New England Patriots Links 4/12/10 - Pats' Draft Board Set; Jets Load Up

Mike Reiss offers a Q&A with DL Myron Pryor, one of the Patriots' pleasant surprises in the 2009 season.

"My top goal is to make it on the team. Second is to be the healthiest, most-in-shape that I can be, because I want to make the best impression for the second year. My third one is focused on team chemistry. I want the team to feel like a team. I’m not saying any names, but I feel like guys didn’t always come together. Some guys, when we did come together, I thought we played helluva ball. That’s the third goal -- you saw half the guys ready, and the other half ... we need that team chemistry. It’s not just from a personal goal, but an overall team goal, because I care about my teammates."

Karen Guregian reports Mike Wright doesn't buy the concept that players perform better for coaches who are more engaged on the sidelines.

"For me personally, it doesn’t matter," Wright said Thursday. "It doesn’t do anything for me (having a coach throw fist pumps). I look for a great leader, when you look at a head coach. I think we have that in Coach Belichick. He’s a guy you learn from every day. He’s a guy you want to succeed for, and I’m just happy to be on this team and be coached by him."

"I’m not into the rah-rah stuff," Wright said. "You can’t ask for more than what he gives us. Every week, he puts us in a position to win. He’s the first one here in the morning, and the last one to leave. He’s nonstop with it. I know for a fact that everybody on this team trusts in him. I think when you have that, good things come. That’s why they’ve been so successful here."

Keith Sargeant (Asbury Park Press) Belichick speaks at Rutgers Coaching Clinic.

"Some guys get drafted on talent; some guys stay because they work hard and they know how to be a professional player. And that's part of what they learn here. They learn to play football." Belichick, whose career record stands at 163-97, said coaching equates to teaching no matter what level a coach attains. "We're all in the same business," he said.

"Be a teacher, get the kids better and get results better. That's what we're all here for. To be here on a Friday in the spring, it's because we all love football and want to be better at it. We all have in that in common, regardless of whether we're a high school coach, college coach, pro coach or coach offense, defense, Wing-T, run-and-shoot, the wide-tackle 6. "It's all about coaching."

TEAM TALK

• PFW Draft Prospect Report: Running backs.
• Andy Hart and Paul Perillo debate if the Patriots should convert to a 4-3 base defense .

LOCAL LINKS

• Mike Reiss offers some of his quick-hit thoughts from around he league and the Patriots from the weekend.
• Mike Reiss looks at what the Jets' acquisition of Holmes means for the Pats.
• Christopher Price analyzes the Holmes trade to the Jets.
• Jonathan Comey writes how the Pats are still kings of the Draft and refutes the repeated criticism of the Patriots recent drafting. Nice dissection of past decisions.
• Mike Reiss plugs Jonathan Comey's piece on Belichick and the Draft.
• Robert Lee says nine out of the 12 rookies drafted last season contributed as a member of the active roster. One player helped the team on the practice squad, and only two didn't contribute because they were on IR.
• Christopher Price talks about the Patriots pre-draft visits and what they mean.
• Karen Guregian notes ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper says Dez Bryant won't still be around for the Patriots at number 22.
• Christopher Price talks about the quarterbacks not named Tebow who have worked out for the Patriots.
• Daniel Kobialka reports the Patriots are scheduled to work out UConn punter Desi Cullen, also known as "The Kentucky Hammer."
• Shalise Manza Young notes RB Fred Taylor was inducted into the University of Florida Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday night.
• Mike Reiss offers more from the Patriots' pre-draft party, with the panel also discussing possible second rounders available for the Patriots to pick.
• Albert Breer reports WR Eric Decker (Minnesota) is set to visit the Patriots, and thinks his medical history is one reason the Pats are bringing him in for a look.
• Mike Reiss talks about Brandon Graham's pre-draft visit at Gillette Stadium, how he'd fit in the Patriots defensive scheme and whether he'd be available at 22.
• Robert Lee profiles OLB/DE Brandon Graham (Michigan), WR Damian Williams (USC) and LB Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri) as potential Patriots.
• Tom E. Curran profiles DB Earl Thomas (Texas).
• Albert Breer talks about the trade speculation surrounding Bears TE Greg Olsen. Olsen says he's just fine with Mike Martz's offense, so any trade seems less likely.
• Mike Reiss talks about Jeff Legwold's article about the NFL draft, that ties in McDaniels in Denver with Belichick.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Peter King (SI) MMQB: Santonio Holmes gets shown the door; Dez Bryant trying to open one.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Holmes trade sends league atwitter. A collection of tweets in response to Sunday night's big trade.
• JJ Cooper (NFL Fanhouse) If Holmes deal is true, Steelers have lost their minds.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Ochocinco begs NFL to stop the Jets.
• Jeff Legwold (Denver Post)  Belichick has a highly disciplined approach that McDaniels tried to duplicate last spring in his first draft.
• Mike Reiss The Patriots tweeted the following today in response to the short board piece in the Denver Post: "Don't believe everything you read. Reports of Patriots past draft boards w/ only 25 players on it is fiction & merely a small fraction of #."
• Aaron Wilson (Nat'l Football Post) DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim (University of Washington) has visited the Patriots and Eagles.
• Don Banks (SI) Dez Bryant: The next Randy Moss?
• Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) Pats, Ravens doing their homework on Bryant.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) A look at NE draft candidates at no. 22.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Sorting through all-time draft polls. Graham has a few problems with the NFL's attempt to determine the 75 most valuable draft picks of all-time.
• SI.com breaks down the greatest pick in the history of the NFL Draft at each first-round spot.
• DJ Gallo (ESPN) Offseason Pigskinpalooza analyzes the best topics for football columnists.
• Jenny Vrentas (NJ Star-Ledger) With son Stephen at Rutgers, Patriots coach Bill Belichick still holds special place for lacrosse.
• Eric Edholm (Pro Football Weekly) Patriots' Crable in rush to show stuff.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Taylor's decision on Jets still days away.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Goodell says veterans want rookie pay scale changed.
• Jesse Spector (NY Daily News) NY Jets trade 5th-round draft pick to Steelers for troubled WR Santonio Holmes.
• Tom Monkovic (NY Times) With Santonio Holmes, are Jets taking on too much trouble?
• ESPN Sources: Charges won't be brought against Ben Roethlisberger. DA Fred Bright will make an announcement at 2pm ET Monday.
• Andy Hutchins (Sporting News) Will Roethlisberger's rocky offseason change anything on the field?
• Jeff Pearlman (SI) Is Tomlinson another in long line of 30-plus RBs past their prime?
• Andrew Brandt (Nat'l Football Post) The real truth behind all those words.
• Dan Pompei (Chicago Tribune) NFL Draft: Rating the wide receivers and the running backs.
• Tony Grossi (Cleveland Plain Dealer) A three-day NFL Draft could mean more trades.
• Nolan Nawrocki (ProFootballWeekly) PFW's exclusive draft value chart.
• Ross Tucker (SI) Prospects facing crucial transition.