Boston Sports Then and Now

Is 2013 the year New England adds another ring to the collection?

April is a great time to be a football fan. The draft is only a week away and now we know who the Patriots get to play (and destroy) and what week it will happen. I am not here to talk about the pre-season schedule although it will be interesting to see the game against the new look Eagles and the powerhouse offense in Detroit in the game where starters usually play through the 3rd quarter.

The regular season is all that matters. That is where you pour blood, sweat and tears into the bucket and work to get into the playoffs. I won’t highlight every game on the schedule, but all the games and times are here. I only want to focus on the big games on the schedule, so here we go!

New England Patriots 2013 Regular Season Schedule

Sunday, Sept. 8 – at Bills (1 p.m.)
Thursday, Sept. 12 – vs. Jets (8:25 p.m.)
Sunday, Sept. 22 – vs. Buccaneers (1 p.m.)
Sunday, Sept. 29 – at Falcons (8:30 p.m.)
Sunday, Oct. 6 – at Bengals (1 p.m.)
Sunday, Oct. 13 – vs. Saints (4:25 p.m.)
Sunday, Oct. 20 – at Jets (1 p.m.)
Sunday, Oct. 27 – vs. Dolphins (1 p.m.)
Sunday, Nov. 3 – vs. Steelers
Sunday, Nov. 10 – BYE
Monday, Nov. 18 – at Panthers (8:40 p.m.)
Sunday, Nov. 24 – vs. Broncos (8:30 p.m.)
Sunday, Dec. 1 – at Texans (4:25 p.m.)
Sunday, Dec. 8 – vs. Browns (1 p.m.)
Sunday, Dec. 15 – at Dolphins (1 p.m.)
Sunday, Dec. 22 – at Ravens (8:30 p.m.)
Sunday, Dec. 29 – vs. Bills (1 p.m.)

Read the rest of this entry →

The NFL Draft will be here before you know it. What will the Patriots do?

I am sure many of you don’t understand why you are reading a Patriots post right now when baseball season is about to begin. But, there are also many of you who know that draft day is less than a month away and the Patriots are not done putting their team together for the 2013 season and beyond.

So far through free agency the Patriots have secured their secondary, brought back the entire starting offensive line and have added to the return game. Another area the Patriots are looking to reload at is their wide receiver corps. The absence of Wes Welker is going to leave a major void in this offense, but since the O runs through the tight ends we should be okay. The additions of Danny Amendola and Donald Jones are going to be nice but New England is still missing a real play maker to catch passes from Tom Brady.

After the jump, I have a list of a few incoming rookies who may be able to help out with our need for a play maker. Keep in mind the Patriots only have 5 picks this year and as we all know Bill Belichick does not usually hold onto that first round pick. So if you are expecting this list to include players like Tavon Austin, Keenan Allen and Cordarrelle Patterson you may be a little bit upset when you finish reading.

Read the rest of this entry →

Aqib Talib wil return to the Patriots in 2013.

Just after 11:45 this morning, Adam Schefter broke the good news that all Patriots fans wanted to hear. After letting one of their “big three” free agents in Wes Welker get away earlier this week, the team has reached an agreement with cornerback, Aqib Talib, on a one-year deal reportedly worth $5 million.

The news comes less than a day after the organization announced they signed five-time Pro Bowl safety, Adrian Wilson, formerly of the Cardinals. He will replace Patrick Chung, who left for Philadelphia.

Bringing Talib back should fortify the Patriots secondary, which struggled mightily last season. Talib’s presence alone was a season-changer for them and he was missed in the AFC championship game after being forced to leave with an injury. He also battled a hip injury during much of his time in New England, but should be good to go for the 2013 season.

As long as he can remain healthy and out of trouble, Talib has shown that he can be a very useful player for the Patriots’ defense. His size as a corner presents matchup problems for opposing receivers and his skill usually puts him against the opposing team’s best threat.

Talib reportedly turned down several multi-years deals the Patriots offered him and stuck with one of the one-year variety.

The team has also met with defensive ends Dwight Freeney and John Abraham with the expectation that they could very well sign one of them – more likely Abraham.

As free agency continues, Talib adds to the list of defensive players signed by the team that includes the aforementioned Wilson and also Kyle Arrington, who they reached a four-year agreement with Friday as well. It has also been reported that the team is close to making an offer to former Steelers receiver, Emmanuel Sanders.They added former Bill, Donald Jones, Friday after the departure of Welker for the Broncos and Danny Woodhead to the Chargers. After a very quiet start to free agency, the Patriots are coming alive.

With Alfonzo Dennard potentially facing jail time for his conviction of assault on a police officer, at least one conrnerback position will be accounted for in 2013. Next priority: Sebastian Vollmer.

Follow me on Twitter @RealAndyLarmand.

Wes Welker Caught 672 Balls For The Patriots Over Six Seasons

The Wes Welker era In New England has officially ended on March 13, 2013. The Patriots let him go to Denver Broncos for a measly 2 year-12 million dollar deal.

But the question every Patriots fan is asking…is why?

It was not because of his regular season production. All Wes Welker did was catch 672 passes over 6 seasons.

He was the spark plug that made New England’s lethal offense go.

All he did as sacrifice his body over the middle as linebackers and safeties teed off on him. He was cut from the same cloth as Troy Brown. He gave his all, all the time, but just didn’t have the championship bling.

So why did the Patriots let Wes Welker walk?

There were the two big drops in the Super Bowl versus the Giants and this past AFC Championship against the Ravens. But you can not blame those two losses on him and him alone. The New England Patriots could not finish on defense in both those games.

The REAL reason is that he PISSED off the All Powerful Hoodie more than once. There was the “foot presser” during prior to the Jets playoff lose.

If you recall, Belichick was so pissed off that he benched Welker, his best offensive weapon,  for the first series in the loss to New York. The Patriots went on to lose that game at home, 28-21.

Then there was Wes Welker’s joke about “Stickin’ It In Bill’s Face” after his team’s victory against the Broncos this past season.

This was not much of a joke as Welker was trying to rib Belichick and rightfully so for using him sparingly in the season opener versus the Titans. At the end of the day, Welker wore out his welcome with Bill Belichick and it became personal. Owner Bob Kraft can be all sentimental as he wants being an ex season ticket holder, but the head coach is the one that “Shops for the Groceries” to coin a phrase.

Let’s hope Bill’s grocery list does not consist of a broken down Danny Amendola and having a pissed off Tom Brady in aisle three.

We have seen the last of Wes Welker in a Patriots uniform.

As the 2013 edition of NFL free agency is barely a day old, the Patriots don’t appear any closer in being able to reach an agreement with Pro Bowl wide receiver, Wes Welker. What’s even worse is that the Denver Broncos do.

It has been reported throughout the day that the receiver has been “in serious talks” with Broncos management. Adam Schefter of ESPN broke the news regarding the situation earlier in the day after hearing it from league sources.

6:40 p.m.: Now, it appears that Brady is being described as “enraged” at the situation. Who exactly he is enraged at is not perfectly clear.

5:50 p.m.: Faulk Again: ”NO…RT @luko65: @feezy_k do you think there is a reasonable replacment for wes out there?”

5:25 p.m.: Chandler Jones tweeted the following: “Hey @WesWelker it was a pleasure being your teammate, learned alot from ya even tho we didn’t talk much! I’m a fan and always will be..” His next tweet, just a minute later, read “#Respect.”

5:22 p.m.: Tom E. Curran tweets this: “Spoke to someone close to Tom Brady. Beyond enraged at contract details that netted Broncos Wes Welker. “Disgrace” “disservice” were used.”

5:21 p.m.: “Wes Welker to the Broncos” trending worldwide.

5:20 p.m.: Former Patriot, Kevin Faulk, had this to say regarding the situation: “I hear you Justin.RT @GilbertDustin: @feezy_k why .. Why are we so cheap …why did Brady bother to even take a pay cut .. So crazy and dumb” in response to a tweet from a fan.

5:15 p.m.: Breer reported that the Patriots’ counter-offer was for two years and $10 million plus incentives.

5:00 p.m.: Schefter reports that the deal is for two years and just $12 million. Hard to believe the Patriots wouldn’t match that.

4:56 p.m.: Broncos VP pf Football Operations, John Elway, posted this tweet: “Agreed to terms on a 2-yr deal with Wes Welker. Excited to have Wes join the Broncos. His production & toughness will be a great asset!”

4:55 p.m.: Schefter confirmed that it is a two-year deal.

4:54 p.m. Adam Schefter just reported that Welker has agreed to terms with the Denver Broncos via twitter.

@AdamSchefter: what many in New England thought wouldn’t happen has. Wes Welker has left the Patriots. He’s a Bronco.

4:44 p.m. It was reported that the Patriots offered Welker four years and $32 million in response to the Denver offer, but, as that was their original offer, there appears to be some confusion.

4:33 p.m. Albert Breer reported that the offer is a multi-year deal.

4:19 p.m. Mike Procopio reported that Denver’s offer was for four years and $35 million. The Pats had offered four years/$32 million.

4:17 p.m. Albert Breer clarifies Welker is still in Boston at the moment.

4:10 p.m.: Mike Giardi tweeted that Welker has gone back to the Patriots to see if they will match the Denver offer.

3:45 p.m.: Several league sources have since confirmed the initial report that the signing is, in fact, “very likely” and “almost done.” No NFL receiver has more receptions than No. 83 since the start of the 2007 season, but the Patriots do not appear willing to pay him Calvin Johnson-like money.

The Pats could still make a last-minute effort to try to bring him back, but as of right now, it does not look good. With Welker joining Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Stokley, the Broncos would have one of the best-looking offenses in the league and perhaps become the favorites to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLVIII.

3:20 p.m.: Greg A. Bedard of boston.com has been following the situation in the last hour and has offered some information that may not sit well with the majority of Patriots fans. At around 3:20 p.m., Bedard tweeted that a Denver deal with Welker is “very likely,” again, according to a league source.

The story on boston.com says that a decision is expected to come some time before the end of the day Wednesday. Just minutes ago, another report came through saying that the deal is “almost done.” More specifically, Ron Borges, moments ago reported that the two sides have the framework of an acceptable deal, but the details still need to be worked out.

“It would be a great move,” said Brandon Stokley of the Broncos, though no official announcement has come as yet.

Welker made no secret about his desire to test the free agent market after his latest season was played under the franchise tag. In fact, I believe that if the Pats did not tag him last offseason, this departure would have come sooner.

Should Welker leave Foxboro, the Pats are believed to go after former Ram, Danny Amendola and perhaps Victor Cruz.

Stay tuned for updates throughout the afternoon.

Follow me on Twitter @RealAndyLarmand.

It’s almost time for Brady to get off the links and back on field

If you got the opportunity to ask head coach Bill Belichick about potential offseason transactions, his response would be something to the tune of, “There is no offseason”. Voluntary training camp is five weeks away (April 15th) and franchise QB Tom Brady recently freed up some cap space for the Patriots to make a splash in Free Agency. Will New England bring in a high-profile FA? Probably not, but it’s fun to pontificate around the idea.

After losing to Baltimore in a rematch of the AFC Championship this past year, several glaring weaknesses were apparent agains the Ravens. Both Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith, 6′ 1″ and 6′ 2″ respectively, made the Patriots cornerbacks look like Rahim Moore. Who is Rahim Moore you may ask? The Bronco safety who let Jacoby Jones fly by him to bring the divisional matchup into overtime. Yes, I am exaggerating. No, the Patriots cornerback situation isn’t pretty. Resigning or franchising Aqib Talib is up in the air, especially given his injury history.

Where else can the Patriots find a potential fit? Check out these five free agents (in no particular order) below:

1) S – David Bruton: Josh McDaniels drafted this Notre Dame alumni in 2009 as a 4th round pick. Contributing mostly as a standout special teamer last year, he has played out his rookie contract and is looking to get in the mix. With Devin McCourty, Steve Gregory, Tavon Wilson and Nate Ebner all coming back, Bruton could fit in nicely during sub packages and even on ST. Belichick seems to let McDaniel’s reel in his old friends per last year; however, it can’t come back to bite us like Salas did. New England’s focus on signing/drafting a safety is contingent on the Talib situation. McCourty may not play centerfield all year but you have to have faith that he can turn it around. Regardless, the Patriots need help in the secondary. Is Bruton our guy? Probably not but McDaniels and Belichick do get too comfortable at times…

2) WR – David Nelson: Nothing like stealing another weapon from an AFC East rival… Back in 2010, Belichick gave the 6′ 5″ David Nelson a call after he went undrafted, making him a rookie free agent. Throw him in the mix with Hernandez/Gronk and there is no doubt defenses will struggle against the Patriots in the Red Zone, an area where New England squandered way too many opportunities when it mattered last year. After tearing his ACL in September, this sure-handed receiver may not get as many looks as he should during Free Agency. Buy low!

3) WR – Danny Amendola: Rumors have been swirling for a few weeks now about a final destination come summer time. Analysts have pinned Amendola as a likely replacement for Welker but I don’t think nagging both is out of the question. He does not have the durability or Pro Bowl caliber of Wes but they both thrive in the slot. Amendola has posted some ridiculous lines of double digit receptions in his past few years, a feat Welker achieves in his sleep. Let’s just hope we bring back Welker for the rest of his career.

4) S – Dashon Goldson: During the 2011 offseason the Patriots unsuccessfully tried to sway the physical, 6′ 2″ safety to leave the Bay Area for New England. Wait, who is Dashon Goldson? He’s the starting safety that has only missed two games over the past four seasons for the San Francisco 49ers. Since 2009, he’s also grabbed 14 INT – an impressive feat for a safety. Goldson can provide that intimidating force we have been missing since Rodney stopped using PEDs. While he may be pricey coming off a Superbowl run and incremental exposure, I believe he may be worth the guap.

5) CB – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: With good height at 6′ 2″ and 16 career interceptions over 5 seasons, DRC fills a void that bust pick Ras-I Dowling could not. Not only does he add height, but he adds consistent health. Rodgers-Cromartie has missed just three games out of the past eighty over the past five seasons! Although he comes in at a measly 182 lbs for his height, DRC makes up for it with his blazing 4.33 40 yard dash time. Furthermore, DRC finished with 17 pass deflections – good for 7th in the NFL.