captain stone
PatsFans.com Retired Jersey Club
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1) Sorry Capt., you're thinking a bit narrowly there. Relative to other positions, TE is deep.
Yes Watson, Brady, Thomas, & Kranchik are the only "true" TEs remaining after Nordin. That still leaves Vrabel, Mills, Hochstein, Britt, and Oldenburg as situational TEs, and Evans took practice reps as an emergency TE last season.
Relative to the other positions on the team only WR and S would appear to be deeper than TE given that 7 of the 10 "TEs" listed above have actually lined up as TEs in a game for the Pats or another NFL team, and two of the remaining three have done so at the Div. 1A college level. Who knows, maybe Adalius Thomas will start showing up at TE too.
I think it's also fair to ponder the shadow roster when considering depth. Fauria and Jed Weaver are former Pats, neither of whom are currently signed to a team, that's two players who at least know the system, whatever their age/skill shortcomings might be. I would think it unlikely for anyone to pick up Nordin at this point, he's not a 6'6" monster/speed burner that seems to be people's conception of a TE in the NFL, he's at least had rookie & mini-camps and time to learn the playbook a bit. That's three players who could be considered if the crap hit the fan. Nordin could even be yo-yoed on and off the Practice Squad once it's formed.
2) As for your "space-wasters," Malone is an NFLE exemption, cut him and your not addressing the off-season roster limits. Those young WRs have a shot at the Practice Squad, Fast Freddy doesn't, until someone does sign him he's on the Shadow Roster. Gemara Williams has been re-signed by the Pats, at least twice...must be some kind of "there" there; the kid was a NCAA leader in passes defensed his senior season.
1) Point taken, Mr. Box, regarding all the others with TE experience. With only 80 + NFLE exemptions allowed on a TC roster, versatility - and health - are a valued commodity.
p.s.: Was it that long ago that TC rosters could exceed 100? With no NFLE next year, perhaps an increase of TC rosters to 90 would be appropriate.
2) Point again on Malone's NFLE exemption. Stupid of me to forget it.
p.s.: If I were an exec, I would have sent the max # of yutes to NFLE as allowed (was that 10?), so I could increase my TC roster thusly.
Respectfully disagree re: Jones and Dunlap. But J Smith would have been my 3rd WR out the door, anyway.
I'm no Spann fan, but he does have something that Williams doesn't: an extra 4" of height. No real biggie, since neither will be in uniform on Opening Day...unless catastrophe strikes.