90 roster comp - 2017 vs 2018

[maineman209]

Here an article on the 90 roster topic fwiw

New England Patriots roster 2018: Which are the strongest (and weakest) position groups?

Interesting ...

Statement in the article: "Waddle played left tackle in Detroit"

Waddle's snaps in DET:

2013: 496 as starting RT, 43 unspecified
2014: 550 as starting RT
2015: 283 as starting RT, 89 unspecified

 

[micronin127]

I did something similar typing out the 90 man roster, though I did not compare it to last year's training camp roster for composition. That is some next level stuff!

These were my thoughts on a few of the position groups.

QB
Patriots must not have liked these QBs much. They all got overdrafted. Etling started at Purdue before transferring to LSU and starting there. His ceiling would be a career like Brian Hoyer or Matt Cassel. Only 2 INTs as a senior. Extending Brady makes sense.

TE
Allen is overpaid at 4.5 million. Might need that money to extend Gronk.

WR
We have two possible Amendola replacements in Riley McCarron and Braxton Berrios. A whole lot of players here, unclear which ones stick.

OL
Many questions, but we lost Solder and Mason is in his walk year. With quality guards getting $12 million, we need depth here. Lots of these guys are just fodder. Wynn was a great pick.

RB
Gillislee couldn't gain a yard when we needed it. We turned the ball over on 4th and 1 a few times handing him the ball. He couldn't get a yard. Sony Michel is a premium player. He scored 4 TDs, 3 rushing and 1 receiving in the first round of the college football playoff. And against Alabama in the championship game he average 7 yards a carry. Many yards after first contact.

CB
Lost Malcolm Butler and Eric Rowe is in his walk year. Added McCourty, but he is old. Drafted two CBs (Dawson and Crosson), so we'll see.

LB
Not a lot of speed here. Still no answer for TEs and RBs over the middle or on a wheel route.

DT
Restocked. Shelton is good. Alan Branch was a dog last year.

Conclusion
I think that the defense is set for more bend-not-break. The offense should be good again. 12 wins.

 

[long distance]

@ST - gunner

All core ST players were re-signed except Bademosi. He was great at gunner last yr when Slater was out and in other roles as well. Still Patriots keep their two top gunners of last 2 seasons - Slater, J.Jones - and add another potential gunning monster in Patterson (esp. w new rules). C.Hollister is an option there as well, but faces hard competition for roster spot. Ryan Lewis is a sleeper for roster spot and certainly has the measurables of a great gunner (btw don't sleep on him as safety option).

From the new additions Crossen looks like a great potential gunner esp. under new rules if he can somehow make it on 53. A.J.Moore has the speed, size and FS/CB/ST experience to be in the mix as well (and certainly core ST w his LB background) if he breaks the roster which might be out of reach this yr (so possibly for the future if he sticks on PS).

Unfortunately Rowe didn't make enough impact @ST (as projected by some) and possibly gunner. he might have a tougher time making the roster as people expect (being also a solid trade option).

Mac brothers and Gilmore are more than capable to chip in but Id guess they'll be better used elsewhere..

 

[RobertWeathers]

I actually like this year's roster better, I think Michel is an upgrade over Lewis, the DE and DR positions look better, WR position is about the same as last year just different names, O-line maybe better if someone can play LT, and everything else is about the same.

Michel is a more physically talented player than Lewis and if he can match Lewis's production this year (~900 yds 5.0ypc) itll be a major coup.

What will be interesting to see is if Michel gets more than the 35% of the snaps than Dion did last year.

My money is he will.

 

[maineman209]

@ST - gunner

All core ST players were re-signed except Bademosi. He was great at gunner last yr when Slater was out and in other roles as well. Still Patriots keep their two top gunners of last 2 seasons - Slater, J.Jones - and add another potential gunning monster in Patterson (esp. w new rules). C.Hollister is an option there as well, but faces hard competition for roster spot. Ryan Lewis is a sleeper for roster spot and certainly has the measurables of a great gunner (btw don't sleep on him as safety option).

From the new additions Crossen looks like a great potential gunner esp. under new rules if he can somehow make it on 53. A.J.Moore has the speed, size and FS/CB/ST experience to be in the mix as well (and certainly core ST w his LB background) if he breaks the roster which might be out of reach this yr (so possibly for the future if he sticks on PS).

Unfortunately Rowe didn't make enough impact @ST (as projected by some) and possibly gunner. he might have a tougher time making the roster as people expect (being also a solid trade option).

Mac brothers and Gilmore are more than capable to chip in but Id guess they'll be better used elsewhere..

ST contributions might also be taken into consideration wrt LBs. Roberts has contributed only 73 total ST snaps in two seasons. Even Van Noy has more ST snaps.

Of course, that's not to say that Roberts is necessarily incapable of contributing on ST. It's also possible that the roles he may be able to fill on ST were already well-staffed. Langi, for example, was available for five games before he was injured in the car wreck. However, he was only active for week-2 @NOL (played 6 D-snaps and 12 ST snaps when both Slater and Ebner were out and Grissom was still on the Psquad) - so not even activated for an ST role over anyone else.

 

[mgteich]

The competition looks to be the strongest at the position than we’ve seen in a very long time, at least in the BB era. It may actually be the strongest competition at WR that we’ve ever seen.

If he can return punts, even a guy like Berrios has something of a shot. There will be quality journeymen WRs who won’t make the cut this year. I think the position is wide open.

We shouldn't confuse competition with quality. If one looks at the stats, 2 WR's have almost all the receptions during the year, especially when we have a pass-catching TE and a RB's who are receivers.

Edelman, Hogan and whoever plays the slot with Gronk isn't the best that we've had.

Make no mistake, it is great to have so many to choose from (and to pick up a 6th or 2 from those that we cut).

 

[mgteich]

Roberts isn't the last LB who must be a STer.

He is a role player. His role is our run stuffing 3rd LB, when we are in a run prevent set.
IMO, guys like Langi can't take this role. Sure, if it close between Roberts and a competition, ST play will count, as will length of contract. However, I'm OK with Roberts in that limited role, while I'm fine with someone beating him out for this position. Finally, Roberts is not the reason that our run defense failed. We will be helped by having more beef (and quality) in the DL as well as by having Hightower back.

ST contributions might also be taken into consideration wrt LBs. Roberts has contributed only 73 total ST snaps in two seasons. Even Van Noy has more ST snaps.

Of course, that's not to say that Roberts is necessarily incapable of contributing on ST. It's also possible that the roles he may be able to fill on ST were already well-staffed. Langi, for example, was available for five games before he was injured in the car wreck. However, he was only active for week-2 @NOL (played 6 D-snaps and 12 ST snaps when both Slater and Ebner were out and Grissom was still on the Psquad) - so not even activated for an ST role over anyone else.

 

[mgteich]

I suspect that Patterson replaces Bademosi as the #2 gunner.

@ST - gunner

All core ST players were re-signed except Bademosi. He was great at gunner last yr when Slater was out and in other roles as well. Still Patriots keep their two top gunners of last 2 seasons - Slater, J.Jones - and add another potential gunning monster in Patterson (esp. w new rules). C.Hollister is an option there as well, but faces hard competition for roster spot. Ryan Lewis is a sleeper for roster spot and certainly has the measurables of a great gunner (btw don't sleep on him as safety option).

From the new additions Crossen looks like a great potential gunner esp. under new rules if he can somehow make it on 53. A.J.Moore has the speed, size and FS/CB/ST experience to be in the mix as well (and certainly core ST w his LB background) if he breaks the roster which might be out of reach this yr (so possibly for the future if he sticks on PS).

Unfortunately Rowe didn't make enough impact @ST (as projected by some) and possibly gunner. he might have a tougher time making the roster as people expect (being also a solid trade option).

Mac brothers and Gilmore are more than capable to chip in but Id guess they'll be better used elsewhere..

 

[mcmurtry86]

Another year hoping Gronk and Hightower stay healthy. They'll need both near 100% all year if they want to repeat as AFC Champs. There's no depth behind either guy.