Patriots Stuff

Ah yes, it hasn't even been 2 months since "He-who-must-not-be-named" got his championship ring, and I'm already getting sucked into the 2007 NFL season. Patriots have been pretty active on the free agent market:

1) Adalius Thomas, Outside LB: Wow. Color me impressed. Back when the talking heads were designating Thomas as a free-agent-to-be, my thought was that this was the perfect guy for the Pats--a super athletic LB who was also a force on special teams. But I doubted they would go after him because a) he would demand a massive amount of money and b) he was too old (29) for the Patriots to feel comfortable throwing a lot of money at him.

Turns out I was wrong on both counts; Thomas reportedly turned down more money from the 49ers (apparently, he didn't want to move to California...my suspicion is because his tax rate would be nearly double that of Massachusetts). And Belichick apparently has a soft spot for older LBs (like 62 year-old Junior Seau, for instance). I'm happy that the Patriots spent to upgrade the linebacker position, but apprehensive about how good this guy really is.

2) Kyle Brady, TE: Brady is apparently an excellent blocking tight end and is exceptionally durable (hasn't missed a game in years). His blocking ability makes him a much cheaper alternative to Daniel Graham. Solid move here.

3) Sammy Morris, RB: Nothing too exciting about this acquisition, but with the small investment the Patriots made here, even a small amount of production would make this a good value signing.

4) Wes Welker, WR: Here's where things get interesting. First off, I've always been impressed with this overachiever, having watched him run freely through the mighty Pats defense and punt coverage units over the past two years. I have no doubt he will make his share of big plays in the return game and will be a heckuva lot of fun to watch. He's a perfect fit for the Patriots, even more so than Adalius Thomas.

But giving up a 2nd round pick and guaranteeing him $8 million? Seems like a little bit of a reach for a guy projected to play in the slot. On the flip side, it would have taken $12 million in guarantees to have prevented Deion Branch from forcing his way out of town, so $8 million to lock up a productive receiver may not turn out to be so bad.

5) Donte Stallworth, WR: I'd feel better about him if I hadn't drafted him on my fantasy team for several years waiting for him to break out. But I like the way the contract is structured--basically a one year deal for $3.6 million with the option to sign him to a long term agreement if he finally fulfills his potential (I'm not holding my breath). Realistically, the Pats are renting Stallworth for a year, which is OK by me.

6) Kelly Washington, WR: Another wideout, eh? This is the same situation as Stallworth--a one year deal with an option to sign him long term if he shows us that his disappointing years with the Bengals are behind him. Sounds good to me.

Overall, I love what they've done, though it's a little early to be hoisting the Lombardi trophy. But what I really like here is that the Patriots have gotten pretty good value for these players. With the exception of Thomas, the Patriots salary cap won't be hurting too bad if any of these players blow out their knee on the first day of camp. Typical approach for the Patriots, despite what sports media would have you believe.

Can't wait for Madden 2007 to come out...