Opportunities for a draftee to make the team

[mgteich]

This is my list of weakest roster spots. I have presumed that Harrison, Bruschi, Wilson will all be back and healthy. I ahve NOT included their roster spots as questionable.

A draftee could win any of the following spots. There is plenty of room to compete.

Obviously, everyone is upgradable except Brady, but I focus on the greatest upgrade, which would be over the bottom of the roster players. Also obviously, some of these spots will be filled by the players listed, and some by free agents and trades to come. I have included my March 6th roster for completeness.

1. #6 LB Alexander
2. #5 LB Woods
3. #4 ST Spann/Baker/Mays
4. #3 ST Mitchell
5. #7 DL Hill/Thomas
6. #5 WR Childress/Sullivan/Brown
7. #4 WR Kight
8. #4 CB Gay
9. #3 CB Scott
10. #4 OT Britt
11. #2 FS Hawkins
12. #6 DL Smith
13. #10 OL Mruczkowski
14. #4 TE Mills
15. #2 ST Andrews
16. #3 QB No one
(I don't have this on my 53 at the moment; I have the #10 OL instead)
=========================================================
MARCH 6
53 MAN ROSTER

OFFENSE (25)
QB - 2 Tom Brady, Cassell
RB - 3 Maroney, Morris, Faulk
FB - 1 Evans
C - 3 Koppen, Hochstein, Mruczkowski
G - 3 Neal, Mankins, Yates
OT - 4 Light, Kaczur, O'Callaghan, Britt
WR - 5 Welker, Caldwell, Gaffney, Kight, Childress/Smith/Brown
TE - 4 Watson, Dave Thomas, Kyle Brady, Mills

DEFENSE (25)
DE - 4 Seymour, Warren, Hill/Thomas, Green
DT - 3 Wilfork, Wright, Smith
LB - 6 Vrabel, Colvin, Thomas, Bruschi, Woods, Alexander
CB - 4 Samuel, Hobbs, Scott, Gay
S - 4 Sanders, Wilson, Harrison, Hawkins
ST – 4 Izzo, Andrews, Mitchell, Baker/Spann/Mays

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)
P - 1 Miller
K - 1 Gostkowski
LS - 1 Paxton

PUP (1)
Jackson

 

[cstjohn17]

Kinda debunks the thought that there are no open roster spots... Unless I missed something there is at least one position open across all the units except QB.

I would add Yates, Hochstein as players bumping up against the bubble and there will be at least 1 or 2 people cut that makes us say "Hmmm... I thought he was a lock"

General roster comments
- I really, really, really, really hope our WRs look better than that.
- 7 LB seems light, pressure is on on of those Safeties/CBs (Andrews, Mitchell, Baker, Spann)
- 10 OL seems high

 

[psychoPat]

Although it is inevitable that we'd be looking at the same ten or a dozen guys to upgrade,
my ranking differs considerably.
But that's not important.

What matters is that of the double handful of new players on each year's roster
... we already know four (Adalius, Kyle, Sammy, and Wes).
As many as another half-dozen will make the cut not so much on their own merits
as due to IRs ahead of them on the depth chart.

Yes. Still real opportunities for many of those fingered in April -
and a few of the free agents still to be signed.

 

[mgteich]

There could be a QB opening, the 3rd QB which would replace the 10th OL. I think Mruc got cut this year to make way for Testaverde. 7 is light for LB, but others would need to be cut, and any after six are really not on the team to be linebackers. The STers could be linebackers. Mays would make 8. But did it really make much difference last year if Davis was listed as a linebacker instead of a safety?

Kinda debunks the thought that there are no open roster spots... Unless I missed something there is at least one position open across all the units except QB.

I would add Yates, Hochstein as players bumping up against the bubble and there will be at least 1 or 2 people cut that makes us say "Hmmm... I thought he was a lock"

General roster comments
- I really, really, really, really hope our WRs look better than that.
- 7 LB seems light, pressure is on on of those Safeties/CBs (Andrews, Mitchell, Baker, Spann)
- 10 OL seems high

 

[Jimke]

I think there are a few roster spots open for rookies; however, I

think it's safe to say the Pats will not use all ten of their draft choices

to draft players. They will use some choices to move up and others

to get choices in 2008.

I think they will draft a linebacker, free safety, and cornerback on day

one. On day two they will draft another linebacker, running back and

wide receiver. They will either draft a quarterback as a late round pick

or undrafted free agent.

They will probably sign another low grade free agent or two and

this will limit the amount of openings on the team to six or eight

rookies.

 

[patchick]

What would you do with the late picks?

I agree that there is room for a talented rookie virtually anywhere on the team, and at some positions (like LB and DB) more than one. And almost any position could be drafted day one.

But what about day two? With as many as 7 day-two picks expected, how would you make use of them? Is a late comp pick CB really likely to displace Chad Scott or Randall Gay? Is a 6th-round OT going to show enough to displace a Wesley Britt with 2 years' experience in the system? It's possible, surely. But I'm interested in how to get the best bang for your buck from the low picks, given the top-to-bottom quality of the roster.

Some possibilities:

- Go QB. There's a wide-open slot for a developmental QB, a potentially important long-term position. I could even imagine drafting two in the last couple of rounds and letting them slug it out for a roster spot.

- Go high-risk, high-upside. A guy like LB Brian Smith from Missouri is an intriguing example -- an extremely talented player coming off a major injury. Or you could go the Andy Stokes route and take a chance on a small-school player.

- Go punter. Not a huge need position with both Miller and Sauerbrun in the wings, but if Sepulveda slipped to the lower rounds you'd be getting the best player in the draft at the position, nothing to sniff at.

- Trade to the future. No comp picks coming in '08, that's for sure!

 

[Seneschal2]

A draftee could win any of the following spots. There is plenty of room to compete.

Upgrading the roster from the bottom up via FA and the draft occurs each off-season. It's just that some years we have more opportunities to do so.

Those who say we don't have many open roster spots are fooling themselves. Just ask Belichick how tough it is to decide the final cuts. Someone has to go.