EagleOutsider.com

Yes. That oversimplification of my argument is almost as great as your awesome and completely plausible argument that they should just sign better players. Because there aren't any other teams that want a shutdown corner or a dominant pass-rusher. It's just that easy to get good players.

Edit: You do realize they went from one of the oldest defenses to one of the youngest (maybe youngest...can't exactly remember) last year and went 14-2? In a transition year?

It sounds like Osi Umenyiora is now on the trade block.

The Pats are now kicking the tires on former Chicago D-Tackle Tommie Harris. I'm all for bringing in competent veteran D-Lineman, as the potential for a Haynesworth blow-up scares the crap out of me.

bignick33 {l Wrote}:It sounds like Osi Umenyiora is now on the trade block.

Several interesting things about that:

A) Giants are looking for a 1 for him
2) According to PFT, "Umenyiora’s agent began calling teams Monday morning to find out who is interested." Is that legal?

Edit: Obviously it's allowed or else it wouldn't have happened but I never knew an agent could call other teams to shop his player while he was under contract with another.

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

bignick33 {l Wrote}:It sounds like Osi Umenyiora is now on the trade block.

Several interesting things about that:

A) Giants are looking for a 1 for him
2) According to PFT, "Umenyiora’s agent began calling teams Monday morning to find out who is interested." Is that legal?

Edit: Obviously it's allowed or else it wouldn't have happened but I never knew an agent could call other teams to shop his player while he was under contract with another.

1) I don't think they'll get higher than a 2 for him. Isn't he a FA after this year? And, for some teams he might not be an every-down player as he's more of a pass-rushing specialist (albeit, a very very good one). But, it can't hurt to ask for the moon initially.
B) The Giants explicitly gave him and the agent permission to do this, per Sal Palontonio.

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

bignick33 {l Wrote}:It sounds like Osi Umenyiora is now on the trade block.

Several interesting things about that:

A) Giants are looking for a 1 for him
2) According to PFT, "Umenyiora’s agent began calling teams Monday morning to find out who is interested." Is that legal?

Edit: Obviously it's allowed or else it wouldn't have happened but I never knew an agent could call other teams to shop his player while he was under contract with another.

I think it's allowed if the team signs off on it, which they clearly have.

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

bignick33 {l Wrote}:It sounds like Osi Umenyiora is now on the trade block.

Several interesting things about that:

A) Giants are looking for a 1 for him
2) According to PFT, "Umenyiora’s agent began calling teams Monday morning to find out who is interested." Is that legal?

Edit: Obviously it's allowed or else it wouldn't have happened but I never knew an agent could call other teams to shop his player while he was under contract with another.

You figure they can overstep the boundaries by saying Osi isn't directly contacting the teams, even though the agent is directly acting as a mouthpiece for him. Reminds me of college players "advisors" in baseball and hockey. Hooray legal technicalities!

Pats sign Shaun Ellis. I'm glad they finally added a DE.

He just has to pass his physical.

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2011/08/report_patriots_11.html

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:Pats sign Shaun Ellis. I'm glad they finally added a DE.

He just has to pass his physical.

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2011/08/report_patriots_11.html

There was no way the Jets were going to spend $5 MM on Ellis, as good of a jet as he's been, when their top 2 picks were on the DL.

Anyway couldn't find a better place for this but Toal is the backup fullback on the Jets opening depth chart. Granted, few teams carry 2 (the Jets did last year) it would be nice for him to finally stick somewhere.

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:Pats sign Shaun Ellis. I'm glad they finally added a DE.

He just has to pass his physical.

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2011/08/report_patriots_11.html

There was no way the Jets were going to spend $5 MM on Ellis, as good of a jet as he's been, when their top 2 picks were on the DL.

Anyway couldn't find a better place for this but Toal is the backup fullback on the Jets opening depth chart. Granted, few teams carry 2 (the Jets did last year) it would be nice for him to finally stick somewhere.

too bad this wasn't last year. it would have been really interesting to see him on hard knocks last year.

http://bostonherald.com/sports/football/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1360589&position=0

Surprise hearing called in Haynesworth case
By Laurel J. Sweet
Monday, August 22, 2011 - Updated 7 minutes ago
Prosecutors in the misdemeanor sex abuse case of Patriots defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth have requested a hearing for 2 p.m. today in District of Columbia Superior Court, less than 24 hours before his bench trial is scheduled to begin.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington declined to say if Haynesworth, 30, is prepared to change his plea to a grand jury indictment charging him with groping the breast of a college-age cocktail waitress at the capital’s posh W Hotel during a private party on Feb. 13.

The contact is alleged to have occurred as Haynesworth was slipping his debit card into the woman’s bra.

Prosecutors offered Haynesworth the chance to plead down to simple assault in April. He declined.

If convicted of the sex abuse charge, he could be sentenced to up to six months in jail.

His attorney, A. Scott Bolden, could not immediately be reached for comment. The hearing is before Senior Judge Geoffrey M. Alprin, a native of Providence.

BrightonEagle {l Wrote}:

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:Pats sign Shaun Ellis. I'm glad they finally added a DE.

He just has to pass his physical.

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2011/08/report_patriots_11.html

There was no way the Jets were going to spend $5 MM on Ellis, as good of a jet as he's been, when their top 2 picks were on the DL.

Anyway couldn't find a better place for this but Toal is the backup fullback on the Jets opening depth chart. Granted, few teams carry 2 (the Jets did last year) it would be nice for him to finally stick somewhere.

too bad this wasn't last year. it would have been really interesting to see him on hard knocks last year.

Toal released

Haynesworth was just released. Yea, so this is pretty much what I was worried about.

bignick33 {l Wrote}:Haynesworth was just released. Yea, so this is pretty much what I was worried about.

I think you should be more worried that Ochocinco is still on the team.

I think people should be more concerned that Bill Belichick is pulling the strings on all personnel decisions. Guy has been a disaster since Kraft handed him the keys and left the building.

This thread is fun to read through 3 months later.

innocentbystander {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:Pretty wild offseason for the Pats already. Looks like they're cashing in those late draft picks. If Haynesworth gets his act together that could be a beastly DLine. Someone on Toucher and Rich this morning dubbed it the "Beef Curtain".

I just saw they're getting Ochocino too. He's lost a step, but they only need him to be a #2 receiver so he could thrive in that role.

Lost a step, but playing receiver in an offense led by Tom Brady, he might wind up with the best single season numbers of his career.

I agree with claver. I got three posts in and there was this.

claver2010 {l Wrote}:This thread is fun to read through 3 months later.

Entering the season, I thought the Pats secondary would be fine.

I also thought that Ocho was a decent acquisition (although, In my defense, I was under the mistake impression that he is intelligent). I was correct on Haynseworth, at least.

b0mberMan {l Wrote}:

innocentbystander {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:Pretty wild offseason for the Pats already. Looks like they're cashing in those late draft picks. If Haynesworth gets his act together that could be a beastly DLine. Someone on Toucher and Rich this morning dubbed it the "Beef Curtain".

I just saw they're getting Ochocino too. He's lost a step, but they only need him to be a #2 receiver so he could thrive in that role.

Lost a step, but playing receiver in an offense led by Tom Brady, he might wind up with the best single season numbers of his career.

I agree with claver. I got three posts in and there was this.

References to a "sick front 7, "a returning CB that will improve the passing D" & "all-pro CB" are pretty excellent as well.

I'm just mad that Beef Curtain never caught on.

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

b0mberMan {l Wrote}:

innocentbystander {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:Pretty wild offseason for the Pats already. Looks like they're cashing in those late draft picks. If Haynesworth gets his act together that could be a beastly DLine. Someone on Toucher and Rich this morning dubbed it the "Beef Curtain".

I just saw they're getting Ochocino too. He's lost a step, but they only need him to be a #2 receiver so he could thrive in that role.

Lost a step, but playing receiver in an offense led by Tom Brady, he might wind up with the best single season numbers of his career.

I agree with claver. I got three posts in and there was this.

References to a "sick front 7, "a returning CB that will improve the passing D" & "all-pro CB" are pretty excellent as well.

McCourty was an All-Pro CB last year. He has forgotten how to play football this year.

So this season Belichick has cut Sanders, Bodden, Merriweather, Warren, Wilhite, and now Haynesworth from the defense. And I'd forgotten Ellis was still on the team.

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:So this season Belichick has cut Sanders, Bodden, Merriweather, Warren, Wilhite, and now Haynesworth from the defense. And I'd forgotten Ellis was still on the team.

Defensive Genius! Or you can look at his defensive picks from the past couple of years...

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:So this season Belichick has cut Sanders, Bodden, Merriweather, Warren, Wilhite, and now Haynesworth from the defense. And I'd forgotten Ellis was still on the team.

Defensive Genius! Or you can look at his defensive picks from the past couple of years...

Yes, the Jets sure dodged a bullet when he spurned them to instead come back to New England.

bignick33 {l Wrote}:

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:So this season Belichick has cut Sanders, Bodden, Merriweather, Warren, Wilhite, and now Haynesworth from the defense. And I'd forgotten Ellis was still on the team.

Defensive Genius! Or you can look at his defensive picks from the past couple of years...

Yes, the Jets sure dodged a bullet when he spurned them to instead come back to New England.

Glad you grabbed that out of what I said.

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

bignick33 {l Wrote}:

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:So this season Belichick has cut Sanders, Bodden, Merriweather, Warren, Wilhite, and now Haynesworth from the defense. And I'd forgotten Ellis was still on the team.

Defensive Genius! Or you can look at his defensive picks from the past couple of years...

Yes, the Jets sure dodged a bullet when he spurned them to instead come back to New England.

Glad you grabbed that out of what I said.

The irony was too delicious to ignore.

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:So this season Belichick has cut Sanders, Bodden, Merriweather, Warren, Wilhite, and now Haynesworth from the defense. And I'd forgotten Ellis was still on the team.

Defensive Genius! Or you can look at his defensive picks from the past couple of years...

He is a defensive genius. He seems to care less and less about defense each season though.

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:So this season Belichick has cut Sanders, Bodden, Merriweather, Warren, Wilhite, and now Haynesworth from the defense. And I'd forgotten Ellis was still on the team.

Defensive Genius! Or you can look at his defensive picks from the past couple of years...

He is a defensive genius. He seems to care less and less about defense each season though.

I think a big part of it, as Dave mentioned, is that he is much better at cooking than he is as buying the ingredients.

bignick33 {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:So this season Belichick has cut Sanders, Bodden, Merriweather, Warren, Wilhite, and now Haynesworth from the defense. And I'd forgotten Ellis was still on the team.

Defensive Genius! Or you can look at his defensive picks from the past couple of years...

He is a defensive genius. He seems to care less and less about defense each season though.

I think a big part of it, as Dave mentioned, is that he is much better at cooking than he is as buying the ingredients.

Yeah. Hard to cook a five-star meal when you have shit to work with. To keep the food analogy going.

flyingelvii {l Wrote}:

bignick33 {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:

claver2010 {l Wrote}:

Endless Mike {l Wrote}:So this season Belichick has cut Sanders, Bodden, Merriweather, Warren, Wilhite, and now Haynesworth from the defense. And I'd forgotten Ellis was still on the team.

Defensive Genius! Or you can look at his defensive picks from the past couple of years...

He is a defensive genius. He seems to care less and less about defense each season though.

I think a big part of it, as Dave mentioned, is that he is much better at cooking than he is as buying the ingredients.

Yeah. Hard to cook a five-star meal when you have shit to work with. To keep the food analogy going.

He cooks and eats shit??????