Patriot ST players for 2012
 

Nothing else to do and probably way to early, but how about taking a shot at who makes the final 53 and is a ST player for 2012. We all know Gostkowski, Mesko and Aiken are ST but who are the rest?

Aiken
Arrington
Carpenter
Chung
Cole
Edelman
Fletcher
Gostkowski
Larsen
McCourty
Mesko
Ninkovich
Slater
Tarpanian
White
Wilson
Woodhead



Who did I miss?

Re: Patriot ST players for 2012
 

I think everyone you listed makes it with these exceptions:
Only one of Carpenter, Tarpinian, and White makes it
Cole only makes it if Will Allen and Sergio Brown do not

As for who I would add, Ridley and Vereen both played on ST coverage last season. If Ebner is as good on STs as his coaches say he is (calling him the most important player on that team), then he'll make the roster based on that alone. Hightower will play on STs unless he's an every-down defender, which I don't expect right away. Chandler Jones may get a look on the field goal block unit with those freakishly long arms, but he's probably not good enough in space to do anything in the kickoff or punting games.

Re: Patriot ST players for 2012
 

Also competing for a job is the guy who the Pats just signed. Jesse Holley. This kid earned an invitation to the Cowboys training camp in 2008 by winning a show on SpikeTV called "4th and Long" that was hosted by Michael Irvin. It was, essentially, an open tryout similar to the one that Dick Vermiel held for the Eagles back in 1976.

That being said, he spent 2 years on the Dallas Practice Squad and then was activated during week 2 last year where he caught a 77 yard reception from Romo to help Dallas hand San Fran one of their only losses of the season.

The kid definitely has an uphill battle, but look at what he's over-come already.

You also have Jeremy Ebert (WR) and Nate Ebner (S) who will be competing for jobs. Ebert on returns and Ebner as a coverage specialist.

As someone else mentioned, you forgot Sergio Brown and Josh Barrett will also be competing for ST positions..

One other thing to remember is that, on the Pats, nearly every player has a role on special teams, be the person a starter or a reserve. There are very few, if any, who do not.

Re: Patriot ST players for 2012
 

Do we really think Ebner makes it as a ST guy only? I'm rooting for him, but just don't see it yet. He'd have to beat out Barrett,Brown and possibly Allen at Safety. You can add the immortal Ross Ventrone to that Safety list also :D

Re: Patriot ST players for 2012
 

I don't think he is competing with safeties.
I think he is competing with a bunch of other guys, including Edelman, White, Tarpanian, Cole, Brown, Ebert, an extra OL, the 4th TE, and possibly some of the OLBs for the last few spots on the roster that can come from any position, and includes special teamers.
For example, the 9th OL isn't competing with just the 10th-whatever OL for a roster spot, he is also competing with the guys at other positions where a player isn't necessarily needed but could be kept, such as 4th TE, 6th WR, 5th RB, 3rd QB, 5th corner, etc, etc.

Re: Patriot ST players for 2012
 

4th TE might be stretching it.....;)

Don't believe that BB would dump Mallett for him either :rolleyes:

He may have a shot at taking Edelman's slot tho... :eek:

BTW...I wonder who gets slotted as a return man this year. I hope it's not Chung !

Re: Patriot ST players for 2012
 

4 TEs probably comes with 4 WRs or 3 RBs.
But thats not really the point I'm making.
I don't suppose Mallett is going anywhere either, but in other years, that #3 QB spot was where we cut, hence including it in the 'fluid' spots.

We NEED (arguably)
2 QBs
3 RBs
2 TE
4 WR
8 OL

6 DL (using the 34 definitions)
4 OLB
3 ILB
4 CB
3 Safeties

3 (K/P/LS)

That 42 spots.

That leaves 11 that don't necessarily need to conform to a position.
This is why, as someone posted recently, we have a very different roster makeup by position each year.
Most of those positions could hold as many as 2 more guys, and have at times. So the paring down of the last 11 (roughly) out of the last 20 or so, is not just about competition at your position but also about the excess talent at other positions.

Re: Patriot ST players for 2012
 

If you move to a NEED's roster of only 42, then I would say that we NEED 3 STers (e.g Slater, White and Coles) for a total of 45. I agree that these 3 could come from any "position".

Re: Patriot ST players for 2012
 

I am considering those part of the 11, since we are discussing positional numbers. They are part of the reason the positional numbers vary.