Lamont Jordan

I reached the conclusion that the primary reason why the Patriots traded QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel for Kansas City's second round pick was to free up more money under the salary cap. The latest rumor I heard is after Denver was contacted by one team about a three-way trade, they called the Patriots offering the 13th pick overall for Cassel.

Continue reading "Early Returns on the Trade"

On the day free agency started, the Patriots were involved in a trade.

With Kansas City.

For a Chiefs draft pick.

Unfortunately it wasn't for KC/s third pick overall. Nor did it involve QB Matt Cassel. Instead the Pats sent LB Mike Vrabel packing for a fourth round draft pick.

Continue reading "The Unexpected, As Usual"

It's an odd year. That means the Patriots are going after a big name in free agency.

Just look at their history. '08 had no one major join our team. Just a bunch of journeyman corners, RB LaMont Jordan, and S Tank Williams, who was hurt in the preseason and was placed on injured reserve.

Continue reading "The Bi-annual Free Agency Splash"

Well it's a clear as day now. In order to get in, the Patriots must win out and get some much needed help.

Assistance wasn't provided last night as Dallas gave away their final game at Texas Stadium to visiting Baltimore. And how the Ravens won was unbelievable. Two consecutive runs gained 159 yards and two touchdowns. The Cowboys looked more like security detail clearing the way through the paparazzi than defenders going in for the tackle.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 16"

Why is BenJarvus Green-Ellis not playing? 

It’s a trend that started the moment Sammy Morris was able to play again. With the nine-year back’s return to health, the rookie free agent has been sent to the bench. He now only sees carries in a Boston Celtics “Gino” role: BJGE dances only after the game is won. 

Continue reading "Where Have You Been, BenJarvus?"

They say the players on the field determine the outcome of the game. That's true, but this week the players who won't be on the field could matter as well. Focusing on recent injuries, both teams have injuries that could be weaknesses waiting to be taken advantage of:

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 10"

You know, it's a good thing that the Patriots will have the Brigham and Women's/Mass General Health Care Center on the grounds of Patriot Place in 2009. If the '09 season is like this year, then the Pats will have a lot of their players as patients.

Continue reading "Another One Bit by Bug?"

Life ain't fair. As the Patriots lose player after player to injury, the Indianapolis Colts are getting healthy.

RBs Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan will miss their second game in a row while Indy's Joseph Addai likely returns.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 9"

I don't usually do this, that is make a post during the game, but I got to say this now: I'm done with Laurence Maroney.

Early in the Monday night telecast, the ESPN crew announced that RB Maroney was placed on injured reserve and won't play for the rest of the season. The timing couldn't be better as RB LaMont Jordan is inactive and former league MVP Shawn Alexander just signed with Washington. The cherry on top is after RB Sammy Morris shredded the Denver defense, he doesn't return for the second half, leaving the ball carrying to rookie free agent BenJarvis Green-Ellis.

Continue reading "Moving On Without Maroney"

Quick question: Would you like a durable running back?

OK, that was a rhetorical question. With alternating LaMont Jordan missing every other game and Laurence "issues" Maroney available for only three of five games this year, it would be nice to have someone the team can count on to help carry the load with Sammy Morris. While the Patriots did rush for more than 100 yards against San Diego, 29 of those yards came from QB Matt Cassel on seven carries.

Continue reading "A Young Stallion"

We see it pretty much every week. RB Laurence Maroney dancing behind the line instead of putting his head down. Or Maroney bounces a run outside instead of accelerating through the hole.

Well the whole country knows after ESPN's NFL Live highlighted two runs by Maroney where he didn't gain the available yards when the holes were right in front of him. In both instances, he didn't initiate contact.

Continue reading "A Yard is a Yard"

I'm glad to hear that RBs Laurence Maroney and LaMont Jordan are not on the injury report. That's the good news. The bad news is San Francisco RB Frank Gore is absent from the 49ers' injury report.

Continue reading "Ground to a halt"

The Patriots must be leading the NFL in transactions with all the roster maneuvering they're doing. It's happening so fast that I couldn't talk about the return of Navy alum RB Kyle Eckel. He was re-signed to the active roster on Monday.

Continue reading "Backfield in Motion"

Though I'm not done gloating and soaking up this win over the Jets, it's time to take an objective view of the game.

For starters, it could had been a blowout. QB Matt Cassel hesitated on a few passes. If he threw it on time to WR Randy Moss deep, that would had been a score (but Moss still should had caught that pass - bounced off his chest). There was a curl ran by Wes Welker that could had been a first down. And finally TE David Thomas beat the coverage but Cassel held on a beat too long. By the time he threw it, Cassel had to throw a bullet. If Cassel released it on Thomas' cut, the required touch would had floated the pass over LB Calvin Pace's hand and to the target just before LB Eric Barton arrived. That's 14 points the offense missed out on, not including the other trips into the red zone.

Continue reading "Monday Morning"

We are a day closer to knowing who will be on the final roster. 14 players were cut, two placed on injured reserve, and one on the reserve/injured list. It goes as follows:

Cuts:DL Titus Adams, CB Fernando Bryant, TE Tyson DeVree, S Mark Dillard, C Mike Flynn, RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, QB Matt Gutierrez, LB Victor Hobson, LB Vince Redd, CB Mike Richardson, T Stephen Sene, S Antwain Spann, DL Santonio Thomas, G John Welbourn

Continue reading "Cuts and a bust"

Tuesday was cut down day and I expected more veterans to to turn in their playbook than young players. The reason being that veterans have reached their full potential while the sky is the limit for players with three or less years under their belt.

Continue reading "Less Competition, More Intensity"

It's official. My VCR is dumb. I programed it to record the Patriots-Ravens preseason game and it failed to do so. Usually I wouldn't miss a preseason game, but I had a date. This woman was about a 9-9.5 so I'm sure y'all would understand.

Continue reading "Go to the tape"

So the New York Jets traded for Brett Favre. That's nice, but they still won't beat the Patriots.

The best part of this news is this finally puts to an end the biggest soap opera of the off-season. Favre and the Green Bay Packers complete their divorce and they go their separate ways. Now they get to write a new chapter for their divergent lives.

Continue reading "Near and Favre"

It isn't a surprise that the Patriots signed veteran running back LaMont Jordan. During the off-season they brought Kevin Jones to Foxborough for an interview and likely a physical as they wanted to gauge his recovery from off-season surgery. Ultimately New England passed on Jones and he signed with Chicago. A few weeks later, the Pats sign Jordan.

Continue reading "Another former Jet"