This year's UDFA to make the team? - Page 4 - New England Patriots Forums

spacecrime · 05-03-2008, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocE

Thomas, Spach, Pollard, and Stupar are the only TE's currently on the roster. The Patriots will likely keep 3 TE's and only Watson is an absolute lock to make the team. Thomas has been injured, Pollard looked awful the little I saw of him in Seattle last year, and Spach was a late season street free agent signing. I don't have a high opinion of Stupar, but the road to a roster spot at TE seems to be wide open.

I doubt that BB will cut Thomas and keep an UDFA because Thomas dropped a weight on his foot in the weight room. That's kinda dumb. You cut the UFDA, put him on the PS, and then if Thomas or Watson gets hurt, you activate him. I think it is safe to assume that Thomas won't get cut in TC.

Not sure about Pollard, he could be done. But don't discount wiley vets who have lost a step shining on the Patriots with a different team around them.

***MoLewisrocks*** · 05-03-2008, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MosiT

I tend to agree about these two, especially Guyton.

Some people say they want to see how certain players look in pre season before they decide and I say that is about as useless as tits on a bull.

MosiT pokes a stick in Box's direction - who'd a thought that would happen...

Unless coaches play some of these 3rd and 4th teamers against 1st and 2nd team opposition they never really get a true look at how they will perform.

Where have I heard that lament before, let me think...

Coaches go into preseason games and play first team offense against 1st team defense, and so on and on so many occasions some drafted rookie, or UD free agent, looks great but then he's only playing against other draftees or other UD free agent but then when they have to go up against realo NFL players, they look like the player that was an UDFA.

Year after year teams have players that look great in pre season games and all the fans are frothing at the bit and then one of two things happen, either the coaches know better and cut him, or he makes the team somehow and then when he has to perform against real players the truth comes out that he cant cut it.

Sounds like what someone predicated would happen to Welker...

That is what happens more often than not. Saying that you, as a fan, want to see more of him in pre season is totally ridiculous. Pre season, as any football fan knows means almost nothing. And each year it is getting to mean even more nothing than the previous year.

Coaches learn a lot more watching these kids in practice sessions than in pre season games. Most of them are just thrown into the pre season games so the team can fulfill their obligation to the NFL to play the games, but the coaches use these guys just so they dont have to use the regulars and to avoid the regulars from getting hurt.

Any UDFA that makes the team will have earned it from the practice field, not the pre season games.

And for the record, let it be known that I really dont know very much about football and the information i posted above was given to me by someone that knows more than I do, whatever that is good for I don't know.

LOL - sounds like someone is trying to play the just a neighbor posting for the cause card again, too.

***fgssand*** · 05-03-2008, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBruinz

actually, its 21 if you include the 8 practice squad spots some guys will be fighting for.

BTW, I think its a mistake to say that Woods, Wright, Yates, Paxton and Hobson aren't locks for this team.

I agree with these five and will go so far as to say Paxton is on this team - NO question, unless he breaks his arms and legs. Maybe an up and comer could beat out Woods or Hobson, but I doubt it.

tombonneau · 05-03-2008, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew4008

Evans is almost a lock to make the team, the coaches and teammates love him. And how can you not be pumped when that big rumbler gets the ball? I really hope we give him some more playing time too.

How can anyone be excited when Evans touches the ball? He is slow, lacks vision, can't catch, and falls down immediately on contact. I don't think I've seen him break a tackle since that Miami game three years ago.

He must do a lot of little things right when he doesn't have the ball, because he is next to useless with it.

tombonneau · 05-03-2008, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fgssand

I agree with these five and will go so far as to say Paxton is on this team - NO question, unless he breaks his arms and legs. Maybe an up and comer could beat out Woods or Hobson, but I doubt it.

I think I read one of the TEs in camp was long-snapping. I'd MUCH rather have a legit #4 TE as the longsnapper rather than use the roster spot for a specialist who can only snap.

I know everyone likes to pretend that longsnapping is on par with splitting the atom, but I'd like to think there are actually people in the NFL who can do one job and still manage to competently long snap.

Though I have to admit, I was a few rows behind the Lonnie Paxton cheering section at the SB, and his girlfriend is SMOKING hot. Ridiculous.

spacecrime · 05-03-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MosiT

Some people say they want to see how certain players look in pre season before they decide and I say that is about as useless as tits on a bull.

???? So then how to you decide who makes the team and who doesn/t?

spacecrime · 05-03-2008, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F.B.N.

Wow ... NEM has huge balls coming in the Patriots forum.

Your charade will end soon hopefully.

I thought it might have been bsamson or mikey or some other instigator from the past. No one is this dumb.

***MosiT*** · 05-03-2008, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tombonneau

I think I read one of the TEs in camp was long-snapping. I'd MUCH rather have a legit #4 TE as the longsnapper rather than use the roster spot for a specialist who can only snap.

.

That makes a lot of sense. Over the past several years the Pats have been very fortunate to have who I believe is the premiere long snapper in the NFL, Lonnie Paxton.

He has been the mainstay of the special teams kickers, punter and place kickers, and as one can recall over these years, there have been virtually no screwups with bad long snaps.

If there were a place on the pro bowl team for long snappers, Paxton would be the most deserving. Of course, I am biased.

But, in either case, there has been talk of Paxton wanting to move on or out or retire, etc. and its time to start looking for his replacement.

PS, what is that little red dot at the top where the number of my posts is?

spacecrime · 05-03-2008, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MosiT

PS, what is that little red dot at the top where the number of my posts is?

It's a way of recognizing those who are assets to the website (and those who are not).

If you look at the dark blue bar at the top of a post, there is an underlined number, a set of justice scales, and an exclamation point in a triangle. The underined number is the number that this particular post is in the thread, the exclamation point in the triangle is to notify the moderators of a post that violates the rules, and the scales allows you to give positive or negative feedback to the poster of that particular post.

You start off with a certain number of positive points, and that goes up or down depending on the feedback you get.

There are some rules to it posted somewhere on the site. You can't give feedback to yourself, for instance, and you can't keep giving the same person feedback, stuff like that. So your color indicates in a general way what the Patsfans community thinks of your posts.

I had forgotten all about it until you asked, and I don't think many people bother with it unless someone is especially onerous, or consistently provides quality discussion.

Boston Tim · 05-03-2008, 10:04 PM

Thanks for the info.