A few days after attending the league’s spring meetings in Dallas, Texas, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will head back across country to address graduates at the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s commencement on Saturday, May 29, at the Tsongas Center.

In a press release announcing the event, Goodell said he planned on talking about his late father Charles (pictured right with young Roger below), who was appointed to the Senate following the assassination of U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.

“I learned a lot from my father about the importance of acting on your values and doing what’s right, no matter what the pressure and opposition,” Goodell said. “I welcome the opportunity to share with UMass Lowell graduates how the lessons I’ve learned from my father and leading the NFL can be applied to anything they pursue in life.”

Goodell will also be accepting a posthumous Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his father. To get the full story on how UMass-Lowell was able to land Goodell as their keynote speaker, check out my NFL Sunday Notes in the Boston Herald.

Tight end Benjamin Watson spent his Thursday in Cleveland, getting wined and dined by the Browns. They didn’t let him leave before signing a contract.

The Patriots 2004 first-round draft pick reached a three-year, $12 million deal to stay in Cleveland, a deal that includes $6.35 million guaranteed. This is according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.

This is no surprise, since we told you the Patriots and Watson would be parting ways at the Senior Bowl.

And so, the Pats lose their starting tight end (cleaning out his locker for the last time, left) for most of the past six years, a player who had 29 catches for 404 yards and five touchdowns this year. In his career, he caught 167 passes for 2,102 yards with 20 TDs.

But remember, his production was  28th among tight ends in the NFL. Chris Baker was worse, which is one reason there are now two spots available.

(more…)

Did you know that Tom Brady and his lovely wife, Gisele, have joined forces with the WWF? Yup. They each filmed public service announcements to encourage people to turn off their lights for Earth Hour on March 27th at 8:30 pm. Check ‘em out:

(more…)

Stephen Neal has been wrestling with the decision to play football or retire. He was leaning toward hanging up his cleats after the Patriots were pummelled by the Baltimore Ravens, but changed his mind recently.

Why did the offensive lineman come back for more?

”That’s a good question,” he said during a conference call with the media. ”Football is a brutal sport and there are a lot of people banging around out there. Your body heals after a little bit of time and I feel a lot better than i did that day. It’s tough to go out on a game like that. You work so hard all year, and only one team really gets to walk off the field that season satisfied. I would like to definitely come back and give it another run, work with my teammates, and have some fun and not end my career like that.”

Neal’s new deal will earn him a base of $1.5 million in 2010, and $3 million the following season. (more…)

Kevin Faulk, fresh off signing a new one-year deal, described the process of his recent contract negotiaton with the Patriots as “mind-blowing” during a conference call with reporters a short time ago.

He also talked about what former Patriot Troy Brown meant to him, and how he didn’t want to follow in the footsteps of former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, who had to come back to Boston to retire. Faulk doesn’t want to leave the Patriots after a long time spent with the team, then return for some ceremony.

”(The legacy I’ve built) is very important,” Faulk said. ”Like I said, what was going through my mind the past three or four days in free agency, that was one of them. That was an important part of everything because yeah, I might have left and gone and it might have been successful, but it wouldn’t have been the same if I would have been here doing it. It’s funny that this situation happened, like what happened to Nomar Garciaparra, it’s great he came back and retired a Red Sox, but at the same time if he would have done it here it would have even been better.”

That’s why it’s so important for Faulk to follow in Brown’s footsteps and remain a Patriot until he retires. Faulk said Brown was a huge influence on him and his career.

”(He had a) major impact. Probably over 50 percent,” Faulk said. ”Like you said, just to watch him. I learned everything that he did during the time he was there with me. I’ve [watched] him be a professional in every aspect of his game, not just football.”

Earlier today, Boston College conducted its annual Pro Day for assorted NFL scouts. And while some notable local talent was there — including BC’s OL Matt Tennant, LB Mike McLaughlin, and Holy Cross QB Dom Randolph — there was also another familiar face.

Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, who we last saw in Indianapolis, was present. Not only that, the former John Carroll University quarterback conducted the some impromptu passing drills, reporter Rich Thompson tells me.

And, I’m told, Caserio looked pretty good for a guy who no longer plays. Sure, he takes part in the receiver drills at Patriots practice, but I can’t remember him throwing too much. He did today.

Caserio figures to be on the road for a while. Remember, he was at Rutgers’ Pro Day yesterday, and today won’t be his last trip.

One thing to consider. Of course, he’s there to scout. But perhaps Caserio, still in honing his craft  as a personnel guru, is using the Pro Days like Pats practice — as a way to see the skills up close that he spends time evaluating…

During a sleepy time in free agency (at this very second, at least), just a quick stopover on a few things we missed yesterday…

– The Patriots lost out to the Rams (ack!) on signing tight end Daniel Fells, an up-and-comer who just signed a one-year, $1.5 million. Ouch. Clearly, if this was the small price tag, he wasn’t a huge priority. Still, the Rams? The Pats still have a TE void, but at least they’ll always have Super Bowl XXXVI as consolation.

–  Another guy often linked to the Patriots — Ravens WR Derrick Mason — is officially off the board. Mason visited with New England last time around, and he’s the type of veteran receiver you’d think the Pats would pursue. If they did, it wasn’t enough. He signed a two-year, $8-million deal with his old team.

– Oh, one more that just happened. Defensive lineman LeKevin Smith has reached a deal with the Broncos. The Pats had flirted with him last week, but only briefly.

Think Kevin Faulk is excited about re-signing with the Patriots? That signing is now official, as if we didn’t know from this picture from the Patriots’ Twitter:

(more…)

Last night, as you probably saw, we had a little Kevin Faulk-apalooza. We posted when he signed, offered some contract details, then gave his first take on remaining with the Patriots for another year.

And there was one point that Faulk — drafted in 1999, before Bill Belichick was hired — made in this article by colleague Karen Guregian.

She asked if he’d like to remain a Patriots for life, a la Troy Brown. “I don’t think that’s a bad idea. What do you think?” Faulk asked, laughing. Cool, huh?

Also, wondering if Faulk ever had designs on leaving? Think again. Karen asked him if he was looking forward to resuming working out in Foxboro with the offseason program. Guess what? He’s been here the whole time.

”Hey, I never left (Foxboro),” Faulk said. “I’ve been working out since the season ended. If I want to right now, I can drive to the Stadium.”

Just got off the phone with Kevin Faulk, who sounded relieved to get the contract business over with and get on with the off-season.

”I don’t want to go through that again. It was nerve-wracking a little bit,” Faulk said. ”But at the same time, when you know what you’re up against, that’s the thing that kind of gets you through everything.”

Faulk has been a Patriot longer than just about everyone, save for offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia. He made no secret of wanting that run to continue.

”I had faith that in the end, it would work out,” said Faulk, who agreed to a one-year deal that could earn him as much as $3 million. ”Like I said after the season, I was 85 percent sure I was going to be here. There was just that 15 percent doubt. If it came into play, it would have to be a strong 15 percent.” (more…)

Just got off the phone with Kevin Faulk’s agent Raymond Brothers,who filled me in on how Faulk is feeling after he just struck a deal to remain with the Patriots. But first, want some details?

It’s a one-year deal, which we knew, with the potential to earn $3 million. Faulk gets a signing bonus of $1 million, a salary of $1 million, and the chance to earn $1 million in incentives.

Faulk did have offers from the Redskins and Eagles, as well as the Pats And Brothers added that Philly was intriguing, because “they’re not far off.” But Faulk never took a visit.

Mostly, Brothers relayed how pleased Faulk was to re-sign in New England.

“Anytime he gets another chance to compete for a Super Bowl (pictured), he’s very happy,” Brothers told me. “That’s what they do every year in New England. It’s not make the playoffs, it’s not have a good year. That attitude is what he’s happy about. He’s very happy.“

 No, Patriots running back Kevin Faulk wasn’t kidding. The team really did extend him a contract offer, even if it was one he didn’t accept.

Today, Faulk and the Pats found some middle ground. The team has agreed to terms with Faulk, its steady third-down back, team leader, and important locker room voice.

This was announced via the team’s official Twitter account. We’re told that it’s a one-year deal.

We had discussed this development in today’s notebook, which said that Faulk and the team were both hoping to have a deal soon. Now, they do.

When nose tackle Vince Wilfork was discussing his contract recently, he said, “I’m glad the pressure is off me. Any guys I was holding up, hopefully they can get to those guys.”

Apparently, that meant Faulk. Now, the team retains the all-purpose back, who carried the ball 62 times for 335 yards and caught 37 passes for 301 yards in 2009. Faulk has been a Patriot since 1999.

Today’s random NFL Draft tidbit actually comes from our friend @NJ_Giants of the Newark Star-Ledger (whose actual name is Mike Garafolo). He’s chilling at Rutgers’ Pro Day, and he relayed via text message that Patriots personnel director Nick Caserio is in attendance.

Is he checking out versatile cornerback Devin McCourty, who models his game after Jets CB Darrelle Revis? Left tackle Anthony Davis? OL Kevin Haslam?

I’m betting it’s McCourty, a second-round pick at a position that still may be a need after locking up Leigh Bodden. I wrote about McCourty during the Combine. He spends his time watching old Revis videos and NFL Network’s Mike Mayock called him the best special teams guy in the draft (with seven blocked kicks).

“I’m a complete football player and not just a corner or a nickel and being able to do everything a coach wants on special teams, too,” McCourty said. “And I would watch what we had in our system (on Revis). We played Pittsburgh every year. So I would go just the offense then would go over and watch him. I watched how aggressive he plays, he’s a physical corner. I definitely try to do things he does because he’s one of the best corners.”

During the course of Vince Wilfork’s negotiations with the Patriots, it was clear throughout that his wife, Bianca, was involved. Very involved.

When he was responded to being franchised, for instance, it was her phone they used to send out their Twitter messages. Whenever Vince needed a sounding board, it was often Bianca rather than others in his circle to provide it.

On his conference call to discuss his new contract today, I asked Vince, How important was your wife in this process?

“Well, that’s my agent/wife,” Wilfork said. “She’s tough. She doesn’t want anything but the best for us. And you know what? I wouldn’t change it for the world, to have a partner like that and to have a wife that’s my partner and friend like she is, so business-minded. It’s probably tough on business people because they’re getting it from both ends, from my agent and now her. She’s always been supportive. Ever since she came into my life she’s been a huge supporter of me, football or no football. Sometimes, she wished I never played football because we could live a normal life. I thank her for what she does for me. She looks out for my best interest (and) for our life. She’s just always supportive with whatever I chose to do. When I’m wrong, she tells me I’m wrong. She’s not one of the ones that sits and agrees with me because I’m her husband. And I respect that, but she means a lot to me from a wife and a business partner. She’s a very smart young lady and I’m happy to have such a special in my life like that.”

A little sidebar on the Vince Wilfork conference call… When he got done talking about leadership and a bunch of other issues, I had a question. And it came up after watching Wilfork in the Reebok commercial.

Who’s cool truck is that and what kind is it?

Yup, that’s his. It’s to the right. And he was more than happy to talk about it.

“Haha. I got that truck last year in February last year,” Wilfork said. “It’s a freightliner. It’s like a baby 18-wheeler. That’s my baby. That’s the car I wanted. I wanted that car for six years. I think when I was going to Indy one year, I saw one on the side. It was an International. I was like, ‘Man, I like that truck!’ I always like the trucks, but I never wanted to get a truck like everyone else. I don’t want an F150, everybody got that. 350, everybody got that. Then I seen this truck. I told my wife (Bianca) then, I want that truck. That’s my next truck. I got it last year, it’s in Florida, I got it out the weather. Hopefully I’ll be bringing it back up to enjoy this offseason.”

(more…)

Just finishing a 28-minute, 46-second conference call with Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork, one that saw him range from joyous to defiant to heart-rending. It was really something.

We’ll have plenty for you throughout the day, but check out his highly charged words on leadership in the locker room:

“As players, we’re going to have to start in the offseason training, and basically, everybody is going to have to be accountable,” Wilfork said, building steam. “If you’re on the field, you have to give me 100. You have to give me 100 percent. Always. We have to weed out the bad seeds, point blank. If you can’t give me what I’m giving you on the field, I don’t need you on the field with me. Point blank. That’s how you win. You got to build trust. Show me that I can trust you. I have no problem, if a guy’s not giving me that, I have no problem telling that guy I don’t need him on the field, and I have no problem going to tell Bill (Belichick) I don’t want him on the field. That’s point blank.”

“And that’s how it’s going to have to work,” added Wilfork, who was only getting warmed up.

(more…)

In honor of Patriots NT Vince Wilfork officially signing his contract extension, check out his star turn in the new Reebok Zigtech commercial. Good stuff:

After a long day and plenty of indecision, Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden has finally reacted to agreeing to a lucrative new contract. And he did so, typically, via Twitter.

At roughly 12:30 a.m., @Leigh Bodden posted two messages regarding his new deal.

This is the first: “LIKE THE OLD #23… HE’S BAAACCKK!!!!!!”

This is the second: “I LOVE U NE!”

No, Bodden isn’t yelling with the caps. But he apparently is pretty psyched. Also, as per the #23 reference, he’s a huge Michael Jordan fan. His baby boy wears Jumpman gear. Leigh rocked a Jordan jersey to his post-game news conference after he had 3 picks against the Jets.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft was a guest on WEEI’s “The Big Show,” earlier. In between breaking the news about signing free agent linebacker and special teams player Marques Murell, Kraft was quizzed about several topics including the departure of Jarvis Green, the perception of being cheap, the sour taste of the Baltimore loss, the labor situation, re-signing Vince Wilfork, et al.

Here are some of the highlights from the session:

On Green becoming a Bronco: ”He has always been a very high grade special guy. It’s unfortunate in this business, you can’t keep everyone you want to keep. You have to make decisions. There are a lot of things you have to balance.”

On people calling the team cheap: ”Well, the way I look at it, why did we by this entitity? We were fans of this area. We looked forward to buying this team and creating something special. So we’ve had 16 teams we’ve owned the team. There’s no team that has won more football games. in the last 16 years than the New England Patriots. We’ve gone to 6 championship games, we’ve gone to 5 Super Bowls, we’ve won three. People might find fault with the way we do something, but life is about execution and not chit-chat. There are lots of people that can talk a lot, but in the end, judge us by our results over the last 16 years. I’m pretty proud we have the best won-loss record in that period. We don’t always do the right thing, but this is a dynamic business that we have to be flexible, go with the flow. I think that 16-year record is pretty cool. If people want to say we’re cheap, I don’t know what that means . . . . in the end, we’re concerned about how many football games we win at the end of the year.” (more…)

The Patriots have added to their depth, agreeing to terms with Marques Murrell, formerly of the Jets. This came up last night in this post.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced the move while speaking with WEEI Radio just now. A team that insanely values special teamers just added another one. Kraft noted that he had been honored for his special teams work in the (kinda) Big Apple.

And yes, Murrell is the brother of former Jets running back Adrian Murrell.

And that’s Marques’ face to the right. The former undrafted free agent from a place I’m no longer allowed to call Appy State wasn’t tendered by New York after making 12 tackles this season. He also — thanks to the Jets PR people — made 13 regular season special teams tackles and 2 special teams tackles in the postseason.