Lynch in, Easy on the Mayo

I have some bad news for LB Vince Redd. You're losing your 47 jersey. But your roster spot is safe. For now.

Even though I'm not down with the move, the Patriots believe safety John Lynch can come in and be productive in the ways they plan on using him.

This signing is far from a surprise. Head coach Bill Belichick trusts veteran players. When Lynch was shown the door by Tampa Bay in 2004, Belichick wanted him but lost Lynch's services to the Denver Broncos. But the second time around, coach Bill got his man.

Besides the long time crush on Lynch, Belichick likes very veteran defenders. In years past he signed DTs Ted Washington and Keith Traylor, DE Bobby Hamilton, LB Junior Seau, and S Rodney Harrison. The Lynch addition falls in line with the pattern already set. Belichick has done well finding guys that still had something left in the tank. Maybe Lynch will fall in that category.

Then again, it could turn into Duane Starks II. Remember him? The Patriots signed the former Arizona Cardinals corner as a veteran presence after the departure of Ty Law. The Pats tolerated just six starts by Starks before they tired of Duane's generosity. He finished with just five passes defensed and maybe twice as many touchdowns allowed (I think Starks gave up more than that).

Being fair, the average defensive back would have to try to be bad to equal Stark's ineffectiveness with New England. I don't think Lynch will embarrass himself. But I will watch him closely to see if he really is the liability that Denver head coach Mike Shanahan believed Lynch was.

Talking about keeping an eye on, all of Patriot Nation watched very closely LB Jerod Mayo in his first preseason game and came away impressed. Excuse me, blown away. The loved the big hit he gave Baltimore running back Ray Rice that knocked off Rice's helmet. Every tackle was explosive. Heck, even when he didn't make a play, it was a good thing. Based on reaction, just five days after LB Andre Tippett became a Hall of Famer, the next great Patriot linebacker to receive that honor will be Mayo.

I can't help but roll my eyes. Before people start saying they witnessed Mayo literally fly over the field like in the Olympics Opening Ceremony, let me just say it was just a three tackle performance in one game. People are always in a hurry to be the first to say so-and-so is the next great thing. Those same people will also quickly turn on a player and declare he might be a bust.

I remember the last time the Patriots selected a ILB in the first round. Andy Katzenmoyer was a decorated prospect out of Ohio State, a school with a history of productive NFL 'backers. The luster from Katz's freshman season was diminished, but he was a physical specimen with a size (6-3 260) and speed combination coaches dream of.

I'll admit I was falling in love with Katzenmoyer in the preseason. He was in on a lot of tackles and even played well in coverage. During the regular season a number of highlight reels were cut that featured Any making tackle after tackle.

But I noticed something. I heard someone say he spent a lot of time on the ground. So I went back to the tape. And play after play, Katzenmoyer was lunging to his left or right to make tackles. He resembled a seal with the amount of time he spent on his belly.

I was disappointed, but I didn't lose hope. He was just a rookie. With more experience he could learn to get in better position and turn those arm tackles into solid tackles or even de-cleaters. Unfortunately a neck injury cut Katzenmoyer's career to just eight games in his second year, preventing him from fully developing his potential.

When the media talked to Mayo days after his debut, he humbly said he made mistakes and had room to get better. Whether the press recognized Mayo's mistakes or areas of improvement is unknown, but I doubt they caught everything.

I'm not taking anything away from Mayo's first night. He looked good. He was fast and hit hard on his tackles. But like I said, it's a small sample. Because he played a lot more, I was more impressed with LB Shawn Crable's performance as he finished the night with an interception, constant pressure, a half sack, and nice technique shedding blocks to make tackles. Sure it was against second and third stringers, but I consider it a good game because Crable is a rookie playing against his equals.

I'll be watching all the youngsters again on Sunday night when they play Tampa Bay. But I won't rush to judgement. I'll save that for the dress rehearsal, a.k.a., the third preseason game. The starters will play either a half or three quarters. Then I'll get that long look at Mayo I want. Then I'll decide whether he's like mayo, tasty but all fat and no substance, or if I become a Mayo Maniac.