Wilfork#75

Forston was the top DT recruit in the country in 2008 and a top 10 recruit overall. Coming out of high school some people were comparing him to Warren Sapp and believed he was the best DT prospect in the last 5 years. He has a ton of talent and flashed it at times at Miami, but the biggest problem is he could never stay healthy to reach his full potential. If he can take some time to develop he might be a diamond in the rough, but the key is going to be his health.

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mrscruff

Forston has been mentioned by some to have a lightning quick (for his size) first step and projects to be a nickel rusher. With Myron Pryor not having practiced thus far, Forston has a chance to show what he can do early in the season.

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eternal

What do you mean Pryor hasn't practiced? Criqui said that Pyror was in on a tackle in the NYG game. Criqui is one of the best announcers out there, no way he was mistaken.

AndyJohnson

Not sure how much of an endorsement it is to be the 4th RB on the roster when there were only 4 to choose from.

mayoclinic

Nice job. I agree with pretty much everything you wrote. A few comments ...

Bolden is a big, physical runner (like BJGE before him at Mississippi St.) who has more explosiveness and better receiving ability. He was injured his senior year which affected his draft stock. There was competition for him as a UDFA, and he showed enough in preseason to make it likely that he wouldn't clear waivers and to justify a spot.

Exactly. McDonald is Mr. Versatility on the OL, and BB loves those guys. He has a high football IQ, understands the different dimensions of line play, and is young enough to still have a lot of upside. He started 2 games at center last year and played decently, and has received praise from other Pats OL vets and from BB.

Thomas was one of the surprises of the OL during training camp, and consistently outplayed other guys. That, combined with youth and versatility, earned him a spot.

Forston is a penetrating DT with a lot of upside who was injured a lot in college. He was once projected as a possible high draft pick. I thought he could be viewed as a long term replacement for Myron Pryor as an interior sub rusher, and with Pryor on PUP and Forston showing some flashes it makes sense to give him a chance. It would be easier to sneak him onto the PS after week 6 if Pryor comes back.

Francis was a big surprise, and shows the ability to play both inside and out. Another young guy with a high motor and a lot of versatility.

Rivera was the biggest surprise for me. I had Jeff Tarpinian slotted for his spot, but BB apparently thought that Rivera outplayed Tarp. That's ok by me. I'd rather have Dane Fletcher, but that won't happen this year.

A couple of these guys could easily be headed for the PS at some point this year, but they showed enough that it would have been dicey to expose them to waivers at this time. As last year showed, other teams are eager to snap up BB's leftovers. Making such moves during the season is often easier, as teams are looking more for experienced vets who can contribute immediately.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

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Reckedtrek

You might want to put McDonald and possibly Thomas on that list as well. The most likely WR(s) they sign would be Gaffney or possibly Branch anyway. Who's coming in cold at this point to learn this offense?

I was surprised to see Forston and Rivera make the 53. I'd agree with your statement in regards to these two.

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WhiZa

Besides the obvious "there wasn't a better option" here are my positive thoughts on each:

RB Brandon Bolden: Ran well in the preseason and took reps at FB. With Vareen hurt and all the FBs gone we need a guy on the team with his skill set
OL Nick McDonald: Started at center last year, and can play every position on the line. This is perfect for a 3rd string OL
OL Donald Thomas: Probably wasn't going to make it if Waters came back, but the Pats tried him out at center and he didn't disappoint. Like McDonald, if you are a backup OL you need to play multiple positions on this team. Hence Koppen getting cut.
DL Marcus Forston: I didn't see him do much in the preseason, but he also didn't do anything negative. I think this one is the case of he was the best of the rest
DL Justin Francis: Francis was great in practice (wowing the media) and even showed up in games pressuring the QB. Great potential
LB Mike Rivera: Same as Francis, showed up in preseason (led the team in tackles) and showed potential.

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WhiZa

Good question. Niko did look like he got hurt in the last preseason game but was fighting through it. Maybe that set Niko back while White is ready to play now. It's hard to wait on guys are in the bottom of the 53. They normally can be cut replaced with someone healthy without having to worry they will be picked up by another team.

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mayoclinic

Apparently he made it by Niko Koutouvides and Jeff Tarpinian not showing enough.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

mrscruff

IMO I am not so sure there was a position battle between Tarpinian and Rivera as such. I suspect Tarpinian was brought in last year, and projected to contribute this year as a nickel LB to help with pass coverage but lost his place to Bobby Carpenter who was available in free agency this year. Rivera looks to me more like he is not so adept in coverage but more comfortable closer to the line of scrimmage and possibly viewed as insurance for Spikes etc.

On a side note some of the names mentioned in this thread could be off the roster as early as today if the Pats get lucky with waiver claims.

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