http://www.irishcentral.com/topics/American+Football IrishCentral American Football en-us http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-nfl-draft-deandre-hopkins-scouting-report-202624001.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-nfl-draft-deandre-hopkins-scouting-report-202624001.html Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:03:01 PDT
After looking at Desmond Trufant and Justin Hunter, today's prospect in The Sports Central NFL Draft Series is Clemson's DeAndre Hopkins Hopkins is one of the most exciting prospects in the draft and some consider him to be the safest selection alsoEven with the re-signing of Julian Edelman and the continuing saga surrounding Emmanuel Sanders, the Patriots will still be in the market for an additional wide receiver presence on the outside So there is no need to change approach at this point READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-draft-justin-hunter-scouting-report-202414761.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-draft-justin-hunter-scouting-report-202414761.html Wed, 10 Apr 2013 03:47:56 PDT
With the NFL draft just a matter of weeks away, coverage of the prospects and franchises is starting to crank up Just like any of the other 31 franchises in the NFL, the New England Patriots' shortlist of targets will be coming into focus right about nowEven though they made an offer to restricted free agent Emmanuel Sanders today, wide receivers should densely populate that list One of the best fits for the Patriots is also a player they can realistically target with their first pick, Tennessee's Justin Hunter READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-draft-desmond-trufant-scouting-report-202180011.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-draft-desmond-trufant-scouting-report-202180011.html Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:32:58 PDT
For the first time in some time, the New England Patriots enter the NFL draft with a notably limited number of draft picks Because of the Albert Haynesworth and Chad Johnson trades, the Patriots only have five choices this year in what is considered to be a relatively deep draft classThat said, the Patriots, as they seem to always be, are in a strong position to trade up in the draft as part of an overall aggressive philosophy for the next two seasons Picking at 29th overall in the first round should allow them to grab a talented player who can help them immediately, but if they fall for a specific talent they could look to move up or trade future picks to add a choice this year READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-perspective-the-miami-dolphins-201493761.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-perspective-the-miami-dolphins-201493761.html Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:32:48 PDT
Although Miami and Boston are some distance apart, the New England Patriots are suffering a bit with noisy neighbors this off-seasonJust as Stephen Ross arrived to take him to the gallows, Jeff Ireland made one final grasp to try and pry away the lock that had kept his franchise from success during his tenure While his attempts were made out of desperation, and they will likely hurt the franchise in the long-term, they have undoubtedly improved the Dolphins at this point in the off-seasonThe only question remaining is just how much they have improved READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/sports-central-nfl-mock-draft-2013-201072351.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/sports-central-nfl-mock-draft-2013-201072351.html Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:17:47 PDT One would think that April would be a quiet month for a league that runs from September through February, but that is what makes the NFL so special these days The NFL has become a year round commitment and arguably the most exciting event on it's calendar is the NFL draftUnlike the Super Bowl, an event that only includes the top two teams in the league directly, every single fan has a reason to be hopeful when it comes to the draft1 Kansas City Chiefs-Luke Joeckel, OT READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-an-all-22-analysis-of-adrian-wilsons-new-role-200889191.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-an-all-22-analysis-of-adrian-wilsons-new-role-200889191.html Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:02:41 PDT
After Anquan Boldin led the Baltimore Ravens to a relatively easy victory in Foxboro to vault his team into the Super Bowl, it was clear that the New England Patriots had at least one fatal flaw on their defense Not only was the Patriots' secondary lacking talent and depth, but most notably it had no toughnessWithout Aqib Talib, Boldin was able to overpower Devin McCourty, Alfonzo Dennard and Kyle Arrington in any kind of tight coverage, while Steve Gregory, McCourty or Tavon Austin lacked the physicality to intimidate him as he worked over the middle of the field Patrick Chung had that physicality, but lacked the coverage ability or intelligence to be trusted in coverage READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-draft-plans-rise-to-prominence-200863511.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-draft-plans-rise-to-prominence-200863511.html Mon, 01 Apr 2013 06:02:40 PDT The New England Patriots wrapped up a deal for former Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver Michael Jenkins just in time to conclude their business in March Jenkins won't excite fans, even though he has that speed the Patriots' offense craves on the edges, but he is most likely one of the final moves to be made by the franchise ahead of the draftFree agency allowed the Patriots to re-sign their starting right tackle, Sebastian Vollmer, replace Wes Welker with Danny Amendola, add a swing tackle in Will Svitek, get a tough veteran presence in their secondary with Adrian Wilson and retain both Kyle Arrington and Aqib Talib at the cornerback positionIn no small part because of Tom Brady's contract extension, the Patriots were able to address most of their primary needs READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/boston-celtics-injuries-are-catching-up-to-them-200284941.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/boston-celtics-injuries-are-catching-up-to-them-200284941.html Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:02:36 PDT
Boston Celtic's Kevin Garnett The Boston Celtics' season has been one of ups and downsThe ups have almost exclusively come from Avery Bradley, winning streaks and Doc Rivers The downs have been constant injury issuesRight now the Celtics are failing to endure arguably their most significant injury of the whole season READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-re-sign-free-agent-sebastian-vollmer-199764971.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-re-sign-free-agent-sebastian-vollmer-199764971.html Sun, 24 Mar 2013 11:17:28 PDT
New England Patriots' Sebastian Vollmer As first reported by Field Yates of ESPN Boston, the New England Patriots and Sebastian Vollmer have agreed to a new contract Vollmer, along with Andre Smith, had been one of the last two remaining elite free agent offensive tacklesWhile terms of the contract remain unclear, other reports have suggested that the contract is for four yearsThe 28-year-old has been the Patriots' starting right tackle for the past three seasons, despite missing 11 games through injury during that time READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-still-have-work-to-do-in-free-agency-199449851.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-still-have-work-to-do-in-free-agency-199449851.html Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:32:23 PDT After over a week of free agent signings coming and going across the league, the New England Patriots have already addressed a number of needs Danny Amendola has arrived to replace the departed Wes Welker Adrian Wilson was signed to provide some strength and experience at strong safety Aqib Talib returned after testing the open market READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-set-for-more-aggressive-offense-in-2013-198970351.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-set-for-more-aggressive-offense-in-2013-198970351.html Tue, 19 Mar 2013 07:32:22 PDT Without Wes Welker, Danny Woodhead and Brandon Lloyd on offense, the New England Patriots' offense will have a very different identity next season Woodhead and Welker have already been replaced by more explosive entities in the forms of Shane Vereen and Danny Amendola, while Brandon Lloyd's replacement could be Lloyd himself on a cheaper contract, restricted free agent Emmanuel Sanders or a dynamic draft pickAlthough it appears that the Patriots are simply replacing like with like, their resilience to re-sign Julian Edelman so far still sticks out Of course, Edelman could just be a low-priority target, but the fact that he and Welker are not currently on the roster after two seasons when the Patriots short-passing attack fell short of a Super Bowl, indicates that the team could be about to move to a more aggressive approach READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/analyzing-the-new-england-patriots-signing-of-will-svitek-198696591.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/analyzing-the-new-england-patriots-signing-of-will-svitek-198696591.html Sun, 17 Mar 2013 02:32:18 PDT The New England Patriots added a free agent to their roster today, but it wasn't wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders Instead, they added former Atlanta Falcons' offensive tackle Will Svitek Svitek missed all of last season because of injury, but started 10 games at left tackle for Sam Baker the previous yearAlthough his healthy is a question mark, and this is not the signing Patriots' fans were expecting, this appears on the onset to be an astute move from the franchise READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/aqib-talib-signs-perfect-contract-for-new-england-patriots-198610711.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/aqib-talib-signs-perfect-contract-for-new-england-patriots-198610711.html Sat, 16 Mar 2013 11:32:20 PDT
After finding a market ravaged of any quality offers for any players at his position, cornerback Aqib Talib accepted a one year contract to return to the New England Patriots this season Talib only arrived in New England during last year's regular season, after a trade between the franchise and the Tampa Bay BuccaneersAlthough he had his issues in New England also, exclusively with injuries, Talib did enough to win over a fanbase and franchise that was(and still is) desperate for an improved secondaryTalib returned to the Patriots within 24 hours of Adrian Wilson arriving READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/explaining-what-pittsburgh-steelers-emmanuel-sanders-will-bring-to-new-england-patriots-198535881.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/explaining-what-pittsburgh-steelers-emmanuel-sanders-will-bring-to-new-england-patriots-198535881.html Fri, 15 Mar 2013 03:47:17 PDT
Back in the off-season of 2006, the New England Patriots were in pursuit of a little-known restricted free agent from the Miami Dolphins In the end, the Patriots traded for that receiver instead of signing him to an offer-sheet Of course, that receiver turned into Wes Welker During the same off-season that Welker's Patriots' career has come to a close, the Patriots are targeting another restricted free agent wide receiver READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/free-agents-dwight-freeney-john-abraham-and-adrian-wilson-visit-new-england-patriots-198452561.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/free-agents-dwight-freeney-john-abraham-and-adrian-wilson-visit-new-england-patriots-198452561.html Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:32:13 PDT
With Wes Welker leaving Tom Brady for Peyton Manning, the New England Patriots appear to be trying to rectify Brady's loss by bringing in one of Manning's long-time teammates from his days with the Indianapolis Colts For a long time, while Peyton Manning was leading the Colts' offense, Dwight Freeney was the superstar on the defensive side of the ball in IndianapolisFreeney is one of three players visiting Foxboro todayNot only does the veteran defensive end have a track record that fits an important need for the Patriots' defense, but he also will likely come at a cost affordable price considering his age READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-sign-free-agent-danny-amendola-to-replace-wes-welker-197888581.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-sign-free-agent-danny-amendola-to-replace-wes-welker-197888581.html Wed, 13 Mar 2013 04:47:14 PDT
Not long after it was announced that Wes Welker had agreed to join the Denver Broncos as a 2013 free agent, the New England Patriots have replaced him with Danny Amendola The Patriots and Amendola agreed on a five year contract that will pay the diminutive receiver $31 million and a guaranteed $10 million The Patriots agreed to a 5-year deal with Danny Amendola, source says 5 years, $31M READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/wes-welker-signs-with-denver-broncos-leaves-new-england-patriots-for-rival-197859611.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/wes-welker-signs-with-denver-broncos-leaves-new-england-patriots-for-rival-197859611.html Wed, 13 Mar 2013 02:02:14 PDT
When Tom Brady took a cap-friendly contract extension earlier this off-season, the New England Patriots' chances of re-signing his favorite target, Wes Welker, multiplied However, after two days of reportedly low-balling their leading wide receiver from last season, Welker has decided to sign for the Denver Broncos on a long-term dealWes Welker has agreed to terms with Denver Broncos— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2013Welker will sign a contract for two seasons and now becomes a part of the team that will be seen as the Patriots' biggest obstacles to overcome in the AFC this season READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-wes-welker-expected-to-separate-in-free-agency-197685031.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-wes-welker-expected-to-separate-in-free-agency-197685031.html Tue, 12 Mar 2013 04:32:12 PDT
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the New England Patriots and Wes Welker have called off discussions over a new contract Per sources: Talks between Wes Welker and #Patriots are over at this point Welker exploring free agency #Intrigue #FreeAgency— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2013 Welker will now explore offers from other teams, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee that he won't come back to the Patriots if he doesn't receive the offer he is searching forDivision rivals, the Miami Dolphins, already made a massive investment in former Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver Mike Wallace READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-priority-list-for-nfl-free-agency-2013-196791121.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/new-england-patriots-priority-list-for-nfl-free-agency-2013-196791121.html Sun, 10 Mar 2013 06:17:10 PDT
The New England Patriots enter the 2013 Free Agent Market, a market that opens on Tuesday this week, with many question marks but question marks that are overshadowed by a settled franchise Unlike other franchises, the Patriots aren't rebuilding or looking for superstar players to lead the franchise this off-season Instead, they are looking to build on their success of recent seasonsEven though they don't have a lengthy list of priorities, they do have some top-heavy targets that they must acquire if they are to advance next season READ MORE ]]> http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/arizona-cardinals-release-adrian-wilson-perfect-fit-for-new-england-patriots-196348981.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/the-sports-central/arizona-cardinals-release-adrian-wilson-perfect-fit-for-new-england-patriots-196348981.html Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:32:12 PST In a somewhat shocking development on Friday, it became known that the Arizona Cardinals would be releasing strong safety Adrian Wilson Wilson is going to be 34 by the end of next season, but he had still played well into his 12th season last year He finished the year with 54 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble and one interception His leadership was also pivotally important for the play of what proved to be an excellent unit READ MORE ]]>