Branch or Stallworth

[MoLewisrocks]

While tonight was only one night, and Price apparently doesn't agree with my take, nothing I saw from Stallworth convinced me that he's got a spot over Branch.

Also, and again noting that it was just one night....

Mallet sucked
Gallery moves like an old man when resting and seems to gear up for his moments of play
Koppen is still not confident in his leg
Dowling was being more physical than I'd read of him prior to tonight
Brady wasn't particularly sharp
Jones has a long way to go
Solder still needs to work on his upper body
Vereen seems hesitant
Ripley doesn't
The offensive players have a huge edge over the defensive players, even outside of QB
I had Edelman as a favorite to make the team coming into tonight, but have said that he could still be cut. I still hold to that, but I think he's probably 95% safe.

That seems like a pretty good start. If anything else comes to mind, I'll add it on.

LOL Seems you are among the few who isn't tempering their assessment of QB3 on the heels of Kirwin's skewed lone camp report... The locals all put in a call to Dr. Melky at Boston Laser this week inquiring about the Mayo discount...

 

[InRodWeRust]

Ugh! Why can't we have THIS kind of depth issue for the secondary?

 

[BradyManny]

While tonight was only one night, and Price apparently doesn't agree with my take, nothing I saw from Stallworth convinced me that he's got a spot over Branch.

Also, and again noting that it was just one night....

Mallet sucked
Gallery moves like an old man when resting and seems to gear up for his moments of play
Koppen is still not confident in his leg
Dowling was being more physical than I'd read of him prior to tonight
Brady wasn't particularly sharp
Jones has a long way to go
Solder still needs to work on his upper body
Vereen seems hesitant
Ripley doesn't
The offensive players have a huge edge over the defensive players, even outside of QB
I had Edelman as a favorite to make the team coming into tonight, but have said that he could still be cut. I still hold to that, but I think he's probably 95% safe.

That seems like a pretty good start. If anything else comes to mind, I'll add it on.

I was there on Tuesday, I thought Mallet looked good....in drills. He's a good thrower. Not sure about his other QB skills yet.

Brady was pretty sharp on Tuesday. Him throwing to Hernandez, Lloyd or Welker is almost 100% completion. Gaffney isn't far behind. Gronk isn't Gronk yet.

Branch sat out most of Tuesday, and I thought Stallworth did look good. He also had a couple nice catches in drills.

I thought Jones looked good.

Agree about Vereen, he had an awful day Tuesday, too.

 

[patchick]

Ugh! Why can't we have THIS kind of depth issue for the secondary?

Maybe because the entire league is hurting for DBs now that you need so many of them, and they're overpaid and overdrafted? (In fact, the board goes ballistic over the Pats "reaching" for db's in the draft every year.)

 

[Kontradiction]

I think at this point, you would have to go with Branch. Brady has praised Stallworth's ability to make things happen after the catch in the past, and Stallworth is still the faster of the two receivers. But in this system, you need to have a mind lock with the quarterback. The two players that define that most are Welker and Branch. When the chips are down, Brady is looking to either one of those two. On top of that, when healthy (which he wasn't down the stretch in 2011), Branch is still able to get separation. With the receiving corps we have now, he could cause a lot of headaches lining up in the slot. In the end, you keep the receiver that Brady is the most familiar with.

 

[patfanken]

Branch can run any route on the tree, and in uptempo or hurry up... Now, he may not be an ideal choice at any position, but his versatility and command of the offense and that thing that fans lose sight of that still impresses coaches, doing all the little things right that help the rest of the offense do their job, carries some weight around here (Gillette, not patsfans.com...). Branch has been seeing as much time on ST as Stallworth this camp. Among the WR's only Lloyd and Gaffney haven't. I don't think his skills are diminishing so much as he wore down over the course of last season as a pretty much full time starter. The beauty of having him on the roster this season is he is truly a plug and play WR in this offense, someone who can come off the bench and not be rusty or shaky. Not so sure Stallworth in a similar situation won't be both.

Now we come to the crux of our disagreement with Branch....your assertion that he's a "plug and play" WR at all positions. If that were true, I'd vastly upgrade his chances to make the roster and his value to the team as a back up WR.....IF THAT WERE TRUE.

I simply don't think so. I don't think Branch as ever played a significant number of snaps at the slot position, and certainly almost none since he returned from his exile in Seattle. He's always been a charter member of the Torry Holt "catch and duck" club, and rightfully so, given his size and body type. Clearly he's not meant to be in the slot.

Mo, I'm not in love with Stallworth necessarily. It seems he drops too many passes (at least as its been reported) But he does offer a skill set that Branch doesn't and he is a realistic option on special teams (please, Mo, Branch hasn't played special teams in 10 years, do you REALLY think that that's going to change in year 11?)

Don't get me wrong. I'd LIKE Branch to be the one who makes it, I just don't see it.

 

[Nehalem]

I would pick Stallworth over Branch.

I do not think that Branch is likely to make a contribution absent and injury to one of the starters. And in that case it is highly unlikely that Branch would be picked up by another team if cut, and so would easily be available from the shadow roster.

 

[Kontradiction]

I would pick Stallworth over Branch.

I do not think that Branch is likely to make a contribution absent and injury to one of the starters. And in that case it is highly unlikely that Branch would be picked up by another team if cut, and so would easily be available from the shadow roster.

Pretty much everything about this post is wrong. What makes you think that Stallworth will make any more contributions than Branch will?

 

[Nehalem]

Pretty much everything about this post is wrong. What makes you think that Stallworth will make any more contributions than Branch will?

He has been showing field kickoffs, so could have a bigger impact on special teams.

His ability as a deep threat suggests he could step in on a few select plays/game in that role and have an impact.

If he were cut I believe it is more likely he would be picked up by another team than Branch. So if an injury occurred he would not be available on the shadow roster.

 

[VOODOOZF]

I don't get all the love for Dante Stallworth. In th last three seasons he was recorded just 22,2 and 17 catches. That doesn't include the year he was suspended from the NFL. Even his season in New England was solid, but far from spectacular. He caught 46 balls on the most prolific offense in the history of the NFL, but was outplayed by Jabbar Gaffney.

In his last three seasons he has failed to make a mark in Washington, BLT and Clevland. All three of those teams could have used an impact WR. Stallworth just wasn't one. Also, this is going to be his 10th year in the league. He isn't getting any younger and may have lost a step.

 

[Kontradiction]

His ability as a deep threat suggests he could step in on a few select plays/game in that role and have an impact.

Branch averaged 13.8 YPC during the season while Stallworth averaged 14. It doesn't make sense to state that Stallworth has separated himself from Branch in that regard.

 

[Kontradiction]

I don't get all the love for Dante Stallworth. In th last three seasons he was recorded just 22,2 and 17 catches. That doesn't include the year he was suspended from the NFL. Even his season in New England was solid, but far from spectacular. He caught 46 balls on the most prolific offense in the history of the NFL, but was outplayed by Jabbar Gaffney.

In his last three seasons he has failed to make a mark in Washington, BLT and Clevland. All three of those teams could have used an impact WR. Stallworth just wasn't one. Also, this is going to be his 10th year in the league. He isn't getting any younger and may have lost a step.

His quickness is making some people forget just how reliable of a receiver and teammate Branch has been and will continue to be.

 

[Patjew]

We bought tickets and flew to Dallas (From San Fran where we spent most of our time) to see that game on our honeymoon. What can I say- I'm a very lucky man! I remember that play vividly. Once it happened the locals shut up considerably from then on.

I voted Stallworth. Branch is (was) great, but it's got to be about this year not 7, 8 years ago.

I also went to that game from Hong Kong (where I was living at the time). Great time.

 

[Haley]

To me, it is Branch's job to lose. This gives him the edge. Stallworth will have to prove definitively that he is an upgrade. With all things fairly even, I'd give the job to Branch.

 

[Nehalem]

Branch averaged 13.8 YPC during the season while Stallworth averaged 14. It doesn't make sense to state that Stallworth has separated himself from Branch in that regard.

But look at every game after the bye week for branch

Deion Branch: Game Logs at NFL.com

Does not exactly fill you with hope for him being a deep threat.

Now maybe that is because of injuries, and with a reduced role he could be a useful player, but still.

 

[mgteich]

IMHO, we are choosing the inactive WR. Clearly, Welker, Lloyd and Gaffney would be active. Special teamers Edelman and Slater would active.
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I agree that Edelman, Stallworth, and Branch are the backups to Welker, Lloyd and Gaffney, in that order.
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An injury or retirement could make the decision easy.
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I'm not sure that we want to keep Branch or Stallworth just to have them be a unhappy inactive veteran.

 

[patchick]

But look at every game after the bye week for branch

Deion Branch: Game Logs at NFL.com

Does not exactly fill you with hope for him being a deep threat.

Now maybe that is because of injuries, and with a reduced role he could be a useful player, but still.

There's no question that Branch was injured and lost about 4 steps after the bye last year. The fact that he could be ANY factor given how slow he looked after the injury was quite a tribute to veteran savvy.

Personally, I'm just thrilled that we're arguing about Branch v. Stallworth for WR4 instead of counting on 1/2 of Branch for WR2.

 

[Kontradiction]

But look at every game after the bye week for branch

Deion Branch: Game Logs at NFL.com

Does not exactly fill you with hope for him being a deep threat.

Now maybe that is because of injuries, and with a reduced role he could be a useful player, but still.

It was definitely because of injuries. As for Branch, we don't need him to be a deep threat. That's why we went out and snagged Lloyd and Gaffney for. Branch just needs to be Branch. His familiarity with Brady and the offense as well as his ability to still get open underneath and make plays in the open field will be the reason why he'll still be on the team and Stallworth will be looking for work somewhere.

 

[Deus Irae]

LOL Seems you are among the few who isn't tempering their assessment of QB3 on the heels of Kirwin's skewed lone camp report... The locals all put in a call to Dr. Melky at Boston Laser this week inquiring about the Mayo discount...

Well, as I said, I was just posting about one night. Then again, so was Kirwan.

For what it's worth, Reiss saw at least some of what I saw:

Tough day at the office. Ryan Mallett. The second-year quarterback looked antsy in the pocket at times and threw a killer interception in red-zone drills in which there was no receiver close by. Linebacker Bobby Carpenter came up with the pick. Mallett was also intercepted earlier in practice by Arrington near the goal line on a pass intended for receiver Jabar Gaffney.

Bed check: Wrapping up Day 7 - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Reiss didn't mention anything about Mallett on his reads. I thought he was slow in that aspect of his play, as well. As a matter of fact, I took a page out of the Jets fan handbook at one point, yelling "Throw it!" on one play where it took him forever to find a receiver to throw to (the throw was a bad one when he finally made it).

 

[Deus Irae]

Just a random observation:

I wish I'd been able to take the sort of "penalty lap" the Patriots players get to take. It's really just going up to the opposite goalpost and back.