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Pats expect Walsh-Goodell meeting to exonerate them from charges of spying at Super Bowl XXXVI

The Patriots released the following statement this afternoon upon the announcment that Matt Walsh will meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on May 13:
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The New England Patriots are pleased to learn that Matt Walsh is finally willing to come forward to meet with the NFL. We are eagerly anticipating his honest disclosures to Commissioner Goodell next month and the return of all the materials he took during his time of employment. We fully expect this meeting to conclude the league’s investigation into a damaging and false allegation that was originally levied against the team on the day before this year’s Super Bowl.

It is important to note that there has never been a confidentiality agreement restricting Matt Walsh and no legal protections were ever necessary for him to speak to the NFL, to media outlets or to anyone else regarding his employment with the Patriots. He demanded to be released from responsibility for his statements, and after a frustrating and lengthy negotiation period, a settlement has finally been reached. Walsh has been granted a significant number of privileges through this agreement, none of which the Patriots or the NFL were obligated to give.

At all times, we cooperated fully with the league’s investigation and stand by our initial public statement from Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008: “The suggestion that the New England Patriots recorded the St. Louis Rams’ walkthrough on the day before Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 is absolutely false.”

The Patriots’ organizational focus at this time is on the NFL Draft and preparing for what we hope will be an exciting 2008 season. We will have no further comments regarding Matt Walsh at this time.

Posted by Art Martone  at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments 3

Patriots sign Pollard, Player and Smith

FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) - The New England Patriots signed three free agents Wednesday: tight end Marcus Pollard, punter Scott Player and defensive lineman Kenny Smith.

Pollard has been in the league for 13 seasons with Indianapolis, Detroit and Seattle. He has 349 catches for 4,280 yards and 40 touchdowns in 191 career games. The 36-year-old led Seattle's tight ends last season with 28 receptions for 273 yards and two touchdowns.

Player punted in three games last season for Cleveland before being released on Oct. 8. He sent nine seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. The 38-year-old kicker has 727 punts for 31,345 yards.

Smith has 69 career tackles in 30 games. The 30-year-old has not played since 2003 when he was with New Orleans.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Walsh, Goodell have a date to discuss Spygate

NEW YORK (AP) - Former Patriots assistant Matt Walsh will meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on May 13 about New England's videotaping of opposing teams.

The league reached an agreement with Walsh on Wednesday. The NFL had been negotiating for two months with Walsh, now an assistant golf pro in Hawaii, who has indicated he has further information regarding Spygate.

Goodell fined Patriots coach Bill Belichick $500,000, the team was fined $250,000 and was stripped of its first-round draft choice for taking video of New York Jets coaches on the sideline of the 2007 season opener. But the specter of what information Walsh might have has hung over the matter since the Super Bowl, when Walsh reportedly said he had other tapes.

The agreement with Walsh will allow him to "share with the NFL information about activities occurring during his employment with the club from 1997-2003," the league said in a statement.
Walsh also will be required to return any tapes and other items in his possession that belong to the Patriots.

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Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments 0