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Hell and back may be the best way to describe first-round wide receiver Robert Meachem’s rookie year with the Saints. The former Tennessee Volunteer reported to camp out of shape, tweaked his ankle and everything went downhill from there.
Lingering knee problems rendered Meachem inactive for all 16 games and he earned the ignominious distinction as the only top-round selection to not see the field in 2007.
Critics believed they detected a bust, with one pointing to a 2006 study that said 37 out of 45 receivers who were drafted in the first round over a 10-year period flopped. Fans wondered why Meachem would be an exception. After all, the Saints had a history of grabbing early round receivers who were letdowns. Larry Burton, Lindsay Scott, Wesley Carroll and Lonzell “Mo” Hill come to mind.
However, Meachem’s detractors didn’t know about his excellent work ethic.
Of his own volition, Meachem approached veteran teammate David Patten and asked him to be his mentor. The 33-year-old Patten, who learned the tricks of the trade from the likes of Bill Belichick and Charlie Weis, graciously obliged. Meachem made the one-hour trek to Patten’s home every day for grueling workouts that lasted over three hours. All of that training paid off quite handsomely, too, as Meachem thrived in spring workouts and organized team activities.
A former member of the Southeastern Conference, Meachem has played in more than a few big games in his life. However, perhaps none bigger than Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Meachem knew expectations were high and failure was not an option, and he didn’t disappoint.
While one exhibition game does not make a career, Meachem’s four-reception, 129-yard performance that included a stellar 60-yard catch and carry for a touchdown greatly helped his cause during the Saints’ 24-14 win over Arizona.
Meachem looked like a Bourbon Street tap dancer as he caught a short throw from Tyler Palko over the middle and eluded at least six defenders on his way to the end zone.
“Well, coach C.J. (receivers coach Curtis Johnson) always tells us to keep blocking and our receivers just kept blocking for me. Linemen, running backs, everybody was blocking down the field and I was able to get in the end zone,” he said.
The look of relief was evident on Meachem’s face as he spoke to reporters after the game.
“Man, it’s a dream come true. The whole year has been. The good Lord has been good for me and my teammates and coaches told me to just keep fighting, keep a positive attitude and just keep working hard. Hard work pays off. Right now I’ve got a great deal of relief, but you got to keep on pushing, keep on fighting and you’ve got to build from you did today to the next game,” Meachem commented.
Patten, the mentor, was like a proud father.
“I am extremely happy and excited for him. I feel like he’s my kid,” said Patten. “All the time we spent together in the offseason and just the positive re-enforcement, to see it come to fruition tonight, to see it pay off for him, just to see how excited he was. It’s 90 percent confidence. Once you prove to yourself that you belong, the rest takes care of itself and I honestly think that the type of game he had tonight, that’s just going to prepare him more to become what we expect him to be.”
Late in the second quarter, Meachem made what he believed was his most challenging catch of the evening, acrobatically laying out to grab a 49-yard pass from quarterback Mark Brunell at the Cardinals’ 3.
“I couldn’t really see the ball. I lost it in the lights a little bit,” said Meachem.
Coach Sean Payton offered high praise to his young receiver.
“He had some big plays for us. Just the catch he made on the post was outstanding. Later on, he comes back with a big third-down conversion and the run after the catch for the touchdown. That was real encouraging. He’s worked extremely hard. There’s parts of his game he’s still improving on, but it was good to see him play with some confidence.”
Fast forward three years, Meachem rips the ball out of Kareem Moore’s hands after Moore intercepts Drew Brees and he runs it in for a touchdown. Then, Meachem catches a 53-yard touchdown pass with 1:19 left in regulation, tying the game at 30.
The Saints win 33-30 in overtime to improve to 12-0.
Entering the 2010 season, Robert Meachem looks more boom than bust and is arguably the most lethal component of a Super Bowl champion receiving corps proving, as those French Quarter preachers say, patience is the gem casket of all virtues.
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“The Patriots lack heart.”
That four-word phrase has many times left me scratching my head for a few moments before I begin to feel nauseous and run for the bathroom.
It seems like yesterday that the New England Patriots were the exemplary organization of football players who lived to please their coach, putting every ounce of energy into every play. That mindset won them four trips to the Super Bowl and three titles.
Last year, though, the Patriots became a shell of their former selves. Gone was the confident swagger that had defined the “Patriot Way” since the early 2000s.
By signing Super Bowl champion WR Torry Holt to a one-year, $1.7 million contract on Tuesday, the Patriots hope to inject a bit of that mentality back into their line-up (they also join AFC East rivals Miami and the New York Jets in the wide receiver shopping spree of the offseason).
Holt is a football player first. He loves the sport, and his productivity has been a byproduct of that passion over the years.
To those who want to criticize this signing as yet another “dinosaur” wide receiver, you may be right that Torry Holt (33 years old) is no longer the speedster he once was.
This isn’t, however, the second coming of Joey Galloway. He’s not an injury-riddled athlete who relies on his speed to make plays. Holt is just as good of a playmaker with his hands as he ever was with his feet.
While it’s true that Holt may not put up 1,000 yards again, what he does add is consistency, heart, a humble team-first mentality, and much-needed depth at a rapidly-thinning position on the Patriots’ depth chart.
With Wes Welker’s knee injury still a question mark to this day, the Patriots can’t afford to put the hopes of their franchise on sophomore sensation Julian Edelman and 35-year-old David Patten next year.
My colleague, Phil Shore, points out that Holt had the worst statistical season of his career last year, but he played in the Jags’ run-first offense with a mediocre-at-best quarterback throwing him the ball.
On a team that’s dedicated to passing, and with a future Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm, another 50-plus receptions should be in the books for Holt. Tom Brady must be happy to have yet another safety net in the passing game.
In the twilight of his career, Holt won’t be the future of the franchise. He won’t be the main character in New England’s offense, either.
As a role player on an offense that will most certainly exploit his strengths, Holt could find New England to be the perfect setting for his final act and curtain call.
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The New England Patriots have joined the rest of the AFC East, and have signed a big name wide receiver. The team came to terms with 12-year veteran Torry Holt to a one year $1.7 million deal.
Big name pickup, but does the 33-year-old still have the big game that new AFC East wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Santonio Holmes have?
Once one of the members of the St. Louis Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf,” Holt’s numbers have declined dramatically. Last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Holt caught 51 passes for 722 yards, both career lows. It was also the first season he did not play all 16 games (he only missed one game—the final game of the season—so it isn’t that big of a red flag) as well as catching zero touchdowns.
However, those stats don’t tell the entire truth about how much gas is left in Holt’s tank.
The Jaguars are a run-heavy team. Holt’s 722 yards were second-highest on the team, behind Mike Sims-Walker’s 869. Sims-Walker was also the only player to catch more than two touchdowns (7).
On the other hand, the Patriots like to pass the ball a lot, and Tom Brady—a fan of veteran receivers—will look his way often. Unlike in Jacksonville, Holt will not be the number one option. He will be a complimentary player to Randy Moss, so he won’t be facing the opposing defense’s top corner, and the pressure will not be as high. He’ll provide even more depth when Wes Welker returns from injury.
He’s two years younger than the other free agent wide out the Patriots brought in this offseason—David Patten—and four years younger than Joey Galloway was last year when the Pats signed him.
Pats fans are going to be leery of any aging wide receiver thanks to their experience with Joey Galloway last season, but the Holt signing is different.
The season before joining the Patriots, Galloway played in only nine total games, caught an abysmal 13 passes for 138 yards, and zero touchdowns before being sidelined for the remainder of the season because of a foot injury—something that, combined with his age, seriously hampered a receiver whose main attribute was his speed.
Holt was still productive last season, he’s healthy, and he has good hands, something that won’t fade just because he’s older.
He’s also an extremely positive face in the locker room. He doesn’t get into trouble off the field, he is good with his teammates, he has a ton of experience he can share with the younger guys, and he also is a Super Bowl champion. He knows what it takes to be a winner in the NFL.
Holt comes at a relatively low cost, provides a good amount of intangibles, and, most importantly, can still produce on the field.
His game isn’t at the level it used to be, but Holt is a valuable signing for the Patriots, and could turn out to be one of the most underrated player acquisitions of the offseason.
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Two of the New England Patriots divisional foes, the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, have made trades for two of the elite wide receivers in the NFL, Brandon Marshall and Santonio Holmes respectively.
While other teams add, the Patriots seem to be getting thinner at that position.
Yes, if you look at just the roster the Patriots have two of the games very best at the position with Randy Moss and Wes Welker. However, with closer examination, those two are big question marks for this year and the future.
Thanks to knee and rotator-cuff injuries Wes Welker will most likely not return until at least November. When he does get back to the field, it’s difficult to imagine what kind of football-shape he’ll be in, especially since a lot of Welker’s game relies on his ability to cut, which could be hindered by the knee injury.
Randy Moss is healthy, and will again be one of the top wideouts in the NFL next season. His production could decline a little bit without the threat of Welker forcing teams to go into single-coverage against Moss. Even worse news is that Moss has publicly stated this will most likely be his last season with the Patriots.
This does not bode well for the Patriots who are a pass-happy team—as they should be with Tom Brady taking snaps—that does not run the ball well at all. Not to mention that not only can teams guard Moss in single-coverage, but they will have to face the Jets and Darrelle Revis, the game’s best shutdown corner, twice.
The Patriots also currently do not have a good pass catching tight end—Alge Crumpler has been reduced to a blocking tight end at this stage in his career—so it makes having additional receiving threats even more important.
So who is left?
Second-year player as well as wide receiver Julian Edelman filled in admirably in the last two games of the seasons for Welker, recording 103 yards receiving in the regular season finale and catching two touchdown passes in the playoffs.
However, outside of week two when he went off against the Jets for 98 yards, Edelman was not very productive the rest of the season. He caught only one touchdown pass the entire regular season and only once did he break 30 yards receiving. The experience and consistent performances aren’t there and it would be tough to rely on him.
The Patriots signed David Patten, who was with the team for its three Super Bowl championships. He was a productive player with the team, and that winning experience is invaluable, but since leaving after the 2004 season he has struggled to put up similar numbers and has had injury issues.
Sam Aiken made a few big plays for the team, but he makes more of an impact on special teams. Owner Robert Kraft likes youngster Brandon Tate, but he started the season rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in college, played in two games, and was sidelined the rest of the year with another knee injury. So who knows about Tate.
Depth at wide receiver, something in the past they had with guys like Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell, is now a big issue for the Patriots.
The trend in the NFL this season has been big name wide-receivers being traded. Marshall, Holmes, and Anquan Boldin have all been moved. Roy Williams and Braylon Edwards also were traded in the past couple of seasons.
Marshall and Boldin had been rumored to be on the block, but the Holmes move was a shock. So while it’s tough to imagine any more of the elite receivers—Larry Fitzgerald, Chad Ochocinco, Calvin Johnson—would be moved, we’ve seen that anything can happen.
Terrell Owens is still a free agent, but he had an awful season with the Bills and a Moss-Owens tandem could be disastrous in the locker room.
Miami is dangling Ted Ginn, Jr. to the league. He has great speed and could be attractive to double as a kick returner, especially in Welker’s absence, but he drops way too many passes and will have fans thinking of Joey Galloway’s failed tenure with the team.
There are some very attractive restricted free agents on the market, including Arizona’s Steve Breaston, San Diego’s Vincent Jackson, and Dallas’ Miles Austin. All three are tall receivers with good speed and who are also still relatively young, the oldest being Jackson, 27. The latter two are Pro-Bowlers.
However they also all come with huge price tags. Not only would they demand large salaries, but as restricted free agents, their current teams would also have to be compensated with draft picks. All three currently have been tendered with at least a first round pick.
The Patriots traditionally consider their picks very valuable and tend not to part with them. However, they do own four picks in the first two rounds this year. They could put together a package of picks this year and next year in hopes to pry away one of those guys.
Afterall, Holmes, a former Super Bowl MVP, did get traded for only a fifth rounder.
There are also a few talented prospects in the draft. Dez Bryant is considered to be the top prospect, but he may be off the board by the time the Patriots draft. Even if he is still there, it would be wiser for New England to focus on their defense with their first round pick.
Other talents include Notre Dame’s Golden Tate and Cincinnati’s Mardy Gilyard. Illinois’ Arrelious Benn had a very good pro day and has garnered a lot of interest recently.
College standouts Eric Decker, from Minnesota, and Jordan Shipley, from Texas, should also get some consideration.
They are all nice players and could be useful to build. But it may be difficult for any of them to step in right away and be immediate contributors. Regardless, New England cannot stand pat with its current stable of receivers.
We do not know who it will be and whether they will come from trade, free agency, or the draft, but the Patriots need to keep pace in the arms race and land themselves another receiver.
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The Denver Broncos executed the much-anticipated trade of Brandon Marshall today. The two-time Pro Bowler was shipped to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a pair of second-round draft selections—the 43rd overall in this year’s along with one in 2011.
Brandon Marshall has been amidst trade talks over a year now. After signing a $2.521 million tender with the Broncos yesterday, he ultimately ensured an inevitable trade, and Miami reacted quickly.
Today, they signed him to a 4-year, $47.5 million contract extension, something that the Broncos clearly didn’t want to do.
The blockbuster move has several significant effects, ranging from inside to division to the NFL Draft.
First of all, Marshall will plug a gaping hole on the Dolphins’ roster. Despite showing little interest in him during free agency, it has been noted that they’ve been looking for a legitimate No. 1 weapon for their young QB, Chad Henne’s arsenal. Marshall, arguably the best young wideout in the league, definitely fits that bill.
Now, it appears that Tedd Ginn Jr., a first-round bust, could be on the trading block. The Fins will be looking for a mid-round pick in return.
With Marshall in Miami, the already competitive AFC East just got much more intriguing. It is a division that features Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Santonio Holmes, and Brandon Marshall.
For the majority of the past decade, the New England Patriots’ Bellicheck and Brady-led dynasty reigned among the top of the division. However, after the Dolphins surprisingly rebounded from a disappointing 1-15 season two years ago, and the Jets took a trip to the AFC Championship Game, it will be very interesting to see who the alpha team will be this time around.
In addition, this trade has enormous implications on Oklahoma State WR, Dez Bryant. Recently, his off-the-field actions have drawn major scrutiny, and as a result his draft stock has plummeted. Many believe he’s a Top 5 pick; yet, he probably won’t be drafted in the Top 10.
Many are pointing to Denver as a landing spot for Bryant, but I’m rather skeptical. Last year, after trading Cutler, Head Coach Josh McDaniels stated that he doesn’t believe in drafting to replace, a principle that could be applied in this situation as well.
Obviously, the team needs to address the WR position. The only other decent players they have at the position are Eddie Royal and Brandon Stokley, who combined only managed to account for half of Marshall’s production.
However, they have bigger needs, especially on the defensive side. Rolando McClain and Dan Williams are two guys that they will be targeting.
They can answer their question marks at receiver later in the draft, possibly in the 2nd round when guys such as Arrelious Benn, Golden Tate, or Damian Williams will be available. Remember, the front office consists of former Patriots management, and the Patriots are praised for their magical ability to find success with lesser known players such as David Patten, David Givens, and more recently Julian Edelman.
Moreover, I don’t think that the Broncos organization would draft an unproven commodity with off-the-field concerns after they traded a superstar for the same reason.
With that said, if Bryant doesn’t go to San Francisco or Seattle, then he could drastically fall, possibly to Cincinnati at 21 or even to the second round.
Finally, the trade sends a message to the fans and the players that the Broncos won’t tolerate immature misconduct, yet they won’t cut ties with talented players unless the deal is fair, which in my mind, this deal is. Hopefully, moving forward, we will feel the same way when it all pans out.
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