Patriots Roster Decisions & Random NFL Thoughts

The Patriots made several personnel moves in the last few days, which have resulted in the team forming their 53-man roster which will take on the Cincinnati Bengals a week from today. In a surprising move, Derrick Burgess - a projected starter at outside linebacker - was released. Another blow to the defense was the news that safety Brandon McGowan will miss the 2010 season after being placed on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle. Two moves were made to acquire players as well. Linebacker Tracy White and safety Jarrad Page were added to provide depth and should contribute on special teams. Page could be a key contributor in the secondary that is short on experience as seen in his 2008 stats (84 tackles, 4 interceptions). Another curious move was that injured offensive lineman Nick Kaczur retained a roster spot although he could miss the entire season following back surgery last month. That speaks to the lack of depth on the Patriots offensive line and makes the case for the team to try and get Logan Mankins signed to a new deal that will end his holdout. Looking at roster moves around the NFL that could impact the Patriots, former Patriot Jarvis Green was released by the Denver Broncos. With the holes on the defensive line, bringing back Green makes a lot of sense and I would not be surprised if he was in uniform against the Bengals next week. He knows Belichick's defense and even entering his ninth season, Green could reasonably be expected to be a solid contributor. A young defense would also benefit from his veteran leadership on the field and in the lockerroom. Elsewhere in the NFL: I was not shocked that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had his six-game suspension reduced to four-games by commissioner Roger Goodell and it has nothing to do with his reported "rehabilitation." The reality is that Roethlisberger is an elite player who was not convicted of a crime. He is the face of one of the league's marquee franchises and it makes good business sense for the NFL to have him on the field. It may not be the right thing to do in terms of the image of the NFL but it does make financial sense to have Roethlisberger on the field - and on television screens - for the extra two games... The shine of the Heisman Trophy means little in the NFL and yesterday proved that point. Matt Leinart (2004) was released by the Arizona Cardinals five years after being the 10th pick in the draft and Troy Smith (2006) was released by the Baltimore Ravens after throwing just 3 touchdown passes in his three seasons. On the bright side, Tim Tebow (2007) was named the second string quarterback for the Denver Broncos while Sam Bradford (2008) was named the starting quarterback for the St. Louis Rams. Of course, the shaky offenses in both cities doesn't guarantee positive seasons for either player... If Leinart truly wants to turn around his career, he should personally call the Minnesota Vikings and inquire about employment. With Brett Favre in his final season, Leinart could spend a season as his understudy before getting the opportunity to take the job in 2011... The longer Darrelle Revis stays away from the Jets, the harder it becomes for them to contend with the Patriots and Dolphins in the AFC East. It's that simple... Another name that caught my attention on the waiver wire yesterday was Willie Parker. A veteran of two Super Bowl championship teams with the Steelers, Parker was released by the Washington Redskins after getting stuck behind Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson on the depth chart at running back. With the Patriots relying on the aging Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris as well as the inconsistent Laurence Maroney, Parker may be worth a look... The football picks will be out Thursday night because I am heading to the Michigan-Notre Dame game on Friday morning. Keep in mind that I was 0-2-1 yesterday picking college winners but I do have a shot at starting out .500 in Week 1 if Navy (-6) and Boise State (-1.5) take care of business tomorrow night...