Patriots Gab

LB Willie McGinest says he may come back in 2009, but so far the Pats have yet to offer him a deal according to today’s Boston Globe:

A source close to Willie McGinest said today that the veteran linebacker would like to return for a 16th season and maintains a relationship with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, but there have been no formal talks aimed at bringing McGinest back to New England and no offer from the Patriots. Of course that could change, especially with the Patriots’ perceived weakness at outside linebacker.

Pete Prisco of CBSSportsline.com has come out with his annual list of the Top 50 NFL players, and the Pats have three players on the list, including the number two overall - QB Tom Brady. Here’s the Pats on the list:

2. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots: He’s right there with Manning, but missing last season drops him to the second spot. He’s said to be all the way back, which Pats fans have to love.

17. Randy Moss, WR, Patriots: With Tom Brady back, his numbers should skyrocket. He can still run by defensive backs.

43. Vince Wilfork, NT, Patriots: Over the past two seasons, he has developed into a top nose tackle. He is entering a contract year, so look for a big one.

It looks as if offseason pickup Joey Galloway is on his way to being the Pats #3 WR for the 09 season. Profootballweekly.com reports:

It’s appearing that Joey Galloway has created some separation from Greg Lewis in the derby to be the Patriots’ No. 3 wide receiver. Despite his advanced age (37), Galloway still brandished some nice wheels during OTAs and has the superior overall skill package.

Plenty of talk continues about the future of former Falcons QB Michael Vick. Peter King of SI reported on NFL Radio that the three teams in the mix for Vick are the Raiders, Saints and Pats.

Today the National Football Post reports that the Pats are a team that evidently has no interest in Vick, despite what King has said and the rumors that exist about their interest:

As the landscape for Michael Vick’s future takes shape, sources tell me that one team that won’t be interested is the New England Patriots. Many have felt that Vick might be an option in New England, but I’m told that the scheme and the lack of potential to become an eventual starter aren’t suitable to him.

So the two teams that seem to have that inside track are the Raiders and Saints, and who knows if a darkhorse for Vick is still out there just waiting to make their move.

From: Fox Sports

The question of who will replace former Patriot Mike Vrabel at outside linebacker began heating up in minicamp as a number of players continued their strong offseasons. Among them are Shawn Crable, Gary Guyton and Pierre Woods. Crable and Woods are the logical choices since they are outside linebackers and head coach Bill Belichick praised their dedication during camp, which is a positive sign.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is a for sure Hall of Famer, but for now, he’s getting honored with another award, as he was selected recently as ESPN.com’s coach of the decade. Belichick has led the Patriots to three Super Bowls, and is the current active leader in head coaches with 153 victories.

“All of us will be able to cherish those years and championships,” Belichick said. “It’s nice to get to 100 wins. It’s nice to get to 150. Those are milestones. Kind of like baseball pitchers, you’ve only got so many games. We only get 16 a year. So those numbers, once they get up to a decent level, they mean a lot.”

Belichick and the Pats missed the playoffs in 2008 despite going 11-5, but he’ll get his best player back in QB Tom Brady, and there’s already a lot of talk about the Pats being right back to the top in the AFC with Brady back on the field. It’s hard to bet against Belichick, as it has been the entire decade.

From: Pro Football Weekly

Bill Belichick has long favored size, strength and toughness in his safeties, and that preference could prove particularly advantageous in 2009. Despite the retirement of Rodney Harrison, considered one of the hardest-hitting blue-collar safeties in league history, the club is high on the collection of brawn in its safety corps, with rookie Patrick Chung, ex-Bear Brandon McGowan and S-LB hybrid Tank Williams competing for spots in large part because of the presence they bring in the box.

What makes their physical dispositions especially intriguing is the ambiguous status of the team’s linebackers. The most fluid unit on the team, the linebackers are expected to be shuffled throughout training camp as Belichick tries to find the best combination. Knowing he has an abundance of gritty safeties could provide him more flexibility when making decisions about players and lineups on the second line of defense.

Looks as if Robert Kraft turned down a shot to buy Liverpool back in 2005, that according to today’s London Times:

Robert Kraft, one of the most influential and successful men in North American professional sport, said yesterday that he had drawn back from buying Liverpool in 2005 because of the unregulated finances of top-level European football. The owner of the New England Patriots, who have won the NFL’s Super Bowl three times this decade, and the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer, Kraft felt that the constant upward spiral of transfer fees and wages that favours a few wealthy clubs was a deal-breaker.

A salary cap - common in American sport and an aim of Michel Platini, the Uefa president, would have changed his mind. “I wanted to do it,” he said. “I met with David Moores [the former Liverpool owner], who is a fine gentlemen, and we came very close to buying it, very close. But in the end, my instinct was - not without a salary cap. If a salary cap come to the English Premier League, I’d buy a team in a minute.”

LB Teddy Bruschi is now 36, and is back and forth about if he’s going to come back to the Pats for the 2009 season. Today’s Boston Globe reports that right now Bruschi is leaving his options open:

Entering his 14th NFL season, Patriots LB Teddy Bruschi said yesterday this could be the final year of his career. Then again, it may not. Bruschi, whose contract expires after the 2009 season, is leaving his options open. “It has to be that way, not only for me but also the team,” Bruschi said prior to the Spaulding Hospital “Tee up with Tedy” golf tournament at TPC of Boston. “I have to give them everything I have this year and only think about what’s next. I’m going to prepare myself for this season, only think about this season, and when the season is over, which is a long ways away, then you think about delving into those decisions.” Bruschi, who turned 36 June 9, is coming off a 2008 season in which coaches credited him with 71 tackles, fourth on the team.

Rookie wide receiver Brandon Tate is likely to start the 2009 campaign on the PUP list as he is recovering from October knee surgery on his ACL and MCL, according to the Boston Globe. If healthy, Tate would not see much action in the Patriots’ aerial attack while fighting for playing time behind Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Joey Galloway. His impact as a rookie should be limited to special teams as a return man.