It's that time of the year again...
 

Where visions of training camp, roster cuts, and depth charts dance in everyone's mind. Only about 7 weeks to go, and we have a minicamp later as an appetizer before we suffer that brutal lull before it all gets started again. So, in the meantime, here's your current New England Patriots roster count. The lack of NFL Europe exemptions (and bonus exemptions) should make things easier to follow this year (unlike last year, when I couldn't for the life of me figure out why the Pats had 82 counting against the 80-man limit until I just now realized they got an NFLE bonus exemption for both Barthelmes and Baugher being on the practice squad for at least 6 games in 2006 - it was 3 for the 53, but that's all ancient history now that NFLE is done).

QBs - 4
QB - Tom Brady
QB - Kevin O'Connell (Unsigned draft pick)
QB - Matt Cassel
QB - Matt Gutierrez

RBs - 6
RB - Laurence Maroney
RB - Kevin Faulk
RB - Sammy Morris
RB - Heath Evans
RB - Kyle Eckel
RB - BenJarvus Green-Ellis

WRs - 10
WR - Randy Moss
WR - Wes Welker
WR - Jabar Gaffney
WR - Chad Jackson
WR - Kelley Washington
WR - Sam Aiken
WR - C.J. Jones
WR/S - Matt Slater (Unsigned draft pick)
WR - Robert Ortiz
WR/S - Ray Ventrone

TEs - 6
TE - Ben Watson
TE - Dave Thomas
TE - Stephen Spach
TE - Marcus Pollard
TE - Jonathan Stupar
TE - Tyson DeVree

OLs - 13
OT - Matt Light
OT - Nick Kaczur
OT - Ryan O'Callaghan
OT - Wesley Britt
OT/G - Oliver Ross

OG - Logan Mankins
OG - Stephen Neal
C - Dan Koppen
OG/C - Russ Hochstein
OG/C - Billy Yates
OG/C - Dan Connolly
OG/T - Jimmy Martin
C - Ryan Wendell

DLs - 12
DE - Richard Seymour
DE - Ty Warren
NT - Vince Wilfork
DE - Jarvis Green
NT/DE - Mike Wright
NT/DE - Le Kevin Smith
DE - Santonio Thomas
DE - Kenny Smith
NT - Steve Fifita
DE - Chris Norwell
NT - Henry Smith
DE - Casey Tyler

LBs - 12
OLB - Mike Vrabel
OLB/ILB - Adalius Thomas
ILB - Tedy Bruschi
ILB - Jerod Mayo (Unsigned draft pick)
ILB - Victor Hobson
OLB - Shawn Crable (Unsigned draft pick)
OLB - Pierre Woods
ILB - Larry Izzo
ILB - Eric Alexander (Unsigned ERFA)
ILB - Bo Ruud (Unsigned draft pick)
OLB - Vince Redd
ILB/OLB - Gary Guyton

CBs - 8
CB - Ellis Hobbs
CB - Fernando Bryant
CB - Terrence Wheatley (Unsigned draft pick)
CB - Jason Webster
CB - Lewis Sanders
CB - Jonathan Wilhite (Unsigned draft pick)
CB - Mike Richardson
CB - Antwain Spann

Ss - 6
S - Rodney Harrison
S - James Sanders
S/CB - Brandon Meriweather
S - Tank Williams
S/CB - Willie Andrews
S - Mark Dillard

STs - 5
K - Stephen Gostkowski
P - Chris Hanson
P - Scott Player
P - Mike Dragosavich
LS - Lonie Paxton

Roster Count
82 total players
-1 unsigned but tendered ERFA (Alexander)
-7 unsigned drafted rookies (Mayo, Wheatley, Crable, O'Connell, Wilhite, Slater, Ruud)

=74 players counting against the 80-man limit

Re: It's that time of the year again...
 

Good stuff, Pats1.



Anyone think Fifita or Henry Smith can/will make the team as a backup nose tackle?

Re: It's that time of the year again...
 

It's possible. They'll carry 6-7 DLs, so it'll be between them and Santonio essentially.

Re: It's that time of the year again...
 

On the simple basis of their names, I'm rooting for Steve Fifita (a 300 lb poodle?) and Tyson DeVree (obvious porn star work name).

Re: It's that time of the year again...
 

I prefer Bo Ruud and BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

Re: It's that time of the year again...
 

2 moves I think will surprise.

Eckel will be the FB instead of Evans. Reason being, Eckel is the better ST player and if he can be close to as good a blocker than IMO its an easy choice.

Cassell will be cut or traded (if not than the hype around Guitirez is off base). I dont see us carrying four like we did with Brady so someones got to go. Obviously it wont be O'Connell so if the Guitirez hype is true (meaning the Coaches agree with the media rumors) than look for the team to either move Cassell or cut him.


EDIT: maybe not so surprising but still I am predicting.

Re: It's that time of the year again...
 

How could you not? The guy has two first names and two last names.

Re: It's that time of the year again...
 

All of which resemble those of current Patriots.

Re: It's that time of the year again...
 

Morris!
Where you been, man?

He was running great when he got hurt last year. Can't wait to see how he healed up.

Re: It's that time of the year again...
 

Truth is: now we no longer have a Randy Gay on the roster the search for humorous names got a lot, lot tougher.