Roosevelt Colvin almost a Pat?

[Hawg73]

I heard football writer Tom Curran of the Providence Journal on WEEI this morning and he is reporting that the Pats are "close" to a deal with Colvin. Supposedly he has been in town under wraps since the weekend and his agent Matt McGuire who also represents Antowain Smith and JR Redmond enjoys a solid working relationship with the team. The agent was quoted as saying something to the effect that people would be surprised to discover that Colvin would sign for less money to sign with a competitive team and of the 6 teams he has visited only the Pats and Jets fit that description.

I consider myself a cautious guy not given to giddy excesses, but my nipples are so hard that I'm afraid I might snap one off.

I had a pleasant drive to work today listening to the story and it all seems to make sense.

- We skimped on previous FA's to save some dough for the guy we really wanted.

- BB is also a cautious guy but almost sounded like he had a crush on Colvin when he waxed poetic about his abilities prior to our game with the Bears last year. He seemed to be salivating over the possibilities a weapon of his caliber could provide.

- OLB is supposed to be a weak position in this draft so an FA signing (ESPN called him the best FA available this year) of this magnitude would be logical.

- All Pats fans have been quietly disappointed at the hands off approach to free agency so far but this signing will have everybody fired up to talk football and feel positive going into the draft.

- The money they were talking is not cheap (sorry can't remember the figures) but not out of sight for a player of his abilities.

Please, please, please. BB, Scott and Krafty Bob - make this happen for us. We need a little sumpthin'-sumpthin' around here. Throw us a bone people!!

[NEM]

This would be great news, buyt here's what I took off of Kffl this morning.

March 11, 2003 5:36:49 PT Updating previous reports, despite the fact he is reportedly in contract discussions with the New England Patriots, the Detroit Lions reportedly believe they are the closest to signing free agent LB Rosevelt Colvin (Bears). A decision from Colvin and agent Kennard McGuire is expected within the next two days, according to John Mullin of the Chicago Tribune.

[pookie]

Originally posted by Hawg73
I heard football writer Tom Curran of the Providence Journal on WEEI this morning and he is reporting that the Pats are "close" to a deal with Colvin. Supposedly he has been in town under wraps since the weekend and his agent Matt McGuire who also represents Antowain Smith and JR Redmond enjoys a solid working relationship with the team. The agent was quoted as saying something to the effect that people would be surprised to discover that Colvin would sign for less money to sign with a competitive team and of the 6 teams he has visited only the Pats and Jets fit that description.

I consider myself a cautious guy not given to giddy excesses, but my nipples so hard that I'm afraid I might snap one off.

I had a pleasant drive to work today listening to the story and it all seems to make sense.

- We skimped on previous FA's to save some dough for the guy we really wanted.

- BB is also a cautious guy but almost sounded like he had a crush on Colvin when he waxed poetic about his abilities prior to our game with the Bears last year. He seemed to be salivating over the possibilities a weapon of his caliber could provide.

- OLB is supposed to be a weak position in this draft so an FA signing (ESPN called him the best FA available this year) of this magnitude would be logical.

- All Pats fans have been quietly disappointed at the hands off approach to free agency so far but this signing will have everybody fired up to talk football and feel positive going into the draft.

- The money they were talking is not cheap (sorry can't remember the figures) but not out of sight for a player of his abilities.

Please, please, please. BB, Scott and Krafty Bob - make this happen for us. We need a little sumpthin'-sumpthin' around here. Throw us a bone people!!

Fingers crossed Hawg. I mean, how many times can the Pats be shunned by free agents? We're bound to land one of them.

Originally posted by Hawg73
I consider myself a cautious guy not given to giddy excesses, but my nipples so hard that I'm afraid I might snap one off.

- All Pats fans have been quietly disappointed at the hands off approach to free agency so far but this signing will have everybody fired up to talk football and feel positive going into the draft.

Please, please, please. BB, Scott and Krafty Bob - make this happen for us. We need a little sumpthin'-sumpthin' around here. Throw us a bone people!!

Well thanks to Dan Snyder (send the man a card, let him know that we here in New England appreciate what he is doing) the Jets are a little distracted right now. If they match the tenders they are in no position to sign other players, and if they don't they will have more pressing needs than LB for sure.

Detroit and Mariucci scare me the most. Detroit was about $7M under the cap so they likely have more room than we do.

Colvin would be an instant upgrade for the defense. I am not going to even contemplate it until it happens. The Pats have been stood up at the altar too many times this year in free agency and I am still not convinced that they are willing to make the necessary sacrifices.

It would be great news.

[dropKickMurphy]

There's been some speculation that the Pats would remove the franchise tag from Tebucky to make room for a Colvin deal. Tebucky would then be free to sign with another team (New Orleans supposedly has interest) in return for a first round pick.
I have been an advocate for keeping Tebucky, as I've felt that this defense can not afford to lose his speed. I would be more than willing to let him go, however, if it meant adding Colvin.
Also, having 3 first round picks opens up some real interesting possibilities. This deal could be just what the doctor ordered to get our minds back into football.

[pookie]

Originally posted by dropKickMurphy
There's been some speculation that the Pats would remove the franchise tag from Tebucky to make room for a Colvin deal. Tebucky would then be free to sign with another team (New Orleans supposedly has interest) in return for a first round pick.
I have been an advocate for keeping Tebucky, as I've felt that this defense can not afford to lose his speed. I would be more than willing to let him go, however, if it meant adding Colvin.
Also, having 3 first round picks opens up some real interesting possibilities. This deal could be just what the doctor ordered to get our minds back into football. ]

If the Pats were to take the franchise tag off of Tebucky and he were picked up, then who would start at FS? That would leave a heck of a void in the defensive backfield. Even with an additional 1st rounder, how could the Pats be assured at solid starter at FS?

Here's the article from the Providence Journal. I think it is safe to say that Belichick likes Colvin. A pass rush and some speed on defense sure would be nice.

Bears' sack-master close to signing with Patriots!

by Tom Curran
Providence Journal

The agent for linebacker Rosevelt Colvin said last week that his client was like a pretty girl who never gets a date because everyone's afraid to ask.

Then the Patriots ran a hand through their hair, smoothed out their shirt and asked the best-looking free agent on the market if he'd be interested in, ummmm, well, maybe spending some time together.

And they shared the weekend.

Colvin, 25, a former Bear who had 10.5 sacks each of the last two seasons, flew into Foxboro during the weekend and things went exceedingly well.

Well enough so that the two sides were still trying to hammer out a deal last night.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made no secret of his respect for Colvin during the season. In the days before the Pats played the Bears, he made a bigger deal of Colvin than All-Pro Brian Urlacher.

"Colvin is an outstanding push-rusher," Belichick said in early November. "(He is) one of the best little pass rushers in the league. He is not a real big guy like a lot of them are.

"Some of them are 6-foot-5 defensive ends, and we've seen plenty of them. Colvin is very fast, very explosive, and he's tough on the blitz. When they put him down and let him rush on third down he is very quick around the edge."

Because of those comments, it was felt the Pats would make an early run at the former Purdue standout. But while Colvin visited the Giants, Detroit, Arizona, Jacksonville and Houston, the Patriots were busy re-signing Willie McGinest -- a similar linebacker/defensive end hybrid -- and staying clear of early free agency bidding wars that land good players great-player money.

But the Pats eventually decided to make their run. And while Belichick is very high on McGinest, Colvin is five years younger. And adaptable.

"Talk about (Brian) Urlacher, but it's hard to overlook Colvin," Belichick said in November. "I mean, that guy is really a good, fast football player. He is probably one of the smallest rushers in the league, but also one of the most effective. He has got tremendous quickness, and even though he plays end in a lot of cases as well as linebacker, again this is a guy that has big-time speed off the edge, and is very, very instinctive. People try to run plays on him -- draws, screens, shovel passes, stuff like that -- to take advantage of his up-field speed rush and they just can't get him. This guy is really good."

Colvin was regarded by many as the class of the free-agent group because of his age, speed and production.

Here's what his agent, Kennard McGuire, said about the 6-3, 245-pounder in January.

"He's demonstrated over the last two years he's hell of a pass rusher," said McGuire. "Even before that he was mainly utilized in pass coverage. They'd be getting someone who's a demonstrated pass-rusher, but also someone who can come in coverage and go man-to-man on a running back. Basically, you'd be getting someone you can have some fun with."

The Pats already signed cornerback Tyrone Poole to a four-year, $8 million deal ($1.8 million signing bonus) last week. Colvin figures to command a salary in the $4 to $5 million range. A reasonable estimate of what it might take to get him? Six years, $35 to $40 million.

"It's hard to put (an asking price) out there now, but the harder question is -- whatever that number is -- are the Pats going to have the philosophy that they can bargain shop to get top-tier free agents or will they shop for higher guys?" said McGuire. "History's shown they have compensated their own players well. Now, having gone to the Super Bowl and this year having the season they had, they know you may have to spend more on top-tier free agents. If you put top-tier guys in that system, there's no telling what can happen."

The Patriots are hurting for a player who can get after the quarterback consistently. With a player like Colvin in the mix, the Pats can continue to float between 3-4 and 4-3 alignments that they did the last two seasons. Only now they'd have both Colvin and McGinest as the outside linebacker/defensive end. A player like Colvin makes everyone's defensive job easier. The secondary doesn't have to cover as long. Defensive linemen see less double-team attention. Other linebackers are more potent on their blitzes.

The Patriots haven't had a player finish a season with double-digit sacks since 1995 (McGinest had 11). The last double-digit year before that was1988. The Pats may be on the verge of getting a player who can get them over that hump again.