I like the move from a roster perspective, most seasons 1 or 2 guys from every O line are lost for significant time. Yates had a good camp, so hats off to him. We are lucky to have such depth (plus we have Mruc hiding in the weeds in case of an emergency).
9 Offensive lineman, good balance of positions
- 4 tackles - Light, O'Callahan, Britt, Kaczur (I am getting a little worried about how much we will actually see Kaczur this season, O'Callahan is playing great so his presence is not missed)
- 3 guards - Neal, Mankins, Yates
- 1 guard / center - Hoch
- 1 center - Koppen
Looking at the 53 man roster, we are solid if not good across the board. It is a great spot to be in when emergency depth is the only concern...
LBs - There are some concerns at LB depth behind the starters. If someone went down and there was a real emergency I think they would go with one of the guys they worked out earlier in August; Chris Clairborne, Orlando Ruff(
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2006/08/lb_workouts.html )
CB - Still a little thin, not convinced I want to see Spann as our nickel back. I could see a move to bring in one of the guys they worked out early (Shulters, Carpenter)
The roster is looking good, one could ask for a little more top end talent at WR or some youth at LB but from 1-53 another solid job constructing this team.
Lets kick Buffalo's butt, dominant the Vikings, destoy the Colts, embarass the Bears, get home field and win another super bowl.