The Patriots Will Welcome Back Most Wide Receivers, Unless You Are Named Randy Moss

When you spend enough time on Twitter like I do, you can start to anticipate moves that your favorite professional sports teams will make. When I saw that Jabar Gaffney was released by the Washington Redskins yesterday, I tweeted that the Pats should pick him up.

Obviously somebody in Foxborough is following me (@RichSlate) since that's exactly what the Patriots did today: he will reportedly sign a two-year deal to return to New England.

You might remember Gaffney from such seasons as 2006-08. The Patriots were the second stop on what has been a four-team tour of the NFL (Texans, Pats, Broncos, Redskins). He didn't put up huge numbers when he was here earlier: he combined for 85 catches, 1059 yards and eight touchdowns. The last two years, he was stuck behind some guys named Randy Moss and Wes Welker, ever hear of them?

Gaffney's career has actually taken off more since he left Gillette. His catches and yards totals have both increased in each of the past three seasons, for teams that weren't exactly offensive machines (Denver, Washington). In fact, last season he set career highs in catches (68), receiving yards (947) and first downs (50) while tying his mark in touchdown catches (5). He did all that with Rex Grossman throwing to him.

Bottom line, it's a great move for the Patriots. He's very comfortable with Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels (his coach in Denver) and New England's playbook. There shouldn't be much of a learning curve for the former Florida Gator (are you listening Chad Johnson?). Gaffney is ultra durable too since he's played in 16 games in nine of his 10 NFL seasons. He only missed five games in 2006 because he was released by the Eagles in the preseason then out of the league for the first five weeks of the season.

Washington was 5-11 last season and they're rebuilding with Robert Griffin III, their No. 1 pick. For an excessive outburst on Twitter where he went after his cousin (Lito Sheppard) and soon to be ex-wife, the 31-year-old Gaffney was deemed expendable. Seems a little harsh, especially considering how bad Washington has been over the last few years. Oh well, the Patriots will happily take him.

New England woke up and realized that its lack of wide receiver depth is one of the things that came back to bite them in the Super Bowl loss to the Giants. Now instead of Tiquan Underwood, Julian Edelman and Matthew Slater running routes, the Pats will have Welker (please sign him!), Brandon Lloyd, Gaffney, Deion Branch and Donte' Stallworth. It's funny that Branch, Stallworth and now Gaffney have all been invited back after leaving to go elsewhere.

UPDATE 5/3: Underwood was released today. Hey, at least it wasn't the night before the Super Bowl like last time.

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The Saga (Of Ross Ventrone) Continues

It feels weird to say it since the loss in Super Bowl 46 is still so fresh (it was only two nights ago) but the New England Patriots have officially begun their offseason.

Today, the team made its first moves since the Super Bowl as they signed seven guys to futures contracts. In addition, head coach Bill Belichick also announced what we all knew already: that Josh McDaniels will be the offensive coordinator next season. I'm so excited about that, I think I might drive Bill O'Brien to Happy Valley (home of Penn State). Good luck with that Bill!

The guys signed were mostly practice squad heroes but its headlined by wide receiver Tiquan Underwood-who will forever be known as the guy cut on the eve of the Super Bowl-and safety Ross Ventrone. The other five are linebacker Markell Carter, wide receiver Britt Davis, offensive lineman Matt Kopa, defensive end Aaron Lavarias and linebacker Mike Rivera.

It promises to be a busy offseason for the Patriots. The 2012 NFL Draft combine is back in Indy in a few weeks (starting Feb. 22), free agency opens on March 13 and the Draft itself begins on April 26. I mention that since New England possesses two first-round and two second-round picks. Let's all start thinking positive thoughts that they'll use all of those or package them to move up for once, rather than trade down like always.

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Finally, Some News From Super Bowl Week

It took nearly a week but there's final a nugget of news from the endless hype and bluster of Super Bowl week in Indianapolis: tonight in a weirdly timed move, the Patriots released wide receiver Tiquan Underwood and promoted defensive end Alex Silvestro to the 53-man roster.

There's a couple way to read this move which basically swaps the last guy on the team for a guy on the practice squad that played in one game earlier this season. A) The Patriots want to rotate their defensive ends and linemen often and B) Chad Johnson is going to be active.

I can't argue that this transaction on the surface seems heartless but you have to think it serves some purpose, otherwise why would New England take a risk like this on the eve of its biggest game in four years?

With two weeks to talk about Super Bowl 46, many have come to the silly conclusion that Johnson, who was on the field for one play against Denver and wasn't active vs. Baltimore in the AFC Championship, could be a sort of secret weapon. I wish I could be that delusional but the fact is that if Chad had 15 catches all season, what makes you think he'll do anything in the Super Bowl? What has he done in 2011-12 to show you that he's a clutch performer? I rest my case.

Let's be real, Underwood was lucky to get a free trip to the Super Bowl. He is a fringe NFL player at best and nobody in the world would recognize him or know who he is if he didn't sport an absurd Kid N' Play style high top fade. Don't feel bad for him, he had three catches in five games this season. He was playing on borrowed time.

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The Albert Haynesworth Era Comes To A Predictable End In New England

I won't lie to myself or you the reader and say that I thought Albert Haynesworth was suddenly a changed person when he put on a Patriots uniform in August.

What mattered most to all of us was the assumption that he could regain some of his dominant form from years gone by. After a puzzling preseason and lackluster eight games, it was time for the Pats to say goodbye to a guy who clearly doesn't give a shit about anything. Today, they released him.

New England was basically Haynesworth's last chance to show the NFL that he had something to offer and he wasn't done. I'd be shocked if another team picks him up at this point. He had a measly three tackles (2 solos, 1 assist) in six games, no sacks, no pressures and no other discernible stat. He might have occupied multiple blockers but who could tell?

Too many times, like on Sunday vs the Giants, he was sitting his fat ass on the bench while the Pats defense continued to live up to its billing as the worst in the NFL. New England head coach Bill Belichick was desperate for playmakers on defense when he surprised everybody by signing Haynesworth over the summer.

For short money, he wasn't much of a risk since if he screwed up or became a problem in the locker room, see you later. Well here we are. As far as I know, he wasn't a cancer (like in earlier times in his career in Tennessee and Washington); he just can't offer anything even to a team as lacking in depth as this one.

The only difference between Haynesworth and Chad Johnson (I'm not calling him Ochocinco until he does something), is that the Pats gave Albert the most basic contract whereas with Johnson, they committed $6 million. For that reason alone, Johnson likely won't find himself unemployed this season even though his play on the field completely warrants it. He's Belichick's boy, that he coveted for years, and Bill is left to hope that Johnson gets it at some point before this season runs out.

In other Pats related news from today (who knew a Tuesday could be so busy?), Dan Gronkowski was released while wide receiver Tiquan Underwood was signed. Underwood, a Rutgers grad, was on the Pats for a few days in the preseason. Who could forget his legendary flat top?

In addition, offensive lineman Thomas Welch was released from the practice squad which means that Ray Ventrone will probably return for the ten millionth time this fall.

Lastly, the Patriots-Colts game in Week 13 (Sunday, Dec. 4 at Gillette) has been flexed out by NBC. It was scheduled to be their Sunday Night Football contest but it has rightly been placed at 1 p.m. This is a no brainer since Indy has already been in a couple primetime games this season. I think America is still recovering from all the vomiting due to those one-sided affairs. For New England, it will serve as their first 1 p.m. start since Week 3 (at Buffalo), believe it or not. Likewise, with the way the Patriots have been playing lately, they're similarly not as deserving of the spotlight.

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