The New England Patriots, who have been signing free agents like Bill Belichick had a Groupon, have dipped into the well and come back with one of their own as they re-sign WR Deion Branch.

Branch, long one of QB Tom Brady’s favorite targets, is in his second stint with the Patriots after returning in a 2010 midseason trade with Seattle.  He originally was with New England from 2002-2005 before leaving for Seattle in a contract dispute for the 2006 season.

He played his college ball at Louisville and was taken by New England in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft.  The former Super Bowl MVP received a one-year contract to remain in Foxboro.

In other news, it’s been learned through NFL sources by Mac’s football blog that Brady restructured his contract to free up another $7.2 million in cap space.  Brady reduced his salary for the 2012 season by nearly $5 million and combined it with his roster bonus as a signing bonus that will be prorated over the remaining three years on the contract.

At a guaranteed $975,000 salary for the season Brady is the best deal in the entire NFL.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: AP Photo

Ron Erhardt, head coach of the New England Patriots from 1979-81, has passed away just three weeks after his 80th birthday.

Erhardt took over the Patriots after Chuck Fairbanks fled for Colorado following the 1978 home playoff loss to Houston.

In his first two seasons the team was a combined 19-13 and the 1980 team scored a then franchise record 441 points (not broken until 2007) but the team tanked in 1981 and finished 2-14.  Owner Billy Sullivan thought Erhardt “was just too nice a guy” and he was fired two days after the season ended.

After he left the Patriots, he was hired by Ray Perkins and the Giants to be their offensive coordinator.  He stayed on when Perkins left for the University of Alabama and, Erhardt’s former linebacker’s coach with the Patriots, Bill Parcells took over.  He helped lead the Giants offense to two Super Bowl titles.

Erhardt also coached with the Pittsburgh Steelers (offensive coordinator), New York Jets (offensive coordinator) and he was an assistant coach, then head coach and athletic director for North Dakota State University in the 1960’s and early 70’s before coming to Foxboro as backfield coach in 1973.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: Dickinson Press

If you’re a New England Patriots fan and you‘ve ever said anything bad about Logan Mankins, I am now going to make you feel about yay high.

During the Patriots AFC Division Playoff Game win over Denver, Mankins hurt his knee and left the game.  He later returned and played the remainder of the game and not much was thought about it.

The week of the AFC Championship Game against Baltimore Mankins never really saw the practice field, he could barely limp never mind walk.  The training staff and the team doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with his knee.  So Mankins played against Baltimore.

He pretty much repeated the process the two weeks prior to the Super Bowl against the New York Giants.  He was listed on the injury report and was limited in practice yet he played in the game.

After the Super Bowl players were getting their check out physicals and clearing out the lockers and Mankins knee was still too swollen to truly tell what the issue was.  After the swelling subsided, it turns out he had a partial tear of his ACL.

Now we all know the story of San Diego QB Phillip Rivers playing against the Patriots in a playoff game a week after having his ACL surgically repaired a few years ago. Mankins actually played about 2 and half games with the injury before undergoing surgery a few weeks ago.  He is expected to be ready for training camp.

I know he is one tough bastard, he’s mean and ornery, but to play like that really takes something especially at his size (6’4”, 310) and that he basically does hand to hand combat 60-70 times a game against someone just as big.

I guess it’s safe to say “The Legend of Logan Mankins” continues to grow in Foxboro.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: Getty Images

The New England Patriots signed free agent defensive back Will Allen on Wednesday.  Allen, a former Dolphin, got a reported one-year deal for just under $1 million.  He is expected to help bolster the defensive backfield, which had issues all through 2011.

Allen, a Syracuse product, was a 1st round draft pick (22nd overall) in the 2001 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.  After four seasons, he moved onto the Dolphins as a free agent for 2006.

There was also some not so good news for the Patriots today as the Buffalo Bills signed DE Mark Anderson to a four-year $27.5 million contract after one season in Foxboro.  It calls for $9 million in guaranteed money.  It’s pretty safe to say that New England wasn’t going anywhere near the parameters of the deal offered by Buffalo.

Anderson led the team in sacks with Andre Carter as both registered 10 on the season.

The team also lost out on its top rusher BenJarvus Green-Ellis today as he signed a three-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.  The Lawfirm, was the last Patriots 1,000-yard rusher, which he did in 2010, and he also had back-to-back seasons of at least 10 TD’s when he had 13 in 2010 and 11 in 2011.  The 24 rushing TD’s were second in the NFL for the two-year period trailing only Arian Foster who had 26 for Houston.

Green-Ellis had 29 touchdowns in his Patriots career, 7th most in franchise history, he had six career 2 TD games and the team was 22-1 in games in which he had a TD.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: AP Photo

Bill Belichick opened his desk drawer a few moments ago and found more money for another free agent, his 4th of the day.

Former New York Jets corner back Marquice Cole is shedding his green and white for red, white and blue.  He was undrafted in 2007 out of Northwestern and spent time on the practice squad for the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans and New Orleans before making his NFL debut in 2009 with the New York Jets.

In addition to his defensive back duties in New York, Cole was a part of the special teams unit as the gunner on the squad.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: AP Photo

The way the New England Patriots are going about the off season so far, I am beginning to think someone either has a free agency sale, a Groupon or maybe they really are “free”.

On Monday afternoon Bill Belichick proved once again he is either a mastermind or a nutcase by signing two more free agents.  First he brings back WR Donte’ Stallworth, once a target of Tom Brady, who was with the Patriots in the unbeaten season of 2007.

Stallworth, who since leaving New England, hasn’t been the same guy he was in previous Foxboro days.  He first signed with Cleveland, then coached by Eric Mangini, in 2008.  Then in the off season in Miami FL he hit and killed a pedestrian with his car while he was intoxicated.  He spent 30 days in jail, 2 years of house arrest and 1,000 hours of community service.  He also received 8 years probation, a lifetime suspension of his Florida drivers’ license.  Stallworth was also suspended for the 2009 season by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and in order to avoid a civil trial he paid the family a lump sum monetary settlement.

After he was reinstated to the NFL he worked off one-year contracts with the Baltimore Ravens in 2010 and with the Washington Redskins in 2011.  Prior to coming to New England, the former Tennessee Volunteer was a first round draft pick (13th overall) of the New Orleans Saints in the 2002 NFL Draft.  After 4 seasons in the Big Easy he was traded in August 2006 to Philadelphia.

The team also picked up former Oakland Raider and Seattle Seahawk offensive lineman Robert Gallery.

Gallery, who plays tackle and guard, was the first round pick (2nd overall) of the Oakland Raiders in the 2004 NFL Draft out of Iowa.  After seven seasons in Oakland, he left as a free agent in 2011 for a 3-year deal in Seattle but he was released just days before signing with New England.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: IndyStar.com

The New England Patriots started the work week by dipping back into the free agent market, this time for a tight end.  Former Denver Broncos TE Daniel Fells has reportedly agreed to a deal to come to New England.

Fells, who is 28 years old, 6 foot 4, 272 pounds played his college ball at UC-Davis and went undrafted in 2006.  He signed as a rookie free agent with Atlanta in 2006, was on the practice squads of the Oakland Raiders (2007) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008) before signing on with St. Louis in October of 2008.

After two plus seasons in St. Louis, one which ended with an IR stint, he moved onto Denver in 2011 where he became the Broncos starting tight end.

His signing is expected to open up the field more for Aaron Hernandez and allow him to be used in even more ways than he has been used in the past two seasons.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: Reuters Pictures

The New England Patriots have signed free agent WR Brandon Lloyd to a three-year, $12 million deal.  Lloyd is a former member of the Denver Broncos and St. Louis Rams and has played for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in both places. 

Translated that means he knows the offense and is a legit deep threat for QB Tom Brady.

Lloyd, 30, is a Kansas City, MO native who played his college ball at Illinois.  He was a 4th round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2003 NFL Draft.

The former Pro Bowl and All Pro selection has 31 career TD catches while also playing for Washington and Chicago.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: AP Photo

The New England Patriots are once again adding depth through solid veteran players without breaking the bank to do so.

Late Saturday afternoon it was learned that New England signed former Indianapolis Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez to a contract whose terms have no been disclosed.  Gonzalez, a first round pick out of Ohio State in 2007, has had three successive seasons cut short by injuries after having solid rookie and sophomore campaigns catching passes from Peyton Manning.

Gonzalez was placed on the season ending IR in both 2009 and 2010 and only saw action in 8 games in 2011.  When healthy the 27-year old slot receiver is extremely dangerous.  The low risk, high reward signing is insurance for the team in case WR Wes Welker decides not to report to camp and he adds depth behind Welker should the Pro Bowler either sign his franchise tender or get a long term deal.

The Gonzalez signing could also possibly push Julian Edelman to the other side of the ball.  Edelman, a quarterback in college that New England converted to wide receiver, has played several games in the secondary and has shown a penchant for playing on that side of the ball.

In addition to Gonzalez, the Patriots also signed free agent defensive end/outside linebacker Trevor Scott, formerly of the Oakland Raiders.  The 27-year old Scott reportedly received a one-year contract.  The Potsdam NY native played his college ball for University of Buffalo and was a 6th round pick by Oakland in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Scott went on the IR in November of 2010 with a torn ACL and although he played in all 16 games in 2011 the injury still hampered him.  At 6 foot 5, 255 pounds Scott has the versatility to play the line or as a linebacker and he could fill the role that Mark Anderson played last season or if Anderson returns he provides more depth at two positions.

The Patriots are also reportedly taking a visit this weekend from former Washington Redskins safety LaRon Landry who is reported to be high on Bill Belichick’s wish list.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: AP Photo

The New England Patriots dipped into the free agent market again and this time came out with safety Steven Gregory, formerly of the San Diego Chargers.  Gregory signed a three year contract worth between $2 million and $3 million a season.

The 5′ 11″, 195 pound safety, who grew up in Staten Island, went to Syracuse University.  He has also played cornerback as well as special teams since coming to the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2006.  In 2010, he was suspended for 4 games for PED use.

The speedy Gregory, 29, is expected to play along side S Patrick Chung and solidify the defensive backfield.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: Reuters Pictures