Dallas Clark reportedly had a meeting with the Patriots on Tuesday.
A list of plausible reasons why:
1. Bill Belichick is having some kind of reunion involving the NFL's best players from 2007 and wanted to check on Clark's availability in person. Cakes are cookin' for LaDainian Tomlinson and Randy Gene.
2. Even though New England has Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez on its roster -- and Daniel Fells and undrafted rookie Brad Herman -- Clark may be seen as depth for the unique role that Hernandez operates in.
3. Joseph Addai told Belichick he HAD to see Clark's moustache in person.
4. The Patriots needed to do their due diligence on Clark who has played in just 17 games over the past two seasons and will be 33 when the 2012 season begins. Is he serviceable? Can he be reeled in in late August if worse comes to worst and somebody gets hurt? That's the stuff pro personnel departments need to know in advance of calamity.
5. Clark was in town to give a first-hand account of things an NFL player SHOULD NOT SAY at a girls high school basketball game.
New England Patriots
6. With a dearth of teams interested in the crafty-Hernandez forerunner, Belichick may have been doing a solid for Clark, Clark's agent (and Belichick's former agent) Neil Cornrich and for old friend Kirk Ferentz, Clark's coach at Iowa. So far, the Chiefs seem to be the only team with interest.
7. Bill Belichick wants to save old friend and current Chiefs GM Scott Pioli from the awkwardness of introducing Clark to his wife. "Dallas, this is Dallas." "Dallas, say hello to Dallas."