mgteich

I am fine with 2 top special teamers.
=============================

A) In 2009, we had Slater, Green-Ellis, Lockett, Arrington and Alexander.
We also had Aiken as a wide receiver.

B) We keep on signing players who are supposed to be great special teamers: Chung, Butler, McCourty. And we have very solid special teamers like Woods, Banta-Cain, Sanders, McGowan and Guyton.

C) How many special teamers can we afford to keep whose only realistic role is special teams? I certainly hope that the answer is lower than six. I would hope that the answer is two or fewer.

D) My candidates are Aiken and Slater. Aiken was the special teams captain. Slater is so good on special teams that his roster spot was kept open for him when he was injured. I'm fine with others beating out AIken and Slater for THE two special teams roster spots. I just don't want there to be more than two. We need the roster spots for players who play offense and defense.

=========================================
OFFENSE (23)
QB 2 (we don't NEED a third)
RB 4 (we can't afford a 5th rb; the roster spot now reasonably goes to a TE/h-back.
WR 5 (we finally have five real wide receivers, including a couple of developing kids)
TE 3
OL 9

DEFENSE (25)
DL 7 (we need the extra run defender or developmental DL, as long as we have Brace)
OLB 5 (this includes a DE/OLB passrusher or two)
ILB 4 (we have two vets and two high-profile kids)
CB 5 (we need 2 starters, a nickel, a dime and a backup)
S 4 (at least two are always solid special teamers, but they have to play safety also)

SPECIALISTS (5)
K 1
P 1
LS 1
ST 2

We are not short changing the offense. We have listed 7 receivers in the past, when there were really only 4 or 5. Slater and Ventrone were receivers one year, and safeties the next. They played neither position.

Fencer

I basically agree.

But who do you see staffing the punting unit? That's typically punter, long snapper, 2 gunners, and 7 other guys who are both stout enough to block and fast enough to run.

Those 7 might be:

Aiken
2 rookie TEs
Woods
3 others (most commonly LBs)

Umm -- which three others? (Counting only guys you think will be active on game day.)

__________________
"To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness." -- Oscar Wilde

mgteich

Slater, Banta-Cain, Guyton, Chung, Sanders, McGowan, Meriweather and Wilhite all come to mind.

Lampshade

Arrington is surely a lock at one of the gunner spots.

italia44

Don't forget the Ubiquitous,Never to be cut,Eric Alexander

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Audentes Fortuna Juvat
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Lampshade

Historically BB has shown he'll use a fair few roster spots primarily for ST, but last year he carried fewer than usual. It will be interesting to see which way he goes this year.

Players carried whose almost entire contrib was ST:
Last year we ended the season with only Arrington, Alexander, and Slater not contributing elsewhere.
2008 there were Aiken, Izzo, Washington, Alexander, Spann, Slater, Ventrone.
2007 it was Woods, Alexander, Washington, Andrews, Baker.
Go back to 2003 there were Chatham, Izzo, Akins, Harris, Davis, Cherry, Mayer.

Arrington has to be a lock. The unknowns at the moment is how much, if at all, the likes of Arrington, Murrell, and Lockett are expected to add to depth on defense. On the reverse, Crable's apparent lack of ST ability makes him a tough sell for a roster spot unless he is a main contributor defensively. If Murrell can provide ST play and some sub rusher ability then Alexander and Crable suddenly provide less value.

Slater is going to have a problem this year, imo.

mgteich

Do we believe that Aiken and Arrington should make the team as special teamers, and that rest need to be at least somewhat useful at a position?

Lampshade

They are the only two I'm convinced that is true of.

However, Lockett, Slater and Alexander have all made previous rosters based entirely on their ST prowess, so I'm not confident in writing them off just yet.

Lockett was on every ST unit before his injury, (and was leading tackler I believe) but Arrington clearly excelled in his place.

I'm going to re-watch as many ST snap from last year as I can to see what Slater brings. I've never quite been sure.

mcmurtry86

Green-Ellis didn't play much on special teams, if at all. I think I saw him in blocking on punts but he didn't play on kick returns, kick coverage or field goal/fg blocks.

Slater is a good cover guy and is a solid blocker on kick returns (underrated aspect of special teams) but for some reason I can't stand the guy. Seems a bit redundant with Aiken if you're assuming there will be 5 WR (Moss, Holt, Edelman, Tate, Price) + special teams (Aiken and/or Slater) to open the season, with Welker on PUP.

Disagree that Arrington is a lock, he'll be competing with Ventrone 2.0, Lockett and the loser of the #4 CB competition (Wilhite, Wheatley).

Alexander has a tough road ahead of him as well.

mcmurtry86

Aiken isn't a good WR but he's an adequate #5 or 6 who can fill in in emergencies. As long as he's not asked to be a #1 ever or a #2 or 3 for more than one regular season game he's fine. Certainly more useful as a WR than Alexander is at LB or Slater is at anything.

Don't know how Arrington and Lockett are as backup DBs but they'd be so far on the depth chart (like Aiken) that it probably doesn't matter much.