Two days after being released by the New England
Patriots, former Ohio University star wide-receiver Taylor Price was
picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.

That evening, the Jaguars got routed by the San Diego
Chargers on national TV, 38-14. The signing didn’t become official till
Tuesday, so Price didn’t suit up for Monday’s loss.

In two years with the Patriots, injury-plagued Price
was inactive for 21 out of 28 games, and played sparingly in the ones for which
he was active.

While the lack of playing time for the second-year
player had been blamed on a nagging hamstring injury, various New England and
national news stories and blogs about the Patriots waiving Price hardly
mentioned his injury issues. Rather, they said the third-round 2010 draft pick
had difficulty “meshing” with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady or the offense in
general, and/or wasn’t practicing properly.

Similarly, an article in the Taunton (Massachusetts) Daily Gazette on Tuesday, basically laid
out the argument Tuesday that Price is one of the Patriots’ worst-ever
draft decisions. Yet, the piece only used about five words in casually
mentioning Price’s injury history. While persistent injuries can retroactively
condemn a team’s draft-day decision, the articles seem to take great pleasure
in implying that it’s Price’s fault that he didn’t work out in New England,
that somehow a lack of talent, poor chemistry with quarterback Tom Brady, or
poor work habits doomed him in New England rather than a lack of playing time
because of injury. Notably, much of the same sports press was
going ga-ga over Price after his solid performance in the first pre-season
game (five catches, 105 yards, one TD).

“With the selection of Price in the third round of
2010, the Patriots flat-out dropped the ball,” the Daily Gazette article stated. “If that wasn’t apparent from Day One
of the wide receiver’s arrival in New England, it became quite apparent during
the course of Year One. Saturday’s Price-cutting measure by the Patriots simply
served as reaffirmation of another bad draft investment by Bill Belichick.” — Athens NEWS Editor Terry Smith

By Ryan Hudson – Editor

Follow , and Like SB Nation Boston on Facebook.

Apr 19, 2011 - While fans wait through mediation and the lockout, the NFL is proceeding with business as usual, announcing that the 2011 NFL regular season schedule will be released Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET. The unveiling will be carried on the NFL Network and NFL.com, as well as ESPN2.

The preseason schedule was released last week but Tuesday night will be the first time we get a look at the complete New England Patriots 2011 schedule. 

We already know the Patriots’ 2011 opponents, so it’s just a matter of dates and times being filled in on Tuesday night, along with which teams are playing in the primetime games — Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Football and Thursday Night Football, as well as Thanksgiving.

The Patriots will have their standard six games against the AFC East opponents — one game at home and one road contest with the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. In 2011, New England’s intraconference opponents are from the AFC West — Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, at Denver Broncos and at Oakland Raiders — and the interconference teams are from the NFC East — Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, at Philadelphia Eagles and at Washington Redskins. 

The last two slots are filled by a couple of AFC rivals with a game at the Pittsburgh Steelers and one hosting the Indianapolis Colts, their 12th meeting since 2002 (including the playoffs), tops for non-division foes. 

Read More: New England Patriots