Really shocked and confused by some of these roster moves

[Finnishfan]

They're not done with the roster yet.

Well considering they released 22 AND placed Demps to IR, that makes our active roster 52 strong. If the Demps IR move is considered legal, then I suspect that #53 will be a WR. Has to be.

 

[Sciz]

Well considering they released 22 AND placed Demps to IR, that makes our active roster 52 strong. If the Demps IR move is considered legal, then I suspect that #53 will be a WR. Has to be.

There will be more cuts before week 1, too.

 

[supafly]

Well considering they released 22 AND placed Demps to IR, that makes our active roster 52 strong. If the Demps IR move is considered legal, then I suspect that #53 will be a WR. Has to be.

What does that mean? Legal?

Are you referring to the rule which clearly states that he will not be a part of the roster this year?

No offense to this--please, but would you REALLY want to waste the one IR exception on a guy who is a rookie and will not be contributing to the team on any level and wouldn't even be active on gameday besides KOR?

I'd be extremely pissed if Belichick had used our 1 IR exemption on a guy like Demps. Don't you worry that a much bigger name player will be needing it?

Demps isn't coming back this year. I'm not sure why so many are so unaccepting of this fact (not specifically meaning you, Finnishfan).

Multiple sources have verified this news, and like I said it would have been ridiculous to waste the one IR exemption spot on him. FWIW--the one IR player has to be on the team as of Sept.4th, which obviously hasn't happened yet. I don't know why Mike Reiss was confused about this issue, but it's pretty clear to me.

 

[Ifleninwasawizard]

Anybody who thinks this team has a huge weakness at WR needs to breathe for a minute. Last year our top 3 were Welker-Branch-Ocho and this year our top 3 is Welker-Lloyd-Edelman. That is indisputably an upgrade over last year's SB team. We have two great receivers starting, a decent back up, and an elite threat in Hernandez who can sometimes play the WR position. Few teams can boast that starting quality or depth.

Also, we probably have the greatest collection of TE's the NFL will ever see. All 4 have experience starting and 2 are indisputably top 5 of the position while early in their prime. I guess the WR's are going to look thin compared to that.

We are going to have an elite QB who will usually have 4 receiving options around him who have shown elite quality in the past few years.

Our offense is probably equal to what it was last year. The big difference you are ignoring is that our D has filled the glaring hole at Safety, stayed the same or got better at CB and definitely got better at LB. I just don't see how this team isn't better than last years.

 

[UK_Pat37]

What a massive overreaction. Jesus.

 

[Finnishfan]

What does that mean? Legal?

Are you referring to the rule which clearly states that he will not be a part of the roster this year?

No offense to this--please, but would you REALLY want to waste the one IR exception on a guy who is a rookie and will not be contributing to the team on any level and wouldn't even be active on gameday besides KOR?

I'd be extremely pissed if Belichick had used our 1 IR exemption on a guy like Demps. Don't you worry that a much bigger name player will be needing it?

Demps isn't coming back this year. I'm not sure why so many are so unaccepting of this fact (not specifically meaning you, Finnishfan).

Multiple sources have verified this news, and like I said it would have been ridiculous to waste the one IR exemption spot on him. FWIW--the one IR player has to be on the team as of Sept.4th, which obviously hasn't happened yet. I don't know why Mike Reiss was confused about this issue, but it's pretty clear to me.

I havent followed the rule changes, so I dont really know what Reiss was talking about. But he clearly was investigating Demps being IRd and I dont know whether it was about the IR exemption or something else.

But I will take your word for it, and Demps will stay in the IR for the remainder of this season.

 

[Finnishfan]

Anybody who thinks this team has a huge weakness at WR needs to breathe for a minute. Last year our top 3 were Welker-Branch-Ocho and this year our top 3 is Welker-Lloyd-Edelman. That is indisputably an upgrade over last year's SB team. We have two great receivers starting, a decent back up, and an elite threat in Hernandez who can sometimes play the WR position. Few teams can boast that starting quality or depth.

Also, we probably have the greatest collection of TE's the NFL will ever see. All 4 have experience starting and 2 are indisputably top 5 of the position while early in their prime. I guess the WR's are going to look thin compared to that.

We are going to have an elite QB who will usually have 4 receiving options around him who have shown elite quality in the past few years.

Our offense is probably equal to what it was last year. The big difference you are ignoring is that our D has filled the glaring hole at Safety, stayed the same or got better at CB and definitely got better at LB. I just don't see how this team isn't better than last years.

So Lloyd is gonna play 100% of the snaps this year? Is he gonna run 15-20 yards deep every snap and still be fresh in the 4th quarter?

Or will we rotate him by fielding a group without a true wideout?

Our starting group is better than last year, NO QUESTION. But our depth is NON-EXISTENT. And by non-existent I mean we dont even have a player who can rotate Lloyd by running similar routes to him.

 

[aurakilla]

wait wait wait




who the **** else is a wr on the team Lloyd, Welker, and who??? EDELMAN?????

 

[peterforpats]

Some of these roster moves really have me shocked and confused. I really can't understand the receiver cuts, the position went from an area of strength to an area of weakness. Lloyd and Welker are excellent receivers, but that's all we have now, Edelman and Slater are not good receivers. They are good special teams players, but no matter how brilliant Belichick is, you could never in a million years convince me that Edelman and Slater are better receivers than Gaffney, Branch and Stallworth. Just a bizzare, frustrating and strange move to not keep at least one of them. Huge weakness now.

Now we get to Jeff Demps, why the **** even sign him, I mean really ? Unless he blew the **** out his kneecap, why the hell IR him, what's the point ? Just makes no ******* sense. The fans who were cursing the Pats for getting Demps, are probably laughing their asses off. Why did we sign him ? Our return game is back to being a weakness, same sad ****ty returners Edelman and Woodhead. I wish we never ******* signed Demps. Great move signing him, incredibly weird move IR'ing him, what a ******* waste of time. Just saw him interviewed the other night saying he felt good out there and felt like he was progressing. Strangest move ever.

Overall, I look at this roster, and I don't see a dominant team, don't see a great team, I see huge weaknesses at WR, Return Team, O-line and RB. Will be rooting for this team like crazy as always, but as the team is constructed right now, I see a team most likely that won't get out of the first round. Very frustrating 72 hours, just weird moves to make the team weaker.


I hope I'm wrong, but some of these moves seem devastatingly brutal.

wow- i understand a forum is to share opinions(for what they're worth) but c'mon. BB and the FO have shown an idea that they know how to put together and run a football team. this is the team that went to the superbowl last year, right? i take comfort in the fact that while you're shocked and confused the people who actually know what they are doing continue to run this organization- take a chill pill and let the people do their jobs. (second guessing- the true American sport)

 

[MoLewisrocks]

It happens every year. This year is no exception. In the past I've had a similar reaction to the one you're having - shocked, confused, disappointed, discouraged. And then every damn year BB fields a team that is a SB contender. I expect he'll do it again this year, without Jeff Demps, Deion Branch, Jabar Gaffbey, Brian Hoyer, Dan Koppen, Jeff Tarpinian, Niko Koutouvides and the rest.

It's a long season. I'm not worrying much about how things look on September 1. The roster will be in constant evolution. Guys like Brian Waters and Rodney Harrison weren't on the roster at this point in years past. And ultimately, BB knows what he's doing when it comes to building a team. It's not his first rodeo. I'm kind of glad that things are being shaken up a little. Frankly, if the roster had turned out the way I'd expected it to, I'd be not only shocked but a bit uncomfortable that something was wrong.

Just for the record, Harrison was here all off season in 2003. And I think Brady has a lot to do with Bill's success string. Something that will likely be open to debate however come 2013 when something has to be done about his $22M cap hit.

 

[patsfan-1982]

what is there to be shocked about they cut 3 over the hill WR's lets face it Gronk welker Hernandez and Lloyd are going to be 90% of the passing game so why keep the 3 vets so they can catch a total of 20 balls and have no impact on the team when they can keep the young guys who can play ST

 

[Sivy]

Tom Brady still plays in NE right? Belichick still coach? Yea not worried

 

[Creative Username]

Tom Brady still plays in NE right? Belichick still coach? Yea not worried

Who's Brady gonna throw to? I think we all remember his lovely wife telling us all about her "Tommy Boy" can't -expletive- throw the ball and catch it too...

So Belichick is going to play WR then?

 

[Sivy]

Hernandez played as WR 70 percent of the time last year. With the addition of Fells and Shiancoe, Hernandez can increase his role as a WR while allowing NE to still run 2 TE sets.

Also don't rule out Gaffney, could be back once he gets over his injury.

Remember they didn't have a WR of Lloyd's ability last year. Now on top of that they added a blocking TE who is good for a first down per catch (Fells averaged a 13.5 yards a catch in Denver's offense last year) and Schiancoe who has been pretty decent the last 5 seasons with the likes of Tavaris Jackson, Gus Frerotte, Christian Ponder, Joe Webb and Sage Rosenfels as his QB and pretty good when Favre was the QB.

I put AH at WR on Madden

 

[Sivy]

Who's Brady gonna throw to? I think we all remember his lovely wife telling us all about her "Tommy Boy" can't -expletive- throw the ball and catch it too...

So Belichick is going to play WR then?

Probably who ever BB feels is best to place on the field that day

 

[WhiZa]

What shocked me was the fact that Sergio Brown was cut. I wonder what he did to change BB's mind.

Probably not winning the starting job last year was more impactful than what he did in TC this year.

 

[goheels22002]

Overall, I look at this roster, and I don't see a dominant team, don't see a great team, I see huge weaknesses at WR, Return Team, O-line and RB.

Your concerns are legitimate but compared to the rest of the AFC:

Wide Receiver - two all-pros that can be expected to deliver 2,000+ combined yards and 170 or more receptions (I think there's more coming off the waiver wire). Best twosome in the AFC with a decent QB. You'll be okay when you see Hernandez, Gronk, Welker, LLoyd and the RBs (who can all catch the ball) on the field at the same time.

Return team: Edelman, Woodhead, Hernandez, who knows - I agree that this is an area of interest, but not really concern. I'm glad they kept all the DBs and stashed Demps on IR

Offensive Line: Mankins, Waters, Connolly, Vollmer, Solder - no worries. Good depth, too. Releasing Koppen was the right move.

RB: The Patriots just don't invest in that position for many reasons. This committee is a capable one and we have to trust Josh to provide the right agenda. Bolden making the team adds a new element, but there is a good mix of speed, power and blocking there now. The screen pass is back.

 

[jsull87]

On the contrary, no team in the NFL has a better group of 4 receivers than do the Pats. And it may not even be close.

Green Bay does Nelson, Jennings, Jones, Finley, Driver and there's an argument for New Orleans Colston, Sproles, Graham, Henderson, Moore/Morgan.

This is all OT i was as shocked as anyone Branch was cut but basically we have the same recieving core as last year except we swap Branch for LLoyd and Ocho for Fells/Shianco.

I am also sure if Welker/Lloyd goes down Branch will be getting phoned asap so i am not to worried about that.

How the OP doesn't see a championship roster here i don't know. Waters comes back and our starting OL is Solid. Our D is arguably better and deeper at every level.

We have lost our lead RB but have a talented young group. Arguably the only positions that has signifigantly changed from last year for me negativley (or so far) is the depth at Tackle (Light gone)and DE (Carter and Anderson leaving).

 

[PrairiePat]

Our return game is back to being a weakness, same sad ****ty returners Edelman and Woodhead.

I'll give you the fact that Woodhead isn't much on kick returns... but who cares? Half the kicks aren't returned anyhow.

However I don't understand the disrespect for Edelman's punt return capabilities. Some guys seem to be just looking to survive out there, but Edelman catches everything, -always- makes at least one guy miss, and heads upfield immediately. He has a nose for the open area, runs hard, and he's plenty fast. To me, he's one of those guys who looks like he's going to break every return. I haven't felt better about a Pats punt returner since Troy Brown's heyday.

Maybe it's just me

 

[Froob]

You guys know branch can sign with other teams right? I don't think he ll choose shadow roster over an actual spot.