It takes a solid story to break me away from my off-season hiatus here at Foxboro Blog.  As much as I love all the draft discussion and hearing about training camp, there's just too much going on with Bloguin to post regularly about that stuff.  As we've all learned by now, all the off-season hype in the world doesn't mean a thing come Week 1. So it's my preference for the time being to make this blog a regular-season affair.  However, when something truly newsworthy happens with the Pats over the spring and summer, I'm here.

And as most of you already know, something newsworthy did happen regarding the already-heated Logan Mankins contract negotiations.  The Patriots top guard would have been an unrestricted free-agent this summer under the old collective bargaining agreement.  However, due to the fact that the NFL is currently operating under the final "uncapped" year allowed in its labor contract with the NFLPA, Mankins, along with many other players (including the Patriots' own Stephen Gostkowski), have been relegated to being merely restricted free-agents.  This means that instead of Mankins being able to play the field and take the highest offer he could garner from the league's 32 teams, the Patriots were able to place a "tender" on him which severely reduced the number ot teams who were willing to offer him a contract (a.k.a. Zero).  Since Mankins is a Pro-Bowler and the best guard on the team, New England intelligently opted to place the absolute highest tender that they could on him. This means any team that Mankins signs with would not only have to pay his fat contract, but they'd also be forced to surrender a 1st and 3rd round draft choice to the Pats. Needless to say, that's a fairly high price to pay for a free-agent. Unless your name happens to be Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, no team in their right mind is going to sign you with that type of tender.

In return for the tender, Mankins was entitled to recieve $3.26 million to play for the Patriots this season.  Not chump change, but well below what he would've earned on the open market had he not had the poor luck of hitting free agency the exact year that the rules changed.  For quite some time now, Mankins and the Patriots have been working toward a more long-term deal.  Reports are that the Patriots have offered Mankins a 5-year extension worth roughly $7 million per year over the life of the contract.  Further terms aren't known such as signing bonuses, salary structure, and whether the contract started immediately or after this lower-paying $3.26 million year. At any rate, $7 million-ish per year is certainly nothing to scoff at, especially considering that the Patriots also had names like Tom Brady, Vince Wilfork, and Randy Moss due for contracts this off-season and the next. Yet Mankins is apparently furious about the contract offer...

"At this point, I'm pretty frustrated, from everything that's happened and the way negotiations have gone. I want to be traded. I don't need to be here any more."

"After the 2008 season, me and my agent approached the Patriots about an extension and I was told that Mr. Kraft did not want to do an extension because of the [uncertain collective bargaining agreement]. I was asked to play '09 out, and that they would address the contract during the uncapped year. I'm a team player, I took them at their word, and I felt I played out an undervalued contract."

"That's the big thing. Right now, this is about principle with me and keeping your word and how you treat people. This is what I thought the foundation of the Patriots was built on. Apparently, I was wrong. Growing up, I was taught a man's word is his bond. Obviously this isn't the case with the Patriots."

And regarding the tender that he's supposed to sign for this season, a tender that can now be reduced to $1.54 million due to Mankin's delay in signing...

"There is no way that I'm signing that thing."

So after a 2009 season in which the Patriots were plagued by poor locker room chemistry, and a 2010 off-season where it seems that most of those problems have been addressed, New England fans now have this turd in their punch bowl to deal with.  Look, I get that Mankins and all those other would-be unrestricted free-agents are getting the short end of the stick due to the CBA coming to an end, but I think Mankins needs to take some of his own advice, keep his word, and grow up.

#1 - It isn't the Patriots' fault that Mankins finds himself in this situation.  It's his players union's fault.  They were the ones that agreed to the stipulation in the labor contract that would extend the amount of time needed to be an unrestricted free-agent.  Mankins and all these other players want the benefits that come with being in the union.  On the flip side, they also need to abide by the concessions that their union makes when striking these deals.  Mankins' anger is directed in the wrong place.

#2 - Mankins is whining that New Orleans' Jahri Evans received a contract that was 20% higher than what New England is offering.  Guess what Logan?  You don't play for the Saints!  Just because New Orleans wants to shell out that kind of cash, doesn't mean the Patriots have to.  When you're an unrestricted free-agent, you can try to get that much money from the Saints or whatever team you'd like, but right now you're restricted and nobody but New England is even offering you a cent.

#3 - Mankins is bitter that that Patriots didn't want to extend his contract last summer.  He felt he was playing at an "undervalued" contract last season.  Again, it's not the Patriots fault that Mankins signed a contract through the 2009 season.  If he didn't like what he was going to be paid in 2009, then he shouldn't have signed the deal!  Mankins may have played well and earned every dollar, but let's say that he didn't.  Had he broken his leg during the '09 pre-season would he be offering to refund some of his 2009 earnings to New England?  I don't think so.  It's a two-way street and Mankins is getting aggravated about oncoming traffic.

#4 - Mankins is calling out Robert Kraft and the organization for not being true to their word.  According to him, Kraft told him that the contract would be worked out during the uncapped year, which is this year.  Isn't that what's happening?  Isn't offering a $7 million per year contract trying to work it out?

Now Mankins is refusing to sign is tender, is not reporting for any activities, and is demanding a trade.  Personally, I hope the Patriots grant his wishes and get this malcontent off of our roster.  If they don't, he'll just end up signing the $1.54 million tender in Week 10, thereby establishing his eligibility for unrestricted free-agency next off-season and causing us to lose him for nothing.  Truth is, I doubt anyone will offer him more than the $7 million that the Patriots have after these shenanigans. In the end, I predict the net result of this tirade is that Mankins will lose out on roughly $1.7 million this season and even more in the future.

Serves him right.

The 2010 NFL Draft is officially upon us!

As I mentioned after the season wrapped up, I won't be making any regular posts on Foxboro Blog until the 2010 season approaches.  However, the NFL Draft is obviously plays a pivotal role in what we'll see from the Pats next season, so I didn't want to let is pass without at single post.  I'm not going to go all Mel Kiper Jr. on you here. This is going to be a very cursory post that just covers the basics.  I'll start with our 1st Round pick #22...

There's been five names that are routinely linked to the Patriots as potential first round selections:

Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas - Personally, I'd love to see us walk away with Kindle tonight.  Besides the fact that the Pats desperately need a pass-rusher, the name "Sergio Kindle" just sounds like somebody who'd be a UFC fighter cracking people's skulls.  A Mayo/Kindle combo at linebacker?  I like it!

Probability: High

Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State - The only person I'd rather see end up on the Patriots than Kindle. With Moss a potential flight risk, and a definite aging risk, it would be wise for New England to start grooming a new #1 target for Tom Brady.  Plus, with Welker out, having Bryant as a #2 guy with Moss would keep defenses on their toes.  There's character issues to deal with, but nothing I'd consider a deal breaker.

Probability: Low

Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama - Having a potential shut-down corner is never a bad thing.  However, the Pats secondary isn't what I'd consider a top area of need at the moment.  If Jackson's all that's available, I'd be ok with it, but would really love to see us plug a hole with a 1st round talent.

Probability: High

Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State - We all know that the Maroney Experiment was a gigantic fail in terms of solidifying a #1 back for this team.  Would the Patriots consider using another 1st rounder to inject some life into the team's tepid ground game?  My feeling is that that RB's are a crap shoot and major injury risks.  I'd be hesitant to use up a 1st Rounder on one unless it was a guaranteed home run.  Then again, anything that gives me less Maroney in my life would be a welcome turn of events.

Probability: Medium

Maurice Pouncey, C, Florida - This would be a solid pick, albeit a boring one.  Not only would you solidify the line, but we'd gain some Mankins insurance if things go sour with his extension.  Still, I'd really like the Pats to pick up a playmaker with their 1st pick.

Probability: Medium

Things I'd like to see...

The Patriots are notorious for wheeling, dealing, and trading down.  If there was ever a draft to not trade down, it's this one.  The 2010 Draft is DEEP, and the Patriots have plenty of holes to fill.  They have the opportunity to draft 1st Round talent with their three 2nd Round picks, and I truly hope the Pats stand pat and make their selections this year.

When the day is done, I'd really like the Patriots to come away with a solid pass-rushing OLB, a DE to fill the void the Seymour left, and a RB, WR, and TE with some potential.  The defense is the side of the ball that desperately needs work, while the offense could just use some more options to compliment Brady, Moss, and Welker.

Things I'd LOVE to see...

I doubt it will happen, and I know that defense is the priority, but Dez Bryant would give me a lot to be excited about not only this season, but for years to come.  Brady to Bryant just has that "ring" to it.  There's a lot of good LB's in this draft.  There aren't many Dez Bryants.

Washington has a lack of picks early, while the Patriots have more than anyone.  A 2nd Rounder for Albert Haynesworth would make my night.  Can you imagine him lined up next to big Vince?  Like Moss/Bryant, Wilfork/Haynesworth would be a nightmare matchup for anyone facing the Pats.

That's all I'll say for now.  Everyone's ready to crown the Jets and the Dolphins, but it will be the Patriots who make the big leap forward throughout this weekend.  Things are going to be completely different come Monday!

With the Patriots' season at an end, Foxboro Blog will be taking a hiatus from its regular posting schedule.  Trying to keep up a Foxboro Blog, TWolves Blog, and DeROK.Net, while running a blog network of over 130 other sites is simply too time-consuming of an ordeal.  Now that the Pats are in hiatus, this blog will be as well.  That's not to say there won't be an occasional post or two to keep things going, but I won't be back to writing regularly until the 2010 season approaches.

If you're a Patriots fan who would like to lend a hand and contribute to the blog, I'd be more than happy to see how we could work you into the rotation as a writer.  Feel free to drop me a line at derek [at] bloguin.com.

A week ago, I envisioned the Patriots riding into the post-season on a four-game winning streak. They were supposed to have followed up their shellacking of Jacksonville with an impressive victory over the do-or-die Texans.  They would have won their last two games on the road. They would finally be firing the kill-shot when their opponent was wounded.  They would have a four-pronged ground game to compliment the Welker/Moss duo.  Yes, the Patriots, a team that everyone counted out after their back-to-back defeats against the Saints and Dolphins, would be entering the post-season flying high and perhaps looking better than any other team in the twelve-franchise field.

As has been the case all season, things just didn't go according to plan.  As New England approaches its Sunday afternoon match-up with Baltimore, there are far, far more questions surrounding this team than answers.  How healthy is Tom Brady?  Can the offense survive with a receiving corps of Randy Moss and...  yeah, that's pretty much it?  Is Laurence Maroney going to play again this season?  Do we even want to risk having Laurence Maroney playing again this season? Will Bill Belichick remain as cavalier with his play calling now that each game could mean elimination?  Is this team capable of stopping a quarterback on the road who's not named Trent Edwards?  How large of a fourth quarter lead would this team have to have for me to feel comfortable about the outcome?  22 points?  23 points? 

Honestly, there's a part of me that just wants it to end. This season has been beyond maddening.  As the playoffs progress and the stakes heighten, it's only going to be more painful when the mistakes that have plagued this team all season finally do them in.  If the Patriots lose to Baltimore, it's quick and relatively painless.  The team is clearly rebuilding.  They lost their MVP in Week 17.  End of story.  See you in September.

Why?

Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY?

Without question, this New England Patriots season will go down in infamy as the dumbest ever.  Decades from now, when young children roam the hallowed Hall of Fame in Foxboro, they will make their way past the photos and memorabillia of this decade's greatness and end their journey through the 00's with an exhibit called "2009: The Year of Stupidity".  There they will be treated to a number of interactive exhibits such as "You Make the Call", where kids will get to chose between punting the ball from your own 28 yard line, or going for it on 4th and 2.  They'll giggle with glee as they experience "Laurence Maroney's Goal Line Fumble Fest", or "Who Wants to Watch the Receiver Run Right Past You? with guest host, Jonathan Wilhite.  When they're finally done with all the fun, those children will move onto the 2010 wing, and when they do, they will pass a bronze statue of a receiver on a stretcher with a towel draped over his head.  Many will run right past it, full of anticipation to get their very own 1st round pick by playing "Let's Make a Deal with Al Davis", but some will stop and admire the statue.  One or two may even ask, "Daddy, who is that man?"  And that father will shake his head and begrudgingly answer, "He's the crowning achievement of Bill Belichick's stupidity".

Like the Crying Indian of the 70's, the image of Wes Welker above will serve as this generation's reminder of a beautiful things can go to waste if we don't take care of them. It's not that I didn't want Wes Welker to be in the game.  In fact, I wanted the Patriots to play every able body on their roster against the Texans.  I wanted to keep the momentum, take the 3rd seed, finish 11-5, and give this young team a taste of what it will be like to play against a team whose season is on the line.  That being said, Bill Belichick's approach to the game accomplished almost none of those goals.  They lost any momentum they may have had.  If they get the third seed, it will be by default.  They are now 1-6 in true road games this year.  They blew yet another 4th quarter lead, surrendering a horrendous 21 points in the final fifteen minutes.  They lost the game, and more importantly, they have probably lost Wes Welker.

Injuries happen.  Wes Welker could have just as easily gone down this week in practice with a similar injury.  It's not like he was tackled or hit hard.  The knee just buckled on him.  It could have been ready to go on him at any moment.  However, there's a big difference between losing a star player because you're giving your all to win and losing a star player in a game that you're treating as an exhibition.  If the Patriots weren't going to try to win that game, then sit Brady, sit Moss, and sit Welker.  Sit whoever you can spare and still march out a complete roster.  Why risk injury for a game that you're content to lose?  If you're going to lose Welker by going balls to the wall building up steam for the playoffs, you have my blessing.  But there's absolutely no reason to put your season in that type of jeopardy if you're going to pull Tom Brady for the potential game-tying drive.

The Patriots' effort in Houston was a disgrace all around.  Not only did they fold yet again in the 4th quarter, but they completely disrespected Wes Welker by giving up on a game that he gave his knee to win.  Despite the many highs of this decade, there have still been a fair amount of low points as well.  Whether you want to call this the tail end of '09 or the very start of '10, in my book, this game easily ranks among the lowest.  I entered today with Super Bowl aspirations.  I now sit here with zero confidence in my team's defense, serious doubts about my coach, and without the league's top receiver.

Who called this Week 17 game a meaningless one?

With a spot in the playoffs clinched and nothing left to play for but the third seed, the Patriots' upcoming game against the Texans is a tough one to prepare for.  Will the Patriots go all-out for their 11th victory of the season?  Will they pack it in and rest their starters?  Tomorrow's contest could either be a fun battle against a high-powered offense, or a total snooze-fest where we see Tom Brady pulled after one drive. Of course, Bill Belichick in his typical fashion is remaining extremely tight-lipped about the game plan, so we'll have to wait until game time to actually find out.  With all this in mind, I'm going to pass on doing a typical "3rd and Long" Preview.  Why bother breaking down the keys to a game that your team might lay down for?  Instead, I'm going to break down the pros and cons of the Patriots giving everything for a victory or resting for the playoffs.

Happy New Year, everyone!

You gotta love the consensus Top 3 teams all season all tumbling like a house of cards two weeks before the playoffs start.  Well, unless you're a Colts, Saints, or Vikings fan.  Thankfully, I'm not, which means not only do I get to see my Patriots launch themselves near the top of the rankings, but I also get to watch my hated rivals plummet.  Things are about to get interesting...

It's been an extremely busy weekend for yours truly, thus the lack of a game preview.  Spending time with family around the holidays leaves very little time for blogging about the Patriots and running Bloguin.  I know, priorities...

Anyway, I don't really have much time to do a game recap either, but I didn't want Week 16 to pass Foxboro Blog by without at least some commentary on the Jaguars Game.  Here are my quick hits...

• Laurence Maroney is absolutely killing himself with these fumbles at the goal line.  Probably the only place worse to fumble would be right in front of your opponents' goal line.  At least the Patriots' defense took care of the Jaguars, kept good field position, and the Patriots scored on the following drive.  Still, fumbles like that will murder your season if they happen in the playoffs.  Maroney looked incredible on that opening drive, to the point where I thought he may have been earning himself a game ball.  Then it all fell to pieces.  I don't blame Belichick one bit for sitting him the rest of the game.
  
• On the replay challenge of Maroney's fumble, the ball dropped straight down and had clearly broken the plane of the goal line, yet the refs refused to overturn the play and call it a touchdown.  The announcer's explanation was that the refs could only "extrapolate" that the ball had broken the plane before Maroney dropped it and did not actually see him cross the plane.  I'm calling B.S. here.  You don't have to be a nobel prize physicist to understand the laws of gravity.  If the ball drops straight down and hits the goal line, then it was dropped while it was across the goal line.  Calling that replay inconclusive was just devoid of any common sense.
• While we're at it, let's not forget the 2005 NFL playoffs where Champ Bailey, running at full speed, was hit from behind at the 1 yard line by Benjamin Watson.  The ball came flying out forward from Bailey's arms and then landed out of bounds.  In order to have landed out of bounds before the end zone, the ball would have had to change direction 90 degrees in mid air, something that's physically impossible.  Instead, it had to have landed out of bounds in the end zone, which meant the Patriots should have had the Ball on the 20, not the Broncos having the ball on the 1 yard line.  But again, the replay was inconclusive.  Right...
• Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris looked just as effective as Maroney out there, and neither of them fumbled at the goal line.  Guess who my go-to backs are in the playoffs?
• Whoever decided to wake the sleeping giant that was Randy Moss, I have two words for you:  Thank. You.
• How many catches would Wes Welker have at the moment if he didn't sit out Weeks two and three this year?
• Ben Watson and Chris Baker are finally starting to see some action, and the Patriots offense is clicking better than it has all season.  Spreading the ball around is crucial.
• Brandon Merriweather was everywhere.
• The one consolation I had after the Colts and Saints loss is that you don't want to peak around Week 10.  You want to be hitting your stride around Week 16 and 17.  Out of the Patriots, Colts, and Saints, which team looks like the Super Bowl contender right now?