It's been seven years since Pats fans have faced a January without playoff football and 2008 has finally come to an end.

Congratulations to Steelers, I don't think anyone could argue that they were an undeserving Super Bowl champion. They faced adversity toward the end of the game but came through on the biggest stage and for that they have to be respected. Of course I could point out that they didn't have to face Tom Brady but let's just put 2008 to bed once and for all.

I've already gotten an early jump on the draft and will be posting more about the prospects to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. Once the Combine happens in two weeks we'll kick back into gear.

I've found this mock draft database to be a great way to get up to speed on the draft eligible players. Mock Drafts are only good when consumed in large quantities. If you read enough of them you start to get a pretty good sense of who the top prospects are, at least from a jumping off stand point.

Continue reading "Good News Patriots Fans, it's the Off-Season!"

In a widely anticipated move, the Patriots hit Matt Cassel with the Franchise Tag today. It was the first day NFL teams could use the Franchise designation and the Patriots wasted no time.

New England can now match any offer Cassel gets from another team, but if they choose not to they will be compensated with two first-round draft picks. Once Cassel signs the tender the Patriots can either trade him or let him play 2009 with a higher cap number than Tom Brady.

Analysis

It is a bit surprising that the Pats tagged Cassel so quickly. In the past they have usually waited until the last possible moment before doing so.

So why did they not hesitate this year? It's our best guess that this will allow the maximum amount of time for other teams to get their ducks in a row, knowing what it will take to pry Cassel from the Pats. There can no longer be any speculation about Cassel's situation so the rest of the NFL can head into the Combine next week knowing they must be willing to part with draft picks if they want to acquire him.

Continue reading "Patriots Franchise Matt Cassel"

The best way to get over the end of the NFL season is to immerse yourself in the NFL Draft. Though I'm sure to be experiencing "Draft Fatigue" by mid-March, nothing puts last season's horror show in the rear view mirror better than researching the potential rookie studs the Pats could be adding in April.

We will be posting an extensive Combine Players to Watch article, specifically targetting the players the Patriots could be interested in, next week. But for the time being here are a few prospects that have caught our eye early on. These five players are the ones who've been popping up the most.

Of course after the combine players will rise and fall, this is just a snapshot in time of the players right now that are projected to be available when the Pats pick. And you never know, the Pats could be picking up an extra 1st-rounder for Matt Cassel and that would make things entirely more interesting.

Continue reading "Early Thoughts on the New England Patriots Draft Options"

For the past couple seasons I didn’t have a chance to get much of a jump on the prospects with Patriots potential prior to the scouting combine, since the Pats made a habit out of playing into mid-January. Unfortunately this season I’ve had plenty of time.

The Scouting Combine is upon us, an event that will have players rising and dropping all based on what they do sans pads. Still, there can be much taken from the various drills and interviews that the players are put through, especially at the positions that the Patriots are likely to target.

While the loss of Tom Brady was the biggest story line of the 2008 season for the Pats, it was ultimately their defense that was the difference in them not making the playoffs. The Pats continually gave up third-and-longs and were consistently atrocious in the red zone defensively. So look for the defense to again be the targeted side of the ball in the 2009 draft, just as it was in 2008.

Continue reading "Combine Players to Watch for Patriots Fans"

The New England Patriots, coming off the almost-perfect season of 2007, took to their home turf for the season opener at Gillette Stadium, however they weren’t wearing their usual home blue jerseys.

The commentators pointed out that due to feverish temperature the Patriots had decided to go with the white jerseys this day, those usually reserved for away games.

“Another brilliant move by the Hoodied One,” thought every Patriots fan across the country. Why had this never occurred to any one else? White shirts are better in the hot sun than dark blue ones are. Revolutionary!

Not that it really mattered. The Pats could’ve not worn jerseys at all, nor shoulder pads for that matter, and Patriots Nation would’ve remained assured of a New England victory, most likely by two to three touchdowns (closer to three with shoulder pads, more like two without them).

Continue reading "GU! The New "Doh!" for New England Patriots Fans"