Today we bring you five Felgy thoughts, complete with links!
And Rob Bradford thinks I haven’t gotten this Internet thing down yet….
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If the Patriots have a master plan at outside linebacker, then it has yet to reveal itself. And with the June-July lull now upon us, it’s not going to anytime soon. That’s if the Pats even have a plan. For all we know, they may believe they’re all set with Pierre Woods, Sean Crable, Tully Banta-Cain and Vince Redd.
But something tells me there’s another shoe to drop at outside linebacker -- in one way, shape or form. It is, after all, the only glaring weakness on the roster, providing the secondary improves.
It was interesting to read recently that the Pats made an offer to defensive end/linebacker Greg Ellis after his release from the Cowboys June 2. According to the report, the offer came in at just one year and $1.5 million, which was easily surpassed by one from Oakland (three years, $10 million, $5 million guaranteed). The Pats also could have sent the Cowboys a low-round pick prior to Ellis’ release to secure the services of the 12-year veteran and 2007 Pro Bowler, yet they declined. So it’s obvious the Pats saw him as nothing more than a flyer.
But they still made a bid. Does that tell us anything about how they feel about the guys they currently have at Mike Vrabel’s old spot? It’s hard to tell, especially since Ellis clearly wasn’t a priority for them. Maybe the failed wooing of Jason Taylor was a clearer indication.
Regardless, Ellis going to Oakland may reopen a possibility the Pats explored at the draft -- namely a trade for Raiders defensive end Derrick Burgess. The folks in Oakland think Burgess would be a poor fit to stand up in the 3-4, but he would still provide some of the pass rush that was lost in the Vrabel deal. If Burgess isn’t a realistic possibility, then I think it’s safe to say we’re running out of ideas. Unless Belichick has something up his sleeve. Or unless you want revisit that Julius Peppers foolishness from earlier in the year.
Didn’t think so.
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I was disappointed to read Jeff Goodman shoot down the Rajon Rondo trade rumors on Monday.
I take Goodman’s word on all Danny Ainge-related matters as gospel (in case you didn’t know, Goodman was first with the Garnett trade two years ago), which means he deflated what was proving to be great fodder. Seriously, the Green Teamers didn’t know where to turn with this one. Just weeks after telling me that Rondo was one of the special young players in the league and the key bridge to the C’s future, they were trying to explain to me that dealing Rondo would make sense if the Celts had their eyes on one of the big free agents in 2010. Talk about giving me whiplash. Yes, trade Rondo and sign LeBron James. Now that’s a hot stove season I can sink my teeth into! Who does Jeff think he is ruining all the fun?
The one thing I’ll take with me from last week was the negative undercurrent surrounding Rondo. Stubborn. Stuck up. Hard to play with. And perhaps even overrated. Maybe that’s why Goodman stopped short of calling Rondo untradeable. "Because for the right price," he wrote, "Celtics boss Danny Ainge would pull the trigger."
That’s more like it, Jeff.
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Nothing worse than having someone argue with you on the radio when they’re behind a microphone and you’re in your kitchen in your underwear, listening in as you surf the web and scratch yourself. But that was the situation Monday at around 10:15 a.m. as my buddy Michael Holley blasted me for an opinion that I never expressed.
My alleged opinion? That Daisuke Matsuzaka is a bust and represented a terrible signing by the Sox.
I never said any such thing, of course. In fact, I’ve gone out of my way to say that I think the Red Sox should be applauded for their pursuit of Matsuzaka three years ago -- even if he hasn’t turned out to be the guy they thought he would be. The Sox thought outside the box and paid big to win. That’s what they should do every year.
And Daisuke is no bust. He’s won in the past and he’ll win in the future. Maybe even this year.
Unfortunately for Holley, here’s the bottom line: Matsuzaka just isn’t as good as the Red Sox (and the rest of baseball) thought he would be. That doesn't make him a bust, just something less than advertised. And I’m not talking about numbers here. Matsuzaka has put those up. I’m talking about stuff. Chad Finn did a good job on Monday pulling up the Baseball America report on him in 2007 in which it was said his fastball reached 97 late in games and that "he has command and control of his pitches, as well as a feel for setting up hitters."
Huh? A 97 mph heater? Command? Setting up hitters? Even when Daisuke was winning 18 games he wasn’t that guy. The scouting reports haven’t come true. Period. To me that’s not even an opinion. It’s more like the fact of the matter.
But like I said, the Red Sox took a chance on greatness. I’d encourage them to do it again whenever the mood strikes them. Something tells me they’ll get the next one right.
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When I was getting into it with all those dog people a couple of weeks ago, I made a crack about pit bulls being like pedophile priests. After attacks, many get relocated (or "re-homed") with new identities. All because the dog lunatics believe they don’t deserve to be put down. It was a good line. A half-joke.
Turns out it was no joke. As fate would have it, James Harrison’s pit bull, the same animal that put his son in the hospital for a week and hospitalized two adults in the same attack, is alive and well and looking for another toddler to maul.
Harrison didn’t want to put it down, and after no one would claim it (I wonder why), some weirdo picked him up as part of her work as a consultant evaluating "problem dogs and helping to place them with rescue groups or with permanent owners.
"When your eyes meet the amber-colored eyes of Patron (the child-maimer), you don't see a tough dog. The look in his eyes is soft and gentle, sad, even," this imbecilic reporter wrote. "Patron walked up to me and wagged his skinny tail. He's either naturally polite or has been well-trained, as he didn't jump up. I rubbed his chest and scratched his chin, petted that enormous head and scratched his ears. He wagged his tail, lay down at my feet, and went to sleep while we talked about him and his future."
You thought Daisuke’s scouting report was bad. Well trained? Naturally polite?
Anyone seen Paul Shanley recently?
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Can you say sportsgasm?
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