The New England Patriots have been known as a team that dominates draft day, and they have continued to prove that in 2013 NFL Draft. The Patriots started started the draft with only five total picks, and with one smart trade back to exit the first round, they ended up selected seven players. 

Day one for the Patriots set the tone for the rest of the draft, because with the 29th pick, they traded it to the Minnesota Vikings  for a second-round pick, a third-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and a seventh-round pick. The Vikings selected Cordarelle Patterson with the 29th selection, a player who is arguably not even the best wide receiver from his team, Justin Hunter. The trade left the Patriots blank on day one of the NFL Draft, but was an overall smart trade to help them add depth elsewhere.

Day two is where the games began for the Patriots, they had to wait patiently to take their man off the board with the 52nd pick, and that man was Southern Mississippi pass-rusher Jamie Collins. Collins overall was a bit of a reach, and it may come back to haunt them by not selecting potential first-rounder Margus Hunt from SMU, but it is all about taking the man you want and it is apparent that the Patriots were willing to reach for the player they wanted. It was like a flashback of the Patriots drafting Pat Chung a few years back, when there were better safeties on the board, but they still reached for their guy. Collins is a fierce player though, who apparently isn't afraid to body slam a player if he has to. He had 92 total tackles and record 6.5 sacks in 2012, which was enough production for analysts to project him as a top-10 outside linebacker. Expect Collins to play opposite of the defensive line with Chandler Jones with his size, assuming he has a strong training camp.

Good afternoon and Happy Wednesday, PatsNation! We're now 2 weeks into the NFL Free Agent Frenzy, but the energy has certainly died down a lot. In my last article, I mentioned that there was a need to sign some new players that could help improve the depth, as well as re-signing some old players that have already made a positive impact on the field for the Patriots.

In terms of re-signing old players, the key names were wide receiver/punt returner Julian Edelman and tackle Sebastian Vollmer. A few days ago, New England re-sgined Vollmer for 4 more years. The signing of Vollmer was critical for the Pats because his presence doesn't allow opposing defenders to get to Tom Brady so easily, thus giving Brady more time to make a pass.

Last season, whenever we saw Brady under pressure, he would frequently give it to Wes Welker or either of the two tight ends. With Welker gone and supposing both Rob Gronkowski & Aaron Hernandez are covered, who can Brady throw to? Danny Amendola is a possible choice but from what I've observed, Julian Edelman can be clutch in those moments. I saw it last season when Welker or either of the tight ends weren't an option, Brady threw it to Edelman. In addition, Edelman is also an excellent punt returner. Having him back would be incredible. If they cannot re-sign Edelman, they can manipulate Jeff Demps in a special teams role. Danny Woodhead would have been an ideal free agent to re-sign as well. Unfortunately, Woodhead took his talents to Southern California and will be a part of the San Diego Chargers next season.

Finally, the dilemma with the defensive ends is still going on. After the fax blunder in Denver, Elvis Dumervil was going to test the market and I really thought the Patriots would be a frontrunner to get him. Unfortunately, he chose to sign with the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Baltimore Ravens. Still, the Patriots have a shot at quality DEs such as Dwight Freeney and John Abraham. If New England is able to re-sign Julian Edelman and one adroit defensive end, then I think the Patriots will cease their involvement in this year's NFL Free Agent Frenzy.

Good morning PatsNation and Happy Spring! We are now one week into the NFL Free Agent Frenzy, although it's not much of a frenzy anymore. I hope everyone has gotten over Welker's departure and if not, then you will very soon, trust me. The offense will be terrific as always and probably even better if Danny Amendola lives up to or even exceeds his potential.

Now when I last reviewed the Patriots' moves, it was only the second day of free agency and the only highlight was the signing of Amendola. After 5 days though, there have been a plethora of free agents, all of whom have visited/already signed with New England. Among them is 33 year old 5x Pro Bowl safety Adrain Wilson. The former Arizona Cardinal signed with the Patriots a few days ago. In addition, New England got back CB Aqib Talib for one year. While the duration of the contract doesn't seem much, it certainly helps the Patriots big time. The re-signing of Talib and the addition of Wilson will make a difference for the better in the New England secondary.

It looked like the Patriots struck a deal with Atlanta Falcons DE John Abraham. Erika Leigh, who created the New England Sports Journal, reported that Abraham signed the contract. This was not true however, as Abraham is still chosing between New England and Miami. I wouldn't be surprised if he joined the Dolphins because everyone seems to be going to South Beach. However, I would like it if Abraham could join the Patriots because he would serve as a great mentor to Chandler Jones and other defensive ends in the Patriots' system.

Dwight Freeney also paid a visit to New England but it is unlikely that they will get a deal done with him. Elvis Dumervil could help the Patriots out big time so look for the Patriots to be a little aggressive in the hunt to land him in Foxboro. If Dumervil does sign, then I'm certainly confident that the defense will move up the rankings. But along with defense, you need offense to win you games. For the offense to do well, Tom Brady needs a good offensive tackle to protect him, and that's Sebastian Vollmer. The Patriots haven't gotten a deal done with him yet and the Philadelphia Eagles are one team that have a strong chance of getting him. If Vollmer doesn't re-sign however, Eric Winston is also on the market, and New England has an eye on him. Nonetheless, it will be an interesting finish so lets see how the Patriots play their cards from this point.

What was the reason for not pinching in $2 mil more though? It's a huge mystery to me. Welker was a dynamic player who was clutch on 3rd downs. On the other hand, the Patriots probably took his age under consideration. At 32 years old by the start of the season, Welker's production will soon see declination. With that being said, was it worth overpaying for him? Possibly, because I think it would have been awesome (largely because Welker is my favorite football player), yet that's not how the Patriots wanted to execute their plan(s). When you thought Welker's departure spelled doom for New England, the Patriots went out and immediately signed former St. Louis Rams WR Danny Amendola for the next 5 years for $31. It's a risky deal considering Amendola gets injured a lot. But he is an extremely talented reliever with great agility. He's also sort of small so the Patriots might need someone like him to step up in the clutch. Not to mention, the guy is only 27 years old so that's great news for the Patriots as he could be there in New England until the day Tom Brady decides to hang up his cleats for good. I like the move and see several positives coming from it, one of which is (hopefully) a super bowl.

Wes Welker? Gone. Danny Amendola? Welcome to New England. But the Patriots shouldn't stop there. Since Josh Cribbs chose Arizona, now's the time to re-sign Julian Edelman. He's a very skilled returner who will make a difference this upcoming season. Also their secondary is a mess at the moment. The departure of Patrick Chung to Philadelphia frees up some opportunities within the Pats' system for a safety to take his spot. But the real need is for a versatile corner back. Re-signing Aqib Talib would be awesome but if not, there are many great options out there. Names like Sean Smith and Nnamdi Asomugha shouldn't be ignored if they can't re-sign Talib.

Overall it's been an uneventful couple of days of free agency for the Patriots. With the exception of the Amendola signing, New England has actually seen more negatives than positives. Look for that however, to change very soon, and for the better.

Heading into the off-season, we all knew that there was a chance Wes Welker had played his last game as a Patriot.  We also knew that if Wes signed with another team, the Pats had the inside track on replacing him with St. Louis' Danny Amendola.  Still, you can color me stunned at the events that played out today.  The rumored deal that the Patriots had offered was supposedly in the neighborhood of $16 million over two years.  I had assumed that Wes was shopping for a deal closer to $9 million/season or a longer-term deal and if he could find a sucker GM to pay him that kind of cash at the cusp of turning 32, then more power to him. When news broke that Denver had nabbed him for $12 million over two years, my jaw dropped. 

How could the Patriots not have matched that offer, which was by all accounts well below the assumed value for somebody with Welker's track record?

How would Tom Brady feel about signing his below-market extension to free up more cap space only to have his #1 target get snatched up on a relatively cheap contract?

Had something gone so sour between the Patriots and Welker during his contract negotiations that he was outright refusing to sign with the team?

Wes Welker was the definition of a New England Patriot.  He put up stats that have never been matched in NFL history.  He has a chemistry with Tom Brady like no other.  He is one of the most durable players in the history of the league.  How could the Patriots let him walk away and take a relatively unimpressive deal to play with Peyton Manning for what very well may be New England's biggest threat in the AFC next season?

It's been a while since we've posted on Foxboro Blog.  You can blame part of that on the fact that the gap between the Super Bowl and the start of free-agency is the dullest time of the NFL calendar, unless you happen to be a combine nut.  The other part is pure busyness as I've been working my tail off on a project that will redefine Foxboro Blog as well as the rest of the Bloguin Network.  But enough on that topic, let's dive into the meat of what this post is truly about.

Looking back at the Patriots' past three seasons, in which they were legit Super Bowl contenders and managed to fall short of the goal, certain themes seem to be woven into the fabric of the team's shortcomings.  For starters, the Patriots secondary continues to be a seive.  The "bend but don't break" philosophy serves the team fairly well in the regular season, but hasn't translated to post-season success.  Outside of the 2011 AFC Championship, there haven't been many times when the defense put their mark on a post-season game.  Even then, the defense allowed the Ravens to march all the way down the field before coming up with a semi-miraculous touchdown strip. New England's defense needs to be strong enough to withstand a sub-par day by the offense.  The Jets, Giants, and Ravens all slowed down Tom Brady just enough, and the defense has not been there to do the same to the Pats' opponent.

It's hard to believe I'm saying this given how many weapons the Patriots have, but the team's post-season losses can also be attributed to a lack of versatility by the offense.  Granted, if the Patriots had Rob Gronkowski out there in Super Bowl XLVI and the 2012 AFC title game, things may have gone differently for them.  However, as good as they are, Welker, Hernandez, and Gronk don't possess the type of "deadly" threat that Randy Moss brought to the team back in the day, or that Torrey Smith brings to Baltimore.

Finally, the lack of a pass-rush has also been a nagging problem for this team.  Some of this may be scheme-related as you can't blame Belichick for being hesitant to send in the calvary and leave the team's weak secondary exposed.  Chandler Jones' injury also didn't help the Patriots' cause when it came to pressuring the QB either.  Still, in a league where passing is at an all-time high and defensive backs are already playing with one hand tied behind their back, disrupting the passing game at its source should be a top priority for teams. 

Of course mistakes like turnovers and dropped passes have contributed heavily to New England's playoff woes, but there's little the team can do about that in March.  With free-agency right on the horizon, and a boat-load of cap space in a buyer's market thanks to the ingenious Tom Brady contract extension, it's time for the Pats to patch these holes and position the team for a title run in 2013.  The Patriots have three big unrestricted free-agents of their own, none of which received the franchise tag designation.  The rebuilding process starts with them and then branches out to the players on other teams.

Priority #1 - Aqib Talib

It seems a bit strange to be putting Talib, with his character issues and lack of durability this post-season, ahead of Wes Welker, but that's how badly the Patriots' secondary needs a playmaker like him.  The drop-off between Talib and his replacement is enormous. When Talib was on the field, the Patriots defense went from awful to above-average.  It was no surprise to me that when he left the field in the conference title game, that Joe Flacco begain looking like a Super Bowl MVP.  While not a "shut-down" corner, Talib is able to handle his own and allows the rest of the secondary to concentrate on plugging holes elsewhere. 

I would say the outlook on his return is bright.  The Patriots are high on him and he seemed to enjoy his brief time in New England.  Hopefully his character and injury questions keep the market price for him reasonable, in which case I'd see his return as a slam dunk for both sides.

We interupt the unbearably long NFL off-season to bring you the final results of the Pick 'Em Game here at Foxboro Blog.  In 2010, Jason took home the title.  In 2011, Stephen was our undisputed champion.  And now, in 2012, the winner is...

Me!
 

(Weeps uncontrollably while possibly having a seizure in an effort to steal the attention away from my fellow teammates)

Now that I'm done with my Ray Lewis impression, I would like to point out that God clearly likes me more than the other four bloggers.  He struck them down for opposing me in this battle.  How else could you explain  my coming back from a 2-point deficit by nailing the 2-point Super Bowl pick and predicting Flacco as the MVP?  The devil will not be able to stand against me when it comes to weekly football predictions!

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to consume some liquified antlers as I prepare to defend my crown next season!

It's a sad day when the Pick 'Em game gets down to a single contest, as it means that we have to wait another 7 months to watch a meaningful NFL game.  Raj managed to come out of Championship Weekend with a strong 2 point lead.  However, with the Super Bowl pick counting as double and the MVP pick counting for a point, his lead is not safe.  In the event of a tie-breaker, the final score will be used to break the tie using the following methods: 1st Tie Breaker - Closest to total combined score. 2nd Tie Breaker - Closest to total score for winning team.  3rd Tie Breaker - Closest to the number of people Ray Lewis murders at the post-Super Bowl party 

I’m using a little bit of a different format this week for the final edition of the year. After having my still-beating heart ripped from my chest last week, the only thing that makes this year’s Super Bowl quasi-watchable for me is the prop bets. It's like some sick therapy that does not directly involve self-medicating with copious amounts of Admiral Nelson and NyQuil. I know I'll feel about 12 percent better if I can at least dry these tears with some dollar bills.
 
For the year, I ended up going 33-30 (52.4%) picking against the spread. That just misses the profitability mark of 52.5 percent by the slimmest of margins. Since I began this exercise in 2010, I’m at 104-95-4, which is also just shy of profitable (52.2%). However, I picked seven bets this week, so don't stick a fork in me yet. I get back into the black for the year if I hit four, and I move into the black all-time if I hit five (or four plus one tie). So no pressure or anything, right?
 
Without further adieu …
 
Longest Made FG in the Game (o/u 44.5)
For the past several weeks, 49ers fans have been holding their breath that Akers doesn’t miss point-after attempts. With only one team likely to even attempt a kick from 45+, betting on the UNDER here seems like a license to print money.
 
Will either team score in the last 3.5 minutes of the game?
Two formidable defenses coupled with one freakishly inaccurate kicker adds up to a NO.
 
Total FGs Made by BOTH Teams (o/u 3.5)
Am I picking on Dave Akers here? You’re damn right I am! UNDER.
 
Team to Commit the First Penalty
I tried to pick the 49ers here, but I kept getting an error message on my computer that said my pick was invalid because every player on the Ravens defense throws the rulebook out the window when it comes to avoiding completely unnecessary personal foul penalties. Guess I’m stuck taking Baltimore here.
 
Number of Different Ravens to Have a Rushing Attempt (o/u 4)
Rice and Pierce are guaranteed to get touches, and I can’t imagine they’ll allow their trusty FB Vonta Leach to get shut out of the stat sheet in the biggest game of his life. Flacco will be good for a rushing attempt at some point. So there’s four. And as the youngest of six siblings, I can’t imagine these two brothers don’t try to run one trick play that counts as a rush, simply for the sake of one-upmanship. I’m going with the OVER.

Will Beyonce be joined by former members of Destiny’s Child on stage during the halftime show?
A resounding NO. Seriously, how could they perform anything from their Survivor album with Ray Lewis in the building? Wouldn’t the stadium just collapse into a steaming pile of irony?
 
49ers (-3.5) vs. Ravens
49ers. Because EAT SHIT, BALTIMORE. That’s it. That’s all I got.

Yes the title is rhetoric. There isn’t really a clear answer to it. However, I hope everyone is doing alright and has gotten over that AFC Championship. It gets me wondering though, where does PatsNation stand now? What do you all plan to do from now till August? The 2012 Pro Bowl is tomorrow but there isn’t much of hype in that because no one from the Patriots ever plays. I will be watching the Pro Bowl tomorrow because though there won’t be sufficient New England representation in Hawaii, football is a spot very dearest to my heart. In my opinion, it would be pure injustice if I didn’t watch it. If there are some Pats fans who can’t watch or don’t want to watch, I totally understand. But for those who are, count me in and let’s go AFC!

Now here’s the big question. How many Patriots fans will watch Super Bowl 47? From my twitter feed the past week, I have noticed that there have been quite a few Patriots fans that straight up said they will not be watching the Super Bowl. While I find that hard to believe, it’s shocking that some wouldn’t even watch it. I can’t imagine anyone in the US who wouldn’t pay attention to the Super Bowl unless he/she had some prior commitments. I definitely will be watching as will rest of the staff on FoxboroBlog. Who we root for is a mystery. I for one, will be rooting for the San Francisco 49ers. This of course, is not because I have some animosity towards the Baltimore Ravens. There is a rivalry don’t get me wrong, but they beat the Patriots legitimately. In addition, the Ray Lewis drama is also riding the Ravens on high spirits. I want the 49ers because I want our boy Randy Moss to get that one ring he’s been searching for his whole life. And let me tell you right now, I definitely think he will play the game of his life in the Super Bowl. It would be a disappointment if he didn’t. I’m 100% sure that not every Patriots fan would be rooting for the 49ers, however on Yahoo’s “Sportacular” App (where you can pick who you think will win), the majority of New England picked for SF. Where I live (New Jersey), it was a narrow poll but it favored the Ravens (not too many Patriots fans in my area).That being said, the general consensus among Patriots fans is that they want the 49ers to win.

Finally, how much will PatsNation pay attention to the offseason. Last season was one not even worth paying attention to because the Patriots’ loss to the Giants sparked a great stretch of disinterest. However this offseason looks to be a bit different. Wes Welker and Aqib Talib are key free agents and frankly, I think it will be difficult to sign them both. You have Welker, who is a great wide receiver but as of late, has failed to show up in big games yet still poses as a great asset on the New England offense. Then you have Talib, whose presence was much needed in the Patriots’ secondary. Arguably, the defense was shut down when Talib exited the AFC Championship with an injury. We probably haven’t seen a CB with his talent since Asante Samuel. Kyle Arrington is also a free agent but let’s be honest, I doubt the Patriots will bring him back. I would be shocked if they do because he has underperformed to a level that is simply unacceptable. It’s going to be an interesting offseason nonetheless! Hopefully the Patriots push all the right buttons to make an even better team next season. To see them win the Super Bowl in my state would be a dream-come-true. In Bill We Trust!