Will Svitek

 

Will Svitek

• #0 OT
• 6' 6", 308 lbs
• Birth DateJanuary 8, 1982 (Age: 31)
• Birth PlacePrague, Czech Republic
• Experience8 years
• College



Will Svitek

 

Will Svitek

• #0 OT
• 6' 6", 308 lbs
• Birth DateJanuary 8, 1982 (Age: 31)
• Birth PlacePrague, Czech Republic
• Experience8 years
• College



New England Patriots re-sign Sebatian Vollmer

An offensive line in the NFL are always striving to achieve the three "C"s.

The longer the players on an offensive line practice and play together, the better their coordination, continuity and chemistry - and now that the New England Patriots have re-signed right tackle Sebatian Vollmer, you can add "Complete" to that list.

Last season, the New England Patriots fielded one of the best offensive lines in football, and now that Vollmer is back in the fold, he rejoins Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell, Logan Mankins and Nate Solder to again form a spectacularly underrated piece of the Patriots potential championship puzzle.

Easily one of the top right tackles in all of football, Vollmer is considered such despite dealing with chronic back issues and a knee injury which caused him to miss one game in 2012 - and it was these medical issues that likely caused the free agent market dry for the German born behemoth.

The other 31 team's loss is the Patriots' gain.

The 6' 8" 320 pound Vollmer teams with equally massive left tackle Nate Solder as the best set of bookends in the league - and where Solder, a former tight end, is athletic and light on his feet in protecting quarterback Tom Brady's blind side, Vollmer's nasty disposition on the field and sheer mass makes him an intrepid road grader in the running game...

Which is not to say that Vollmer isn't key in the passing game, but when he teams with tight end Rob Gronkowski and guard Dan Connolly, the right side of the Patriots offensive line becomes a tandem bulldozer, clearing the way for running backs Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen.

Terms of the contract have not been disclosed, but it is believed to be for a period of four years and for much less than even the Patriots thought they'd have to cough up to retain him.

It is possible that the Patriots were the only team really in the mix for the Univcersity of Houston product, but that the team was waiting to see the numbers on the deal that Jake Long and the St. Louis Rams agreed to on Friday as a means of setting the market on tackles.

New England Patriots re-sign Sebatian Vollmer

An offensive line in the NFL are always striving to achieve the three "C"s.

The longer the players on an offensive line practice and play together, the better their coordination, continuity and chemistry - and now that the New England Patriots have re-signed right tackle Sebatian Vollmer, you can add "Complete" to that list.

Last season, the New England Patriots fielded one of the best offensive lines in football, and now that Vollmer is back in the fold, he rejoins Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell, Logan Mankins and Nate Solder to again form a spectacularly underrated piece of the Patriots potential championship puzzle.

Easily one of the top right tackles in all of football, Vollmer is considered such despite dealing with chronic back issues and a knee injury which caused him to miss one game in 2012 - and it was these medical issues that likely caused the free agent market dry for the German born behemoth.

The other 31 team's loss is the Patriots' gain.

The 6' 8" 320 pound Vollmer teams with equally massive left tackle Nate Solder as the best set of bookends in the league - and where Solder, a former tight end, is athletic and light on his feet in protecting quarterback Tom Brady's blind side, Vollmer's nasty disposition on the field and sheer mass makes him an intrepid road grader in the running game...

Which is not to say that Vollmer isn't key in the passing game, but when he teams with tight end Rob Gronkowski and guard Dan Connolly, the right side of the Patriots offensive line becomes a tandem bulldozer, clearing the way for running backs Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen.

Terms of the contract have not been disclosed, but it is believed to be for a period of four years and for much less than even the Patriots thought they'd have to cough up to retain him.

It is possible that the Patriots were the only team really in the mix for the Univcersity of Houston product, but that the team was waiting to see the numbers on the deal that Jake Long and the St. Louis Rams agreed to on Friday as a means of setting the market on tackles.

Unspecified medical conditions are

Unspecified medical conditions are

Kraft verbally flogs Welker's agent, questions Dunn's credibility

Saving face.  It's all the rage with people like journalists, leaders of third-world countries, leaders of domesticated countries - hell, politicians of any sort - contestants on Hell's Kitchen...

...and apparently slot receivers and their agents.

At the NFL meetings in Phoenix yesterday, former New England Patriots' slot receiver Wes Welker's agent David Dunn was asked the tough question, and he responded in typical political fashion.

When asked why, if his client wanted to play for a winning team, he didn't just play along with the contract that Welker was offered by the Patriots last season of 2 years $16 million, he pulled a Richard Nixon, claiming it never happened.

Dunn refuted criticism that he misread the market for Welker, lashing back at critics by claiming that New England had never offered his client that contract, just signing him to the Franchise Tag and never planning on him being a Patriot past last season.

Well, Dave, that ain't the question...the question is, if Welker said he wanted to play for a winning team, and you had that $8 million a year contact sitting on the break room table at Gillette Stadium, why did you shop him around?  Why did you have Welker defer to the next off-season?

Dunn wasn't very detailed in his response, but this morning at the NFL Owners meetings Bob Kraft was, and he was pulling no punches.  You see, in essence, Dunn was saying that Kraft lied - and Kraft responded with candor and, yes, barely contained rage.

"You know, everyone in our organization wanted Wes Welker back. Anyone who doubts that, or thinks we weren’t serious, just doesn’t get it." Kraft began, "But I really believe in this case, his agents misrepresented, in their mind, what his market value was. When you come right down to the bottom line, he accepted a deal in Denver which is less money than what we offered him."

And to his credit, Kraft went on to qualify that statement with numbers, then continued.

“When free agency came, and his agents kept on insisting on a very high number that was beyond our number, we had to go work alternatives. Our second alternative was Danny Amendola. He had offers from other teams. So we made a judgment that Wes, unfortunately probably wouldn’t be with us. We made this commitment to Amendola."

“Wednesday, I personally got a call from Wes and he told me about this offer from Denver. He called Bill as well. We met and we chatted.  If he had called one day earlier, he would have been with us. And so that, is the Wes Welker story. I’m very sad about it and I wish he would have been with our team.”

The Patriots' owner went on to say that if there was just a $2 million dollar gap to get a deal done with Welker, he would have covered it in no time flat.  "It was a substantial gap, way beyond (that). If he had come to us and said ‘the gap was the $2 million’ – which on the surface everyone believes that’s what it is – that would have been closed in a second."

He continued, "And I think in the last 19 years, I’m pretty proud that we have the best won-loss record of any team in the NFL. In 19 years, we’ve gone to six Super Bowls. I think our modus operandi has been OK. On the other hand, I think this is a situation that we really wanted to happen with Wes and it’s very unfortunate.”

"But" a reporter asked, "There has been a persistent contention by David Dunn that there was never an offer."

A dark cloud appeared and settled over Kraft's head - Mother of God, here it comes...

He paused, staring down the reporter for a brief moment, then, "Did you hear what I said?"

The reporter nodded and said yes, then Kraft: “OK, there was an offer, and that’s just bogus.”

"Correct," replied the reporter, taking a bit less contentious tone, "and that’s my question. Why would they continue to make that claim?"

“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him." Kraft snapped back, clearly irked by the reporter's continued questioning.  "You seem to have a good relationship talking with him, so why doesn’t he fill you in what he means? Because it just isn’t true.”

Kraft fielded a few more questions, and even managed to bring a diplomatic tone back to the impromptu presser that was threatening to turn very ugly, but stayed committed to his message, even went into more detail than anyone can recall in recent memory - perhaps in an effort to make certain that his message could not be misunderstood....

...finishing with a monologue that summarized everything that he said in anger, but in a more magnanimous fashion, even managing to get one more wicked nice shot in on Dunn.

"Let me say it again clearly – we wanted him, and we were willing to pay him slightly above what we believed his market value to be, and in fact, what it is. We in fact did it. If you look at what he accepted, and what was out there. The unfortunate part, the agent is playing poker with us, we have to decide. Are we going to be left completely naked here? Or do we go out and do the best job we can do to fill that position with the information we have available to us? And that’s what we did. Time will tell what was right.”

Indeed, time will tell.  But in the interim, this war of words isn't over, as Kraft seems to be particularly steamed.  It is this kind of he said/she said stuff that Kraft and coach Bill Belichick has been successful keeping out of the locker room, but this entire "Welker Situation" is threatening to disrupt that - and Kraft is taking exception.

You see, Bob Kraft can put up with a lot.  He's a patient man, he's a loyal man.  His work has brought a better life to others less fortunate through his philanthropy and has brought championships to a franchise  that was a doormat for most of their existence before he bought the team.  He left his gravely ill Wife's bedside to kick a bunch of lawyers out to the street and hammer out an agreement that ended the NFL lockout before the 2011 season.

The man deserves respect, no matter how you feel about the Patriots.  He is an honest man, and the one thing that you never do to Bob Kraft is to question his integrity - and David Dunn has done just that by trying to save face out of the mess he caused...and if he thinks he had problems before, now he's drawn the ire of the second most powerful man in the NFL, which puts him on a level with a certain fax-ignorant agent for Elvis Dumervil.

And the stench of the sewer mist that he has all over him is something that's going to be hard to explain to any potential clients, along with how he twisted himself in so many different angles to try and weasel out of blame for the Welker situation that he needs the help of a couple of interns just to screw his pants on in the morning.

In other words, he's no longer credible - or at least not nearly as credible as he was, and is now the scourge of New England (as if he wasn't already)...and being on Bob Kraft's black list can't be helpful either.

You screwed it up, David Dunn.  The least you could do is admit it and show a bit of ownership of your actions instead of questioning the integrity of the man who saved the New England Patriots and the entire National Football League.

Why, if it weren't for Bob Kraft, you wouldn't be getting paid because there would be no contracts to negotiate - so in essence, you've bitten the hand that feeds you, and that's never a good idea.

Kraft verbally flogs Welker's agent, questions Dunn's credibility

Saving face.  It's all the rage with people like journalists, leaders of third-world countries, leaders of domesticated countries - hell, politicians of any sort - contestants on Hell's Kitchen...

...and apparently slot receivers and their agents.

At the NFL meetings in Phoenix yesterday, former New England Patriots' slot receiver Wes Welker's agent David Dunn was asked the tough question, and he responded in typical political fashion.

When asked why, if his client wanted to play for a winning team, he didn't just play along with the contract that Welker was offered by the Patriots last season of 2 years $16 million, he pulled a Richard Nixon, claiming it never happened.

Dunn refuted criticism that he misread the market for Welker, lashing back at critics by claiming that New England had never offered his client that contract, just signing him to the Franchise Tag and never planning on him being a Patriot past last season.

Well, Dave, that ain't the question...the question is, if Welker said he wanted to play for a winning team, and you had that $8 million a year contact sitting on the break room table at Gillette Stadium, why did you shop him around?  Why did you have Welker defer to the next off-season?

Dunn wasn't very detailed in his response, but this morning at the NFL Owners meetings Bob Kraft was, and he was pulling no punches.  You see, in essence, Dunn was saying that Kraft lied - and Kraft responded with candor and, yes, barely contained rage.

"You know, everyone in our organization wanted Wes Welker back. Anyone who doubts that, or thinks we weren’t serious, just doesn’t get it." Kraft began, "But I really believe in this case, his agents misrepresented, in their mind, what his market value was. When you come right down to the bottom line, he accepted a deal in Denver which is less money than what we offered him."

And to his credit, Kraft went on to qualify that statement with numbers, then continued.

“When free agency came, and his agents kept on insisting on a very high number that was beyond our number, we had to go work alternatives. Our second alternative was Danny Amendola. He had offers from other teams. So we made a judgment that Wes, unfortunately probably wouldn’t be with us. We made this commitment to Amendola."

“Wednesday, I personally got a call from Wes and he told me about this offer from Denver. He called Bill as well. We met and we chatted.  If he had called one day earlier, he would have been with us. And so that, is the Wes Welker story. I’m very sad about it and I wish he would have been with our team.”

The Patriots' owner went on to say that if there was just a $2 million dollar gap to get a deal done with Welker, he would have covered it in no time flat.  "It was a substantial gap, way beyond (that). If he had come to us and said ‘the gap was the $2 million’ – which on the surface everyone believes that’s what it is – that would have been closed in a second."

He continued, "And I think in the last 19 years, I’m pretty proud that we have the best won-loss record of any team in the NFL. In 19 years, we’ve gone to six Super Bowls. I think our modus operandi has been OK. On the other hand, I think this is a situation that we really wanted to happen with Wes and it’s very unfortunate.”

"But" a reporter asked, "There has been a persistent contention by David Dunn that there was never an offer."

A dark cloud appeared and settled over Kraft's head - Mother of God, here it comes...

He paused, staring down the reporter for a brief moment, then, "Did you hear what I said?"

The reporter nodded and said yes, then Kraft: “OK, there was an offer, and that’s just bogus.”

"Correct," replied the reporter, taking a bit less contentious tone, "and that’s my question. Why would they continue to make that claim?"

“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him." Kraft snapped back, clearly irked by the reporter's continued questioning.  "You seem to have a good relationship talking with him, so why doesn’t he fill you in what he means? Because it just isn’t true.”

Kraft fielded a few more questions, and even managed to bring a diplomatic tone back to the impromptu presser that was threatening to turn very ugly, but stayed committed to his message, even went into more detail than anyone can recall in recent memory - perhaps in an effort to make certain that his message could not be misunderstood....

...finishing with a monologue that summarized everything that he said in anger, but in a more magnanimous fashion, even managing to get one more wicked nice shot in on Dunn.

"Let me say it again clearly – we wanted him, and we were willing to pay him slightly above what we believed his market value to be, and in fact, what it is. We in fact did it. If you look at what he accepted, and what was out there. The unfortunate part, the agent is playing poker with us, we have to decide. Are we going to be left completely naked here? Or do we go out and do the best job we can do to fill that position with the information we have available to us? And that’s what we did. Time will tell what was right.”

Indeed, time will tell.  But in the interim, this war of words isn't over, as Kraft seems to be particularly steamed.  It is this kind of he said/she said stuff that Kraft and coach Bill Belichick has been successful keeping out of the locker room, but this entire "Welker Situation" is threatening to disrupt that - and Kraft is taking exception.

You see, Bob Kraft can put up with a lot.  He's a patient man, he's a loyal man.  His work has brought a better life to others less fortunate through his philanthropy and has brought championships to a franchise  that was a doormat for most of their existence before he bought the team.  He left his gravely ill Wife's bedside to kick a bunch of lawyers out to the street and hammer out an agreement that ended the NFL lockout before the 2011 season.

The man deserves respect, no matter how you feel about the Patriots.  He is an honest man, and the one thing that you never do to Bob Kraft is to question his integrity - and David Dunn has done just that by trying to save face out of the mess he caused...and if he thinks he had problems before, now he's drawn the ire of the second most powerful man in the NFL, which puts him on a level with a certain fax-ignorant agent for Elvis Dumervil.

And the stench of the sewer mist that he has all over him is something that's going to be hard to explain to any potential clients, along with how he twisted himself in so many different angles to try and weasel out of blame for the Welker situation that he needs the help of a couple of interns just to screw his pants on in the morning.

In other words, he's no longer credible - or at least not nearly as credible as he was, and is now the scourge of New England (as if he wasn't already)...and being on Bob Kraft's black list can't be helpful either.

You screwed it up, David Dunn.  The least you could do is admit it and show a bit of ownership of your actions instead of questioning the integrity of the man who saved the New England Patriots and the entire National Football League.

Why, if it weren't for Bob Kraft, you wouldn't be getting paid because there would be no contracts to negotiate - so in essence, you've bitten the hand that feeds you, and that's never a good idea.

New England Patriots on Paper: Taking Inventory

Free Agency is a process.  At least to some teams - for most it's a winner take all feeding frenzy, only instead of shark, the water is filled with rabid Dolphins with delusions of grandeur and pockets full of cash.

For few, it's a chess match, a wager with time - an entity so powerful that it rules the universe, but an entity so generous if given the proper respect - using patience and due diligence as terms....

...the wager?  The team is betting that if they wait until all of the suckers have spent themselves out of the market, they will have the pick of the litter of top shelf veterans at bargain bin prices.  In the case of the New England Patriots, if they win the wager, they successfully fill major deficiencies in their passing game, both on offense and defense - but if they lose, the hole becomes more pronounced and significantly more bleak, threatening to pull them into the blackness of mediocrity.

But when betting against time, it is important to have all of the trustworthy help you can get, and the Patriots have help in the form of both the fact that many teams had to purge their rosters of quality players or risk cap jail, and also from the shameless and aimless spending of the Dolphins, who have almost single-handedly destroyed the top-shelf market.

And it has been fruitful thus far - what with the signing of names like Amendola, Jones, Wilson and now Talib...but at times like these, it is important to stop and take inventory of the arsenal, just take a look at where you stand at every level.

So in the spirit of the mid-season dog days where fans start projecting playoffs seeds with the term, If the season ended today, let's take a glance at what this team would look like if the season started today:

Defensive Starters:

RE:      Chandler Jones             Jermaine Cunningham
RT:      Brandon Deaderick      Kyle Love                   Armond Armstead
LT:      Vince Wilfork              Justin Francis
LE:      Rob Ninkovich             Jake Bequette              Jason Vega
WLB:  Jerod Mayo
MLB:  Brandon Spikes
SLB:   Dont'a Hightower
LCB:  Aqib Talib
RCB:  Alfonzo Dennard
FS:     Devin McCourty
SS:     Adrian Wilson               Steve Gregory              Nate Ebner

NS:     Tavon Wilson
NCB:  Kyle Arrington

Up and down this depth chart, you're not going find any superstars - not even Vince Wilfork who is too humble to truely fit the persona - but you also may not find a more solid group in the AFC. 

The issue is depth, however.  There is no one of note backing up the corners nor the linebackers, two areas where the Patriots will certainly address in the weeks leading up the draft, and perhaps in the draft.

Prudency dictates that the Patriots seek out one more mid-tier veteran corner capable of filling in for either starting corner.  The idea is to keep Arrington in the slot where he is capable and not have to raid the safety positions for McCourty, who is a potential Pro Bowl talent at the free spot.  Perhaps someone like a Porter or Newman or even a Hall - someone with some experience

Before signing Adrian Wilson, the team had a gaping hole at strong safety and needed a cover linebacker, but now has a tough, in the box run plugger who is particularly adept at covering the tight end on passing downs.  Wilson was a brilliant signing - not only is he capable of filling both needs in one package, but he also will be a personal mentor to last year's 2nd round safety Tavon Wilson, who has Adrian Wilson-type potential.

The line is well stocked, but an experienced edge rusher and/or interior pass rusher would certainly pique Belichick's interest if the right ones were to either become available in free agency or drop to a postion of value in the draft - Abraham or Dumervil would fit that bill, though the latter would eat up a lot of cap space.

Overall, in the first four days of the free agency period has been more productive and defining than any in recent memory, abrupt and point specific, filling holes and enableing the team to paint a more focused picture for their few draft selections.

Offensive Starters:

WR1:   Danny Amendola
TE1:    Aaron Hernandez
LT:      Nate Solder
LG:      Logan Mankins
C:         Ryan Wendell              Nick McDonald
RG:      Dan Connolly               Nick McDonald
RT:       Marcus Cannon
TE2:     Rob Gronkowski          Jake Ballard            Michael Hoomanawanui
WR2:    Donald Jones
RB:       Stevan Ridley               Brandon Bolden     Leon Washington
QB:       Tom Brady                   Ryan Mallett

PB:        Shane Vereen

Depth on the offensive line is a concern, but a step in the right direction would be to resign Sebastian Vollmer at right tackle and to replace the departed Donald Thomas to back up the interior of the line along with Nick McDonald.

The tight ends are to be the focus of this team, but to what extent will dictate how aggressive the Patriots are in looking at wide receivers.  It is not clear at this point if the Patriots are going to pursue restricted free agent Emmanuel Sanders of the Steelers who would add speed but not size to the ranks.  It is entirely possible given the signings thus far that the Patriots could look for a receiver with their 1st round pick, though many mocks still show them picking up a corner.

The backfield is stocked with young greyhounds, and will only get better once Jeff Demps is incorporated into the mix.  Quarterbacks remain steady as talk of a Ryan Mallett trade to Cleveland talk has died down to nothing...and while it is still a possiblity that something funky happens there to gain a few draft picks, Belichick can afford to be selective in dealing with Mallett and potential trade partners.

New England Patriots on Paper: Taking Inventory

Free Agency is a process.  At least to some teams - for most it's a winner take all feeding frenzy, only instead of shark, the water is filled with rabid Dolphins with delusions of grandeur and pockets full of cash.

For few, it's a chess match, a wager with time - an entity so powerful that it rules the universe, but an entity so generous if given the proper respect - using patience and due diligence as terms....

...the wager?  The team is betting that if they wait until all of the suckers have spent themselves out of the market, they will have the pick of the litter of top shelf veterans at bargain bin prices.  In the case of the New England Patriots, if they win the wager, they successfully fill major deficiencies in their passing game, both on offense and defense - but if they lose, the hole becomes more pronounced and significantly more bleak, threatening to pull them into the blackness of mediocrity.

But when betting against time, it is important to have all of the trustworthy help you can get, and the Patriots have help in the form of both the fact that many teams had to purge their rosters of quality players or risk cap jail, and also from the shameless and aimless spending of the Dolphins, who have almost single-handedly destroyed the top-shelf market.

And it has been fruitful thus far - what with the signing of names like Amendola, Jones, Wilson and now Talib...but at times like these, it is important to stop and take inventory of the arsenal, just take a look at where you stand at every level.

So in the spirit of the mid-season dog days where fans start projecting playoffs seeds with the term, If the season ended today, let's take a glance at what this team would look like if the season started today:

Defensive Starters:

RE:      Chandler Jones             Jermaine Cunningham
RT:      Brandon Deaderick      Kyle Love                   Armond Armstead
LT:      Vince Wilfork              Justin Francis
LE:      Rob Ninkovich             Jake Bequette              Jason Vega
WLB:  Jerod Mayo
MLB:  Brandon Spikes
SLB:   Dont'a Hightower
LCB:  Aqib Talib
RCB:  Alfonzo Dennard
FS:     Devin McCourty
SS:     Adrian Wilson               Steve Gregory              Nate Ebner

NS:     Tavon Wilson
NCB:  Kyle Arrington

Up and down this depth chart, you're not going find any superstars - not even Vince Wilfork who is too humble to truely fit the persona - but you also may not find a more solid group in the AFC. 

The issue is depth, however.  There is no one of note backing up the corners nor the linebackers, two areas where the Patriots will certainly address in the weeks leading up the draft, and perhaps in the draft.

Prudency dictates that the Patriots seek out one more mid-tier veteran corner capable of filling in for either starting corner.  The idea is to keep Arrington in the slot where he is capable and not have to raid the safety positions for McCourty, who is a potential Pro Bowl talent at the free spot.  Perhaps someone like a Porter or Newman or even a Hall - someone with some experience

Before signing Adrian Wilson, the team had a gaping hole at strong safety and needed a cover linebacker, but now has a tough, in the box run plugger who is particularly adept at covering the tight end on passing downs.  Wilson was a brilliant signing - not only is he capable of filling both needs in one package, but he also will be a personal mentor to last year's 2nd round safety Tavon Wilson, who has Adrian Wilson-type potential.

The line is well stocked, but an experienced edge rusher and/or interior pass rusher would certainly pique Belichick's interest if the right ones were to either become available in free agency or drop to a postion of value in the draft - Abraham or Dumervil would fit that bill, though the latter would eat up a lot of cap space.

Overall, in the first four days of the free agency period has been more productive and defining than any in recent memory, abrupt and point specific, filling holes and enableing the team to paint a more focused picture for their few draft selections.

Offensive Starters:

WR1:   Danny Amendola
TE1:    Aaron Hernandez
LT:      Nate Solder
LG:      Logan Mankins
C:         Ryan Wendell              Nick McDonald
RG:      Dan Connolly               Nick McDonald
RT:       Marcus Cannon
TE2:     Rob Gronkowski          Jake Ballard            Michael Hoomanawanui
WR2:    Donald Jones
RB:       Stevan Ridley               Brandon Bolden     Leon Washington
QB:       Tom Brady                   Ryan Mallett

PB:        Shane Vereen

Depth on the offensive line is a concern, but a step in the right direction would be to resign Sebastian Vollmer at right tackle and to replace the departed Donald Thomas to back up the interior of the line along with Nick McDonald.

The tight ends are to be the focus of this team, but to what extent will dictate how aggressive the Patriots are in looking at wide receivers.  It is not clear at this point if the Patriots are going to pursue restricted free agent Emmanuel Sanders of the Steelers who would add speed but not size to the ranks.  It is entirely possible given the signings thus far that the Patriots could look for a receiver with their 1st round pick, though many mocks still show them picking up a corner.

The backfield is stocked with young greyhounds, and will only get better once Jeff Demps is incorporated into the mix.  Quarterbacks remain steady as talk of a Ryan Mallett trade to Cleveland talk has died down to nothing...and while it is still a possiblity that something funky happens there to gain a few draft picks, Belichick can afford to be selective in dealing with Mallett and potential trade partners.

Patriots and Emmanuel Sanders: The latest

Patriots and Emmanuel Sanders: The latest

New England Patriots on Paper: Talib signs for one year

As expected, New England Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib has reached an agreement with the team on a one year deal.

The $5 million contract  is essentially a "Prove it" contract for both sides.  For Talib, it is an opportunity to play in the winning culture of the Patriots while proving that he can avoid the red flags that have dogged him to the present of his NFL career and put together a solid season in hopes of banking after the season.

For the Patriots, the retain a cover corner that helped to solidify a secondary that was in transition last season and have the opportunity to prove to Talib that he will be valued higher if he adheres to the Patriot Way - the value in the form of a long-term contract.

It has been reported that Talib received offers from three other teams and Patriots themselves had a five year deal on the table for the former 1st round pick out of Kansas, but Talib elected to defer with the potential to hit the free agent market again after the 2013 season, but if an amicable long-term agreement can be reached, it will be just one less thing for both the team and the corner to worry about.

The trickle down effect to the signing is that Cornerback is no longer the pressing need in the draft, nor is the safety position, which was filled by free agent Adrian Wilson, who signed a three year deal yesterday.  Talib's signing could possibly affect the team's ability to present an offer sheet to unrestricted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

On one hand, a one year deal with Talib does not allow the Patriots to spread any money across a span of a couple of years, so whatever he's making will count fully against the Patriots' salary cap - on the other hand, the team could cut Brandon Lloyd and make the offer to Sanders, surrendering a 3rd round pick that suddenly wasn't as essential to plugging holes as it was before the Patriots did so with Wilson, Amendola, Jones and now Talib.

It is still highly possible that the Patriots make a series of deals to regain some of their lost draft picks.

On the field, the Patriots suddenly have an solid, if not intimidating secondary.  Talib will team with last season's draft steal Alfonzo Dennard as the teams starting corners, and newly signed Wilson will join free safety Devin McCourty and second year man Tavon Wilson to form the best safety tandem the team has had since the championship years.

More on this story later this afternoon.

New England Patriots on Paper: Former Cardinal Wilson agrees to terms

The New England Patriots secondary just got a big dose of attitude.

Former Arizona Cardinals strong safety Adrian Wilson came to terms with the Patriots on a three year contract.  Value of the deal has not been announced.

Certain to be lauded as the second coming of Rodney Harrison, the 13 year veteran plays the game a bit closer to the vest than the often fined and vilified former San Diego Charger and New England Patriots enforcer. 

Though far from conservative in style, Wilson is the perfect player to bridge the gap in the Patriots' secondary.  Age has sapped some of his speed, but his heart and brain remain in the right places, meaning that Wilson can mentor New England's other Wilson, last year's 2nd round selection Tavon,. while providing a professional attitude and violent run plugging while he's at it.

The signing will have an effect on last season's starter Steve Gregory, while Tavon Wilson is expected to fill the nickle safety role.

The newcomer Wilson will team with free safety Devin McCourty and corners Alfonzo Dennard and Aqib Talib - provided Talib re-signs with the team as expected - to form a solid, if not intimidating secondary.

New England Patriots going deep on Wide Receivers

Apparently Aqib Talib's past has caught up with him.

No, he's not going to jail or being sued or being suspended - as far as anyone knows, anyway - but it appears that his past transgressions have limited the free agent market for the cornerback's services.

According to vague reports, the talented corner has just two serious suitors, The Washington Redskins - who want to sign everyone - and the New England Patriots, his last employer.  The Redskins have no money left in the free agent piggy bank, which means that the Patriots hold all of the leverage.

Apparently Aqib Talib's past has caught up with him.

No, he's not going to jail or being sued or being suspended - as far as anyone knows, anyway - but it appears that his past transgressions have limited the free agent market for the cornerback's services.

According to vague reports, the talented corner has just two serious suitors, The Washington Redskins - who want to sign everyone - and the New England Patriots, his last employer.  The Redskins have no money left in the free agent piggy bank, which means that the Patriots hold all of the leverage.

New England Patriots on Paper: Trio of veterans visting Gillette today

The New England Patriots had the youngest defense in the National Football League last season - but from the looks of things they're about to age significantly.

Various media reports have three long-in-the-tooth veterans in for a cup of coffee and a handshake this morning, and it would not surprise anyone if coach Bill Belichick signed any or all of them...or none of them...

Former Arizona Cardinals strong safety Adrian Wilson headlines a group of savvy, presumably cap friendly veterans lined up for meeting with Belichick, with Atlanta Falcons defensive end John Abraham and Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeny also scheduled.

Freeny may be the best known commodity to Patriots fans as his former team and the Patriots have met every year of his career and in his prime was known as the preeminent pass rusher in the NFL, while Abraham may be the least well known of the three, but if last year's 10 sack performance is any indication, his pass rushing experience is much needed in Foxboro.

Wilson is the intriguing story.  At 6' 3" 235 pounds, he projects as more of an in the box, run-stuffing safety that has loads of experience covering tight ends.  He will be entering his 13th year in the NFL and was pulled from his duties as nickle safety at times last season with the Cardinals, but can still bring it underneath.

What Wilson would bring more than anything else is leadership and attitude to bring the secondary together into a cohesive unit.  If the Patriots can indeed re-sign Aqib Talib, they will have a formidable lineup of Talib and Alfonzo Dennard at corners and a mix of Devein McCourty teamed with either Adrian Wilson or Tavon Wilson as the safeties, with Steve Gregory providing depth.

Interestingly, none of the visits or signings made by the Patriots are for positions deemed to be priorities by the experts with the exception of Buffalo Bills' receiver Donald Jones yesterday and Wilson today - however, Patriots fans are well aware of their teams' need for pass rushers along the line, hence the Abraham and Freeny visits.

Jones is a #2 receiver at best and is undisciplined in his route running, but does have speed to stretch the field if he can overcome the discipline issue.  Jones is best known to Patriots fans as taking that brutal de-cleating from Vince Wilfork in last season's matchup in Buffalo.

There is still the issue of trying to resign cornerback Aqib Talib and right tackle Sabastian Vollmer, not to mention their picks from the upcoming draft, so bringing in aging vets with lower cap demands seems prudent - and no one gets more out of player on the downside of his career than Belichick.

New England Patriots on Paper: Trio of veterans visting Gillette today

The New England Patriots had the youngest defense in the National Football League last season - but from the looks of things they're about to age significantly.

Various media reports have three long-in-the-tooth veterans in for a cup of coffee and a handshake this morning, and it would not surprise anyone if coach Bill Belichick signed any or all of them...or none of them...

Former Arizona Cardinals strong safety Adrian Wilson headlines a group of savvy, presumably cap friendly veterans lined up for meeting with Belichick, with Atlanta Falcons defensive end John Abraham and Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeny also scheduled.

Freeny may be the best known commodity to Patriots fans as his former team and the Patriots have met every year of his career and in his prime was known as the preeminent pass rusher in the NFL, while Abraham may be the least well known of the three, but if last year's 10 sack performance is any indication, his pass rushing experience is much needed in Foxboro.

Wilson is the intriguing story.  At 6' 3" 235 pounds, he projects as more of an in the box, run-stuffing safety that has loads of experience covering tight ends.  He will be entering his 13th year in the NFL and was pulled from his duties as nickle safety at times last season with the Cardinals, but can still bring it underneath.

What Wilson would bring more than anything else is leadership and attitude to bring the secondary together into a cohesive unit.  If the Patriots can indeed re-sign Aqib Talib, they will have a formidable lineup of Talib and Alfonzo Dennard at corners and a mix of Devein McCourty teamed with either Adrian Wilson or Tavon Wilson as the safeties, with Steve Gregory providing depth.

Interestingly, none of the visits or signings made by the Patriots are for positions deemed to be priorities by the experts with the exception of Buffalo Bills' receiver Donald Jones yesterday and Wilson today - however, Patriots fans are well aware of their teams' need for pass rushers along the line, hence the Abraham and Freeny visits.

Jones is a #2 receiver at best and is undisciplined in his route running, but does have speed to stretch the field if he can overcome the discipline issue.  Jones is best known to Patriots fans as taking that brutal de-cleating from Vince Wilfork in last season's matchup in Buffalo.

There is still the issue of trying to resign cornerback Aqib Talib and right tackle Sabastian Vollmer, not to mention their picks from the upcoming draft, so bringing in aging vets with lower cap demands seems prudent - and no one gets more out of player on the downside of his career than Belichick.

Welker gone, defects to Denver

The battle for Wes Welker is over.  Now comes the war for supremecy in the AFC.

In perhaps the most dramatic storyline of this free agency period, Welker has agreed to terms on a contract with the Denver Broncos, joining forces with long-time rival Peyton Manning.

The deal, rumored to be just for two years, is apparently more in line for what Welker and his agent, David Dunn, had sought all along - and exponentially more than the Patriots "Laughably low" offer that the team made to Welker on Wednesday morning.

The speculation and intrigue surrounding the tense negotiations between the New England Patriots and one of the best receivers ever to wear their colors has been non-stop, but now that the paths are decided, the Patriots can go their way and Welker can go his.

The Broncos now must either be very careful in their negotiations with other players or cut some of the fat off their cap, as they had just over $9 million to play with before starting negotiations with Welker.

For Welker, it's to a Broncos' team hell-bent for the Super Bowl with Manning at the controls.  For the Patriots, a perennial contender themselves, it gives them clarity and closure from which we should now see them participate in free agent signings.

In fact, it could be that coach Bill Belichick has been waiting to see where the negotiations with Welker led before implimenting his free agency plan, and the Patriots low ball offer submitted to precipitate movement one way or another.

The Patriots have options, as they have been rumored to have St. Louis Rams' receiver Danny Amendola waiting in the wings are could still sign Julian Edelman, both with the same skill-set as Welker, though Welker had the chemistry with Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady that it would take another receiver time to build...

...and it also could be that the Patriots' offense just evolves into what it needs to be, perhaps the tight end-centric attack featuring Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski that it was supposed to be last season before Hernandez went down with a serious ankle injury in the second game of the season.

And that being one of the contentions in the Welker camp, that he felt disrespected by the team for not using him in the offense until Hernandez went down.

So what direction do the Patriots go now?  With Bill Belichick at the controls no one really has a clue.  But one thing is certain:  The Patriots are going to look different.

Patriots' "Kryptonite" on the loose

Dear Bernard,

We don't like you.

I had to get that out up front - and I know I don't have to explain this to you, but just in case, you should be aware that you are responsible for the interruption of a dynasty. 

In 2008 as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, you crawled after our Quarterback, hitting him at the knees and scrambling all of his knee-guts.

In 2009 as a Houston Texan, you scared Wes Welker so bad that his knee-guts tore all by themselves.  In 2011 as a Baltimore Raven you ripped up Gronk's ankle-guts so we couldn't use him in the Super Bowl, and last year you rung Stevan Ridley's bell so hard that he couldn't taste his food for a week....

...and in every instance it changed the course of destiny.

Not necessarily because of the injuries themselves, but because our team wasn't tough enough to overcome those injuries.  Make no mistake, the Patriots were talented enough in each instance to win the title, but were lacking the intestinal fortitude to turn the negative in their favor.

And twice, that sandbagger Eli Manning swooped in like a vulture and took the trophy from Tommy at the last minute, carrying them back to his wake where the stupid things try to feed on them...

You have had such a negative impact on the New England Patriots that I have only one thing to say to your season-stealing face:

You wanna come play for us?

You see, the Dynasty isn't over, you just interrupted it.  It is ongoing and ready to ascend to the throne once again.  We have the best offense in the league and a defense that just happens to need a strong safety/enforcer type which, as we know from sad experience, is you.

This defense needs more attitude.  There is talent here, what with Vince and Devin and Jerod and Chandler and Dont'a...and can't forget about Spikes, he has the attitude as well and you two may become fast friends - you'd be working with McCourty, Alfonzo Dennard and perhaps Aqib Talib.  Add the name Pollard and what the Patriots have is a secondary that can bring it.

It makes too much sense, really.  Maybe too much sense to be anything more than wishful thinking. The team has been looking for someone like you since Rodney Harrison left.  Coincidentally, the Patriots haven't won a Super Bowl since he left.

Nobody's going to beg you, man.  Have you seen what's going on with Welker?  The Patriots don't play games, they won't beg you, won't try to sell you on the Patriot Way.  This is stuff you already know about - they just want to win, and you know how to do that.  Violently.

Nobody's going to try and entice you with the "Chance to win a Super Bowl" stuff.  For sure, the Patriots aren't going to break the bank to pay you, but I'm sure the offer would be market value.

and maybe you don't get an offer from them at all, though I shudder to think that you wouldn't at least get a phone call...

So just think about it, and take Bill's call if he does try to contact you...and I don't know why he wouldn't - it's much safer having you on our side.

kryptonite

Free Agency Tracker: Crickets in Foxboro

Mike Wallace got his money, San Diego lost an anchor on their offensive line and Tennessee is loading up on what promises to be a monsterous free agency period for them...

...and the Patriots?  The only sound coming out of Foxboro are the chirping of crickets.

"The sound emitted by crickets is commonly referred to as chirping; the scientific name is stridulation. Only the male crickets chirp. The sound is emitted by the stridulatory organ, a large vein running along the bottom of each wing, covered with "teeth" (serration) much like a comb. The chirping sound is created by running the top of one wing along the teeth at the bottom of the other wing. As he does this, the cricket also holds the wings up and open, so that the wing membranes can act as acoustical sails."

And now that our entomology lesson is completed, please enjoy the following latest transaction from the first couple of hours of free agency:

Chiefs agreed to terms with QB Chase Daniel, formerly of the Saints, on a three-year contract.

Per CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, the deal is believed to be worth over $3 million per year. That's quite a pay-day for a player who has attempted just nine career passes, and will enter 2013 as Alex Smith's strict backup. New coach Andy Reid is clearly trying to groom Daniel into a future starter, but he shouldn't threaten Smith's job status this season. Reid has never been one to get caught short at the game's most important position.

Titans agreed to terms with TE Delanie Walker, formerly of the 49ers, on a four-year contract.

Tennessee has been super active in the opening hour of free agency. They add Walker to their haul along with LG Andy Levitre. Walker is a tremendous blocker, and the Titans will likely try and pair him with raw, but athletic Taylor Thompson in an effort to replace free agent Jared Cook. Walker's signing could signal the end for blocking-only tight end Craig Stevens.

Broncos signed OG Louis Vasquez to a four-year, $23.5 million contract.

The deal includes $13M guaranteed. The Chargers claimed that retaining Vasquez was a priority, but they never proved it with a contract offer. San Diego let the second-best guard available hit the market and he signed with a division rival. A top-13 overall guard last season according to Pro Football Focus, the 6'5/335 Vasquez is especially effective as a pass blocker. He'll be as asset in the Broncos' quest to keep Peyton Manning upright.

Browns agreed to terms with OLB Paul Kruger on a five-year, $41 million contract.

It reportedly includes $20 million guaranteed. It's a generous haul for a four-year veteran with just 15.5 career sacks, but probably not what Kruger had in mind before the start of free agency. Kruger will line up opposite OLB Jabaal Sheard in new DC Ray Horton's attacking 3-4 defense. Kruger's signing leaves Cliff Avril as the lone remaining pass-rushing jewel on the open market.

Dolphins agreed to terms with WR Mike Wallace on a five-year, $65 million contract that includes $30 million guaranteed.

They whiffed on Harbaugh, Peyton, and Fisher, but they got Wallace. Still just 26 years old -- he'll turn 27 in August -- Wallace owns a career yards per catch average of 17.2 with 32 touchdowns across four seasons. While Wallace's critics will knock him as a straight-line deep threat, he gets into the end zone and that happens to be pretty important in the NFL. Although we don't love the fit for Wallace's fantasy value, the Dolphins can now give Ryan Tannehill a formidable receiver corps. Wallace is No. 1, Brian Hartline is No. 2, and slot man Davone Bess No. 3 with Rishard Matthews flashing the ability to be a capable No. 4.

Titans agreed to terms with OG Andy Levitre on a five-year, $39 million contract.

Free agency's top guard is off the market. Levitre graded out as the NFL's top pass-blocking guard last season and was also part of a Bills' rushing unit that ranked third in yards-per-carry (5.0). He's just 26 years old and fills a massive problem area for the Titans. Chris Johnson will have a harder time throwing his offensive line under the bus next season and Jake Locker will certainly have more time in the pocket.

Bills released QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The move comes with a staggering $10 million-plus cap hit, but the Bills didn't see the point in moving forward with a player they had publicly lost faith in. Fitzpatrick has the ability to be one of the league's better backups, but proved time and again under Chan Gailey he didn't have what it takes to be a long-term starter, especially in terms of arm strength. He'll be a backup elsewhere in 2013.

Bears agreed to terms with TE Martellus Bennett on a four-year contract.

The Bears had interest in Jared Cook, but he appears to have priced himself out of their range. Bennett is younger, a way better blocker, and also creates mismatches in the pass game. He also figures to be cheaper. The Bears haven't upgraded their line yet, but became a better blocking team with the Bennett deal. Bennett could be a low-end TE1 in Chicago if Marc Trestman opens up the offense and teaches Jay Cutler how to come off first-read Brandon Marshall.

Free Agency Tracker: Crickets in Foxboro

Mike Wallace got his money, San Diego lost an anchor on their offensive line and Tennessee is loading up on what promises to be a monsterous free agency period for them...

...and the Patriots?  The only sound coming out of Foxboro are the chirping of crickets.

"The sound emitted by crickets is commonly referred to as chirping; the scientific name is stridulation. Only the male crickets chirp. The sound is emitted by the stridulatory organ, a large vein running along the bottom of each wing, covered with "teeth" (serration) much like a comb. The chirping sound is created by running the top of one wing along the teeth at the bottom of the other wing. As he does this, the cricket also holds the wings up and open, so that the wing membranes can act as acoustical sails."

And now that our entomology lesson is completed, please enjoy the following latest transaction from the first couple of hours of free agency:

Chiefs agreed to terms with QB Chase Daniel, formerly of the Saints, on a three-year contract.

Per CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, the deal is believed to be worth over $3 million per year. That's quite a pay-day for a player who has attempted just nine career passes, and will enter 2013 as Alex Smith's strict backup. New coach Andy Reid is clearly trying to groom Daniel into a future starter, but he shouldn't threaten Smith's job status this season. Reid has never been one to get caught short at the game's most important position.

Titans agreed to terms with TE Delanie Walker, formerly of the 49ers, on a four-year contract.

Tennessee has been super active in the opening hour of free agency. They add Walker to their haul along with LG Andy Levitre. Walker is a tremendous blocker, and the Titans will likely try and pair him with raw, but athletic Taylor Thompson in an effort to replace free agent Jared Cook. Walker's signing could signal the end for blocking-only tight end Craig Stevens.

Broncos signed OG Louis Vasquez to a four-year, $23.5 million contract.

The deal includes $13M guaranteed. The Chargers claimed that retaining Vasquez was a priority, but they never proved it with a contract offer. San Diego let the second-best guard available hit the market and he signed with a division rival. A top-13 overall guard last season according to Pro Football Focus, the 6'5/335 Vasquez is especially effective as a pass blocker. He'll be as asset in the Broncos' quest to keep Peyton Manning upright.

Browns agreed to terms with OLB Paul Kruger on a five-year, $41 million contract.

It reportedly includes $20 million guaranteed. It's a generous haul for a four-year veteran with just 15.5 career sacks, but probably not what Kruger had in mind before the start of free agency. Kruger will line up opposite OLB Jabaal Sheard in new DC Ray Horton's attacking 3-4 defense. Kruger's signing leaves Cliff Avril as the lone remaining pass-rushing jewel on the open market.

Dolphins agreed to terms with WR Mike Wallace on a five-year, $65 million contract that includes $30 million guaranteed.

They whiffed on Harbaugh, Peyton, and Fisher, but they got Wallace. Still just 26 years old -- he'll turn 27 in August -- Wallace owns a career yards per catch average of 17.2 with 32 touchdowns across four seasons. While Wallace's critics will knock him as a straight-line deep threat, he gets into the end zone and that happens to be pretty important in the NFL. Although we don't love the fit for Wallace's fantasy value, the Dolphins can now give Ryan Tannehill a formidable receiver corps. Wallace is No. 1, Brian Hartline is No. 2, and slot man Davone Bess No. 3 with Rishard Matthews flashing the ability to be a capable No. 4.

Titans agreed to terms with OG Andy Levitre on a five-year, $39 million contract.

Free agency's top guard is off the market. Levitre graded out as the NFL's top pass-blocking guard last season and was also part of a Bills' rushing unit that ranked third in yards-per-carry (5.0). He's just 26 years old and fills a massive problem area for the Titans. Chris Johnson will have a harder time throwing his offensive line under the bus next season and Jake Locker will certainly have more time in the pocket.

Bills released QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The move comes with a staggering $10 million-plus cap hit, but the Bills didn't see the point in moving forward with a player they had publicly lost faith in. Fitzpatrick has the ability to be one of the league's better backups, but proved time and again under Chan Gailey he didn't have what it takes to be a long-term starter, especially in terms of arm strength. He'll be a backup elsewhere in 2013.

Bears agreed to terms with TE Martellus Bennett on a four-year contract.

The Bears had interest in Jared Cook, but he appears to have priced himself out of their range. Bennett is younger, a way better blocker, and also creates mismatches in the pass game. He also figures to be cheaper. The Bears haven't upgraded their line yet, but became a better blocking team with the Bennett deal. Bennett could be a low-end TE1 in Chicago if Marc Trestman opens up the offense and teaches Jay Cutler how to come off first-read Brandon Marshall.

Free Agency Tracker: Patience is a virtue, particularly with Bill Belichick

"I'm extraordinarily patient provided I get my own way in the end."

Margaret Thatcher

A late winter temperature inversion has most of New England socked in with a fog so thick that you'd swear you were in London in the middle of a Sherlock Holmes mystery, desperately trying to uncover the villainous wretch who committed the crime.

Whodunit?  Well, on this misty and dim Tuesday in New England the answer to that is obscured in a fog that rivals the din on the streets - and it is not sitting well with New England Patriots' fans.

Where are the moves?  Is Bill Belichick on his boat instead of in his office, deep in the guts of Gillette Stadium?  Why aren't we hearing anything about potential Patriots' free agent acquisitions?

Just like Maggie Thatcher, the "Iron Lady" of Great Britain, Bill Belichick is extraordinarily patient when it comes to personnel moves, and almost always gets his way.

Patience, Patriots' Nation.

It's understandable, the grumblings.  The fan base becomes envious when they see the greed and gluttony of the Seahawks and the Human Trafficking ring between brothers in Baltimore and San Francisco - when you see that the Miami Dolphins are tied to every free agent on the market and the frustration when you see Daniel Snyder in his never-ending quest to sign every free agent on the market...

...Truth being, Snyder has very little room under the cap, due to his transgressions in trying to pull the wool over the NFL's eyes coming out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Dolphins appear to be ready to sign just about any big name in their efforts to gain ground on the Patriots...and who cares what the 49ers a or Seahawks do?  At most, the Patriots would have to face them one of them just once next season, and that would be in the Super Bowl.

And when given the chance to beat one team in one game, I'll still take Belichick and the Patriots every day and twice on Sunday.

So with Free Agency now upon us, let's take a look at what the few rumors and a little common sense tell us is about to happen, or at least what my twisted reason tells me what is about to happen:

* Pursue a slot corner: Aintoine Winfield was released by the Vikings on Tuesday afternoon in anticipation of Minnesota making a run at Mike Wallace.  Due $7 million, it was a no-brainer for them, but also left the excellent slot corner exposed Winfield to a needy Patriots squad to team with Aqib Talib and Alfonzo Dennard to form and imposing secondary;

* To Asomugha or not to Asomugha?: As predicted, the Eagles have released the former pro bowl corner and I fully expect the Patriots to be in the bidding for his services...perhaps DRC as well;

* Bolster the running game: As I've often opined, the Patriots need a return to the power running back of the championship years - and Steven Jackson is that back;

* Re-sign our own: Sebastian Vollmer's knee surgery will bring his market down and the absolute glut of corners on the market will do the same for Aqib Talib's though not quite as pronounced as Vollmer's - Patriots' fans should anticipate news of them being re-signed.  Wes Welker's situation is a bit different...the volatitlity of the negotiations could turn his free agency period a different  matter all together;

* And speaking of receivers: Wallace?  Jennings? Amendola?  The receiver situation is fluid and though it shouldn't be expected that the Patriots sign a big name, it's not out of the question either.  Look for Stallworth to be re-signed and a lower tiered free agent to sign, perhaps someone like Tampa's Arrelious Benn, a former #1 who is a stand out special teamer and has the tools and hands to be a deep threat in the Patriots' system;

* Safety first: Look for a safety to emerge from the proceedings for New England.  Adrian Wilson is a name I'm looking for, perhaps a Quintin Mikell or they may want to go with a young gun, but someone to team with future pro bowl free safety Devin McCourty is essential;

Never forget:  This is Bill Belichick we're dealing with here, and nothing should surprise any of us.  Trying to figure out what he's going to do in Free Agency is a lesson in futility, but it sure is fun, though.

Stick with Chowder and Champions for continuous updates!

New England Patriots, Aqib Talib strike deal

His name is translated, "The last one", so naturally he is the first of New England's big three free agents to re-sign with the team.

Citing sources with intimate kinowledge of personnel decisions with the team, Talib has agreed to a 5 year $32 Million dollar contract to remain with the team through the 2017 season.  The move allows the team to move forward in free agency and the draft to target other areas of convern for the team, namely at safety, cover linebacker and reciever.

New England Patriots, Aqib Talib strike deal

His name is translated, "The last one", so naturally he is the first of New England's big three free agents to re-sign with the team.

Citing sources with intimate kinowledge of personnel decisions with the team, Talib has agreed to a 5 year $32 Million dollar contract to remain with the team through the 2017 season.  The move allows the team to move forward in free agency and the draft to target other areas of convern for the team, namely at safety, cover linebacker and reciever.

Legal Tampering: Day 3 - One day until Open Season

Twenty four hours until Open Season on all free agents begin, and teams are scurrying to protect their bears from the hunters...

...wait, I got that twisted around with my favorite animated movie of all time.

What I meant to say is that Boog and Elliot go into the puni-mart in Timberline and trash the place...so the local sheriff cuts them loose, saving the team $8 million against the cap.

In a related story, Shaw has targeted Boog to be his big acquisition of the season and has had preliminary discussions with girl scouts about a box of thin mints and an open face bear sandwich smothered with gravy.

There is little interest in Elliot, however, but Shaw is willing to take both he and Boog as a package deal, provided it takes just one shot to do the deal...

Anyone who has seen the animated classic starring the voice talents of Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher recalls the crude humor and visually distracting background action, though these things are veiled masterfully to allow family members of all ages to enjoy the film.

"If your kids like poop jokes as much as I do, Open Season will put a big smile on their faces." was the review from At the Movies with Ebert and Roeper.

and, whatever...I desperately need some sleep before free agency begins in earnest, but the incredibly large amount of coffee that I have consumed in the past three days is staggering and is causing my feet to twitch and my brain to conjure images of the animated characters in the film.

But the thoughts that race through my brain during the brief lucid moments are those of the New England Patriots pending free agents, whose contracts expire at 4:00pm tomorrow afternoon...and though this Legal tampering hasn't been the most informative for us fans, it has been an invaluable tool for Bill Belichick to use to both grade the interest of other players and also to gauge dollar offers made to his players due to become free agents.

The feeling here is that all three of the Patriots "Big 3" free agents will be re-signed.

Even Welker.

The rest of this afternoon's NFL window shopping news:

Report: Pats considered run at Victor Cruz

"Several sources" tell CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora that the Patriots had considered a run at restricted free agent Victor Cruz before Cruz switched agents to Tom Condon on Monday.

Slapped with the first-round tender, acquiring Cruz would require teams to fork over a large long-term contract in addition to a first-round pick. The Pats apparently considered it nonetheless, but have a well-documented history of staying away from Condon's clients. Cruz presumably would have replaced Wes Welker in the slot. La Canfora believes there is still a possibility someone will make a run at Cruz, despite the costly restricted tender.

Broncos released LB D.J. Williams.

This move was a no-brainer. Williams was due $6 million in the final year of his deal, and he wasn't going to be a starter in Denver anymore. The 30-year-old is coming off a multi-suspension season that saw him register just 14 tackles in seven games. Denver will move forward with Wesley Woodyard, Von Miller, and likely Nate Irving as their starting linebackers. The Redskins, Texans, Raiders, Falcons, and Ravens have recently been mentioned as possible suitors.

The Tampa Bay Times reports the Buccaneers are shopping Arrelious Benn.

A colossal disappointment since the Bucs took him 39th overall in the 2010 draft, Benn has managed 59 catches for 862 yards and five touchdowns across 37 career games, making 24 starts. Tampa Bay would lucky to get back a seventh-round pick, although Benn's $630,000 salary does figure to help his market.

49ers acquired WR Anquan Boldin from the Ravens in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.

The Ravens were on the verge of releasing Boldin, so GM Ozzie Newsome did well to get a pick back for a receiver entering his age-33 season and still clearing all of his $6 million base salary off of the books. Boldin adds another physical possession receiver to Colin Kaepernick's arsenal, though we'd expect Boldin to take a bit of a backseat to Crabtree and Vernon Davis in 2013. As great as Boldin was in the playoffs, he does not create separation in the passing game. To fully capitalize on Kaepernick's arm, the 49ers either need A.J. Jenkins to step up as a vertical stretcher, or they'll need to find one someplace else.

Cardinals informed RB Beanie Wells of his release.

Wells is only 24 and has never lacked for talent, but it's telling that the Cardinals cut him despite an affordable $1,407,500 base salary. Beanie is completely inept in the passing game and new coach Bruce Arians is a pass-first mind. The 31st overall pick in the 2009 draft, Wells' four-year Arizona career ends with one season of 200-plus carries, seemingly countless "nagging" injuries, and a pedestrian 4.0 YPC average. Wells will get another chance, but he's just another "guy" in a middling group of free-agent running backs.

Legal Tampering: Day 3 - associated painful truths edition

I'm a junkie. Up until this moment I had always thought myself a fan with an opinion and a reasonable grasp of the english language.

I have been watching professional football for the better part of four decades and have been through an infinite number of drafts, endless hours of study and two wives who both enjoyed watching Lifetime Channel movies with me in the room...

...but I'll be damned if I can remember anything as insanely boring as this Legal Tampering window. Which brings up the question, why am I staying up until all hours scouring websites, checking sources, writing like a fool?

Did you know that on Saturday night I sat here at my desk, a shot of whiskey and - well, why blow that, eh? - counting down the minutes to see if the time clock on my computer went to 2:00am and then to 3:00, or if it went directly to 3:00am.

And that's bad, particularly since I missed it. I got involved in reading a lead from the Denver Post and by the time I realized that I had completely spaced, it was too late...I had succumbed to an atavistic trait that all football junkies possess.

So on Day three of this fully supervised, fully refereed window of opportunity for teams to contact players' agent, we realize that there may be many deals ready to be agreed to but my personal expectations of the 88 hours-long window of legal tampering have been dashed by a gag order, and as fans we are just as poorly off, information-wise...

...and it's not much different than just waiting out the weekend heading into free agency in any other year, just more frustrating because I expected so much more.

What have we learned though? Anything other than what would have learned otherwise?

* Well, we learned that now that Joe Flacco has his money and has handcuffed the Baltimore Ravens in the free agent market, he is telling receiver Anquan Boldin to not settle for less money from the Ravens then he feels he deserves.

Joe, did it ever occur to you that your deal is what caused the rift in the first place? Do you think Boldin is looking at your deal and then his and wondering where you would be without him? Maybe you should give Boldin the $2 Million that the Ravens want to shave off of his 2013 Salary.

* We learned that Darrelle Revis wants his status cleared up quickly, but there's a couple of things holding that up. First, the amount of money that he's seeking is prima facie absurd for a cornerback coming off an ACL tear and, secondly, is the ACL tear itself. That is a huge risk for anyone to take, and the Jets are smart to shop him around.

Revis is damaged goods, and to sell him off as-is for the money that his elite status demands is hard dollar...but just as sure as legal tampering is boring, some team is going to come forward and give him all he wants and all the Jets want.

There's a sucker in Denver, we understand.

* We learned that Wes Welker and/or his agent is either manic-depressive or learned everything they know about messing with people by watch Lifetime Channel movies...

Welker is the "jilted" employee who was offered a fair contract, yet turned it down - was given eight figures on a franchise tag last season and was offered a second fair contract by his employer this winter, and still won't budge...and now he wants to "Stick it to the Patriots"? for them not caving into his demands?

Were it me negotiating for the Patriots, I would give him whatever he wants, then turn around and trade him to the highest bidder at the trade deadline in October, thereby both controlling where he goes but also leveraging his agent out of the picture. If Tight End Aaron Hernandez wouldn't have gotten hurt last season, that would have happened last October. Thus far, the negotiations have been so contentious because Welker can't keep his mouth shut that it has all of the potential to cause divisiveness in the locker room.

* The number of quality safeties on the market are growing by leaps and bounds as NFL teams are figuring out that the hard hitting enforcer-type role in the NFL are a luxury that don't fit in their budgets. These days, these type of players have to do more than just knock the chocolate out of folks - they have to be able to cover, to play in the box like an extra safety and to participate on special teams...

...and those players are out there, but they are so plentiful it's like you can get them for a dime a dozen (in NFL terms) so they are being released at record pace. Two names that the Patriots will end up looking at to stabilize their own safety situation are Adrian Wilson of the Cardinals and Quinton Mikell of the Rams. Both are in their early 30's and both were deemed luxuries that their present teams couldn't afford if they wanted to build the team up in a different direction.

* Everyone can forget about Mike Wallace now. Of the minimum of chatter coming out of the lame Legal Tampering window, the most solid has been about Wallace headed to the Dolphins...and now it's being reported that it's a done deal - but I'm curious as to how the NFL is going to handle these reports - and how the Dolphins build their offense around Tannehill and Wallace, particularly since they are letting Reggie Bush and Jake Long walk.

More headlines, which will be updated as the occasions arise:

Wallace deal done for Dolphins

The Palm Beach Post hears from "someone (it) trusts" that free agent Mike Wallace to Miami is a "done deal."

ESPN, Sports Illustrated and USA Today have all insinuated as such over the past 24 hours, making the evidence that Wallace is planning to take his talents to South Beach overwhelming. Wallace's rep could drag talks out on Tuesday for the sake of squeezing a few extra dimes out of an obviously desperate team, but it doesn't appear anyone else has near the desire level to get a deal done.

Bears, Rams have Long on their radars

According to USA Today, the Rams and Bears are "believed to be among the most interested" in free agent LT Jake Long.

It's hardly a surprise, as both teams had sinkholes for left tackles last season. There should be a nice market for Long's services, but a lot is going to depend on what turns up in his physicals. Injury has become a very serious concern for a player who was once one of the top 1-2 tackles in the league. It wouldn't be surprising if Long doesn't find what he's looking for on the open market and ends up back in Miami on a team-friendly deal.

Bushrod 50/50 to return to Saints

Free agent LT Jermon Bushrod is "50-50" to re-sign with the Saints.

Per SI's Peter King, Bushrod's Saints future could depend on Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith restructuring their deals. If it's Vilma and Smith holding the Saints back from keeping Drew Brees' blindside protector, it's shocking one or both haven't been cut loose already. Bushrod is far more important to the Saints' 2013 chances. Neither Vilma nor Smith is a fit for New Orleans' new 3-4 defense.

Eagles to chase Amendola

Citing a source with "direct knowledge" of the Eagles' plans, CSN Philly reports the club is "interested in pursuing" free agent Danny Amendola.

In other words, this info isn't coming from an agent. Old Rams OC Pat Shurmur is now coordinating the Eagles' offense, and Chip Kelly's spread scheme floods the field with four wide receivers, including two in the slot. Beat writer Geoff Mosher concedes it's "unclear how hard" the Eagles will pursue Amendola, but he's definitely on their radar. Amendola is said to be seeking north of $6 million a year.

Legal Tampering: Day 3 - associated painful truths edition

I'm a junkie.  Up until this moment I had always thought myself a fan with an opinion and a reasonable grasp of the english language.

I have been watching professional football for the better part of four decades and have been through an infinite number of drafts, endless hours of study and two wives who both enjoyed watching Lifetime Channel movies with me in the room...

...but I'll be damned if I can remember anything as insanely boring as this Legal Tampering window.  Which brings up the question, why am I staying up until all hours scouring websites, checking sources, writing like a fool?

Did you know that on Saturday night I sat here at my desk, a shot of whiskey and - well, why blow that, eh? - counting down the minutes to see if the time clock on my computer went to 2:00am and then to 3:00, or if it went directly to 3:00am.

And that's bad, particularly since I missed it. I got involved in reading a lead from the Denver Post and by the time I realized that I had completely spaced, it was too late...I had succumbed to an atavistic trait that all football junkies possess.

So on Day three of this fully supervised, fully refereed window of opportunity for teams to contact players' agent, we realize that there may be many deals ready to be agreed to but my personal expectations of the 88 hours-long window of legal tampering have been dashed by a gag order, and as fans we are just as poorly off, information-wise...

...and it's not much different than just waiting out the weekend heading into free agency in any other year, just more frustrating because I expected so much more.

What have we learned though?  Anything other than what would have learned otherwise?

* Well, we learned that now that Joe Flacco has his money and has handcuffed the Baltimore Ravens in the free agent market, he is telling receiver Anquan Boldin to not settle for less money from the Ravens then he feels he deserves.

Joe, did it ever occur to you that your deal is what caused the rift in the first place?  Do you think Boldin is looking at your deal and then his and wondering where you would be without him?  Maybe you should give Boldin the $2 Million that the Ravens want to shave off of his 2013 Salary.

* We learned that Darrelle Revis wants his status cleared up quickly, but there's a couple of things holding that up.  First, the amount of money that he's seeking is prima facie absurd for a cornerback coming off an ACL tear and, secondly, is the ACL tear itself.  That is a huge risk for anyone to take, and the Jets are smart to shop him around.

Revis is damaged goods, and to sell him off as-is for the money that his elite status demands is hard dollar...but just as sure as legal tampering is boring, some team is going to come forward and give him all he wants and all the Jets want.

There's a sucker in Denver, we understand.

* We learned that Wes Welker and/or his agent is either manic-depressive or learned everything they know about messing with people by watch Lifetime Channel movies...

Welker is the "jilted" employee who was offered a fair contract, yet turned it down - was given eight figures on a franchise tag last season and was offered a second fair contract by his employer this winter, and still won't budge...and now he wants to "Stick it to the Patriots"? for them not caving into his demands?

Were it me negotiating for the Patriots, I would give him whatever he wants, then turn around and trade him to the highest bidder at the trade deadline in October, thereby both controlling where he goes but also leveraging his agent out of the picture.  If Tight End Aaron Hernandez wouldn't have gotten hurt last season, that would have happened last October.  Thus far, the negotiations have been so contentious because Welker can't keep his mouth shut that it has all of the potential to cause divisiveness in the locker room.

* The number of quality safeties on the market are growing by leaps and bounds as NFL teams are figuring out that the hard hitting enforcer-type role in the NFL are a luxury that don't fit in their budgets.  These days, these type of players have to do more than just knock the chocolate out of folks - they have to be able to cover, to play in the box like an extra safety and to participate on special teams...

...and those players are out there, but they are so plentiful it's like you can get them for a dime a dozen (in NFL terms) so they are being released at record pace.  Two names that the Patriots will end up looking at to stabilize their own safety situation are Adrian Wilson of the Cardinals and Quinton Mikell of the Rams.  Both are in their early 30's and both were deemed luxuries that their present teams couldn't afford if they wanted to build the team up in a different direction.

* Everyone can forget about Mike Wallace now.  Of the minimum of chatter coming out of the lame Legal Tampering window, the most solid has been about Wallace headed to the Dolphins...and now it's being reported that it's a done deal - but I'm curious as to how the NFL is going to handle these reports - and how the Dolphins build their offense around Tannehill and Wallace, particularly since they are letting Reggie Bush and Jake Long walk.

More headlines, which will be updated as the occasions arise:

Wallace deal done for Dolphins

The Palm Beach Post hears from "someone (it) trusts" that free agent Mike Wallace to Miami is a "done deal."

ESPN, Sports Illustrated and USA Today have all insinuated as such over the past 24 hours, making the evidence that Wallace is planning to take his talents to South Beach overwhelming. Wallace's rep could drag talks out on Tuesday for the sake of squeezing a few extra dimes out of an obviously desperate team, but it doesn't appear anyone else has near the desire level to get a deal done.

Bears, Rams have Long on their radars

According to USA Today, the Rams and Bears are "believed to be among the most interested" in free agent LT Jake Long.

It's hardly a surprise, as both teams had sinkholes for left tackles last season. There should be a nice market for Long's services, but a lot is going to depend on what turns up in his physicals. Injury has become a very serious concern for a player who was once one of the top 1-2 tackles in the league. It wouldn't be surprising if Long doesn't find what he's looking for on the open market and ends up back in Miami on a team-friendly deal.

Bushrod 50/50 to return to Saints

Free agent LT Jermon Bushrod is "50-50" to re-sign with the Saints.

Per SI's Peter King, Bushrod's Saints future could depend on Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith restructuring their deals. If it's Vilma and Smith holding the Saints back from keeping Drew Brees' blindside protector, it's shocking one or both haven't been cut loose already. Bushrod is far more important to the Saints' 2013 chances. Neither Vilma nor Smith is a fit for New Orleans' new 3-4 defense.

Eagles to chase Amendola

Citing a source with "direct knowledge" of the Eagles' plans, CSN Philly reports the club is "interested in pursuing" free agent Danny Amendola.

In other words, this info isn't coming from an agent. Old Rams OC Pat Shurmur is now coordinating the Eagles' offense, and Chip Kelly's spread scheme floods the field with four wide receivers, including two in the slot. Beat writer Geoff Mosher concedes it's "unclear how hard" the Eagles will pursue Amendola, but he's definitely on their radar. Amendola is said to be seeking north of $6 million a year.

Legal Tampering: Day 3 - associated painful truths edition

I'm a junkie.  Up until this moment I had always thought myself a fan with an opinion and a reasonable grasp of the english language.

I have been watching professional football for the better part of four decades and have been through an infinite number of drafts, endless hours of study and two wives who both enjoyed watching Lifetime Channel movies with me in the room...

...but I'll be damned if I can remember anything as insanely boring as this Legal Tampering window.  Which brings up the question, why am I staying up until all hours scouring websites, checking sources, writing like a fool?

Did you know that on Saturday night I sat here at my desk, a shot of whiskey and - well, why blow that, eh? - counting down the minutes to see if the time clock on my computer went to 2:00am and then to 3:00, or if it went directly to 3:00am.

And that's bad, particularly since I missed it. I got involved in reading a lead from the Denver Post and by the time I realized that I had completely spaced, it was too late...I had succumbed to an atavistic trait that all football junkies possess.

So on Day three of this fully supervised, fully refereed window of opportunity for teams to contact players' agent, we realize that there may be many deals ready to be agreed to but my personal expectations of the 88 hours-long window of legal tampering have been dashed by a gag order, and as fans we are just as poorly off, information-wise...

...and it's not much different than just waiting out the weekend heading into free agency in any other year, just more frustrating because I expected so much more.

What have we learned though?  Anything other than what would have learned otherwise?

* Well, we learned that now that Joe Flacco has his money and has handcuffed the Baltimore Ravens in the free agent market, he is telling receiver Anquan Boldin to not settle for less money from the Ravens then he feels he deserves.

Joe, did it ever occur to you that your deal is what caused the rift in the first place?  Do you think Boldin is looking at your deal and then his and wondering where you would be without him?  Maybe you should give Boldin the $2 Million that the Ravens want to shave off of his 2013 Salary.

* We learned that Darrelle Revis wants his status cleared up quickly, but there's a couple of things holding that up.  First, the amount of money that he's seeking is prima facie absurd for a cornerback coming off an ACL tear and, secondly, is the ACL tear itself.  That is a huge risk for anyone to take, and the Jets are smart to shop him around.

Revis is damaged goods, and to sell him off as-is for the money that his elite status demands is hard dollar...but just as sure as legal tampering is boring, some team is going to come forward and give him all he wants and all the Jets want.

There's a sucker in Denver, we understand.

* We learned that Wes Welker and/or his agent is either manic-depressive or learned everything they know about messing with people by watch Lifetime Channel movies...

Welker is the "jilted" employee who was offered a fair contract, yet turned it down - was given eight figures on a franchise tag last season and was offered a second fair contract by his employer this winter, and still won't budge...and now he wants to "Stick it to the Patriots"? for them not caving into his demands?

Were it me negotiating for the Patriots, I would give him whatever he wants, then turn around and trade him to the highest bidder at the trade deadline in October, thereby both controlling where he goes but also leveraging his agent out of the picture.  If Tight End Aaron Hernandez wouldn't have gotten hurt last season, that would have happened last October.  Thus far, the negotiations have been so contentious because Welker can't keep his mouth shut that it has all of the potential to cause divisiveness in the locker room.

* The number of quality safeties on the market are growing by leaps and bounds as NFL teams are figuring out that the hard hitting enforcer-type role in the NFL are a luxury that don't fit in their budgets.  These days, these type of players have to do more than just knock the chocolate out of folks - they have to be able to cover, to play in the box like an extra safety and to participate on special teams...

...and those players are out there, but they are so plentiful it's like you can get them for a dime a dozen (in NFL terms) so they are being released at record pace.  Two names that the Patriots will end up looking at to stabilize their own safety situation are Adrian Wilson of the Cardinals and Quinton Mikell of the Rams.  Both are in their early 30's and both were deemed luxuries that their present teams couldn't afford if they wanted to build the team up in a different direction.

* Everyone can forget about Mike Wallace now.  Of the minimum of chatter coming out of the lame Legal Tampering window, the most solid has been about Wallace headed to the Dolphins...and now it's being reported that it's a done deal - but I'm curious as to how the NFL is going to handle these reports - and how the Dolphins build their offense around Tannehill and Wallace, particularly since they are letting Reggie Bush and Jake Long walk.

More headlines, which will be updated as the occasions arise:

Wallace deal done for Dolphins

The Palm Beach Post hears from "someone (it) trusts" that free agent Mike Wallace to Miami is a "done deal."

ESPN, Sports Illustrated and USA Today have all insinuated as such over the past 24 hours, making the evidence that Wallace is planning to take his talents to South Beach overwhelming. Wallace's rep could drag talks out on Tuesday for the sake of squeezing a few extra dimes out of an obviously desperate team, but it doesn't appear anyone else has near the desire level to get a deal done.

Bears, Rams have Long on their radars

According to USA Today, the Rams and Bears are "believed to be among the most interested" in free agent LT Jake Long.

It's hardly a surprise, as both teams had sinkholes for left tackles last season. There should be a nice market for Long's services, but a lot is going to depend on what turns up in his physicals. Injury has become a very serious concern for a player who was once one of the top 1-2 tackles in the league. It wouldn't be surprising if Long doesn't find what he's looking for on the open market and ends up back in Miami on a team-friendly deal.

Bushrod 50/50 to return to Saints

Free agent LT Jermon Bushrod is "50-50" to re-sign with the Saints.

Per SI's Peter King, Bushrod's Saints future could depend on Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith restructuring their deals. If it's Vilma and Smith holding the Saints back from keeping Drew Brees' blindside protector, it's shocking one or both haven't been cut loose already. Bushrod is far more important to the Saints' 2013 chances. Neither Vilma nor Smith is a fit for New Orleans' new 3-4 defense.

Eagles to chase Amendola

Citing a source with "direct knowledge" of the Eagles' plans, CSN Philly reports the club is "interested in pursuing" free agent Danny Amendola.

In other words, this info isn't coming from an agent. Old Rams OC Pat Shurmur is now coordinating the Eagles' offense, and Chip Kelly's spread scheme floods the field with four wide receivers, including two in the slot. Beat writer Geoff Mosher concedes it's "unclear how hard" the Eagles will pursue Amendola, but he's definitely on their radar. Amendola is said to be seeking north of $6 million a year.