Patriots Football Weekly Blog

Quick Kicks: Welker signs franchise tender

A day after hinting he wouldn’t miss any regular season games, Wes Welker signed his franchise tag tender contract. The Pro Bowl wide receiver confirmed the news via his Twitter account earlier this afternoon, moments after colleague Greg Bedard of The Boston Globe reported the move.

“I signed my tender today,” Welker wrote. “I love the game and I love my teammates! Hopefully doing the right thing gets the right results. #leapoffaith”

By putting his name to the one-year contract, valued at the average of the top 10 player contracts at his position (approximately $9.5 million), Welker is now eligible to take part in any and all of the Patriots’ offseason workouts. In the meantime, as he alluded to in his tweet, Welker and the team can continue to negotiate a longer-term deal as well, but only until July 15. According to NFL rules, if they cannot hammer out an agreement by then, Welker must play the 2012 season under the franchise tender.

It’s still possible the club could decide to trade Welker. The team had been steadily upgrading its wide receiver corps throughout the offseason, mostly with veteran free agents on one-, two-, or three-year deals. Consequently, competition at this position could be the fiercest of any in New England this summer, with or without Welker.

In all likelihood, however, the Patriots will retain the services of quarterback Tom Brady’s favorite receiver for at least one more season.

How do you feel about Welker’s signing the franchise tender? As always, we welcome your comments below.

Quick Kicks: Wilson soaking it all in

Fairly or unfairly, Tavon Wilson will be saddled with expectations in the NFL.

That’s what happens when a virtually unknown player gets drafted in the second round.

Wilson, though, said this weekend during Patriots rookie mini-camp that he doesn’t feel any added pressure to prove any of his critics wrong.

“I’m just very fortunate Coach Belichick made the pick. It was out of my hands. I’m just trying to be the best player I can be. It’s really not about proving anybody wrong. It’s about Tavon being the best player he can be. I’ve never been a person who tries to go out and prove something to someone.”

What does he hope to accomplish this weekend, then?

“I’m just trying to be the best player I can become,” Wilson continued. “Just try to get better every day. Just do whatever I’m asked by the coaches and take a step every day.”

One of the reasons the Patriots may have been attracted to the former Illinois defensive back is his penchant for film study.

“As I got older, I tried to attack the film room and understand offenses and how they wanted to attack me,” he explained. “I just like the advantage it gives you on the field, when it pays off and you know what’s happening. That’s something I’m going to do here also.”

In the meantime, he’s trying to get to know everyone in the organization as quickly as possible and absorb the intricate defensive playbook. Wilson said he’s already found his veteran teammates to be more than willing to help.

“This is a pretty tight group, so, I feel comfortable reaching out to the older players if I need to.

“It’s been great. Excited to be here,” he concluded. “I’m new to this, so, I’m just trying to learn as much as possible.”

Quick Kicks: HS coach high on Hightower

When Marshall County (Lewisburg, TN) High School principal and assistant football coach Keith Stacey is asked to recall Dont’a Hightower, one memory jumps out at him.

“We were playing Columbia Central High School. They were in a bigger conference. It was a Friday night game, and we were not picked by many to win. We did end up beating them,” Stacey began, almost as an afterthought.

“They ran an iso [play], and Dont’a was playing MIKE. He met the fullback in the A-gap and ran through him. I mean he just tackled the fullback and knocked the tailback for a loss at the same time… Totally blew the play up. That wound up on his highlight reel… it was devastating. He folded the fullback up right in the hole.”

Stacey said he has countless other stories about Hightower making a big hit, knocking the ball loose, running with it and scoring or just getting the ball back for the offense – an area Hightower, the ferocious linebacker, knew a thing or two about.

You see, his talent on the field wasn’t just limited to defense. As a sophomore, Hightower, according to Stacey, was competing for the starting running back job as well as his natural linebacker position. The role eventually went to a senior.

“I don’t think anyone ever doubted that Dont’a could win the job,” Hightower explained. “He’d go in and spell the starter, often play slot receiver, too. He was a man among boys. He could’ve been the starter at running back from Day One. The other guy was just older, and a lot of times, they get the bulk of reps. And Dont’a always played defense anyway.”

However, late in the year, that senior running back suddenly quit the team. So, Hightower finally had a chance to play both ways.

All he did, in Marshall County’s final four games, was rush for more than 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. That drew national interest in Hightower, the phenom from a small, small town an hour south of Nashville. He eventually settled on Alabama for college, but always made a point of going back to his hometown.

When he did, it was clear to those who knew him that he was destined for the NFL.

“I think he matured a lot at Alabama,” Stacey continued. “Physically, he got bigger. First time he came back, his freshman year at Alabama, he just looked so much more massive. He had become a man. We thought he was a man when he left us, but he was even more so. His attitude was very focused, he was of a singular mind, and very driven. When he tore his knee up his sophomore year [in Tuscaloosa], it gave him more resolve and determination to return better than ever.”

That’s exactly what Hightower did, and today, he’s about to embark on his professional career in earnest by taking part in his first Patriots practice.

To read more of Stacey’s reflections on Hightower and a profile of each of New England’s 2012 draft picks, check out the current issue of Patriots Football Weekly that’s on newsstands now. To subscribe call 1-800-494-PATS or go to PFWonline.com

Quick Kicks: Seau is SI cover story

Junior Seau’s tragic story is the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated.

Photo courtesy Sports Illustrated

There is a reaction piece from the San Diego community, as well as quotes from former teammates and NFL players. Seau was known not just for his on-field excellence, but also his involvement in community works, particularly through his charitable organization which catered to youth programs. Former Rams and Bears lineback Pisa Tinoisamoa, who benefited from a Seau-led outreach effort called Gangbusters, reflected on the influence that Seau and his reach had on his life.

“That saved my life. It had people around me and help set me straight…. June was behind that. I saw him on my birthday last July, and he came in playing his ukulele and singing Happy Birthday. I didn’t get to tell him personally what he meant to me, but he knew. He saw the success I had, and he was proud of me. Whenever I saw him, he would talk about how good I was. He was always positive. That’s why everyone loved him. They felt they were friends with June. He had that status about him, but to us he was just a man of the people.”

Seau’s former Chargers teammate, LaDainian Tomlinson, lamented that he couldn’t help Seau in his final days of despair.

“I feel awful that Junior didn’t feel he was close enough to anybody that he could say, ‘Look, something isn’t right.’ He didn’t feel there was anybody, and we all need someone we can go to and say, ‘There’s something going on with me.’ That’s the sad thing, but that’s who Junior was. He didn’t want us to know he was hurting on the field, so off the field he certainly wasn’t going to say anything.”

The issue also contains features on the correlation between depression and football, as well as the idolization of sports figures like Seau.

Quick Kicks: Light’s out

During an hour-long ceremony at The Hall at Patriot Place, Matt Light said his final farewells to Foxborough.

The 11-year veteran, an anchor at left tackle for the Patriots since his rookie year in 2001, officially announced his retirement this morning. Introduced by owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick, both of whom  gave humorous accounts of their relationship with the notorious jokester, Light, too, kept the mood relatively, well, light. There was one moment when he appeared to get emotional, while thanking the many individuals — some of whom were present — who have touched his life over the past 11 years.

GOOD TALK — Matt Light shared a smile and several laughs with family, friends, members of the Patriots organization, media, and a few lucky fans at his retirement press conference Monday. (Photo by David Silverman)

Light said he knew, heading into last season, that 2011 would in fact be his last season in the NFL. Age and health issues were beginning to take more of a toll on him, plus he wanted to spend more time with his family and on his charitable foundation. He conveyed the news of his impending departure several months ago to a select few, including teammate Logan Mankins.

“It’s a little weird. I’ve been with Matt for seven years,” Mankins reminisced after today’s event. “We played next to each other and it’s been great. He’s been a great teammate, great friend. It’s a little surreal still. You don’t believe he’s leaving. It’s hard to imagine going to practice or playing in a game and not having Matt sit behind me on the bus. We sat next to each other on the plane and he was a locker mate pretty close to me. It’s going to be a little different this season, my first season without Matt.”

In a video tribute to Light’s career, QB Tom Brady said he was going to try to talk Light into staying on longer, but the soon-to-be-34-year-old insisted he was through with playing football. He didn’t rule out, however, staying involved in the NFL in one form or another, possibly in a labor management role with the NFL Players Association.

Second-year man Nate Solder, drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, is the odds-on favorite to succeed Light at left tackle. Solder is perhaps more prepared to take over that high-pressure position than Light was as a rookie in 2001. Solder gained valuable experience last season playing both right and left tackle, whereas Light had to experience a trial by fire.

“We have good, talented players, a good [position] coach [in Dante Scarnecchia], a good scheme,” Mankins pointed out. “Matt will definitely be missed, but that happens in the NFL. Guys retire and you have to move on.

“Nate, he’s done a great job for us. We were very impressed with Nate, and he’s only going to get better this year… he better get better,” Mankins stressed, “because that’s what we expect of him.”

One other interesting note from today’s farewell ceremony involved Mankins himself. The Pro Bowl left guard recently underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, but was walking around The Hall with no brace or medical device of any kind, nor was he displaying any noticeable limp. Seems he is enjoying a successful recovery.

How do you feel about the Patriots’ offensive line without Matt Light? Let us know with a comment below.

Reports: Addai rushing in

Veteran running back Joseph Addai, who paid the Patriots a free agent visit last month, is reportedly signing with New England. That according to Peyton Manning (The Boston Globe’s Greg Bedard says a source has confirmed the move).

Speaking to a Colts beat reporter at a charity event in Indianapolis today, Manning said his former teammate was joining the Patriots. The club, you may recall, considered drafting him in 2006, but elected to choose Laurence Maroney in the first round instead.

Addai would provide New England with a much-needed veteran presence at tailback. Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen are still very green as they enter their second NFL seasons, while Danny Woodhead is in his fifth.

New England also had visits with veterans Tim Hightower and Ryan Grant in April.

Share your thoughts on Addai with a comment below.

Reports: Gaffney back in New England

Late Wednesday, media reports indicated that wide receiver Jabar Gaffney had signed a two-year deal with the Patriots (the story was first reported by ESPN).

Gaffney, 31, will reunite with the club that helped resurrect his career from 2006-08. He enjoyed three productive seasons in New England before signing with Denver as a free agent in 2009. He played last season for Washington, and in the week leading up to the Redskins’ game against the Patriots, QB Tom Brady made it clear he was still a fan of Gaffney.

“Jab could do everything well. I think that’s his versatility, he’s got good size, he’s got long arms, he’s got good speed, he’s got good quickness, he plays every position, he’s smart,” Brady said last December.

“He’s just one of those guys that, from the day we got him here, he was just so reliable and dependable because he knew what to do and he did it well. You gain a lot of trust from the quarterback when all those things matchup. I was bummed when he went to Denver and I was bummed when he went to Washington.”

Presumably, Brady’s not bummed anymore because Gaffney still seems to have plenty of football left in him. In fact, Gaffney enjoyed perhaps his most productive NFL season last year in D.C., starting 15 of 16 games and catching 68 passes for 947 yards, both career bests. His five TDs tied his previous career high set in 2007 with the Patriots.

Gaffney’s return further strengthens an already deep wide receiver roster in New England, and marks the second addition of a receiver from the prolific ’07 squad (Donte’ Stallworth recently re-signed with the Patriots). This position is shaping up to be one of the most competitive heading into training camp, if not the most, much like defensive line was last summer after the addition of so many veteran free agents. It also provides the team with yet another insurance policy should the contractual struggle with Pro Bowler Wes Welker stretch further than expected.

Thoughts on Gaffney’s comeback route to Foxborough? As always, share them with a comment below.

Memories of Junior Seau, 1969-2012

The news, when you first hear it, stuns you: Junior Seau, dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

But then, your thoughts revert to October 2010, when the former Patriots linebacker – less than a year removed from his final NFL season – drove off a cliff near his seaside California home. He survived, but was it really a cry for help?

Today, Seau seems to have taken matters into his own hands, irrevocably silencing whatever demons were haunting him.

The Seau I knew, in the four seasons he played for New England, appeared anything but troubled. He had a joie de vivre that never waned, at least in public. He always wore a smile, called everyone “Buddy,” was liberal in distributing hugs – to teammates and sometimes reporters who covered him – and loved to talk.

Particularly about his non-football life.

I had a wonderful conversation with him in 2007, about surfing and playing guitar, two of his favorite hobbies.

He told me that learning how to surf with one of the sport’s legends, Donald Takayama, was one of the toughest, most frightening experiences of his life.

“Definitely,” Seau admitted. “You have to overcome it, though, in order to get there and learn. It’s just you and nature. You can tell someone how to surf, but it’s up to you to go out there and take the time and earn the respect of the wave and the water. I’ve learned to respect nature, especially that beast out there called the ocean.

Junior Seau catching a wave off the coast of California, circa 2006. Photo courtesy Kevin Kinnear.

“Going out there on the board kind of gave me a connection with nature that I never felt before.”

“Junior picked it up really fast,” Takayama told me back then. “Riding a wave, like football, takes a lot of concentration. But you’ve got to wait for the wave to come to you. That keeps you very focused. When Junior caught his first wave, his eyes lit up, he had the biggest grin on his face, and he shouted ‘THIS IS GREAT!’”

After about a month, Seau got the hang of it and couldn’t stop thinking about it. Not a day went by, he said, that he didn’t daydream about going.

“When I get out of the water, I just want to hug everybody. There’s just something about it. It’s just so serene and peaceful … surfing calms you. You’ve just got to allow things to happen. On the football field, we’re always attacking … sometimes, you’ve just got to let the game come to you.”

Whenever we went on road trips, Seau always brought his guitar with him. He’d typically play in his hotel room, but when we were returning from London in 2009, he held an impromptu recital. We found ourselves with some extra time before the flight home from Heathrow. Seau broke out his trusty ukulele (easier to carry overseas) and began strumming, to the delight of everyone in earshot.

“I need a challenge besides just looking at Xs and Os, something I’ve been doing for 18 years [in the NFL],” Seau explained. “I need something that kind of induces me to think about, or forget about, something else.

“I’m doing very well,” he said about his progress at the time. “I’m putting things together, learning different types of chords. I play a little bit at night, which really relaxes me. From starting during training camp, to where I am now, I’ve definitely made some progress.”

Seau also owned the best sports bar I’ve ever patronized, located not far Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego and bearing his last name. It was there, in the autumn of 2008, before a Patriots-Chargers game, that he invited a group of media to dine with him in his private office overlooking the restaurant’s main dining area. He was retired – for the time being – but would soon re-join the Patriots, he hinted none too subtly, after owner Robert Kraft came to hand-deliver Seau’s AFC Championship ring from the previous season.

When he shouted the news of his impending un-retirement to those seated below, the place erupted in cheers … and they were mostly Charger fans. But they loved Junior.

He had a family, a fortune, a flock of fans, favorite pastimes … so many things to live for, all of which were in a violent struggle with the more turbulent side of his otherwise peaceful nature. Tragically, the light in his life could no longer penetrate the darkness.

Rest in peace, buddy.

Quick Kicks: Welker unsure about OTAs

Patriots WR Wes Welker made the rounds at ESPN today to promote prostate cancer awareness — a cause he’s been championing throughout this offseason. He appeared on several broadcasts, both TV and radio, in Bristol (where he bumped into Super Bowl foe Jason Pierre-Paul of the New York Giants).

Photo courtesy ESPN

A short time ago, Welker spoke with our ESPN Boston radio colleague Adam Jones about the status of Welker’s contract with the Patriots. He has yet to sign his franchise tag tender (valued at around $9.5 million), and until he does — or signs a long-term deal — he cannot participate in any offseason activities with the team.

Jones asked Welker what the chances are that he’ll miss workouts next month. The Pro Bowl receiver responded, “I’m not 100 percent sure on that. I don’t know if I will or not. I’m thinking I’m probably not going to [attend], but things could change … We’ll just see how it all plays out.”

Skipping mini-camps and OTAs might not be that big a deal, but if Welker still doesn’t have a contract by the end of July, his holdout could extend into training camp, which would be problematic for both sides. Welker said earlier this offseason that his franchise tender would be difficult to walk away from, assuming he didn’t get a longer-term offer from New England. So, it would seem that he doesn’t want to drag out the negotiations any longer than necessary. But …

“I just feel that this was the best, really the only, leverage I had is to take this route,” he continued with Jones. “It’s not a route I thought I’d ever take, just because that’s not me. It’s just kind of the spot I’ve been put in. You want that long term deal and that security. Toward the end next season [if the tender is signed] if we’re still in the same spot it’s going to be the same scenario again. I’ll be sitting on another winning lottery ticket and all I have to do is stay healthy through the next year. It’s kind of hard as a player because you just want to go out there and play and be able to do everything you want to do and play well and not worry about getting hurt or getting injured. Just go out there and enjoy the game and play it to the best of your ability and not have those worries.”

Concluding his interview with Jones, Welker stressed that he understands that what’s happening between him and the team right now boils down to a business transaction, but that there’s nowhere else he’d rather be than in Foxborough once the smoke clears.

“Obviously I want to stay in New England, that’s objective No. 1. Hopefully we can make that happen. Really that’s all I look toward. I don’t see it going any other way, but it is still part of the business and some of the things we have to figure out.”

Report: Addai visits Patriots

In addition to Ryan Grant and Tim Hightower, New England also hosted veteran free agent running back Joseph Addai this week. The news was first reported by The Boston Globe’s Shalise Manza Young.

A first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts back in 2006, Addai was released by Indy last month after several mostly productive, if oft-injured, years. The soon-to-be-29-year-old has a Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl championship under his belt.