Caldwell cut

[Seymour93]

Moss is in full pads today and ready to go. Moss, Stallworth and Welker will be starting.

Normally the slot WR doesn't start the game. And I'm not sure if BB would throw Moss into one of the two starting spots with him not taking a snap in preseason.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I'm very disappointed by this move. Reche has made great progress as a player. I really feel this was a mistake, and lessens the character of the team in a way. Reche was a real character, try hard guy. I truly wish him the best. Maybe Tennessee will pick him up. He kicked their @$$ last season.

This is silly, as are DI's comments. First off, you know next to nothing about Caldwell other than some complimentary snipets about how hard he tried last season. He had to try that hard because he has a low ceiling. And Tom and Bill had to be as positive as they could be about him because he was all they had to work with.

SD let him walk because while he can make some plays, he will consistently miss some others, often the simplest ones at the most inoppertune time. What matters most to smart coaches in this league is positive consistency. Does you no good to draw up the best scheme of the week if you can't really bank on your players executing consistently well.

He might have been fine here as a 3rd or 4th WR. But there are guys available to do that job either a lot more consistently or a lot more cost effectively. Gaffney had his chance to shine when Stallworth went lame. He did. Caldwell got his shot to shine when Randy came up lame. He didn't. Maybe he felt as some here did that he'd earned a spot based on last season's performance. That has never been the way it works here. You earn consideration, nothing more. And had Moss and Stallworth not come up gimpy I guess the complaint would be Reche didn't get a fair shot to make the roster. It is what it is, just like he is what he is. Not a bust necessarily, but certainly not the player SD thought he was when they drafted him in the second round.

He'll catch on somewhere for this season. Whether he's around much longer will depend on what he can do with that opportunity. I doubt he'll do as much as he did here, and that was simply not enough to warrant retaining him ahead of guys who appear to have a higher ceiling and substantially lower cost.

 

[patsox23]

I gave my reasons, and they are more than sufficient in my mind. I really don't care if you find them lacking, particularly given your behavior on this site this weekend.

I posted a perfectly reasoned, tempered and grounded argument - there is no need to get pissy with me. I apologize if my "behavior" this weekend has offended. It's very hot here in Los Angeles, which makes suffering fools gladly nigh on impossible. But look, I'm managing!

 

[Nordy]

Normally the slot WR doesn't start the game. And I'm not sure if BB would throw Moss into one of the two starting spots with him not taking a snap in preseason.

I think Welker will be starting alongside Moss and Stallworth, with Watson at TE and Maroney in the backfield. You're kidding yourself if you don't think Moss can step in and start.

 

[Deus Irae]

I posted a perfectly reasoned, tempered and grounded argument - there is no need to get pissy with me. I apologize if my "behavior" this weekend has offended. It's very hot here in Los Angeles, which makes suffering fools gladly nigh on impossible. But look, I'm managing!

You're fast approaching lunatic status on this topic, Deus. Really.

That's some solid reportage. I stand corrected.

Was this crap reasoned, tempered or grounded?

As for suffering fools, given your idiotic posting on the Smerlas thread, the notion of you calling others fools is, to be kind, out of place.

 

[patfanken]

I preface my comments by saying I haven't read all 10 pages, so I doubt I added anything new. I just want to say that its surprising to me. However what even more surprising is that, if they decided to drop him, that they couldn't get some kind of draft pick for him. I think he's worth a 5th or a 6th at worst. Just to release him seems so much like a waste of control.

That being said, what it means to me is that the either Brown or Jackson is closer to coming back than we thought. One of them is sure to be back after the 6th game. Personally I think it will be Brown, since I think Jackson will be better off in the long run if he takes the full year to recover.

BTW- Thanks Reche, you filled in admirably/

 

[patsox23]

Was this crap reasoned, tempered or grounded?

As for suffering fools, given your idiotic posting on the Smerlas thread, the notion of you calling others fools is, to be kind, out of place.

I was referring to the direct question I had just asked you. I'm trying to defuse this situation. Maybe we both can, okay?

I've started a new thread about the possibility of Moss starting this weekend. That seems like a positive, interesting direction this thread had been heading into. Care to join us?

 

[jefmblrd]

I'm sorry to see Caldwell go and hope he catches on with someone very quickly. I didn't care for him too much when the Pats signed him, but he played hard and came back strong after he took that wicked hit last year. (I don't recall the game).After that I had a lot of respect for him.

I wonder if cutting him-as opposed to Gaffney or Washington-gives the Patriots more cap relief?

 

[tombonneau]

I posted a perfectly reasoned, tempered and grounded argument - there is no need to get pissy with me. I apologize if my "behavior" this weekend has offended. It's very hot here in Los Angeles, which makes suffering fools gladly nigh on impossible. But look, I'm managing!

Tell me about it. 5+ days straight of 110 degree heat in the valley! It's too hot to even sit in the pool.

 

[patsox23]

Tell me about it. 5+ days straight of 110 degree heat in the valley! It's too hot to even sit in the pool.

I'm lucky enough to be over on the West Side. Still, my studio is OUTRAGEOUSLY hot, always has been, but it's never quite worth A.C. b/c it's ordinarily bearable, outside of a week or so each year. The last couple of weeks have been F-ing infuriating.

Honestly, I DO feel like there's been a lot of stupid and a lot of disagreement this weekend, and I take responsibility for my words and snarkiness. Some of it I think was earned and warranted by their targets, and others were not. ALL of it, though, was fueled and taken to a new level - which is NOT to excuse it - by what is just unREAL f-ing heat. It makes me angry just sitting here in it with nothing stoking it what-soever. NOT my best weekend, though, keeping-it-together-wise.

 

[RayClay]

When you tell a player you're keeping him, you don't turn around and kill his opportunity to make money by dumping him after all the cuts have been made. It's bush league.

When you know a guy's washed up and he's been a good teammate, sometimes you cut him early.

You don't cut a guy in TC and find you might need him later.

Obviously, they went to the wire at receiver and Reche would have made it had Moss, Stallworth or Gaffney been injured. They were apparently trying to trade him or Washington too.

Hello....we're trying to win a Super Bowl here.

 

[Deus Irae]

When you know a guy's washed up and he's been a good teammate, sometimes you cut him early.

You don't cut a guy in TC and find you might need him later.

Obviously, they went to the wire at receiver and Reche would have made it had Moss, Stallworth or Gaffney been injured. They were apparently trying to trade him or Washington too.

Hello....we're trying to win a Super Bowl here.

Are you going to tell me that this team's Super Bowl hopes ride on the team's #4/5/6/7 receiver? Because that's what Gaffney, Washington, Brown and Jackson were, in whatever order.


Caldwell was due to make over $1.5 million, as I recall. Now the pool of possible suitors is limited by salary cap and roster number issues and he'll have more difficulty trying to recoup that lost salary. Just because you and I aren't the ones out over a million bucks doesn't make it right.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

I preface my comments by saying I haven't read all 10 pages, so I doubt I added anything new. I just want to say that its surprising to me. However what even more surprising is that, if they decided to drop him, that they couldn't get some kind of draft pick for him. I think he's worth a 5th or a 6th at worst. Just to release him seems so much like a waste of control.

That being said, what it means to me is that the either Brown or Jackson is closer to coming back than we thought. One of them is sure to be back after the 6th game. Personally I think it will be Brown, since I think Jackson will be better off in the long run if he takes the full year to recover.

BTW- Thanks Reche, you filled in admirably/

I also liked Reche but as I mentioned earlier in the thread, I don't see a spot for him on the 45 man roster, especially if/when Brown returns so I'd rather see him cut than watching the games from the sidelines or at home every week.

As for not getting a draft pick, I'd think it's safe to say that every single team released one or more players that their fans think were worth draft picks. But not even the Jaguars got anything for Byron Leftwitch.

Think of it this way. With so many players now suddenly available at every position, is a guy like Caldwell so much better than anyone else that he's worth a draft pick to a team?

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Are you going to tell me that this team's Super Bowl hopes ride on the team's #4/5/6/7 receiver? Because that's what Gaffney, Washington, Brown and Jackson were, in whatever order.


Caldwell was due to make over $1.5 million, as I recall. Now the pool of possible suitors is limited by salary cap and roster number issues and he'll have more difficulty trying to recoup that lost salary. Just because you and I aren't the ones out over a million bucks doesn't make it right.

Well, if we had cut Randall Gay back in 2004 because our Super Bowl hopes weren't riding on our #4 CB, then Troy Brown would have been our #2 corner instead of playing the slot the second half of the season.

Deus, I posed the question earlier in the thread. Can you find room on the 45 man gameday roster for Caldwell if everyone is healthy? Then consider Brown coming back after Week 6 and answer that question again.

I like Caldwell as well but after thinking about it a bit, I'd much rather see him at least have a shot with another team rather than waiting around here for someone to get injured so he can see the field.

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

I'm lucky enough to be over on the West Side. Still, my studio is OUTRAGEOUSLY hot, always has been, but it's never quite worth A.C. b/c it's ordinarily bearable, outside of a week or so each year. The last couple of weeks have been F-ing infuriating.

Honestly, I DO feel like there's been a lot of stupid and a lot of disagreement this weekend, and I take responsibility for my words and snarkiness. Some of it I think was earned and warranted by their targets, and others were not. ALL of it, though, was fueled and taken to a new level - which is NOT to excuse it - by what is just unREAL f-ing heat. It makes me angry just sitting here in it with nothing stoking it what-soever. NOT my best weekend, though, keeping-it-together-wise.

So if I told you to "cool it", the irony may be lost on you at this point?

 

[patsox23]

So if I told you to "cool it", the irony may be lost on you at this point?

EXACTLY. That's why guys had such a difficult time arguing with me yesterday - that and that whole "their baseless arguments" thing - irony was completely lost on me and any shot at "cooling off" went, quite literally out the window.

 

[Deus Irae]

Well, if we had cut Randall Gay back in 2004 because our Super Bowl hopes weren't riding on our #4 CB, then Troy Brown would have been our #2 corner instead of playing the slot the second half of the season.

Deus, I posed the question earlier in the thread. Can you find room on the 45 man gameday roster for Caldwell if everyone is healthy? Then consider Brown coming back after Week 6 and answer that question again.

I like Caldwell as well but after thinking about it a bit, I'd much rather see him at least have a shot with another team rather than waiting around here for someone to get injured so he can see the field.

Whether he can get 'room' or not is not the issue in my mind. Whether he can recoup his financial losses is. Sadly, people who post on message forums often overlook the 'job' aspect of sports. Imagine if there were only about 30 companies who pay people to do the job you do. Imagine if every year there was a hiring fair. Imagine you were the company's #1 salesman the year before and your company didn't fire you until after the job fair.

Are you really going to try telling me that you'd be saying to your friends "They just want to win the 'widget battle', so don't blame them for waiting until most of my job prospects have dried up. After all, it's probable that I'd have been doing most of my work in the office instead of sales because they hired some new people."?

 

[KoolAidDrinker]

I don't think this is about one or two key drops last year. This is just another tough cut at this point in time, nothing more. I think that the reason Reche is gone is because the Pats felt that RIGHT NOW this was the correct move for the team.

I also think that Tom Brady has a lot of people who can catch the ball now that Randy and Dante are healthy and all of the tight ends are getting close.

I thought Gafney came on very strong last season and has continued to look good. It would appear that Washington is the better bang for the buck than Reche also.

Not that big a shock as several posters here thought he wouldn't make the cut if they went with five wide.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Whether he can get 'room' or not is not the issue in my mind. Whether he can recoup his financial losses is. Sadly, people who post on message forums often overlook the 'job' aspect of sports. Imagine if there were only about 30 companies who pay people to do the job you do. Imagine if every year there was a hiring fair. Imagine you were the company's #1 salesman the year before and your company didn't fire you until after the job fair.

Are you really going to try telling me that you'd be saying to your friends "They just want to win the 'widget battle', so don't blame them for waiting until most of my job prospects have dried up. After all, it's probable that I'd have been doing most of my work in the office instead of sales because they hired some new people."?

If Reche was scheduled to make $5-6 million dollars this season, I could side with your argument on lost earnings. However, with the years Caldwell has in the league, he'll still get $750,000 if he signs somewhere and I'm sure he will.

Also keep in mind that it's been several months since I remember a free agent getting signed for much more than the minimum, if at all. So IMO even if we had cut Caldwell BEFORE training camp, I highly doubt he would be getting the money he was due to earn here.

Again, I don't think the timing of this move will critically affect what he earns this year vs. what he could have made had we let him go much sooner.

Because of that, I think the timing of this cut was neccesary to make sure we were healthy. Like some of said, it'd be bad if we let him go early as a courtesy just to find out Moss and Gaffney can't play for four or five weeks.

 

[Deus Irae]

If Reche was scheduled to make $5-6 million dollars this season, I could side with your argument on lost earnings. However, with the years Caldwell has in the league, he'll still get $750,000 if he signs somewhere and I'm sure he will.

Also keep in mind that it's been several months since I remember a free agent getting signed for much more than the minimum, if at all. So IMO even if we had cut Caldwell BEFORE training camp, I highly doubt he would be getting the money he was due to earn here.

Again, I don't think the timing of this move will critically affect what he earns this year vs. what he could have made had we let him go much sooner.

Because of that, I think the timing of this cut was neccesary to make sure we were healthy. Like some of said, it'd be bad if we let him go early as a courtesy just to find out Moss and Gaffney can't play for four or five weeks.

Sorry, I'm not buying it.