Patriots players that you have underrated!

[PATSNUTme]

We, as homers, tend to overrate the players wearing the Patriots uniforms. It's a natural thing and most fans of teams do that.

But on this thread I want you to come clean and tell the rest of us which Patriots players currently on the roster have you underrated. Don't wait until cuts are made.

My 2 are:

Matthew Slater - For the past 3 years I have predcicted him off the 53 man roster. I just haven't seen why BB would keep him when he could have kept others. Sure he is a good ST player and did start out as a safety.

But this pre-season I've seen what BB sees in him at WR. So I was wrong. Having said that, BB will probably cut him this Sat.

Kyle Love - I thought that he was decent but haven't seen why BB considered him to be better than others. This pre-season I'm starting to see it.

Ok, my neck is out there so now list your underrated players before you tell me how dumb I have been underrating Slater and Love.

 

[bagwell368]

I dunno.

I don't like Brace and I'm not confident he'll ever do anything here.

I don't like Morris, but he'll probably make it, I'd rather have 4 TE's. So OK, I underestimated Morris if he makes the team, but I still don't like him.

Is that what you had in mind?

 

[Spiral]

If Slater sees any significant time at WR, then I will be guilty of under-rating him. Thought he was strictly ST guy.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

Do you mean this year? Hard to say at this point for me. I know in recent history, it was easily BJGE.

He was what many consider a bubble guy as recently as last preseason (before Maroney got traded). I remember many threads on here (which I agreed with) that basically said "While we love the guy's heart", he'll never make it as a frontline RB in this league. 2 years ago, very few had him making the final roster (myself included).

I certainly never viewed him in that way. Last year he really proved a lot of people wrong that thought that he couldn't (for the most part) carry the load on 1st & 2nd down. He made a nice little niche for himself.

Slater is certainly a good candidate for this year. I personally see him as a lock at this point. Still don't know how much we'll see him out there catching passes this season though.

 

[everlong]

Just going off of this year Ridley and Fletcher before they were hurt. Also Andre Carter to this point. I never thought that much of him in Washington.

 

[Froob]

I'll be shocked if slater is cut. He almost looks better at wide out than Tate.

 

[Ron Sellers]

I dunno.

I don't like Brace and I'm not confident he'll ever do anything here.

I don't like Morris, but he'll probably make it, I'd rather have 4 TE's. So OK, I underestimated Morris if he makes the team, but I still don't like him.

Is that what you had in mind?

I think the idea is to look at it with the idea the glass is half full, rather than seeing it as being half empty. In other words, players that you are pleasantly surprised to find out are better than you first thought they were; good stories, not disappointing stories.

 

[Reckedtrek]

In the last few years, about 70%* of this board said that BJGE wasn't qualified to be the water boy for this team. About another 20%* said he'd be serviceable for the role that year but wouldn't be back the following year, and about 10%* said that he was the second coming of whatever religious deity you may (or may not) believe in.












*all percentages estimated, but are probably pretty close. I put this here because someone is bound to be a wise@ss and reply saying "do you have facts to back that up?" So the answer is no, I don't.

 

[TB=TD]

Tom Brady.

 

[GoWhalers]

How about a little love for Gerard Warren?

* A top 5 draft pick who busts out in Cleveland.

* Then to further confirm that the Cleveland D-line stunk, Warren is reunited in Denver with other Cleveland D-linemen, where they stink even worse.

* Follow that with a trade to the Raiders for a conditional 5th rounder, then released by the Raiders in 2010.


Patriots pick him up, make him a starter, and he's stuck around! That's pretty impressive with that resume.

 

[ausbacker]

Zoltan Mesko - his punts are going to be a weapon this season.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis - never underestimate the difficulty of punching in those short yardage rushing touchdowns.

 

[BlueHen]

I'll be shocked if slater is cut. He almost looks better at wide out than Tate.

Agreed, 100%. SLater has shown up big time this pre-season.

 

[Reckedtrek]

Woodhead- most people (including me) assumed he was signed just to get some inside dirt on the jests game plan, to be released soon thereafter.


Wrong.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Guys that I've been notably down on relative to board opinion at large over the last year or two:

Tate, Edelman, BJGE, Ninkovich, G. Warren, T. Warren, Connolly. I'm sure I'm missing some, but out of that list I'll definitely admit that I underestimated BJGE and Ninkovich. Maybe Edelman too, if he can stay healthy.

On a side note, wouldn't it be kinda funny if Slater was cut tomorrow? After years of lots of fans not getting why he was making the team, now he shows enough as a WR for everyone to agree that he belongs on the team... only to get cut. If this happens, I'm going to be mad at myself for joking about it.

 

[crowell33]

How about a guy who almost certainly won't make the team ? Landon Cohen.

Love watching that guy.

 

[BradyFTW!]

How about a guy who almost certainly won't make the team ? Landon Cohen.

Love watching that guy.

Agreed; he'll be making someone's 53, I think that's a pretty safe bet. The guy can play.

 

[PatsFanStnfrd]

Don't know the final 53 yet. If they make it, here are the surprise/understated players:

1) Will Yeatman: UDFA TE lacrosse player makes it over 5th round draft pick Lee Smith
2) Slater: shows he is more than ST-er, also WR
3) Josh Barrett: leap of faith retention because of BB's eval.-- we've seen nothing yet

Outright disappointments:
1) Tate -- 'nough said

Players who are opposite of understated (make it on team because of lack of better alternatives
1) Ohrberger
2) Wendell

 

[mgteich]

Green-Ellis
Love
Fletcher

 

[Ring 6]

We, as homers, tend to overrate the players wearing the Patriots uniforms. It's a natural thing and most fans of teams do that.

But on this thread I want you to come clean and tell the rest of us which Patriots players currently on the roster have you underrated. Don't wait until cuts are made.

My 2 are:

Matthew Slater - For the past 3 years I have predcicted him off the 53 man roster. I just haven't seen why BB would keep him when he could have kept others. Sure he is a good ST player and did start out as a safety.

But this pre-season I've seen what BB sees in him at WR. So I was wrong. Having said that, BB will probably cut him this Sat.

Kyle Love - I thought that he was decent but haven't seen why BB considered him to be better than others. This pre-season I'm starting to see it.

Ok, my neck is out there so now list your underrated players before you tell me how dumb I have been underrating Slater and Love.

What is that cartoon character doing to the Lion?

 

[townes]

BJGE

D. Connolly

Both delivered when they had to and neither was really expected to.