Welcome to the roster, Chris Barker

Patriots to promote Chris Barker to 53-man roster

Hope your game is improved from the preseason. Next man up!

Who is going to play tackle? Fleming and Stork or Barker and Fleming?

Wheelman said:

Who is going to play tackle? Fleming and Stork or Barker and Fleming?

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God, who knows. I'm just thankful there's a living, breathing human being capable of playing tackle in case Fleming or Stork were hurt.

Wheelman said:

Who is going to play tackle? Fleming and Stork or Barker and Fleming?

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Love Stork.......but, not sure about seeing him protecting TB from tackle position and then there is Fleming, a great back up that I wish could remain that way, as a back up.

Pats need the OL to get healthy, starting next week.

They should squeak by this week as Giants really only have one DL'man to worry about.

fgssand said:

Love Stork.......but, not sure about seeing him protecting TB from tackle position and then there is Fleming, a great back up that I wish could remain that way, as a back up.

Pats need the OL to get healthy, starting next week.

They should squeak by this week as Giants really only have one DL'man to worry about.

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Yeah, and whoever is on him only really needs to worry about getting grabbed by one hand.

Wheelman said:

Who is going to play tackle? Fleming and Stork or Barker and Fleming?

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Top 3 tackles all out. Top 3 tackles all out. TOP 3 TACKLES ALL OUT!!!

Okay, sorry, calming down....but can we agree that NO team would be in good shape in that situation? It's not a "lack of depth planning" issue as some have complained. If anything, paying good money to Cannon as a 3rd tackle should have put the Patriots in better position than most.

Chris Barker is not a tackle. He's under 6'3", has shortish arms, and even in the Mountain West Conference played exclusively at guard. Bryan Stork also is obviously not a tackle and isn't terribly athletic, but he's a stronger overall lineman and showed better than we had any right to expect last week. I'd go with him.

Ross12 said:

Yeah, and whoever is on him only really needs to worry about getting grabbed by one hand.

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Or being clubbed by a cast.

Well, not many tight end routes, I'm guessing. Hopefully, this means we're expecting some injured to return next week.

I have been expecting Mike Williams to slide into playing tackle, since he is built like one and has played it at the NFL level just a few months ago in Detroit. Seems they will not be doing that, perhaps because a) it would have a negative ripple on the TE game plan, b) he is probably pretty rusty...

Thoughts?

BlitzFritz said:

I have been expecting Mike Williams to slide into playing tackle, since he is built like one and has played it at the NFL level just a few months ago in Detroit. Seems they will not be doing that, perhaps because a) it would have a negative ripple on the TE game plan, b) he is probably pretty rusty...

Thoughts?

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He'll probably play a lot next to Stork or Fleming.

BlitzFritz said:

I have been expecting Mike Williams to slide into playing tackle, since he is built like one and has played it at the NFL level just a few months ago in Detroit. Seems they will not be doing that, perhaps because a) it would have a negative ripple on the TE game plan, b) he is probably pretty rusty...

Thoughts?

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I don't see why it couldn't happen. It's also important to consider the personnel of the other team. If they have faster guys at the ends then logically you'd want your tackles to have better footwork and would certainly consider having Williams in at tackle. That said, if your third string TE is playing tackle you have some real issues.

I'm more expecting them to keep Gronk in on passing situations and likely move him around a lot. He's likely the most capable guy on the roster left to play left tackle and to be completely honest I think he could play it quite well. I don't think they'll put him there but certainly expect him to stay in quite a bit in 2nd/3rd and +5 situations. Issue there is how much Gronk opens up the entire offense in the passing game when defense are forced to cover him, especially on deeper stuff.

patchick said:

Top 3 tackles all out. Top 3 tackles all out. TOP 3 TACKLES ALL OUT!!!

Okay, sorry, calming down....but can we agree that NO team would be in good shape in that situation? It's not a "lack of depth planning" issue as some have complained. If anything, paying good money to Cannon as a 3rd tackle should have put the Patriots in better position than most.

Chris Barker is not a tackle. He's under 6'3", has shortish arms, and even in the Mountain West Conference played exclusively at guard. Bryan Stork also is obviously not a tackle and isn't terribly athletic, but he's a stronger overall lineman and showed better than we had any right to expect last week. I'd go with him.

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I thought Claudell might be the better choice, but I'll go with BB's and Gooch's judgment here.

Barker CAN play OT right?

YOUGOTMOSSED said:

Or being clubbed by a cast.

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Is "extreme massages" a stat that they keep for defensive linemen?

Three guards, a center and backup tackle starting, with a backup guard and three TEs who can block. I count 9 linemen. Dave DeGuglielmo has his job cut out for him. The good news is that the OL is young and nasty. Watch for lots of no-huddle and some interesting running plays on the side with two guards.

This situation is not good, even against a below average NYG defense. Steve Spagnuolo, DC of the Giants, will have some isolation pass rushing dialed up, and will set a strong edge against Stork and Fleming. He'll probably bring secondary rushers off the edges all day. Brady's got to get the ball out of there.

All that excitement about lighting up the Giants should be tempered by problems in the trenches. The Patriots defense needs to step up and keep Eli and his weapons under 20.

The Giants have been thoroughly eviscerated by tight ends this year. The numbers arer literally astounding. I expect the same tomorrow. I trust in McDaniels' ability to somehow make it happen.

Per Mike Reiss via blog:

Thus, the projected line for Sunday against the Giants is Fleming at left tackle,Shaq Mason at left guard, David Andrews at center, Josh Kline at right guard and Stork at right tackle.

Good thing we're not playing a team that has a pass rush

Still probably going to need to keep an extra blocker in to help.

The Gr8est said:

I thought Claudell might be the better choice, but I'll go with BB's and Gooch's judgment here.

Barker CAN play OT right?

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Played some in preseason, at least.

I'll see how it exactly lines up at game time -- but JHFC no more injuries to the OL. Whatever horses we have out there are the horses we REALLY need, good or bad, for the whole friggin game.

Of the 5 offensive linemen who finished the Superbowl, ONLY Bryan Stork is likely to start the game tomorrow, and HE will likely be starting at a position he has never started before.....either at G or T.

So that this moment in time we've had to do a complete redo at CB, and now we are being forced by injuries to do a complete redo on the OL.

Kind of blows your mind that this team is 8-0 and favored by 7+ points on the road, against a team with a winning record. Especially given all they have had to endure this season.

On the plus side, given the problems they've had, this as as good a match up as they could have hoped for. This is a bad DL, who can't stop the run, nor rush the passer. The pats are going to have to limit their offense this week to protect it and Brady. It is good they will have a good option to either run OR pass.

I'm hoping for at least 25-30 rushes this game, because the easiest thing for this massively inexperienced OL to do is fire out and try and move that DL. It is when they are being forced to go backward, are they likely to get in trouble.

Personally I'd prefer to have an OL of Williams LT, Kline LG, Andrews C, Stork RG, Flemming RT. I'm not sure Mason is totally healthy, but let he and Barker back this OL up. Then hope either Volmer or Cannon come back next week when the stakes get higher with the Bills and Denver up next.