Crazy Patriot Guy

I posted about this in the Gaffney thread but it could apply to other cuts going forward. It's not all about setting the 53 player roster. You have to look at who's going to play on gameday.

Core special teamers will be active every game, barring injury. So if you have a guy that isn't playing special teams, he better be high enough on the depth chart that he's worth keeping.

In the case of Gaffney, it's not that he isn't a better WR than Edelman or Slater, it's simply that because of their special teams responsibilities, they're going to be active every week. With Lloyd, Welker and Branch, that's 5 WRs. With the multiple TE sets we like to use, you could argue that Branch might be inactive some weeks.

Quality depth is great and it's nice to have insurance in case of injuries. But it's tough to keep a WR (or any position player) in his 30s that might never play except for injuries over a developmental player that could pay off down the road.

mgteich

I think that you have this right. Now Ebert and Holly will compete for the developmental receiver that will always be inactive, if we even have such a position.

ATippett56

I thought the practice squad was the venue for developmental players:

Ebert
Forston
Francis
Kettani
Taylor
Williams

Plus a couple of offensive lineman for Dante Scarnecchia.

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Crazy Patriot Guy

If those players clear waivers. Players such as Ted Larson, Lee Smith and Will Yeatman prove that it isn't a guarantee.

ATippett56

I have accounted for 25 players on the New England Patriots offense:

QB - 3 Brady, Mallett, Hoyer
RB - 5 Woodhead, Vereen, Ridley, Bolden, Demps
TE - 3 Gronkowski, Hernandez, Fells
WR - 5 Welker, Lloyd, Branch, Edelman, Slater
OL - 9 Koppen, Connelly, Wendell, McDonald, Mankins, Thomas, Solder, Vollmer, Cannon

Based upon the aforementioned offensive squad, there is no room for the following players:

Ebert
Kettani
Taylor

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The End of the Chad Ochostinko Era!

rookBoston

I think this is right. But Demps still needs to beat Ebert out. Dropping Larsen, Gaffney and Stallworth makes Bolden look like a keeper.

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"We want to build a big, strong, tough, smart, fast, disciplined football team that will consistently compete for a championship."
-- Scott Pioli, from the Patriots scouting manual

ATippett56

No way in hell Jeff Demps clears waivers. Ebert has been disappointing in pre-season so far.

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The End of the Chad Ochostinko Era!

patsfan13

I have wondered if BB decides to keep 2 QB's if he thinks Mallett has progressed enough, we would keep Shinacoe (assuming his injury isn't too bad), we cut loose the vets who were injured/didn't project to the 5 to give them a shot to catch on. We didn't do that with Shinacoe.

I was thinking 25 on D also with the 2 Specialist to round out the roster.

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"Some guys play in all-star games, some guys don't. I don't know who picks all those all-star teams. In all honesty, I don't know who picks the combine, for that matter," Belichick said. "How does (Miami-Ohio offensive lineman Brandon) Brooks not get invited to the combine? How did Vollmer not get invited to the combine? I don't know. We can't really worry about that. We just have to try to evaluate them the best we can."

ATippett56

No offense, I just don't understand the fascination with Shiancoe on the PatsFans message board. The tight end has done nothing whatsoever in training camp let alone play one pre-season game.

I personally would have cut Shiancoe and kept Gaffney.

__________________
The End of the Chad Ochostinko Era!

Crazy Patriot Guy

To be fair, Gaffney hasn't practiced recently and had 2 catches for 18 yards in the only game he played in. It's not as if he set the world on fire either.