With the whole aftermath of the “Deflategate” scandal there is only one thing that is safe to say, Tom Brady is pissed and the NFL should be worried. Brady is one of the most competitive players in the NFL and in all sports as a whole and giving him more fuel to add to the fire won’t be good for the Patriots opposing teams in 2015 and maybe even beyond.
The league is trying to tarnish Brady’s name and legacy, something he has worked hard for since coming into the NFL and even before during his college days at Michigan. Brady has set numerous records as well as four Super Bowl Championships and other accolades and accomplishments throughout his career.
via bostonherald.com
Going into last season Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus stated that Tom Brady was no longer a top five quarterback, which was widely viewed by people as a bit of an over statement. With the statement from Monson and after a rough first month of the season including a 41-14 blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs where the now famous words from Trent Dilfer, “The New England Patriots, lets face it there not good anymore”, you could tell Brady was determined and pissed. The next week Brady and the Patriots went on to put a beat down on the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals which set the tone for the rest of the season and made Dilfer eat his words on the way to the teams fourth Super Bowl title. No one was second-guessing Brady’s ability to continue to play at a high level and to continue to be the best quarterback in the game.
This isn’t the first time Brady has been pissed off regarding people talking about him or the Patriots. How about in 2007 when Steelers safety Anthony Smith guaranteed a victory against the Patriots. Brady heard, and made Smith amongst the rest of the Steelers look foolish. Brady scored on a rushing touchdown where he proceeded to spike the ball and chirp at Anthony Smith while doing so. Brady also was targeting Smith all game throwing at him and Smith could do nothing about it, most notably the famous Brady to Moss to Brady to Gaffney touchdown pass (one of my all-time favorite plays). Another example of if you make Brady mad you’re going to pay for it. We’ve seen Brady’s intensity and passion on the sidelines many times before and I expect him to play with that even more than usual during the 2015 season.
via nesn.com
Former teammate Rodney Harrison and current teammate Julian Edelman have talked about Brady being mad about this whole situation and how the NFL is adding fuel to the fire, giving Brady more of a reason to be great and excel on the field and to show the league that he is the best quarterback to play the game and a true winner.
via zimbio.com
So once Brady’s suspension is exonerated and he is allowed to play in all 16 games of the regular season and he is going to be out to make a point and to quiet the league and its fans. Brady is going to be shattering records this year, Brady could be so mad the Patriots may not run the ball this year. LaGarrette Blount is suspended the first game of the year and it may not even matter Brady could throw the ball 50 times per game just to make a statement to the sports world. So a quick little thank you to the NFL, once this whole mess with Brady is fixed and cleared up and he is out there on opening night it wont be a pretty sight for the Steelers and every other opponent the Patriots play in 2015 and is giving Tom even more of a reason to get ring number five this season.
With still no news on Tom Brady’s appeal lets take a look at why Brady shouldn’t have handed over his phone and phone records to the NFL.
As we know Brady didn’t hand over his cell phone or phone records when requested by the NFL during the investigation of the Wells Report. Some people say that Brady had something to hide and that’s the reason why he didn’t hand over his cell phone, here’s an argument against that.
Any contact between Brady and Jastremski or Brady and McNally would have been on the phone records of the other two, which the NFL had. Though nothing has been said by the NFL it is believed that 2 games of Brady’s current 4 game suspension is due to “lack of cooperation” for not handing over his phone. Anything the league needed to see they could see with the phone records they had of the other two men. With the celebrity status of Tom Brady I don’t blame him for not handing over his phone to the league, he’s married to the worlds most well known super model, as well as being friends with many celebrities and athletes and may not want the league looking into his personal messages, which no one can blame him for.
During the whole “DeflateGate” scandal there was a lot of information that has been leaked by the NFL while the investigation was going on. With all the leaked information coming out from the NFL who knows what the NFL could have done with Brady’s phone. Anything could have been released by the NFL from Brady’s phone, Brady may have photos of him, his wife and his family on his phone that he may not want the public eye to see because Brady is a family man. There also could be personal conversations with numerous amounts of people on his cell phone; no one needs to see whom Brady is talking to and what is being talked about and his personal life doesn’t need to be put out to the public eye. The NFL allows people and its fans to see what the NFL wants them so see, I believe that the NFL and Roger Goodell saw footage of the Ray Rice incident before it was leaked by TMZ and they wanted to hide the video from being put out to the public. The NFL could have put anything out on Brady’s phone with it in their control and could try potentially ruining his public image if they felt like doing so, which they are trying to do with this whole “DeflateGate” joke.
Because the NFL isn’t the law and the investigation that was being conducted by the NFL wasn’t done through a court room and had nothing to do with legal proceedings, Brady didn’t have to hand over his phone, it wasn’t mandatory for him to do so. This means the whole “lack of cooperation” line people use can quickly be diminished. Just because someone asked him to hand over his phone doesn’t mean he has to do so. I guarantee 99% of you that are reading this wouldn’t just hand over your cell phones if you don’t need to and it isn’t illegal for you not to do so. I’m 20 years old I know there’s no chance I’m just gonna hand over my phone to anybody just because they want it and to look through my messages and the content on my phone. Think about it, this is exactly what the NFL is trying to get from Brady. The only real similar NFL case where a cell phone was needed during an investigation was the Brett Favre “picture sending” scandal we’ll call it. Favre refused to hand over his phone to the league and was given a $50 thousand fine. The differences between these two circumstances? Favre’s phone had all the evidence needed on it, Brady’s didn’t and all records with the other people being investigated by the NFL, the NFL already had. So Favre receives a fine for not handing over his phone to the league which had all evidence the league needed and Brady doesn’t hand his phone over to the league when he doesn’t need to, and the league already had records of contact between Brady, Jastremski and McNally and receives a suspension because of it.. Seems legit doesn’t it? No not at all? Oh that’s right because it doesn’t, just Roger Goodell and the NFL looking to target the Patriots yet again.
Another way to view the situation is that Brady needs to give this info to prove to the league that he did nothing wrong. Brady knows he did nothing wrong and if this is the evidence that the NFL needs to try convicting him of any wrong doings he knows he has the upper hand on the NFL if the case goes to court. The league has no evidence that Brady has any knowledge about balls being deflated or anything about this matter and with the league already acknowledging they feel Brady is guilty with no evidence they are looking to him to try hurting his own case. Brady was told by his legal team to not hand over the phone because they felt he did not need to do so and Brady listened to his team knowing they had what was in his best interest, opposite of the NFL.
Most fans in the NFL would be concerned if their team (you mean fans don’t own the team…say it ain’t so) had half the turnover the New England Patriots have had this off-season, but not the Foxboro faithful. They know what New England has accomplished since Bill Belichick took over as Head Coach.
After going 5-11 his first year (2000 in case you forgot) they haven’t had a losing season. If you are wondering how many other teams can say they have gone 14 years without a losing record, the list is short. Zero!
Through those years this team, under his tutelage, has thrived on controversy. Heck, when he came from the Jets there was controversy. Do you remember how he wrote his resignation from the hated rivals on a piece of paper, stating simply “I resign as HC of the NYJ.” just one day after accepting the position. At that time most Pats fans didn’t welcome him with open arms!
Things haven’t calmed down since. Let’s face it, Belichick uses controversy/pressure as one of his many motivators. He loves the pressure it puts on players because he knows it will ultimately make them stronger when the chips are down. If it doesn’t happen naturally, he creates it (think Lawyer Malloy, Ty Law,Logan Mankins, etc. etc. etc.).
Anyone can see this football is/isn’t deflated – right?
Controversy over “deflate-gate” has become so big that we tend to forget that just one week earlier, Ravens’ Head Coach John Harbaugh accused the Pats of a “substitution trick” that was “clearly deception” when Baltimore lost to New England 35-31.
Forgive me my ignorance, but I thought deception was the name of the game and having a Head Coach who actually knows the rules was an advantage. Although what the Pats did was within the rules (lining up just four offensive linemen and declaring a normally eligible receiver as ineligible), non Patriot fans, which are many, jumped on the bandwagon and the word “cheaters” was once again attached to the franchise. Losers are always looking for a scapegoat and the Patriots are easy…they just win too darned much!
2015 OUTLOOK
So, as the Patriots prepare for another winning season (do you doubt it will be?) we have the usual turmoil.
Starting Quarterback out first four games (maybe)…relax, we have the next Tom Brady as a solid back-up.
Revis and Browner are gone…be calm, this year the pass rush will shine (although things sure look bad right now)
The middle of the DL won’t be the same without Vince Wilfork…New England will miss his leadership, but be honest, his skills have diminished.
No team has won consecutive Super Bowls since 2003 & 2004…oh yeah, that was the Patriots
Many media “experts” are ready to write this team off, or, at least not a legitimate Super Bowl contender, which is just what the greatest coach in NFL history wants. National Football League beware, the Patriots are once again going into a season as underdogs…and they love it.
So, relax everyone. Enjoy all the hullabaloo. The 2015 season is just around the corner and, as you know, YOUR New England Patriots will do just fine…you know “the Hoodie” has a plan
Apparently it is a big deal that a spaceship floating billions of miles away, took a few snapshots of a planet (which we already knew existed) and sent it back to Earth. Bruce Jenner now wants to be called Caitlyn, and Russell Wilson refuses to lay the pipe to Ciara, because God told him so. If this isn’t proof the world needs the NFL to function on the appropriate axis, I don’t know what is. Let’s start at the top.
By the time we do anything of remote importance on any other planet but the one I am on right now, I will be checked out with my ashes spread out somewhere exotic. Maybe Revere Beach? I constantly say I’m not living a super long life, so I will straighten that all out sooner rather than later.
I don’t care about Pluto. I never have and never will. I’m happy for the dudes at NASA though. Can you imagine the pants tent they got over the photos? The NASA guys were probably all huddled up around their laptops with Hot Pockets and Mountain Dew, waiting for the first image to stream through. I would compare this to how the rest of the world is waiting for the NFL to rule on Brady’s appeal, which will be any day now.
Now for Ms. Jenner and this big revelation of transitioning and the courage that goes along with it. According to the GM of the Red Sox, courage is playing left field for $20,000,000/year, ESPN is awarding him with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Courage seems to have a completely different definition than the one I was taught in say second or third grade. I have to pump the brakes on going into this anymore or I’ll have the activists after me again. One thing that is fact here is everything Bruce/Caitlyn and the tribe of misfits he considers family does, stems from the almighty dollar. If you don’t think this entire transition, Diane Sawyer interview, and new reality show isn’t triggered by the cash cow that was created once Kim’s sex tape was released, you’re a bit delusional. Speaking of Kim, for someone who has the biggest self-image issues on the planet, along with her fraud husband, her sex tape performance was beyond amateur.
You’re Move Roger
Want to know something that is far from amateur? It is how our shining star Thomas Edward Patrick Brady has handled this suspension/appeal process. The guy is just continuing to ooze greatness in every facet of life. National writers and former players whom he repeatedly torched and then pissed on during their playing careers are casting rocks in glass houses. What does Tom do when this happens? He just posts angelic photos of him in the middle of a fairway (where else would he be but the middle of the fairway) with his baby girl Vivian crushing it in his bucket hat. Bucket hats are without a doubt the summer fashion trend and I’m going out and buying a dozen of them right now.
Speaking of amateur moves, let’s look at what Jason Pierre-Paul did over the fourth of July. I have ZERO sympathy for him or that other knucklehead from Tampa Bay. Not only did JPP decide to imitate Fire Marshall Bill and blow his damn hand up, but he had a U-Haul Van full of fireworks. For starters, why have a full van of fireworks? Do you really need to be “that guy” who outdoes everyone else on the block? You’re making millions of dollars a year, the dick measuring has to stop at some point right? Piggybacking on the fact that you’re making million dollars a year, shouldn’t you have “a guy” who lights them for you. Ninety-nine percent of these NFL players have entourages who designate a “Turtle” to do bonehead acts like this. Good luck playing with your hand in the dirt this year. I hope Bryan Stork bites your nub just because he is an animal like that.
Odds on which Seahawk hits that before Russell Wilson? Bruce Irvin – 5:1 Earl Thomas – 8:1 Doug Baldwin – 3:1 Pete Carroll – 2:5
God told Russell Wilson to “put the other stuff aside” for now. The “other stuff” he is referring to, is him and his girlfriend Ciara banging. I’m over the Russell Wilson act. I’ve been over it for a while, but now we are getting to the point I’m worried for his mental health. Do yourself a favor and go Google some of her lyrics and tell me she isn’t pissed about this. Hey Russell, did God tell you not to check out of the quick slant at the end of the Super Bowl? Buddy, you’ve been married before and your wife was NOWHERE near the dime that Ciara is. Explain to me how this all works and what good this is doing anyone else on Earth? You remember what happened with Percy Harvin and Doug Baldwin before the Super Bowl right? My money is on Earl Thomas or Bruce Irvin destroying that behind your back while you’re channeling your inner Tim Tebow in the ice tub.
There will be plenty more to talk about and this whole Brady ordeal will finally come to a head. I bet Kessler and Brady kicked Goodell around like the big bully on the playground during recess. Roger’s ass kicking lasted about ten hours though and same goes for that fraud Ted Wells. I, unlike most, actual read through the entire piece of crap Wells Report and was even more confused than before I started. Schefter, whom also swings a massive stick for posting medical records of JPP, stated Brady shined with an A+ performance. Guys like Brady who have wives like Super G, don’t cower into a ball when the pressure is on. What did you expect? Him to go in there like Geno Smith and completely hand it over to the witch hunters? Want to see the complete opposite of a witch hunt? I present week six of the NFL season to you. The Patriots head to Indianapolis for an all-out bloodbath against the Colts. I fear for Andrew Luck, I fear for Chuck Pagano, and mostly fear for the drug addict owner and GM. Start lighting candles now for the Colts in your church, temple, mosque, or community center. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Patriots hang eighty points on them. Training camps starts in just over two weeks.
Even those now bashing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, often referred to as “the most powerful man in sports,” must acknowledge he has helped NFL owners make more $$$ than they can count. That is why owners have been solidly in his corner when controversy has arisen. Don’t kid yourself, the NFL is a highly successful business and he is one reason why.
For those wondering why Robert Kraft backed down on challenging Goodell’s ruling in “deflategate,” read that highlighted sentence again. Click on the link and see just how financially successful the NFL is. And, by the way, the New England Patriots, worth $2.6 billion, trail only the Dallas Cowboys in value ($3.2 billion).
When Goodell took over the reigns from retiring commissioner Paul Tagliabue on September 1, 2006 the league was on an upswing that started under Pete Rozelle (NFL Commissioner 1960-1989) and has now reached what a few think is it’s pinnacle. The owners are betting there is still has growth to be had (overseas teams?), and Goodell is who they want at the helm…provided the political pressure doesn’t become too intense.
No matter how many cases they lose in arbitration, it’s pennies compared to billions of dollars. Reputation and integrity be damned, money speaks volumes, no matter how many times Goodell ludicrously claims he is making decisions based on the integrity of the game.
THE BAD
If one word could be used other than “profit” to describe Goodell’s term as commissioner, it would have to be “controversy.” From his start, NFL news has moved from primarily sports talk to the lead front page story. Without going into too many boring detail, here are just a few of the “bad” news stories that have come in the past 8 years:
2007: Goodell disciplined the New England Patriots ($250,000 & 1st Round Pick) and head coach Bill Belichick in what has become known as “Spygate” after New England attempted to videotape the defensive signals of the NY Jets
…and that wasn’t all that happened. Suspensions were handed out galore:
Tennessee’s PacMan Jones (entire 2007 season)
Cincinnatti’s Chris Henry (8 games)
Chicago’s Tank Johnson (8 games) were all suspended under the newNFL Player Conduct Policy. That policy became the guidelines for all future suspensions
Atlanta starting QB Michael Vick was convicted and served jail time – Need I say more?
2008: Dallas’ PacMan Jones again (indefinite, ultimately reduced to 4 games)
2010: Pittsburgh QB Ben Rothlisburger (originally 6 games, reduced to 4) Rothlisburger was accused of sexual assault by a 20-year-old college student after an encounter in a Georgia bar
Ben Rothlisburger Suspended courtesy of ESPN.GO.Com
2011: NFL Lockout March 11 to August 5
THE UGLY
Things started to really get ugly as the 2012 season rolled around.
2012: “Bountygate” – New Orleans Saints – Head Coach Sean Payton and Defensive Coordinator Greg Williams were suspended for the season. Along with other suspensions the Saints were fined a league maximum $500,000 and stripped of their second round draft picks in 2012 and 2013. Commissioner Goodell later suspended players but that was overturned after they appealed.
Also in 2012 the NFL locked out the regular NFL game officials, opening the season with replacement referees. The hired replacements consisted of low-level college and high school officials, none from Division I. The only people yelling about the integrity of the game were fans who paid full price to see incompetent officials drastically effect the outcome of game-after-game.
Its A TD, no its an INT as replacement officials contradict each other (Courtesy of DallasNews.com)
After week 2 of the season the NFLPA issued this statement:
It is lost on us as to how you allow a Commissioner to cavalierly issue suspensions and fines in the name of player health and safety yet permit the wholesale removal of the officials that you trained and entrusted to maintain that very health and safety. It has been reported that the two sides are apart by approximately $60,000 per team. We note that your Commissioner has fined an individual player as much in the name of “safety.” Your actions are looking more and more like simple greed. As players, we see this game as more than the “product” you reference at times. You cannot simply switch to a group of cheaper officials and fulfill your legal, moral, and duty obligations to us and our fans. You need to end the lockout and bring back the officials immediately.
On September 26 an agreement was reached to end the lockout after increasing criticism of the NFL and the performance of the replacement officials.
2013: The NFL finally reached a $765 million settlement with former NFL players over head injuries. The settlement created a $675 million compensation fund from which former NFL players could collect from depending on the extent of their conditions. It turned ugly when, in January, 2014, a U.S. District Judge refused to accept the agreed settlement because “the money wouldn’t adequately compensate the nearly 20,000 men not named in the suit”
2014: The Ray Rice disaster. Another major mis-judgement by the Commission as he determined a punishment of two games was adequate for the third-degree assault Rice had been arrested for. After an uproar and the public saw a video of the incident, Goodell acknowledged he “didn’t get it right” This was the start of individuals questioning his judgement and rumblings began calling for his resignation.
2015: “Deflategate,” which is still under appeal by New England QB Tom Brady, became another national story. Brady was handed a four game suspension because of a “belief that he was generally aware” of the deflation of footballs used in the AFC East Championship game.
The Commissioner once again looked bad as his 10 game suspension of Greg Hardy was recently reduced in arbitration. Arbitrator Harold Henderson stated in his decision that 10 games is simply too much as he reduced the punishment to four games. To read his entire comments just click on the highlighted area.
To wrap it up, the NFL and Commissioner Goodell have not been successful either in arbitration or the courts. They have lost to all the New Orleans players in ‘Bountygate,” Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy and the list goes on and on. Next up will be his decision of Tom Brady.
Training camp is just around the corner and teams/players need some closure. At what point will the owners say enough is enough? As long as the $$$ continues to grow, it is unlikely to happen very soon.
With the Patriots set to open Training Camp Thursday July 30th, lets take a look at things to keep an eye on during training camp.
With the decision of quarterback Tom Brady’s suspension appeal still not made, and could still be no decision made by the time New England opens training camp it will be interesting to see how much work each of the teams three quarterbacks see with the first team offense. With Brady and Garoppolo both splitting reps during the teams OTAs I would expect Brady and Garoppolo to continue splitting reps if there is still no decision regarding Brady. The Patriots need to be prepared if Brady’s suspension is not completely exonerated and he accepts the punishment handed down to him by the league and doesn’t fight the decision in court. Getting Garoppolo reps with the starting offense will be important for building a chemistry with the offense and so that the offense doesn’t miss a beat and continues to be a high powered offense with Garoppolo under center. It will also be interesting to see how recently signed quarterback Matt Flynn performs and if he takes any reps with the first team offense and challenge Garoppolo for the replacement starter/ backup quarterback position.
via bostonherald.com
Another area to watch in training camp would be the team’s running back position. With Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley both gone, New England will need to replace both backs that have a very different style of play. Vereen was a receiving back that could play out of the backfield or be split out in a receiver role and will be harder to replace than Ridley. Vereen had a great chemistry with Brady and that showed in the Super Bowl when Vereen recorded 11 receptions. James White and Travaris Cadet are expected to be the main competitors for Vereen’s job. Another name to watch for will be Dion Lewis, who drew praise from both Brady and Belichick during OTAs. Ridley was inconsistent throughout his career in New England, at times showing he could be a top back in the league and then other times his fumbling issues and struggled to get on the field. Ridley started to get overshadowed by Blount during the 2013 season and after Blount left for Pittsburgh in the offseason, Ridley was back as starter for the 2014 season. After a torn ACL and a Blount return to New England it was pretty obvious that Ridley would not be in the teams plans for 2015. Blount is the veteran in New England’s backfield and has the experience in New England’s system and is expected to be the team’s main feature back, but is suspended for week ones matchup against Pittsburgh. With Blount out week one, Jonas Gray and Tyler Gaffney could be in-line to start week one and potentially going forward if they have a good camp and make the most of their opportunities. Gray burst on the scene after an incredible 200 yard 4 touchdown performance against the Colts then found himself in coach Bill Belichick’s doghouse after his alarm didn’t go off and showed up late for practice and saw very limited action the rest of the season. Gaffney was drafted in the 6th round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. After tearing his ACL at the beginning of training camp the Panthers placed Gaffney on waivers hoping he would clear waivers and the team would be able to put him on season-ending injured reserve, sadly for the Panthers Gaffney was claimed by the Patriots on waivers and was later placed on injured reserve. Bill Belichick has praised Gaffney and his work ethic, we will finally get to see Gaffney on field and see what he can do once training camp starts.
host.madison.com
The Patriots drafted two offensive linemen in this years NFL Draft who could be ready to contribute right away. The team selected guard/center Tre Jackson from Florida State and guard Shaq Mason from Georgia Tech. Jackson played along side Patriots center Bryan Stork who the team drafted the year before and played great during his rookie year. Stork’s early success could help Jackson’s chances of being a week one starter or at least seeing significant time during his rookie season. Mason is a terrific run blocker but needs to develop more as a pass blocker. Mason played for Georgia Tech who was primarily a run team and didn’t throw the ball too often. Mason needs a little more time to develop and improve his game compared to Jackson. If Mason can elevate his pass blocking to the same level as his run blocking, he could become one of the better guards in the NFL. Last year’s starter Dan Connolly is currently a free agent and is reportedly considering retirement according to reports. With one starting spot on the line currently open it will be interesting to see if either of the rookies step up and earn the job or if someone whose been around like Cameron Fleming or Marcus Cannon will the win the second starting guard spot opposite last years starter Ryan Wendell, who may not be a lock for a starting position entering the 2015 season.
The Patriots drafted defensive tackle Malcolm Brown in the first round of this years NFL Draft. Brown was drafted to help a Patriots run defense that has struggled the past few seasons and to replace longtime Patriot Vince Wilfork, who signed with the Houston Texans this offseason. All eyes will be on Brown to see if he is the real deal and the new anchor of the defense after the departure of Wilfork. Another player to watch would be Jabaal Sheard, the Patriots biggest free agent signee this offseason. Sheard is a pass rushing DE/OLB and will be interesting to see where the Patriots line him up on the field.
via blog.masslive.com
The cornerback position is one that has widely been talked about after the departures of Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Arrington, who were key pieces to the Patriots secondary last season. Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler and third year man Logan Ryan are expected to be the teams starting corners heading into 2015. Both have shown signs of promise in their short careers and it will be interesting to see how each performs in training camp and see if either can transform themselves into the number one corner that the Patriots secondary is currently missing.
via hngn.com
With less than three weeks until training camp kicks off these are things that I and many others will be looking forward to see when the team takes the field and prepares to defend their Super Bowl Championship.
Here’s the text of arbitrator Harold Henderson, NFL Executive Vice President for Labor Relations, regarding the reduction of Greg Hardy’s suspension from 10 games to 4.
“After consideration of all the record evidence and arguments, I conclude that the Commissioner acted within his authority and properly exercised his discretion in finding that Hardy violated the NFL Personal Conduct Policy,”
“I find that the conduct of Hardy clearly violates the letter and spirit of any version of the PCP since its inception, and of the NFL Constitution and Bylaws long before then. The egregious conduct exhibited here is indefensible in the NFL.
“However, 10 games is simply too much, in my view, of an increase over prior cases without noticesuch as was done last year, when the ‘baseline’ for discipline in domestic violence or sexual assault cases was announced as a six-game suspension. Therefore, the discipline of Mr. Hardy hereby is modified to a suspension of four games; all other terms of the discipline letter remain in place.”
Greg Hardy’s NFL Statistics
Hardy is still considering taking the NFL to court.
The ball is now in the hands of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding New England Patriot QB Tom Brady’s appeal of his 4 game suspension. It will be difficult for the Commissioner to impose the same 4 game penalty now being imposed on Hardy.
Arbitrator Harold Henderson has upheld Greg Hardy’s suspension for conduct detrimental to the league, but has reduced the ban from 10 to 4 games as announced Friday by the NFL.
Could the reduction in the Greg Hardy appeal have an impact on Brady’s appeal? It should, but until we hear from King Roger Goodell we won’t know for sure, however things are about to come to a head again. In an interview on Thursday (July 8) it was reported by sources that the NFL commissioner told CNBC a decision on Brady’s appeal of his four-game suspension “is coming soon,” possibly as early as next week.
In the beginning…
On January 18, 2015 the world changed in the NFL and the clock is still ticking. For this first time in NFL history an investigation into the air pressure (PSI) of the footballs used in an NFL game was opened (now referred to as “deflate-gate”). At first everyone scoffed at the thought of this being anything but a farce. However, it quickly got legs (reporter talk) and became a national news story, far exceeding anyone’s expectations.
The original investigation took over four months before the Well’s Report was released and fines/suspensions were handed out. Patriot’s fans were aghast, while others were crying hang ’em high. A $1M fine and a 1st round draft pick for the Patriots (who, by the way, were exonerated in the report) and an astounding four game suspension for QB Tom Brady.
In the four months it took for the report to be released a lot happened in the world. As training camp approaches, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is still pondering the ultimate fate of Brady. The original decision to suspend him for four games was arrived at when Ted Wells concluded Brady “was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities”
Educational Part Of This Article
While we wait, here’s a quick glance at some things you may not know or chose to ignore which occurred while the investigation was under way. If you honestly remember all 14 you are ready to join Mensa.
February
The Patriots, despite all the distractions, won one (try saying that fast five times) of the most exciting Super Bowls in history, 28-24, when unknown rookie Malcolm Butler made a goal line interception with just seconds left on the clock.
Photo courtesy of USAToday.com
Dean Smith, former UNC head coach, passed away at 83
Researchers developed a robot that could help the US Navy battle shipboard fires
Facebook allowed users to bequeath control of their accounts to loved ones when they die (yep, you can now do that…but why?)
…and, after over a month, the NFL investigation continued as the Patriots were left dangling while wild rumors, many inaccurate, spread from “unidentified” sources
March
Former CIA Director David Petraeus pled guilty to mishandling classified information (now that’s a crime)
The Justice Department formally closed its investigation of Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson for the killing of Michael Brown. That investigation took 9 months.
Apple’s hotly-anticipated smartwatch made it’s debut
Kentucky became the first major college basketball team to finish the regular season unbeaten since Indiana in 1976
The NFL filed suit seeking evidence gathered against Greg Hardy, the former Carolina Panther defensive end, in a domestic-abuse case. Over three months ago arbitrator Harold Henderson spent almost seven hours hearing evidence and arguments over the NFL’s decision for a 10-game suspension. Henderson ruled today (June 10) that Hardy was guilty…but reduced his suspension from 10 games to 4.
...with over two months of investigation into the deflation of footballs, the NFL still has nothing to report
April
Former NE Patriot Tight End Aaron Hernandez was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for his conviction of first-degree murder
The Boston Bruins fired general manager Peter Chiarelli four days after the team missed the playoffs
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted on all 30 charges for the attack on the 2013 Boston Marathon
…oh yeah, and, by the way, still nothing new from the NFL
May
John Forbes Nash Jr., the Princeton University mathematician whose life story was the subject of the film “A Beautiful Mind,” and his wife of nearly 60 years died in a taxi crash on the New Jersey Turnpike,
GiGi Gordon was sentenced to 18 years in prison for manslaughter, after she claimed she murdered her child to prevent him from being sexually tortured (makes sense to me!)
After over 4 months of analyzing information, the Well’s Report was published. It concluded that, although there was no hard evidence, it wasmorelikely than notPatriots’ quarterback Tom Brady “was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities” by two team employees that resulted in balls being deflated in January’s AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.
“I don’t think anyone can believe that after four months (since) the AFC championship game, we are still talking about air pressure and the psi in footballs,” Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft stated. “I have two options: I can try and end it, or I can extend it.” After an “emotionally charged couple of weeks,” He decided to reluctantly accept the penalties.
June
Brady & Goodell hug after TB is awarded the Super Bowl MVP award (Photo courtesy of Jamie Squire / Getty Images
On June 23 Brady met with Commissioner Goodell for the 1st time since being awarded the Super Bowl MVP trophy and this time they weren’t hugging. The meeting lasted almost 10 hours as his appeal was heard. King Goodell (I have promoted him to that rank, but am reviewing that decision) had already ruled that he could make an unbiased decision on whether his previous ruling had been fair and just. That is what is commonly referred to as “both judge, jury and executioner” on his own competency. He is now boxed in and any decision he makes will open even more arguments.
July
So, we now stand-by for his final “unbiased, fair & impartial” ruling as the arbitrator on Brady’s appeal. It’s been almost six months since this fiasco started and we may still be a long way from it’s conclusion. It’s hard to believe Brady would get the same punishment for a feeling he knew about footballs being deflated as Greg Hardy is now getting for a much more serious offense. The big difference between the Hardy case and Brady’s is a legitimate arbitrator (Not Goodell) ruled, while Goodell is reviewing his own decision on Brady’s appeal.
Before last year with Darrelle Revis and the early 2000s with Ty Law the Patriots pass defense has tended to struggle and lacked a true shutdown corner. With Revis leaving New England and returning to the New York Jets the Patriots may again go into the 2015 season without a shutdown corner. Last season, New England ranked 17th in pass defense but the numbers didn’t really show how good and effective the Patriots secondary and defense as a whole was in 2015, with the Patriots often leading early in games and by a good margin teams were forced to throw the ball the whole game. Lets take a look at the Patriots pass defense throughout the Belichick era both with and without a shutdown corner and what we could expect to see out of this years defense.
In Belichick’s first year as coach the team ranked 21st in pass defense allowing 220 passing yards per game. The league wasn’t as big of a passing league at the time compared to how it is now. The secondary was lead by cornerback Ty Law and safety Lawyer Milloy who each led the team in interceptions with two a piece during the teams disappointing 5-11 season. The team also ranked 21st in rush defense, which is a compelling reason why the team finished at 5-11 with a poor pass and rush defense.
The following season is one all pats fans will remember, the year the franchise won its first Super Bowl championship, the year our franchise quarterback took the realms and the dynasty in New England started. That year the Patriots ranked 24th in pass defense but allowed less yards per game than it did the year before allowing 218 yards per game. Again, the league was more run oriented compared to the way the NFL is today. The team was again lead in the secondary by Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy and despite the low ranking in pass defense allowed less yards than the year before and had 22 interceptions as a team, returning 5 for touchdowns. The high interception total showed how with a top safety and corner the team was able to be more aggressive in play making.
image from boston.sportsthenandnow.com
The Patriots suffered a Super Bowl hangover in the 2002 season missing the playoffs for one of the three times in the Belichick era. Despite not making the playoffs the teams pass defense increased tremendously improving to the 11th ranked pass defense in the league allowing 198 yards per game. Where the Patriots increased in pass defense they decreased in rush defense ranking 31st in the league allowing 137 yards per game.
The Patriots secondary had a new look to it in the 2003 season compared to the seasons before. Veteran safety Rodney Harrison and cornerback Tyrone Poole both signed with the team in the offseason, drafting safety Eugene Wilson in the second round, cornerback Asante Samuel in the 4th round and releasing veteran safety Lawyer Milloy prior to the start of the season. Milloy signed with division rival Buffalo Bills and started off the year by beating the Patriots 31-0, which I’m sure made the Patriots question their decision to release Milloy. The team ended up ranking 15th in pass defense at the end of the year allowing 202 yards per game. The teams run defense had a huge improvement from the year ranking 4th in rushing yards allowing only 86 yards per game. Behind the teams strong defense the team went on to win their second Super Bowl in three years.
2004 was a tough season for the Patriots secondary suffering many injuries, which forced wide receiver Troy Brown to the defensive side of the ball to play corner. Brown played well and better than I and I’m sure most people expected and was the model of the “Patriot Way”, doing anything you can to win. Brown ended up finishing tied second on the team in interceptions with 3, with his first coming against former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe. The only member of the secondary to play in all 16 regular season games was safety Rodney Harrison. The team ranked 17th in pass defense allowing 212 yards per game despite all the injuries and went on to win their third Super Bowl ring in four years and started the Patriots dynasty.
image from gettyimages.com
Veteran cornerback Ty Law left the team in free agency, which made the Patriots bolster a new look secondary for the 2005 season without Law. Without Law the teams secondary struggled ranking 31st in the league in pass defense allowing 231 yards per game. The teams rush defense also struggled in 2005 ranking 25th in run defense. With Law leaving in free agency the Patriots struggled with not having a true shutdown corner despite Asante Samuel playing well and molding into a future number one corner.
After the defensive struggle in 2005, the team improved in both pass and rush defense ranking 12th in pass defense and 5th in run defense in 2006. The defense was led by corner Asante Samuel who had 10 interceptions on the year and became a dangerous threat for opposing quarterbacks to throw at and taking away one side of the field. Injuries again hit the Patriots secondary in the 2006 season with a variety of injuries to multiple members of the defense.
image via boston.com
The Patriots had their famous 16-0 Regular Season and rewriting the whole record book while doing so. With Tom Brady and the offense setting new records every week and gaining the majority of the attention, the Patriots defense had one of if not their best defense statistically in the Belichick era. The team ranked 6th in passing allowing 190 yards per game and the run defense ranking 10th allowing 98 yards per game. Harrison and Samuel were again leaders of the New England secondary. Sadly what this team will be remembered for will be for falling just short of the perfect season with their only loss coming against the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. As well as the defense played all year they struggled in the Super Bowl against the Giants. The defense as a whole struggled and the offense didn’t play as well as they did all year long. If it also wasn’t for a miracle helmet catch by Giants receiver David Tyree the Patriots may have ended up winning the Super Bowl and completing the “perfect season”.
Coming off a devastating loss in the Super Bowl the Patriots were looking to return and were the early season favorites to win the Super Bowl in 2008. Then quarterback Tom Brady went down in the first quarter of week 1 with a torn ACL and MCL. The offense was now set to look different without their MVP quarterback. In free agency that year cornerback Asante Samuel left New England to join the Philadelphia Eagles. Safety Rodney Harrison only played in 6 games before being injured and out for the year. The defense was now led by rookie linebacker Jerod Mayo and 2nd year safety Brandon Meriweather and cornerbacks Deltha O’Neil (who was terrible at this point in his career), the inconsistent Ellis Hobbs and Jonathan Wilhite. With all the injuries and lack of a true number one corner the Patriots defense was better than ultimately expected. The defense ranked 11th in passing allowing 201 yards per game and 15th in defense allowing 107 yards per game. Even with the multitude of injuries on both side of the ball the team still finished at 10-6 but missed the playoffs after the Jets lost in week 17 to the Dolphins, which sent Miami to the playoffs. This helped show how great of a coach Bill Belichick is, doing as good as he did with the amount of injuries the team had and after losing arguably its best defensive player in free agency and still play well.
Veterans Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison retired prior to the 2009 season, which left New England with a loss of leadership and two key members of the teams defense, as well as trading star defensive lineman Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders. The team was also playing with Leigh Bodden, Jonathan Wilhite and Shawn Springs at cornerback, which is not very good to say the least. Wilhite struggled since the time he was drafted and Springs and Bodden were older veterans that were past their prime and weren’t nearly as productive as the team was hoping they would be when signed in free agency. Despite the lack of star power, especially in the secondary the team wasn’t too bad as a whole on defense ranking 12th in passing allowing 210 yards per game and ranking 13th in run defense allowing 110 yards per game. Again this showed that Belichick doesn’t need a “star” corner to lead his team.
The Patriots 2010 defense was ugly to say the least. The team ranked 30th in pass defense allowing 259 yards per game. One bright spot was rookie cornerback Devin McCourty, who had 7 interceptions on the year and looked like he could be the shut down corner New England was missing the past few seasons. Despite the terrible pass defense the team played fairly well against the run ranking 11th in the league allowing 108 yards per game.
via nesn.com
New year, same problems, the 2011 Patriots were again TERRIBLE against the pass ranking 31st in the league allowing 293 yards per game. It was ugly to watch, I remember watching the game against the Peyton Manningless Indianapolis Colts and Dan Orloksky was at quarterback and they just kept driving up the field and scoring. I remember my dad and I yelling at the TV and asking each other “are we really going to lose to the f***ing Colts?” before he threw the TV remote at the ground and broke it out of anger. The lone bright spot from the year before, Devin McCourty had a huge sophomore slump and couldn’t have covered me if I was out on the field. The defense was so bad andlacked depth that wide receivers Julian Edelman and matthew Slater were both playing in the secondary, and were playing better than just about all the other members of the secondary. New England played in way too many shoot-outs and close games this season. The offense would get up big to start the game and then the defense would play a prevent zone and just couldn’t stop anybody, it was painful to watch. Despite the terrible defense the Patriots still made it to the Super Bowl after a heroic pass deflection by Sterling Moore and a shanked Billy Cundiff field goal in the AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens. New England again went onto lose to the Giants in the Super Bowl after a Wes Welker drop that would have sealed the victory for New England and another lucky pass by Eli Manning where his receiver again made an amazing catch bailing out Manning.
Yet again New England’s secondary struggled against the pass in 2012. Devin McCourty continued to struggle at cornerback, which prompted the team to move him to safety, where he has played great since, and make a mid-season trade for cornerback Aqib Talib. Adding Talib was huge for New England giving them a true number one cornerback and someone who could take away an opposing teams top receiver. Despite the acquisition of Talib the Patriots still ranked 29th in pass defense allowing 271 yards per game. If Talib was never acquired the rankings surely would have been lower. Talib was good during his time in New England besides constantly being banged up, especially in the big games. The Patriots ended up losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship after a Talib injury sidelined him and forced Devin McCourty back to corner halfway through the game and forcing Kyle Arrington, a slot corner, to cover wide receiver Torrey Smith, a speedy deep threat.
via bleacherreport.com
With having a full season of Aqib Talib the Patriots pass defense improved drastically ranking 18th in the league allowing 239 yards per game. With Talib at corner allowed McCourty to play the center fielder role and roam around the secondary. Talib played like the top corner in the NFL for most of the 2013 season. Another bright spot for New England’s defense was rookie cornerback Logan Ryan. Ryan led the team with 5 interceptions and showed a lot of promise for the future as a playmaker and potentially improving into a number one corner for the Patriots. Talib was again injured during the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos and the Patriots went on to lose to the Broncos and be eliminated from the playoffs.
And lastly we have last years 2014 pass defense. Last years pass defense was great and the best that I have seen and can remember the Patriots having. Darrelle Revis was, well Darrelle Revis, he shut down any receiver he was matched up against. Brandon Browner provided the physicality and swagger that the defense needed, always giving big hits and being physical with the receiver he was matched up against even if it would draw the occasional pass interference call. Kyle Arrington played a key role as the teams slot corner and did it very well most of the year. Second year rookie Logan Ryan, like Devin McCourty, had a sophomore slump and didn’t play nearly as well as he did during his rookie year. He was constantly getting beat by receivers and didn’t play the ball as well as he did the year before. Then there was Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler who played well when he was on the field and was a good depth player. Butler is now most popular for his Super Bowl interception, throughout the year Butler was impressive in limited action and showed very good man coverage skills. And with this secondary with the shut down corner in Revis and great complimentary number two corner in Browner the Patriots went on to win their 4th Super Bowl.
via sbnation.com
Based on the past teams during the Belichick era the team has won their Super Bowls with a top, shutdown corner. After losing Revis, Browner, and Arrington in free agency the secondary is set to look a lot different than it did in 2014. The current cornerbacks on the Patriots roster who are expected to make the roster and potentially play key roles for New England’s defense this upcoming year are Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan, free agent signee Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain and Derek Cox, as well as safety Devin McCourty who some have suspected could make the switch back to corner with the current cornerback depth.
Ryan and Butler have spent time in New England and are expected to be the team’s two starting cornerbacks to start the 2015 season. Ryan is looking to bounce back after struggling last year and go back to the form he showed as a promising rookie in 2013 when he recorded 5 interceptions and played a big part of the teams defense. Butler will look to continue to shine after his game-winning interception in the Super Bowl. Butler already has high expectations heading into the 2015 season and time will tell if he will live up to the hype that has surrounded him since the Super Bowl.
Bradley Fletcher spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles after spending his first 4 seasons in the league with the St. Louis Rams. Fletcher was inconsistent last season with the Eagles, with not much safety help over the top and would occasionally be beat on the deep ball with a lack of safety help. With safety Devin McCourty giving hep over the top to corners Darrelle Revis and Aqib Talib the past few seasons, McCourty could also look to help Fletcher and transition Fletcher to potentially be a number one corner for New England. The Patriots are hoping that with the help of McCourty he could transition into that and not be the corner who was beat repeatedly by Dez Bryant and was seen crying on the sidelines at one point after constantly being targeted by Romo and beat by Bryant.
via totalprosports.com
Robert McClain is a smaller corner at 5’9 and has primarily been a special teamer throughout his career. He played more defensively last year after injuries to Falcons corners. McClain could be used as a slot corner to replace Kyle Arrington, who was released by the Patriots this offseason and signed with the Baltimore Ravens. With McClain’s experience at both corner and special teams gives him a better chance to make the Patriots roster with Bill Belichick’s love for versatile players.
Derek Cox has been a journeyman throughout his NFL career playing for the Jaguars, Chargers and brief stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens. Cox was a member of the Ravens briefly last year and didn’t see the field before being released by the time. Cox is a bigger corner like Fletcher (Cox 6’1, Fletcher 6’0) and has been inconsistent throughout his career, like Fletcher. Cox is said to be more of a zone coverage defender than a man defender off the line of scrimmage. Cox role in New England is still unknown and isn’t a roster lock by any means but could provide nice veteran depth to the Patriots secondary.
Without a true number one corner to start the year the Patriots defense will look to rely more on their pass rush then the team has the past few seasons. The team is also expected by many people to switch to a zone defensive scheme rather than a man scheme like they have the past few seasons when they had a top corner.
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