Patriots about to sign another DL from the CFL
 

Patriots to sign another from CFL - Extra Points - Boston.com

Re: Patriots about to sign another DL from the CFL
 

so this is our FA

Re: Patriots about to sign another DL from the CFL
 

Pats are facing a very tough cap situation, so loading up on cheap bodies seems to be a priority. This seems to be totally different from Armstead, however. Armstead is a legitimate talent who slipped for medical reasons, and who has a ton of upside. Vega sounds like your basic UDFA pickup. Hopefully he'll be a good one, but I'm not particularly optimistic. Maybe he'll become a "Ninkovich" in time, but it's a long shot, and I doubt he'll make a huge immediate impact. But hopefully I'm wrong.

Re: Patriots about to sign another DL from the CFL
 

Keep em' coming.

Any good deep threats up there? Safety's?

Re: Patriots about to sign another DL from the CFL
 

I don't know if this was posted in the Armstead thread but here is Reiss interviewing the Args GM about him.

Argonauts GM on Armstead - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Re: Patriots about to sign another DL from the CFL
 

I think you are being a "little" pessimistic, brother Mayo. At a quick glance he has the length, weight and raw speed to be an excellent pick up.

Certainly he doesn't bring the hype of the Armstead signing, which was a real coup. But you should know better to dismiss these below the radar signings like this completely. Take it from someone who thought Rob Ninkovich's best chance to make the final roster was as a long snapper, that Julian Edelman was a wasted pick, and Brandon Boldin had NO chance to make the final roster,

Besides he might be the last chance for someone from the Northeastern football program to play in the NFL. Hard not to root for that.

Re: Patriots about to sign another DL from the CFL
 

I'm not pessimistic, Ken. But I don't think this is at all analogous to Armstead, who I think is a stud who will compete for significant playing and possible starting time from the outset. Vega will get a chance to compete along with other guys, and if he earns a roster spot, so much the better. But it's a long shot, and I don't have high hopes for him. If he bucks the odds, so much the better.

Our DE depth list right now looks something like the following:

1. Chandler Jones. 6' 5" 270#. Starting RDE
2. Rob Ninkovich. 6' 2" 260#. Was our starting LDE in 2012. I think he'll share time with Armstead at LDE, and possibly also play some standing up.
3. Armond Armstead. 6' 5" 298#. I think he'll be targeted for the role that BB wanted Shaun Ellis to play in 2011.
--------------------------------------------------------
4. Jermaine Cunningham. 6' 3" 260# (though he may be heavier).
5. Justin Francis. 6' 2 3/8" 272#.
6. Jake Bequette. 6' 4 1/2" 275#.
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7. Marcus Benard. 6' 2" 256#.
8. Tracy Robertson. 6' 4" 280#.
9. Jason Vega. 6' 4" 255#.


I assume it's very unlikely that Travis Scott will be back.

All of these guys are 25 or under except for Ninkovich, who turns 29 on Friday, and Benard, who turns 28 in July. It wouldn't shock me to see one of the guys from the 3rd tier of players move up into the 2nd tier, with either Cunningham or Bequette getting axed if they don't pan out. BB believes in competition, and in Darwinian survival of the fittest.

Re: Patriots about to sign another DL from the CFL
 

About the same size as Ninkovich, we can hope..

Re: Patriots about to sign another DL from the CFL
 

2013 New England Patriots

Defensive Tackles under contract:

Vince Wilfork
Brandon Deaderick
Kyle Love
Myron Pryor
Armond Armstead
Marcus Forston

Defensive Ends under contract:

Chandler Jones
Justin Francis
Jake Bequette
Rob Ninkovich
Jermaine Cunningham
Marcus Bernard
Tracy Robertson
Jason Vega

Linebackers under contract:

Jerod Mayo
Brandon Spikes
Dont'a Hightower
Spencer Larsen
Mike Rivera
Jeff Tarpinian

I would venture that five defensive tackles and five defensive ends on the 53 man roster should suffice:

DT: Wilfork, Love, Deaderick, Armstead, Pryor
Practice Squad: Forston

DE: Jones, Francis, Ninkovich, Cunningham, Bequette/Bernard/Vega
Practice Squad: None

Current status of the linebacker corps not currently under contract:

RFA: Fletcher
UFA: White, Koutouvides

http://www.patriots.com/team/roster.html

Re: Patriots about to sign another DL from the CFL
 

I don't think this has anything to do with the cap whatsoever. The Pats are in decent cap shape. They aren't really in a position to make a huge splash, but they have plenty of money to make some moves and can free up more with restructures or extensions to Brady, Mankins, and Wilfork.

Every year at this time, teams pick up players for future contracts. These players include street free agents and players from other leagues.

Armstead might be a little different than that because he probably would have been a high draft pick out of SC if not for his heart attack. But Vega is no different than the players who got futures contracts last winter or the winter before that or the winter before that.