FOXBORO -- Every Friday Tom E. Curran, Mike Giardi and Phil Perry take your Patriots questions on Twitter and answer them as a joint mailbag -- or a Friday Bag, as they call it. Got questions? Tweet the trio using the hashtag #FridayBag.
Let's get to this week's:
MG: Zo, excellent questions. Last start with the latter. There’s so much pressure on him to match my sharp outfits provided by the good people at 9 Tailors that he’s pretty much screwed to begin with. But let’s just say I’m convinced he does it blindfolded and that perhaps he’s also color blind. As for the nose hair, TC pulls them out individually and usually leaves them littered throughout press boxes. The man is a savage.
MG: Curran is a resistance band freak, and a 17 ppg, 4 rpg, 4 apg hoop player. He’s also been known to drive golf balls or take hacks in a batting cage whenever the mood strikes him. He’s actually going for a leaner look this year and is now the skinniest of the three CSN football folks.
MG: Meatball. Definitely meatball.
MG: Lot of questions about Stork’s future. Prior to getting hurt in training camp, he was dominating the 1-on-1’s with the defensive linemen (although a veteran DL reminded me that “we have to let up. They don’t.” That can sometimes lead to a skewed viewed of how those competitions are actually going). But I digress…point being, for as sound as Stork was a year ago, it’s not like we’re talking about someone with a long track record. He’s also battled injuries two seasons running. If the coaching staff thinks he’s an upgrade from David Andrews, I’m sure they won’t hesitate to put Stork in there. But Andrews has been sound, so maybe he stays right where he is. As for a position switch, Stork has been a center since day one. Could he slide to guard? I suppose, but again, he’s never played there. As for tackle, no way, no how. Doesn’t have the length. Andrews did get some training camp reps at guard but again, ask yourself the question: are either of these guys going to be better than what you’re getting out of Kline, Mason and Jackson?
MG: Xpat, who sucks in the NFL this year? Like who really, really sucks? Then start looking at their rosters and the salaries and see if there’s a match. Alterraun Verner is a name that gets a lot of play around here, and he was benched in Tampa. But he’s cover 2 guy, and the Pats haven’t played a ton of that thus far. How the scouting staff views him would go a long way to determining if there’s any interest. He’s also under contract for 6+ million in each of the next two seasons. Too high?? Another Buc, Sterling Moore, is an interesting candidate. He’s not making big money, has been here before, and played pretty well for the Cowboys a season ago. Beyond that, I suppose you could look at the Chiefs and someone like Marcus Cooper. Belichick and Andy Reid have a relationship. But really, it’s so hard to predict. What’s the cost? What’s the cap ramifications? Who’s open for business? And how do the Pats really feel about Logan Ryan and Justin Coleman and the new kid, Rashaad Melvin? Maybe the Pats are less concerned about it.
PP: Hey, Darian. There are a couple of ways to answer this. If you mean "balanced" as an all-around team -- offense, defense, special teams -- I think the 2007 version of the Patriots still takes the cake. Defensively it had proven players at every level. Though the current edition of the Patriots has shown it can be an effective defense, it's excuting despite a lack of significant depth at the cornerback and linebacker levels. If you're talking strictly about the offenses of the two teams, I would say that's a much closer call. The 2007 group had a unique talent in Randy Moss and a 100-catch guy in Wes Welker. The 2015 Patriots answer with a unique talent of their own in Rob Gronkowski and a 100-catch guy in Julian Edelman. Both preferred to pass, and the 2015 Patriots actually pass it more. To this point in the season, they've thrown 1.65 times for every rush while the 2007 group threw the ball 1.29 times for every rush. The offensive line the Patriots had in 2007 -- which featured experienced players and All-Pro talents like Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen and Stephen Neal -- may have pushed that group ahead of this one in terms of their ability to be balanced in both the running and passing games.
PP: Thanks for checking in, Jim. No word on Slater's availability for Sunday, though he's been out at practice every day this week, and he looks to be moving well on the knee he injured in Indianapolis. As a gunner and core player in New England's kick coverage, obviously his game is predicated on his speed. If he's at all slowed down by the injury, it wouldn't surprise me to see him get a week off if the team thinks it will save him from any further damage and help him be ready after a quick turnaround for the Dolphins on Thursday night. As for the roster moves to allow the PUP guys to return, the Patriots have already made a move. They released Khyri Thornton on Thursday night, leaving an opening for someone like Brandon LaFell on the 53-man roster. It appears as though Chris Jones and Dane Fletcher -- two more PUP players -- are still a little ways off from returning. Neither player has started to practice. The Patriots have five weeks to get them on the practice field or end their season by placing them on reserve.
PP: It was interesting to watch the Patriots deploy both McCourty and Chung as corners at times against the Colts last week, helping to make up for the fact that the Patriots had just two corners with any kind of significant experience in their system active for the game. Chung matched up with TY Hilton at times in the slot, and McCourty saw some time on the outside in his old role as a corner. Both players are buying some time for the team to find another option on the trade market, but they may end up being the best options the Patriots have. I would say at this point it's actually more likely that the Patriots continue to use their safeties in multiple roles -- they have depth at that position -- than it is that Bill Belichick and Nick Caserio find a legitimate starting corner in a trade.
PP: It's to promote teamwork. Sharing hasn't always been one of Tom or Mike's strong suits, but they're making in strides in that area. Hopefully by the end of the season, it will look like a three-man weave.