mgteich

When we discuss DL's, some posters have indicated that they want to keep 7 or 8 DL's. When we discuss safeties, some want to keep 5. Some want a 6th corner. On offense some want 3 or 4 QB's (incl. Edleman), 5 or 6 RB's (incl. an hback), 9 OL's or 4 TE's. Unfortunately, the roster has only 53 players.

See below for the 44 core positions of our team. Some folks might even think that we could have fewer players at some positions. I doubt that we will go lower that what I have listed. I understand that some of these players listed might get beaten out for the roster spots, so this is not a listing of locks. It is also not an attempt at the active roster.
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WHAT POSITIONS WILL CONSTITUTE THE LAST NINE ROSTER SPOTS?

CHOOSE NINE POSITONS, GIVE UP ON NINE POSITIONS
All would be nice to have; we only get half. Obviously, the final tradeoffs and roster spot come on the last day or even between Game 1 and Game 2 when the roster is finalized (before further injuries).

OFFENSE
#3 QB
#4 QB
#5 RB/FB/HB
#4 TE
#5 WR/STer
#6 WR/STer
#7 WR/STer
#5 OG/C
#10 OL

DEFENSE
#6 DL
#7 DL
#8 DL
#8 LB
#9 LB
#10 LB
#5 CB
#6 CB
#5 S
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CORE ROSTER POSITONS

OFFENSE (21)
QB (2) Brady, O'Connell
RB (4) Taylor, Faulk, Morris, Maroney
WR (4) Moss, Welker, Galloway, Lewis
TE (3) Watson, Baker, Smith
OT (4) Light, Kaczur, LeVoir, Vollmer
OG/C (4) Mankins, Koppen, Neal, Ohrnberger

DEFENSE (20)
DL (5) Wilfork, Seymour, Warren, Wright, Brace
OLB (4) Thomas, Crable, Banta-Cain, Woods
ILB (3) Mayo, Guyton, Bruschi
CB (4) Bodden, Springs, Wheatley, Butler
S (4) Meriweather, Sanders, Chung, McGowan/Williams

SPECIALISTS (3)
K (1) Gostkowski
P (1) Hansen
LS (1) Hodel/Ingram

Pats726

That is an GREAT breakdown and really what the Pats will be facing basically without any injuries which will ONLY make it easier...the one thing is that I see is there may be some ST players that are LBs or DBs as well....not just WRs..
It sums up what the tradeoffs are in the last roster spots..I agree with the 44...not sure WHo could make any other legitimate addition to that...

RayClay

I don't think there's any reason to dump Thomas at TE. If they're planning on trading Watson if possible, maybe they keep a tight end on special teams or PUP, temporarily.

Thomas has been injured, then behind Watson, but I wouldn't give him away. He's showed some skills and competitiveness when given a chance.

I do think Watson won't get the kind of contract he wants here.

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Fencer

Great idea. I don't have time to work it all through, but here are the easiest ones:

ALP

i think we have more core positions than that....

i would put wilhite as a lock
as well as either of green/lekevin
and another body as backup OG/C at the very least....


so thats 3 less right there


EDIT:
nvm, Fencer pretty much covered it b4 me....

__________________
Last time I lived in New England the Pats became a Dynasty

Then I moved away and they haven't won since

...now I'm moving back, and a Lombardi I predict

ALP

also, with the third QB, we only have 5 spots left to fill

i say fill them with one WR who plays ST, and one OLB who plays ST....mostly as locks

and we are left with 3 spots....

__________________
Last time I lived in New England the Pats became a Dynasty

Then I moved away and they haven't won since

...now I'm moving back, and a Lombardi I predict

efin98

OLB who plays ST is Guyton, WR who plays special teams is Aiken or Slater.

There's another slot that will be filled in CB by Jonathan Wilhite, it's a $277,550 loss if he is cut and given that they have had problems keeping DBs healthy and he was a starter last year at the end of the year it wouldn't make sense to cut him.

__________________
"As long as we have Belichick, I always think that we're going to be just fine."...Tom Brady, in reference to his coach.

“It is what it is, but it ain’t what you think.”...Brandon Spikes

ALP

guyton has already been counted as a lock at ILB

__________________
Last time I lived in New England the Pats became a Dynasty

Then I moved away and they haven't won since

...now I'm moving back, and a Lombardi I predict

efin98

My mistake, I didn't see him in there...

Replace him with Vince Redd at OLB then... I also think they devote a roster spot to another ILB in the form of Ciurciu who takes over Larry Izzo's role as special teamer/linebacker.

__________________
"As long as we have Belichick, I always think that we're going to be just fine."...Tom Brady, in reference to his coach.

“It is what it is, but it ain’t what you think.”...Brandon Spikes

Funktopus

I was wondering recently about how the changes to the special teams rules might affect the back end of the roster.

I'll cite this old entry from Reiss.: Impact of wedge rule - Reiss' Pieces - Boston.com

LeKevin, Wright and Hochstein were in the wedge. This might go against Smith making the team.

I don't read the forums here thouroghly, so I appologize in advance if someone else already brought this up.