New England Patriots Links 10/22/09 - Brandon Tate Ready and Willing

Tom Brady talks up the Bucs.

I mean, obviously, every team has its strengths and weaknesses, and every team is dangerous in its own way. This team has a lot of youth, but it has some playmakers on defense, especially in the secondary. We went through a lot of the stuff this morning and they can make a lot of plays. Similar to us, it's just the consistency of it. We're expecting them to play their best game - there's no reason why they wouldn't - so we're going to have to go out and do the same.

Bill Belichick talks up the undrafteds, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Gary Guyton.

[BenJarvus Green-Ellis] has been very impressive since the first time we had him here in rookie minicamp and then in the spring minicamps, kind of like how Gary Guyton was on defense. I'm not saying you don't expect anything… I mean, this guy was a good back, in a good conference, at a good school just like Gary Guyton was a good linebacker, in a good conference, at a good school, but they come in and start competing with your veteran players and even some of your younger veterans – second and third year guys – and they're right there with them or maybe even moving a little bit ahead of them and it catches your eye pretty quickly.

From no experience and no big hype coming in, they show up here and start making plays and start doing a lot of things that guys who supposedly are more talent or supposedly have more experience, they're doing them better [and] it kind of catches your eye. I would say Gary and BenJarvus both fell into that category last year and have continued to improve and progress through the entire time they've been here. It wasn't just a one hit wonder, quick shot at it. They started fast and they built on it and built it to a very high level.

Shalise Manza Young notes rookie WR Brandon Tate is itching to play and knows he must show both the Pats' coaching staff and Tom Brady that he can be counted on.

"I just (have to) try to get the coaches' trust so they can put me in the game," he said, adding that Brady was just as important to impress. "It is, because if Tom doesn't trust you he's not going to throw you the ball, so I'm just going to go out there and practice and just try to do everything right."

"I'm real happy. I feel comfortable, I have the trust back in the knee, I'm ready to go," he said. "I feel real confident in myself…If they give me the call, I'll be ready. It is the perfect situation; I'm just going to go out there, get the coaches' trust, get Tom's trust, and we'll see."

TEAM SHOTS

• Erik Scalavino LB Adalius Thomas opens up about his deactivation from last week's game and what lies ahead for him and the Patriots. Pus, news and notes from the New England locker room and Wednesday's practice.
• Patriots and Buccaneers announce the following player injuries and practice participation.
• Wednesday Pressers: Tom Brady (9.32 min video) plus Transcript, and Bill Belichick (20 min. video) plus Transcript.
• Patriots Today - Prepping for London (9:34 min. video)
• Locker Room Uncut - Thomas, Mankins and WR intrigue.  (3.31 min. video)
• PFW TV   Watch this edition as we discuss the Patriots 59-0 win over the Titans. Plus, we'll preview this Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium in London. (22.41 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Karen Guregian looks at the benching of Adalius Thomas gamble by Belichick, and says it probably won't serve to propel him into playing like the guy the Patriots thought they had signed.
• Monique Walker reports Adalius Thomas took the benching as a professional, "It’s not about me and Bill. We’re fine. It seems like y’all have a bigger problem with it than I do."
• Ron Borges says being inactive is nothing new to Adalius Thomas,  'the most expensive free agent signee of the Bill Belichick era, which is a large part of the reason he was sitting at home while less well compensated players were playing football in the snow."
• Kerry J. Byrne reviews the Patriots snow games and concludes Brady is the best QB in winter weather. 
• Mike Reiss notes Patriots third-string QB Isaiah Stanback is an offbeat option at WR and has experience at that position.
• Robert Lee has a terrific piece on LB Gary Guyton - a humble, unlikely leader of the Patriots defense.
• Tony Massarotti focuses on the steady ship that has been the New England Patriots since Bill Belichick's second year coaching the team.
• Mike Reiss offers a Patriots penalty breakdown through week 6.
• Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Darius Butler joined the walking wounded with an ankle injury; Bucs head coach Raheem Morris is still looking for his first win; Jonathan Wilhite became a first-time father Tuesday with the birth of baby girl Kamryn;  Tom Brady has never played football in England, but his cartoon self has. In a "Family Guy" episode titled "Patriots Games," Brady and the Pats play a team called the Silly Nannies in London.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Tim Graham (ESPN) AFC East Underachiever: Terrell Owens. Rookie receiver Julian Edelman, a seventh-round draft choice the New England Patriots converted from QB, has six more catches than Owens in one fewer game.
• Nolan Nawrocki (Pro Football Weekly) Examined all 32 NFL rosters and identified Ty Warren as one of 10 players who haven't received the recognition that they have earned.
• Charles Robinson (Yahoo! Sports) NFL: Week 6 - Audi Eye Opening Performance- Robinson breaks down the historic performance by Tom Brady and if this is the beginning of another great season.
• Mark Woods (Britball media for ESPNBoston) UKPats ready to cheer on New England.
• Jeffrey Marcus (NY Times) For Glazers, winning in one football is not as easy as winning in the other.
• Peter Schrager (Fox Sports) Week 7 Cheat Sheet: NFL picks and predictions. Pats over Bucs 37-14
• Aaron Wilson (Nat'l Football Post) Seymour didn't like how trade to Raiders was handled.
• Alex Marvez (Fox Sports) NFL facing an international crisis.
• Ross Tucker (SI) Too many 'victory Mondays' lead to losing Sundays for mediocre teams.

VIEW FROM TAMPA

• Buccaneers.com Digging deep: The Bucs went back to work on Wednesday, preparing to face New England's explosive offense.
• Ira Kaufman (Tampa Tribune) Bucs will be strictly business for game in London.
• Joe Smith (St. Petersburg Times) Bucs will use different travel plans than Patriots for London showdown.
• Ira Kaufman (Tampa Tribune ) Pats' coach Belichick wary of improving Bucs team.  "When Bill Belichick finished his conference call with the Tampa Bay media Wednesday, it was unclear whether he was preparing for the 2009 Buccaneers or the 1985 Chicago Bears."
• Anwar Richardson (Tampa Tribune) Morris keeps confidence amid growing fan unrest.
• John Romano (St. Petersburg Times) Do not underestimate the sheer helplessness of this year's Buccaneers.  (2.08 min. video) 

"Did you know former owner Hugh Culverhouse once interviewed Bill Belichick to be his head coach?  Culverhouse gave the job to Richard Williamson instead.  Williamson went on to win 3 games in his only full season as an NFL head coach.  Bill Belichick went on to win 3 Super Bowls as the Patriots head coach."