Another gem: "I can't worry about what everyone else thinks. . . . If I did, in 2001 Michael Bishop would have been our starting quarterback."

(Note: the followup chat on Boston.com is also interesting.

Belichick argues in a separate article that the team's aggressive free agent spending doesn't go against their philosophy. They have paid players big dollars in the past, they have just been their own. In Adalius Thomas and Wes Welker, they found prototypically smart and versatile Patriots players - like Rosevelt Colvin a few years ago. Sammy Morris and Kyle Brady are simply the same role players they always go after.

"So, give it a whirl," he writes. "What do the Redskins have to lose? After you've tried doing everything, why not try doing nothing?"

Of course, 'nothing' in Washington means signing two starters for a combined $50 million. But it's a start. Boswell has a good point about Joe Gibbs' second act. It's been long enough and Gibbs has 'his guys.' He'll roll with them in 2007. If it doesn't work, I can imagine Gibbs leaving the game again and Bill Cowher becoming the highest paid coach in league history. Now how is that for some completely unfounded speculation?

My plan today is to monitor free agency on the news page (Patrick Kerney, Daniel Graham, and Travis Henry are in play), and work on a free agent column for the morning.