Mayo nearly took someone’s head off making a stop in the 7-on-7 drill, which just got started. This is the best chance we’ll get today and tomorrow to see how good these guys are.

And for the record, yes, there are two WRs, 11 and 13, who have shown flashes of talent so far (to clarify a previous comment).

 

Pittsburgh is having yet another great draft. I like every pick they’ve made this weekend. Kevin Colbert is the most underrated draft decision guy in the business. He never gets any credit in the way that Bill Polian and Bill Belichick do, but he’s been getting the job done for years. They will make great use of Dennis Dixon at some point and Mike Humpal just adds more depth to one of the best groups of young linebackers in the NFL. Sorry to break it to Pats fans, but the Steelers are going to be a thorn in New England’s side for years to come.

Every year during the draft process I fall in love with some random prospect for some random reason. The list has included Oliver Hoyte (he simply jumped off the film), Deon Anderson (best gunner in college football baby) and some guy whose name I can’t even remember because he weighed like 340 pounds and could do a back flip. Some, like Hoyte and Anderson, actually get a cup of coffee in the league. Others, like the guy whose name I can’t remember, are long gone and hard to find before mini-camps even start.

This year my random love affair is with Andy Studebaker a DE/OLB out of tiny Wheaton (Ill.). He’s 6-3, 246. He was a very effective DE in college who obvioulsy would have to translate to OLB in a pro, 3-4 scheme. He had 30 sacks in the last three years, including  five in the five games he played in last fall. He missed the rest of the season and postseason all-star games with a torn ligament in his foot. He supposedly has the frame to add a good 20 pounds. He’s strong and pretty athletic.  I like him as either a seventh-round pick or free agent. I’m on the Studebaker bandwagon.

And anyone else who wants to see Studebaker, just Google his name and you can find all kinds of highlight videos. Watch them. Love them. I did. A diamond in the rough.

A. Dallas Cowboys
B. Oakland Raiders
C. Dallas Cowboys
D. St Louis Rams
E. Dallas Cowboys

You can also vote for another team for the few people that think Jerry Jones or Al Davis won’t make the worst pick of the draft.

PFW would just like to take a second and thank all of the Patriots fans who have made our blog such a success. We have received tremendous feedback so far regarding the blog and we’re hoping to do more with it in the future. This thing will really be pumping next year during the NFL Combine. A special thanks to all the Patriots online communities that have linked to our blog. Thanks again for all your support as we continue to build this blog in the coming months.

SI.com put out their list of the “Best Brains in Sports,” which includes Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. The article noted Belichick’s complex defensive schemes and attention to deal – not to mention his three Super Bowl wins – as reasons why the meticulous coach made their rankings. Belichick joined the likes of Tiger Woods, Pete Carril (Former Princeton men’s basketball coach), Tony Dungy and Phil Jackson, among others. To view the entire list, go to:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0706/gallery.best.brains/content.1.html

Meanwhile, CBS Sportsline’s Senior Writer Pete Prisco ranked his top 50 players in the NFL. Tom Brady came in second on the list, just behind Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Prisco says Brady ranks a hair below Manning but that this could be a special season for the Patriots quarterback with all the new weapons he has in New England.

Richard Seymour (11) and Ty Warren (43) were the other two Patriots who cracked the top top 50. Prisco calls Warren the most underrated player in the NFL and predicts he could be headed to his first Pro Bowl at season’s end. Asante Samuel, Vince Wilfork and Logan Mankins just missed making the list.

The New England Patriots have started a new tradition of inducting past players and head coaches into the team’s Hall of Fame. For the first time, fans will not only participate in the process, but they will ultimately decide who receives the franchise’s highest honor.

Last month, a 27-person nomination committee selected this year’s finalists for the New England Patriots’ Hall of Fame. Now it is up to the fans to decide which of the finalists is the most deserving for induction.

This year’s finalists are (listed in alphabetical order) running back Ron Burton, tight end Ben Coates and wide receiver Stanley Morgan.

Fans are encouraged to vote any time over the next two months. Voters will be limited to one vote per registered e-mail address. The online balloting will begin Monday, June 4 on the team’s website, patriots.com, and will end at midnight Wednesday, Aug. 1. This year’s Hall of Famer will be inducted into The Hall during the team’s annual Charitable Foundation Kickoff Gala on August 27.

Ron Burton became the first player drafted by the Patriots when the running back was selected out of Northwestern on Nov. 22, 1959. The 5-foot-10-inch, 190-pound running back played from 1960 through 1965 for the Patriots, collecting 1,536 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He also recorded 111 receptions for 1,205 yards and eight touchdowns. In 1962, Burton combined for a career-high 1,009 yards from scrimmage and a total of 1,449 all-purpose yards. After his Patriots career, Burton went on to have a distinguished community service career, establishing the Ron Burton Training Village in Hubbardston, Mass., which teaches life skills to young men from all walks of life. The Patriots annual community service award is named after Burton, and is awarded to the current Patriots player who best exemplifies the qualities he displayed.

Ben Coates played nine seasons with the New England Patriots from 1991-1999. The 6-foot-5-inch, 245-pound tight end appeared in 142 career games with the franchise, collecting 490 receptions for 5,471 yards and 50 touchdowns. In 1994, he grabbed a then-franchise best 96 receptions, a mark that also eclipsed the NFL receptions record for tight ends. Coates led the team in touchdown receptions for six consecutive seasons and led the team in receptions in five of those six seasons. He currently ranks second in franchise history in touchdown catches and third in receptions. A member of the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team, Coates was named to the Pro Bowl in five consecutive seasons from 1994-1998. The Livingstone College product was originally drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 1991 NFL Draft.

Stanley Morgan played wide receiver for the Patriots from 1977 to 1989 and caught 534 career passes, a franchise record that stood for 17 years. The 5-foot 11-inch, 181-pound receiver remains the franchise record holder with 10,352 yards receiving (19.4-yard avg.) and 67 touchdowns. He also holds the Patriots record for receiving touchdowns in a season, with 12 in 1979 and yards with 1,491 in 1986. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 1979, 1980, 1986 and 1987, and was a key member of the Patriots’ 1985 AFC Championship team. He also ranks fifth in franchise history in punt returns (92) and return yards (960). He was drafted by the Patriots in the first round (25th overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft, and played in 180 games for the Patriots over 13 seasons.

Cast your vote now >>

Welcome to the Official Blog of the New England Patriots. Hear from the writers of Patriots Football Weekly!

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