Ross Tucker: Patriots practiced with IR players

Sgt John · 05-24-2008, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Ross Tucker, a former offensive lineman who played for five teams in a seven-year NFL career, reiterated Thursday that he believes that New England used players on the injured reserve list in practices, which violates league rules.

Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh, in a meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last week, said that a Patriots player on injured reserve practiced when he wasn't allowed to in 2001.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Thursday, "The Walsh allegation is still under review."

The Patriots, when contacted by ESPN Thursday, had no comment.

Tucker continued to contend the Patriots used injured players illegally during an interview on ESPN's "NFL Live." He first wrote about it last week on SI.com.

Tucker told "NFL Live" that Patriots coach Bill Belichick will do anything he can "to get an advantage." He also added that using a player on injured reserve in practice was of "minimal" benefit.

Last Friday, in an article published on SI.com, Tucker wrote that: "I had heard the Patriots did this before I signed with them in 2005 and I saw it firsthand during my time there. I asked veteran receiver Troy Brown about it one time and he responded, 'Every team in the league does that.' I quickly let him know none of the three teams I played for previously had done so.

"Basically, the Patriots would put a player on IR, knowing it meant he couldn't play in a game or practice with the team for the remainder of the season. By skirting the rules and practicing him anyway, it allowed them to develop his skills during the year. A side benefit is that they were also able to give some of the older players less repetitions and, therefore, additional rest."

Tucker played with Washington, Dallas, Buffalo, New England and Cleveland during his career. He currently writes for SI.com and hosts a show on Sirius satellite radio.

1. Does anyone care?
2. Why did he not say anything until now?
3. How much benifit can you get out of an injured guy?

Mike · 05-24-2008, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sgt_John

3. How much benifit can you get out of an injured guy?

From the article:

Quote:

"Basically, the Patriots would put a player on IR, knowing it meant he couldn't play in a game or practice with the team for the remainder of the season. By skirting the rules and practicing him anyway, it allowed them to develop his skills during the year. A side benefit is that they were also able to give some of the older players less repetitions and, therefore, additional rest."

Basically, you take guys that might have been able to play, but since there were no big plans for them that season, you "IR" them, and work them illegally.

It gives you more bodies for practice
It gives the "IR" players better opportunities to learn for next year
It gives other players that you would generally be practicing with rest that other teams players are not getting.
These "IR" players were players that probably could have played, and had the team played by the rules, they probably would have ended up waiving them, and possibly losing them to other teams before getting them onto the practice squad.

More and more reasons why Goodell destroyed tapes and swept this under the rug as quickly as possible.

Sgt John · 05-24-2008, 12:49 AM

I was looking at it from strictly an injured player perspective. When you lay it out like that, it makes sense.

Remote Controller · 05-24-2008, 10:24 AM

This all came to light during the Walsh interviews and was brought up then. It seems to have taken on new legs now. Goodell was said to have made a statemnet regarding it to the effect that he would check the allegations out. I guess he must of and this is the result.

Miller · 05-24-2008, 10:26 AM

It is just another example of Bellicheat doing anything he can to gain an advantage. It's a rule for a reason, and he wouldn't be cheating if he didn't think it gained him some sort of advantage. Mojo lays it out perfectly, this practice is a way to circumvent roster limits and a way to give young players more of an opportunity to develop. It's a lot easier to develop players the way the Pats seem to then by actually playing by the rules.

IMO, this is just as big of a deal as them taping signals.

Remote Controller · 05-24-2008, 10:31 AM

I have said this before, but how out of touch can Kraft really be? He has got to know about some of this , but turning a blind eye. If not he really needs to fire Bill and get on with his franchise. Bill is destroying it. This only adds to the destruction and tainting of a once reveered franchise. The pats Dynasty is a non-issue now. It has been replaced by the Pats scandal.

Sgt John · 05-24-2008, 11:09 AM

We all thought we'd seen the end of the dynasty era with the advent of the salary cap, and then the Patriots find a way to be the only team that stays consistently good for basically a decade. Now we know how they did it.