Bill Belichick's Comments On Ryan Wendell

With him saying Ryan is a great story, and they keep working with him as long as the arrow goes up, do you think that is a real indicator that Wendell makes the 53?

I just can't see him being cut after Bill was so glowing

Brit patriot said:

With him saying Ryan is a great story, and they keep working with him as long as the arrow goes up, do you think that is a real indicator that Wendell makes the 53?

I just can't see him being cut after Bill was so glowing

Click to expand...

Do you have a link to the interview?

Wendell is a tough choice he is actually a very good run blocking center who is good when on the move, he just lacks the strength to hold blocks in pass protection.

Brit pat you must be new around here...what BB said about Wendell more times than not is the kiss of death. Wendell is a horrible Center I hope BB have plans of playing Dan Connolly there with Stork being groomed to take over next year.

It is on Glen Farley's Twitter @GFarley_ent

Sure something more formal will be written up soon

He was a huge part of the problem in the passing game last season and when they've faced bigger DT's in 2012. He simply cannot keep the pocket clean against the Knighton's of the world and, with an immobile quarterback, that spells doom even though said QB is the GOAT. Brady, like any other great pocket passer, actually NEEDS a pocket to throw from. Wendell is too undersized and underpowered to regularly provide that. But Belichick wouldn't exactly lob insults at him, either. Of course he's going to say nice things. But the writing is on the wall for Wendell. Connolly has been taking reps at center and they invested draft stock in a bigger, stronger, and younger center in Stork. I'll be absolutely shocked if he makes the squad. I'll put my face thoroughly in my palm if he's the starter again.

You get praise if you work hard, even if that hard work isn't enough.

I think BB can appreciate the work a player has done in order to make themselves a contributor on the team. But it doesn't mean he's going to keep you around if a better option exists. As he says, BB does what's in the best interest of the team.

Fans have an inevitable tendency to exaggerate the last game of the season -- not surprising if it brings it to a painful end. Whether that game against the Broncos is the full truth about Wendell or whether it was a bad day for a variety of reasons I'm happy to let BB judge.

Actions speak louder than words. They drafted a center and have had Connolly at C at times during camp as well. They paid Wendell like depth, which is what he should be.

As for Belichick's comments, its hard to read much of anything in to them ever.

Mike the Brit said:

Fans have an inevitable tendency to exaggerate the last game of the season -- not surprising if it brings it to a painful end. Whether that game against the Broncos is the full truth about Wendell or whether it was a bad day for a variety of reasons I'm happy to let BB judge.

Click to expand...

It's been multiple seasons, not just one game.

I think BB's praise was in reference to Wendell's overall improvement and hard work from where he was, not for how much skill he has at the position. Here's a bullet point taken from Mike Reiss's summary of the press conference:

• Asked about the progression made by center Ryan Wendell over the years, Belichick lauded Wendell for coming as far as almost any player he could think of in his 40-year career. “When he first got here, he couldn’t even make our practice squad,” he said. Belichick sidestepped a question when asked if the arrow is still pointing up for Wendell, who dipped in 2013 after a strong 2012 season, adding that’s what training camp competition will determine for all players.

Click to expand...

Source: Alfonzo Dennard comes off PUP list for New England Patriots - espnBoston

I remember an interview from last year where Bill talked about how every player has a different ceiling, and generally as long as a player is demonstrably improving from where they were over the course of camp/the season/etc., the coaching staff is happy with the performance and reticent to release the player as they don't know what the ceiling is yet. Once a player reaches or appears to reach their ceiling, then they evaluate how the player stacks up and whether he warrants keeping.

So I think here it's more Bill being impressed with how far Wendell came from when he first got there, even if it ultimately may not be enough to stay on the team.

Deus Irae said:

It's been multiple seasons, not just one game.

Click to expand...

Apparently he had an otherworldly season in 2012. Or so I've been told.

KontradictioN said:

Apparently he had an otherworldly season in 2012. Or so I've been told.

Click to expand...

I don't get it either. I keep seeing claims that he was great in 2012, but I distinctly recall him being one of the main culprits in just about every loss. He lacks the power to stand up to strong DTs; that isn't a problem that came out of nowhere in 2013. He's always been that way.

BB setting the table for trading away one of his surplus O linemen later in preseason......assuming a healthy overall group

BB was glowing about Ras-I Dowling last year, wasn't he? Didn't Dowling even get a parking spot?

50-yard-line said:

BB was glowing about Ras-I Dowling last year, wasn't he? Didn't Dowling even get a parking spot?

Click to expand...

I think so, yeah. Belichick giving effusive praise to a guy on the roster bubble seems to be the kiss of death.

50-yard-line said:

BB was glowing about Ras-I Dowling last year, wasn't he? Didn't Dowling even get a parking spot?

Click to expand...

Maybe Im guilty of over simplifying things... but Ive always been under the impression that Dowling was only released due to injury concerns/acceptance of that.

Rough day for those of us hoping for a Wendell upgrade. Connolly is absent and Stork is walked off by training staff.

Mike the Brit said:

Fans have an inevitable tendency to exaggerate the last game of the season -- not surprising if it brings it to a painful end. Whether that game against the Broncos is the full truth about Wendell or whether it was a bad day for a variety of reasons I'm happy to let BB judge.

Click to expand...

It wasn't just pot roast and the last game, Wendell and Connolly struggled against the good DL's from pre-season on. My red flag went up in the detroit pre-season game when they were completely dominated and couldn't move Detroit's DL an inch, and it never went down after that. Connolly is fine as a swing back-up for the interior OL but Wendell simply does not have what it takes to start for this team and needs to be replaced ASAP.

PatsFan2 said:

Brit pat you must be new around here...what BB said about Wendell more times than not is the kiss of death. Wendell is a horrible Center I hope BB have plans of playing Dan Connolly there with Stork being groomed to take over next year.

Click to expand...

Agreed. I was listening to it live. Sounded to me like a 'bon voyage.'