Lee Smith and Alge Crumpler.

[TheSolderKing]

so when does Crump get traded or let go???


Lee Smith is a topnotch blocker w/ youth where as Alge is getting older and it would be foolish to carry 4 TE's not gonna happen.


Lee Smith is the future we should go young.

Lee Smith will get claimed off of practice squad. THEY BETTER NOT PUT HIM THERE. If anything put Crump on PS and some 1 will claim him.


Crump is a good player but he is very expendable ever since Lee Smith was drafted.

what will transpire? if we lose Lee Smith I will LOSE IT

 

[jmt57]

Crumpler can't go on the Practice Squad; he has far too much service time.


I don't think it is inconceivable that the team would not or could not go with four tight ends this year.

As for Crumpler, from what I have read his biggest donation to the team may have been off the field; apparently his leadership skills in the locker room and during practices were immense.

 

[VJCPatriot]

what will transpire? if we lose Lee Smith I will LOSE IT

Calm down now. He's a blocking TE drafted on the third day, let's not put him in Canton yet. If we lose Smith it won't be the end of the world. I'm sure he'll compete in training camp like everyone else then we'll see who is likely to stick.

I don't think it is inconceivable that the team would not or could not go with four tight ends this year.

As for Crumpler, from what I have read his biggest donation to the team may have been off the field; apparently his leadership skills in the locker room and during practices were immense.

I wouldn't be shocked at all to see the Pats carry 4 TEs.

 

[Oswlek]

Both will be on the squad this year.

 

[conway]

smith can be both te3 and long snapper. Keeping him instead of crumpler could open up a roster spot. Cheaper than crump, too.

 

[patriot lifer]

so when does Crump get traded or let go???


Lee Smith is a topnotch blocker w/ youth where as Alge is getting older and it would be foolish to carry 4 TE's not gonna happen.


Lee Smith is the future we should go young.

Lee Smith will get claimed off of practice squad. THEY BETTER NOT PUT HIM THERE. If anything put Crump on PS and some 1 will claim him.


Crump is a good player but he is very expendable ever since Lee Smith was drafted.

what will transpire? if we lose Lee Smith I will LOSE IT

If he's good enough then he will make the team as the 4th TE. We only have Crumpler for one more season and he's older so resigning him might not be the best option. The question will come down to space. One of our favorite pasttimes on this board is everyone putting out their 53-man rosters. If we're carrying an extra TE, then where does the space come from? We're also taking 3 qb's possibly. We might only take 4 rb's/fb's. Can Lee Smith be effective in special teams is a major question.

To justify being 4 deep at TE, will invariably come down to how much the #4 guy is contributing on kick-offs, punts, and such.

 

[supafly]

smith can be both te3 and long snapper. Keeping him instead of crumpler could open up a roster spot. Cheaper than crump, too.

Good point about possible long snapper, although he'd likely have to master it right off the bat to free up that space. I do expect the primarily ST positions like Slater to be deleted, as it's my opinion that is one of the added reasons to drafting some of these players in the last 2-3 yrs. They can continue to try and free up a position that would be taken up by a guy like Slater. I do not remember specifically how many positions were taken up via 'ST only' last year, but I can't imagine that it was as high as the yr before--etc.

As far as the Crumpler/Smith debate, I expect that decision to be made near the end of camp. We don't even know the severity of either one of Hernandez' or Crumpler's surgeries/injuries, so we may be jumping the gun a bit regarding the 4 TE roster allotment. We can all agree that it will be at least 3, with a chance at 4. If we did have to choose between Smith/Crumpler, I would trust BB immensely, and would imagine that Smith would really have had to show the team something in camp to offset Crumpler's blocking skillset and leadership role.

 

[stinkypete]

I wouldn't be shocked at all to see the Pats carry 4 TEs.

We've carried 4 TEs before. It all will come down to special teams ability. It looks unlikely that Smith would pass through the practice squad process. Maybe he's the 53rd guy to start the year while someone else PUPs. Maybe there's a phantom injury. There are many ways to manipulate a roster.

Either way, I hope he stays put. Belichick learned from Garrett Mills.

 

[patfanken]

If he's good enough then he will make the team as the 4th TE. We only have Crumpler for one more season and he's older so resigning him might not be the best option. The question will come down to space. One of our favorite pasttimes on this board is everyone putting out their 53-man rosters. If we're carrying an extra TE, then where does the space come from? We're also taking 3 qb's possibly. We might only take 4 rb's/fb's. Can Lee Smith be effective in special teams is a major question.

To justify being 4 deep at TE, will invariably come down to how much the #4 guy is contributing on kick-offs, punts, and such.

IF, and that's a big IF, he's as good as advertised, BB could definitely keep 4 TEs. The 3 current TE's all see regular snaps now, so having a 4th is good injury protection.

IF, and that's a big IF, he's as good as advertised, he'd be a real asset on the GL. Imagine Gronk as the move TE on the GL. Killer blocker, and now he's much tougher to jam off the LOS.

IF and that's a big IF, he's as good as advertised, he'd be an asset on the punt coverage team as a good blocker, so you don't need to have a OLman in the interior as a cover guy, as well as being a long snapper option

So IF, and that's a big IF, he's earned his keep in training camp, where does he lost roster spot come from? I'd say the OL. It would make sense since he's more OLman than receiver to begin with. Some originally thought when he was picked he might just be another guy they'd like to groom as an OT down the road, but now it looks like he's Alge's replacement.....in 2012

 

[jsull87]

so when does Crump get traded or let go???


Lee Smith is a topnotch blocker w/ youth where as Alge is getting older and it would be foolish to carry 4 TE's not gonna happen.


Lee Smith is the future we should go young.

Lee Smith will get claimed off of practice squad. THEY BETTER NOT PUT HIM THERE. If anything put Crump on PS and some 1 will claim him.


Crump is a good player but he is very expendable ever since Lee Smith was drafted.

what will transpire? if we lose Lee Smith I will LOSE IT

I think your vastly underestimating Crumpler's (a Captain last year) impact on this team. He was not just an outstanding blocker but he was a top notch pro and he caught passes down the stretch too. i would not be putting my money on crumpler getting cut as he and gronk were starting for this team in most games last year and if you have a look back at the games crump was always helping light on the best pass rushers we came across e.g Freeny and Harrison

 

[DaBruinz]

smith can be both te3 and long snapper. Keeping him instead of crumpler could open up a roster spot. Cheaper than crump, too.

If Smith can do both, then it is Matt Katula who will go, not Crumpler.

 

[supafly]

IF, and that's a big IF, he's as good as advertised, BB could definitely keep 4 TEs. The 3 current TE's all see regular snaps now, so having a 4th is good injury protection.

IF, and that's a big IF, he's as good as advertised, he'd be a real asset on the GL. Imagine Gronk as the move TE on the GL. Killer blocker, and now he's much tougher to jam off the LOS.

IF and that's a big IF, he's as good as advertised, he'd be an asset on the punt coverage team as a good blocker, so you don't need to have a OLman in the interior as a cover guy, as well as being a long snapper option

So IF, and that's a big IF, he's earned his keep in training camp, where does he lost roster spot come from? I'd say the OL. It would make sense since he's more OLman than receiver to begin with. Some originally thought when he was picked he might just be another guy they'd like to groom as an OT down the road, but now it looks like he's Alge's replacement.....in 2012

Agreed about the OL spot reduction, depending on Cannon's PUP etc. That and the specialized ST roles. There's a couple spots to free right there, with the possibility of maybe 3.

 

[Richard Camembert]

4 TE SET!!!:rocker:

 

[Reckedtrek]

so when does Crump get traded or let go???


Lee Smith is a topnotch blocker w/ youth where as Alge is getting older and it would be foolish to carry 4 TE's not gonna happen.


Lee Smith is the future we should go young.

Lee Smith will get claimed off of practice squad. THEY BETTER NOT PUT HIM THERE. If anything put Crump on PS and some 1 will claim him.


Crump is a good player but he is very expendable ever since Lee Smith was drafted.

what will transpire? if we lose Lee Smith I will LOSE IT

Crumpler doesn't automatically get let go. He is experienced and a captain (or was last year). When you have so many younger players at a position you need at least one mentor, and Crumpler is that as well as a strong positive locker room presence. We've had 4 TE before and it could very well happen again. As far as Lee Smith being the future... LOSING IT if he's let go or picked up by another team.... how about he has his first day of practice first?

As far as putting Crumpler on the PS.... tell me that was just a temporary brain fart.... right?

 

[conway]

Ive met Smith. I cant imagine him being big enough to develop into an OT.

 

[TheSolderKing]

I like YOUTH


4 TE seems unlikely. I hope we can trade Hoyer early. an easy 2

 

[JoeSixPat]

I like YOUTH


4 TE seems unlikely. I hope we can trade Hoyer early. an easy 2

I'm going to guess that Belichick is going to wait until he actually sees some of these players practice before he makes up his mind who he's cutting or trading.

 

[SirApropos]

Smith will be the 4th TE and his roster spot will come from either using only 4 RB (we mainly had 5 last year because Fred Taylor was hurt some and Thomas Clayton was often inactive), LS, Tracy White's ST spot since we have some ST RB's now in Vereen and Ridley, or one of the OL spots. We carried more OL last year to compensate for Mankins not being there early in the season. With Mankins (either for 1 year or a new deal) back they will likely only carry 8 OL.

 

[Joker]

guy walks in a diner, sits down, looks at three dozen eggs waiting to be cracked and says...

this omelet sucks...

the cook turns around and says..where the hell are YOU from???

guy replies..why,Patsfans.com of course...why do you ask?...

 

[Sciz]

I see Smith making the roster as a 4th TE. He's basically in the same situation as Taylor Price, where he's not an upgrade over the other TEs on the roster, but would be snatched up off the practice squad. The advantage that Smith has is that he plays on special teams.