New England Patriots

Jim O’Connor – USA TODAY Sports Much has been made about the New England Patriots connection with former Rutgers University players. The Patriots selected three players from the Rutgers Scarlet Knights program in the 2013 NFL Draft. New England also recently signed two undrafted free agents from Rutgers, totaling eight former Scarlet Knight players on the Patriots’ roster. The linking to Rutgers is obvious for head coach Bill Belichick as his son played college football for the Scarlet Knights. Belichick has also grown close to former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, who is about to enter his second year as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Belichick has a strong belief that these former Rutgers players can produce for the Patriots because of their football background. Belichick trusts the foundation at Rutgers, and thus has no problem giving as many players from that program the chance to make the Patriots roster. What can we expect production wise from the former Scarlet Knights on the Patriots this season? Well, six of the eight players from Rutgers are on the defense side of the ball and have a chance to impact an improving defensive unit. Devin McCourty, a 2010 draftee from Rutgers, has cemented his status as a starting safety on the Patriots. McCourty is a defensive captain and is on pace to have a strong season after moving away from the cornerback position. Defensive end Justin Francis, a 2012 undrafted free agent, was a starter by the end of the regular season with all the injuries to the defense. He is renowned for his work ethic and should make a decent contribution to the Patriots’ defense in 2013. All three Rutgers draftees on the Pats’ roster from the 2013 class could play a major role in the defense, particularly third-round picks Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon. Cornerback Ryan and safety Harmon may see significant playing time in their rookie seasons’, especially if injuries pile up on the secondary. Seventh-round pick Steve Beauharnais is a physical linebacker that has a great chance to make the 53-man roster come September. The remaining former Scarlet Knights players are long shots to make the team. Offensive tackle Kevin Haslam, who played sparingly for the San Diego Chargers last season, is far down on the depth chart for one of the top offensive lines in the league. Cornerback Brandon Jones and wide receiver Mark Harrison also face uphill battles to make the roster. But both players do not have to look far to find a source of motivation as former Scarlet Knight Justin Francis thrived in the Patriots’ system, despite not being drafted. The production of the Rutgers players will be watched closely throughout the season to evaluate another unorthodox experiment from the highly-intelligent football-minded Bill Belichick. Tyler Ash is a New England Patriots Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on twitter @TyAsh34 Like His Facebook Page, or add him to your network on Google Plus

One of the neat parts about Twitter is that it can provide a glimpse inside the world of the professional athlete, and at times, link one generation of player to a new generation. Such was the case Saturday morning, when Patriots Hall of Famer Troy Brown -- one of the most popular players in the history of the franchise -- tweeted the following to @DannyAmendola: "Welcome my man to The Patriot Way. I'll see you at the Big Razor & best of luck!

There's a terrific event going on this evening, which will feature one current Patriot and one former player being honored at the 2013 Pop Warner All-American Scholastic Banquet that will take place tonight at the Boston Marriott Copley Place from 6:30pm - 9:30pm. The post Patriots TE’s Hernandez and Coates to Be Honored Tonight at Pop Warner Event appeared first on Ian's New England Patriots Blog.

Will 2009 fourth-round pick Tyronne Green be able to earn a roster spot in 2013? (Photo: US Presswire)NEPD Editor: Matthew JonesAll but two offensive linemen who took snaps for the New England Patriots in 2012 (Donald Thomas and Mitch Petrus) are currently on roster with the team in 2013, meaning that as many as seven spots on the line may already be filled. All five starters on the offensive line remain; from left to right, those players are Nate Solder, Logan Mankins, Ryan Wendell, Dan Connolly, and Sebastian Vollmer. With the possible exception of Connolly, all will be back next season.In addition to the returning starters, reserve tackle/guard Marcus Cannon should be a lock for the final roster, while interior swing reserve Nick McDonald’s hold on a roster spot may be more tenuous. Even if McDonald returns, the Patriots should carry at least one or two more linemen on the final 53-man roster, with a spot or two on the practice squad additionally dedicated to the positional grouping. In this article, the other eight offensive line candidates currently on roster will be considered.VETERAN CANDIDATES:OT Kevin HaslamNew England’s decision to sign Haslam may very well be connected to his Rutgers pedigree; the reserve offensive tackle went undrafted out of the university in 2010 before being signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars; he was on the field for four snaps as a rookie, allowing one sack before being placed on injured reserve. He didn’t see the field in 2011, then had a brief stint with the Oakland Raiders in 2012 before being signed by the San Diego Chargers. His most recent season was also his most relevant, as he started three games and played significantly in two others, totaling 294 snaps on the season (226 at left tackle, 68 at right tackle.)Haslam has intriguing size at 6’5” and 304 pounds; additionally, he played every position but center while a member of the Scarlet Knights. Unfortunately, Haslam may lack the athleticism to develop into a functional player with New England; he ran a 5.62-second 40-yard dash at Rutgers’ pro day, with pedestrian times in the three-cone drill (7.75 seconds) and short shuttle (4.78 seconds.) Those deficiencies were masked to some extent in San Diego’s man-blocking scheme, but the organization evidently wasn’t confident enough in his movement skills to keep him on roster as they transition to a zone-blocking scheme.OT Will SvitekThe thirty-one year-old Svitek entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2005, where he spent three seasons from 2005-2007, recording four starts over that span. After a year out of the league, Svitek signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2009, making two starts at left tackle, which accounted for 152 of his 273 snaps that season. In 2010, his role was reduced; he played in 121 snaps, primarily as a jumbo tight end. 2011 was Svitek’s most substantial season in the league; he replaced injured left tackle Sam Baker in week seven, starting that season’s remaining eleven games (including Atlanta’s playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers.) He played at an acceptable level over that span, allowing just three sacks while committing five penalties. Unfortunately, he spent 2012 on injured reserve with an arm injury sustained in training camp, which, combined with his age, may diminish his chances of making the roster.Although Svitek may be slightly more effective than a player such as Haslam, it may be beneficial to New England to go with a younger player. Whereas a player such as Haslam or Markus Zusevics should be able to play offensive guard in a pinch, Svitek’s role is likely limited to a swing reserve at tackle, with the ability to line up at tight end in jumbo packages.OT Markus ZusevicsNew England was able to sign Markus Zusevics as an undrafted free agent last season after the former Iowa Hawkeyes tackle sustained a torn pectoral muscle at the 2012 NFL Combine. That resulted in Zusevics spending most of his rookie season on the Non-Foo

While there has been no shortage of instant impact rookies in the NFL in recent seasons, there are others who take time to transition into the pro game from the college level. To that point, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has said in the past that many players experience the greatest development during their NFL careers between their rookie and sophomore seasons. In 2012, the Patriots drafted seven rookies in total, six of whom remain on the active roster (Jeremy Ebert, a seventh-round receiver from Northwestern, recently signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars).

Just six weeks after re-signing Julian Edelman, the Patriots and the receiver have made a slight alteration to the deal. Since Edelman is missing time during the offseason workout program and organized team activities due to a reaggravation of the injury he suffered to his right foot at the end of last season, the team converted the majority of his workout bonus to a roster bonus.

Edelman is dealing with another foot injury had $40,000 of the $50,000 in offseason workout bonuses converted to a Week 1 roster bonus, indicated by a person with knowledge of the situation. The renegotiation of the deal Edelman signed earlier this spring is a move by the team to save money in case Edelman doesn’t make the roster because of the injury or skill. The person, who confirmed the report by ESPNBoston.com, spoke on condition of anonymity because the Patriots don’t comment publicly on contracts.

The Boston Herald reports the New England Patriots have signed their fourth round draft pick, wide receiver Josh Boyce to a four year deal. Boyce is the fifth draft pick to sign with the Patriots, leaving second round draft pick, WR Aaron Dobson, and seventh round draft pick,  defensive end Michael Buchanan.

Former Patriots tight end Ben Coates will be in Boston this weekend to be presented the Humanitarian Award at the Pop Warner All-American Scholarship Banquet. It's a trip he enjoys making. "I don't get back to town often, but I'm looking forward to coming back," Coates said Friday in an interview with ESPNBoston.com. Coates' ties to the region trace back to 1991 when the Patriots drafted him in the fifth round out of Livingstone College. He played in New England until 1999, putting together a career that included five Pro Bowl berths and earned him induction into the team's Hall of Fame in 2008.

Texas Christian receiver Josh Boyce, who the Patriots selected with the early fourth-round pick acquired in a trade with the Vikings, signed the standard four-year deal with the team today, a source confirms. The Patriots selected Boyce 102nd overall, nabbing him before the Dolphins, who appeared ready to select him at the No. 104 spot. The Dolphins wound up picking linebacker Jelani Jenkins of Florida once Boyce was off the board. Boyce's contract includes a $477,000 signing bonus, which is the same as the player drafted with the fifth pick of the fourth round last year, Miami receiver Travis Benjamin.