NFL 2011

[shtexas]

I know Belichick doesn't have the greatest reputation for fairness, but I don't understand why he has to defend taking a player that another team put on waivers. I've always suspected there are unwritten rules, but there shouldn't be. Waivers should mean what it is.

Belichick defends signing of Jake Ballard

By Jeff Howe
Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Patriots coach Bill Belichick shot down the notion this morning that the team violated an unwritten rule by claiming injured tight end Jake Ballard off waivers from the New York Giants.

The Giants waived Ballard on Monday with the presumed intention, according to Ballard’s Twitter account, of placing him on an injured list when he cleared. Yet, the Patriots [team stats] swooped in and claimed Ballard yesterday. After the transaction, the question was raised that the Patriots might have violated an unwritten rule, and Belichick was asked about that this morning.

“First of all, there aren’t any unwrittens,” Belichick said. “I’m sure that you’re aware that you can’t negotiate a contract with a player while he’s under contract. You can’t negotiate a contract, release him, then renegotiate another contract with him that was already done in advance. I’m sure the Giants weren’t doing that. If a player’s on waivers, he’s on waivers, ours or anybody else’s. I don’t know what unwrittens you’re talking about.”

Belichick then discussed the risk of placing a player on waivers. The Patriots, like everyone else, have been bitten by the waiver process in recent years, losing draft picks whom they wanted to store on the practice squad.

“Anytime you put a player on waivers, you know there’s 31 teams out there that can take him if they want him,” Belichick said. “We all know that. There’s no secret to that.”

Belichick also said Ballard hadn’t arrived at Gillette Stadium yet, though he believed the tight end would arrive today. Therefore, the Patriots’ medical staff hasn’t been able to examine the two-year veteran who tore his ACL during the Super Bowl and had microfracture surgery this offseason.

Still, Belichick likes the prospects of working with Ballard and seeing how it all plays out.

“Obviously, he had a real productive year last year,” Belichick said. “We’ll see how all that goes. We haven’t seen him yet.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/f...&position=also

[ptmcmahon]

He had the winning TD in the regular season game IIRC. Don't think that didn't play some part

[Moose]

Tim T., at training camp yesterday. I think I'm becoming a Jets fan.