Patriots Roundup: Rodney Harrison, Tom Brady's Knee, and Matt Cassel's Future

There's a surprising amount of information flowing out of the Patriots camp this month. What with the departure of Josh McDaniels, Rodney Harrison's decision that he may retire, a possible franchise tag on Matt Cassel, oh, and, of course, Tom Brady's knee.

We know Tedy Bruschi wants to return for a 14th season. But Junior Seau is most likely not coming back, and as evident from the 2008 season and that game at the end of the 2007 season that we won't mention, the team needs a better defense.

Harrison was one of the few bright lights (most of the time) on the D, and don't you dare call him a dirty player. That man played hard, and hit hard, but he has never injured anyone.

And he still could be back next year. The good thing with Harrison is that he's no Farve. If he retires, he's done. He's not coming back.

Interesting note on Farve: Apparently, he won't talk to Aaron Rogers, and he may be a Viking next year. OK. Minnesota would be better off grabbing Cassel if he's a free agent than the old man. Remember the tankage at the end of the season?

Back to the Pats. There's still a chance that Cassel will be franchise tagged by the Pats. I'm not so sure this is the best course of action for anyone. Let's face it, Matty could be a starter in a lot of places, and there are several teams hurting for a QB. Now, if the Pats could keep him for less than the $14.6 million franchise tag, then I'm all for it, but otherwise...

And Tom Brady will be back and ready for the season. Yes, I know Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb both struggled after having their knee surgeries, but they had it at the end of the season, so Tommy's had months more to recover.

I think he'll be ready to play on opening day, but I believe we will not hear a word about him, his knee, or anything else until then. Unless you watch TMZ, then you'll see him. But in regards to football, nothing.

The Patriots are like the mob. They don't speak, they keep things "in the family," and weaknesses are never taken public if at all possible. That is why Brady will not be seen on ESPN until August. And we won't know anything about the Cassel decision until it's made.

But I think next season is going to be great. They still have Randy Moss, Wes Welker, a okay O-line, a few young guys mixing it up in the defense, and not one, but TWO great quarterbacks (at the moment). They need to fix their woefully bad secondary and add a few linebackers to the aging core.

For instance: James Madison University quarterback Rodney Landers is entering the draft as an outside linebacker/running back (good arm, better runner). The Pats should pick him up; he can be like Mike Vrabel. He should be in the fourth/fifth/sixth round somewhere.

Also, many on the Baltimore Ravens defense are free agents. If they have the cap room, the Pats should grab them up.