I read an interesting tweet Saturday by Ian Rapoport, Patriot's writer for the Boston Herald. "The Patriots started the day with four Brandon's, now they only have one." The departures of former first round pick Brandon Meriweather and former third round pick Brandon Tate shocked some, but I think most fans and media members saw these moves coming. Meriweather made his bed when he told reporters in a locker room interview last season (I believe) that he doesn't exactly do what he is told to all the time. It's my understanding that in the Patriot defensive scheme, the safety is not necessarily a ball hawk. He's a player that will either move up and stuff the run, line up to cover a split tight end, or fall back and play the last line of defense in the deep zone. I'm sure Meriwether's decisions to ignore his given directions and play his own way resulted in some of his dozen career interceptions, but I bet it upset Coach Bill. And who knows, maybe there's some karma in this move, think back to the last time they cut a Pro Bowl safety just before week 1. Lawyer Milloy gets his walking papers, Pats win the Super Bowl. Only thing missing in the 2011 equation is a Rodney Harrison type replacement. As for Tate, he has electric speed. So the NFL moving the kick off up five yards did him a major disservice. He's not as shifty and quick as other return men, so his value diminishes without the extra five yards on the opponent to get moving. He clearly was never going to click as an NFL wide receiver and may have only made the team as a return specialist. I see him as Bethel Johnson 2.0. Other interesting cuts included trimming the tight ends down to two. Fifth rounder Lee Smith and Undrafted Free Agent Will Yeatman both seemed to be fighting it out for the third spot behind Gronk and Hernandez. Instead they both were left off the final 53-man roster. Many have pondered this move and they seem to be coming to two possible conclusions. One, it allows for an extra cornerback (Darius Butler). Two, it clears the way for an eventual return of Algae Crumpler. The team also kept 10 defenisve lineman. This looks like a sign that the team plans on playing multiple fronts with plenty of variations in the packages. They also roll out with six corners, a number some thought would actually be five. We'll have to keep in mind that only 46 of these players will dress for each game and that the roster will probably have plenty of turnover as players come off the PUP list or are injured during the season. Don't forget to sign up for The Day's Pro Pigskin Playoff. This NFL pick 'em game includes terrific local prizes and a chance at national prizes as well. And finally a special thanks to the CL+P crews and those that traveled from far and wide to help restore power. I hope you know our frustration isn't with you and your hard work, but the situation in general! We'll be back on Friday with a preview of the regular season and week one against Miami.