Torry Holt is now a New England Patriot

The Patriots have added another piece to their wide receiver corps.  Today, the team inked a deal with free agent wide receiver Torry Holt. Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston reports:

The Patriots have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with veteran wide receiver Torry Holt, according to a league source. ESPN’s John Clayton reports the deal could be worth up to $1.7 million.

The 33-year-old Holt played for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, totaling 51 receptions for 722 yards. Holt, who spent the first 11 years of his career with the St. Louis Rams, enters his 13th NFL season.

While Holt, who will turn 34 this Junes, won’t be an absolute game breaker for the Patriots, he still could have an impact.  He isn’t the dominating presence he once was in St. Louis, but he could step up and be a solid #3 for the Patriots.  The #3 that Jabar Gaffney was, and that Joey Galloway wasn’t.

Holt will compete with Brandon Tate and possibly a rookie for playing time.  The worst case scenario I see with Holt is him being a great 4th receiver.

This is a low risk, potential high reward deal.  If Holt can return to anything close to his 2007 form, the Patriots will have added another great weapon for quarterback Tom Brady.

Photo Courtesy Athlon Sports

The situation with Bryant is a very interesting one.  He is an immense talent, but there are some serious character questions surrounding him.  He is big, physical, has great hands, can make the tough catch.  But again, there are some character questions surrounding him that make you question if he is a top 10 pick.  Add his poor 40 yard dash time at his pro day on top of that, and you have a situation where a top 10 talent could wind up falling to the later portions of the first round.

The Patriots, in this case, are preparing for that exact scenario: what if Dez Bryant is there at 22?  By bringing him in to the facilities, Bryant will get a chance to meet with the coaching staff, possibly some teammates; allowing the Patriots to further access his character.  If the Patriots feel that Bryant is actually a good locker room guy, and has a high football IQ, then I believe they will greatly consider him if he falls to 22.  Randy Moss is in the last year of his contract, and the Patriots will need an outside threat to replace him if he does in fact leave after 2010.

Other players who have visited or are expected to visit with the Patriots include quarterback Tim Tebow of Florida, versatile defensive lineman Arthur Jones of Syracuse, running backs Montario Hardesty of Tennessee and Ryan Mathews of Fresno State, outside linebacker Jerry Hughes of TCU, defensive backs Kurt Coleman of Ohio State and Dominique Franks of Oklahoma, nose tackle Dan Williams of Tennessee, defensive end Tyson Alualu of California.  There have also been “reported” visits with conflicting reports regarding defensive linemen Cam Thomas of North Carolina, and Brian Price of UCLA.

There’s a lot that stands out from those names.  First, it is clear that the Patriots definitely intend to address the defensive line during the first two rounds of the draft, as the team has also looked at defensive lineman such as Jared Odrick, Torrell Troup, Al Woods, etc.  Second, the only pass rusher the Patriots have brought in for a pre-draft visit that we know about is Jerry Hughes.  Hughes is shorter than your prototype 3-4 outside linebacker, but he is explosive, and arguably one of the best pass rushers in this year’s draft.  Last, the Patriots could be looking to bring fresh legs to the running back position, as they are looking at two of the top runners in Ryan Mathews and Montario Hardesty.  We have already discussed Mathews on this blog, but Hardesty is an interesting guy as he shows good agility and power, although he lacks breakaway speed (and injuries could be a problem).  The Patriots could snag him in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Overall, this should be a big week for pre-draft visits, and we’ll be sure to report all of them as they happen.  It’s officially less than two weeks to the NFL Draft, and I couldn’t be more excited.

The Patriots have signed veteran defensive tackle Damione Lewis

The Patriots have added a new face to their defensive line.  According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots have agreed to a contract with former Panthers and Rams defensive tackle Damione Lewis.

The deal will reportedly contain a low amount of guaranteed money, but shouldn’t be worth more than the $755,000 Lewis earned last season.

At 6′2″ and just over 300 pounds, Damione Lewis has played exclusively defensive tackle in the 4-3 for his career.  He has put up some decent sack numbers, but was primarily a run stuffer last year in Carolina when he started all sixteen games.  For the Patriots, Lewis should be able to play multiple positions.  While his size would project him the defensive end in the Patriots’ 3-4, he could probably slide inside over nose.  Assuming he makes the roster, the majority of his contributions will probably come as a rush defensive tackle in four man fronts, likely on third downs.

While this isn’t a blockbuster signing, it is certainly a solid pickup, as Lewis should be able to find himself a niche in the Patriots defensive line rotation.

Kevin Faulk Back in 2010 | Courtesy Patriots.com

Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com reports:

The New England Patriots announced Wednesday afternoon that they’ve agreed to terms with running back Kevin Faulk.

The team did not release the terms of the deal, but a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter the deal was for one year and will be signed Thursday. Another source said that Faulk will receive a $1 million signing bonus and can earn an additional $2 million in salary and incentives.

Faulk, who has been with New England since 1999, has been one of the Patriots’ most reliable veteran receivers. While he’s slowed down a bit of late, he remains productive. Faulk averaged 5.4 yards per carry last season, with 335 yards on 62 carries, while tying for fourth on the club with 37 receptions.

Another great deal for New England, as they return yet another key veteran from 2009.  Faulk, who will be 34 this coming season, hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.  Although he may be the oldest running back under contract in the NFL, Faulk has avoided the wear and tear of your typical every down back, and should be back to his usual third down and passing back role in 2010.

A lot of people were worried that, considering the time it took to get this deal done, Faulk might be contemplating other options.   However, that was never the case.  According to reports, Faulk deflected interest from up to five different teams (even receiving offers from the Redskins and Eagles), but never really considered leaving the Patriots.  2010 will be Faulk’s 12th year with the Patriots.  He still wants to win, and he still has a lot to offer.

Hold off on the celebration for now, but it looks like Bodden is returning

Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com reports:

Free-agent cornerback Leigh Bodden has reached an agreement in principle to return to the New England Patriots, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports.

Bodden, who spent today in Houston visiting the Texans, had also been keeping an open dialogue with the Patriots. While an agreement in principle has been reached with New England, Bodden’s agent, Alvin Keels, cautioned that no contract has been signed at this point.

“Reports of Leigh Bodden re-signing with the Patriots are not true and premature at best,” Keels wrote on his Twitter account. “Leigh is still evaluating his options. Leigh has always indicated his desire to return to New England, but nothing is official and probably will not be until [tomorrow] at the earliest.”

Essentially, what Keels is saying is that the two sides have a deal in place, but Bodden has yet to sign the actual contract, meaning nothing is official as of yet.  If this is true, and barring any hiccups in the contract being signed, bringing back Bodden will be huge for the Patriots.

Bodden, in my opinion, is a #1 cornerback in this league.  To prove this to you, I bring in data from ProFootballFocus.com.  According to their rankings, Bodden was the 14th best cornerback in the league last year.  He was 13th best against the pass and 13th against the run.  Only 50% of passes thrown his way were completions, good for tenth in the league.  Lastly, his average QB rating of all passes thrown his way was just 59.3, good for 13th in the league.  What does all of this tell us?  It tells us that Bodden is a top 15, starting, #1 cornerback in this league.  With his blend of physical play at the line, his excellent man coverage, and ability to step up against the run, the Patriots will be lucky to have Bodden back in the fold.

With a potential return of Bodden, the Patriots would have him, Shawn Springs, Jonathan Wilhite, Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley, and Kyle Arrington on the roster at the position.  Bodden would be starting on one side, while Springs, Wilhite, and Butler would battle it out for the other starting position (although Butler and Wilhite will have to man the slot position as well).

If the agreement holds, this move will really solidify the Patriots’ secondary.

Free agent wide receiver Josh Reed has scheduled a visit to New England.

A league source tells PFT’s Mike Florio that Reed will visit the Patriots on Sunday.

Reed is coming off a season in which he was largely phased out of the Bills’ offense, catching just 27 passes for 291 yards.

In 2008 Reed had a career-high 597 receiving yards on 56 catches.

If the Patriots signed Reed, he would immediately be penciled in as the #3 receiver until Wes Welker gets back from injury. He’s also a strong veteran presence and a good locker room guy, traits the Patriots need.  More on this later as details emerge.

Be Happy Big Daddy | Courtesy Patriots.com

The highly anticipated contract extension for Vince Wilfork is finally here.  And boy is it big.  According to multiple reports, the Patriots have inked Wilfork for five years at $40 million, with $25 million in guarantees.  $18 million will be in signing bonuses.

This is a huge move for the Patriots.  First, it sends a great message throughout the locker room, and gets rid of that perception that the Patriots “don’t pay.”  Clearly, after giving Wilfork the richest contract for a nose tackle in league history, the Patriots do pay for the right guys.  Vince Wilfork is the right guy.  The deal is also very reasonable.  At $8 million a year, the deal is slightly less than he would probably get on the open market, but he also gets all that money guaranteed, doesn’t have to adjust to a new location, etc.  By the time this deal expires, Vince Wilfork will be 33, but will have been a Patriot for 11 years.  At that point, there’s no telling what the Patriots roster might look like.  But if Vince continues to play the way he has, he will go down as one of the all-time Patriots’ greats.

Re-signing Stephen Neal will be an underrated move | Courtesy Patriots.com

The Patriots also made one more move on the opening day of free agency by signing guard Stephen Neal to a contract extension.  Neal, when healthy, is one of the best pass protecting guards in football.  Although he is 33, he is still very effective getting out on screens, and it is well documented that the Patriots line as a whole plays better when he’s in the lineup.

No word yet on what the contract will be for Neal,  but it will be interesting to see how the rest of the line shapes up now that he will be back.  The interior seems set: Logan Mankins will be back at left guard, Koppen at center, with Neal at right guard.  But there are a lot of questions surrounding the two tackle spots.  The two most talented tackles on the roster are Matt Light and Sebastian Vollmer.  However, the Patriots recently extended Nick Kaczur, who was expected to move to right guard if Neal retired or signed elsewhere.  The most likely option is that Light will continue to start on the left side, with Vollmer replacing Kaczur on the right, with Kaczur the team’s top backup.  However, there is a chance that the Patriots do ship one of their veteran tackles out of town, namely Light or Kaczur.  This will certainly be an area to watch heading further into the offseason.

Overall, this was a solid first day of free agency for the Patriots.  They re-signed three key players in Vince Wilfork, Tully Banta-Cain, and Stephen Neal.  While the Patriots didn’t bring in any outside help from the likes of Julius Peppers and Anquan Boldin, they secured three starters.  In the coming 48 hours, I’d expect them to move closer to a deal for Leigh Bodden.  After that, look for them to address the defensive line, wide receiver, and tight end through some low cost veteran additions.

TBC Against the Jets | Courtesy Patriots.com

The Patriots have made their first major move in free agency, and it involves keeping one of their own.  Today, the Patriots announced that they signed outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain to a three year contract extension.  The deal will be worth an average of $4.5 million a year, with incentives that could bring it up to $6 million per year.  The deal also includes a $6 million signing bonus.

My first reaction is that I’m just glad to have him back.  After seeing impact defensive players leave the Patriots year after year, its nice to see the Patriots hold on to Tully Banta-Cain, especially after losing out on the Julius Peppers sweepstakes.  While Banta-Cain isn’t the most effective player when it comes to setting the edge, he is very disruptive as a pass rusher.  He has an explosive first step, and has a good variety of pass rushing moves.

My second reaction is that this contract is pretty rich.  If Banta-Cain is clearly being paid like a starter, rather, a premier starter.  However, it is clear that the Patriots value his services, and think that he should be able to continue to produce at a high level next season and beyond.  Good for Tully.  He earned it.  And to think, this time last year, people thought he would be nothing more than camp competition.

By the way, check out the 8:15 mark of this video for one of Tully’s best plays from last season.

The Patriots have an offer on the table for Panthers DE Julius Peppers, a source told the Boston Herald.

How much is not clear. And the Patriots will need to get behind the Bears, who made first push. But coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots are in the mix.

All the signs pointed towards Peppers landing with the Bears, and now, I really just don’t know.  If Julius Peppers truly wants to win a championship, and potentially become an all-time great, the choice should be a no-brainer for him.  I don’t know if the Patriots are matching the Bears’ offer, but these next few hours will certainly be interesting.

Update: This is also being reported by Jason La Canfora of NFL.com

For the tenders, Logan Mankins received the highest possible tender, as it will take a first and a third round pick to pry him from the Patriots.  Kicker Stephen Gostkowski received a second round tender.  While Gostkowski likely won’t be signed to an offer sheet, I wouldn’t count out the possibility.  Outside linebacker Pierre Woods received the lowest possible tender, meaning the Patriots have the right to match any tender he signs, but since he was an undrafted free agent, they would get no compensation if he signed an offer sheet with another team and the Patriots chose not to match.

However, the surprising move out of the Patriots camp today was the release of veteran tight end Chris Baker.  Baker was a “prized” free agent addition on the first day of free agency last year, and I’m surprised to see him cut after only one year.  Baker played a lot for the Patriots, and while he wasn’t used as a receiver very often (only 14 grabs), he did manage to do a decent job as a blocker.

Baker’s release is coupled with the impending free agency of tight end Benjamin Watson.  Watson, 29, is coming off another year where he showed flashes, but never put it together consistently.  Maybe the Patriots are going to sign an extension with Watson, but it seems like Watson is intent on testing the open market.  Possibly, although I think unlikely, the Patriots are getting prepared to ship one of their second round picks to Chicago for tight end Greg Olsen.

No matter the case, the Patriots are clearly going to have a large turnover at the tight end position this offseason.