Early, baseless Roster Projection...
 

THE OFFENSE - 24

QB - Brady, Cassel, NFL vet (Fiedler/Maddox/Rattay?)

RB - Dillon, Maroney, Faulk, Pass/Mills (R)

WR - Branch, Caldwell, Jackson (R), Brown, Childress/(Patten?)

TE - Watson, Graham, Thomas (R)

OT - Light, Kaczur, Britt, O'Callaghan (R)

OG - Mankins, Neal, Tucker

C - Koppen, Hochstein

THE DEFENSE - 26

DE - Seymour, Warren, Green, Hill, Wright

NT - Wilfork, Smith (R), Sullivan

OLB - Vrabel, Colvin, Banta-Cain, Davis, Mincey (R)

ILB - Bruschi, Beisel, Claridge (swing), Izzo

CB - Hobbs, Samuel, Gay, C. Scott, Andrews (R)

S - Harrison (PUP?), Wilson, Sanders, Tebucky

SPECIAL TEAMS - 3

K - Gostkowski

P - Miller

LS - Paxton



NOTABLE CUTS - Dan Klecko, Brandon Gorin, Guss Scott, Hank Poteat, Eric Warfield, Barry Gardner

Before anyone says anything, I know Andrews played safety in college, but I had heard they'll look at him as a CB in N.E. - 'thought mostly a KR/PR.

I agree with all of your cuts. The only problem I have is that

you don't have enough defensive backs. I would add Artrell Hawkins

and subtract LeKevin Smith.

One more amendment - I should have put Hawkins on there. I forgot. I'd probably switch him with Don Davis going to the scrap-heap.

Obviously it depends on how Smith looks in T.C., but my guess is there's a bigger need for a long-term back-up to Wilfork, and I'm not sure counting on Sullivan is a sound plan. So I'd put Hawkins in, and as mentioned above, knock out Don Davis.

I think you've pretty much got the thing figured out! Maybe add Grammatica to the notable cuts list? Swing Claridge out to OLB?

1) Eight defensive linemen? For everyone else, the issue is 6 or 7. Wright and Smith are competing for at most one spot. We need special teamers much more than project backup DL's.
2) Sanders, Jones, and Hawkins will all play corner (dime or nickel) long before Andrews. Sanders was our nickel last year.
3) Pass and/or Mitchell are likely to make it as special teamers.
4) Your hope is that our starting RT isn't good enough to be a backup. Personally, I can't see dante having Britt as the gameday backup at LT.
5) you don't like our safeties much. Mitchell and Hawkins are more valuable than other players you mention.

PFWeekly seems to think that Mills is being used as a TE, just like his college position would suggest. He may be currently listed at fullback, but the reps he takes seem to suggest otherwise. I believe the Pats keep 4 TEs if Mills shows he can play, but I also think he is competing with the likes of Pass for one of the last 'roles' on the 53 man roster. I don't expect to see Mills running the ball from the backfield.

I agree with others that the pats will likely keep one more db in place of either Wright or Smith. Can Sullivan back up at de or will he strictly be a nt in the 3-4? His flexibility could be key as a backup at more than one position.


Regardless, there will be some real talent cut from this team.

LOL - always leave it to mgteich to bring a b!tchy tone to the proceedings. Oh, and FTR, I posted - in plenty of time for you to read it - that leaving off Hawkins was an oversight. As for your other comments...

Yeah, 8 DL is a bit heavy, I just am hoping Sullivan will make it as a swing DL/NT and LeKevin won't be a wasted draft pick.

Sanders was our nickel last year out of necessity, 'though I don't doubt he'll see the field ahead of Andrews.

Pass and/or Mitchell making the squad as S/Ter's is definitely a possibility. But I wonder if Mitchell will end up this year's version - the DB version - of 2005 LB/ST pick-up Wesley Mallard, who ended up getting cut.

As for "not liking our safeties very much," I guess I'm not as aware of Mitchell's talent besides on coverage teams. Re: Hawkins, I will again point out my post from earlier.