Sep 4th 2008 2:52PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Patriots, AFC East, NFL Coaching
Way back in April, I wrote that the Patriots might’ve found a viable replacement for Asante Samuel, who had recently inked a big-money contract to play for the Eagles, when they signed Lions castoff Fernando Bryant.

I based that not on the fact that head coach Bill Belichick must know something the rest of us don’t because HE’S A FREAKING GENIUS (New England signs a boatload of defensive backs every spring, and inevitably, most of them aren’t around by the start of the season), but because Detroit head coach Rod Marinelli spoke in glowing terms about Bryant, and stressed that the decision to release him was strictly a financial one.

Maybe that’s true, and maybe Marinelli really does think Bryant is “very physical” and “a tough tackler,” but I’m guessing Belichick disagrees.Continue Reading