Off-season moves...I smell Super Bowl!

With an amazing 11-5 record last season despite the loss of the best QB on the planet, somehow the stars aligned to make sure the Pats could not spoil the party in this year's playoffs. Going into the offseason, there were obviously things to be excited about, however...the likely trade of a sixth round draft pick for a certain first rounder, the already large stockpile of draft picks in the second round from sly draft day moves by Scott Pioli, and, of course, the return of Tommy Terrific, this time with an arm not ground to a nub by a late season push in the playoffs. So let's look at what has happened so far, and Sully the Diehard Pat Fan's response to them.

1. The Departure of McDaniels and Pioli (not in order of significance)- The Pats said goodbye to short tenured Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniel, as he took the head coaching job at Denver. That is a pretty good accomplishment for Josh, especially for a guy who looks like he has less facial hair than my two year old. He's already let his lack of head coaching savvy come out in the indelicate handling of the Cutler trade situation, and has already bragged about how he is going to fix the second highest offensive machine in the league next year. Apparently this is going to happen due to the signing of Jabbar "Jekyll and Hyde Hands" Gaffney, as he is the only piece that Josh has added this season. Bottom line here is that it will be good not to have to worry about the Broncos for a few years. Now for Pioli...As much as I'd like to say that the departure of Pioli is nil, because Belichick holds the reins in Patland, I get the feeling that that is not necessarily true, as is evidenced by the next topic.

2. The Tag, and Subsequent Fleecing of the Pats by Scott Pioli. No sooner had the ink dried on Pioli's GM contract, than he was pulling his Jedi mind tricks on the Pats by scaring/sweetalking Belichick and gang into parting with the backup heart and soul of the defense (Vrabel) and the aforementioned almost certain first round trade bait in the form of Matt Cassel. With McDaniel pissing off Cutler by shopping him in favor of working a first round pick deal to land Cassel in Denver, it should have been obvious that value still existed for Cassel, and maybe they should hold their cards to their vest and see what unfolded. Instead we got a top of the round second choice. Can I understand it? Sure...Bill would much rather have multiple second and third rounders anyway instead of paying big money to first rounders who are no guarantee...but Bill, you can always trade that first rounder away and get a second, third and more in some cases...the first part was almost certainly what the voice of Pioli sounded like in Bill's ear prior to the trade, and the second part is what Pioli would have told Bill if he was still on the job. Definitely got the raw end on that deal...

3. Free Agent signings: One thing Bill has not lost is his ability to identify and jump on player situations that will be ideal fits for the already mature Pat's roster...guys who have never tasted a ring, may have had a stock drop due to negative press or a nagging minor injury ridden season the season before, or guys who some feel are in the twilight of their careers...the list of successful pickups is endless: Roman Phifer, Bryan Cox, Rodney Harrison, Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, Sammy Morris..and this year's crop is no different...let's look at them one by one:

Fred Taylor: this guy was always one of my favorite hard nosed runners in the NFL. He had and still has an engine that never quits. But the nagging injuries every year have lowered his stock, especially once he was sharing time with Pocket Hercules. I see Corey Dillon type year all over this thing, especially if Maroney falters out of the gate again.

Greg Lewis: One of the only guys who had really good hands for the Eagles, and in the fashion of the Eagles, they just let him walk. He's not Welker, but he is as good if not better than Kelly Washington who split this offseason.

Shawn Springs: As much as I'd like to say this guy will be a huge impact, I think he will not beat out Bodden for the job...but I don't see any scenario better than to have this guy playing nickel and spelling the top two guys, while sharing his veteran techniques with youngsters Wilhite and Wheatley.

Leigh Bodden: This may be the best signing of the decade if it works out like I think it will...guy has amazing success in Cleveland with the Padouin learner of Belichick's system, Crennel, and then jets for Detroit, which is a career killer for just about anyone. I don't care how good you are, when your offense just went three and out for the sixth consecutive series, you are going to get toasted by my grandmother on the deep fly. With the toolbox of tooth rattlers and menacing pass rush the Patriots will have this season, Leigh Bodden will fit in REAL nicely as the backside CB. Let's just say this is no Lewis Sanders signing...Nuff said

Joey Galloway: To me, this is the piece d'resistance. Galloway has three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, 23 TD's, and has one nagging injury which limits him last season, and now he is damaged goods? Please...with Moss and Welker swallowing up double teams, Joey is going to establish early and often that he still has it...this guy at this stage in his career makes Gaffney look like a South African tree slug. I wouldn't bet the under too many times this season with the Pats....

4. The Draft. The Pats have picks 23, 34, 47, 58..that's four in the first two rounds. Let's take a look at who the Pats have got in rounds one and two in the last five years:
2008: Jerod Mayo, Terrence Wheatley
2007: Brandon Merriweather
2006: Laurence Maroney, Chad Jackson
2005: Logan Mankins
2004: Vince Wilfork, Ben Watson, Marquis Hill

Ok, so that is Six starters, One bust, one jury still out and one dead. Nine players. And we have Five picks in those two rounds this year...think we will fill a few holes there? Ridonkulous.

So that is my summary...I will be back on if there are any new signings of interest, or after the draft, whichever comes first...latah chowdaheads

6 Friggin turnovers? Are you jerking my chain?

I am too perturbed to even talk about this travesty of a football game. Way to take the 'Let's suck at home' pill on your way to work, guys...I am not sure that if someone took a dump on my Bruschi jersey and then smeared it all up and then washed the toilet bowl with it, I would be more upset about that than I am about this game....I am going to stop now.

What to do with Cassel?

Ok, now I don't want to get my fellow fans knickers all in a bunch here, but with the kind of injuries we have sustained and continue to sustain this year, even if Cassel continues his 'hellified' season, there is slim chance we are going deep in the playoffs...losing Asante was a mistake, letting Randall Gay go at the same time was a bigger mistake, and now every team in the NFL can play pitch and catch in our backfield because it is deviod of expereinced playmakers. Don't get me wrong, Merriweather has impressed and Sanders looks like he can rattle some teeth, but the assortment of ragged veterans and greenstick rookies we have paraded onto the field each week at Corner has made us susceptible to not being able to run the highly intricate Belichick Coverage schemes like we should, and that consistency is not going to develop in the next four weeks.

So looking at what is happening now with Cassel, as if Brady has somehow been downloaded into Cassel mentally if not physically ("Well my arm sucks, but check out these wheels!"), you have to wonder if Brady going down is not the worst thing that could have happened to us...no, no, not like that, in terms of what we can now GET for Cassel. Remember, before this opportunity to show his wares, the most we could ever get in a trade for Cassel was a box of pens and a couple used tires...but now, now all the talking heads are clamoring about teams like San Fran or Detriot paying 12 mil to add a guy who ten games ago had his last starting game snap at Chatsworth High. Now the landscape is COMPLETELY different as far as getting something for nothing is concerned. Bottom line is that Brady, if ready, WILL be our starting QB next season, so Cassel ends up on the bench anyway. Why not get something for him? He is a free agent at the end of the season, but that could easily change with the use of the dreaded Franchise Tag. Once we slap the tag on him, anyone of those teams could sign him for the same amount, but their next two first round picks will go to us! Can you imagine two years of the Lions first round pick? That could be the top friggin' pick in the draft for two years straight! And we probably wouldn't even use that pick, we'd probably send it away for multiple firsts and seconds, allowing us to stock our roster with as many blue chip corners as possible...it's like a Belichick wet dream!

So regardless of how this season ends, the loss of Brady may have cost us a Super Bowl this year, MAYBE, but it could buy us three more down the road! Viva Cassel!

My Pennance

Sully the Diehard Pats fan has a confession to make. I went to bed after the sixth inning of Game 5 of the Red Sox-Rays ALCS. What transpired thereafter I cannot even muuter without having to nthrow up a little in my mouth, so let's just leave it at it was an unconscionable action of a fair weather fan, something I fully pride myself on NOT being.

As my pennance, I am re-dedicated myself to being a better host of the Patriot Playground, to a even discussion of all things Patriots, and by extension, all things Boston Sports (except the New England Revolution, who really sees any significance or excitement in soccer anyway?).

Willie Gary is a Jackass

It appears that crying over spilt milk and not taking accountability for poor play is not limited to jackass Senators. A player (and I use that term very loosely) who was on the Rams roster in 2001 when the Rams couldn't manage but 17 points on offense, has sued the Patriots for his team's piss poor pereformance to the tune of $100 million dollars, on the basis that they stole his teams defensive signals. That's 300,000 squirrel pelts and 250 gallons of moonshine for those of you reading from Valdosta, Georgia where Gary hails from. Apparently Willie's career as a male prostitute was largely unsuccessful in Valdosta, so it was either this or he was going to have to work at Wal-Mart, which is actually considered lower on the social acceptability scale than being a male prostitute. I hope you have good tickets, because this circus has just begun.....more on this clown later...

TV Reviews

Somehow this blog has achieved genius status...I knew someone out there can recognize true genius...

Sully on Specter

Ok, I was going to try and just let this issue die, but I feel compelled to comment on it now that Spygate II has been ramping up. And my main beef is this: with all the problems we currently have with regard to the economy, a busted up health care system, major immigration reform requirements and the War that we are unfortunately tangled up in and are obligated to see to its safe conclusion, why in the name of everything holy is Arlen Specter, the not-so-esteemed Senator from Pennsylvania putting Commissioner Goodell's feet to the fire over a non-illegal league matter. The answer is simple, of course, that Specter is a whiny bitch of an Eagles fan who somehow thinks if he makes enough noise that his team may be awarded some Super Bowl victory or at least slam on the team that beat his soundly. Let's say the Pats even did film the Eagles. The previous meeting between the two teams was approximately 18 months before that Super Bowl in preseason. And would filming the Eagles prevent them from leisurely sauntering through their comeback drive burning tons of seconds while McNabb puked his guts out on the field and T.O. undermined the huddle? Hows about that Arlen? Did Belichick drop a 'team collapse' bomb on your lockerroom at halftime? Please go back to your committee and seek out people who are actually doing something against the law, because I worked too long and hard to pay your salary to watch you blowing it wasting more of my money in some pointless investigation that has no bearing on the Nation at large and only on your poor excuse for an NFL franchise...may I suggest looking into coaches whose sons deal drugs from their houses? I'm guessing you won't be so fervent starting that investigation, Senator.....