out there. It's got to be a contending team, with a good QB (this eliminates Dallas), and enough cap room for Moss to get a big deal.
The Patriots did not exercise their option on Stallworth. But that doesn't mean he won't be back. The team will try to work out a new deal with Donte. But Donte may want to test the waters of free agency. He won't get a big contract, but he may want to be a team's #1 or #2 receiver. In New England, he has become #3 behind Moss and Welker.
Wes Welker is thankfully here to stay. His 112 receptions, and 1,175 yards were a huge part of the Patriots going 16-0 in the regular season. Had the Giants not won the Super Bowl, Welker would have been my first choice for MVP of the game.
Jabar Gafney emerged in the 2006 post-season, and endured a year behind Moss, Stallworth, and Welker. He still contributed when called upon, catching 36 passes for 449 yards. He might want to go to a team that will have him higher on their depth charts. And you just know that some team will offer him a bloated contract thinking if he's paired with a mediocre QB he'll have the same kind of performance.
If Stallworth goes, I think Gafney's return is a sure bet. If Stallworth stays, Gafney might allowed to leave. But as far as #4 WRs go, Gaffney's probably the best in the NFL.
The Patriots recently passed on an option to keep Kelley Washington. His situation is similar to Stallworth's. A pickup would result in big bonus money and a big cap hit. The Pats have expressed an interest in reworking Washington's deal.
Washington didn't catch a pass, or have any offensive touches whatsoever. But he did contribute on special teams. He had 16 total tackles, a forced fumble, and a blocked punt. He was a big reason why Patriot opponents rarely had good field position after kickoffs.
Kelley may want to find a team that allows him to play more on offense. Then again, he seemed to relish his role on special teams. If certain players ahead of him leave (Moss, Stallworth, Gaffney), he becomes a much more integral part of the offense.
Former 2nd round pick Chad Jackson also didn't see an offensive snap in 2007. His injury woes kept him sidelined completely until November 8th. He still only saw limited time as the 6th receiver on the depth chart. He returned a few kicks, as well as a few punts.
We've yet to truly see what Jackson can do. When the Pats drafted him, he was an exciting prospect. The Pats traded up to draft him 36th overall in 2006. But a hamstring injury, followed by an ACL tear kept us from seeing as much as we wanted to see. Like Washington, Jackson moves up and fills in if other WRs leave.
Troy Brown has seen his last days in red, white, and blue. He's an unrestricted free agent, and will be 37 years old when the season starts. But he gave the Patriots 14 years of service. He's one of the few players to play in Super Bowls XXXI, XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX.
One possibility that might strike some as bizarre is Chad Johnson. Yes, Ocho Cinco himself. He's not happy in Cincinnati (who would be?). Belichick always talks about Johnson with as much of a smile as the Coach can muster. And we've seen "characters" come to New England and all of a sudden become monotoned, polished, and professional (See: Rodney Harisson, Corey Dillon, Randy Moss).
If I were a betting man, I'd set the odds of Johnson becoming a Patriot at 100 to 1. With the depth the team already has at the position, adding CJ would be slightly gratuitous. Plus the team would lose cap room to rebuild the defense. Plus he would be costly to trade for. Plus you'd have three different guys who are all used to being #1 receivers on the field at once.
But you never know what's going to happen. If Moss and Stallworth leave, the odds will change.
Here's what I think the Patriots depth chart at WR will look like for the 2008 season:
WR1: Randy Moss
WR2: Wes Welker
WR3: Jabar Gafney - re-signed
WR4: Kelley Washington - re-signed
WR5: Chad Jackson
After that, who knows.
Now here's the "If there were no salary cap and the Pats could afford to load up at one position" dream depth chart:
WR1: Randy Moss
WR2: Chad Johnson
WR3: Wes Welker
WR4: Donte Stallworth
WR5: Jabar Gaffney
Impossible, but it's fun to dream.
Sources:
Pro-Football-Reference.com
ESPN.com
The Dallas Morning News
Boston sports blog featuring Patriots propaganda, and opinions on the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
BRUINS CRUSH SENATORS
Now just imagine that was Arlen Specter getting assaulted by Marco Sturm instead of Anton Volchenkov. Very refreshing.
The Bruins hadn't beaten a team by more than 3 goals until last night. The Senators came into Boston after losing 5-0 to Toronto on Monday. They were worn out, and off balance. But the Bruins played at full throttle, out-hustling Ottawa, and dominating the physical game.
Shawn Thornton scored 5:24 into the game with a simple mop up goal from the slot. Fifteen minutes of game-time later, David Krejci finally got his first NHL goal. This one was also one of those janitorial types goals, simply taking out the trash, so to speak.
Zdeno Chara, who won the Fastest Shot Competition a few weeks ago, fired a bullet from the top of the faceoff circle past Martin Gerber to make it a 3-0 game. Chara added the fourth goal with an empty net. It was also a short-handed goal. It was surprising, too. He was deep in the defensive zone, with three Senators nearby. But instead of just clearing, he lofted the puck out of the zone and toward the goal. It went in and the game ended 4-0. Chara's two goals gave him 43 points on the season, tying a career high.
Tim Thomas recorded his 2nd shutout of the year, and 6th career clean slate. He wasn't tested much, only facing 22 shots. But when Ottawa did get it on net, some of the saves were very challenging.
The Bruins are now a mere 6 points behind Ottawa for first place in the Northeast Division, and 5 points behind second place Montreal.
The Bruins host the Penguins on Thursday (I'll be there). Pittsburgh sits in 4th place in the East.
Sources:
BostonBruins.com
ESPN.com
Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Elise Amendola
RED SOX 2008 PREVIEW: SHORT-STOP
Ever since Nomar and Orlando Cabrera left, this position has been a problem for the Red Sox. Edgar Renteria, Alex Gonzalez, Alex Cora, and now Julio Lugo have all failed to prove that they can be front line short-stops here.
Julio Lugo hit .237 last year, with an unfortunate OBP of .294. He did make some positive contributions. He knocked in 73 runs, and stole 33 bases in 39 attempts (84.6%). But he still fell very short of expectations.
Lugo also disappointed defensively. Although he's never been known for his glove (146 career errors, below average fielding percentage for his position), it merely amplified the angst Sox fans felt when his name was listed in the starting lineup.
Julio has had a year to adapt to a new environment. He'll be heavily scrutinized by both the fans and the organization at the start of the '08 season. I think he'll have a slightly better year than 2007, but that's not saying much. I think he'll hit .275, steal a few bases, and be a respectable 8th hitter in the Sox lineup.
The Sox have some insurance at this position. Alex Cora is a solid backup who won't be a black hole in the lineup.
Then there's Jed Lowrie. Jed's 23, and made two major steps last year. He started the season in AA Portland, after spending all of 2006 in A+ Wilmington. In 93 games with the SeaDogs, he hit .297 with an OBP of .410. He was promoted to AAA Pawtucket, where his average stayed about the same. In 40 games with the PawSox, Jed hit .300. His OBP dropped significantly to .356, as his walks decreased, but that's to be expected.
Jed will probably start the season in AA Portland, but could begin in Pawtucket if he has a good spring (or if Lugo has a bad one). He's a lock to get called up at some point this year, either as a temporary fill-in, or part of the 40 man September roster.
If Lugo doesn't perform, and Lowrie continues to hit near .300 in the minors, look for something to happen.
Sources:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com
The Baseball Cube
Julio Lugo hit .237 last year, with an unfortunate OBP of .294. He did make some positive contributions. He knocked in 73 runs, and stole 33 bases in 39 attempts (84.6%). But he still fell very short of expectations.
Lugo also disappointed defensively. Although he's never been known for his glove (146 career errors, below average fielding percentage for his position), it merely amplified the angst Sox fans felt when his name was listed in the starting lineup.
Julio has had a year to adapt to a new environment. He'll be heavily scrutinized by both the fans and the organization at the start of the '08 season. I think he'll have a slightly better year than 2007, but that's not saying much. I think he'll hit .275, steal a few bases, and be a respectable 8th hitter in the Sox lineup.
The Sox have some insurance at this position. Alex Cora is a solid backup who won't be a black hole in the lineup.
Then there's Jed Lowrie. Jed's 23, and made two major steps last year. He started the season in AA Portland, after spending all of 2006 in A+ Wilmington. In 93 games with the SeaDogs, he hit .297 with an OBP of .410. He was promoted to AAA Pawtucket, where his average stayed about the same. In 40 games with the PawSox, Jed hit .300. His OBP dropped significantly to .356, as his walks decreased, but that's to be expected.
Jed will probably start the season in AA Portland, but could begin in Pawtucket if he has a good spring (or if Lugo has a bad one). He's a lock to get called up at some point this year, either as a temporary fill-in, or part of the 40 man September roster.
If Lugo doesn't perform, and Lowrie continues to hit near .300 in the minors, look for something to happen.
Sources:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com
The Baseball Cube
Monday, February 25, 2008
SOX ACQUIRE BARTOLO COLON
Had the Sox made this deal three years ago, it would have been very exciting. But now it's as thrilling as acquiring David Wells.
The Red Sox signed former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon to a minor league deal.
The word "insurance" is being used to describe this deal. To me, that word implies some sort of reliability. Sean Casey, for instance, was insurance, because we know what we'll get from him. Bartolo Colon is not insurance. At least, he isn't very good insurance.
Colon is listed at 250 pounds, which might be a tad generous. He's coming off two straight seasons plagued by injury. Last year, it was his right lat, then his right elbow. He's only made 28 starts in the past two years because of these injuries.
And it isn't as if Colon has pitched well in those 28 starts, either. In '06 and '07, he combined for a record of 7-13. His ERA was 5.90 the past two seasons. He averaged 5.6 innings per start.
Don't get me wrong, I like this signing. The Sox can't lose much in this deal. If Colon isn't healthy, or isn't effective; the Sox lose a little bit of money. If he is effective and somewhat healthy, then the Sox gain a solid 4th or 5th starter.
But don't think of this as insurance. Think of it more as hedging a bet. It's like flipping a coin twice, instead of once. You're more likely to get the coin to come up tails one time if you flip it twice. It's also like putting money on different numbers in roulette. It increases the likelihood of hitting.
Colon joins adds an upside down and right side up question mark to a rotation bursting with that punctuation. He, Tim Wakefield, and Curt Schilling are falling apart at the seems. Meanwhile, younger and healthier guys like Matsuzaka, Bucholz, and Lester have yet to prove that they're reliable starting pitchers.
Manny Ramirez summed up this deal perfectly. When asked about it, he said "I don't know. I'm not a pitching coach."
For the record, Johan Santana weighs 195 pounds.
Sources:
Boston Herald
Boston.com
Baseball-Reference.com
FRANCONA'S CONTRACT EXTENDED TO 2011
The Red Sox and Terry francona agreed to terms on a contract that would keep him in Red Sox uniform (remember, he now HAS to wear a uniform) until 2011 and perhaps beyond. The deal is worth $4M per season, and the Red Sox have the option to extend it two more years.
Francona, who has led the Sox to two World Series Championships, three playoff berths, and an AL East title, is arguably the best skipper in Red Sox history. The only other manager in team history to have two World Series rings is Billy Carrigan. If anybody who was around in 1915 wants to make an argument for Billy being the best Red Sox manager ever, go right ahead.
Francona's 279 wins as manager is good for 11th all-time in club history. If the Sox win 90 games this year (very likely), he will be 5th on the list.
Free pizza at Papa Gino's for everyone!
Sources:
Boston.com
WikiPedia
Saturday, February 23, 2008
PATRIOTS MAKE MOVES BY NOT MAKING THEM
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
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)