As we mentioned in the blog here last week, the chances John Lynch would sign with a non-contender was a non-issue. He is 36 and at that age, you are looking to play for a winner, end of story.

The end of the Lynch story may just have been written. He signed with the Patriots on Thursday. Surprising? Hardly. Envious? Not really? Disappointed. A little.

Lynch played in every Broncos game for the last four years. He was a prominent member of the team's on field makeup and was without question the team leader in the community. A player with so much skill on the field and such graciousness off of it are hard to find. When those rare breeds are unearthed, you tend to want to believe in all they do and say. In Lynch's case, that was easy to accept-----until the day he asked for his release.

That he asked for it was a little jarring considering he knew exactly what his role would be when he signed a contract in the offseason with a drastically reduced salary. To this day, I contend paying the 16-year veteran a sum of $2 million to be a backup was someting Lynch should have been happy about. Where else is he going to get that? Sure, the Pats signed him, but it would be hard to imagine they will pay him that kind of money, especially when Lynch biggest trait-----leadership, is not a problem for New England.

Yeah, he can still pop somebody as hard as the next player, though, his coverage skills have slipped and the team more or less acknowledged that when they demoted him.

He said he wants to be a starting safety in the NFL and that is a reason he gave for his departure out of Denver. If he goes somewhere and is told he is going to be a reserve player, then, as hard as it is to admit, his glorious and pristine legacy in town takes a gigantic hit-----one as big as those he is used to delivering.

The player he is set to replace with the Patriots is Tank Williams, a guy who was scheduled to be on the field for 10-25 plays a game. That doesn't sound like the snaps a starter would be taking each game to you, does it? To each his own, but today a little luster is coming off an otherwise bright beacon of light that was Lynch in orange and blue.

-"z"