Report: Lua failed physical
It got lost a bit in the news that the team had cut starter Rosevelt Colvin, but the Patriots also released injured reserve linebacker Oscar Lua on Tuesday. Lua missed all of last season with a knee injury, reportedly a torn MCL the seventh-round pick out of USC suffered in preseason action. A report on NFLDraftScout.com says that Lua was cut yesterday becaues he’d failed a physical. That makes sense because regardless of his talents or future with the team, New England is very limited in numbers at linebacker at this point. Never mind starters and regular season contributors, the Patriots don’t have anywhere near the bodies the team needs at linebacker to just hold practices in training camp. Now we know that Lua’s health was the reason for his release.
February 27, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Yet another draft pick from last few years to to get cut, I trust in Bill but its is frustrating to watch teh draft year in and year out as a die hard fan and then watch our draft picks get cut its like we are wasting picks on people we dont intend to develop we are not the draft generals people say we are.
February 27, 2008 at 5:18 pm
We’ve seen guys like this get re-signed at some point. Sometimes this is just a procedural thing.
February 27, 2008 at 5:43 pm
If we are going to resign someone it should be Rosie Colvin I am very dissapointed that we let him go. I mean the way I see it we dont need as much help at Linbacker as people keep saying had we kept the guys in there. If Rosie was going to ready for the season opener this is how I saw it, AD and either Bruschi or Seau at ILB and Rosie and Vrable on the outside. that is a good corps as far as I see it. We won 18 games last season and only lost once but somehow everyone and there mother is out here saying that we need all this help at linebacker. Until Rosie got hurt we had nothing to worry about at linbacker from where I was sitting. Now we loose Rosie so it plays out like this, now AD can’t go back to the inside which is where he played his best I think and I have read a few other people say they liked him better at inside as well. So AD is forced to play outside and thats the problem. If AD could play inside and Bruschi and Seau took turns at the other spot that would be fine but if AD is on the outside the inside looks like crap because then we are too old. We should have kept Rosie and then we would be a in a good spot but now we really do need to go out and make something happen. If we resign Rosie then we are looking good but if we dont then we need to draft a LB in the 1st which to me would not have been the case had we kept Rosie. If we had kept Rosie we could spend our first rounder on a CB which is what I think we NEED to do. Rosie was the key and now we really are in trouble. But as I always say in these situations…..In Bill we trust
February 27, 2008 at 6:26 pm
I’m hoping we grab Jonathan Goff in the third or fourth round. He had a good combine and would fit well in our 3-4 system. Not to mention he is a Massachusetts native and a Patriots fan. Seems like a really good fit.
February 27, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I knew that the Colvin cut was coming, he is a good linebacker but he isn’t worth 7 million next season he has been hurt a lot as while. I mean they could get Lance Briggs for that. However maybe they can work out a deal with Colvin and bring him back for a cheaper price. I know it has been said for the last couple of seasons but we need to bring in younger linebackers with the draft getting guys like Vernon Gholston in the first round and maybe trade up and get someone like Curtis Lofton from OU, I feel he would be the best fit for are 3-4 for an inside backer. I know cornerback is a place we need to draft however in Coach Belichick’s D I feel like the front 7 is the most important. LETS GET SOME YOUTH IN THE DRAFT THIS SEASON THAT PLAYS….
February 27, 2008 at 7:46 pm
I just hope we keep the “youth” you are talking about because the team I have been watching the last two years draft like 7 or 8 guys and then they cut like 6 of them.
February 27, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Its because Belichick needs to realize that you cant expect to draft a linebacker in the 6th round and have him become the next Ray Lewis or Junior Seau. Getting a stud like Tom Brady in the 6th round was wonderful but that is rare. It is possible (although unlikely) that the Patriots trade the 7th pick for perhaps a 2nd round pick this year and a 1st round pick next year because next year’s linebacker class looks to be a great one. I don’t like the idea of not having a 1st round pick this year but they will do whatever they feel is best for the team. I would like to see them take a guy like Gholston high up or someone like Goff in the 3rd or 4th round. But we won’t rebuild the linebacker corps with these little known 7th round picks. You can get away with that at the runningback position but you can’t with the linebacking corps. Lord knows there have been good linebackers in the last few drafts. Patrick Willis in particular is a beast and is already well on his way to being the best linebacker in the entire league. We also need some upgrades at wide receiver. Currently we only have two wide receivers under contract; Wes Welker and Chad Jackson. Obviously we are trying to get Moss back as well as Jabar Gaffney I would hope. But if one or both of those guys go elsewhere we will be in trouble at receiver. And while there are some pretty good receivers in the free agent pool they will command much more money than they are worth.
February 27, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I understand what you are saying, but Oscar Lua isn’t a first round pick or anything he is a 7th. It is pretty hard to hit on a 7th round pick. Last year the reason why we didn’t have a good draft was because we traded 2 picks for Wes Welker, and another one for Randy Moss. I think those trades were good ones.
February 27, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Colvin reportedly failed a physical, and his salary was enormous for the coming year. I hope we resign Lua, but in any event he was a 7th-round pick, and unlikely to ever make a productive career. I think we can expect the team to take a close look at Calvin Pace and Victor Hobson in free agency, as well as perhaps Briggs. Also, I expect that Gholston, Lofton, or Goff will be examined carefully. Colvin was reported to suffer an injury to both his foot and his arm, and he is 31 years old. This is likely just another case of the Pats knowing when to fold a bad hand. I doubt we’ll sign anyone as big-name as Adalius Thomas, but players like Pace and Hobson share a lot of similarities with a player like Mike Vrabel, who was mostly inconspicuous before joining the Patriots.
February 28, 2008 at 1:09 am
Tom,
Do you think the Patriots could possibly pursue Andre Davis of the Texans? He is a good kick returner and a decent receiver.
February 28, 2008 at 1:10 am
And yes I know we had him once before back in 2005 but he seems to have gotten a little better since then.
February 28, 2008 at 7:06 am
Lets not forget that for all the faults, the Pats have been in the top 5 or 10 in scoring defense the last few of years. So for all the cuts, and all the supposed problems the Pats have with personnel, they seem to have a pretty good idea of what they are doing. Bellichick favors veteran linebackers. I don’t think that’s going to change. He may bring in one young guy, but I wouldn’t expect to see a wholesale revision of his philosophy.
February 28, 2008 at 10:15 am
A little off topic, but are people still hating on picking up Pac-Man Jones? With the secondary, linebacker, and possible even the recieving core thinnning out, the option of picking up Pac-Man for a fifth or sixth round pick is starting to look better. I don’t feel confident going to the draft addressing too many needs. I reallize there is a huge risk here, but if you are going to pick up players in the late rounds just to cut them before they play in a game, why not take a risk on someone with a little talent to get his life and career on track? Also, Many people feel that the Pats image is tarnished as it is, so the public’s perception is as doesn’t carry as much weigth as it did a year ago.
I don’t know, maybe it is too much of a risk and I reallize that he still has to be reinstated. I wonder what Fred thinks about this.
February 28, 2008 at 11:21 am
Getting Adam Jones would be a very bad idea. The guys suspension just got extended until July. So he wouldn’t even be allowed to work out with the team until July and on top of that if he were to commit even one more offense he would be slapped with another year long suspension or worse. It just wouldn’t be worth the risk. I’d rather take my chances with Ellis Hobbs.
February 28, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Wesley: The Pats already had Andre Davis on their team once.
February 28, 2008 at 4:11 pm
JG that doesnt mean jack, so are you saying we wont sign Ty Law because he has already been on our team once? thats dumb. Now that i got that over with let me just say where is the loyalty with this patriots team? I mean now Randell Gay would rather test the market? what did we do to piss him off huh? we only signed him as an undrafted free agent oh by the way Mr Gay that means no one else thought you were worth a damn except us and we got him to where he is today but he is going to test the waters? screw this guy, and as For Asante I really do hope he lands in a Saints uniform. Because if he goes to the saints he willl suck! thats right he will get there and they will realize as good as he is he was great when he played here because he had a whole defense behind him helping him, with the Saints he will be the best player on their D and will not be able to do it alone and therefore I think he will have a big drop off and end up being a dissapointment and that makes me smile. If he goes to the jets though then he will be a sucsess story and it will haunt us for years.
February 28, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I know, I stated that after, but he seems to have become a better player since then and is a good kick returner, I was thinking for the right price he’d make a good special teamer/ no. 4 receiver.
February 28, 2008 at 8:43 pm
David Givens was just waived by the Titans after 2 seasons where he only caught 8 passes for 104 yards. Players who succeed in New England rarely find the same success elsewhere. Ty Law had one good year after leaving, Lawyer Milloy has never been as good since he left, Deion Branch is a non-factor for Seattle. There is one guy though who left but who I would love to have back and thats David Patten. That man worked his butt off and took advantage of every opportunity he was given which is why he was the number 2 receiver for New Orleans this past season. I hope the Patriots keep Asante. If they don’t then I just hope he goes to a team that is not the Jets, Colts, Chargers, Giants, Dallas, or Denver (Tom seems to struggle against Denver and if they had Champ Bailey and Asante he wouldn’t be able to throw against them).
As for free agents this year I hope we sign Kelley Washington, he was a beast on special teams and if given more time could find a role as a number 3 or 4 receiver. I would also like to see the Patriots sign Randy Moss obviously, and I’m hoping Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau come back, I’m not sure both of them will though. If only one of them was going to return I’d put my money on Seau. I also think we need to sign a solid number 3 receiver, whether its by resigning Jabar Gaffney or by going after a guy like Bryant Johnson. Though I wouldn’t mind seeing the Pats draft Andre Caldwell. Though we do still have Chad Jackson, though he hasn’t done anything.
February 28, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Wesley,
I think everyone in New England thought Givens was a decent receiver but that the Titans vastly overpaid for him. However, he suffered a devastating knee injury early on in Tennessee, so it’s unfair to say that he underachieved. While I feel he wouldn’t have put up big numbers with the Titans, it’s impossible to know for sure because he never really got a chance to play.
February 28, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Kenny: There’s a big difference between Davis & Law. Davis wasn’t any good when he was here. I personally liked having him here as he was a childhood friend of a buddy of mine (who was a Bills fan, thus allowing me to rib him a bit about Andre).
As Wesley said, he seemingly has become a better player, but OTOH he was just re-signed today so it is all moot anyways.
On Givens, I always really liked him, but Tom’s right - he was a good enough guy, nice little player, but he was *not* worth the contract he was getting.
February 29, 2008 at 2:15 am
Randall Gay SHOULD test the market. Someone is going to overpay him due to the lack of usable corners on the free agent market. He doesn’t owe the Patriots anything. He’s never had a big contract, and this is probably his one chance to get paid. As a guy who has worked hard outside of the spotlight for the Pats, I’ll be glad to see him get his reward. It’s a business. The Pats don’t hesitate to cut players who no longer contribute, and the players go where things are best for them. Guys like Bruschi and Brady and Moss can take below market deals (and we love them for it) but those are guys who have already made a lot of money and can afford to “settle” for 80 cents on the dollar to play for a good team like the Pats. Gay is in a different world. He probably has exactly one chance to make a big pay-day, and this is it.
February 29, 2008 at 8:54 am
Hey Casale,
Any chance you or Andy will be blogging the Free Agent signings?
February 29, 2008 at 3:24 pm
With free agents going off all over the place there so much to talk about. Lorenzo Neal got realeased I know I have been saying how much I love Evens but man Maroney would have a good year with Neal in front of him. Drayton Florence could be a good CB if we look his way as well. And what about the Jets guys, first they pick up one of my faverite coaches in Rex Ryan and now they go out and trade for a good nose tackle in Kris jenkins from the Panthers. They are making some moves. How cool would it be if Stallworth went to the Browns? it would make me happy to see another former Pat go with Romeo. and JG i stick by what I said I dont see it any diffrently after you response. The way you said it was like its a rule or something like “oh he already played her so he cant possibibly come back to our team” and and what I said still stands it does not matter. You sounded like you one of those kids that plays madden and then trys to cross the Madden world with the real world. In the real world just because Davis played here two years ago does not mean the pats would sign him again, and that is the same no matter if its davis or Law or who ever.
February 29, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Asante is gone, just signed a 6 year deal with the Eagles. I say good riddance, let him go get paid, we’ll find someone better to take his place (maybe Antoine Cason). However cornerback is now our biggest position of need with only Ellis Hobbs left on the roster.
March 1, 2008 at 12:52 am
Let me just say its 11:51 and i am still stuck in the office man I wish I had some bloggin to read which is you guys need to have a year long Patriots blog!
March 1, 2008 at 2:29 am
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Why would the Browns trade Leigh Bodden AND a third round pick for Shaun Rogers??? What a bonehead move. Shaun Rogers is talented yes, but he also doesn’t have that much heart and takes plays off, not to mention he rans out of gas faster than an RV running on a quarter tank. Leigh Bodden was turning into a very good corner. I love Romeo but I really have to wonder what he and the rest of the staff were thinking.
March 1, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Andy, Tom-
In case you did not know Free Agency has started; care to share some info on what’s going on.
Are you hell bent on enhancing your reputation as the worst blog in Boston ? If not write something; every other blog in the country is updating every five minutes.
March 4, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Congrats to the Leg, he just got a shoutout from Reiss’ mailbag
March 4, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Rosie (COLVIN) must have had a bad physical report from the Docs to be cut. Randall Gay was getting burnt left and right during the last half of the year so glad he’s gone. Ty law would be a great fit. He is still young (comparing Rodney Harrison) and id bet The Law could make a great improvement if he came back. W/ sanders and Hobbs in the mix of greatness. Samuels had a chip on his shoulder and I really thought the Patriots would send him away (and they did) good choice but the void is still there and decisions need to be made to fill the defense w versatile players in the secondary…BUT WHOM!!!
April 29, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Aaron…
The pen is really mightier than the sword, as you have proven here….