53 replies to this topic

[KSJets]

Bill Belichick says Patriots didn’t violate any unwritten rules by claiming Jake Ballard

Bill Belichick shot down the notion this morning that the Patriots violated an unwritten rule by claiming injured tight end Jake Ballard off waivers from the Giants.

The Giants waived Ballard on Monday with the presumed intention, according to Ballard’s Twitter account, of placing him on an injured list when he cleared. Yet, the Patriots swooped in and claimed Ballard yesterday. After the transaction, the question was raised that the Patriots might have violated an unwritten rule, and Belichick was asked about that this morning.

“First of all, there aren’t any unwrittens,” Belichick said. “I’m sure that you’re aware that you can’t negotiate a contract with a player while he’s under contract. You can’t negotiate a contract, release him, then renegotiate another contract with him that was already done in advance. I’m sure the Giants weren’t doing that. If a player’s on waivers, he’s on waivers, ours or anybody else’s. I don’t know what unwrittens you’re talking about.”

Belichick then discussed the risk of placing a player on waivers. The Patriots, like everyone else, have been bitten by the waiver process in recent years, losing draft picks whom they wanted to store on the practice squad.

“Anytime you put a player on waivers, you know there’s 31 teams out there that can take him if they want him,” Belichick said. “We all know that. There’s no secret to that.”

Belichick also said Ballard hadn’t arrived at Gillette Stadium yet, though he believed the tight end would arrive today. Therefore, the Patriots’ medical staff hasn’t been able to examine the two-year veteran who tore his ACL during the Super Bowl and had microfracture surgery this offseason.

Still, Belichick likes the prospects of working with Ballard and seeing how it all plays out.

“Obviously, he had a real productive year last year,” Belichick said. “We’ll see how all that goes. We haven’t seen him yet.”

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Considering he's violated written rules and claimed to misunderstand them, I'm not surprised he's acting surprised here. He can't seem to beat the Giants, and we all know he's a vengeful prick, so this was done to spite them. Nothing more.

[JonEJet]

Sort of unreal the media's continued fellation of everything Bellichick and Patriots. It is nauseating

[KSJets]

And from the Giants' point of view...

Giants disappointed with losing Jake Ballard to the Patriots

Published: Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 12:27 PM Updated: Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 2:26 PM

By Jorge Castillo/The Star-Ledger
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EPA/Larry W. SmithThe Patriots' decision to claim Jake Ballard off waivers left the Giants in shock and disappointed.1 pm: UPDATED with Bill Belichick reaction
Tom Coughlin was orchestrating practice yesterday when he was notified that tight end Jake Ballard had been claimed by the Patriots, the team that Ballard torched in Week 9 of the regular season and against whom he tore his ACL in the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI victory.
The surprise won't have an effect on the Giants' 2012 campaign; they were already going under the assumption that Ballard was going to miss the entire season due to the ACL injury. But he was in the team's long-term plans and the Giants' decision to waive Ballard was simply a formality in their attempt to stash him away for 2012 in anticipation of his return in 2013.
Then in stepped Bill Belichick and the Patriots to claim Ballardand ruin the plan.
"Discouraged is a minor description," Coughlin said this morning. "I'm very disappointed. I don't have a lot to say about that one. It's just the fact that we're disappointed, very disappointed."
Jake Ballard's coach and teammates talk about losing him to the Patriots On the day after New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots, coach Tom Coughlin, fellow tight ends Travis Beckum and Bear Pascoe and center Jim Cordle talk about their disappointment. The Giants placed Ballard on waivers in the hopes that he would clear because his torn ACL will keep him sidelined for the year, and then they intended to place him on injured reserve. But the plan backfired when the Patriots claimed him yesterday. Video by John Munson/The Star-Ledger Belichick said according to ESPNBoston.com. "I'm sure the Giants weren't doing that. So the player is on waivers, he's on waivers -- ours or anybody else's. I don't know what unwrittens you're talking about.
"Any time you put a player on waivers, you know there are 31 teams out there that can take him if they want him. We all know that. There is no secrets about that."
Asked why the Giants simply didn't keep him on the roster and avoiding taking the chance of losing him, Coughlin wouldn't go into specifics.
"Don’t ask me those questions," he said. "I don’t have the answers for you there. We are all disappointed, that’s all."
Offensive lineman Jim Cordle was Ballard's teammate for six years dating back to their time together at Ohio State and when center David Baas told him the news as he was heading off the field after practice yesterday Cordle didn't believe him.
Sure enough, when he looked back at Ballard he saw "a sad look on his face." Cordle said he had talked with Ballard about the possibility of a team claiming him, but he was still "shocked" by the news.
"You hope he's not being used in spite of the Giants or whatever," Cordle said. "Obviously here he fits into the offense. He's a tight end that can run block, play-action pass, run down the field and catch some big passes. Hopefully he's utilized in New England to his ability."
Jorge Castillo: jcastillo@starledger.com; twitter.com/jorgeccastillo


(Obviously I feel the same way as this player in bold)

Edited by KSJets, 13 June 2012 - 08:42 PM.

[Larz]

the nfl is a big boy league

no unwrittens

crap, now I feel dirty

[pointman]

Its professional football, not frat boy tennis. gtfo with this pouting nonsense.

[PFSIKH]

Sort of unreal the media's continued fellation of everything Bellichick and Patriots. It is nauseating

Word.

If the Hartford Courant is right, the Giants screwed the pooch by exposing Ballard. He was under control through 2013 for a total of $1.27 million. While his availability for this year is debatable, it is not like keeping him on the roster was costing a lot outside of a body.

[Maxman]

I am the first one to blast all things Belly. But even I can't blast him for this one.

[kay_gee]

The Giants can blame themselves for this. Why'd they put Ballard on waivers anyway if they wanted him so much? Clearly they knew this was a risk.

[pointman]

The Giants can blame themselves for this. Why'd they put Ballard on waivers anyway if they wanted him so much? Clearly they knew this was a risk.

Being in the nfc, I guess they didn't know how Bill plays... take rivals leftovers to find out all you can about them.

[slats]

There are 31 teams out there who know Belichick's a soulless scumbag.

[pointman]

There are 31 teams out there who know Belichick's a soulless scumbag.

Pretty sure everyone on the Pats thinks it too.

[Bleedin Green]

I hate the Pats with every fiber of me being, but this one is a little bit much even for me. The Giants could have just waited and then put him on the PUP or IR when the time came if they wanted, but they tried to get cheap and it bit them in the a$$. They have nobody to blame but themselves. Since when does another team have to let a team re-sign a player they still want but cut? The Jets didn't seem to be worried about that with the Ravens when they grabbed Trevor Pryce from under therir noses, so what's the difference really? I'll trash the Pats for everything they deserve for, and trust me there is plenty, but this one's a reach.

[RutgersJetFan]

Rex did the same sh*t with Trevor Pryce.

[KSJets]

I hate the Pats with every fiber of me being, but this one is a little bit much even for me. The Giants could have just waited and then put him on the PUP or IR when the time came if they wanted, but they tried to get cheap and it bit them in the a$$. They have nobody to blame but themselves. Since when does another team have to let a team re-sign a player they still want but cut? The Jets didn't seem to be worried about that with the Ravens when they grabbed Trevor Pryce from under therir noses, so what's the difference really? I'll trash the Pats for everything they deserve for, and trust me there is plenty, but this one's a reach.

The biggest difference was that Trevor Pryce actually played for the Jets that season. He was cut and they were going to resign him for less, but he was going to play. Ballard isn't going to play this year and they were probably going to place him on IR. I have no idea why they chose to do it this way, and it doesn't bother me so much since it's the Giants and they haven't shut up even though "all they do is play". I have no doubt Belichick did this to spite the Giants for depriving him of his first two legitimate Super Bowl wins. I'm just surprised they did this considering they have half of their roster filled with TE's.

I'm prepared to see tons of articles by the Giants' beat writers about how their current TE is turning heads in practices and sh*t like that to keep the Giants' fans from blasting the front office for taking such a boneheaded and calculated move.

[BurnleyJet]

Like to hear Mike Fatcesca's take on this, Belly done the Giants wrong bo hoo! - "IF YOU DON'T WANT ANOTHER TEAM TO SIGN HIM, DON'T PLACE HIM ON WAIVERS!" That is all...

P.s Belly is still an Uber Douche

Edited by BurnleyJet, 14 June 2012 - 06:52 AM.

[Kevin L]

I hate Belichick as much as the next guy, but this is just sour grapes on the Giants part. Don't want a guy to get picked up by another team off waivers? Don't put him on waivers.

[PatriotReign37]

I am the first one to blast all things Belly. But even I can't blast him for this one.

This is no different than when you claimed GOB off waivers from JI.

[KSJets]

What's really funny is that when this happens to the Giants, it's known as a calculated risk. If this had happened to the Jets', the media, and one poster here in particular, would be saying how the Jets' GM had gotten fleeced and doesn't know what he's doing.

[rillo]

Don't see a problem here.

[NYGiantFan10]

I hate Belichick as much as the next guy, but this is just sour grapes on the Giants part. Don't want a guy to get picked up by another team off waivers? Don't put him on waivers.

how is it sour grapes by the giants??