2019 Patriots' News

[Yankee Traveler]

Tom Brady was never charged with deflating a football. He was suspended for 'not cooperating' with the NFL investigation of the supposed deflated footballs. Problem was that Ted Wells testified under oath thaBrady was cooperative and offered him his personal cell phone as long as Brady could make sure that the investigator did not look at personal texts and emails between Brady and family members or business associates. Wells declined because he had thw phones of the equipment people of the Patriots. Hence Brady was suspended to prevent the NFL from being embarassed because they could find no evidence of the ball being tampered with or being manually deflated after leaving the officials locker room.

Whether or not the balls were tampered with by the equipment guy in thye mens room, we will never ever know unless he comes forward and says that he perjured himself and lied under oath.

As far as filming the Rams before the 2001 Super Bowl. That has never been proven. The Rams were the "Greatest Show on Turf" and were not undefeated that season, but had pretty well deballed most teams. The Patriots were such heavy underdogs that the Rams couldn't believe that they were beaten. Here's the problem for the haters.........filming teams prior to Goodell's decree in 2007 was perfectly legal from anywhere. Filming a practice was commonplace and teams did it all of the time. It wasn't until after the Patriots were fined in Spygate that accusations of filming the Rams pre Super Bowl practice were made.

I still have the "Three Games to Glory" from 2001 and the Patriots beat the living shit out of the rams WRs the entire game. But it was also legal to do that in 2001. People tend to forget that the rams totally shit the bed after 2001 and were not heard from again until 2018-19. Maybe they weren't as good as they thought they were.

And if they knew every play the Rams were going to run, as Marshall Faulk likes to proclaim, why did they only win by a field goal in the closing seconds...?

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Im still amazed at this fanbase. A few of our championships are tainted, we did cheat, we did get punished for it and it's not " Just Because " people can believe what they want but if anyone can say this team did not cheat and be sure of that I say you're a liar.

Again to reiterate what I said before, we cheated all teams cheat we just suck at it. This will be my last comment because as usual like politics and religion this have no true ending only what one choose to believe

Or, because you cannot argue the proof, you would rather turn your back rather than admit your wrong.
That's OK.
We get it.
It's an ego thing.

 

[BigKen]

March 10, 2019 at 9:34 am
SportsPatriots
On the eve of free agency, who might the Patriots target?

By Karen Guregian | [email protected] | Boston Herald
PUBLISHED: March 9, 2019 at 3:00 pm | UPDATED: March 10, 2019 at 6:20 am
Five of the past six years, the Patriots signed at least one free agent who proved to be impactful during his run in New England.

Stephon Gilmore (2017), Chris Hogan (2016), Dion Lewis (2015), Darrelle Revis (2014) and Danny Amendola (2013) are among the best pickups by Bill Belichick and the Patriots braintrust.

Last year didn’t produce a breakout performer. But the end game still saw the Patriots win a Super Bowl, their sixth overall.

On the eve of the two-day tampering window opening, with NFL free agency officially set to follow at 4 p.m. Wednesday, what’s the forecast for the Patriots this year?

Following the release of Dwayne Allen last week, Belichick has roughly $24 million in cap space to play with. None of that was tied up with a franchise tag for any of the top candidates, be it defensive end Trey Flowers, offensive lineman Trent Brown or kicker Stephen Gostkowski.

That figure isn’t what you’d call big splash money to lure the high end free agents, but it’s enough to help get the ball rolling on a few needs if the Patriots opt to spend on free agents. Already, the Patriots were active ahead of free agency, making a move to acquire defensive end Michael Bennett from the Eagles on Friday.

Aside from quarterback, and locating the successor to Tom Brady, here’s a look at the top areas of need (in no particular order), some of the free agent options available and who the Patriots might target in the coming days.

PASS RUSH: As stated above, the Patriots were busy making a significant trade, bringing in Bennett, while exchanging future draft picks. He can generate pressure up the middle as well as from the outside. He’s a talented guy that fills a need. He’s looking for a raise, we’ll see how that plays out. What does it mean for possibly re-signing Flowers? It’s going to take a big-time hometown discount for him to return. He’d probably like to stay, and the team would love to retain him. He was drafted by the Patriots, brought up in their system and has blossomed into a star. He does it all, penetrating from the outside and inside, much like Bennett. But if the money on the outside gets ridiculous, and it might, they could lose him. He’ll have a lot of suitors, namely the Dolphins and Lions, with Brian Flores (former Pats defensive play caller) in Miami and Matt Patricia (former defensive coordinator) in Detroit.

Letting their stars test the market has worked in the past with Devin McCourty and Dont’a Hightower. We’ll see if it works with Flowers. All the other prominent pass rushers available (DeMarcus Lawrence, Jadeveon Clowney, Dee Ford, Frank Clark) were tagged by their respective teams. So Flowers is now the top guy for any team needing pass rush help. It’s conceivable from him to land something in the $16 million per year neighborhood.

If they lose him, what’s left? Would they try for another high-priced defensive end (Preston Smith, Dante Fowler, Shane Ray)? Doubt it. Not with Bennett now on board. It’s more likely they’ll check out the bargain bin, where you’ll find Markus Golden, Aaron Lynch and John Simon, among others, to supplement the Bennett move. Simon had a positive impact with the team and played well in the Super Bowl. He’ll likely return. With a draft brimming with top-flight edge rushers, they could go that route, as well.

INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINE: With two defensive tackles (Malcom Brown, Danny Shelton) hitting the market, the Patriots find themselves needing to re-stock up front. While it’s possible for either Brown or Shelton to return on short-term deals, that seems doubtful. Neither man had their options extended. Shelton did have one moment in the Super Bowl, but he was a healthy scratch for several games during the year. Brown has been inconsistent throughout his time as a Patriot.

Who’s available? Looking for big money will be Ndamukong Suh and Sheldon Richardson. So moving past them, who might the Patriots target?

They might kick the tires on Henry Anderson, who has played for the Colts and Jets. The Pats will like the fact he can move inside and outside, and he had seven sacks last year. Or, they could check out Brent Urban, who like Lawrence Guy is a former Raven. There was some overlap in 2014. That might have some appeal. Ditto Timmy Jernigan, who was just released by the Eagles but was initially drafted by the Ravens. He also played with Guy, who has been a solid Patriot.

WIDE RECEIVER: The cupboard is virtually bare. It’s Julian Edelman and a group of guys who are still looking to record a catch in the big leagues. Josh Gordon is technically under contract, but who knows when his suspension will be lifted, and if he’s in the Patriots plans. So there’s work to do.

Of course, the Patriots can bring back one or all of their free agents (Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson). It wouldn’t be surprising if all of them are back, or none of them are back. Either way, the Patriots still need some help.

If there’s a place the Pats should open the purse strings, it’s wide receiver. But that hasn’t been their preference. Golden Tate has professed his love for the Patriots, but he won’t come cheap. Neither will Adam Humphries, who is younger than Tate and a perfect fit in the system. Jamison Crowder is another in that category. Ditto Randall Cobb.

The more realistic options would be Tavon Austin, Dontrelle Inman, Rishard Matthews, and yes, Danny Amendola, who was released from the Dolphins Friday. Is a reunion with his old friends in store? It’s certainly possible.

TIGHT END: As the Rob Gronkowski watch continues (will he or won’t he retire?), the answer shouldn’t change the need in this department. With the Patriots releasing Dwayne Allen, the Patriots need at least one tight end. If Gronk does ultimately hang it up, the need obviously grows.

Currently in-house along with Gronkowski are Jacob Hollister, who has been injury prone, Stephen Anderson and Ryan Izzo. Perhaps Izzo, who was drafted in the seventh round last year out of Florida State, develops into a more usable part. He spent the year on injured reserve. Chances are, they’ll add another veteran.

There’s a couple of intriguing names at the higher end of the scale in Tyler Eifert and Austin Seferian-Jenkins. It would be surprising if the Patriots reach at that end. Maybe they’ll look for a more reasonably-priced solution to bookend Gronk. Jesse James of the Steelers is a free agent and would fit well in the Patriots offense. With Michael Bennett in the fold, how about adding brother Martellus? But this is another position the Patriots could also fill in the draft, as the prospects are getting high grades this year. The Patriots could fill their needs with one of their top picks.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE: If the Pats didn’t franchise Trent Brown ($14.1 million), it’s doubtful they’ll sign him. He’s the top tackle on the market and bound to make top dollar. The Pats could rely on Isaiah Wynn, who they drafted in the first round (23rd overall) last year. But it’s a pretty tall order to protect Brady’s blind side as he’s coming back from a torn Achilles’ tendon. They’ll need some insurance, which might come with re-signing LaAdrian Waddle or perhaps bringing back Cam Fleming. Or, they might sign someone in the upper ranks who’ll come in well under Brown (Denver’s Jared Veldheer?), or look to add on in the draft, which is their usual course of action.

What’s the track record?

Here’s a look at what the Patriots have done in free agency during the past six years. It’s an important time frame, because the team won its second trio of championships between the 2014 and 2018 seasons.

2018 – C Luke Bowanko, DE Adrian Clayborn, RB Jeremy Hill, OL Ulrick John, WR Jordan Matthews, TE Troy Niklas, S Eddie Pleasant, OL Matt Tobin.

Skinny: There wasn’t much to brag about here. Clayborn didn’t quite live up to his two-year, $10 million deal his first year. Hill had a good camp but tore his ACL the first game of the season. The Pats re-signed running back Rex Burkhead, special teams captain Matthew Slater and backup tackle LaAdrian Waddle, important pieces to the championship run.

2017 – RB Rex Burkhead, OL James Ferentz, RB Mike Gillislee, CB Stephon Gilmore, DT Lawrence Guy, LB David Harris, S Andrew Hawkins.

Skinny: Following their jaw-dropping Super Bowl LI comeback win over the Falcons, the Pats had money to spend, making a big opening day splash with Gilmore (5 years, $65 million). Guy and Burkhead also proved valuable signings. Moreover, they re-signed defensive leader Dont’a Hightower, a huge playmaker in their big games.

2016 – CB E.J. Biggers, RB Donald Brown, TE Clay Harbor, WR Chris Hogan, LB Ramon Humber, DE Anthony Johnson, DE Frank Kearse, DL Terrance Knighton, DT Markus Kuhn, DE Chris Long, LB Shea McClellin, DL Joe Vellano, WR Nate Washington, LS Christian Yount.

Skinny: Hogan had an immediate impact his first year. Long contributed to the championship run, as did McClellin. The Pats also re-signed running back Legarrette Blount, cornerback Justin Coleman and core special teamers Nate Ebner and Brandon King, who all played pivotal roles.

2015 – RB Travaris Cadet, TE Scott Chandler, CB Derek Cox, CB Bradley Fletcher, LB Dane Fletcher, QB Matt Flynn, LB Jonathan Freeny, WR Brandon Gibson, OT Kevin Hughes, DT Antonio Johnson, RB Dion Lewis, CB Robert McClain, DE Jabaal Sheard, LB Dekoda Watson

Skinny: The additions of Lewis and Sheard were pretty significant. But the most important free agent signing? At the last minute, safety and defensive captain Devin McCourty signed a 5 year $47.5 million deal to stay in New England, turning down more money elsewhere.

2014 – LB James Anderson, CB Brandon Browner, TE Nate Byham, S Patrick Chung, LB Darius Fleming, LB Josh Hull, WR Brandon LaFell, CB Darrelle Revis, DE Will Smith.

Skinny: This free agency year essentially helped win the fourth Super Bowl, with the additions of Revis, Browner, and the return of Chung in the defensive backfield. Bringing in LaFell and re-upping FA Julian Edelman also played a major role in kicking off the next round of championships.

2013 – WR Danny Amendola, LB Marcus Benard, LB A.J. Edds, S Lavelle Hawkins, DL Tommy Kelly, WR Michael Jenkins, WR Donald Jones, OT Will Svitek, QB Tim Tebow, RB Leon Washington, S Adrian Wilson.

Skinny: While he might not have earned the nickname Danny Playoff Amendola right away, his dependability in the clutch was vital during many post-seasons to come. The team also retained several key players, namely cornerback Aqib Talib and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer.

Karen Guregian
Karen Guregian has been a member of the Boston Herald sports staff since 1984, performing a variety of jobs. Since 2007, she's covered the Patriots full-time.

 

[YankeeRebel]

Or, because you cannot argue the proof, you would rather turn your back rather than admit your wrong.
That's OK.
We get it.
It's an ego thing.

I am not wrong you know this and have presented no proof to be honest.

You want to believe because you never saw the tapes they don't exist and the league just punished the Pats for shits and giggles.

You want to pretend the balls weren't deflated yet the refs measured the balls before the game, handed them to the deflator who then went into a bathroom with the balls. I suppose you choose to believe his nickname was the deflator because he was losing weight too.

And you want to argue the Pats were punished simply for being the New England Patriots their records are unblemished. All because you didn't get to see the tapes, or read the transcripts are take place in the interviews. The Pats were simply punished because the commissioner doesn't like them . Somehow all that makes more sense to you then the possibility the Pats did cheat and were punished.

Say's a lot more about you than me.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

Bob Glauber saw the tapes. There was nothing on them but sideine signals and jiggle shots of cheerleaders. Matt Walsh is a disgruntled fired employee and a bold-faced liar who claimed he had walkthrough tapes and did not. The Herald printed a front page retraction. The Patriots have surely broken some rules. Bent quite a few more to their limits. But the only proof they taped a walkthrough is Matt Walsh’s disproven claims. If the existence of punishment proves the deed occurred, then by the same logic the absence of proof must mean a deed didn’t occur. They were punished for sideine taping. They were not punished for walkthrough taping. Therefore the walkthrough tapes mustn’t exist post hoc ergo proprer hoc.

 

[YankeeRebel]

Bob Glauber saw the tapes. There was nothing on them but sideine signals and jiggle shots of cheerleaders. Matt Walsh is a disgruntled fired employee and a bold-faced liar who claimed he had walkthrough tapes and did not. The Herald printed a front page retraction. The Patriots have surely broken some rules. Bent quite a few more to their limits. But the only proof they taped a walkthrough is Matt Walsh’s disproven claims. If the existence of punishment proves the deed occurred, then by the same logic the absence of proof must mean a deed didn’t occur. They were punished for sideine taping. They were not punished for walkthrough taping. Therefore the walkthrough tapes mustn’t exist post hoc ergo proprer hoc.

 

[PatsFanInColtsCountry]

You want to pretend the balls weren't deflated yet the refs measured the balls before the game, handed them to the deflator who then went into a bathroom with the balls. I suppose you choose to believe his nickname was the deflator because he was losing weight too..

What's obvious here is that you did not even do cursory research:

A prime example of manipulating the text evidence is the effort to create the myth that “deflator” was a frequently-used nickname for Mr. McNally. The Wells Report repeats the term numerous times (and the League’s appeal brief falsely asserts the term was used in texts throughout the 2014 season). It is an undisputed fact that, in the thousands of texts, the term was actually used only once, in a single text sent in the off-season (May 2014), some eight months before the AFC Championship Game.

The Wells Report in Context

What else are you wrong about? Lots of things. Ball pressure WAS NOT recorded prior to the game. They are not even certain which of the two gauges- which gave different readings- was used.

 

[nefansince75]

Im still amazed at this fanbase. A few of our championships are tainted, we did cheat, we did get punished for it and it's not " Just Because " people can believe what they want but if anyone can say this team did not cheat and be sure of that I say you're a liar.

Again to reiterate what I said before, we cheated all teams cheat we just suck at it. This will be my last comment because as usual like politics and religion this have no true ending only what one choose to believe

If you can say they "did cheat" and "be sure of it" then you too are a liar. It's all very gray. It's well known that Belichick know the letters of the rules better than almost anyone. A lot of the "cheating" can very easily explained by agressive rules interpretations. Cetainly most of what they've been accused of with filming falls into that catagory.

 

[sharkymcwrath]

What's obvious here is that you did not even do cursory research:What else are you wrong about? Lots of things. Ball pressure WAS NOT recorded prior to the game. They are not even certain which of the two gauges- which gave different readings- was used.

It's just not hard for me to see Brady telling the ball boy to make sure that the balls were on the lower end of the spectrum, the officials overfilled them in there AFCCG, and the ball boy took it upon himself to go into the bathroom and take a little air out. That makes the most sense to me as to what likely happened in that particular incident.

 

[GNG]

 

[PatsFanInColtsCountry]

It's just not hard for me to see Brady telling the ball boy to make sure that the balls were on the lower end of the spectrum, the officials overfilled them in there AFCCG, and the ball boy took it upon himself to go into the bathroom and take a little air out. That makes the most sense to me as to what likely happened in that particular incident.

I don't see it. He didn't have enough time to properly gauge them. What if he let out too much? Brady would sick Giselle on him.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

I am not wrong you know this and have presented no proof to be honest.

You want to believe because you never saw the tapes they don't exist and the league just punished the Pats for shits and giggles.

You want to pretend the balls weren't deflated yet the refs measured the balls before the game, handed them to the deflator who then went into a bathroom with the balls. I suppose you choose to believe his nickname was the deflator because he was losing weight too.

And you want to argue the Pats were punished simply for being the New England Patriots their records are unblemished. All because you didn't get to see the tapes, or read the transcripts are take place in the interviews. The Pats were simply punished because the commissioner doesn't like them . Somehow all that makes more sense to you then the possibility the Pats did cheat and were punished.

Say's a lot more about you than me.

Presented proof.
But you not only have blinders on, you look away from the proof.
You never saw the tapes either, yet you believe there was proof on the videos that the Pats cheated because you didn't see the tapes....?
You never saw the tapes.
I do believe that the balls were inflated at the psi TB wanted and that psi dropped because it was cooler outside than in.
IGL. You are ignoring proof.

You can pretend to believe whatever you want us to think you believe and fall in line with all the haters that ignore science.
But your wrong.
And it's ok to be wrong.
It's ok.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

I don't see it. He didn't have enough time to properly gauge them. What if he let out too much? Brady would sick Giselle on him.

You’re giving Jastremski credit for not being a complete buffoon, which he never showed the slightest inclination toward throughout the whole affair.

 

[BigKen]

Jesus.......did he really turn water into wine? Did he really raise Lazarus from the dead? I haven't seen the video yet, but if the spectators saw it then it must be so. Did he really roll back a 3000 lb stone by himself after being dead for three days?

You believe whatever you want to believe and no one can convince you otherwise even with proof.

To be 100% honest, I'm sick of Spygate, Deflategate and all of the bullshit that surround both. To continually rehash your personal beliefs against another person's personal belief is like pissing into a strong wind......you're the only one that gets wet.

May I suggest that we agree to disagree and move forward to 2019? Thank you.

 

[BigKen]

5 priorities for Patriots during first week of NFL free agency

Ryan Hannable
March 10, 2019 - 9:48 pm
Categories:
Football
This is a big week for the NFL, as it is the first week of free agency.

The legal tampering period is Monday and Tuesday before the official league year begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. when free agents can officially sign with new teams and trades agreed upon can become official.

Across the board, it’s a pretty underwhelming free agent group with not many big names expected to change teams. This likely means some players will be overpaid because of the lack of talent available. In turn, don’t expect the Patriots to do much until the second or third wave of signings begin and the prices drop.

Still, that doesn’t mean they won’t be busy this week. Here are five things the Patriots should look to get done.

1. Bring back Trey Flowers

This one will be easier said than done, as Flowers is the best defensive end on the market and one of the best defensive players, period. It seems likely the 26-year-old will get around $15-18 million per season, and that might be too much for the Patriots. Flowers will likely see what his market is before coming back to the Patriots with that figure, and letting them decide whether or not they can match or even come close. If Flowers is not brought back, they need to find a way to make up for his production because they need more than Michael Bennett.

2. Free up some cap space

A move was already made last week with the release of Dwayne Allen that freed up just under $7 million in cap space, but most of that will go to Bennett, so it’s essentially a wash. With around $17 million in cap space as of now, that needs to change and this week is a good place to start. Some obvious moves seem to be releasing Adrian Clayborn, as that will free up around $3 million, and then extending Tom Brady. In the last year of his deal, Brady currently has a cap hit of $27 million and by extending him the team could spread out that money over a few years.

3. Gauge wide receiver market, potentially add player

This is the position most needed to be upgraded as Julian Edelman is the only receiver who finished the 2018 season on the active roster under contract for 2019. As mentioned earlier, it isn’t a very strong class so the top receivers available — Golden Tate, Adam Humphries and Tyrell Williams — may get overpaid and in that case won’t be coming to New England. If that indeed happens, maybe the Patriots will look at making a trade similar to what they did a few years ago when they got Brandin Cooks. Whether a receiver is added this week or not, the Patriots need to make sure they have a plan at the position based off what the market is like.

4. Keep close eye on own free agents

This will probably be the most important part of the week, as there are a number of players who will hit free agency, but the team likely wants to bring back. Besides Flowers, top priorities include Stephen Gostkowski, Ryan Allen, Phillip Dorsett, Jason McCourty and LaAdrian Waddle. The organization should constantly be checking in on these players and if it needs to match an offer from another team, it should likely do it. Meanwhile, with Trent Brown, Cordarrelle Patterson and Chris Hogan it feels like they will be gone, but if their markets don’t materialize and the team can get a bargain, why not look to bring them back?

5. Get better idea of what Rob Gronkowski is doing

While Gronkowski likely won’t come out and say whether he’s playing next year or not, the Patriots need to make sure they have some sense of what he's planning on doing. There’s a thought he hasn’t said anything because he’s planning on returning, but wants to play for his full $9 million in base salary. The Patriots likely want him to take a pay cut if he returns, but by not formally announcing anything he can use that as leverage if the team tries to make him take a pay cut by just saying he will retire if they do. If he is retiring, the team likely needs to add a veteran on top of drafting a tight end early.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

@AlbertBreer
19s19 seconds ago

Patriots LT Trent Brown plans to sign a 4-year, $66 million deal with Oakland on Wednesday, per source. Second straight offseason a Patriot lineman will leave to become the highest paid OL ever.

 

[YankeeRebel]

What's obvious here is that you did not even do cursory research:What else are you wrong about? Lots of things. Ball pressure WAS NOT recorded prior to the game. They are not even certain which of the two gauges- which gave different readings- was used.

I never said the PSI was recorded I said the PSI was checked before the game. The fact that you state they are not ever sure which two gauges they used confirmed the PSI was checked. Now maybe I am wrong here but I would think if the officials used gauges and checked the PSI pre game and the balls were below the authorized PSI they would have had them adjusted. Seem logical to me, but maybe they did not maybe they just let the underinflated balls onto the field. It could happen

 

[YankeeRebel]

@AlbertBreer
19s19 seconds ago

Patriots LT Trent Brown plans to sign a 4-year, $66 million deal with Oakland on Wednesday, per source. Second straight offseason a Patriot lineman will leave to become the highest paid OL ever.

Thats a win for Wynn

 

[YankeeRebel]

Presented proof.
But you not only have blinders on, you look away from the proof.
You never saw the tapes either, yet you believe there was proof on the videos that the Pats cheated because you didn't see the tapes....?
You never saw the tapes.
I do believe that the balls were inflated at the psi TB wanted and that psi dropped because it was cooler outside than in.
IGL. You are ignoring proof.

You can pretend to believe whatever you want us to think you believe and fall in line with all the haters that ignore science.
But your wrong.
And it's ok to be wrong.
It's ok.

None of us saw the tapes but the league sure did hand down some stiff punishment for no good reason

I know I know the natural gas law you have been hanging your hat on that since we started. Yet again there has not been a single report of deflated balls at any other teams outdoor cold weather games since. Perhaps the witches of Salem have conjured up some charm? Ball only deflate by natural gas law in Foxborough that's cool.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

None of us saw the tapes but the league sure did hand down some stiff punishment for no good reason

I know I know the natural gas law you have been hanging your hat on that since we started. Yet again there has not been a single report of deflated balls at any other teams outdoor cold weather games since. Perhaps the witches of Salem have conjured up some charm? Ball only deflate by natural gas law in Foxborough that's cool.

If you look back, I don't have time right now, you will find that the league decided to start checking psi during the games. At half time I believe.
While they did record their findings, they have never released them. Nor will they.
Why do you suppose that is?