Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
The New England Patriots have Richard Seymour handcuffed to a radiator in the bowels of Gillette Stadium.
Then again, that's probably a better alternative than playing for the Oakland Raiders.
Captivity is the only explanation I can come up with after catching Raiders coach Tom Cable's comments about Seymour, who has yet to report since the Patriots traded him Sunday for a first-round draft choice in 2011.
"We have attempted to make a deal," Cable said Monday. "There are some issues still between him and the Patriots that are being worked out, hoping that will be resolved as quickly as possible.
"We know that the player wants to be here, but we have no control really over those issues. That's really all I’m going to talk about it for now."
Cable never explained what "those issues" between Seymour and the Patriots might be, but the paperwork already has been filed on the trade and the NFL approved it.
Let me assure you, this is no dastardly plan for the Patriots to somehow find a way to acquire the Raiders' first-round pick in 2011 and keep Seymour on their roster.
The Patriots are not preventing Seymour from leaving. If anything, they can't wait to get rid of him because most analysts agree the compensation far outweighed a player who's about to turn 30 and is entering the final year of his contract.
My guess is that Cable, who has endured plenty of embarrassment as Raiders coach already, couldn't bear to admit a star player wasn't eager to leave a Super Bowl contender for a doormat.