BrickPat
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.Not too long ago there was talk among many that Hoyer could possibly be traded for a 3rd or even a 2nd round pick. We obviously overrated him in retrospect as I doubt BB would cut him if he had true trade value.
Given the QB dreck currently backing up (and in some cases, STARTING), I felt a 4th rounder for Hoyer was not out of the question.
BB has been known to cut without getting picks for players with value. See Sanders, James. Maybe there were no offers, but in cases like these, I find it hard to believe.
And, yes, it pisses me off.
They tried hard to trade him, but found no takers at that salary. Perhaps the Kevin Kolbs of the world soured the NFL on finding a backup in a good system and then taking him into your system.
Mallett didnt have a great rookie year, and the Patriots were concerned. Then, he showed up after his offseason in Arkansas at 10 percent body fat. Mallett had worked, and the Pats noticed. Hes already won employee of the week a few times, impressing them to no end. In games, the Patriots have actually hid Mallett, calling screen pass after screen pass so as not to show off his arm.
Many of us are still waiting for you to back up any of your claims that we were offered a draft pick for Hoyer, Sanders or any others.BB has been known to cut without getting picks for players with value. See Sanders, James. Maybe there were no offers, but in cases like these, I find it hard to believe.
And, yes, it pisses me off.
In games, the Patriots have actually hid Mallett, calling screen pass after screen pass so as not to show off his arm.
BB has been known to cut without getting picks for players with value. See Sanders, James. Maybe there were no offers, but in cases like these, I find it hard to believe.
Many of us are still waiting for you to back up any of your claims that we were offered a draft pick for Hoyer, Sanders or any others.
Basically the Pats were doing everything possible to make teams believe Hoyer was still fighting for the spot with Mallett when in reality he wasn't. Teams knew that and wouldn't give up anything of value ALONG with paying his salary when they knew he was getting cut.
I think there's some truth to this.
The Pats like to keep their options open. They didn't get to see enough from Ryan Mallett last year to have confidence in him, so they tendered Hoyer at a 2nd round level as an insurance policy. There were rumors that the Pats loved Hoyer" and would be upset to lose him for a 2nd round pick, but in retrospect I wonder how much of that was a smoke screen. There were persistent media reports all spring from multiple sources about Hoyer's potential trade value, and the Pats' depth at QB.
As far as I can tell, 3 things apparently happened this preseason: (1) the Pats became more comfortable with Mallett's development, (2) Hoyer didn't show enough to merit any trade value, and (3) there was enough competition at other positions to put a squeeze on keeping 3 QBs.
I've never understood this idea that a Pats backup who never played would have value to other teams. People talk about Cassel, but he actually played 15.75 games.
I think there's some truth to this.
The Pats like to keep their options open. They didn't get to see enough from Ryan Mallett last year to have confidence in him, so they tendered Hoyer at a 2nd round level as an insurance policy. There were rumors that the Pats loved Hoyer" and would be upset to lose him for a 2nd round pick, but in retrospect I wonder how much of that was a smoke screen. There were persistent media reports all spring from multiple sources about Hoyer's potential trade value, and the Pats' depth at QB.
As far as I can tell, 3 things apparently happened this preseason: (1) the Pats became more comfortable with Mallett's development, (2) Hoyer didn't show enough to merit any trade value, and (3) there was enough competition at other positions to put a squeeze on keeping 3 QBs.
There has been no shortage of recognizable names on Friday's NFL cut lists, Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch and first-round bust Vernon Gholston among them. But to me, the most intriguing name from Cut Day 2012 is backup New England Patriots QB Brian Hoyer.
Hoyer is a good player, and coach Bill Belichick doesn't let good players walk away for nothing without more than one good reason. So right away I think this move tells us two things: 1) New England isn't worried in the slightest about a rapid decline from Tom Brady. If it was, Hoyer is the type of stop-gap insurance policy that could still give a talented team like New England a playoff shot even absent its star QB. 2) The Pats are absolutely on board with Ryan Mallett, and he could very well be Brady's heir apparent.
You may be thinking about a third conclusion -- Hoyer isn't very good -- but I definitely disagree on that score. In fact, I think he'd fit very nicely with a number of NFL teams.
Hoyer is a very good, but not great, athlete. Growing up he played baseball and had a plus-90s fastball that translates now into an adequate -- but again, not great -- NFL arm. He's not going to drive it through the sleet and the rain like a Jay Cutler or a Joe Flacco, two QBs with cannons hanging from their shoulders, but he's played in the North all his career and he never has been a liability in that regard. Based on pure physical talent, he's pretty good across the board. He just doesn't stand out in any one area.
His biggest assets are his intellect and his experience. Hoyer is a lot like Matt Schaub behind Michael Vick in Atlanta, or Matt Flynn when he was behind Aaron Rodgers. Hoyer has had the advantage of sitting all day in QB meetings with a very talented starter in Tom Brady and he has the solid work ethic to make the most of that experience.
On the whole, everything about him is about a 6 out of 10, which makes him a great candidate to be a No. 2 QB in the NFL. And there are plenty of teams for which Hoyer would represent an upgrade at that position. In one case, he may even be better than the starter.