The New England Patriots appear on the verge of lopping offensive lineman Nick Kaczur from the roster.
Boston Herald reporter Ian R. Rapoport, citing an unnamed source, writes the Patriots have approached Kaczur about taking a pay cut, and Kaczur has declined.

The source told Rapoport the Patriots will have to cut Kaczur if they don’t want to pay him a base salary of $3.4 million.

Kaczur missed last season with a back injury that required surgery in training camp. He was pegged to start at left guard until Logan Mankins’ contract dispute concluded.

The Patriots got along just fine without Kaczur. Mankins came back and earned first-team All-Pro honors and started in the Pro Bowl. Right tackle Sebastian Vollmer was voted second-team All-Pro. Dan Connolly emerged as a quality backup.

Kaczur has been a starter since the Patriots drafted him in the third round out of Toledo six years ago. Left tackle Matt Light was able to play only three games in 2005, giving Kaczur 11 starts at left tackle as a rookie. Kaczur flipped to right tackle the next season and stayed there.

INDIANAPOLIS — What is the best running back in the draft worth these days?

Last season, the NFL’s leading rusher, Arian Foster, wasn’t drafted. The New England Patriots’ backfield featured undrafted runners BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead.

The Buffalo Bills drafted Clemson running back C.J. Spiller ninth overall last April. He gained 440 yards from scrimmage. Undrafted veteran Fred Jackson was the featured back after the Bills traded another recent first-round pick, Marshawn Lynch.

Running backs appear more interchangeable than ever before. That might not bode well for Alabama star Mark Ingram, but it could help out the Miami Dolphins or New England Patriots.

Teams might be hesitant to use a first-round pick on a running back, causing Ingram to slide.

“I just want to go out and show what I have,” Ingram said Friday at the NFL scouting combine. “If somebody wants to pull the trigger and likes what I do, likes the way I present myself and likes the way I compete … I’m just going to go out there and do what I know how to do.”

Ingram is a popular mock-draft prediction for the Dolphins with the 15th pick. The Dolphins are in need of backfield help. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are about to become free agents.

In the past 30 years — not counting a baseball-driven Bo Jackson — Rashaan Salaam in 1994 was the only Heisman Trophy running back to be drafted later than 14th.

Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland described what he wants from a running back.

“We’re looking for versatility, for sure,” Ireland said Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium. “We’re looking for guys that can run, catch, block, all those things. We’re looking for the guys that can do it all.”

Ingram considers himself the total package.

“I’m a complete, all-around back,” Ingram said. “I can be in the game first down, second down, third down, goal line, short-yardage, pick up pass protections, go out of the backfield and catch the ball.

“I’m a complete back.”

The Patriots draft 17th and 28th. Green-Ellis and Woodhead gave them impressive combo production, but each had his limitations.

In the Patriots’ playoff loss, New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan found ways to force them into throwing when Green-Ellis (not a good receiver) was on the field and running when Woodhead (an inferior runner to Green-Ellis) was out there.

Ingram played for Nick Saban at Alabama. Saban is a close friend of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Ingram’s father was a wide receiver for the New York Giants when Belichick was defensive coordinator.

Ingram’s dad also spent two seasons with the Dolphins.

Wyckoff, NJ (PRWEB) February 23, 2011

On February 23, 2011, the NFL Strength and Conditioning Coaches honored Mike Woicik, (New England Patriots/Dallas Cowboys), Mark Lovat, (Green Bay Packers), and Bill Parisi (Parisi Franchise Systems) at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Mike Woicik, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the 2010 New England Patriots, was voted the NFL Strength Coach of 2010; Mark Lovat, of the Green Bay Packers accepted the Champions Award, and Bill Parisi received the Professional Achievement Award.    

Mike Woicik, who owns the most Superbowl rings of any NFL coach or player, was honored by his peers for the third time as the NFL Strength Coach of the Year. Woicik spent the last 11 seasons as the New England Patriots Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and returns to his NFL roots with the Dallas Cowboys for the 2011 season. During his 1990-1996 tenure with the Dallas Cowboys he convinced owner Jerry Jones to invest in completely revamping the conditioning program and was known for keeping his team in the great health and condition that kept players on the field. Woicik earned three of his six Superbowl rings with the Cowboy organization then spent three years with the New Orleans Saints before heading to New England to earn another three. Woicik started his career at Springfield College, going on to develop the strength and conditioning program for Syracuse University before becoming part of the NFL.

Mark Lovat, appointed the Green Bay Packers’ Head Strength and Conditioning Coach in February 2010 has a Superbowl ring and the Champions Award to add to his list of accomplishments. Lovat earned a Masters in Exercise Science and Performance Enhancement, is a Performance Enhancement Specialist and a Corrective Exercise Specialist certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, holds a Level 1 certification by USA Weightlifting, the governing body of the US Olympic weightlifting team, and was nominated by the NSCA for Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation Specialist of the year in 2004. Superbowl rings run in the family: his father, Tom Lovat, spent 7 seasons as the Green Bay offensive line coach and has one himself.

Bill Parisi, recipient of the Professional Achievement Award, and the Parisi team have worked with their share of Superbowl ring recipients too. Parisi NFL Combine program athletes hold numerous Combine records; the NFL drafted 130 of their Combine athletes. Parisi Franchise Systems Inc. the parent company of the Parisi Speed School, has trained over 500,000 athletes from aspiring7 years old athletes to Olympic and Professional teams and is considered the originator of youth sports performance training in the US.

“I am truly honored to be recognized by the NFL Strength Coaches Association as someone who gives back to the youth of our industry. To be associated with the best in the business, like the NFL Strength Coaches, is one of the highest forms of recognition anyone could receive. I have tremendous respect for all these gentlemen; they have a very tough job and put in long hours that most of the public does not see. They provide the foundation of keeping NFL Players healthy and confident.” said Bill Parisi.

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UCF running backs coach George Godsey is leaving the program after seven seasons to join the New England Patriots offensive staff.

UCF coach George O’Leary told the Orlando Sentinel Thursday a search is under way to identify Godsey’s replacement. O’Leary said there has been high interest in the position that has been open less than 24 hours.

“George has been with me for a long time as a player and coach,” O’Leary added in a statement released by UCF Athletics. “This is happy news to see him get this opportunity to expand his coaching career with a great organization like the New England Patriots. I wish him good luck there. We have already begun a search for his replacement and are doing our due diligence with that.”

O’Leary was the head coach at Georgia Tech when Godsey played quarterback for the Yellow Jackets from 1998-2001.

Godsey, a Tampa native, set the Georgia Tech record for career completion percentage (63.3) and ranked second in career pass efficiency rating (143.64). As a senior in 2001, Godsey set a Georgia Tech record with 249 completions. He ranks third all-time at the school with 41 touchdown passes, fourth with 6,137 yards and 484 completions and fifth in attempts with 765.

He played one season in the Arena Football League and was a member of the 2003 Tampa Bay Storm team that won the 2003 Arena Bowl title.

Godsey joined O’Leary’s staff at UCF in 2004 as a graduate assistant. He was the Knights’ quarterbacks coach from 2005 through 2008. Godsey coached then took over coaching the running backs from 2009-10.

During Godsey’s tenure, UCF has won two Conference USA titles and three C-USA division titles.

He is the second member of the UCF staff to leave the program following the record-setting 2010 campaign that saw the Knights claim the first bowl win and first 11-win season in school history.

Defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable left the program to take over as Wisconsin’s linebackers coach. O’Leary said Huxtable made the move to be closer to his family in the Midwest.

O’Leary promoted UCF linebackers coach John Skladany to be the Knights’ new defensive coordinator. Al Seamonson, the longtime former Maryland linebackers coach, took over the linebacker responsibilities at UCF in January.