QB Testaverde at Patriots minicamp this week

by tommasse on May 23, 2007 9:42 PM EDT in News Comment 5 comments

21st Season for Vinny?
Testaverde Spotted at Patriots Minicamp

According to Boston Herald columnist Karen Guregian 43-year-old quarterback Vinny Testaverde is planning on wearing an NFL uniform in the 2007 season.

No deal has been struck, and Testaverde's friend and former agent Mike Azzarelli would not say whether negotiations with the New England Patriots were in progress. But, "He's not retired," Azzarelli said. "I doubt he'd be hanging out [in Foxboro]. He's intent on playing."

The Patriots currently have three quarterbacks on their roster: Tom Brady, Matt Cassel and rookie free agent Matt Gutierrez.

New England Patriots quarterback Vinny Testaverde celebrates with
tight end David Thomas after throwing a touchdown to Troy Brown in
the Patriots 40-23 win over Tennessee in December.

Photo Courtesy: boston.com

Testaverde, currently technically a free agent, signed on with New England last November as an emergency quarterback and sideline soundboard for Brady. He took game-ending kneel-downs in several contests and threw a touchdown in the waning minutes of a 40-23 New Year's Eve win over Tennessee. That gave the double-decade veteran at least one touchdown in 20 straight seasons, an NFL record.

Testaverde's locker remains intact as it was at the end of the season, bookends with Brady to newcomer Randy Moss.

My initial instinct is that the Patriots -- despite Mr. Azzarelli's assertion -- won't use a roster spot on Testaverde if they think Cassel and Gutierrez are better, and they certainly won't carry more than three quarterbacks. Thus, my guess is New England will offer Testaverde some kind of coaching position, as clearly he's good for Brady.

Remember, Brady looked fairly out of sorts with the group of mostly new (like this year) second-tier (not like this year) receivers early in the season. When the Patriots lost back-to-back games for the first time in years, they signed Testaverde and Brady's performances improved immediately.

Still, if Gutierrez doesn't prove himself or if New England finally decides to cut ties with Cassel, expect Testaverde to be wearing red, white and blue .. and silver.

Poll

What will be Vinny Testaverde's position with the Patriots in 2007?

Backup quarterback

11 votes

Quarterbacks/Assistant coach

22 votes

Some other job

1 votes

None

0 votes

34 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 5 comments

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Comments

Um...

Excuse my ignorance, but who the bloody hell is Gutierrez??? :)

by DanieXJ on May 24, 2007 9:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rookie Free Agent

He was recruited to play at Michigan and was set to be a starter, but injured his shoulder and thus lost the job to Chad Henne. After sitting on the bench for a year, he transferred to Idaho State. He started there last year before graduating. I haven't seen him play so I can't even discuss his arm strength, let alone decision making skills, but I would have to work under the assumption that he is a long-shot.

by 6thround on May 25, 2007 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Check the link in the story

Patriots signed him as an undrafted free agent on May 8. Apparently not too many other teams clamoring for him. I don't really know anything about him either.

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by tommasse on May 25, 2007 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Interesting

that Vinny could be brought in as a coach. I've heard it claimed before that quarterback coaches are especially valuable since that particular position has been robbed of so many valuable QB coach prospects... by broadcasting, which scoops them up any chance they get.

I'd love to see Vinny continue his professional career on the sidelines.

Hogs Haven

by Skin Patrol on May 25, 2007 6:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Coach Vinnie

I can't speak to Vinnie's potential abilities as a coach, but I do think that dedicated QB coaches are an underutilized resource. I hadn't thought about the QB-to-TV analyst drain though. I can certainly understand that an offensive coordinator would want to have a close link to his QB, but the importance of a QB's technique would seem to warrant the best possible oversight. It seems to me that while an offensive coordinator could have a great impact on a QB's understanding of each week's gameplan, I doubt that there's a while lot of time each week for him to provide tutelage on drob-back, throwing, hand-off, etc. technique. Repetition and feedback are the best way to improve and upkeep those skills, and I doubt that anyone other than a full-time QB coach can provide the best results.

by 6thround on May 25, 2007 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs