Personal Viewpoint: Spencer Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

[BBass]

If Connolly's not starting (Wendell wins starting center job, Waters comes back), then he can do all of the fullback blocking.

In a goal line situation maybe, but Soldier was a TE in college and is likely one of the most athletic OL in the league. I don't thin Connolly, Waters or Wendell can play the 3rd TE position. Also take bring the fact JM runs and screens a lot more then O'Brien did.

We had 3 FB and 5 TE's at the start of camp, gave Larsen and Fells 3yrct. That seems to point to the positions as area's of need, now 2 TE's and some guards are going to handle it all.

 

[ATippett56]

So Tarp or Koutouvides fills the LB/ST need but who is filling the Blocking TE and FB role. Last season we used Soldier as a TE a lot we can't do that with him starting at LT. I cannot see entering the season with 2 TE, no FB and we don't exactly have excess linemen with versitilty like Soldier to play as a blocking TE.

Hopefully Daniel Fells will come off the PUP list by mid-season. As for excess lineman with versatility, you need to take a closer look at Nick McDonald this preseason. Besides, the New England Patriots offense is not predicated upon a fullback.

 

[BBass]

Hopefully Daniel Fells will come off the PUP list by mid-season. As for excess lineman with versatility, you need to take a closer look at Nick McDonald this preseason. Besides, the New England Patriots offense is not predicated upon a fullback.

O'Briens offense wasn't.. JM loves the I-formation.

Agree McDonald is a versitle player

 

[BBass]

Hopefully Daniel Fells will come off the PUP list by mid-season. As for excess lineman with versatility, you need to take a closer look at Nick McDonald this preseason. Besides, the New England Patriots offense is not predicated upon a fullback.

I do agree on the Fells situation, if he wasn't on PUP I'd of never suggested Larsen make the roster, which I clearly pointed out in my first post.

 

[Stilla]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

Good points, BBass. I think the keys at this time are that the candidates acquired to provide depth at TE are not practicing. This is an area of concern, and if we assume Fells stays on PUP, then there is no depth at TE for the first 6 games. If Shiancoe returns and makes the 53-man roster, then Larsen is in jeopardy. If not, Larsen could fill that role early in the season as you state. Given the ineffectiveness of Gronk in the SB, I don't think the team wants a repeat of scrambling to fill a TE position at any time this season.

I hope Shiancoe and Larsen make the team.



QB (3) Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett
RB (6) Danny Woodhead, Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, Spencer Larsen, Brandon Bolden, Jeff Demps
WR (5) Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Donte Stallworth, Matthew Slater
TE (3) Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Visanthe Shiancoe
C (2) Dan Koppen, Ryan Wendell
G (4) Brian Waters, Logan Mankins, Dan Connolly, Donald Thomas
T (4) Sebastian Vollmer, Nate Solder, Marcus Cannon, Nick McDonald
DE (5) Chandler Jones, Ron Brace, Brandon Deaderick, Jonathan Fanene, Jake Bequette
DT (3) Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love, Myron Pryor
ILB(3) Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Donta Hightower
OLB(3) Rob Ninkovich, Jermaine Cunningham, Bobby Carpenter
CB (5) Devin McCourty, Kyle Arrington, Ras-I Dowling, Alfonzo Dennard, Sterling Moore
SS (2) Steve Gregory, Nate Ebner
FS (2) Patrick Chung, Tavon Wilson
ST (3) Stephen Gostkowski, Danny Aiken, Zoltan Mesko

Total players: 53
Created with Pats Picker: Pats Picker 2012

 

[ATippett56]

O'Briens offense wasn't.. JM loves the I-formation.

McDaniels will not bench either Hernandez or Gronkowski in lieu of a fullback.

 

[ATippett56]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

I hope Shiancoe and Larsen make the team.

Both are expendable.

 

[Stilla]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

Both are expendable.

I wouldn't disagree.

But I think its better to carry 3 TE and a full back.

Larsen can actually pass block. No RB on the roster can do this better than Larsen. In fact we signed Kevin Falk last year just for that ability.

We utilized the 3 TE formation enough last year to justify having a 3rd TE. Solder can't do this anymore. Its easy to see BB wants to have 3 TE on this roster, we picked up Jake Ballard.

Both players give us the ability to be a run 1st team. Its something we have not had in years.

 

[ATippett56]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

We utilized the 3 TE formation enough last year to justify having a 3rd TE. Solder can't do this anymore. Its easy to see BB wants to have 3 TE on this roster, we picked up Jake Ballard.

Tight end Daniel Fells will eventually come off the PUP list. The New England Patriots offense will not collapse without Larsen or Shiancoe for the first half of the 2012-13 NFL Season.

Given the choice, Bolden or Larsen?

 

[Stilla]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

Tight end Daniel Fells will eventually come off the PUP list. The New England Patriots offense will not collapse without Larsen or Shiancoe for the first half of the 2012-13 NFL Season.

Given the choice, Bolden or Larsen?

Both. I poster my roster at 2:00 above.

 

[ATippett56]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

Both. I poster my roster at 2:00 above.

Julian Edelman gets the axe?

Very interesting!

Who is the primary punt returner for the New England Patriots?

 

[Stilla]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

Julian Edelman gets the axe?

Very interesting!

Who is the primary punt returner for the New England Patriots?

Jeff Demps, Welker, AH.

 

[ATippett56]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

Jeff Demps, Welker.

Jeff Demps did not field punts on a regular basis while playing college football at Florida.

 

[ATippett56]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

Jeff Demps, Welker, AH.

Aaron Hernandez as a punt returner?

 

[Stilla]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

Jeff Demps did not field punts on a regular basis while playing college football at Florida.

Ebner played 3 games of football in college and he was drafted.

Edelman played QB in college.

 

[patsfaninpa]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

Ebner played 3 games of football in college and he was drafted.

Check Demps stats out when he played with Tebow in 08 and 09. Avg per carry +7.5 and 14 td's in those seasons. Dropped off significantly after that without the threat of a passing game or running qb.Because, he's not big enough to be a feature back. But situationally, the defense just can't put a lb on him if he's out there on 3rd and long.

Jeff Demps - College Football

 

[ATippett56]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

Ebner played 3 games of football in college and he was drafted.

Non sequitur.

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

Non sequitur.

I don't know where Patriots fans have gotten the notion that you need some incredible college resume to return punts. Edelman was a QB who had a grand total of 6 punt returns in college.

Julian Edelman Statistics | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

I'm not saying that Edelman's gone. I'm not saying that Demps will definitely be returning punts. What I am saying is that acting as if Demps returning punts is an impossibility because he didn't do it in college isn't a logically sound position based upon the very player he'd be replacing.

 

[patfanken]

I have seen a lot of articles, stories, threads, posts saying the Pats will not keep a FB. I personally disagree, my feeling is that Fletchers injury really solidified Larsen making the roster.

Larsen is a BB type player, he fills several key roles on the Patriots.


True blocking FB.
3rd TE blocking ability.
Ability to catch the ball out of the back field with knowledge to JM's offensive scheme.
Backup 4-3 LB (mainly inside).
Ability to fill Fletchers role ST.

If Daniel Feils and Dane Fletcher were both healthy I'd suggest otherwise because then you have Feils to block as a FB, the 3rd TE for receiving/blocking and obviously Fletcher is a superior LB to Larsen.

I know Tarp and White are BB and fan favorites but roles are basically the same, more of cover linebackers and ST players. I see only one of them making it and Larsen being our 6th LB at least till Feils comes off PUP mid season.

I'm not going to bother to read this entire thread, so my apologies if this has been said before.

DUMB!!!!!!!

The key phrase you forgot to add was "for no apparent reason". Because that is what you base your opinion on. A random and gratuitous act in order to start ANOTHER dumb thread. I find it sad that such a topic can get 4 pages of comments

As to your 5 "reasons" for keeping him only two have even a resemblance to being valid.

1. 240 lbers DO NOT represent any threat as blockers as in line TE's. Don't be ridiculous.
2. As far as pass catching ability. Are you referring to the 14 total catches he's managed over the past FOUR years?
3. And what is it about the 6 tackles he had the last 2 years or the 9/yr he's averaged over the course of his entire career that makes you think he would be an asset as a LB. (BTW- most of those few tackles have come on special teams, NOT at LB)
4. And then there's the slight problem that he hasn't been on the practice field enough this TC to find out if he can really even do the 2 points you mention that HAVE some validity, that he is a good blocker out of the FB position, and he's good on special teams. 6 tackles over 2 years doesn't sound like a special teams ace to me.

To me there is only a 50-50 chance that the Pats keep a FB in the first place. And all things considered I'd rather have Kettani be that guy, unless he's proven to be a horrible blocker, and or proven he can't catch the ball. Reportedly the latter hasn't been a problem in camp and no has been no mention the of the former being a problem. Besides he's the only one of the FB's who can actually run the ball. The kid was a 1000 yd rusher in college.

So IF, and that's a big IF, the Pats decide to keep a FB on this roster, why wouldn't the Pats keep Kettani over Larsen.

 

[patfanken]

Re: Personal Viewpoint: Steve Larsen will be on the 53 man roster.

I don't know where Patriots fans have gotten the notion that you need some incredible college resume to return punts. Edelman was a QB who had a grand total of 6 punt returns in college.

Julian Edelman Statistics | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

I'm not saying that Edelman's gone. I'm not saying that Demps will definitely be returning punts. What I am saying is that acting as if Demps returning punts is an impossibility because he didn't do it in college isn't a logically sound position based upon the very player he'd be replacing.

That might be true on the surface DI, but one would have to think that a guy with his speed and agility would have been huge asset to the punt return game at Florida. However, (based on what I've read on the board), he only had a few punt returns as a freshman and then never or very rarely was asked to do it again. One has to ask the question, "Why?"

I think that you would agree that KO returning and punt returning require different skill sets. That not every great KO returner is a great punt returner and visa versa. It would be common sense to infer that ffor whatever reason, Demps wasn't good at punt returning, otherwise it would have been foolish not to use him there.

So while I don't disregard the possibility that Demps will return punts here In fact I'm sure that at some point he will be given the opportunity to work in with the other returners in practice. But I find it hard to believe that if he wasn't good enough to return punts in the SEC, I'd expect much out of him at the position in the NFL.