Christopher Price lists the winners and losers on cutdown weekend. Here are a couple of the winners:
WINNERS
Safety Jarrad Page: The 6-foot, 225-pound Page was really unhappy with the Chiefs, requesting a trade over the summer after it became increasingly apparent that youngster Eric Berry was going to eat into his playing time. The 25-year-old, who signed his restricted free agent tender with Kansas City this past Friday, got his wish with a deal to New England, and arrives with a rep as something of a playmaking safety — he has 10 interceptions over four seasons in the NFL. Not sure where he fits in right now on the depth chart, but he likely will take most of the snaps in place of Brandon McGowan, who went on season-ending IR over the weekend with a chest injury.
Outside linebacker Shawn Crable: The man of 1,000 lives. The 25-year-old Crable, who spent most of two seasons on injured reserve with a variety of ailments (shin, back, groin), was waived at the start of training camp. Nobody picked him up, but it turns out he’ll get another shot with the Patriots because they added him up as a practice squadder on Sunday. The 6-foot-5, 243-pounder, who was a pass-rushing force as a collegian at Michigan (he had 17 sacks with the Wolverines), could provide some help for a New England pass defense that has struggled to get consistent pressure on quarterbacks since the start of the 2009 season.
The Sun Chronicle reports evidence of Stephen Neal being the modest, good guy that he is.
NORTH ATTLEBORO - Professional athletes are often in the news for getting into trouble, but Sonny Marsella wants you to know there are still some good guys out there. Marsella, 75, an Attleboro resident, says he "doesn't get around too well" and needs to use a walker or a cane to walk. Recently he was having some trouble maneuvering at the post office at Attleboro Falls when a rather large man asked if he needed some help. The stranger helped him get to the mail box. Noting how large the man was, Marsella asked him if he was a weight lifter. No, the man said, "I play football up the road." It turns out the man was 6'4", 305 lbs. New England Patriot Stephen Neal.
Peter King (SI) makes this note in his MMQB column from the 2010 Football Outsiders Almanac:
A few other interesting numbers from the 2010 Almanac, on sale at footballoutsiders.com, and beginning with a stat about a quarterback who, for some reason, so many people believe is declining, even after a 4,398-yard passing season:
1. Tom Brady faced the hardest schedule of pass defenses of any quarterback since 1993.
TEAM TALK
- Erik Scalavino analyzes the final cuts and discusses rumored trades.
- Paul Perillo reports on the Patriots activity this past weekend.
- Andy Hart wants to know what the H-E double hockey sticks is going on at outside linebacker?
- Patriots make two trades; Claim rookie OL Maneri; Release LB McKenzie.
- Eric Scalavino admits he is stunned over the release of Tyrone McKenzie.
LOCAL LINKS
- Mike Reiss reports that for the second straight day, Patriots players will report to Gillette Stadium in preparations for Sunday's season-opener against the Bengals.
- Albert Breer reports Darrelle Revis ended his holdout, signing a seven-year deal with the Jets.
- Albert Breer offers a quick analysis of how the Patriots roster looks after the cuts.
- Ian Rapoport looks at the 2010 Patriots team now that the dust has settled after the cuts.
- Ian Rapoport looks at what we've learned about the team after cut-down weekend.
- Mike Reiss thinks it may be an ominous sign that the Pats were buyers (not sellers) in shaping their roster this weekend.
- Shalise Manza Young talks about the cuts, saying Burgess was a disappointment and the loss of McGowan will sting.
- Monique Walker recaps the weekend's moving and shaking of the roster.
- Karen Guregian details new Patriot Jarrad Page's journey out of Kansas City and what former coach Herm Edwards has to say about him.
- Tom E. Curran says LB Derrick Burgess didn't do anything while he was here. (1.27 min. video)
- Tom E. Curran says the Patriots raised a lot of eyebrows with some unexpected moves this weekend.
- Tom E. Curran notes the moves the Patriots made this week are tantamount to saying, "We screwed up."
- Mark Farinella offers a breakdown of the roster by position, with 17 new names that weren't on last year's 53 (18 if you count Quinn Ojinnaka, who will be back in Week 2.)
- Albert Breer writes about undrafted free agents working their way into jobs the hard way.
- Christopher Price notes Bill Belichick promised there would be a lot of moving parts, and he was dead-on.
- Mark Farinella offers seven things he knows about the Patriots with seven days until kickoff.
- Mike Reiss offers some quick-hit thoughts from the Patriots and around the NFL.
- Monique Walker has a great piece on Jerod Mayo and how his younger brothers really look up to him.
- Jeff Howe notes Maroney survived a mass of roster cuts, and it looks like he'll play out his five-year rookie contract with the Patriots.
- Albert Breer says Robert Kraft appreciates the level of support the game gets, from a local and national standpoint and knows how good the the owners have it.
- Karen Guregian talks about the dilemma Belichick has now that Leigh Bodden is out. Bring in a veteran, or let the young CBs learn on the job?
- Mike Reiss offers some preseason stats to ponder till Week 1: QB Breakdown and breakdown of running back snaps.
- Mike Reiss reports Gronkowski's four TDs tied the NFL lead this preseason, Brady's 128.4 passer rating was a league high and Tate topped the kickoff return charts (44.0 avg.).
- Mike Reiss highlights Bill Belichick's standard day-after-game conference call, talking about Damione Lewis, Rich Ohrnberger and Sergio Brown.
- Howard Ullman (AP) Tom Brady's balancing act: fatherhood and football.
- Ian Rapoport Patriots Notebook: Jermaine Cunningham may play season opener.
- NESN Video After the Game: Take a Quad ride with Patriots tackle Matt Light and a tour of his home and garage. (5 min.)
NATIONAL NEWS
- Tim Graham (ESPN) AFC East Cutdown analysis: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets and Bills.
- Len Pasquarelli (Fox Sports) Shrewd drafting has Patriots all set at tight end.
- Sporting News Cream of the NFL coaching crop. Bill Belichick number one baby.
- Judy Battista (NY Times) NFL Preview: AFC East.
- Peter King (SI) MMQB: Revis, Jets agree to new deal; Cutdown weekend awards.
- Michael Lombardi (NFL.com) Fifty-three reasons to be intrigued heading into the season.
- Joe Fortenbaugh (Nat'l Football Post) 10 situations you should all be following.
- Bill Simmons (ESPN) Which QB would you go to war with?
- Tom Pedulla (USA Today) The comeback trail: Contenders for NFL's biggest bounce-back.
- Doug Farrar (Yahoo! Sports) Scrubs? Not so fast ... practice squad players get good money.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) A glance at AFC East's undrafted rookies.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Transaction wire humming in AFC East.
- Michael Silver (Yahoo! Sports) Owner rankings, Part 1: Brown makes 'em laugh.
- Michael Silver (Yahoo! Sports) Owner rankings, Part 2: Split decision at top.
- Glenn Gulbeau (The Daily Advertiser) Belichick: Payton can handle task.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Speed dial: Tales of The Turk.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Roethlisberger decision affects Dolphins.
- Jason Cole (Yahoo! Sports) Jets in danger of losing Revis forever.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Bradshaw wishes Rex Ryan would shut up.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Jets continue to whack veteran leaders.
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Drew Sharp (Detroit Free Press) NFL chickened out with only a $7,500 fine for Lions' Ndamukong Suh. Here's a replay of Suh trying to unscrew Delhomme's head.
- Dan Pompei (Nat'l Football Post) NFP Sunday Blitz.
- Judy Battista (NY Times) Coaches take more risks, but perhaps not enough.
- Eric Dash (NY Times) In the NFL on fourth down, Romer says go for it.
- Alex Marvez (Fox Sports) Possibility of lockout puts damper on start of the season.