He must've gotten sick of Chowdah and decided Gumbo was in order (Pssst, dude. enough with the corny jokes already). Moving on...The big man of the backfield, fullback Heath Evans has agreed to terms with the New Orleans Saints. After spending 3 years with the Patriots, he's decided to move on. As Mike Reiss points out:
Because the Patriots are more of a one-back running team, they don't utilize a lead-blocking fullback regularly, although Evans offered them the flexibility to morph into a two-back attack
I hate to see anyone go, but to be very honest, this is not a huge loss for us. I like Heath, don't get me wrong, but he was never utilized in our pass happy system. And, with the addition of Fred Taylor, it's very likely we wouldn't be carrying more than five backs (Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor, Kevin Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis).
Another wrinkle to this? Let's not forget backup center/guard/long snapper Russ Hochstein is a darn versatile guy:
His versatility to play center and guard -- as well as his duties as a backup long snapper -- have earned him a consistent spot on the team's 45-man game-day roster. Hochstein also dabbled with some fullback duties late last season in a power run-based package.
You read that right - Russ sometimes takes on FB duties. It's a sight to see, folks. A 300 lb OL as a blocking back for one of the backfield five. Ya gotta love Belichick and his ability to utilize players in many different places.
Good luck Heath and thanks!