It has been 10 years since the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Their offensive talent has been steadily eroding the last couple of years and their defense is still pitiful despite a little bit of draft investment there of late. They got easily handled by no more than a solid Ravens team in their run this year and got shown up again in their last real chance at it in 2012. Now they lose Welker and Hernandez and Brady is showing signs of being unable to force the team to win in key situations as he did back when they were cheating. It was that ability that was thought to separate him from the statistically better QB's Manning/Rodgers/Brees but the mystique will soon wither away and vanish. Let alone the entirely new generation coming up like Luck/RGIII/Kaepernick/Wilson. They're getting better every year and Brady is finally getting to the age where he'll start to get worse. The evil empire is fading. IF Gronkowski stays healthy this year, which hopefully he won't, they'll have one last puncher's chance probably including a road game or two but that should be about the end of it. After next draft the Jets and maybe Dolphins will just be the better teams. After all of the free agency splashes and personnel carousel the team won't withstand the loss of yet another key player long term. Very fitting close to the Patriots storybook run if this cold blooded murderer begins the official demise of the team that cheated its way into the record books. Would be a nice little footnote.
The Pats should try and trade for Victor Cruz. The Giants have failed to lock him up long term and they have Nicks and JPP comming due for new deals. Get a 1st and 3rd or whatever for him and that frees up money for their elite pass rusher and better WR (Nicks when healthy is a better WR). Hernandez was a TE on the depth chart but most of his routs were designed that he basically was a slot receiver. Cruz is good in that role. Who says no?
Barring an injury to Brady this year, Mallett will either make it or not with another franchise. He feels he's ready to play and will move on when his contract runs out this year, if they don't trade him first.
Pats current TE depth chart Rob Gronkowski: Gronkowski is on the mend following both back and forearm surgeries this offseason, with an expected recovery time of 12 weeks following his back procedure earlier this month. While it is unlikely that he'll be available to start training camp, his status for the regular-season opener is unknown. When healthy, Gronkowski has been the best tight end in the NFL, but a string of surgeries on his forearm and the back procedure have slowed him this offseason. The Patriots are hopeful he can return to his full form. Michael Hoomanawanui: Hoomanawanui is similar to Hernandez in that he can be used in the "F" or move tight end position. He was often aligned out of the backfield last season, and he could be in line for a bigger role in Hernandez's absence. He was acquired at the start of last season and filled in sufficiently in spot duty. Jake Ballard: An intriguing player, Ballard started Super Bowl XLVI for the Giants, but a knee injury has kept him off the field since that time. At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, he's built like Gronkowski, though he's not the same athlete. He appears to be close to his old self after extensive rehab, and if Gronkowski is not ready at the start of the season, Ballard is a candidate to step up. Daniel Fells: Signed to a three-year contract last offseason, Fells had a quiet year in 2012. Nonetheless, he has good knowledge of the system, can play both tight end spots (Y and F), and has a soft pair of hands. Zach Sudfeld: Sudfeld was solid in offseason workouts, showing off impressive pass-catching skills and dependable hands. The 24-year-old was undrafted out of Nevada, and while it's too soon to make a hardline statement on his outlook, he appears to be ready to compete for a spot on the roster. Brandon Ford: Another undrafted free agent this April, Ford was limited in offseason work due to an undisclosed injury. We'll learn much more about him in training camp.
I predict that the Pats will sign a big wide receiver before the preseason starts and go with the tight ends they have. Hernandez was more like a big wide receiver than a TE. ~~~
This is so crazy. Apparently ABCNEWS confirmed Aaron Hernandez being investigated for involvement in a double murder in Boston last July. NFL on ESPN @ESPNNFL 29m DEVELOPING: Aaron Hernandez being investigated for possible involvement in unsolved double homicide from 2012, sources told @ABCNews. Editing to post link to the report. http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/06/27/former-patriots-player-aaron-hernandez-probed-two-more-murders-law-enforcement-officials-say/0GPNwDdsU4nguqnB2LADYM/story.html With Aaron Hernandez allegedly saying "you can't trust anyone anymore. Maybe he was referring to the fact that Odin Lloyd might have been talking about it to people in the club. So maybe Hernandez felt he needed to silence him.
and the plot thickens... on football side, my Broncos fan buddy is saying he's glad this didn't happen earlier because no way the pats would let Welker go then... I bet lil Wesley is very happy to be in Denver now.
Report: Tebow wanted Hernandez out of trouble http://www.csnne.com/blog/patriots-talk/report-tebow-wanted-hernandez-out-trouble The video is VERY different from the title. The article talks about (briefly) how Tebow wanted to "help" Hernandez. The Video is about asking why the Pat's didn't see the red flags all around this guy. Enjoy!
