Yesterday, ESPN's Adam Caplan reported that Jermichael Finley's "mystery visit" last Friday was, in fact, with the New England Patriots. But if you ask ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss and Field Yates, they would tell you that the team should pass on Finley. Instead, they believe Dustin Keller would be the better option.
"While other available options at the position -- including Dustin Keller -- also have injury questions, the nature of Finley's condition represents too much uncertainty to make the investment."
Yates and Reiss also believe the Patriots should target linebacker, James Anderson. The 30-year-old finished the 2013 season with 100 tackles for the Chicago Bears and would give the Patriots some much needed depth at the linebacker position.
Another person who believes Dustin Keller would be a better option than Finley is Doug Kyed. In an article on NESN.com, Kyed listed his top 5 best available free agents for the Patriots. Keller came in at the top of the list just above James Anderson and Ronnie Brown.
"Keller tore up his knee during the 2013 preseason for the Miami Dolphins, but if the tight end can get healthy, he would be a huge weapon in the Patriots' offense," writes Kyed. "It's worth seeing if he still can get open and add some versatility and depth to a weak Patriots tight end corps."
We all know that Tom Brady is certainly on the back half of his career, but most people around the country still consider him an elite quarterback -- Sam Monson is not one of those people. Monson wrote a column on ESPN.com yesterday arguing that Brady is no longer a top 5 quarterback in the NFL.
"Brady is still extremely effective when he is in rhythm with the offense, but when things start to break down, he is no longer an efficient passer," writes Monson.
Last night on Comcast Sports Net's Sports Tonight, Ron Borges and Michael Felger listed their top 5 quarterbacks of 2014 -- SPOILER ALERT: Brady was in both of their lists.
At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter who's the "best quarterback" or the "best player" in the NFL -- all that matters is which team is standing atop the football world at the end of each season. If the Patriots want to be that team, SB Nation's Richard Hill says it may come down to their Passer Rating Differential (PRD). Essentially, PRD is the difference between a team's passer rating and the opposing team's passer rating. Hill argues that by adding Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner this offseason, the Patriots PRD will improve.
"Passer rating alone won't hand the Patriots a Super Bowl trophy," says Hill. "But the Patriots have set themselves up for success - and it all won't rest on Brady's shoulders."
The last time the Patriots won a Super Bowl ring, Corey Dillon was the team's starting running back. According to Mike Reiss, Darrelle Revis' contract situation is similar to that of Dillons back in 2004. As we all know, Dillon signed a contract extension in 2005 after setting a single-season Patriots record for rushing yards the year before. Reiss believes that a similar situation could happen with Revis in 2014.
Last night, Rob Gronkowski appeared on CW's 'Whose Line is it Anyway' and danced around the stage in a way that can only be described as comedy gold. Sporting News' Chris Littmann gave a quick recap of the show and included a few videos to boot.
To watch the full video on youtube, click here.
