Pats Pulpit - All Posts

Patriots Sign WR Mark Harrison, K David Ruffer; Fill Roster

2013-05-20T21:37:07Z

Just when you thought the Patriots had all the Rutgers players they would need in time for OTAs, think again.

The team came to terms on Monday with former Scarlett Knights wide receiver Mark Harrison on an undrafted free agent deal. Harrison becomes the fifth player from Rutgers that the team has either drafted or signed this offseason, joining Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon, Steve Beauharnais and Brandon Jones.

Harrison is one of the biggest receivers on the team at 6-foot-3 and 231 pounds. Last season at Rutgers, Harrison caught 44 passes for 583 yards and six touchdowns. Scouts have evaluated Harrison as a strong redzone presence and has an ability to "go up and get it". He also has been labeled a solid blocking receiver, likely due to his big frame. The problem with him has apparently been his ability to hold onto the ball.

He's likely to compete with the "X" guys like Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce, Michael Jenkins and Kamar Aiken. Definitely a valuable guy they may look to stash away on the practice squad, if not keep on their roster potentially. In other words, Harrison has the potential to not be, "Just another Guy".

The team also came to terms with former Notre Dame kicker David Ruffer. Ruffer was a part of a Fighting Irish team that went undefeated during the regular season and connected on 24 of 25 field goals last season.

Ruffer seems to be the annual camp body that will push Stephen Gostkowski, with Chris Koepplin now playing in Buffalo. Belichick is apparently looking for guys to push all of his specialists, signing punter Ryan Allen and long snapper Mike Zupancic to compete with Zoltan Mesko and Danny Aiken, respectively.

Brandon Spikes Absent From Patriots OTAs

2013-05-20T21:04:41Z

According to Jeff Howe over at the Boston Herald, linebacker Brandon Spikes was not present at Patriots OTAs on Monday. There was no specific reason given for his absence.

Spikes is reportedly remaining on his current workout regime, and will work out on his own. Sources close to Howe are saying that Spikes isn't staying away from team OTAs because he's unhappy with his current contract, which is set to expire at the end of this season.

He is apparently still planning to attend mandatory minicamp, which begins on June 11. So there's at least that.

Knowing the Patriots, we will likely never know the exact reason why Spikes won't join his teammates at Gillette Stadium this week. These OTAs are voluntary, so Spikes isn't subject to being fined or disciplined by the team by not attending them. However, it raises questions as to where his head really is.

Spikes has stayed away from voluntary workouts all offseason, and won't show up and honor his contract until he absolutely has to. I know there were guys like Mike Vrabel, who simply preferred to stay away from OTAs to spend extra time with his families, but this seems different to me.

While it's still too early to tell, this could be a sign that Spikes has already accepted the fact that this will be his last season in New England, and that he's ready for the big payday that he likely won't get from the Patriots.

There's been speculation around here that Spikes may get traded by the team. With the news today, do you think that possibility is even more likely at this point?

New England Patriots Links 5/20/13 - Brady Better Than Ever; OTAs Begin

2013-05-20T13:11:07Z

TEAM TALK

Erik Scalavino reports Robert Kraft and Rob Gronkowski are among team stars at a football clinic for youngsters in Newtown, Ct.
Patriots Football Weekly keeps you up to date with the Patriots roster, with analysis each time there is a change.
Andy Hart and Paul Perillo debate whether it's time for the Patriots to bring back Richard Seymour to solidify the front.
Patriots sign second-round draft pick LB Jamie Collins and seventh-round pick LB Steve Beauharnais.
Patriots Today - Smiles in Newtown. (1.59 min. video)
Patriots Today - Different mindset, same work ethic. (3.23 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

Mike Reiss highlights Tom Brady's conversation with Peter King in his Monday Morning Quarterback piece.
Mike Reiss reports the Patriots OTAs begin today, and the NFL is holding it's annual spring meeting in Boston on Tuesday.
Mike Reiss shares some quick-hit weekend thoughts from the Patriots and around the NFL. Brandon Spikes enters the final season on his contract.
Karen Guregian reports Rob Gronkowski's surgery is set for Monday.
Christopher Price offers five thoughts on the past, present and future of Rob Gronkowski.
Mike Reiss shares his thoughts on Rob Gronkowski and his upcoming surgeries.
Nick Underhill says after all the things we've seen him do on Sundays, it's too soon to doubt Gronkowski's future.
Karen Guregian sees Jake Ballard as a possible key figure in minicamp, especially with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez not participating.
Mike Reiss notes second-year safety Tavon Wilson has been working closely with veteran Adrian Wilson during the team's offseason workout program.
Nick Underhill looks at six players who could break out in 2013 for New England.
Nick Underhill gives us the first look at rookie Aaron Dobson in uniform.
Doug Kyed thinks the Patriots latest moves on defense show the team could be stressing pass defense over stopping the run.
Field Yates posts a projected defensive tackle depth chart.
Field Yates takes a look at some of the Patriots lesser known 2013 opponents: Browns and Panthers.
Karen Guregian Patriots Notebook: Rob Gronkowski may face back surgery as well as a fourth surgery on his forearm; Pats have locked in four of their seven draft choices, with Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce and Michael Buchanon still remaining.
Christopher Price notes Rob Gronkowski has called off his Las Vegas trip.
Erik Frenz counts down the top 25 players in the AFC East: No. 15 Bills DT Kyle Williams and No. 14 Jets CB Antonio Cromartie.
Christine McConville reports Robert Kraft was the commencement speaker at Suffolk University yesterday.

NATIONAL NEWS

Peter King (SI) MMQB: Brady more confident than ever as Patriots need him more than ever.
Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Patriots hold football clinic in Newtown.
Doug Farrar (Yahoo! Sports) Patriots hold 'Football For You' clinic for children of Newtown.
James Walker (ESPN) Hope and Concern: New England Patriots.
James Walker (ESPN) AFC East Q&A: Patriots WR Aaron Dobson.
James Walker (ESPN) Rob Gronkowski already damaged goods?
John Clayton (ESPN) Patriots' concern for Rob Gronkowski. (44 sec. clip)
Photo Gallery (ESPN) 20 Years of Patriots top draft picks with Robert Kraft.
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) Pressing questions for all 32 NFL teams heading into the summer. Who starts outside at receiver with Danny Amendola in the slot?
Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News) NFL offseason grades. Patriots C.
John Clayton (ESPN) Following the free-agent dollars.
Mike Wilkening (ProFootballTalk) Twenty-nine NFL teams holding OTAs this week.
Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Report: Jets "really wanted" Brian Hoyer.
Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Stallworth cleared to return to football after hot air balloon accident.
Dan Pompei (Nat'l Football Post) Sunday Blitz: Schiano finally gets his man at QB; best DT duos of all time; and all the latest around the league.
Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NFL gradually finds players from other countries.

Dwight Freeney Signs With Chargers; Pats Showed 'Last Minute Interest'

2013-05-18T19:30:22Z

Dwight Freeney garnered "last minute interest" from the New England Patriots, but it was all for naught, as he is reportedly set to sign a two-year deal with the San Diego Chargers. Ian Rapoport reported the agreement while the USA Today's Jarrett Bell reported the Patriots' late interest.

The seven-time pro bowler Freeney had been in San Diego for the past few days talking with the Chargers. With pass rusher Melvin Ingram tearing his ACL, the Bolts acted quickly, and wanted to bring in Freeney for a visit and ultimately sign him to fill in for Ingram. He can make up to $13.5 million over his two-year deal with San Diego.

Even though I think Freeney fits the Patriots' 4-3 scheme better than he will the 3-4 defense of the Chargers, he ultimately did what we all expected him to do, and that's chase the money. There's no way that the Patriots would have offered that kind of money (Freeney is reportedly guaranteed around $8 million). Plus, it seems that they would have used him as a part-time player, and maybe as a third-down pass rusher.

I can't fault him for taking the money, but he likely won't win a ring out in San Diego.

With Freeney now off the market, the only big-name pass rusher that the Patriots have been connected with is John Abraham, who could make his decision in the coming days. But for the Patriots to land him, he'll have to take less money and probably less playing time.

USA Today: Gronkowski Dealing With Back Issue, Could Face (Another) Surgery

2013-05-17T22:06:23Z

Even more discomforting injury news coming out of Foxboro, as it now appears that Rob Gronkowski will also need back surgery. This according to Mike Garafolo of USA Today. Garafolo wrote this about the Patriots' All-Pro tight end:

The New England Patriots tight end recently underwent an MRI on his back to check on a disk issue he had dating back to last season, a person informed of Gronkowski's medical status told USA TODAY Sports.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the Patriots' policy of not publicly detailing injuries, said the issue was with a different disk than the one that needed to be shaved down in surgery in 2009 and a final decision on whether surgery would be required had not been made. The person said Gronkowski would see spine specialist Robert Watkins in the near future, after next week's surgery to install a new plate into his forearm.

The person said the hope was, if surgery on his back was required, Gronkowski would be back within the same time frame as his recovery from the arm injury, which he initially suffered in November but has been prolonged because of an infection in the limb.

If you have just hit your head against a book, started panicing profusely, or even googled "Alge Crumpler" to see if he's still able to suit up, I have news that will hopefully calm your mood. This coming from the ever dependable, Adam Schefter:

Rob Gronkowski's back issue considered minor, per source. If he needs surgery it'd be during time frame that he'd be out with arm surgery.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 17, 2013

Quote from person close to Gronk: "He is going to be fine long term. (He is) not worried about the short term, I.e. start of training camp."
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 17, 2013

I'm going to put my trust in Schefter, and try and not worry about Gronkowski, who could have surgery on both his forearm and back. The fact that the team isn't apparently worried about him, and that he's hopeful about his recovery puts me at ease as well.

The recovery time for both procedures will overlap, and it will likely still put him in line to return to training camp. Again, this doesn't mean he'll be ready for camp, just be ready around the time of camp. It's worth noting that back issues is what made Gronkowski slip so far during the 2010 NFL Draft, and allowed him to be essentially stolen by the Pats in the second round

With Gronkowski set for forearm surgery on Monday, and now back surgery sometime in the near future, he's going to have the quite the next few months trying to rehab. I'm hopeful that he'll prioritize and maybe not party so much and put himself at risk even further than he already is putting himself.

In only three seasons, Gronk has had issues with his ankle, forearm and now his back. Anyone else worried about his increasingly fragile body?

Pats Pulpit Off-Season Caption Contest #19

2013-05-17T20:27:20Z

Results from last time:

via cdn2.sbnation.com

Winner with 7 Rec's (doubly funny):

indy pats fan - Manning: GOT YOUR NOSE! Texan: Not cool man, give it back!

indy pats fan - Judging by the look on Manning's face, you’d think it was the playoffs.

Second Place with 6 Rec's:

Buford T Justice - Peyton shows the proper technique for limp-arming a defender.

Third Place with 5 Rec's:

Brady's Revenge - Come on man you know the rules, I'm a Manning. You...Can’t...Touch...Meeeeeeee!

ISN - You know why I have such a good record against these guys? We never play them in January.

Alec Shane - Breaking News: The NFL Competition Committee has implemented the following rule change: grabbing a quarterback's jersey will now be considered defensive holding. Committee member Bill Polian could not be reached for comment.

The rules are simple:

1) Write a funny caption for the picture. If you can't think of one, then you can still play (keep reading).

2) If you like any of the captions, Recommend them. Even if you wrote one of your own. It is better to give than receive.

3) We'll give a shout out to the top three most Rec'd captions in the next contest, along with a new picture.

4) Please, please, please, remember this is just for fun and don't create other screen names just to recommend yourself. If you're that funny, you'll be recognized.

Patriots Sign Second-Round Pick Jamie Collins

2013-05-17T17:12:47Z

The Patriots announced on Friday that they have come to terms with defensive end/outside linebacker Jamie Collins, their second-round choice out of Southern Mississippi. The terms of the contract have not yet been released by the team.

After trading out of the first round of the 2013 Draft, Bill Belichick and the Patriots targeted Collins, a freakishly athletic pass rusher at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds. Collins caught the eye of many with a strong showing at the combine, being the top performer at his position in the 40-yard dash (4.64 sec), vertical (41.5 inch), broad jump (139 inch), cone drill (7.10 sec) and the 60 yard shuttle run (11.55 sec).

Collins likely also got the team's attention with his success in many roles while in college. At Southern Miss, he played defensive back during his freshman and sophomore years and was then moved to the defensive line for his junior and senior seasons. It's not exactly an easy transition for most players, but it was seamless for Collins.

On a very bad Golden Eagles team that went 0-12 last season, Collins stood out, turning in a solid 92 tackle season including 10 sacks during his senior year. He was named team MVP for his outstanding efforts.

As for where he will fit in the Patriots' defensive scheme, Belichick has said that we will likely see him play more linebacker than anything else. But he knows that he can also use the versatile Collins on the d-line, as well as in the secondary, if he's absolutely needed.

Arguably the most versatile and athletic defensive player the Patriots have drafted in a long time, and it's got me excited.

New England Patriots Links 5/17/13 - Hightower Understands Work Ethic Needed to Succeed

2013-05-17T13:19:11Z

TEAM TALK

The New England Patriots have announced the release of DL Kyle Love.
Andy Hart says the recent releases of Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick have left a bit of a hole on the depth chart up front on defense.
The New England Patriots announced today the signing of third-round draft choice CB Logan Ryan.
Patriots Today - Tom's new targets.
PFW In Progress - A discussion of the latest roster moves by the Patriots as the team prepares for OTAs. (2 hour program)
Player Interview: Dont'a Hightower (5.34 min.)

LOCAL LINKS

Field Yates catches up with Dont'a Hightower, talking about the difference between this year and his rookie year.
Karen Guregian wonders if a scheme change is in the works, in light of Bill Belichick's tinkering with the D-line.
Zuri Berry says Kyle Love's departure appears to coincide with a changing New England defense.
Paul Kenyon reports Jerod Mayo is taking a wait-and-see approach to the Patriots roster moves on defense.
Tom E. Curran explains there's more to the Pats' release of Love than meets the eye.
Christopher Price notes Bill Belichick made no secret of his interest in DE/OLB Michael Buchanan, flying to Illinois to check him out before the draft.
Mike Reiss posts the transcript of his weekly online chat.
Erik Frenz counts down the top 25 players in the AFC East: No. 16 Patriots LG Logan Mankins.
Field Yates takes a look at some of the Patriots lesser known 2013 opponents: Steelers.

NATIONAL NEWS

James Walker (ESPN) Surgery wise move for Rob Gronkowski.
James Walker (ESPN) Updating AFC East defensive rankings. Patriots' second.
Will Brinson (CBS Sports) Ranking NFL QBs: Rodgers, Brady, Peyton and Brees are elites.
Evan Silva (NBC Sports) 2013 Offensive line rankings. Pats rank No. 1.
Pat Kirwan (CBS Sports) Rating O-linemen. Not much love for New England here.
NFL Live (ESPN) Trey Wingo speaks with Mike Reiss on the release of Kyle Love. (3.37 min. video)
Joe Fortenbaugh (Nat'l Football Post) The Pressure index: These 12 teams have the most to lose in 2013. Pats play eight of them.
James Walker (ESPN) Whaley wants Bills to be 'Beasts of the East'.
Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Krafts catch flak for favoring Patriots over Revolution.