This May Be The Year For 10 OL's

[mgteich]

We have two fine prospects in Ohrenberger and Vollmer. I don't think either is likely to be much help this year if there are injuries at guard or center. I don't see LeVoir as a backup guard.

That would leave one backup on the roster for Mankins, Koppen, and Neal. That player would be there to spell any of these on Game Day. If any of the three starters or the one backup is injured, we will need to count on Ohrenberger.

The options in case of injury at center or guard are to count on
1) Ohrenberger,
2) a Practice Squad player,
3) a street free agent, or
4) carry 10 offensive linemen this year.

Given that Hochstein is also a fullback in short yardage situations and sometimes even a tight end, perhaps Hochstein can be that 10th offensive lineman.

 

[jmt57]

There's no chance that Vollmer would make it to the practice squad and it's very doubtful Ohrenberger could make it there either. I wonder if one of them should sustain an injury in training camp that he would be red-shirted and spend the season on IR if BB feels he is not catching on quickly enough to help out should he be needed to play on the line this year.

Otherwise I see Al Johnson as the odd man out and the Pats going with nine OL.

 

[mgteich]

I think that Johnson and Hochstein will fight it out for the last spot. One point I was trying to make was that I might like both to make the squad. Johnson may be a better interior lineman. However, Hochstein is a fine Player 53 for this team, given his position flexibility.

Personally, I would rather have 10 offensive lineman than keep Green-Ellis on the 53 man roster.

 

[TriplecHamp]

What about Bussey? Practice squad?

 

[jmt57]

What about Bussey? Practice squad?

Barring an injury between now and September 14th, I'm guessing Bussey is headed to the practice squad. An interesting prospect for 2010 but he's a longshot to make the Pats' roster this year, in my opinion.

 

[mgteich]

I project Bussey to the Practice Squad.

What about Bussey? Practice squad?

 

[PatsCanDoIt]

Barring an injury between now and September 14th, I'm guessing Bussey is headed to the practice squad. An interesting prospect for 2010 but he's a longshot to make the Pats' roster this year, in my opinion.

In that case I am rooting for him to crack this roster. Louisville ran/threw the sh!t out of the football with Brohm and Bussey was a part of that.

 

[Fencer]

I think that Johnson and Hochstein will fight it out for the last spot. One point I was trying to make was that I might like both to make the squad. Johnson may be a better interior lineman. However, Hochstein is a fine Player 53 for this team, given his position flexibility.

Personally, I would rather have 10 offensive lineman than keep Green-Ellis on the 53 man roster.

Agreed w/ all of it.

5 interior OL who actually know how to play seems like a prudent minimum.

 

[stinkypete]

I agree with all the points of this post, but...

...this roster currently is loaded with tight ends who CAN block. Chris Baker has been an above average blocker his entire career, and Watson has improved by leaps and bounds in this area the past two years. Is it prudent to dedicate that many roster spots to one aspect of your game?

 

[State]

How about trading Matt Light to a team that needs O-line help like Arizona or St. Louis? We should be able to get a second- or third-rounder for him, ammunition to go after Mt. Cody in next year's draft.

Light isn't getting any younger. His effectiveness is ebbing slightly because of the ravages of aging. I'm absolutely fine with LeVoir based on what I saw last year.

Linemen in the NFL probably age five times faster than the rest of us. At least. Vollmer also may be ready this year, what with the pass-happy Houston offense built up his pass-blocking skills. He's very smart to learn the X's and O's. And he's an older rookie at 25, much like Kaczur was, who I think played some his rookie year.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[mgteich]

You're wrong. Lineman are effective at an older age than any position except kicker and quarterback.

How about trading Matt Light to a team that needs O-line help like Arizona or St. Louis? We should be able to get a second- or third-rounder for him, ammunition to go after Mt. Cody in next year's draft.

Light isn't getting any younger. His effectiveness is ebbing slightly because of the ravages of aging. I'm absolutely fine with LeVoir based on what I saw last year.

Linemen in the NFL probably age five times faster than the rest of us. At least. Vollmer also may be ready this year, what with the pass-happy Houston offense built up his pass-blocking skills. He's very smart to learn the X's and O's. And he's an older rookie at 25, much like Kaczur was, who I think played some his rookie year.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Urgent]

How about trading Matt Light to a team that needs O-line help like Arizona or St. Louis? We should be able to get a second- or third-rounder for him, ammunition to go after Mt. Cody in next year's draft.

Light isn't getting any younger. His effectiveness is ebbing slightly because of the ravages of aging. I'm absolutely fine with LeVoir based on what I saw last year.

Linemen in the NFL probably age five times faster than the rest of us. At least. Vollmer also may be ready this year, what with the pass-happy Houston offense built up his pass-blocking skills. He's very smart to learn the X's and O's. And he's an older rookie at 25, much like Kaczur was, who I think played some his rookie year.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Happy to.

So, your suggestion is to protect Tom Brady with a rookie with two full seasons of college ball? To replace a consistent OL starter with deep knowledge of the system with a rookie? To trade a core member of the offense for a future second or third-round pick?

Happy to correct you.

 

[Synovia]

How about trading Matt Light to a team that needs O-line help like Arizona or St. Louis? We should be able to get a second- or third-rounder for him, ammunition to go after Mt. Cody in next year's draft.

Because, with what, 5 NTs on the roster, we need another one?

 

[Synovia]

So, your suggestion is to protect Tom Brady with a rookie with two full seasons of college ball? To replace a consistent OL starter with deep knowledge of the system with a rookie?

Seemed to work pretty well when Light broke his leg a couple of years ago, and 3rd round pick Nick Kaczur played LT as a rookie.

 

[mgteich]

Is your point that Kaczur is a top level LT, and that Light is therefore expendable?

Seemed to work pretty well when Light broke his leg a couple of years ago, and 3rd round pick Nick Kaczur played LT as a rookie.

 

[patchick]

I wonder if one of them should sustain an injury in training camp that he would be red-shirted and spend the season on IR

Hi, this is the periodic public service announcement that there's no such thing as intentionally "red-shirting" a rookie by depriving him of the practice time essential to his development. For further examples of this non-phenomenon, please refer to the non-redshirt years of Lua, Oscar, and Ruud, Bo.

Thank you.

 

[spacecrime]

Seemed to work pretty well when Light broke his leg a couple of years ago, and 3rd round pick Nick Kaczur played LT as a rookie.

It worked pretty well? How do you figure that? We were 10-6 that year, worst year of the Brady era and not even as good as the Matt Cassel year, and got bounced out of the playoffs when the OLine couldn't protect Brady at all.

 

[spacecrime]

Hi, this is the periodic public service announcement that there's no such thing as intentionally "red-shirting" a rookie by depriving him of the practice time essential to his development. For further examples of this non-phenomenon, please refer to the non-redshirt years of Lua, Oscar, and Ruud, Bo.

Not sure if you are being sarcastic or serious, but assuming your are serious, you are absolutely correct.

The fact that they were both cut right after their IR season tells me that if BB redshirted them, someone needs to explain to him that redshirting is stashing a guy so he can PLAY the next year, not paying him to do nothing for a year and THEN cutting him.

 

[spacecrime]

Barring an injury between now and September 14th, I'm guessing Bussey is headed to the practice squad. An interesting prospect for 2010 but he's a longshot to make the Pats' roster this year, in my opinion.

That's how I see it, also.

 

[patchick]

Not sure if you are being sarcastic or serious, but assuming your are serious, you are absolutely correct.

Not sarcastic at all. I'm on a long-term quixotic crusade to stamp out the idea that BB uses the IR to "stash" promising rookies he's afraid to lose.