Wow, that didn't take long. The National Football Post's Dan Pompei hears things. Here's what he wrote about the Patriots' two newest, big-name additions, Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth:
"Ochocinco and Haynesworth might not be long for New England. …[O]ne NFL executive familiar with the Patriots ways told me he believes one or both of the big name acquisitions will be cut before the season starts. The front office man thinks coach Bill Belichick will use the controversial players to help control and send a message to his locker room."
Uh, okay. We suppose that's one way to send a message to the rest of the team. Another way: Belichick could saunter into the locker room wearing his three Super Bowl rings and politely explain how he got them. It doesn't have quite the drama of cutting a player of Ochocinco or Haynesworth's stature, but the message is the same.
Plus, Belichick isn't known for theatrics; he's known for being a coach's son who prefers cut-off hoodies and sweatpants to more traditional grown-up clothing. He's not looking to draw attention to himself and he's proven capable of quietly (and effectively, we might add) making his point.
But ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss could be onto something. Last week he wrote that the restructured contracts of Ochocinco and Haynesworth made for a "low-risk, high-reward scenario from a team perspective."
CBSSports.com's Will Brinson adds that "Both players have their deals set up so that the money would spike in 2012 and 2013 ... if they stay around. So will they? Well, maybe not. After all, the reason both Ocho and Big Al were such 'smart additions' is that they're cheap, talented options who can still produce if they manage to fall in line."
But Brinson's colleague, Pete Prisco, sounds skeptical. "The implication that Belichick would cut Albert Haynesworth or Chad Ochocinco or both to send a message to his players is foolish," Prisco wrote Sunday. "If Haynesworth or Ochocinco can help the team, they stay. If they can't, they go.
"When Randy Moss was helping the Patriots, he stayed. When he wasn't, he went. His attitude problems weren't a big deal when he was stretching the field. When he stopped doing so, he was sent packing."
And that sounds right. Belichick isn't afraid to take a flier on a player burdened with baggage, generally because Belichick is all about getting value where others don't see any. While he isn't afraid to cut ties with players he thinks can't help his team, we've got to believe that he'll go into the season with both players because despite the off-field distractions, Ochocinco and Haynesworth make New England better. As soon as that changes, Belichick won't hesitate to adjust accordingly.
