PatsBlog: A Patriots Blog

In my opinion, the Patriots just found a hidden gem.

According to reports, the Patriots have signed rookie free agent BenJarvus Green-Ellis. 

BenJarvus is a bruiser.  At 5′11″, 220 lbs, he looks for contact.  Although his stock dropped because of his 40 time, he has a good initial burst through the hole, and has some ability to make defenders miss at the second level (at a minimum, he can just plow them over!).

BenJarvus transferred to Ole Miss, where he has had back to back great seasons, going for over a 1000 yards his senior year.  All indications are that BenJarvus could be a workhorse, as he led all runningbacks in bench press reps at the combine.

There are a few knocks on Green-Ellis, however.  Foot speed is a question, as well as his patience  coming through the hole.

This is what NFLdraftscout had to say on him:

Underrated back who might be ranked considerably higher if surrounded by more talent throughout his career. Green-Ellis lacks feel in the passing game, but otherwise is blessed with a rare combination of size, agility and acceleration. Originally signing with Indiana, Green-Ellis proved himself to be an immediate threat in the Big Ten, averaging 98 rushing yards a game against Big Ten opponents before transferring to Ole Miss, where he earned all conference honors after each of the past two seasons.

BenJarvus is a guy I’m going to be rooting for throughout training camp, and I think he has a legit shot to make the team.

The Patriots made their biggest undrafted rookie free agent signing of the year when they inked Georgia Tech Linebacker Gary Guyton.

Guyton, a 6′1″, 245 lb inside linebacker, ran the fastest 40 of all linebackers in the combine. However, he was weak on the bench. Still, he is an athletic guy with good vertical explosion and long arms. However, he isn’t too instinctive, is tight hipped, and can struggle in coverage.

Overall, he seems like a guy who could very well make the team, or the practice squad at least.

Grade: C (great grade for a URFA)

The Patriots have signed another rookie free agent, defensive end/outisde linebacker Keith Saunders from Alabama. Saunders is a fast, strong, versatile guy who makes a good fit for the 3-4.

Also, Dragosavich and Cattouse are tryout players, unlike previously reported.

Update: Saunders is not a Patriot, Mike Reiss reports.

Patriotsblog.net is relaunching the forum!

After a few unsuccessful attempts, I’m finally getting it back up.  A lot of work went into the redesign, and I hope people sign up.

Sign-up is an easy 1-step process, with no e-mail confirmation needed.

You can access the forum by clicking the button on the sidebar.  (Hint: it’s a picture that says forum)

Just take a few seconds, sign up, and start talking Patriots!

P.S.: I know it is hard to start a forum, because people need to start talking to make it interesting.  But if you sign up, that is one more person, and it makes a difference in getting this thing going.

Every year, NFL teams bring in guys to compete as undrafted rookie free agents.  There are a lot of quality guys who don’t get drafted, and the key is, to find the right guys.  Who could be Rod Smith?  Who could be a Randall Gay or Mike Wright?  Little is known about some of these guys, but what is sure, is that these players are hungry to compete.  Usually, one of these guys can make the team or at least the practice squad.

Vince Redd, LB, Liberty

Some sources had Redd going in the seventh round.  At 6-5, Redd has the size to be a 3-4 linebacker.  He is pretty athletic, but isn’t the fastest.  Still, he has long arms to fight off blockers, shows some burst as a pass rusher, and is fluid for his size.  He is also versatile, having played end, outside, and inside for Liberty.  Still, there are questions about his competition level, his rawness, and why he transferred from Virginia.  In the end, the more I find out about this guy, the more I like him.  Very good signing, I think he could become a part of the team. 

Mike Dragosavich, P, North Dakota State

Dragosavich is arguably the best punter in the draft (the other competition being Durant Brooks).  At 6′6″, Dragosavich gets good extension, hang time, and distance.  He can also bring down guys in the open field.  Still, the ball sometimes gets off the side of his foot, and he doesn’t often get the ball to turn over.  Still, he should compete for the starting job in training camp. 

Chris Norwell, DT, Illinois

Norwell has played tight end, guard, and defensive tackle.  At 6′6″, 306 lbs, Norwell has size.  He is an average tackler, with average hand use.  He is good in run support, but is slow, lacks pass rush abilities, and plays too upright.  He could compete for a practice squad spot as a reserve nose tackle. 

Jonathan Stupar, TE, Virginia

Stupar was projected to be drafted in the 6th-7th round.  He has good hands, and has the ability to catch the ball well on the move, as well as in traffic.  He is a solid blocker as well.  He has good angles and can get to the second level.  Still, he lacks athleticism, doesn’t run good routes, and isn’t very strong as a blocker.  Overall, he should compete for a roster spot, and could be a good player down the road. 

Ryan Wendell, C, Fresno State

Wendell has started at guard and center.  Wendell has very good technique who has good hip movement, and he can slide his feet well.  He is also a good run blocker.  However, he isn’t too strong, as he gets pushed around by bigger defenders.  He also doesn’t have good leverage, and he needs to bulk up.  I could see him as a practice squad guy, or a late-camp release. 

Kenny Cattouse, RB, Troy

Cattouse is a speed back who averaged nearly six yards per carry with Troy his junior season.  He is fast, has good agility, and has solid hands.  At 5′10″, 205 lbs, he has a solid build as well. Runningbacks Coach Ivan Fears actually worked him out, so I think the Patriots were interested from the beginning.  I would consider Cattouse a poor man’s Kevin Faulk, and I think the Patriots like his versatility.  I think he will make the practice squad, but could end up with a roster spot a year or two down the road. 

Josh Coffman, OL, East Carolina

At 6′7″, 292 lbs, Coffman has a lot of size.  A converted tight end, Coffman started at right tackle for ECU, but could also play guard.  Coffman has good work ethic, as he bulked up well, but he still needs to add more strength.  Is good at knock downs, but doesn’t get good angles and doesn’t use his hands well: poor pass protector.  Not consistent.  In overall, he’s just another body.  He’s more than a long shot for a practice squad spot, but could get one with a good mini-camp season, followed by a solid training camp. 

Casey Tyler, DL, Portland State

At 6′6″, 310 pounds, Tyler is a big body.  A transfer from Washington, Tyler was a very productive starter with Portland State.  He’s a good tackler, did well in his workouts, and could make a good impression in rookie mini-camp. 

The Patriots have added another undrafted rookie free agent, and likely the last.  According to reports, the Patriots have added defensive lineman Casey Tyler from Portland State.

It looks like the Patriots have added another 2 rookie free agents:

Kenny Cattouse, RB, Troy
Josh Coffman, OT, ECU

Catthouse was a productive runner for Troy, averaging 5.9 yards per carry, including seven touchdowns in 2007.  Coffman looks to be another body for training camp.

The Patriots have 77 spots filled on their roster.  They can have a maximum of 80, but probably want to leave a few open for guys like Junior Seau or Ty Law.

Shortly after last season began, I predicted that Junior Seau would return to the Patriots for another season.  Well, it looks like Seau may have taken the first step down that path, the South Coast Today reports:

Seau confirmed Saturday that the two sides have spoken, and he’s expected to return to the area shortly for a physical, but he’s not totally convinced that he’s in the team’s plans.

“It’s all good,” he said from southern California, as he was preparing to head out and surf.

This is a preliminary list, that could end up being quite different. There are a lot of names being thrown around, but this is what I got:

Vince Redd, LB, Liberty
Mike Dragosavich, P, North Dakota State
Chris Norwell, DE, Illinois
Jon Stupar, TE, Virginia
Ryan Wendell, C, Fresno State
Kenny Cattouse, RB, Troy
Josh Coffman, OT, ECU
Casey Tyler, DL, Portland State

The biggest name is probably Mike Dragosavich, who was the top punter available. Vince Redd is a big hitting linebacker with speed. And Jon Stupar seems to be a tight end with some talent. I don’t know much about the other guys yet, but I will have a write-up later.

Update: Finished the list, with the rest of the players in italics

I found this interesting.  Props to Mike Reiss on this one:

When the Patriots were on the clock with their first selection of the third round, 69th overall, they had settled on their draft choice. A team official phoned Michigan linebacker Shawn Crable and the connection was made. As Crable was about to be informed of the pick, the phone in the Patriots’ draft room rang. It was the Chargers, wondering if the 69th pick might be for sale — in exchange for a 2009 second-rounder and a 2008 fifth-rounder. The Patriots quickly processed the information and told Crable they were still interested in him and hoped he might be available with their next third-round pick (No. 78), but something had come up with a trade. They wished him well, wondering if they’d be speaking again. Nine picks later, the Patriots rang Crable’s phone again — this time to pick him officially.