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Source: Michael Felger, Boston Herald [ Full Article ]

For all of you who tried to make the claim last year that the receiving situation didnt hurt the Patriots [team stats] - that Deion Branch and David Givens werent missed and Tom Brady [stats] may have been the problem - you must now realize this:

Bill Belichick disagrees with you.

How else to explain wild events of the past week? First, the Pats overpaid (both in draft pick compensation and salary) for possession receiver Wes Welker. Then, yesterday, they took a chance on a questionable character in Donte Stallworth.

The signing of Stallworth should be all the evidence you need that the Pats have sought to correct the mistakes of last year. In fact, it was just over six months ago that the Pats declined to pull the trigger on Stallworth when he was traded from New Orleans to Philadelphia for the modest cost of a conditional fourth-round draft pick and a backup linebacker (Mark Simoneau). The Pats could have had Stallworth in 2006 at a reasonable price of $1.9 million (his base salary plus escalators), but they passed. Now theyre going to pay him nearly double that amount in 2007.

Go figure.

True, the Pats haven't exactly exposed themselves to long-term risk with Stallworth thanks to a nifty six-year, $33 million contract hammered out with Stallworth's agent, Drew Rosenhaus. It's likely the Donte' Stallworth Era, no matter how well he performs, will last all of one year.

According to ESPN.com, Stallworth is due option and roster bonus payments of $8 million to extend the deal beyond 2007. Also in 2008, the Pats would have to pay him a $1.6 million bonus tied to playing time, a salary of $1 million and a work out bonus of $400,000. Thats $11 million in payouts for Year 2, meaning he likely will be allowed to kick the can again in free agency next year after earning $3.6 million in bonuses and salary from the Pats in 2007.

Overall, you can't complain about the Pats aggressively pursuing players and spending money to improve the team. Patriots fans should be thrilled with what's gone on the past week. You can quibble with the cost of Welker (second- and seventh-round picks, plus $10 million in guaranteed money), and Stallworth has some issues. But both players categorically improve the team - bottom line, story over. With the additions of linebacker Adalius Thomas and Stallworth, the Pats have now landed the two best players available at their two biggest areas of need. It's been quite a statement, one that was long overdue.

That said, there's a lot not to like about Stallworth, starting with the fact that he's a former high first-round pick (No. 13 overall in 2002) who in the past seven months has been deemed expendable by two different teams. The Eagles, in particular, have been desperate for receivers for a decade, yet they didnt exactly put up a huge fight to get him back. Instead, they signed Bethel Johnson.

In New Orleans, Stallworth was chronically late to meetings and had to be fined repeatedly by then-coach Jim Haslett. When Sean Payton took over last year, he got one look at Stallworth, who overslept for a mini-camp practice in March, and decided to dump him.

Both the Eagles and Saints had to endure Stallworth's steady stream of minor injuries, most of them muscle-related. Stallworth missed four games with a hamstring problem last year and has played all 16 games only twice in his career.

There's also the drug issue to consider. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week that Stallworth is in the league's substance-abuse program, meaning he has violated terms of the agreement at least once and could be one more violation away from a suspension. We have to assume the report is true because it's been out for a week and no one has made the effort to deny it - not Stallworth, not Rosenhaus, not the NFL. Rather, an investigation has been opened to discover the leak, another sign of the story's veracity.

As a player, Stallworth has the chance to be devastating. He's young (26), big (6-foot, 196 pounds) and explosive. Scouts still talk about the 40-yard dash he ran at the combine of his draft year (4.28). He is far more talented than anything the Pats currently have on the roster.

And for that the Pats should be applauded for the move.

Just don't tell me it's business as usual. If it was, Stallworth would have been here last August.

[Saintsfan1972]

i love stallworth, but a six-year contract for a dude known to be injury prone???? can you say restructure in a year or two

[PatriotKid]

Yes, I am also a bit confused on this. I did read some about his contract and supposedly his contract is set up to be a one-year deal pending on his performance. Meaning if he stinks we only have to have him this year, if he dosen't the contract goes through for the six years.

[Saintsfan1972]

Originally Posted by PatriotKid

Yes, I am also a bit confused on this. I did read some about his contract and supposedly his contract is set up to be a one-year deal pending on his performance. Meaning if he stinks we only have to have him this year, if he dosen't the contract goes through for the six years.

that makes more sense

[seanq]

That appears to be the case for both Stallworth and Washington. The Patriots are loading up, mostly at low risk, at a position they got caught very poorly gilled last year.

You just know Belichick is going to use the competition to get the most out of all of them. It is certainly a much better position to be in. Training camp will be fierce this year, and hopefully the Pat's receiving corps will be in far better shape when the season opens this year than last.

I have to say, while Washington doesn't impress me much at all, I think Stallworth has huge upside. If he's learned his lessons and the Patriots coaching staff and locker room leaders can show him the way, this could be a fantastic deal!