Do we need 6 wide receivers?

[efin98]

No, they won't carry 6 WRs on the team. They should probably carry 5 and they are Moss, Welker, Edelman, Tate, and Price. They carry Aiken as their last special team only player. He is listed as a "wide receiver" but he is still going to be their special teams captain.

As much as I respect him and wish he could get another year and go out with a winning team, Holt I think gets one of the last cuts.

And if he isn't picked up by another team, Slater makes the shadow roster.

 

[Trocadile]

If Moss, Welker, Edelman, Tate and Price are all healthy coming out of preseason, then I'd be very surprised if Holt makes the team. Hernandez, as others have pointed out, will get lots of time split out or in the slot, so essentially becomes a 6th receiver on the roster. Given that, I can't see Holt being kept over the STers battling at the end of the roster, especially the ones who can also fill in at WR, like Aiken and Slater.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

To anybody that thinks Holt should get cut: he caught over 700 yards, played for the Jaguars and his QB was David Garrard. The guy should win a medal.

Unless Tate's a stud, Holt makes it because of his route running ability.

 

[LetsGoPats36]

When your offense commonly utilizes 4 WR sets it'd be an obvious mistake not to carry 6. Especially with the injuries Welker, Edelman and Tate are recovering from.

 

[patsfan-1982]

Torry Holt, and Randy Moss, on the out side. Wes Welker, and Julian Edelman, in the slot



Sam Aiken, will make the team cause he is a good ST player. Brandon Tate, should be the return man and #4 or #5 WR and Taylor Price, will be inactive for most of the year.



so yes i think they will have 6 WR on game day

 

[BradyFTW!]

I want 5 plus Aiken. Cut Holt.

Agreed. Next PatsCast comes out in a few minutes, and that was my bold prediction hahaha. I don't think Holt makes the roster. If he does, I imagine it'll be because Price isn't making the gameday active roster.

 

[efin98]

Agreed. Next PatsCast comes out in a few minutes, and that was my bold prediction hahaha. I don't think Holt makes the roster. If he does, I imagine it'll be because Price isn't making the gameday active roster.

Even if Price isn't making the gameday active roster I still think Holt gets cut.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Even if Price isn't making the gameday active roster I still think Holt gets cut.

Wouldn't surprise me either, but assuming that Holt did make the roster, I'd suspect that would be the reason why. Definitely doesn't guarantee that he would make the roster if the reverse was true, though.

 

[wcpatsfan]

The question is whether Holt sticks. I think he will to start the year, but I could see him getting cut once Welker is 100% ready to go. I think the Pats would like to have Moss and Tate on the outside with Welker in the slot. That would make Holt the fourth WR at best, but Edelman might actually be a better play in the slot.

 

[DocE]

I think it awfully early in camp to decide whether or not Holt should go. The younger (faster) guys may look better in camp, but who looks better in a game situation? When the defense essentially knows what's coming, the savvy of a guy like Holt is neutralized. I also think that opinions on Holt are especially harsh because of the Galloway situation last year. I know I've been guilty of it myself.

I do think we will keep 6 guys listed at WR, the question is will we keep 5 WR's and Aiken or Slater? Or will we keep 6 true WR's?

I think the answer to that question depends on 1. how effectively the Pats believe they can run the ball and 2.whether they feel the need to keep an additional Olineman.

No.1 is pretty self explanatory: If the Pats believe they can run the ball more effectively, the need for an extra true WR is negated- we'll throw the ball less than last year and our top guys will have to run fewer routes and take fewer hits.

No.2 is pretty much tied to Mankins. As it stands now, the Pats 2 starting guards Neal and Kaczur both appear injury prone on some level. The Pats may need to carry as many as 10 OL on the 53 when ideally you'd keep 8 or 9.

 

[Calciumee]

I think Holt will make the team, and be used as 4th receiver, maybe even a 3rd.

He might have lost a step, but he has the mind and experience that may help him gain separation.

 

[TBradyOwnsYou]

I think the need for depth is greater at other positions and we stick with 5 WR. With Faulk and 2 or 3 TEs being available to help out the passing game I think the need for carrying 6 WRs is minimal.

 

[Nunchucks]

We definitely keep 6 WRs. Aiken is not a WR, he proved last year to be a liability against good defenses, so to depend on him as the last resort would be a mistake.

Moss as the number 1, Tate/Holt will split as number 2 and Welker will be the slot guy. Edelmen will be Welker's backup and Price will be the injury insurance for either Holt/Tate.

This will give the Patriots a strong and deep WR core, something they obviously did not have last season.

Slater is cut and Aiken is the ST star.

Chances are this works itself out in camp anyhow.

 

[QB12]

I agree fully with Nunchucks' assessment.

 

[BlueThunder]

We definitely keep 6 WRs. Aiken is not a WR, he proved last year to be a liability against good defenses, so to depend on him as the last resort would be a mistake.

Moss as the number 1, Tate/Holt will split as number 2 and Welker will be the slot guy. Edelmen will be Welker's backup and Price will be the injury insurance for either Holt/Tate.

This will give the Patriots a strong and deep WR core, something they obviously did not have last season.

Slater is cut and Aiken is the ST star.

Chances are this works itself out in camp anyhow.

I agree with the above scenario......Holt still may have something in his tank and he is the savvy vet. Plus, he's a good mentor for Tate and Price.....Wes and Julian team up on the slot....

Slater injured..not sure how this affects things.

 

[Sicilian]

We definitely keep 6 WRs. Aiken is not a WR, he proved last year to be a liability against good defenses, so to depend on him as the last resort would be a mistake.

Moss as the number 1, Tate/Holt will split as number 2 and Welker will be the slot guy. Edelmen will be Welker's backup and Price will be the injury insurance for either Holt/Tate.

This will give the Patriots a strong and deep WR core, something they obviously did not have last season.

Slater is cut and Aiken is the ST star.

Chances are this works itself out in camp anyhow.

Aiken is a liability when he's the #3 WR (specifically the outside WR opposite Moss), but in this scenario he'd be an emergency #5. Meaning he'd only see time at WR when we go 5 wide, empty backfield, and choose NOT to use Hernandez or Faulk as the fifth receiver. And even then only if we're suffering an injury at WR currently. Despite how often we've gone empty in the past, I see that particular setup as rare this season.

So the question is, for a formation that will see such limited time, having someone like Holt around just to avoid using Aiken there is an inefficient use of a roster spot.

I see Holt sticking if he plays well, as it's hard to judge rookies without a lot of game experience. But there are several positions with less depth where an extra body could make a much bigger impact situationally (CB, OLB, OL, DL).

 

[MoLewisrocks]

If out of necessity part of the game plan for the 2010 season becomes the best defense is a great offense I think we stand pat with 6WR - a couple of whom will also play on ST. Bill needs to count on something and I don't think the defense will be it this season - at least out of the gate. Holt is also the only WR on this roster who knows what it takes to win a ring at this level... Having 6 WR on the roster allows Bill to rest guys down the stretch if need be rather than playing guys hurt because the alternative is plugging in a ST'er. The only way Holt gets cut is if he can't grasp the nuances of this system.

I think it's much more likely we go with 4 RB and roll the dice that if one or more of the remaining 4 gets hurt we backfill as needed. I think the focus this season will be on running the ball more effectively as opposed to running it more because of all the potential weapons Brady will have at his disposal in the passing game.

 

[JSn]

A better question might be whether we need 3 TE's. If we have an LB that can play FB, maybe we can scratch the third Tight End.

I'd root for Aiken over Slater, personally. We're not in a return-guy crisis by ANY stretch of the imagination.

 

[Sicilian]

A better question might be whether we need 3 TE's. If we have an LB that can play FB, maybe we can scratch the third Tight End.

I'd root for Aiken over Slater, personally. We're not in a return-guy crisis by ANY stretch of the imagination.

And if we are in a return guy crisis, Slater just hasn't proven he's a viable option anyway. His main ST contribution is getting down the field first on kick coverages (which is valuable in its own right).

 

[JSn]

And if we are in a return guy crisis, Slater just hasn't proven he's a viable option anyway. His main ST contribution is getting down the field first on kick coverages (which is valuable in its own right).

That's true, and I slipped in the common puddle of forgetting his real value on ST's. It'll certainly be interesting to see what happens. Just feels like there's some value to having an older guy on ST's that contributes well.