Donte' Stallworth works out for Pats

[PatsFan2]

His one trick pony route is about as useful as sending Slater as a WR on a deep Go route with his speed.

Oh, wait! At least Stalls doesn't attempt to catch the ball like he's a Kung Fu master issuing a blizzard of blows defending himself from a broken bees nest. My bad.

Has Matthew "Stone Hands" Slater been in any Offensive sets this year?

 

[Kontradiction]

Riiight..... because Branch and Gaffney aren't washed up.

I think they should sign Calvin Johnson. If he takes a one year "prove it" deal for the vet minimum, I wouldn't mind seeing the Pats kick the tires.

 

[Kontradiction]

Unless Stallworth has slowed considerably, I'd like the Patriots to bring him back. Defenses have to respect speed. His presence on the outside might, at least, open things up over the middle a bit.

The problem with Stallworth is that the speed isn't what it used to be. He was most effective in this system when he could turn a 10 yard catch into a 30 yard gain. Other than that, Stallworth was never a consistently precise route runner. With the speed fading out, his role on this team would be a lesser one (if signed).

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Has Matthew "Stone Hands" Slater been in any Offensive sets this year?

I think so out of desperation but I may be wrong.
I think that Josh would have to hold Gissell hostage to get Tom to throw deep to Slater again.
TFB absolutely hates being picked. Hates it.

 

[ralmat55]

His one trick pony route is about as useful as sending Slater as a WR on a deep Go route with his speed.

Oh, wait! At least Stalls doesn't attempt to catch the ball like he's a Kung Fu master issuing a blizzard of blows defending himself from a broken bees nest. My bad.

Having one trick is better than having none.

 

[fnordcircle]

Slater Haters can gtfo.

 

[brdmaverick]

Is this discussion worthy? yes, I agree, but let's keep it in context. We are talking about the last wide receiver spot on a team that is currently on a record setting pace for points scored.

Whether it's Branch, Gaffney, or Stallworth it makes little difference. All are washed up but may have some minor contribution to the team. Whichever, if any, will have a very limited role.

 

[aluminum seats]

I'm all for due diligence to monitor how guys are doing, but this just seems like a waste of someone's time. He was in camp for a long time, and they cut him loose. Hard to think there'd be ANY value to using a roster spot on him at this point.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Has Matthew "Stone Hands" Slater been in any Offensive sets this year?

Has he really ever been targeted enough to say that he has hands of stone? He has occasionally been on kickoff returns and I seriously doubt that job ever presents itself to anyone who cannot catch the ball.

You can say he only can run a go-route and that he had never had the opportunity to develop chemistry with Tom Brady, but I don't see the body of work to suggest he has hands of stone. Lots of guys would have that label if they played WR two snaps a year, running 50+ yard routes each time, and being thrown to in a career what, twice? three times?

Unless you have seen something in open scrimmages I'm unaware of, the Slater badmouthing is excessive IMO. He more than likely is not, nor never will be, a quality NFL WR, but that's just an assumption based on the fact that he hasn't been used that way. And why would he be, if he's a pro-bowl caliber special teams standout?

 

[Kontradiction]

I'm all for due diligence to monitor how guys are doing, but this just seems like a waste of someone's time. He was in camp for a long time, and they cut him loose. Hard to think there'd be ANY value to using a roster spot on him at this point.

At that time, the receiver position was a lot deeper than it is now. Some of that is due to injuries, some of that is due to decisions by the team prior to the season.

 

[patchick]

Has he really ever been targeted enough to say that he has hands of stone?
...
He more than likely is not, nor never will be, a quality NFL WR, but that's just an assumption based on the fact that he hasn't been used that way.

I'm a big Slater fan, but I really think you have your causality backwards here. Rather than saying "we don't know if he's an effective receiver because he's never gotten the reps or throws," it makes more sense to conclude "we know he's not an effective receiver because nobody has been willing to give him the reps and throws." Not in the NFL, and not even in college, where his team had no significant WR talent. And this despite the fact that Slater clearly showed both the athleticism and the attitude/work ethic to succeed.

Now add in the fact that he has 27 career kick returns...and three fumbles. I'm afraid "hands of stone" is probably fair. Best gunner in the league, though!

 

[Deus Irae]

Has he really ever been targeted enough to say that he has hands of stone? He has occasionally been on kickoff returns and I seriously doubt that job ever presents itself to anyone who cannot catch the ball...

He couldn't catch a cold if you injected him with live virus.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Has he really ever been targeted enough to say that he has hands of stone? He has occasionally been on kickoff returns and I seriously doubt that job ever presents itself to anyone who cannot catch the ball.

You can say he only can run a go-route and that he had never had the opportunity to develop chemistry with Tom Brady, but I don't see the body of work to suggest he has hands of stone. Lots of guys would have that label if they played WR two snaps a year, running 50+ yard routes each time, and being thrown to in a career what, twice? three times?

Unless you have seen something in open scrimmages I'm unaware of, the Slater badmouthing is excessive IMO. He more than likely is not, nor never will be, a quality NFL WR, but that's just an assumption based on the fact that he hasn't been used that way. And why would he be, if he's a pro-bowl caliber special teams standout?

Duh! BB uses starters on STs so why wouldn't he use a fast ST guy, Slater, as a wideout if he could catch?

Great gunner. Excellent asset to the team. Can't catch at an NFL level or anything close to it. Pats tried him at safety and Go wideout. Besides flailing hands he also lacks that ability to adjust his trajectory to converge on the ball that all the decent wideouts (and quality safeties) possess.

It's not "hating" to describe accurately a player's deficiencies that prevent him from being utilized in a position.

 

[Avenger]

Duh! BB uses starters on STs so why wouldn't he use a fast ST guy, Slater, as a wideout if he could catch?

Great gunner. Excellent asset to the team. Can't catch at an NFL level or anything close to it. Pats tried him at safety and Go wideout. Besides flailing hands he also lacks that ability to adjust his trajectory to converge on the ball that all the decent wideouts (and quality safeties) possess.

It's not "hating" to describe accurately a player's deficiencies that prevent him from being utilized in a position.

He's been to valuable on ST to use on offense, he uses starters on special teams, because special teams are improved with them, NE has had plenty of pass catchers that never required him to play WR for significant snaps.

 

[supafly]

I think so out of desperation but I may be wrong.
I think that Josh would have to hold Gissell hostage to get Tom to throw deep to Slater again.
TFB absolutely hates being picked. Hates it.

Obviously you are very correct about Brady's tendency for perfection, that is not debatable of course, but I do sometimes wonder why we just can't see a shot or two taken down the field with Slater's straightline speed? I suppose you already answered the question in the sense that he is just a lousy route runner and the timing is off.

One would think that it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to run the old 9 route with the burning straightline speed that Slater has though, at least every now and then. Hell, they have plenty of time to work on it...

We know he could beat his man, but sadly that is where it seems to end. Slater just isn't a WR. He shouldn't even be an emergency WR in my opinion.

 

[Sciz]

Obviously you are very correct about Brady's tendency for perfection, that is not debatable of course, but I do sometimes wonder why we just can't see a shot or two taken down the field with Slater's straightline speed? I suppose you already answered the question in the sense that he is just a lousy route runner and the timing is off.

One would think that it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to run the old 9 route with the burning straightline speed that Slater has though, at least every now and then. Hell, they have plenty of time to work on it...

We know he could beat his man, but sadly that is where it seems to end. Slater just isn't a WR. He shouldn't even be an emergency WR in my opinion.

Well, they've been setting up for the playaction deep shot to him all season by using him as a WR when they go into a run-heavy formation. Maybe we'll see it eventually.

It is kind of funny that he caught the first pass of the 2011 season (47 yards on a post in front of Vontae Davis, if I remember correctly), but has done nothing since.