Day 350: Patriots Sign Edelman and Two Brandons

Geez, I go away for the weekend and what happens? The Patriots start signing guys left and right. And here I was up in the boonies with no laptop! Oh well... more good news out of Foxboro so I guess that's the important thing.

When I heard that Julian Edelman was meeting with the San Francisco 49ers, I broke out into a cold sweat. I had horrible visions of a repeat of last off-season when Tom Brady's favorite target, Wes Welker, left the New England Patriots for a Rocky Mountain high. Edelman had taken over Welker's role as that pesky slot receiver that Brady just loved to hit over the middle. They couldn't lose Edelman too. He caught 105 passes which was the fourth most in the NFL last season, and led the NFL with 53 catches over the final six games of the regular season.

But fear not, there won't be another Welker drama. The Patriots and Julian Edelman agreed to a new contract on Saturday, but as it stands right now, the details of the deal have not been made public. I thought I saw somewhere that it was a three-year deal but I can't actually confirm that anywhere and I possibly just made that up. Who cares... I'm just happy they got a deal done and we're not faced with another situation.

I reported in Friday's post that there were rumors that the Pats were interested in signing Seattle Seahawks corner, Brandon Browner—a recent member of that Legion of Boom thingy. Those rumors are now the truth. New England signed the former Seahawk on Saturday to a reported three-year, $17.5 million contract. Browner, who just came off a Super Bowl Championship season, will be serving a suspension to start the 2014 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. But all in all, he seems pleased with the opportunity to play in New England.

Today, I am proud to announce that I am a New England Patriot. I am honored that the Patriots are making me part of their legendary organization, and am grateful for the opportunity Mr. Kraft, Coach Belichick, Nick Caserio and the entire team have given me. I intend to diligently work with the same passion and dedication that I have displayed since coming into the NFL to uphold the great traditions and qualities that are embodied by the Patriots. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the Seattle Seahawks for giving a CFL player the once in-a-lifetime opportunity to return to the NFL, making a young boy's dream come true. To Coach Pete Carroll, GM John Schneider, John Idzik, Coach Richard, Rocky Seto, the LOB, my teammates, the training staff, the equipment guys the Seahawks organization as a whole and most importantly the 12th Man, I say thank you for everything you have done for myself and my family. I am a truly blessed person.

The Patriots also locked up another target for Tom Brady, signing former Panthers receiver Brandon LaFell. At 6 feet 2 inches and 210 pounds, LaFell will give the Patriots' receiving core some much-needed size. He caught 49 passes for 627 yards and five touchdowns while starting all 16 games. He caught more passes than Kenbrell Thompkins (32) and Aaron Dobson (37) so I think if he studies that Patriots playbook hard, he could be very successful in New England.

It also doesn't appear that the Patriots are stopping just yet. They're scheduled to meet with former Tennessee Titan wide receiver, Kenny Britt. The 25-year-old Rutgers product caught just 11 passes for 96 yards in 12 games in 2013. Britt was with Tennessee for five seasons and in that time, caught a total of 157 passes for 2,450 yards and he was a first round draft pick in 2009. More importantly, Britt has size—at 6 feet 3 inches and 215 pounds, he would be the biggest wide receiver on the team by about six pounds.

Things are looking good for the Patriots for the upcoming season—now we just need to keep all these guys healthy! And if Gronk comes back in good shape and doesn't get broken again... oh, boy!

Day 348: Hello, Mr. Revis... Good-bye, Mr. Wilfork?

Lots of things happening with the New England Patriots right now—some good, some not so much. So do you want the good news or the bad news? I guess I'll start with the good so you'll be all happy and won't care when I drop the bad news bomb on you. We all know that in the past few years, the Patriots have struggled to field a respectable secondary. Sure, Aqib Talib provided strength on the left side, but in his season and a half with the Pats, he failed to play in every game.

So in an effort to do a better job taking away that deep threat for the opposing teams, the Patriots were able to get at least one big name and they could possibly get two. Darrelle Revis is the good news. I never thought I'd ever be writing those words. When he played for the Jets, I despised him and his Revis Island. I wanted nothing more than for him to disappear. But then he showed up on the radar—a free agent, looking for a home—a home that would give him a chance to win and get his name back in the spotlight. He signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Pats.

There's also a rumor that the Patriots have been in talks with former Seattle Seahawks corner, Brandon Browner. The recent Super Bowl champion had previously been with Seattle for two seasons and played a big role in the Legion of Boom with Richard Sherman. No deal has been reported as of this posting, but Twitter is all a buzz with whispers that he cancelled his trip from Boston to DC to talk to the Redskins. Hmmm... Patriots... Redskins... is there really a question?

Now for some bad (or maybe it's just sad) news. Long-time Patriots' tackle, Vince Wilfork, has asked to be released. Wilfork has been with the Patriots his entire 10-year career and is currently in the last year of his most recent five-year contract and the Pats are asking him to restructure his deal to make room under the salary cap to sign some more big names—essentially some help for him. It's obvious that the Pats are putting forth their best effort to get Tom Brady another Super Bowl victory before he retires but Vince isn't interested in restructuring. So now he just wants to go...

It's understandable that he would feel slighted and wants to see what else is out there for him. He's coming off an injury-shortened season and he's 32 (old for a tackle). He's not at his most marketable right now. But he's been a run-stopping machine before and some other team might value his past performances enough to give him what he wants. We shall see where he lands.

Reports today also say that Patriots' wide receiver (and Bay area native), Julian Edelman, is currently meeting with the San Francisco 49ers. I don't like this. There has been no sign of any free agent receivers making the trip to New England so I'm sure I'm not the only Pats fan a bit nervous right now that we're going to see another Welker-like situation that leaves Brady with very few targets. Both Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks are available, but neither have been seen talking with the Pats. I think one of those guys would make a great addition to the receiving core that also includes Edelman so let's not screw this up, Bill.

So there's still a lot of work to be done and, for the most part, it looks like the Patriots can't and won't make everyone happy. You know what would make me happy? That elusive, fourth Super Bowl win. Let's get that done.

Day 346: NFL Free Agency: It's Not Good for the Blood Pressure

All day my guts have been in a twist. I've been anxious and short with people and just sort of an all-around douche. At first, I couldn't figure out what was eating at me. And then I realized it was the stupid NFL free agency that's got my undies in a bundle. It's just downright nerve wracking.

It's even more of a killer when your favorite team *cough* New England Patriots *cough* has been virtually silent and has only managed to lose players. I was never a real Aqib Talib fan but shit, if they're going to let a guy like that go, they damn well better have someone just as good, if not better in the wings. That did NOT happen last season when Wes Welker jetted off to Denver and Tom Brady was left with a collection of mediocre receivers. So you can totally understand why I'd be a little gun shy.

So with Talib gone and Julian Edelman also hitting the free agent market, I'm definitely shaking in my boots. Despite winning the AFC East (which basically a team of chimps could've done last year), the Patriots are still riddled with holes. Edelman needs to be a priority. He was the only solid, consistent receiver last season with 105 catches. He managed to escape serious injury and provided Brady with a pretty stable (albeit vertically challenged) target. Even if they manage to get him to stay, they could still use another durable receiver to take some pressure off. Why are the Pats not on the radar for Eric Decker? Spend some money, for crying out loud!

But honestly, what's really making me crazy is the Darrelle Revis situation. The Tampa Bay Bucs released Revis today making him the #1 free agent right now and there are a lot of teams looking at him. The Patriots, Eagles, Jets, Giants and Falcons have all expressed interest in the five-time Pro Bowler. I just hope that Revis is taking into consideration which team he'll have the best chance of getting to the playoffs with (hint, hint)—in addition to the money, of course. Can't forget about the cashola!

Please oh please Mr. Belichick and Mr. Kraft... bring Revis Island to New England!!

THIS JUST IN: DARRELLE REVIS TO THE PATRIOTS!! ONE YEAR, $12 MILLION!! They must have heard my pleas!!

Day 298: Wait... A Baseball Player Willing to Take Less Money?

My biggest problem with professional sports—particularly baseball—is the exorbitant contracts handed out. It's really starting to get out of control. A guy has one good year and all of the sudden, he thinks he's worth a gazillion dollars. And then he and his agent will stop at nothing to squeeze as much money as possible out of some desperate team who thinks this guy is the answer to their problems. More often than not, that's not the case. More often then not, that once amazing player catches a case of the Big Contract Blues and ends up being more of a hinderance than a help.

We see it over and over. By the time a baseball player has made a name for himself, his ship has usually already sailed. Or—and here's the worst possible scenario—that player used performance enhancing drugs to increase his value and get the big pay day. Then Major League Baseball starts cracking down on the drug problem and we find out that this once heralded player is just run-of-the-mill. The team that just robbed a bank to pay this guy is now burdened with a major disappointment.

Many of these money-grubbing players are in it strictly for the bucket loads of cash—no longer is it for the love of the game. They show no fire, no desire to be on a winning team if it means they won't get paid as much. The goal is to be showered with riches and long-term contracts so they can just get fat and slow and sucky and still guarantee that paycheck is going to keep on coming.

Sometimes, it's refreshing to see a guy who just loves playing the game. Someone who loves playing for a particular team so much that he's willing to negotiate contract extensions before free agency. And sometimes, he's willing to take less money and less time to make it happen. Look at Dustin Pedroia vs. Robinson Cano. Both play the same position, both have similar career numbers (Cano has a little more power, but Pedey has a better on-base percentage) but their contracts couldn't be more different.

Dustin Pedroia chose not to test the free agent market and negotiate his seven-year, $100 million contract with the Red Sox before his current commitment ended. Cano, on the other hand, hit free agency with a vengeance and teams battled for his services. His final deal came from the Seattle Mariners and weighed in at 10 years, $240 million—nearly $10 million more a year than Pedroia. But Pedey loves Boston and he was willing to take less if it meant staying in the city he calls home.

Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester is in the final year of his current contract and will be looking for some of the same love from the Sox front office that Pedroia got. He knows better than anyone that in order to stay with the Red Sox, it's not going to happen with a free-agent deal. The Sox just don't play that way anymore after being burned by too many deadbeat deals.

Lester needs to work closely with the team and his agents to get an extension done before he reaches free agency, ideally before the 2014 season starts. And he knows there's a very good chance he'll be taking a pay cut to stay in Boston. As long as the deal is fair for both sides, there's a very high likelihood that Lester could finish out his career in Beantown.

I mean... after a most surprising World Series win, who wouldn't want to stick around to see what this club can do next?

Day 263: Stephen Drew Still Remains Unsigned... Tick Tock.

After the Red Sox won the World Series, they immediately started preparing the team to defend their title in 2014. That meant trying to wrap up some of their free agents—making offers to the guys they wanted to come back, and letting the others go. They made $14 million qualifying offers to three guys: Mike Napoli, Jacoby Ellsbury and Stephen Drew.

We all knew Ellsbury wasn't coming back to Boston. That was pretty much a sure thing since last spring. I remember going to see the NESN traveling show in March—a kind of open forum where fans got to ask Don, Jerry and Jenny questions—and that's one that came up. Even then Jerry was certain Ellsbury would be gone after the season (much to the dismay of several young female fans in the audience.) I'm sure some folks thought after the World Series win, he might want to stick around for more of this winning thing, but the lure of the big contract took him away.

Mike Napoli and Stephen Drew also turned down their offers. Napoli had a contract offer from his former team, the Texas Rangers, that was rumored to be around four years. He turned it down. In the end it was a two-year, $32 million deal that he accepted to return to Boston. It's what he had wanted and luckily it worked out for everyone.

Stephen Drew's agent, Scott Boras (the douchebag), was positive that grass was greener on the other side. Drew turned down the one-year, $14 million deal to test the market. Boras convinced him that teams would be knocking down the door for his talents. The door has been left untouched. The problem with the players who have turned down a qualifying offer is that the team who eventually signs them, must forfeit their highest unprotected draft pick. For a mediocre offensive player, that's a lot to ask.

The Red Sox have been patient. They're not going to make some ridiculous offer to Drew to get him back. He's just not worth it. The Sox have a shortstop so it's not like their desperate. Xander Bogaerts is more than capable of playing on the big stage—as we learned this past October. And the Sox just acquired Jonathan Herrera, an infielder from the Colorado Rockies, in a trade involving Franklin Morales and minor league pitcher Chris Martin. Herrera will sure up the infield as a back up and reduce the need for the Sox to resign Drew.

This was probably pretty bad news for Drew because as of today, offers aren't just rolling in for him and the Sox might not need him. But that's par for the course for a Scott Boras client. This is what happens when your agent blows sunshine up your ass and makes you think you're better than you really are. Kind of like what he did with free-agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. He turned down a seven year, $140 million contract from the Yankees because Boras thought he deserved a contract closer to what Jacoby Ellsbury received. Boras countered and the Yankees ended up signing Carlos Beltran instead. Oops.

Drew and Choo will be two names to follow as the off-season continues... I can't wait to see what they end up with after what they turned down. Stay tuned!

Day 228: Three Qualifying Offers, Three Refusals and Three Free Agents

Soon after the World Series dust had settled, the Red Sox made $14 million qualifying offers to three players: Mike Napoli, Stephen Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury. And soon after that, each player declined to accept said qualifying offer.

I'm definitely not surprised that Drew and Ellsbury turned down their offers. Everyone knows Ellsbury is going where the money takes him. And Drew never struck me as a real solid Boston guy. I was sort of surprised that Mike Napoli turned down his offer. As one of the bearded ring leaders this past season, he appeared to be happy with his role with the Sox. But then I remembered what the Red Sox did to him over the off-season. I remembered that he was offered three years for $39 million... but then they took that offer back. So I guess, based on that tidbit, I might have refused too.

So now, all three players are officially free agents and the Red Sox have some decisions to make. Napoli is a priority. Without him, there's a hole at first base and as far as free agent first basemen go, he's a pretty good pick. His season was relatively solid—.259/23/92, but many of those hits were big, timely hits that made a huge impact. Or maybe those are just the ones I remember. I want him back... if only to see what kind of birds nest of a beard he shows up with in spring training.

While Stephen Drew is a great shortstop, I'm ok with him not returning to the team. His play in the postseason was nothing short of masterful as he patrolled the left side of the infield, but his bat left quite a bit to be desired. ESPN reported earlier today that he will not return to Boston because there are a number of teams willing to make multiyear offers beyond anything the Red sox would do. He's a Scott Boras client... and we all know what that means. Plus, I'm sort of looking forward to seeing what young Xander Bogaerts can do at short.

And then there's Jacoby Ellsbury. He came up through the Red Sox system and has been a fixture at the top of the lineup for the past seven seasons. He has compiled some pretty impressive career stats—.297 batting average and he led the American League three times in stolen bases. Naturally, I'm going to miss him when he goes. And he will definitely be gone. Nothing would surprise me more than Ellsbury returning to Boston in 2014. He's more into the wealth than the winning...

It will be interesting to see how the free agent market shakes out. It always is... I don't like to see a team torn apart before the shine of the World Series Championship wears off.

Day 215: What Comes Next for the Red Sox?

Before the official start to the Red Sox off-season begins, they have one more World Series celebration on the docket—this time celebrating with the city of Boston in the much loved Duck Boat Rolling Rally. If you find yourself in Boston Saturday morning around 10am, find a spot on Boylston, Tremont or along the Charles to try for a glimpse of the new World Series champions. It's supposed to be a beautiful November day... I'm sorry I'll miss it.

After the parade, the players' season might end, but the front office presses on with making sure Boston fields a team in 2014 that rivals these bearded champions. The off-season will be busy dealing with a number of would-be free agents.

The first order of business: Jon Lester. The Sox have exercised their $13 million option on the lefty, keeping him with the team through the 2014 season. Lester was 15-8 with a 3.75 ERA in 33 starts and in the playoffs, he was even better going 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA and 29 strikeouts in five starts. That's one they can cross off the list.

Jacoby Ellsbury is also a concern. He hits the free agent market coming off a season where he batted .298 and led the team with 52 stolen bases. The problem with Ellsbury is that mouth-breathing agent of his. Scott Boras is not a friend to the Red Sox. After the high of winning a World Series title, you might hope that Ellbury would like the winning more than a long-term, big-money contract. I'm going to guess Boras won't let that happen...

If Ellsbury doesn't get paid the big bucks, neither does Bor-ass. It's too bad, really. I mean Ells has had his ups and downs over his time in Boston—some might even question his physical toughness, but he's a speedy center fielder who can cover a lot of ground and shred pitchers' and catchers' nerves while on base. If he does go, will the Sox place their stock in Jackie Bradley, Jr. as a replacement in center? In his limited time in Boston this season, he really didn't make much of a splash.

In addition to Ellsbury, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Stephen Drew and Mike Napoli are all free agents and the Red Sox have until 5pm on Monday to make $14 million qualifying offers to all three. If the Sox do so, the players then have one week to accept the offer or decline and sign with another team. The qualifying offer isn't required, and the Sox can still make deals with those free agents.

If the team opts not to put forth the qualifying offers, they could be on the hunt for another catcher, a first baseman and possibly another infielder. If Drew doesn't return, there's always Xander Bogaerts waiting patiently in the wings to talk over at short. He more than proved himself and his ability to perform on the big stage in the postseason.

We'll see how it goes... the front office won't get much of a break heading into the holidays. This season's success will be a hard act to follow.