August 25th Roster Musings

[jmt57]

Albert Breer of the Boston Globe has his roster projections as of 8/31:

Projecting the Week 1 roster - Extra Points - Boston.com

On offense it is the same as most, with the consensus of 2 QB, 5 RB, 6 WR and 3 TE, which includes BJGE and Sam Aiken. On the offensive line Breer keeps LeVoir, Wendell, Ojinnaka, and Larsen as his backups, noting that "George Bussey is out, after the Ojinnaka trade, and Larsen makes it, since he might be a little tougher to sneak on the practice squad than Thomas Welch."

On defense Breer keeps five DL, five OLB (Ninkovich and Woods over Murrell), Alexander over McKenzie as the 4th ILB, five corners and Sergio Brown as a 5th safety. He comments that "Tyrone McKenzie is out and Alexander (who had been running with the first-unit special teams groups before missing the Rams game) is in. Hard to see McKenzie making it, since his game-day value to the team, as it stands now, might be minimal."

 

[jmt57]

One day earlier the Globe's Shalise Manza Young gave her roster projections.

Decisions loom for Patriots - The Boston Globe

She had identical predictions on offense with the exception of the offensive line; SMY has the Pats keeping Bussey, LeVoir, Ojinnaka and Wendell, with Kaczur going on IR; that would mean Ghiaciuc, Larsen, Ohrnberger and Welch will be cut.

On defense she has the Pats keeping 6 DL (Deaderick gets cut); 5 OLB (Ninkovich and Woods over Murrell); 5 ILB (both McKenzie and Alexander stay); and five corners (the list was put together before Bodden went on IR; at the time she predicted Wheatley would be traded.)

 

[jmt57]

The Boston Herald's Karen Guregian's latest roster projections:

How the Patriots 53-man roster projects - BostonHerald.com

On offense she goes with is seeming to be the consensus, five RB and six WR including BJGE and Sam Aiken. Her OL backups include LeVoir, Wendell, Ojinnaka and Larsen; she has Larsen getting the last spot over Welch with Welch headed to the practice squad.

On defense she has the Pats keeping 7 DL, 5 OLB (Ninkovich and Woods over Murrell), 4 ILB (Alexander over McKenzie), 5 corners and 4 safetys.

 

[jmt57]

Jeff Howe of NESN gives his final roster projections following the Giants game:

Final Patriots Roster Predictions: Laurence Maroney's 32 Yards in Preseason Finale Not Enough - New England Patriots - NESN.com

On offense Howe has the Pats going with four RB - with Laurence Maroney not making the team. On the offensive line he includes ten players, but he includes Ojinnaka for a total of 54 players (Howe doesn't say who he thinks he'll replace in week 2); his OL backups are LeVoir, Wendell, Ojinnaka, Bussey and Larsen. I presume he is predicting either Bussey or Larsen will be cut and attempted to be signed to the practice squad in week two.

On the DL Howe has the Pats keeping seven (Deaderick over Love); five OLB (Ninkovich and Woods over Murrell); McKenzie over Alexander as a 4th ILB; five corners and Sergio Brown as a 5th safety.

 

[jmt57]

Somebody named Box_O_Rocks has a roster prediction, along with a great review of the final preseason game.

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...reseason-game-4-impressions-ne-new-jersy.html

Offense: 24
QB: Brady, Hoyer (2)
RB: Maroney, Taylor, Faulk, Morris (4)
TE: Crumpler, Gronkowski, Hernandez (3)
WR: Moss, Welker, Edelman, Tate, Price, Aiken (6)
OT: Light, Vollmer, Kaczur, LeVoir (4)
OL: Connolly, Koppen, Neal, Wendell, Orhnberger (5)

Defense: 26
DL: Wilfork, Wright, Warren, Brace, Pryor, Lewis, Deadrick (7)
OLB: Banta-Cain, Burgess, Murrell, Cunningham, Ninkovich, Woods (6)
ILB: Mayo, Guyton, Spikes, McKenzie (4)
CB: Butler, McCourty, Wilhite, Wheatley, Arrington (5)
S: Meriweather, Chung, Sanders, McGowan (4)

Specialists 3
ST: Gostkowski, Mesko, Ingram

Suspended: Ojinnaka (If NE wants him after his suspension they have the option of releasing Aiken or Ninkovich or Woods to make room.)

Shadow: Alexander, Green-Ellis

PSquad: Bussey, Larsen, Brown, Love, Robinson, Clayton, last man rotation (Ventrone, Welch, Jenkins, Chris Taylor, Fletcher, Newman, Willingham, Williams, Myers, Carson Butler)

 

[jmt57]

Tom Curran of CSNNE has his final roster projection:

Curran: Projecting the Patriots' final 53

At tackle Curran includes LeVoir, Ojinnaka and Welch, noting that one of them will be gone after Ojinnaka's one-game suspension. For the interior line he keeps Ohrnberger over Wendell and Larsen but admits that position is still a tossup.

On defense Curran has Deaderick and Love being practice squad candidates after being cut. At OLB he has Ninkovich and Murrell over Woods and Alexander kept as a 5th ILB, but admits he may be wrong on both Woods and Alexander. Then at safety Curran thinks McGowan may end up on IR, with Sergio Brown taking his place on the roster.

 

[Lansdowne]

I like that little fireplug RB from JESTS Woodhead ... looks like a real hustler and can contribute on ST.

Same here...

Interestingly enough, the Jets cut him loose today. I'd like the Patriots to grab him. Honorary captain for Week 2 perhaps?

 

[Lansdowne]

Same here...

Interestingly enough, the Jets cut him loose today. I'd like the Patriots to grab him. Honorary captain for Week 2 perhaps?

Yay!

Hope he sticks. Love this signing.