mgteich

44 positions provides plenty of players and includes lots of depth.

The question is always how to best use the last 6 roster spots. Special teams, injuries, development, and additional depth seem to be the reasons to use these roster spots. IMHO, additional depth is the least important among the four reasons.

OFFENSE 22
2 QB Brady, Hoyer
4 RB Ridley, Vereen, Woodhead, Addai or Larsen
5 WR Welker, LLoyd, Gaffney, Slater, Branch or Edelman or Stallworth
3 TE Gronkowki, Hernandez, Fells
8 OL Solder, Mankins, Connolly, Waters, Vollmer, Gallery, Cannon, Koppen/McDonald

DEFENSE 22
6 DL Wilfork, Love, Fenene, Deaderick, Warren, Pryor/Brace
8 LB Jones, Bequette, Ninkovich, Scott,
.........Mayo, Hightower, Spikes, Carpenter/Fletcher/Cunningham
4 CB McCourty, Dowling, Arrington, Dennard
3 S Chung, Gregory, Wilson
1 CB/S Allen or Moore

SPECIALISTS
1 K Gostkwoski
1 P Mesko
1 LS Aiken

Elijah

I wouldn't assume that we're going 3-4 yet. If anything, it looks like 4-3, which does change personnel a bit. Last season under the 4-3, there weren't as many big DL as usual.

Ice_Ice_Brady

I think we are going 3-4 as our base. We went 4-3 last year because we generated no QB pressure in 2010 and had no time during the offseason (due to the strike) to improve there. Meanwhile, Haynesworth, Carter, and Anderson were veterans that could come in immediately. The 4-3 is not that complex compared to the 3-4, so implementing it was fairly easy.

Again, the 3-4 is much more flexible than the 4-3. The Patriots just went out and drafted a highly versatile ILB/OLB in Hightower and a picture perfect 3-4 OLB pass rusher in Jones. We will definitely play some 4-3, but I think for the most part you'll see a 3-4 defense on the field and for targeted skill sets.

MoLewisrocks

A clear sign we are within a month of camp. Like an annual right of passage, mg's pronouncement threads commence...

BlueThunder

ST probably be main reason for last spots.

I'll go with:

QB- Mallett - development

CB/ST- Cole

DB/ST- Ihedigbo

WR/ST- Edelman

LB/ST - Fletcher

RB/ST/LB - Larsen....Addai as strictly RB.

Who did I miss?

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signbabybrady

I feel like the math is a little flawed for a few reasons:
1) only 2 QBs - while we have carried two before we clearly have 3 right now that at this point in time would all seem to be fairly secure to make the 53.
2) 4 RBs/no FB - again I could see only 4 carried here but this ignores the 3 FB on the roster and I dont see why we would have 3 on the roster right now if the plan is not to carry one.
3) 8 OL - seems a little light to me you might only dress 7 or 8 on game day but I would think you would want more dpeth on the roster than 3 back ups.
4)4 CB/3 S - You added a tweener safety/cb but I feel like most years we have carried 5 CBs and 4 Safeties. Might semantics as the 5th CB and 4th Safety were likely heavy STs players in the past.
5) Including Slater in the group of WRs when he is more accurately depicted as being one of the guys to take the final 6 spots you speak of as a STer.

So my math actually sits at 25 on offense and 23 on defense plus K,P,LS and Slater. Leaving 1 wild card spots.

Since I have 25 on O and 23 on D I think it would be wise to use the Wild Card on D. the 23rd player I added to MG's OP on D was in the secondary so I look the front 7 for the Wild card and the 2 tweeners Jones and Bequette leave me wondering where the help is needed more at LB or at DL. Of all the players that MG listed as slash Fletcher stands out to me as being the best so I am giving him a spot with the LBs leaving Carpenter and Cunningham fighting for the final LB position. Again due to the tweeners I could see neither Carpenter nor Cunningham making it and Pryor and Brace both making it instead.

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patsfaninpa

Looks like a championship team to me. For the remaining six spots.

1. Ryan Mallett

2. 6th WR - Edelman and Slater on. Last spot Branch or Stallworth.

3. 9th OL - McDonald, Thomas or Wendell. I'll say Thomas since I'm keeping Koppen and Connolly.

4. 9th lb - Fletcher and Cunningham both on. No Carpenter.

5. db - Ihedigbo

6. db - Allows you to keep Moore and Allen, not one or the other 6 cb's.


If we sign Andre Carter, Cunningham and Scott battle it out for the last spot. I like Pryor over Brace. Wouldn't be shocked if we pick someone up and cut both though. Addai can be timed with a sun dial. Way too slow to be effective. I love that line. Give me the FB. Larsen or Fiammetta.

JoeSixPat

Assuming everyone stays healthy, we could probably get by with just 30.

Of course everyone doesn't stay healthy - and in fact not everyone on the list of 44 is even healthy.

It's the quality depth that always seems to make the difference for the Patriots. Look at last year's end of year roster - far different from what it was on Day 1 given injuries and poor performance of others.

I for one would love to see larger rosters - offering a "Troy Brown" exemption for veteran players at the veteran minimum with 10+ years with the same team

Not every team would be able to use it but keeping high caliber guys like that in the locker room as an example to rookies and young players would strengthen the NFL as a whole and provide some additional depth - which again is often what makes all the difference

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mgteich

You seem to have a reasonable set of choices.

The 9th OL instead of the 5th RB might raise eyebrows (but you are likely to be right).

I would note that you have cut lots of special teamers: White, Tarpinian, Koutouvides, Carpenter, Cole, Barrett, and Brown. In many ways, we make our early rosters work by undermanning the Special Teams units. Of course, a couple end up making the team because of injuries, or spend time on the roster during the season because of in-season injuries.

For example, I suspect that Cole and Carpenter have solid shots to make the roster.

patsfaninpa

I have 10 db's on my roster. Gregory, Wilson, Dennard and Moore are going to have to play a lot of special teams. Koutouvides, Tarpinian, White and Carpenter will either have to beat out

a Dane Fletcher - Who also is a good ST player.

b Cunningham or Scott - Possible, especially if Chandler Jones playing well right from the start. Or, if Bequette flops he could be replaced by one of them. I'm hoping that's not the case. Don't forget if you have a fb instead of Addai. He's playing st too.