By: Jess Lander, YawkeyTalkies Editor
It’s Back!!
Yeah I know, it’s just a preseason game, but football is finally here. Take a break from the literally broken Red Sox, because I don’t know about you, but they are giving me some serious “Can we catch the wildcard?” anxiety.
Try to forget the last time we saw our Patriots in action. I know I don’t remember shit having drunk myself back to a time when we were the kind of team that doesn’t let the freaking Baltimore Ravens man handle us. So, grab some beer, some wings, and sit back and enjoy the beginning-of-a-new-year-anything-is-possible-bliss.
Lucky for our boys, their first competition is none other than the Saintly SuperBowl Champs. This might seem rather unlucky, but the fact is that these games don’t matter. So, even if Drew and his team breezes (I’m feeling quite pun-ny today) by the Patriots, it’s okay because it doesn’t mean anything. All it means, is we got to play against some good competition to help us prepare for the games that count.
Now, I know these games are hard to watch, especially by third when you don’t recognize any of our players on the field. But, exhibition matches will give us [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
With the start of training camp comes the start of a new NFL season. It’s a bit cliché, but every team starts 0-0 and with optimism that they could pull everything together and win the Super Bowl.
Some teams can be more optimistic than others. The New England Patriots are one of them. The Patriots have the talent and organization to be set up to win now.
That said, they are far from a perfect squad. The team is undergoing a youth movement on the defensive side of the ball, have some early injury concerns, and still have some off-field business matters to take care of.
Here are some of the Patriots’ biggest questions that need to be answered for the team to have a successful season.
1. Who will start at cornerback opposite Leigh Bodden?
Leigh Bodden’s five interception season earned him a new contract with the Patriots, but who will the team partner with him?
The two leading candidates are second-year corner Darius Butler and first-round draft pick Devin McCourty.
Butler played in 14 games last season, registering 33 tackles and three interceptions, including returning one for a touchdown.
McCourty is extremely versatile and could play a big role on special [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Two players will forever be tied together in their NFL careers as two teammates in college playing the same position were selected back-to-back in April’s NFL Draft.
Their link may not be as popular as Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf (though not teammates in college they were two heralded quarterbacks that went first and second in the draft and are constantly compared) but Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap will now forever be linked together in terms of their football experiences.
Cunningham, a senior, and Dunlap, a junior, were both members of the Florida Gators defensive line from 2007-2009. Both are naturally gifted athletes and were big pieces on a National Championship team. Both also have checkered pasts that have come into question.
While they will answer many questions throughout their rookie year, the New England Patriots will have one big question to answer: which of these two was actually the better pick?
The Patriots took Cunningham with the 21st pick in the second round (53rd overall), while the Cincinnati Bengals made Dunlap the very next selection.
New England’s biggest need was pass rushing, from both the outside linebacker and defensive end positions. Many outsiders wonder if Cunningham will make the [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
The Patriots 2010 draft class is certainly an interesting mix. There are no sure-thing stand-out studs, but there are quite a few solid players that certainly merit their respective selections. Still there are questions with a number of prospects as well as if the Patriots did enough to address their needs.
The Patriots again traded down in the first round, twice. Then with the 27th pick they selected Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty. The pick surprised a lot of people who were expecting a defensive end or outside linebacker. McCourty also wasn’t projected to be a first-rounder.
However, after the McCourty pick, of the next 23 picks four cornerbacks were taken as well as three safeties. With such a run on defensive backs, it’s likely the Patriots would have been unable to obtain any of them, let alone McCourty, the man they targeted and desired.
So they selected him, without much fanfare. But he’s a good overall corner, an incredibly smart player and person, a good locker room guy, and he can also contribute immediately on special teams. Not to mention the Patriots don’t have the greatest secondary to begin with. He will fit in right away with New [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Patriots fans, meet your newest player. Well, the newest as of the Pats first pick in the 2010 NFL draft.
After trading down twice in the first round the New England Patriots actually didn’t trade out of the round, unlike last year. With the 27th pick the Pats selected cornerback Devin McCourty, a senior out of Rutgers.
Although McCourty flew under the radar a bit, New England is getting a talented player at a position they sorely need help at.
In four years as a Scarlet Knight he amassed 261 tackles, six interceptions, two and a half sacks, and two forced fumbles. In 2009 he was a first team All-Big East selection.
While not a shutdown corner like Darrelle Revis or Nmandi Asomougha, McCourty comes pretty close. He’s very good in coverage and is an equally good tackler.
Not necessarily predicted to be a first rounder initially, McCourty had a strong combine with a strong 4.38 40-yard dash time that possibly pushed him into the first day of the draft.
With good speed, he also has returned his share of kickoffs. Without Wes Welker for the beginning of the season, New England could really use someone to step up in that [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
The NFL Draft is fast approaching. The New England Patriots have four picks in the first two rounds of what is considered a fairly deep pool.
Some positions the Patriots need help at include the secondary, pass rushing defensive linemen and/or linebackers, and tight end.
One player that Head Coach Bill Belichick likes, however, is quarterback Tim Tebow.
Tebow is arguably one of the best college football players of all time as well as being the most publicized prospect in the draft.
Would the Patriots and Tebow be a good fit though?
New England would be a great spot for Tebow to land.
The Patriots already have a starting quarterback, the one and only Tom Brady, so Tebow would have time to sit, learn, and develop.
The man he would be learning from would also be one of the top two quarterbacks in the league. Brady would take a ton of attention away from Tebow, especially since many have doubted his ability to be a starting NFL quarterback.
There are advantages for the Patriots to select him as well.
One of Tebow’s strengths is his ability to run the football. Currently, Brady isn’t much of a mobile player and sometimes neither are the Pats [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
They didn’t pay Asante Samuel. They didn’t pay Richard Seymour. It’s up in the air if they’ll give in and actually pay Vince Wilfork.
Now all this lack of commitment to such important players is having a rather large impact on a future free agent.
Wide receiver Randy Moss said on Saturday that he does not anticipate the New England Patriots to extend his contract after the 2010 season.
“You know the Patriots don’t really pay, so when I got my second contract from them that was a blessing in disguise. I understand the business. I don’t think they’re going to re-sign me back,” Moss told reporters at former Patriot Heath Evans’ charity softball event. “I’m not mad. I’m not bitter. It’s just the way things are in this NFL, so like I said after this year I’ll be looking for a new team. I think so.”
Moss is entering the final season of a three year deal and will make a base salary of $6.4 million. Combine the Patriots infamous frugality and the money that will be allotted to two other crucial players more valuable than Moss, and the outcome doesn’t look too rosy.
Vince Wilfork is the first [...]