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Watson undergoes ankle sugery; may not be ready for training camp

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.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 8:50 AM to Ben Watson | Permalink | Comments 1

Pioli third in exec of year voting

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.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Britt, Woods re-signed

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.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Bryant signing official

The Patriots have just announced the signing of corner Fernando Bryant.

In a statement, Bill Belichick said, "Adding a cornerback with Fernando's experience and production is a good opportunity for us."

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Bryant on board

According to profootballtalk.com, the Patriots have signed free agent cornerback Fernando Bryant to a one-year deal.

Bryant, a nine-year veteran, apparently also had an offer on the table from Denver but decided to join New England. A Georgia native, he spent the last four seasons with the Lions, after playing for Jacksonville for the first five years of his career. The Jaguars chose Bryant (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) 26th overall out of Alabama in 1999.

Heavily involved in community work, Bryant played in all 16 games last season, with 69 tackles, two interceptions, 13 passes defensed and a forced fumble. However, he played in just 22 games over his first three seasons in Detroit, including just two in 2005.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Vrabel voted to NFLPA executive board

Pats' linebacker Mike Vrabel was voted to the NFL Players' Association executive committee yesterday, on the same day that Titans center Kevin Mawae was selected as president.

Mawae succeeds former Eagle Troy Vincent, whose term recently ended and who is no longer an active player; Vincent reportedly will become assistant executive director, and has designs on eventually becoming executive director when longtime head Gene Upshaw leaves the position.

Vrabel, the Broncos' Dominique Foxworth and New Orleans' Drew Brees were chosen as new members of the executive committee; the Eagles' Brian Dawkins, the Colts' Jeff Saturday, Houston's Mark Bruner, Tony Richardson of the Jets, Tampa Bay's Kevin Carter and free agents Donovin Darius and Keenan McCardell were all re-elected to the committee.

On the Players' Association website, Mawae, who spent six years on the executive committee, said the collective bargaining agreement and the potential owners' lockout are the biggest issues facing the players; he also wants to educate younger players on why their salaries are what they are now.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 8:06 AM to Mike Vrabel | Permalink | Comments 0

BC Pro Day

Hey all -

We're out of hibernation and on a field trip to Boston College's Pro Day, where 22 NFL teams have sent at least one representative to keep an eye on the activities.

Most of them - and many of the reporters as well - are here to see QB Matt Ryan and OL Gosder Cherilus. But we're here mostly to see East Providence's Jamie Silva.

Silva has already run his two 40-yard dashes, his long hair kept down by a black headband, giving him a Captain Caveman-like appearance. Silva slipped off the line at the start of his second run and pulled up before finishing. He waited a minute and went again, though we don't know yet what his times were. Silva was not happy with his 40 times at the Combine and wanted to put up a better nmber today even though he knows that is not his strength.

Kansas City has five representatives here, including head coach Herm Edwards, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey and GM Carl Peterson. The Patriots are represented by scouts Brian Flores and DuJuan Daniels.

Ryan currently is louging in one end of the field, chatting with Edwards. He will do a series of drills solo in a little while.

shalise

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Troy not returning?

According to an article in today's Boston Globe, the Patriots have informed beloved receiver Troy Brown that they will not be offering him a contract for the 2008 season.

Brown played just one game last season, returning punts in the regular-season home finale against Miami. At that time, it was suspected that the game might be Brown's swan song and a chance for the fans to thank the franchise's all-time leader in receptions for all that he had done in his Patriots career.

The former eighth-round draft pick underwent knee surgery after the 2006 AFC title game, and began the season on the physically unable to perform list. He was activated to the 53-man roster on Nov. 27, and was on the 45-man game day for just two games: the Dec. 23 Miami contest and the AFC Divisional round game with Jacksonville. Ellis Hobbs, injured at the time, let it slip that Brown was activated in case he was needed as a nickelback.

Brown, who was recently roasted in his adopted hometown of Huntington, W.V., was not activated for Super Bowl XLII. He apparently has not decided yet whether he wants to return for a 16th season; though other teams reportedly have expressed interest, Brown has remained with New England over the past three seasons because his sons couldn't imagine seeing him play for another team.

If the Dolphins game was in fact his last, it was a bittersweet day for Brown -- while he was warmly embraced by the crowd every time he stepped on the field, one of the punts he fielded went off his facemask and got away from him. After the game, Brown admitted to a mixture of butterflies and excitement.

For the record, the 198th pick in the 1993 draft has 557 receptions for 6,366 yards (11.4 ypc), and 31 touchdowns, just two fumbles lost, 252 punt returns for 2,625 yards (both franchise records) and three touchdowns, 51 tackles and three interceptions, three Super Bowl rings and one very grateful fan base.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 8:28 AM to Troy Brown | Permalink | Comments 1

Pacman Jones to the Pats?

According to The Tennessean, the Pats are one of the teams that have expressed interest in the troubled Titans' cornerback.

Posted by Art Martone  at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments 6

CB Sanders signed

The Patriots have announced the signing of veteran cornerback Lewis Sanders. They also made official the signing of safety Tank Williams.

Sanders, 29, has been in the NFL for eight seasons, playing for the Browns (2000-04), Texans ('05-'06) and Falcons ('07). In 87 career games, he has 172 tackles, one sack and five interception.

He is also a quality special-teams performer.

There's no word yet on how the team's visit with Carolina restricted free agent linebacker Adam Seward went -- should the Pats make Seward an offer, the Panthers would have seven days to match it and retain Seward.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments 2

Report: S Tank Williams signed

Both the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press are reporting that the Patriots have signed safety Tank Williams.

Williams -- given name Clevan -- spent the last two seasons in Minnesota after beginning his career with Tennessee. The Titans drafted Williams in the second round out of Stanford in 2002.

He missed all of the '06 season with a knee injury suffered during training camp; last year, the 6-foot-2, 223 pounder played in 13 games (two starts) with 18 tackles.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Gaffney back?

NFL Network's Adam Schefter is reporting that the Patriots and receiver Jabar Gaffney have agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Jason Webster inked

New England added a cornerback today, signing eight-year veteran Jason Webster. Webster played just one game with the Bills last season, breaking his arm in the season opener against Denver.

The 30-year old former second-round draft pick of San Francisco spent the 2004-06 seasons with the Falcons, after spending the first four years of his career with the 49ers.

In a statement, Bill Belichick said of Webster, “Jason is an experienced veteran who will add good depth to our secondary.”

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Report: Patriots add CB Webster

The Patriots have bolstered their defensive backfield by signing cornerback Jason Webster, according to The Boston Globe.

Webster, a 30-year-old from Texas A&M, has eight years of NFL experience with the 49ers, Falcons and Bills. Last year with Buffalo, he broke his arm in the first game of the season and missed the rest of the year.

Shalise Manza Young reported today that Webster had visited the Patriots last night.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Packers news conference: No live video

AP has just announced that it will not be carrying a live video of Green Bay's news conference to announce the retirement of Brett Favre, citing league rules.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Moss deal done

The Patriots have just announced the re-signing of receiver Randy Moss. Moss reportedly has received a three-year, $27 million contract, which includes a $12 million signing bonus -- if true, that's $4 million less in guaranteed money than Bernard Berrian got from the Vikings. Berrian isn't the receiver that Moss is.

In a statement, Bill Belichick said of Moss, “What Randy did for our team last year was outstanding. He is one of our most consistent, competitive and team-oriented players and it is undoubtedly a relationship we are excited to continue.”

New England also signed former Buffalo receiver Sam Aiken today. Aiken, a five-year veteran, is a special-teams standout.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Rumors heat up on Moss deal with Patriots

There are a number of reports today that the Patriots are close to a deal with free-agent wide receiver Randy Moss. ESPN is reporting, citing unnamed sources, that the two sides are closing in on a three-year, $27-million deal. The Boston Globe, also citing an unnamed source, says the deal is imminent. We are attempting to confirm the reports and will have the latest information when it becomes known.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Jason Taylor on the market?

According to this story on yahoo.com, Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor won't be with Miami much longer.

An 11-year veteran and the 2006 NFL defensive player of the year, Taylor and Miami have apparently come to an amicable decision to part ways sometime before the draft next month.

Bill Belichick has touted Taylor's talents on many occasions, and the Pro Bowler -- who'll appear in the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars" -- is friends with Tom Brady. As they did with Wes Welker last year, whom they said hurt them every time they played him, could the Patriots lock up Taylor to keep him from padding his sack totals against New England?

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments 3