Patriots News

Bruschi blows whistle: He eventually wants to coach
Comment
July 4
Boston Globe
 
"Linebacker Tedy Bruschi is still couching exactly when his playing career will end, but when it does, he wouldn't mind coaching. Yesterday, a month before the Patriots start training camp, Bruschi hosted his second Kids Football Clinic, sponsored by insurer SBLI, at Gillette Stadium. Bruschi approached the noncontact camp of 54 children decked out in No. 54 jerseys with the same passion and intensity he has displayed during his career with the Patriots, now entering its 14th season. "I know I can coach,'' said Bruschi. "I know the game. I've been in it so long. It's just going to be a matter of what I do when I'm done. It's a passion of mine. I know I love football. I know I want to be in ..."
Big Mac wants Patriots comeback
Comment
July 2
Boston Globe
 
"Outside linebacker remains a big question mark for the Patriots heading into the 2009 season and it's possible the team could add another player at the position. Former Patriots outside linebacker Willie McGinest would like to be that player. In an interview with Albert Breer of Sporting News, the 37-year-old McGinest said he still has the itch to play and is training as if he will play a 16th NFL season. When asked if returning to New England would be best, McGinest said: "Yeah, I've talked to Tom (Brady), (Richard) Seymour and some other guys there. Those guys are lifelong friends, and I've heard some people say that it'd be a good fit. Why wouldn't you want to go to a really good ..."
Tedy Bruschi drills, thrills
Comment
July 1
Boston Herald
 
"Even as the elder statesman on the Patriots, Tedy Bruschi always remains youthful and excited every football season. His eternal passion for the game was on full display yesterday at his second annual Youth Football Clinic, sponsored by Savings Bank Life Insurance. Bruschi, along with some friends and Patriots linebacker Jared Mayo, kicker Stephen Gostkowski, tight end David Thomas and special teamer Ray Ventrone, gave 54 Boston-area kids the opportunity to engage in a simulated Pats practice. The kids had their own space in the locker room, ran onto the field through the Pats' helmet and received drills from the Patriots. Bruschi ran among the five stations set up to provide instruction ..."
Light tackles broadcasting
Comment
June 26
Boston Globe
 
"Football players are creatures of habit and, in starting 111 regular-season games with the Patriots since 2001, Matt Light has followed a similar routine in preparing for each opponent. What he didn't fully realize until this week, when he attended the NFL's third-annual Broadcast Boot Camp, is that the same level of detail is required for play-by-play announcers, analysts, and studio hosts. As Light, 31, considers career options for when his playing days are through, the ultra-detailed aspect of sports broadcasting has caught his attention. While play-by-play men like Jim Nantz (CBS), analysts such as Ron Jaworski (ESPN), and studio hosts like James Brown (Fox) often make it look easy, ..."
Bruschi undecided
Comment
June 23
Boston Globe
 
"Some veterans make up their minds before the season, declaring this will be their last go-around on the gridiron. Such a mind-set can help them power through the grind of one more training camp, maybe even appreciating it more because they know finality is right around the corner. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi isn't one of those players. Entering his 14th NFL season, 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. ..."
Secondary was primary
Comment
June 21
Boston Globe
 
"Phil Simms once made the point that the Giants teams he quarterbacked in the 1980s were constructed with a purpose. Simms said that coach Bill Parcells had NFC East foes foremost on his mind when he pieced together the Giants' roster. The Redskins, for example, had "The Hogs'' on the offensive line - a big, physical group that Parcells felt had to be countered by a big, physical defensive line. Two decades later, Parcells's divisional mind-set is still apparent. One look at the Dolphins' offseason activity provides confirmation. Parcells, in his second season as executive vice president of football operations in Miami, has orchestrated a significant overhaul of the secondary. The Dolphins ..."
Pats ink fourth-round pick Ohrnberger
Comment
June 17
Boston Herald
 
"The Patriots signed fourth-round draft choice Rich Ohrnberger today. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Ohrnberger, an offensive lineman from Penn State, was drafted by the Pats in the fourth round with the 123rd overall selection. The 6-foot-2, 291-pound Ohrnberger earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in his senior season at Penn State, helping the team win the Big Ten Title and reach the Rose Bowl."
Additions toughen division
Comment
June 14
Boston Globe
 
"San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith has regularly articulated his admiration for the Patriots and their consistent winning ways, which is why he viewed two major offseason moves with particular interest. When former Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli was named general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs, and former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels became head coach of the Denver Broncos, Smith knew what it meant. The AFC West, owned by the Chargers in recent years, suddenly had a Patriotlike flair to it. "I consider it a direct threat to us," Smith said, "and I don't like it." Smith, who annually touts winning the division at the No. 1 goal ..."
O'Brien has been handed the keys
Comment
June 13
Boston Globe
 
"Officially, the Patriots don't have an offensive coordinator. The title remains unfilled on the team masthead following the departure of Josh McDaniels to Denver. Unofficially, the offense has been bequeathed to Bill O'Brien. The 39-year-old O'Brien, who joined the team as an offensive coaching assistant in 2007 and graduated to wide receivers coach in 2008, inherited McDaniels's quarterbacks coach title and has been running the offense during organized team activities and this week's mandatory minicamp. The situation is similar to 2005, when coach Bill Belichick tapped McDaniels to succeed Charlie Weis, but didn't give him the offensive coordinator title until 2006. The Andover-born ..."
Patriots blend for Bill O'Brien
Comment
June 13
Boston Herald
 
"Bill O'Brien doesn't formally have the title of offensive coordinator, but he's being worked into the role, just as Josh McDaniels was in 2005 after Charlie Weis left for Notre Dame. O'Brien, who is listed as the quarterbacks coach, has been a very hands-on and take-charge presence during the organized team activities and minicamp, which was cut short yesterday when the final practice session was called off. Essentially, he's been running the offense, and yesterday via conference call with the media, provided some of his thoughts on the progress of his new baby, and also spoke about the commitment shown by Tom Brady and Randy Moss to reconnect after a season apart due to Brady's knee ..."
On positive note, he's ready
Comment
June 12
Boston Globe
 
"One of the many things first-year Patriots cornerback Shawn Springs learned from his father was the value of good note taking. Ron Springs played running back for the Dallas Cowboys from 1979-84, and once told his son how teammates such as defensive back Everson Walls recorded copious notes on opposing receivers. The thinking was that the next time Walls faced those receivers, he could read his notes and gain an advantage. So when Shawn Springs broke into the NFL in 1997 as a first-round draft choice with the Seattle Seahawks, he arrived with shutdown cornerback skills and a sharpened pencil. He's still jotting things down today. NFL players and note taking aren't a groundbreaking ..."
Change for a Buc is minimal
Comment
June 12
Boston Globe
 
"Tight end Alex Smith has gotten lost on the maze-like roads of Massachusetts since he was traded by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Patriots April 30. "More than once. Thank goodness for GPS," said Smith, whom the Patriots picked up in exchange for a fifth-round pick. "I use Patriot Place as a starting point." Luckily for Smith, he doesn't feel lost learning the Patriots offense. The 27-year-old said there are similarities between the offense he was a part of in Tampa the last four seasons with former Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden and what the Patriots do. "It's different, but at the same time there are a lot of similarities," said Smith, who had 21 catches for 250 yards and three touchdowns ..."
Tom Brady, Randy Moss go extra mile to reconnect
Comment
June 12
Boston Herald
 
"It's become a habit, as much a staple of the daily practice routine as stretching. Usually it happens, as it did yesterday, when the team is working on special teams. That's when Tom Brady and Randy Moss spend one-on-one time focusing on the red zone on a different field. They've been reconnecting, reestablishing their chemistry, and working to perfect that rare unspoken communication between quarterback and receiver. Brady had that special bond with Deion Branch. He also had it with Troy Brown. In 2007, Brady and Moss established an otherworldly link, the two-time Super Bowl MVP tossing 23 of his NFL-record 50 touchdown passes to No. 81. The link was broken last year when Brady was lost ..."
Being bookish pays off for Shawn Springs
Comment
June 12
Boston Herald
 
"Retired Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling was a well-known note taker. Between innings during his starts, he was often seen scribbling hitters' tendencies in a notebook. "Anybody that is any good in any profession - I'm not talking about good, I'm talking about the best in the world - they pay attention to detail at some level or some facet of the job that no one else does," Schilling once said. It should come as no surprise, then, that former Pro Bowl cornerback Shawn Springs also keeps a journal. And during his 12 seasons in the NFL, the Patriots' newly acquired defensive back has pieced together quite a log on receivers he's covered. "I keep notes on all receivers over the years. These ..."
Nance elected to Patriots Hall of Fame
Comment
June 11
Boston Globe
 
"Jim Nance, a bruising running back who twice led the American Football League in rushing while playing for the Patriots, has been elected to the franchise's Hall of Fame, the team announced today. Nance, who played for the Patriots from 1965-71, is the 14th player and first running back elected. He was chosen for the honor by fans, who had an opportunity to vote online to elect one of three finalists -- Nance, center Jon Morris, and defensive tackle Houston Antwine. "I am glad that the fans selected Jim Nance for this honor," said Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. "Like so many others, he was one of the reasons I became a Patriots fan. He was an attraction. He brought fans to the ..."
Belichick won't play that game
Comment
June 11
Boston Globe
 
"If new Jets coach Rex Ryan, who said last week in a radio interview, "I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's rings," was hoping to engage the Patriots' laconic coach in a war of words, he failed. Belichick, speaking yesterday during the first day of the team's three-day mandatory minicamp, wouldn't take the bait when asked about the comments made by the former Baltimore defensive coordinator. "I have a lot of respect for Rex," said Belichick. "What he did in Baltimore - the defense his team has played. We've always had great battles with the Jets, so I'm sure that will continue. It's a good rivalry. They beat us up here last year. They kind of got the last punch in on that one, so we ..."
Wilfork makes presence felt
Comment
June 11
Boston Globe
 
"Nose tackles usually toil in anonymity, but Vince Wilfork was front and center yesterday after he ended his string of offseason absences by showing up for the first day of the Patriots' three-day mandatory minicamp as expected. Wilfork, who is entering the final year of his six-year rookie deal, had abstained from all of the team's voluntary organized team activities to display his dismay over the lack of progress on a new deal that would keep him clogging the middle of New England's 3-4 defense. However, the no longer no-show nose tackle sounded a conciliatory tone yesterday, saying there is no bad blood between himself and the Patriots and implying that he will not skip the start of ..."
Bill Belichick not fanning the flames in AFC East rhetoric game
Comment
June 11
Boston Herald
 
"Not that the Jets-Patriots rivalry — already one of the most heated in professional sports — needs any more fuel. So let's just say this: Rex Ryan's crack on WFAN last week that he "never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's rings" didn't do anything to turn down the heat. Rest assured the comment resonated with the guy who owns all the rings. Even if Belichick turned the other cheek when he spoke about Ryan's comments on Wednesday for the first time. When I asked Belichick for his reaction to Ryan's comments, he did exactly as I'd suspected: He shrugged, stared and barely said a word. "It doesn't matter," Belichick said. "I'm just trying to get ready to play, and that's it." Hmmm. Had ..."
Vince Wilfork is playing fair; Patriots should, too
Comment
June 11
Boston Herald
 columnist John Tomase
"On the football field, Vince Wilfork knows everything about leverage. The lower you get, the better your odds of driving your opponent into the ground. The same can be said of contract negotiations. But that didn't stop Wilfork from standing up yesterday and doing what he believed was right. Wilfork's decision to attend minicamp did little to increase his bargaining power. If anything, it weakened his position. But it helped illustrate why, among many other reasons, the Patriots should do everything in their power to reach an extension with the big nose tackle, who represents everything in the kind of performer and leader the team professes to seek. Wilfork will undoubtedly take heat in ..."
Adalius Thomas gettin' in gear
Comment
June 11
Boston Herald
 
"Now seven months removed from surgery to repair his severely broken right forearm, Adalius Thomas believes he's on course to be at full strength for training camp at the end of July and at full throttle for the regular-season opener vs. the Bills Sept. 14. Thomas suffered the break Nov. 9 against Buffalo. He had surgery three days later and, to date, the linebacker is pleased with his progress. "So far, so good," Thomas said yesterday after fully participating in the first day of minicamp. "It's still June. It's not like we're out here banging heads, or anything like that. You're just trying to come out here and communicate, and get a feel for that. A lot of it is communication and ..."
Pio Sagapolutele, 39; played for Patriots
Comment
June 10
Boston Globe
 
"Pio Sagapolutele, who played an unsung role along the defensive line for the New England Patriots' 1996 American Football Conference championship team, died Sunday evening in Chandler, Ariz. He was 39. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Mr. Sagapolutele, who began his professional football career with the Cleveland Browns, had suffered an aneurysm on Friday. At 6-foot-6 and 297 pounds, Mr. Sagapolutele was one of the Patriots' more physically imposing players in 1996, as the team's head coach Bill Parcells preferred big, sturdy players along the defensive line. After signing with the team as an unrestricted free agent, Mr. Sagapolutele started 10 of 15 regular-season games and all ..."
Watson doesn't feel crowded
Comment
June 10
Boston Globe
 
"Job security is fleeting with the Patriots. It would only be natural if tight end Benjamin Watson, entering the final year of his contract, was a little insecure after the Patriots imported veteran tight ends Chris Baker and Alex Smith during the offseason. However, Watson said yesterday that he can't take the moves personally. "That's something that you learn," he said. "[Bill ] Belichick even says, 'Don't take stuff personally,' although it's hard sometimes because we're all human beings. We all have emotions. You just realize that it's part of the business and guys come in all the time. "If you look back over the past however many seasons, guys have come and gone at every position. ..."
Wilfork is expected today
Comment
June 10
Boston Globe
 
"The Patriots held their final organized team activity yesterday, and once again nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who is seeking a new contract, was absent. That made Wilfork 0 for the OTAs. However, expect Wilfork's offseason attendance to improve today, when the Patriots kick off their three-day mandatory minicamp. Nobody in Wilfork's camp would confirm he'll be in attendance today, but the strong vibe last night was that he will be on the field. It was part of the plan for Wilfork to attend mandatory events, and he has 500,000 good reasons why it's in his best interest to end his boycott. Under the six-year contract Wilfork signed as a rookie in 2004, which expires following this season, he ..."
Vince Wilfork nose his position
Comment
June 10
Boston Herald
 
"Vince Wilfork learned this week how the Patriots roll when it comes to player negotiations. It's the same way he rolls at nose tackle - low, hard and sometimes dirty. Next time Patriots management talks about not wanting to negotiate in the media, Wilfork and his teammates should remember what just happened to him. Anyone who doesn't know who leaked the threat of the team going after $500,000 of bonus money if Wilfork doesn't report to a mandatory minicamp today has their hands over their eyes. The clause in the collective bargaining agreement the Pats threatened to invoke is no longer in effect. It was judged so onerous it was changed in 2006 when the CBA was last extended. But because ..."
Competition looks tight
Comment
June 10
Boston Herald
 
"Chris Baker was the first new addition to the Patriots tight end corps. He signed as a free agent, arriving with good credentials as both a pass catcher and blocker from the New York Jets. Then Alex Smith came via trade from Tampa Bay. His rookie year in 2005 he finished second on the Buccaneers with 41 receptions for 367 yards. Might Benjamin Watson, in the final year of his contract, be looking over his shoulder? Could Watson, the Pats' 2004 first-round pick (32nd overall) take this as a bit of a personal shot? A sign of a lack of confidence, perhaps? "You can't take it personally. That's something that you learn," Watson said following yesterday's voluntary organized team activity ..."
Logan Mankins on talks: No big deal
Comment
June 9
Boston Herald
 
"Guard Logan Mankins, who is entering the final year of his contract, didn't sound all too concerned about the matter yesterday at the Patriots Charitable Foundation golf tournament. "I figure my contract will take care of itself," he said. "Either they give me a new one or I move on next year. So we'll see what happens." A Pro Bowler in 2007, Mankins indicated he'd love to stay with the Pats. "Oh, yeah. I've had a great time here," he said. "I like the coaching staff. I like the players. I like the community, the fans, everything that's happened to me has been pretty good so far. So, yeah, I'd love to stay here. Who knows if I get to or not?" Mankins, the Pats' first-round choice (32nd ..."
Ty Warren yearns for teammates
Comment
June 9
Boston Herald
 
"Ty Warren knows this might be the last season he gets to be a part of one of the NFL's premier defensive fronts with Vince Wilfork and Richard Seymour, who are in the final years of their respective deals. That's why, only a few months removed from multiple surgeries - groins, abdomen, right knee - he's itching to get back on the field with his teammates. "We all know it's a reality. They know that. I know that. It's one of those things where I'm sure the organization is prepared for that," Warren said yesterday about not having Wilfork and/or Seymour in 2010 because of contract issues. "You just have to take it as it comes. You know it's inevitable. It's going to happen at some point. You ..."
Wilfork is playing high-stakes game
Comment
June 9
Boston Globe
 
"If unhappy nose tackle Vince Wilfork does not attend the Patriots' mandatory minicamp that starts tomorrow, he could lose up to $500,000, an NFL source said yesterday. Wilfork wouldn't automatically forfeit $500,000, but the Patriots could pursue it as part of his contractual status and language that was included in the 2006 extension of the collective bargaining agreement. That $500,000 at risk could factor into Wilfork's next step. The six-year veteran has stayed away from organized team activities as a statement of displeasure with his contract, but since those sessions were voluntary, he couldn't be fined and wasn't at risk to lose money. Wilfork attended the Patriots Charitable ..."
Vince Wilfork talks on course
Comment
June 9
Boston Herald
 
"Vince Wilfork's absence from the team's voluntary organized team activities the past few weeks did not extend to yesterday's Patriots Charitable Foundation golf tournament at The International. Wilfork made an appearance, participated and before heading out on the golf course, spoke on WEEI's "Dale & Holley Show," where he is a regular guest during the season. The nose tackle reiterated much of what he said last week during his own charity appearance. "OTAs were voluntary. I chose to sit out with the situation I'm in," Wilfork said yesterday. "It's nothing personal, it's just what makes sense to me at this time. With that said, I'm looking forward with the season. I could care less about ..."
Vince Wilfork in focus
Comment
June 8
Boston Globe
 
"Nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who is unhappy with his contract situation, was part of a radio interview on the "Dale & Holley Show" on sports radio WEEI today. The station is broadcasting live from today's Patriots Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament, and Wilfork sat down with hosts Dale Arnold and Michael Holley at The International. More context continues to come into focus with Wilfork's contract situation, which was detailed in the Boston Globe prior to the Patriots' organized team activity on May 28. Wilfork did not attend voluntary OTAs. "It's nothing personal towards the organization, it's nothing personal towards my coaches or anything like that," Wilfork said today on WEEI. "It's ..."
Driven into a corner
Comment
June 8
Boston Globe
 
"Leigh Bodden laughed before intercepting the notion of numerical significance like he would a quarterback's pass. Bodden, part of the Patriots' offseason overhaul at cornerback, has been assigned No. 23, one higher than the No. 22 that belonged to Asante Samuel. Twenty-three is greater than 22. "Hey, that's your words, not mine," said Bodden after a recent organized team activity practice. Bodden wore No. 28 for the first six seasons of his NFL career, five with the Browns and last season with the Lions. But the most important number he could bring to the Patriots is one, as in a No. 1 cornerback, something the team lacked last season following Samuel's free agent departure to ..."
Running it like clockwork
Comment
June 7
Boston Globe
 
"Patriots players have a long walk through the lower levels of Gillette Stadium to their practice fields, passing the visiting locker room before hooking a left toward the loading dock, then making their way outside to climb 40 steps. On a day like last Tuesday, when the Patriots held an organized team activity open to media members, a continuous flow of blue (defense) and white (offense) jerseys could be seen scaling those steps. For the players, it is a time to collect thoughts before entering their outdoor office. "Once you step on that field, it's all business," fourth-year linebacker Pierre Woods explained. "That field is your domain, like the paint is for Shaq or Dwight Howard - if ..."
Dolphins Porter, Crowder not buying into Patriots hype
Comment
June 6
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"Do we really have to wait another five months for the Dolphins and Patriots to meet on the same football field? It does seem like an eternity, but that didn't stop Dolphins linebackers Joey Porter and Channing Crowder from sending a pointed message to their highly decorated rivals in New England. "The doubt is over now," Porter said Friday morning at the team awards program at Joe's Stone Crab. "We proved the AFC East comes through Miami." Porter, named the Dolphins' Most Valuable Player along with quarterback Chad Pennington, said he couldn't understand how the Patriots, especially Randy Moss and Wes Welker, could be talking so openly about reclaiming their stranglehold on the division ..."
Porter: We're still the champs
Comment
June 5
ESPN.com
 
"Whether it be in Las Vegas or the various preseason power rankings all over the Internet, the New England Patriots have been chosen the AFC East's team to beat for 2009. Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Joey Porter takes offense. Porter declared Friday morning that the road to the AFC East title will come through Miami this year, and the Dolphins are the "champions until proven otherwise." "I don't understand how you can put somebody in front of us," Porter said Friday morning after he and quarterback Chad Pennington were named co-winners of the team's Dan Marino MVP Award in a ceremony at Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant on South Beach. "We won the championship. We were AFC East champions. I ..."
Paris Lenon rids past with Patriots
Comment
June 5
Boston Herald
 
"Like Leigh Bodden, recently signed free agent linebacker Paris Lenon feels somewhat reborn and rejuvenated going from the 0-16 Detroit Lions to perennial Super Bowl contenders the Patriots. Even though Lenon had personal success in Detroit, leading the team in tackles last season, he feels both he and cornerback Bodden want to put the Lions in the rearview mirror and quickly. "Leigh is a hell of a football player," said Lenon following Tuesday's open practice session at Gillette Stadium. "I think he's in a similar situation as myself. I'm just really hungry (to play for a winner). I can't speak for him. I anticipate he feels the same way. What happened last year is in the past, but it ..."
Lions last, Patriots first in ranking of NFL teams this decade
Comment
June 5
Detroit News
 
"Which NFL team is the best of this decade? If you said, "the New England Patriots," Sports Illustrated agrees with you. But as writer Don Banks points out, it's not as much of a slam dunk as you might think, with Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and the Giants all able to make a case for No. 1 with a Super Bowl championship in 2009, the final year of the decade. Banks used six categories to rank every NFL team: regular-season winning percentage, playoff wins/record, playoff seasons, winning seasons, losing seasons, and Super Bowl appearances/wins. By the way, your guess on the worst team of the decade is probably correct, too -- the Detroit Lions, who have gone 40-104 since 1990. Banks' ..."
He'll tackle any subject
Comment
June 4
Boston Globe
 
"A hard hitter on the football field, Rodney Harrison wasted little time laying the lumber in his new role as an analyst for NBC, calling out quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Vince Young and even suggesting he wouldn't shy away from doing the same with former teammate Tom Brady. Some players-turned-analysts tend to be gun-shy when it comes to critiquing their former football brothers. Harrison vowed yesterday he won't be one of them, and then backed it up. "When I played, I didn't have many friends. I'm sure I'm not going to make many friends now," Harrison said. NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol must have been smiling when he heard those words on a conference call as the network unveiled ..."
Big Vince at a familiar fork in the road
Comment
June 4
Boston Globe
 columnist Tony Massarotti
"If you are Vince Wilfork, and if you are serious about making a point, you really have no choice. You have to sit out minicamp. You have to sit out training camp. And most importantly, you have to sit out games. And even then, you probably are not going to get what you want. At least in New England. Here's a tip, Patriots followers: Prepare now for life without Wilfork. The talented nose tackle of the Patriots yesterday confirmed what has been speculated for the last week or so, namely that he is dissatisfied with his contractual situation and that he deliberately skipped the recent organized team activities (known as OTAs). Technically speaking, OTAs are voluntary. At the moment, Wilfork ..."
Patriot Wilfork means business
Comment
June 4
Boston Globe
 
"Vince Wilfork is all about charity, just not when it comes to his contract. Wilfork finally made an appearance yesterday. The big nose tackle, who has boycotted all of the Patriots' organized team activities, including on Tuesday, was in Dorchester to promote the online raffle he's holding to benefit the Vince Wilfork Foundation, the Joslin Diabetes Center, and the Diabetes Research Institute. Entering the final year of the six-year contract he signed as a rookie in 2004, Wilfork, who will make $2.2 million in base salary this season, much less than the other top interior defensive linemen in the game, has used his absence to display his displeasure at the lack of progress on a new deal. ..."
Rodney Harrison not going quietly into night
Comment
June 4
Boston Herald
 
"It's hard to imagine Rodney Harrison excelling at anything more than he did in football, but if the first day of his new career is any indication, he may have found it. Harrison officially retired yesterday morning. Three hours later, the former Patriots safety was introduced as NBC's newest NFL analyst. And then he came out swinging. Tackling everything from why Peyton Manning isn't a leader in the mold of Tom Brady to Vince Young's self-destruction to the no-holds-barred approach he plans on bringing to his new job, Harrison seemed perfectly at ease with life after football. "I'm done," Harrison said. "And I'm very much at peace with that." On a morning conference call with New England ..."
Vince Wilfork nose what to do
Comment
June 4
Boston Herald
 
"While it was difficult to get Vince Wilfork to say what was really bothering him about his contract talks, the Patriots nose tackle made one point perfectly clear yesterday: He is prepared to sit out next week's mandatory minicamp if the situation calls for it. Wilfork, who was at Yale Appliance in Dorchester to promote his charitable work on behalf of diabetes research, has missed all of the Pats' recent organized team activities. The OTAs, however, are voluntary. He runs the risk of triggering team sanctions should he skip minicamp, which begins Wednesday. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Wilfork termed his status "day-to-day." He wasn't sure if he'd be able to show up for ..."
Jets coach Rex Ryan not intimidated by rival New England Patriots
Comment
June 4
New York Daily News
 
"The Jets don't act like a team that choked last December. They sound like the Patriots - or what the Patriots would sound like if Bill Belichick allowed his players to speak their minds. And it starts with Rex Ryan, whose confidence, evident from Day 1, has permeated the locker room. "I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's rings," Ryan said Wednesday in an interview on WFAN. "I came here to win, let's put it that way.... I'm certainly not intimidated by New England or anybody else." Unlike Eric Mangini, a Belichick disciple, Ryan doesn't mind if his players make bold statements. On Monday, safety Kerry Rhodes, via his Twitter account, predicted, "We will be the best defense in the ..."
The Coach and the Provocateur Join NBC's N.F.L. Team
Comment
June 4
New York Times
 
"On the first day of his new (part-time) career as a football analyst for NBC Sports, Tony Dungy was answering questions while moving at a brisk pace through the corridors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Just ahead of him on Wednesday moved Rodney Harrison, the former New England Patriots' safety, who retired earlier in the day and will join Dungy on NBC's revamped studio show, "Football Night in America." Can the former Indianapolis Colts' Dungy's soft-spoken demeanor - different from other coaches-turned analysts like Bill Cowher, Jimmy Johnson and Mike Ditka - be rewarded in a TV studio? "We'll find out," Dungy said. "You can be informative, I hope, and be entertaining, without necessarily ..."
Patriots Safety Harrison Announces Retirement
Comment
June 4
New York Times
 
"Hard-hitting safety Rodney Harrison, equally adept at rushing the passer, tackling ball carriers and defending receivers, announced his retirement after 15 NFL seasons, the New England Patriots said on Wednesday. Harrison, 36, spent the last six seasons with the Patriots after playing nine years with the San Diego Chargers (1994-2002). He retires as the only NFL player to record at least 30 career sacks and at least 30 interceptions and his 906 solo tackles leads all defensive backs. "Rodney Harrison is one of the best players I have ever coached," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. "In the biggest games, in any situation and on a weekly basis, his production was ..."
Wilfork stays away
Comment
June 3
Boston Globe
 
"Vince Wilfork skipped another organized team activity yesterday. The big nose tackle, who is entering the final year of the six-year deal he signed as a rookie, was not present yesterday. He also was not present last Thursday, the media portion of the team's second OTA session. (The Patriots' first OTA, May 19-20, was for new players and young players.) Wilfork, who will carry a $2.2 million base salary this season, appears to be sending a clear message about his contract to the Patriots by boycotting the voluntary offseason practices. Because OTAs are voluntary, the Patriots can't fine Wilfork for his absences. Wilfork is expected to be in attendance today at an event in Boston to promote ..."
A new field for Patriot
Comment
June 3
Boston Globe
 
"You wouldn't blame Tedy Bruschi and Richard Seymour if they looked around during yesterday's organized team activity and wondered if they were still playing for the New England Patriots. Times have changed, and so have the players. The latest loss is Rodney Harrison. According to a source with knowledge of Harrison's plans, the 36-year-old safety will announce today that he is retiring after 15 seasons - the last six with the Patriots - to pursue a broadcast career as part of NBC Sports' NFL coverage. The team will hold a 9 a.m. conference call with Harrison, who joined the Patriots in 2003 and won a pair of Super Bowl rings. NBC Sports, which used Harrison during its Super Bowl coverage ..."
Tom Brady-to-Randy Moss a blast from past
Comment
June 3
Boston Herald
 
"At 11:42 yesterday morning, on a practice field behind Gillette Stadium, Tom Brady lofted a high, lazy pass into the right corner of the end zone from around the 15-yard line. The pass had all the snap and sizzle of a pop fly to second base. A backup wideout on the Somerville High freshman team would have put it in his back pocket. But this was no backup wideout freshman from Somerville. No, this was Randy Moss doing the jogging into the end zone, extending the arms, making the easy, graceful catch. This was followed by a simple down-and-out. Brady threw this one with a little more giddy-up and Moss made the catch for another make-believe touchdown. A minute or two later, Brady pressed a ..."
Wise old Tedy Bruschi back for more
Comment
June 3
Boston Herald
 
"Tedy Bruschi knows he's the oldest man left standing on defense. He knows when he looks around him, many of his friends and many of the players he's won multiple Super Bowl rings with such as Mike Vrabel, Larry Izzo and Rodney Harrison are gone. But he's still here for at least one more season. When he reflected during the offseason on whether he wanted to keep playing, his assessment hadn't changed from the previous 13 years. "I want to keep playing. I love being a part of this team, and helping contribute any way I can to help them win," he said, "because winning to me is what it's all about, and winning football games feels good. As many games as I can help this team win, that's my ..."
Richard Seymour awaits future
Comment
June 3
Boston Herald
 
"In one large media huddle after practice yesterday, linebacker Tedy Bruschi was talking about how great it was to play for one organization his entire career, and have that organization be the New England Patriots, where there's a premium placed on winning. In another, longtime teammate Richard Seymour spoke of wanting the same thing, only he didn't exactly sound totally confident of it happening. When asked if he wanted to remain a Patriot after his current pact expired, Seymour responded: "Oh, absolutely, but it has to be mutual, and it takes two to tango. We'll let that situation play itself out, but like I said, all I can do is control what I can control." Reading between the lines, ..."
Rodney Harrison trades tackles for TV
Comment
June 3
Boston Herald
 
"Patriots fans still will be able to catch Rodney Harrison on Sundays this fall, but not in uniform. One of the most storied players in team history, the safety will announce his retirement and be introduced as the newest member of NBC's broadcast team today, according to a source with knowledge of Harrison's plans. And while the possibility of a comeback never can be discounted, Harrison already is on record that when he walks away from the game, it will be for good. "If that's what he chooses to do, he'll be great," Pats safety James Sanders said. "He's very photogenic. He talks well, carries himself well, speaks real proper. He looks like he was born for the camera." An NBC spokesman ..."