Patriots Trade Bledsoe, Pick Davey (4/21/02)

It was a monumental franchise altering day for the New England Patriots. While Day 2 of the NFL Draft was going on, the Patriots announced they had traded franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills for their first round pick in next year's draft. The great debate was who was going to be traded after Tom Brady led the Patriots to their first Superbowl championship in franchise history and word on the street was it was going to be Drew. Bledsoe had a lot of good things about him but he also had some faults that Brady didn't showcase in his time as starter. Bledsoe had a rifle arm that could sling the ball downfield but it was often forced into double or triple coverage. He also would take sacks or throw picks at inopportune times. Still, for all his faults, he was arguably the best quarterback in team history before Brady came along. When Brady got hurt, it was Bledsoe that came in and threw the touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots probably don't get to the Superbowl if Damon Huard comes into the game instead of Drew, no offense to Damon. This trade not only jettisons a proven commodity in Bledsoe but the team is now in the hands of Tom Brady moving forward. Let's see how this turns out in the 2002 season and beyond.

                                                        Goodbye Drew, and thank you

As for round's four through seven of the draft, how do you top that trade? The Patriots used the pick they got from the Denver Broncos to draft Drew's replacement in the fourth round, 117th overall, when they selected LSU quarterback Rohan Davey. Davey had a hell of a senior year for the Tigers, passing for 3,347 yards in the season and leading LSU to a Sugar Bowl victory against Illinois. Why did he fall so far? He's a BIG dude at 6'2 and 245 pounds, scouts are concerned about his mobility and avoiding the rush. Still, with Bledsoe gone its going to come down to Davey and Damon Huard as the backup quarterback come training camp. 

                                                     117th overall - Rohan Davey

Remember the trade with the Green Bay Packers for Terry Glenn? With the fourth round pick they got from the trade, 126th overall, the Patriots selected Davey's teammate, LSU defensive lineman Jarvis Green. Green was a monster for LSU, setting the sack record for a freshman with 8 and becoming second team All-SEC his senior year. Now if it was peculiar but somewhat understandable why Rohan Davey fell this far, its almost inconceivable how Green was still here at this point. The scouts say he's undersized at 6'3 285 but he's probably the most athletic defensive end in the draft. Either he's a fringe fourth round pick or he could be a hidden stud. Hopefully it the latter.

                                                         126th overall - Jarvis Green

With the final pick in the fourth round they got from the Patriots, the Broncos took UNLV safety Sam Brandon. With their fifth round pick they got from New England, the Broncos took Michigan State wide receiver Herb Haygood. The Patriots traded their own fifth round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for the Cowboys fifth rounder next year and their seventh round this year. The Cowboys took Virginia Union cornerback Pete Hunter. The Patriots had no sixth round pick as it was traded to the St. Louis Rams 2 years earlier for Dane Looker. The Rams took Ohio State quarterback Steve Bellisari 205th overall. Also two years ago the Patriots traded not only their first round pick but a fourth and a seventh round pick in 2002 to the New York Jets for the rights to Bill Belichick. The Jets traded that 7th round pick to Washington and with the 234th pick in the draft, the Redskins chose Hampton defensive end Greg Scott. With the pick they got from the Dallas Cowboys, the Patriots took Virginia running back Antwoine Womack 237th overall. Womack had a breakout season his junior year in 2000 with 210 carries for 1,028 yards and 9 touchdowns for the Cavaliers. The problem was he hurt his knee his senior year and was limited to 63 carries and 263 yards in just 5 games. The word is his knee will never be the same again, otherwise he might have gone in one of the first three rounds. So Belichick is definitely rolling the dice on this one. If it doesn't work, just another failed seventh round selection in a sea full of them. If he turns into something, Bill will look like a genius.

                                                     237th overall - Antwoine Womack

With their final pick in the seventh round, 253rd overall, the Patriots took Notre Dame wide receiver David Givens. Givens wasn't used much in college compared to his contemporaries but was a duel threat his junior year with 25 receptions for 310 yards and 24 carries for 101 yards rushing. His senior year he only caught 33 balls for 317 yards and no touchdowns. Why the Patriots would take a guy who didn't even put up great numbers in college is beyond me. The word on the street his his quarterbacks at Notre Dame sucked so he wasn't getting the ball much. He also can be used as a special teamer and we all know Belichick loves them. Still, like Womack, if it doesn't work its just another failed seventh round pick but if it works, Bill's a genius.

                                                      253rd overall - David Givens

So on draft day two the Patriots made a monumental trade to get a 1st round pick in next year's draft while taking a quarterback, a defensive end, a running back and a receiver. These guys will be mostly depth pieces but keep an eye on Jarvis Green. He was too good to fall that far, the Patriots might have gotten lucky there. Time will tell.

Patriots Draft Graham & Branch (4/20/02)

The 2002 NFL Draft kicked off this afternoon with the expansion Houston Texans taking Fresno State Quarterback David Carr first overall. The New England Patriots made a bold move by sending their first round pick 32nd overall, their 3rd round pick 96th overall and 7th round pick 234th overall to the Washington Redskins to move up to the number 21 slot to select Colorado University tight end Daniel Graham. The Patriots are moving on from the Jermaine Wiggins/Rod Rutledge combination and drafted one of the best tight ends available. Graham caught 51 balls for 753 yards and 6 touchdowns for the Buffaloes last season. He's a decent blocker but more of a hybrid between Rutledge and Wiggins. He may not have the hooplah that Jeremy Shockey had, but he definitely was a big factor in Colorado's 10-3 season.

                                                       21st overall -  Daniel Graham

The Patriots then made a bold move with the last pick of the second round, 65th overall, when they took Louisville wide receiver Deion Branch. The Patriots signed inexpensive wide receivers last year like Bert Emmanuel, Charles Johnson, Torrance Small and David Patten hoping one of them would stick. Now they're going with legitimate prospects as Branch had a standout season for the Cardinals in 2001. He caught 72 balls for 1,188 yards and 9 touchdowns. Louisville went 11-2 and won the Liberty Bowl and Branch was a big part of it. He may not translate to pro success but it wouldn't be surprising if he did.

                                                         65th overall - Deion Branch

As mentioned earlier the Patriots didn't have a third round pick after they traded it. It eventually ended up in the hands of the Denver Broncos who took Mississippi State defensive tackle Dorsett Davis with the pick. As for Graham and Branch, the Patriots had a rather pedestrian offense under Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady last year and upgrading at tight end and receiver helps next year and beyond. The Patriots still have draft picks tomorrow to fill out the depth chart but Graham and Branch seem like solid picks on paper.

Patriots Trade Terry Glenn to Green Bay (3/11/02)

In a move that surprised no one, the New England Patriots finally unloaded troubled wide receiver Terry Glenn when they shipped him off to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for their fourth round draft pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and a conditional pick in the 2003 draft next year. Glenn could never get his head on straight under Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick and its a shame because he's a difference maker when healthy. His performance against San Diego last season was integral in their overtime victory.

                                                       Glenn's last contribution

He was famously drafted by Robert Kraft in the 1996 NFL Draft overruling Bill Parcells which led to the infamous "shop for the groceries" comment. Still, Bill got the most out of Terry when he finished second in AFC Offensive Rookie of The Year with 1,132 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Under Pete Carroll Glenn regressed in 1997 and 1998 although bouncing back with 1,147 yards and four touchdowns in 1999. Signs of doom were there when he no-showed Week 15 against the Buffalo Bills and was suspended for the team finale. In 2000, Belichick instantly clashed with Terry although Glenn played in all 16 games catching 79 balls for 963 yards and six touchdowns. Problem was he, Ty Law and Troy Brown were late to a team meeting on December 18th and it was revealed they were at a strip club the night before. Law got arrested for ecstasy possession. Strangely none of the players were released but Bill was definitely tired of Terry.

                                                    Glenn against the Pittsburgh Steelers

Everything fell apart in 2001 as he was arrested in May of 2001 for domestic abuse and was kicked out of Mini-Camp in June to straighten himself out. He was suspended the first four games of the 2001 season on August 3rd for failing to take a drug test. He made his season debut against the Chargers and played against the Cleveland Browns but appeared in just two more games the rest of the season before he was permanently suspended. He still has talent but his off-field issues just became too much to deal with.

Its a shame how things went for Glenn as the former first round pick could only fetch a fourth rounder for his services and a throw in next year. Hopefully he finds success in Green Bay and the Patriots better select a stud in the fourth round in next month's draft.

Patriots Make Noise on Draft Day 2 (4/22/01)

The New England Patriots didn't wait around to make a move on the second day of the NFL Draft to start the fourth round. The Patriots traded the fourth round pick they got from the Pittsburgh Steelers and their fifth round pick to the San Diego Chargers for the first overall pick of the fourth round (96th overall). The Patriots selected South Florida offensive tackle Kenyatta Jones. Jones is 6'3 and helped South Florida go 7-4 under Jim Leavitt. In terms of the Patriots, this is definitely a depth pick because you never know who might get hurt. Adrian Klemm got hurt last year so having Jones as insurance wouldn't hurt.

                                                 96th overall pick - Kenyatta Jones

The Patriots originally owned the 101st overall pick but that was famously sent to the New York Jets as compensation for hiring Bill Belichick away from the Jets. The Jets took cornerback Jamie Henderson out of Georgia, another teammate of Richard Seymour. With the 112th pick they got from the Patriots, the San Diego Chargers took Nebraska University linebacker Carlos Polk. Finally, with the pick they got in the trade with the Minnesota Vikings, the Patriots took Brock Williams' teammate, tight end Jabari Holloway. Holloway had a hell of a sophomore season as he caught 15 balls for 262 yards and 2 TDS but tapered off his junior and senior seasons. The Patriots are relying on Rod Rutledge and Jermaine Wiggins this season at the TE position but Belichick must think that Holloway can help out.

                                                    119th overall pick - Jabari Holloway

The Chargers used their 5th round pick they got from the Patriots on USC linebacker Zeke Moreno. The Jets traded the 5th round pick they got to the Patriots to Detroit and the Lions drafted quarterback Mike McMahon from Rutgers. The Patriots eventually drafted with the 163rd overall pick Washington University safety/linebacker Hakim Akbar. He was first team All-American and first team All-PAC 10 his Junior year with 97 tackles and 2 picks. Belichick is always looking for special teamers and he fits the bill perfectly.

                                                   163rd overall pick - Hakim Akbar

The Patriots traded their sixth round pick, 170th overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 5th round pick in next year's draft. With the 6th round pick they got from the Detroit Lions, the Patriots chose South Carolina State tight end Arther Love. He had 20 receptions for 342 yards and 2 TDs for the Bulldogs. Just like Jabari Holloway, he's strictly a depth piece hoping to turn into something more.

                                                          180th overall pick - Arther Love

With their other pick in the sixth round, 200th overall, the Patriots selected Miami University cornerback Leonard Myers. The powerhouse Hurricanes went 11-1 that year with Myers patrolling the defensive backfield. They won the Sugar Bowl over Florida so Myers definitely has big game experience. With the Patriots boasting Ty Law at the corner slot, Myers can definitely try to impress camp to win the other side job.

                                             200th overall pick - Leonard Myers

With the seventh round pick they got from New England, the Jets took Iowa State defensive tackle James Reed 206th overall. With the pick they got from the Detroit Lions in the seventh round, the Patriots selected BYU kicker Owen Pochman. Owen didn't have the most accurate leg with the cougars but he could kick it a mile. Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri is the opposite as he's very accurate but with a limited range. A little competition never hurt anyone so let's see how this plays out come training camp

                                                   216th overall pick - Owen Pochman

With their final pick in the seventh round, the Patriots selected Michigan State linebacker TJ Turner. Turner famously made the 4th and 1 stop on Number 1 ranked Ohio State back in 1998 to preserve a Michigan State victory. He also scored a pick six on Purdue quarterback Drew Brees the same year. Seventh round picks aren't locks to make the roster but clutch plays against big time talent can help. Let's see how he looks at mini-camp.

                                                     239th overall pick - TJ Turner

That's seven draft picks taken on day three and the majority of them are going to be depth pieces. Head coach Bill Belichick has stressed the importance of practice squaders and end of the bench players because every season is going to have injuries. If something happens to Matt Light, there's Kenyatta Jones or vice versa. If Ty Law goes down, Leonard Myers has to step up. Hopefully it doesn't come to that but there's not much to complain about this late in the draft. We'll see how this all plays out come training camp.

Patriots Go Big On Day 1 of Draft (4/21/01)

The New England Patriots shocked the world with their draft picks in the 2001 NFL Draft. In the first round, San Diego traded their pick to the Atlanta Falcons who chose speedster Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick. The Chargers ended up picking TCU running back LaDainian Tomlinson with the fifth pick. Boston media and fans alike were screaming at the Patriots to take one of the three standout wide receivers including Michigan's David Terrell, NC State's Koren Robinson or Miami's Santana Moss. Instead, the Patriots drafted 6 foot 6 monster defensive tackle Richard Seymour from the Georgia Bulldogs. He had 223 total tackles and 9.5 sacks in his career at Georgia, earning All-SEC honors his junior and senior seasons. Georgia went 8-4 under Jim Donnan and defeated Virginia in the Oahu Bowl with Seymour in the middle of it. The word is he can play end or nose tackle which is the kind of versatility head coach Bill Bellichick will be looking for. Patriots fans and media are mad at the pick, not because Seymour isn't good, but they wanted weapons for Bledsoe. Well this may not be the "sexy" pick, but after how awful the Patriots defense was last year, this might be a damn good pick.

                                                     6th overall pick - Richard Seymour

The second round pick was a result of wheeling and dealing. They originally owned the 8th pick of the second round 39th overall but they traded it to Pittsburgh for the 19th pick of the round (50th overall) and the Steelers fourth round pick 112th overall tomorrow. The Steelers chose Richard Seymour's teammate linebacker Kendrell Bell with that pick. The Patriots then traded the 19th pick along with their sixth round pick (173rd overall) to the Detroit Lions for their second round pick at 17th pick to move up and select 6 foot 5 blindside left tackle Matt Light of Purdue University. Once again, Pats fans and media were crying they didn't take Wisconsin receiver Chris Chambers or Tennessee running back Travis Henry. This is definitely not a "sexy" pick but once again, the battles are won and lost on the trenches. The Patriots dearly missed Bruce Armstrong last year and drafted a left tackle to protect Bledsoe. The Boilermakers went 6-6 for Joe Tiller but lost the Sun Bowl to Washington State. If Light turns out to be better than expected, can't judge Belichick for picking a lineman over a receiver.

                                                 48th overall pick - Matt Light

To finish off the day, the Patriots once again traded down in the third round. Originally they held the 7th pick of the round (69th overall) but they traded it to the Minnesota Vikings for the 24th pick (86th overall) and their fourth rounder (119th overall) tomorrow. With the pick they got from the Vikings, they took Notre Dame cornerback Brock Williams. Notre Dame had a bad year under Bob Davie going 5-6 although Williams played every game that season. He was also used on special teams as a underclassmen in 1997 and 1998 so Belichick will definitely look to have him play all over. He doesn't have the hooplah surrounding him as Seymour did but any time you add to the defense, it can't be that bad....right?

                                                     86th overall pick - Brock Williams

All in all the first three rounds can be viewed as a success or failure depending on how you look at it. The failure is a mediocre offense didn't get any reinforcements at the skill positions other than a new blindside tackle, and that's if he's good enough to crack the starting lineup. Also not getting a stud like Terrell or Santana Moss leaves Bledsoe with the enigmatic Terry Glenn and aging Troy Brown. Not that Troy or Terry aren't good players, but they can't do it all alone. Not getting Travis Henry means the Patriots are going to rely on Kevin Faulk to carry the load and that's not going to work. They may draft some skill tomorrow or sign some in free agency, but missing out on studs might hurt them. Now the other side of the coin is best case scenario the Patriots instantly upgraded in the trenches. Seymour is going to be a monster at defensive tackle and Light might be able to keep opposing players off Bledsoe long enough to make a throw. Brock Williams also joins Tebucky Jones and Lawyer Milloy in the secondary and Belichick loves his hard hitting defenders. The two trades the Patriots made now gives them two fourth round picks to go with their fifth rounder and  seventh rounder. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Incompetent Patriots Blanked By Bills (9/23/60)

When you look at the final score, you'd think that Buster Ramsey's Buffalo Bills dominated the Boston Patriots by shutting them out. You'd be wrong, the Patriots outgained the Bills 284 yards to 233. So what went wrong? The Patriots turned the ball over SEVEN times including four interceptions. Patriots quarterback Butch Songin was a dreadful 5 of 14 for 37 yards and an interception. Tom Greene wasn't much better going 6 for 17 for 60 yards and 2 interceptions. Dick Christy was 1 for 2 for 39 yards and a pick. All in all that's 12 for 33 for 136 yards, four picks and no touchdowns....woof. Meanwhile Tommy O'Connell threw a 58 yard bomb to Carl Smith for a touchdown in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Wray Carlton rushed for a two yard touchdown with a Billy Atkins extra point. The score at halftime held up and the Bills had won the game 13-0 at Nickerson Field.

                                                             Program from Week 3

The first quarter the Patriots did their best to hang in with the Bills but kept turning the ball over. The Bills went up for good when quarterback Tommy O'Connell found fullback Carl Smith who rumbled 58 yards for the touchdown. Bills kicker Billy Atkins missed the extra point but the Bills led after the first quarter 6-0.

                                                               Smith scores a TD

Neither Patriots quarterback could muster anything in the second quarter. Butch Songin and Tom Greene combined to throw three interceptions. The sad part was halfback Dick Christy rushed for 93 yards on just 9 carries. The Patriots just couldn't punch it into the end-zone. The Bills did however, driving to the Patriots goal-line. There, Bills halfback Wray Carlton pounded in a 2 yard touchdown to increase the lead. Billy Atkins hit the extra point this time and the Bills went into the half with a 13-0 lead.

                                                        Carlton rushes for a touchdown

The Patriots did get some action on the ground in the third quarter with Alan Miller rushing 9 times for 35 yards. Walter Beach caught two passes for fifty yards and Jim Colclough caught another two passes for 26 yards. The problem was the Bills defense kept making the Patriots cough the ball up. Billy Kinard, Jack Johnson, Atkins and Bernard Buzyniski all made picks in this one. The score remained 13-0 going into the fourth quarter.

                                                       Kinard leads the charge for Buffalo

The Patriots did get to pick O'Connell when defensive back Ross O'Hanley picked him off. Problem was Gino Cappelletti missed his only field goal try of the game. When Tom Greene punts three times the entire game and you scored no points, that's how you know your offense is inept. After seven turnovers, the Bills had won the game 13-0.

Reaction:

How in the hell did the Patriots lose that game? A totally incompetent offense, that's how. Defensively the Patriots shut the Bills out in the second half and the Bills only had one sustained drive all afternoon. The Patriots rushed for 169 as a unit compared to 112 for Buffalo. Hell the Patriots passed for 136 yards compared to Buffalo's 131. When you turn the ball over seven times, usually you don't win the game. Its a shame the offense was this bad because the defense was that good. Hopefully there will be other games this year the offense can pick up the pace. At 1-2, the Patriots are in the middle of the pack in the AFL so far. No team has started out 3-0 so that's a silver lining.  The Patriots play again Saturday October 8th against Sid Gillman's Los Angeles Chargers. The game begins at 4:00 PM Eastern time at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Patriots Rally To Beat Titans For First Win (9/17/60)

The Boston Patriots have won their first game in franchise history and it came at the expense of Sammy Baugh's New York Titans. Thinks looked bleak for Patriots Head Coach Lou Saban's crew when they trailed 24-7 in the third quarter. Titans quarterback Al Dorow had tossed three touchdown passes and Bill Shockley kicked a 23 yard field goal to give the Titans what appeared to be an insurmountable lead. However, the Patriots scored first on a Walt Livingston 1 yard plunge followed by a Gino Cappelletti extra point. Then backup quarterback Tom Greene tossed a 15 yard touchdown to Oscar Lofton to end the third quarter down 24-14. Butch Songin fired a 6 yard touchdown pass to Jim Colclough to bring the Patriots to within three and then the Titans literally fumbled the game away. The Titans were punting with seconds remaining but Rick Sapienza fumbled the snap. Chuck Shonta of the Patriots scooped up the fumble and rumbled 52 yards for the go-ahead score. The Patriots defense held and Boston had come away the victors 28-24 at the Polo Grounds.

                                                             Patriots win Game 2

Boston struck first in the first quarter when the Patriots drove all the way to the goal-line. Walt Livingston's one yard rumble was enough for the touchdown. Gino Cappelletti banged home the extra point and the Patriots had their first lead in franchise history. The Titans answered with a Bill Shockley 23 yard field goal, but the Patriots led 7-3 going into the second quarter.

                                                       Livingston scores

The Titans dominated in the second quarter as Titans quarterback Al Dorow found Dewey Bohling for an 8 yard touchdown. Shockley kicked the extra point and the Titans had the lead. The Titans scored before the half ended as Dorow hit Ted Wegert with a 16 yard pass to give the Titans a 17-7 lead at the half.

                                                               Dorow puts the Titans up

The third quarter started the same way the second quarter ended, with a Titans touchdown. Dorow found Thurlow Cooper for a 38 yard score, and with Shockley's extra point....the Titans led 24-7. Time to pack it in, right? WRONG! Patriots head coach Lou Saban refused to quit and backup quarterback Tom Greene passed to Oscar Lofton for a fifteen yard touchdown pass. Cappelletti's extra point pulled the Patriots down 24-14 at the end of the third quarter.

                                                              Lofton scores

Patriots quarterback Butch Songin was back for the fourth quarter and he started it with a six yard strike to Jim Colclough to pull the Patriots within three. Things looked bleak when the Titans had the ball with seconds remaining but were forced to punt. Somehow Titans punter Rick Sapienza fumbled the snap and Chuck Shonta ran the fumble back 52 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Just like that it was 28-24 Patriots. Linebacker Bill Brown managed to pick off Dorow in the game and fullback Alan Miller was the Patriots leading rusher with 44 yards on the ground for this one. Run Burton also had 23 yards rushing as well. Dick Christy had a 17 yard reception as well and it added up to a 28-24 Patriots win, their first in franchise history.

                                                                 Patriots win

Reaction:

In a 14 game season, every win counts and this was very important. Saban's crew pulled off a 17 point comeback against the Titans who won last week. The Houston Oilers and Denver Broncos are the only teams that are 2-0 so the Patriots are only a game behind them. Butch Songin sitting for Tom Greene is a bad sign but they both got important touchdowns in this one. That fumble return sealed the deal and hats off to the defense for not breaking. They allowed 24 points but zero once the Patriots mounted their comeback. Winning in the final seconds is always thrilling and its a shame the game was at the Polo Grounds. Nickerson Field would have been rocking if that happened there. The defense needs some work because they can't be allowing 24 points by the third quarter every game. Not even Mike Holovak's offense can overcome that kind of deficit every single game. The Patriots come home to play a very important Week 3 game against Buster Ramsey's Buffalo Bills. The game is this coming Friday night (because the New York Giants play on Sunday) at Nickerson Field.