As the NFL preseason approaches, almost all handicappers are sifting through the NFL futures. If they liked the New England Patriots on the Super Bowl odds before, now is an even better time to bet them.
The Patriots are the clear-cut favorite to win the Super Bowl bowl after a frenetic offseason that saw them add veterans Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway to their roster. Not that the Patriots needed more offensive firepower, adding these two former Pro Bowlers definitely won't hurt.
On Thursday night, the Patriots added another veteran who definitely won't hurt.
Most betting handicappers remember the last time the Patriots dealt with the Oakland Raiders, which resulted in Randy Moss coming over to the Pats for a very cheap price. Once again the Patriots have called up Al Davis to do business, this time acquiring disgruntled defensive end Derrick Burgess. Burgess once was the NFL's leading sacker and can clearly be one of the best pass rushers in the league when he wants to be. The problem is that, just like Randy Moss, Burgess realized that his efforts were futile for the Raiders.
The Patriots send a third- and fifth-round pick in return for Burgess, who will be thrilled to leave one of the worst organizations in the NFL for one of the best. The Patriots won't use Burgess as an end, since he's not used to playing as an end in their 3-4 scheme, but he will be a perfect fit as an outside linebacker.
Football wagering enthusiasts know that the linebacker position was one of the weakest on the team a couple of years ago but now the Patriots have neatly rebuilt the middle of their defense. First, they signed Adalius Thomas, then they drafted Jerod Mayo and now have added Burgess. Burgess will push Pierre Woods to the bench, which means with Tedy Bruschi, the Patriots should again have one of the most versatile units in the league.
With a talented, deep offensive line, a re-tooled linebacking corps and a good young secondary, there aren't many visible holes on the Patriots' roster. Considering their offense is going to rack up points at will once again, this defense isn't going to have to do a lot of work to help the Patriots win games but it's pretty clear that they'll be capable of holding their own when necessary.
You can expect - as per usual - the Patriots to be a popular betting pick on a weekly basis.
The Patriots are the clear-cut favorite to win the Super Bowl bowl after a frenetic offseason that saw them add veterans Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway to their roster. Not that the Patriots needed more offensive firepower, adding these two former Pro Bowlers definitely won't hurt.
On Thursday night, the Patriots added another veteran who definitely won't hurt.
Most betting handicappers remember the last time the Patriots dealt with the Oakland Raiders, which resulted in Randy Moss coming over to the Pats for a very cheap price. Once again the Patriots have called up Al Davis to do business, this time acquiring disgruntled defensive end Derrick Burgess. Burgess once was the NFL's leading sacker and can clearly be one of the best pass rushers in the league when he wants to be. The problem is that, just like Randy Moss, Burgess realized that his efforts were futile for the Raiders.
The Patriots send a third- and fifth-round pick in return for Burgess, who will be thrilled to leave one of the worst organizations in the NFL for one of the best. The Patriots won't use Burgess as an end, since he's not used to playing as an end in their 3-4 scheme, but he will be a perfect fit as an outside linebacker.
Football wagering enthusiasts know that the linebacker position was one of the weakest on the team a couple of years ago but now the Patriots have neatly rebuilt the middle of their defense. First, they signed Adalius Thomas, then they drafted Jerod Mayo and now have added Burgess. Burgess will push Pierre Woods to the bench, which means with Tedy Bruschi, the Patriots should again have one of the most versatile units in the league.
With a talented, deep offensive line, a re-tooled linebacking corps and a good young secondary, there aren't many visible holes on the Patriots' roster. Considering their offense is going to rack up points at will once again, this defense isn't going to have to do a lot of work to help the Patriots win games but it's pretty clear that they'll be capable of holding their own when necessary.
You can expect - as per usual - the Patriots to be a popular betting pick on a weekly basis.
