Metaphors

Locked Down Roster Spots
Starter: Watson
Reserve: DThomas

Camp Battle
Spach vs Pollard vs Nobody for 3rd TE

Spach got a December cup-o-coffee and did some work on special teams. So that uses up all my knowledge on him. Whew...that was exhausting.

Pollard is a PT guy...as in past-tense. Hard to go into detail on him without every sentence using the word "was" instead of "is". Nothing left in the tank and even his hands are starting to fail him.

Metaphorically Speaking
So do the Pats need a 3rd TE on the active roster? Vrabel gets some goal line work and O'Callaghan gets snaps on short yardage. Would a 3rd TE get enough work other than goal line and short yardage to justify a roster spot? My magic 8-ball tells me its "Doubtful".

So where does that leave us? Spach has to earn a spot on special teams. If he can't make the cut there he becomes a prime candidate for the Inactive 8 just so the Pats have a TE hanging around if needed. Pollard is the dusty, old insurance policy in case Watson or DThomas aren't recovered or are re-injured.

Roster to date:
1-2: QB Brady, Gutierrez
3-5: RB Maroney, Faulk, Morris
6-9: WR Moss, Welker, CJackson, Gaffney
10-11: TE Watson, DThomas
46: QB O'Connell (gameday inactive)

Cut or Traded: Cassel, Pollard
Battling for Special Teams: Evans, Eckel, KWashington, Aiken, Spach

OTs up next...

signbabybrady

I know Pollard had a tough playoffs last year and certainly doesn't have the reserves to be a starter anymore but to say he doesn't have enough in the tank to be a solid 3rd tight end might be jumping to comclusions. But if you are right that should be easy to tell in TC.

big story in this position is health. If Watson and THomas are healthy than either Spach or Pollard are fine as the 3. if one or both isn't than the position might be in trouble.

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tombonneau

Agreed. The thing I'm probably most excited about for this season is to see what a healthy Dave Thomas can do in this offense. I'm expecting big things and wouldn't be surprised if outproduced Watson.

I still would like a better TE3 option though. Garrett Mills would be looking good about now ...

KontradictioN

If both tight end positions are healthy, we just added two very credible pass catching threats to our offense.

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CREDIT - Sicilian

PatsFan37

Thomas had a single injury that must have been more than simply 'breaking his foot.' Word was he dropped a weight on it while working out. Do they use SUVs for weights?

Still, one injury doesn't worry me as long as he's fully recovered by, say, the third pre-season game. Watson, OTOH, hasn't ever been that durable. I worry about him.

Given that, I'm sure they'll keep three TEs. The third TE is pretty important to Belichick. I don't have the numbers, but I'm fairly sure BB has had 2 QBs more often than he's had 2 TEs.

Partly it's the number of times they run their 2-TE and 3-TE formations. That fell off some last year, when the TE-RB-3WR formation pretty much dominated, but it was always a big part of the playbook. It's a pretty useful formation for beating up the opposing DL and for sucking in the safeties when you want Moss to take it deep.

I wouldn't write off Pollard yet, though I'm inclined to agree with Metaphors that he's likely headed for the shadow roster.

This is not the most exciting position to watch this summer EXCEPT, Thomas is a favorite of mine. I want to see this guy healthy. Someone's blog reported early in 2007, before he broke his foot, that the brain trust was pretty high on him. I'd like to see him have his chance.

PatsFan37

I said that last year and got mugged. Good luck to you, my friend.

tombonneau

Not saying he will, just saying if he does I won't think "Wow, how did that happen".

Thomas has much better hands than Watson and is a great route-runner. Not so sure about his blocking on the NFL level. But I'm preaching to the choir.

cstjohn17

Nice breakdown, the TEs seem very one deminsional on the surface. Watson and Thomas are essentially clones, good receiving TEs but can't hold up at the point of attack.

I was hoping for a blocking TE to get drafted, look for the Pats to monitor the waiver wire for a late camp addition.

Looking at your skill positons, the Patriots offense will be among the leagues elite. There are a lot of weapons.

QB Brady
RB Maroney, Faulk, Morris
WR Moss, Welker, CJackson, Gaffney
TE Watson, DThomas

FarScapeR

I read somewhere that Watson improved tremendously on his blocking last year. If Thomas can get better at that, our TEs could make our offense truly unstoppable.

patsox23

Pollard = junk who will be cut.