In Case You Missed It ...
In case you missed it ... or simply want to be distracted from the on-two punch of the Bruins losing their first two playoff games at homes to the Canadiens plus the Red Sox jumping out to a MLB-worst 2-10 3-10 start, here are some links to Pats-related stories from this past week.
Nick Caserio Pre-Draft Conference, 4/14/2011
This 35-minute video will probably not be interesting to casual football fans. On the other hand, if you are here reading this right now then you are probably not a casual fan - which means that this not only will appeal to you; I would consider it to be a must see. Or, since you've probably already seen it, watch it again with a cup of coffee over breakfast.
The team announced the three finalists for induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame, based on nominations from writers who follow the Pats. Here are quick videos on each:
My The people's choice, Houston Antwine gets screwed again ... on the Pats site he gets listed last (what happened to alphabetical order?) and his video is half the length of time of what the other two got!
Bledsoe also had a 21-minute conference call with the media in which he talked about his biggest memories about playing with the Patriots, several of his former teammates, Tom Brady, Bill Parcells, what he is doing now - and some advice for Brett Favre. You can listen to that call here or read the transcript here.
In case you missed it ... there was a great column a couple weeks ago by Boston Sports Then and Now's Joe Gill about his experience as a fan at the games, Our Football Social Network: The Section 336 Tailgate Crew which I highly recommend.
Russ Goldman writes about The Rise Of Tom Brady Through My Eyes for Pats Confidential, another very good column well worth reading.
Derek Havens has an exclusive interview with a potential Patriot draft pick, Catching Up With Arizona DE Brooks Reed. Patriots Haven also has a Q&A with NFL Draft Countdown's Shane Hallam, a Q&A with NE Patriots Draft's James Christensen and Keeping an eye on Robert Quinn.
Havens also writes about the Patriots Preseason Schedule Released, while I give my two cents on the subject with Quick Hits on the 2011 Preseason Schedule.
Other columns here from this past week include the topics of Boston Sports Talk Radio: More Changes at WEEI, Your Chance To Hang Out With Tom Brady During The NFL Draft, Nick Caserio gives glimpse of Pats draft process, and Houston Antwine deserves your Pats Hall of Fame vote.
A few topics by Jeff Howe at NESN.com:
NFL Mock Draft XI Has Patriots Taking Cameron Jordan, Danny Watkins
Patriots Could Develop Tyron Smith as Long-Term Answer at Tackle
Anthony Castonza Relished the Spotlight at Boston College Pro Day
Nick Caserio, Patriots Won't Change Draft Strategy Due To Labor Uncertanties
Phil Taylor Would Give Patriots Mammoth Defensive Line, Aid Vince Wilfork
Drew Bledsoe Revitalized Patriots' Tattered Franchise, Named Finalist for Team's Hall of Fame
Patriots Could Draft Derek Sherrod to Plan for Future at Tackle
With no free agency there hasn't been much to talk about other than mock drafts and what critiquing what players the Pats may target in this draft. WEEI.com's Christopher Price took a different tact and wrote columns debating what players were the best ever draft picks for the Patriots in each of rounds one through eight throughout the team's history. Here are the links to those columns, along with players considered to be among the best in each of those rounds. Voting is still open for each round as of this moment. See if you can spot my sarcasm and name the impostor; answer at the end of the column.
Best 8th Round Pick: Troy Brown, Ronnie Lippett, Mosi Tatupu, Bob Gladieux
Best 7th Round Pick: Julian Edelman, Matt Cassel, Tully Banta-Cain, David Givens, Tom Neville, Brent Williams, Craig James
Best 6th Round Pick: Even though the nominations were opened up to anybody that had ever played in the NFL, the outcome of this vote was never in doubt.
Best 5th Round Pick: Ben Coates, Fred Marion, Steve Grogan, Dan Koppen, Jon Vaughn, Scott Sisson
Best 4th Round Pick: Asante Samuel, Stephen Gostkowski, Rich Gannon, Aaron Hernandez, Johnny Rembert, Don Blackmon, Jarvis Green, Scott Zolak
Best 3rd Round Pick: Tedy Bruschi, Curtis Martin, Carl Garrett, Ellis Hobbs, Kevin Turner, Marv Cook, Robert Perryman, Stephen Starring, Steve McMichael
Best 2nd Round Pick : Andre Tippett, Kevin Faulk, Steve Nelson, Julius Adams, Matt Light, Ted Johnson, Deion Branch, Lawyer Milloy, Don Hasselbeck, Bob Golic, Horace Ivory, Robert Weathers, Garin Veris
Best 1st Round Pick: John Hannah, Mike Haynes, Ty Law, Vince Wilfork, Drew Bledsoe, Richard Seymour, Logan Mankins, Willie McGinest, Sam Cunningham, Jim Plunkett, Stanley Morgan, Tim Fox, Russ Francis, Pete Brock, Raymond Clayborn, Jerod Mayo, Devin McCourty.
And a few other columns by Price and DJ Bean from WEEI:
Patriots scheduled to face Jags, Giants, Bucs and Lions in 2011 preseason
Report: Patriots host draft prospect Jake Locker
Check out the latest edition of the It Is What It Is Cast with Chris Price and DJ Bean with focus on Robert Quinn, Mark Ingram and Anthony Castonzo.
From Tom Curran at CSNNE:
Checking out Patriots' early draft tendencies
Tom E. Curran's potential Patriots draftees
Potential Patriots draftees: Nate Solder
Potential Patriots draftees: Gabe Carimi
Patriots potential draftees: Danny Watkins
In NEPatriotsDraft.com's latest mock draft, the Pats draft neither a DE nor an OLB in the first round; details here: 2011 Patriots Mock Draft 8.0
I stumbled across this site a week or two ago and thought some of these opinions were worth sharing; these are daily looks at potential Patriot draft picks from The Foxhole:
That's all for now ... I'll wrap this up with a blast from the past: a tune from from East Boston's Sal Baglio and his band The Stompers, a regular on local radio and in the clubs around Boston thirty years ago:
Quiz answer: While he was indeed a 5th round pick for the Patriots, kicker Scott 'Missin' Sisson would never be nominated as one of the top draft picks in franchise history.
