The Patriots have claimed 2nd year QB Mike Teel off waivers from the Seahawks.  Teel was a sixth round pick out of Rutgers in 2009 for the Seahawks.  Teel didn’t get on the field as a rookie but he will compete with rookie Zac Robinson for the #3 job on the Patriots at QB in 2010.  The Patriots have released QB Jeff Rowe as they appear to like Mike Teel a lot more than him.

UPDATE:  (6/11/2010) - The Patriots have released Mike Teel already as they must not have liked what they’ve seen of him.

32-year old QB Tom Brady is one of the best QBs of all time and he is still playing at a very high level for the Patriots.  He started all 16 games for the Patriots last season and he completed 371 of 565 passes (65.7%) for 4,398 yards with 28 TD passes and 13 INTs (96.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 29 times for 44 yards (1.5 ypc) with 1 TD run last year.  Brady might not be the most mobile QB but he usually can buy himself enough time to get rid of the ball.  And while he might not have the strongest arm in the league it’s still more than strong enough to make every throw.  Where Brady separates himself from other QBs is above the neck as he very rarely throws the ball where he shouldn’t.  Brady has now played in 129 games in his NFL career and he has completed 2,672 of 4,218 passes (63.3%) for 30,844 yards with 225 TD passes and 99 INTs (93.3 QB Rating).  Brady has also carried the ball 305 times for 577 yards (1.9 ypc) with 6 TD runs in his NFL career.  The Patriots are 97-30 (76.4%) when Tom Brady starts the game at QB during the regular season plus he has won them three Super Bowls.  Expect another Pro Bowl out of Tom Brady in 2010.

24-year old Brian Hoyer was undrafted last season but he won the backup job for the Patriots in training camp and he did a solid job when called upon as a rookie.  Hoyer played in 5 games for the Patriots last season and he completed 19 of 27 passes (70.4%) for 142 yards with 0 TD passes and 0 INTs (82.6 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 10 times for 25 yards (2.5 ypc) with 1 TD run last season.  Despite Hoyer looking good last season the Patriots would be in big trouble if he were forced to start some games for them in 2010.

26-year old Jeff Rowe will battle rookie 7th round pick Zac Robinson out of Oklahoma State for the right to hold a clipboard as the #3 QB in 2010.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE PATRIOTS’ QBs in 2010:  A+

The Patriots have released 35-year old cornerback Shawn Springs.  Springs played in 12 games for the Patriots last season in which he had 40 tackles, he defensed 4 passes and he had 1 interception.  He has now played in 169 games in his NFL career in which he has made 682 tackles, defensed 138 passes, he had 8.5 sacks, forced 5 fumbles and he intercepted 33 passes (2 returned for TDs).  This could be the end for Springs unless some team is desperate for help.

The Patriots have picked QB Zac Robinson out of Oklahoma State with the 250th overall pick (7th round) of the NFL Draft.  Robinson is a very athletic QB as he is 6′2″, 214 pounds and he can run a 4.66 40.  It will be interesting to see if the Patriots keep him at QB because they have been converting QBs to WRs as of late (see Julian Edelman).  Robinson does not have a strong arm but his mobility buys him time in the pocket to make throws.  He played in 13 games at Oklahoma State last season and he completed 180 of 301 passes (59.9%) for 2,084 yards with 15 TD passes and 13 INTs.  Robinson also carried the ball 111 times for 305 yards (2.7 ypc) with 4 TD runs last season.  He played in 46 games in his four years with the Cowboys and he completed 610 of 999 passes (61.1%) for 8,317 yards with 66 TD passes and 32 INTs.  He also carried the ball 426 times for 1,858 yards (4.4 ypc) with 22 TD runs in his four years in college.  Robinson was worth taking a flier on this late in the draft for the Patriots.

The Patriots have picked DT Kade Weston out of Georgia with the 248th overall pick (7th round) of the NFL Draft.  He is a big guy at 6′4″, 317 pounds and if the Patriots get him to stay low they will have themselves another solid player for the interior of the defense.  He played in 13 games (10 starts) for Georgia last season and he had 29 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks.  He played in 49 games (21 starts) at Georgia in his four years there and he finished up with 74 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss, 5 sacks and he batted down 2 passes.  The Patriots got another bargain in Weston who slipped a couple of rounds lower than most projections had him going.