Tedy Bruschi

ring the team together and they’ll work harder to back up their teammate.

Former linebacker Tedy Bruschi was a polite, well respected member of the Patriots for 13 years. But even he wasn’t above talkin’ smack. Bruschi played the disrespect card as if home games took place at Foxwoods instead of in Foxborough.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: AFC Championship"

From left to right: Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown, Bledsoe, Todd Rucci and Scott Zolak.

Extra Point: I’m happy to say I was at the game. If I remember correctly it was the first game I attended since the Patriots beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in the snow during their second Super Bowl season in 2003.

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 2"

He will be remembered along with Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown, and Willie McGinest. Though Vrabel isn’t a career Patriot like the three mentioned, but his do whatever it takes contribution with the Patriots is what Mike will be remembered for.

Continue reading "Don't Be a Stranger, Mike Vrabel"

Days before he was honored at halftime of the Patriots-Jets game, former linebacker Tedy Bruschi said during an interview that he does not want his number 54 retired. Instead he hopes other players wear his number and remember the significance of that 54. 

Continue reading "Spikes Becoming the Next "55""

New England had Tedy Bruschi, Ted Johnson and added leadership in Bryan Cox in the offseason. 

Flip to the other side of the ball and you see how the Dolphins built a solid offensive line. New England took LT Matt Light in the second round in 2001. The Dolphins wasted no time and made Jake Long the first pick overall in 2008. Miami’s O-line has balance between youth and veterans just like New England did. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 4"

heir field general. 

After the season, worn parts of the Patriots machine were replaced: LB Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison retired; LB Mike Vrabel and DE Richard Seymour were traded for draft picks. 

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 1"

WR Troy Brown could get in as soon as 2012. Fan favorite LB Tedy Bruschi might walk in as soon as 2014. 

The profile of the average voter is unknown, but surely the players fans watched for years will be favored over the players from another era. 

Continue reading "A Hall Pass for Morris"

With the retirements of LB Tedy Bruschi and S Rodney Harrision, along with the trades of DE Richard Seymour and LB Mike Vrabel, there was a void of leadership that Thomas could had stepped into for a defense that became a lot younger very quickly. 

Continue reading "Thomas vs. Belichick"

Even if ILB Tedy Bruschi didn’t retire, Guyton was ahead of Bruschi on the depth chart during the preseason. When the team played a 3-4, Guyton was in there with Jerod Mayo, Adalius Thomas, and Pierre Woods. 

Continue reading "Breakout Player"

Tyrone McKenzie was a 2009 third round selection expected to be ILB Tedy Bruschi’s understudy. That plan fell apart when McKenzie tore his ACL during rookie minicamp. 

Just like second half adjustments, New England figured out solutions to the unexpected problems. They acquired DE Derrick Burgess from the Raiders early in training camp to bolster the pass rush. OK, so Bruschi calling it quits after the third preseason game left the Pats short-handed, they can count on second year LBs Jerod Mayo and Gary Guyton stepping up. Besides, with the players on defense, the Pats had the flexibility to play either a 3-4 or a 4-3 alignment. 

Continue reading "Out of Reach"

Tedy Bruschi’s retirement yesterday could have a chain reaction that leads to New England playing predominantly a 4-3 alignment. 

Currently on the roster there are Jerod Mayo, Gary Guyton and Eric Alexander as known inside linebackers. In years past, a rotation of three ILBs was good enough to get through the season. If this is the rotation for the Patriots, they are in trouble. Based on preseason play, Alexander has shown he can’t get the job done. 

Continue reading "Linebacker Fall-back Plan"

;

The names mentioned above are more accomplished than the list of true linebackers: Jerod Mayo, Tedy Bruschi, Gary Guyton, Shawn Crable, Pierre Woods, Erick Alexander, Vinny Ciurciu, Paris Lenon, and sometimes Tank Williams. 

Continue reading "4-3, or Not 4-3? That Is the Question"

Some questions that arise:

Where will Tedy Bruschi fit in? He's a run stopping ILB in the 3-4 who comes off the field in passing situations. He no longer has the speed to be the middle linebacker in the 4-3, a role that Jerod Mayo would excel in. Bruschi also no longer plays special teams. Would a move to the 4-3 make the long time heart and soul of the Pats defense expendable?

Continue reading "New England Patriots: 4-3 or Not ..."

n pass coverage. 

Instead I’ll moninate ILB Gary Guyton, the man that came in for ILB Tedy Bruschi on passing downs. Guyton will have his chances to bring the Gillette Stadium crowd to their feet. I like Guyton’s potential as a tone-setter, but he’s not my top choice. 

Continue reading "Establishing the Defense"

Last week LB Tedy Bruschi expressed the possibility of playing beyond this season. Before kicking off the “Tee Off with Tedy” golf event, Bruschi said is attention is on this season and he won’t look beyond 2009. But after he finishes this season, he will check how he feels and decide then. 

Continue reading "Last Call for Bruschi in 2010?"

efore the University of Virginia product was OLB Angelo Craig. 

That leaves Eric Alexander, Tedy Bruschi, Tully Banta-Cain, Vinny Ciurciu, Shawn Crable, Gary Guyton, Jerod Mayo, Pierre Woods, Vince Redd, Paris Lenon, and Adalius Thomas as the roster LBs (rookie Tyrone McKenzie is on injured reserve for the year). 

Continue reading "Deep Thoughts"

But he has a better chance of sharing time with Jerod Mayo and Gary Guyton after Tedy Bruschi retires than Izzo ever would. 

91: Myron Pryor – Before Pryor, every player wore the number in the form of a sticker on the back of their helmet in honor of Marquis Hill. The former LSU Tiger drowned in 2007 while rescuing his girlfriend during a Jet Ski accident. The loss of Hill remains a sore spot for some players, especially DE Jarvis Green, but everyone must move on at some point. 

Continue reading "Numbers Game"

He would join Adalius Thomas, Jerod Mayo, and Tedy Bruschi in the starting lineup. 

Hmmm…Curry…Mayo…Bruschi… I’m getting hungry. Could Gary Guyton change his last name to Gumbo? 

Continue reading "Cooking up a Patriots Mock Draft"

A little over a week ago, The Boston Globe said a source close to LB Tedy Bruschi knows the linebacker wants to return for next season. And earlier this week, Pro Football Weekly said S Rodney Harrison's recovery from a torn quadricepts is going so well he wants to come back in '09 as well.

Continue reading "One More, Bruschi, Harrison?"

decisions on players like QB Matt Cassel, S Rodney Harrison, and LBs Junior Seau, Rosevelt Colvin, Tedy Bruschi well before the draft.

It's a long off-season. It's even longer when you're no

Continue reading "The Drive in '09"

The Pats are just 15th in rush defense and will miss a few key players. LBs Tedy Bruschi and Pierre Woods are out. S James Sanders is doubtful. And DE Ty Warren is 50-50. Last week New England had their problems trying to control Seatle's 19th-ranked ground game. How will they fare against a run-first offense?

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 15"

The game flashed before my eyes on Sunday when Seattle quarterback Seneca Wallace ran by Patriots rookie CB Jonathan Wilhite. It shouldn't had happened. Wilhite let up, thinking was going to run out of bounds. Instead Wallace turned upfield for a 23-yard gain and a first down. I immediately feared it was the 1997 Divisional loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers all over again.

Continue reading "Learning From Experience"

aw tackling Pittsburgh's tight end on Sunday.

Next the light house from Gillette Stadium falls on Tedy Bruschi and it's lights out for the unit's leader. After that a piano being hoisted up to the owner's box crashes on top of Mike Vrabel. Both Vrabel and the piano lose several teeth in the accident. By now we're into the bridge of the song "Yakety Sax," the song played to close "The Benny Hill Show."

Continue reading "Younger Depth at Linebacker"

I just don't get it.

And here's the other thing: Where's the fire? I keep waiting for Tedy Bruschi to shred the locker room after one of these duds. I'm looking for Mike Vrabel to light a fire under somebody. Anybody. But what I keep seeing - even in the win over San Francisco last week - is a team full of white-and-blue clad zombies. I feel like all the emotion is in my living room.

Continue reading "Texting the truth"

I want drive-ending tackles like the third down stop by LB Tedy Bruschi on RB Frank Gore. I expect Mayo to come up with more of these meaningful tackles.

To continue the conversation, ILB Gary Guyton had a great solo tackle as well. He took on a blocker with his inside shoulder before bringing down the ball carrier. He first caught my attention with a 10-tackle performance in the final preseason game. I hate saying this so early, but he's been a real find as a rookie free agent.

Continue reading "Quick review"

Mayo will start inside with LB Tedy Bruschi. Wheatley might start, but more likely he and Wilhite will play nickel and dime roles. But when the Patriots are up by 30 or more in the fourth, I want to see the other rookies. Keep your helmets close by Crable, O'Connell, Slater, and Guyton.

Continue reading "Hours Until Kickoff: Week 1"

Give LB Tedy Bruschi's old bones some rest as Gary Guyton bumps helmets with RB Larry Johnson. And while you're at it, LB Shawn Crable could try some new pass rush moves as Mike Vrabel and Adalius Thomas give him veteran insight from the sideline. Skip Cassel and play Kevin O'Connell, use Matt Slater on both sides of the ball and as a returner. Empty the bench.

Continue reading "Eye to the future"

ut of the secondary as well as the linebackers in coverage.

Last year was the first time ILB Tedy Bruschi played more than 10 games and didn't have one interception. His two passes defensed were his least since 2001. Bruschi is 35 years old and will be playing his 13th season. He isn't as quick as he used to be and he won't play forever.

Continue reading "Room for improvement"

>Defense

LE Ty Warren
NT Vince Wilfork
RE Richard Seymour
OLB Mike Vrabel
ILB Tedy Bruschi
ILB Victor Hobson
OLB Adalius Thomas
CB Ellis Hobbs
CB Fernando Bryant

Continue reading "Looking too far ahead"

numbers.

In fact, don't be surprised if he's the highest paid LB on this team, ahead of veterans Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Adalius Thomas. That's probably what it will take to sign the 10th pick overall.

Continue reading "Drop and give me $20 million"

The injury to Rosevelt Colvin eliminated the rotation inside that kept Seau, Adalius Thomas, and Tedy Bruschi fresh. With Hobson and Mayo in the mix, there's a lot more time to keep the veterans fresh through December and beyond. How can Seau resist this situation?

Continue reading "Say When"

outside linebacker prospects.

In doing so, I barely acknowledged the need for inside linebackers. Tedy Bruschi is on a one-year deal and Junior Seau still doesn't know if he wants to continue playing. Adalius Thomas, while able to play inside or outside, finished the season at ROLB. So the need for a ILB prospect is real.

Continue reading "Size doesn't matter?"

ner back Charles Woodson.

The Pats were set at the position, but they were long in the tooth with Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Roman Phifer, and Ted Johnson. Hobson wasn't worth a first round pick, but I thought it would had been great to take him in the second round.

Continue reading "Better late than never"

Junior Seau is 39, Tedy Bruschi is 34, and Adalius Thomas is 30. They cut Rosevelt Colvin during the off-season, though the Patriots could bring him back.

But there's not much behind them. ILB Eric Alexander has one start and very little in-game experience. OLB Pierre Woods is a special teamer who never started and in his limited time hasn't distinguished himself. They added two LBs in the draft last year, but Justin Rogers didn't make the final cut and Oscar Lua spent the year on the injured list and was released to start free agency.

Continue reading "A linebacker workout"