NE updates?

[skylive5]

Haven't seen any news from about NE IDP's lately.

 

Anyone know if they are going to bring back Phifer? If they did, would he be ready to play after the shoulder surgery?

 

I know they picked up a couple of LB's in prep for Brushci sitting the season out, however, Phifer knows the system and they don't.

[Czarina]

I haven't heard anything of substance. Seymour is reportedly going to hold out.

 

Snipped from the Globe:

Familiar face may resurface With Tedy Bruschi out of the picture, don't be totally surprised if Roman Phifer returns to New England at some point. The former Patriots linebacker is working out, hasn't retired, and is coming along well after offseason shoulder surgery.

 

 

 

 

Lots of question marks this year. No Bruschi, don't know how Chad Brown and Monty Beisel will fit into the picture yet.

 

They report on Friday.

[XFlash]

I have been searching for news about LB Rosevelt Colvin. He was a highly touted FA signing before getting hurt his first season with NE.

 

He has had almost 2 years to recover. Hopefully he can sharpen his skills and make a strong showing in camp.

 

Any homers with Colvin news?

[Rovers]

Crap, they have 17.... maybe 19 LB's in camp? I forget the exact number now, but after Vrabel and Mcginest, I'm not sure who the heck else... Biesel, but I just don't think he's good enough.... I dunno.

[Czarina]

I believe there's something like 16 LBs on the roster right now.

 

Colvin might be a guy to watch out for this preseason. He was starting to come on late in the season last year, so if he's going to make it back to who he was, this is his time, I think.

 

It's a miracle he can walk as I understand it, so if he can be the guy he used to be on the field, that would be incredible. I remember being very excited that they signed him. :doah:

[CaptainHook]

Was Colvin healthy all year last year?

[skylive5]

I hate this time of year.... everything is rumor.

 

Thanks Czar.

[Czarina]

Was Colvin healthy all year last year?

 

893297[/snapback]

 

 

 

He "played" all 16 games, but I don't know as you'd call him healthy. He was in a rotation all year. Hoping for more this year.

[Czarina]

With thanks to Piranha, Ted Johnson has announced his retirement. Make that 15 LBs on the roster now.

[Rovers]

Wow, Bruschi, Johnson, Phifer, Andruzzi...... maybe the Pats go after Law again?

[Czarina]

Training camp snippets courtesy of the Herald:

 

LB woes continue

 

    The numbers continue to drop at inside linebacker, as free agent Monty Beisel has sat out the last two practice sessions. Asked for an update, Belichick said through a team spokesman that Beisel ``tightened up.''

 

    With Beisel out, outside linebacker Mike Vrabel saw even more action inside next to Chad Brown. . . .

 

    With nose tackle Ethan Kelley on the non-football injury list, Ty Warren saw time at nose tackle with the second unit. Meanwhile, second-year defensive end Marquise Hill has been drawing regular reps with the second team. <snip>

 

Another player who has gotten off to a clean start at camp is veteran corner Tyrone Poole, whose 2004 season was cut short by a knee injury. The Pats used different combinations in the secondary yesterday, with Rodney Harrison paired with second-year safety Guss Scott in front of Poole and Duane Starks, who got beat twice by Deion Branch during the two-minute drill. . . .

 

[skylive5]

Excellent. Thanks Czar. Keep 'em coming.

[Czarina]

Richard Seymour has reworked his contract for a one year bump up to 4 million for this year. The holdout is over.

[XFlash]

Good news about Colvin

 

Michael Felger, of the Boston Herald, reports New England Patriots LB Rosevelt Colvin has taken virtually every first-team rep since training camp started. Colvin looks to be very close to 100 percent this season as he was still recovering from a hip injury received two years ago. With LB Mike Vrabel taking reps at inside linebacker, Colvin looks to be a big factor this season on the outside. "I don't have to push to get out of bed in the morning anymore," Colvin said. "I don't have to get in the ice tub after every practice. I'm not limping in-between every rep, or tying to push through every rep. I can focus on football, and I think that's beneficial to me and the defense. Because now you don't have a guy that's out there not full-speed.''

Edited August 6, 2005 by XFlash

[Czarina]

A blurb or two from Michael Felger, writer for the Herald:

 

  Secondary: There's some great depth at corner, as veterans Duane Starks and Tyrone Poole, both of whom are career starters and former Super Bowl winners, have been behind Asante Samuel and Randal Gay, the Super Bowl starters for the Pats last February, for most of camp. That was the depth chart last Thursday and that should remain the order in Cincinnati. Poole has had a great camp, while Starks hasn't stood out. It will be interesting to see who the top two players are come September.

 

    At safety, the Pats have used several combinations behind Rodney Harrison and Eugene Wilson, with Guss Scott and rookie James Sanders seeing the most prominent time. On Thursday, rookie corner Ellis Hobbs and Scott were in the first nickel and dime packages, so the Pats obviously will be giving them a significant opportunity to prove themselves in the preseason.

 

They were talking about Hobbs on the radio this a.m. (Felger was on). They seem to think he's a guy worth watching.

[redman]

What do you guys think of James Sanders as a long-term replacement for Harrison? I drafted Sanders with my last pick as a longshot.

[Czarina]

Nice article on Rosey Colvin. Looking good! I edited it down a bit..

 

Also forgot to include that rookie LB Ryan Claridge has been put on IR.

 

With mind at ease, Colvin is now getting ahead

By Adam Kilgore, Globe Correspondent  |  August 16, 2005

 

FOXBOROUGH -- No longer preoccupied with recovering from his hellish left hip injury, a dislocation two seasons ago that required surgery, Colvin is enjoying his most productive training camp as a member of the Patriots, who signed the onetime Chicago Bears sack machine in March 2003. A year ago, the only thing running through Colvin's mind before the ball was snapped was what would happen when he pushed off, how his hip would respond.

 

He's happier now, carefree as he sprints around, wildly high-fiving teammates after good plays during practice. Colvin played between 30 and 40 snaps Friday in the exhibition opener in Cincinnati; against the Eagles in last year's debut, he played precisely one play.

 

''I feel as good as I've felt in a couple years, probably going into training camp my first year I got here or my last training camp in Chicago," Colvin said. ''As far as ailments, as far as things bothering me, I feel the best I've felt in a while. Is that 100 percent? I don't know. But we'll see. I don't have to think about the injury, because it's not something that really bothers me."

 

He got out of bed, and thought about his hip. He brushed his teeth, thought about his hip. Drove to practice, thought about his hip. Dressed. Ate. Slept. He never escaped the hip off the field, never noticed any clues on it. He went to bed every night hoping he'd feel better when he awoke.

 

After an offseason workout program -- the same one his teammates go through, plus specific treatment for his hip -- Colvin feels back to normal, the way he felt with Chicago in 2002, when he racked up 10 1/2 sacks and 72 tackles.

 

''I don't have a lot of stiffness, morning or night," Colvin said. ''Just basic camp soreness. That's a positive for me, that I was able to come out this year and not have to grind through everything. Grind through waking up. Grind through getting to the facility, through getting out of bed. Warming up -- half the practice is over before I really got warm."

 

He may feel back to normal, but Colvin knows the broken hip may have robbed him forever of his prime. Against Cincinnati, Colvin had Bengals running back Chris Perry wrapped up for an apparent 3-yard loss, but Perry spun and wiggled away, picking up 7.

 

''There's still room for improvement," Colvin said. ''There's still room for all the stiffness, all the soreness to go away. It takes time, the farther removed you are from the surgery date. Maybe in a couple years, I might feel completely done. But I feel good enough to go out and perform, and I think I can perform at a high level."

 

''Colvin is much better than he was last year," coach Bill Belichick said. ''He's better physically, and he's a lot closer to playing than he was last year. His timing and overall football playing is better, recognition and all those things. He has continued to climb slowly, obviously, because he's at a pretty high point, but steadily, and I think there has been a marked improvement."

 

''I have an opportunity to not think about and not be in pain every couple steps," Colvin said. ''I can think about having a good time, breaking the monotony of camp. Going out there, I'm focused on my job. I feel real comfortable this year, even more comfortable with the defense, knowing my responsibility as far as what I'm doing on every play, knowing where I'm supposed to be, where I'm supposed to line up. It gives you the opportunity to relax a little bit.

 

''When you feel comfortable knowing you can get your job done, then you have the opportunity to do other things. You're not worried about what can and can't I do. You're pretty much going all out."

 

Edited August 17, 2005 by Czarina

[Czarina]

What do you guys think of James Sanders as a long-term replacement for Harrison?  I drafted Sanders with my last pick as a longshot.

 

928871[/snapback]

 

 

 

Sanders is playing well. I didn't see much of last night's game vs. the Packers, but one time I tuned in, I did get to see Sanders make a nice interception.

 

Of course, everyone had an INT against the Pack last night.

[Czarina]

The NE run defense stiffened up quite a bit last night. Unfortunately, I don't know how much of that is due to the mediocre play of the Pack.

 

Stash this name: Ellis Hobbs. He's been making noise all preseason and seems to be the defensive darling of the NE media these days. I don't know how much Belichick likes him, since he runs his mouth a bit more than he should..but he's been a playmaker in the secondary thus far.

 

From the Reiss' Pieces blog:

 

Five players who helped themselves tonight:

 

* James Sanders -- rookie safety picks off a second-half pass, and more importantly was on the opening-game kickoff return team. It's a sign he's very much in the team's plans this year, perhaps leaping over second-year safety Guss Scott.

 

* Asante Samuel -- another game, another interception, he's a sure-fire opening day starter at cornerback.

 

* Ellis Hobbs -- rookie showed flash again as a kickoff returner, opening the game with a 43-yard return and setting the tone.

 

* Chad Scott -- with Duane Starks sidelined, veteran cornerback played a lot in the first half and held up well.