Projo Pats Blog

March 23, 2008 - March 29, 2008 Archives

In news first reported by the Boston Herald, tight end Benjamin Watson recently underwent left ankle surgery and may not be ready come training camp in late July.

The surgery reportedly revealed cartilage damage and scar tissue; when asked about the surgery, Watson declined. The Patriots refused to comment.

Watson first injured the ankle in Week 6 against Dallas, when he was dragged down from behind by Cowboys' safety Roy Williams, who is so notorious for taking players down that way that the NFL instituted a rule against using a "horse collar" tackle because of a high incidence of injury with the move.

Though Williams was fined three times for such a tackle last season -- including a one-game suspension late in the season after a takedown of the Eagles' Donovan McNabb -- he was not cited for the Watson tackle.

Watson played in 12 games last season. The Patriots cut veteran tight end Kyle Brady on Feb. 29, apparently before the extent of Watson's injury was known. David Thomas, who missed most of last season, and Stephen Spach, are the team's other players at the position.

Despite putting together a roster that came agonizingly close to an undefeated season, New England vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli was third in voting for George Young NFL Executive of the Year, the Sporting News announced.

The Sporting News polled 48 league executives, and 19 gave the nod to Green Bay's Ted Thompson; Giants' GM Jerry Reese, whose team won the Super Bowl in his first season at the helm, came in second with nine votes; Pioli garnered eight.

The Patriots announced last night that they re-signed T Wesley Britt and LB Pierre Woods. Both were exclusive-rights free agents; ERFAs are players with two years' experience who basically can only be offered a deal by the team they played with the previous season. Generally, they are offered a deal at the three-year veterans' minimum, and after this season both Woods and Britt will become restricted free agents.

Britt married his fiancee, Katie Boyd, earlier this month.