Final Decisions - Probably Already Made

[Joker]

jeezus...you may as well try Napalmolive......see ya ,hon...I'm off to Dr. Corleone's for some "ear acupunture"....what's that? take the connollis???...

 

[supafly]

jeezus...you may as well try Napalmolive......see ya ,hon...I'm off to Dr. Corleone's for some "ear acupunture"....what's that? take the connollis???...

From what I understand, they slap a little staple in your earlobe somewhere. It isn't noticable at all, so it must be pretty small.

My father in law had it done and immediately quit smoking. I think it's supposedly due to some crazy pressure points or something. I haven't looked too deeply into it.

 

[Joker]

use the Joe Kerr "Tough Guy" method...just stop...you get real pi$$ed off for about a week...use an empty Bic pen for a surrogate to soothe the oral fixation...once you're two weeks clean you got it beat, except for triggers like drinking alcohol...so dry out at the same time. The "Tough Guy" method really works and I've had many friends do it and finally get free of the most highly addictive substance known to man besides blondes...nicotine.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

use the Joe Kerr "Tough Guy" method...just stop...you get real pi$$ed off for about a week...use an empty Bic pen for a surrogate to soothe the oral fixation...once you're two weeks clean you got it beat, except for triggers like drinking alcohol...so dry out at the same time. The "Tough Guy" method really works and I've had many friends do it and finally get free of the most highly addictive substance known to man besides blondes...nicotine.

As a light smoker of mom's and others' OPs just stoping worked for me. The downside was I had to stop nearly a dozen times. But in the end it worked. There are sites on the net that tell you how soon various organs recover their health. Good motivation to know that you do overcome the bad effects over time. I quit in the mid 90s.

 

[micronin127]

Patriots could probably cut down to 48-50 players if they want to be in position to claim players from other teams.

Many teams cut veterans late so as not to guarantee vested vets their base salaries and then try to re-sign same players prior to week 2.

Other teams, cut useful players because of draft status or lack thereof, like Danny Woodhead by the Jets.

We only have 5 offensive linemen that are healthy: Solder, Mankins, Wendell, Svitekm and Vollmer. Two more that are competent when healthy: Connolly and Cannon.

After that, we are a blank canvas, Matt Tennant might not make the cut in Philly, and he was a BC center, probably a smart kid.

I'm not sure that Hooman or Fells have a spot sewed up on the roster after seeing them experiment with Develin at FB. I suppose they could IR Fells with the designation to return like they did with Shiancoe last year.

Beyond Wilfork and Kelly, there's a steep dropoff to Forston though he is a pretty good be to make the team as a former Hurricane and being good friends with Wilfork as well as 3rd best on depth chart. Here is praying that some team with a cheap owner cuts a vested veteran DT over a few million dollars they don't want guaranteed. I also wonder about Richard Seymour. Just a vague curiosity because I don't think he's all washed up and you can't coach 6'6" and 310 pounds. You're born that way.

Cornerback is another position where I feel great about top 4 players at this point: Talib, Dennard (except for possible jail time and league discipline), Arrington, and Ryan. Dowling? Cole? Green? I'd look at the cuts from a team with lots of CBs like the Bengals or the Seahawks.

Regarding Tebow... thought he did fine for a backup in first pre-season game and thought he looked completely inept in the second pre-season game. Brady isn't going to play a single snap against the Giants, and we need someone to play the second half of that scrubfest. I guess we will see what develops, but the Patriots can keep him or not at their own discretion as the last 4-5 spots on the roster and pretty fungible and likely to get churned.

 

[Brady6]

At this juncture of the preseason I have these 47 players on the Patriots (Gronkowski and Armstead are listed but could end up on PUP).

QB (2) Brady, Mallett
RB (4) Ridley, Vereen, Blount, Bolden
WR (6) Amendola, Dobson, Thompkins, Boyce, Edelman, Slater
TE (3) Gronkowski, Ballard, Sudfeld
C (1) Wendell
G (3) Mankins, Cannon, Connolly
T (3) Solder, Vollmer, Svitek
DE (4) Jones, Ninkovich, Benard, Buchanan
DT (4) Wilfork, Kelly, Forston, Armstead
ILB(2) Spikes, Fletcher
OLB(3) Collins, Hightower, Mayo
CB (5) Talib, Dennard, Arrington, Dowling, Ryan
SS (3) Wilson, Gregory, Wilson
FS (2) McCourty, Harmon
ST (2) Gostkowski, Aiken

Total players: 47
Created with Pats Picker: Pats Picker 2013

 

[patsfaninpa]

We can solve this Tebow dilemna with one simple addition to our current mantra. Do your job! And, when you go home just don't shoot anyone!!

 

[RayClay]

Since Armstead is new and hasn't played, I hope they're looking to pick up a cut from some other team at DT. Forston doesn't look very big and the middle of the defense has been gouged late in both games.

 

[RayClay]

I guess Reiss agrees

If there is one area on the Patriots' roster that would be cause for concern for the personnel and coaching staff, it's hard to think anything would top defensive tackle behind Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly. It has looked like a pretty big drop-off after the top two and that's why I wouldn't be surprised if the club signs/claims a big veteran defensive tackle as teams around the NFL trim rosters later this month. Those types of players, as Bill Belichick has noted in the past, can be some of the toughest to find. This is where we're reminded of how the Patriots were planning on first-year player Armond Armstead being a big part of the mix before he landed on the non-football illness list after undergoing surgery for an infection.

I could see one leadpants and Fortson/Armstead. Right now we run the risk of getting gouged up the middle if fatigue or injury hits our top two (who I am very excited about).

 

[mgteich]

1) Dowling is certainly a question mark. He could go to in-season IR. I would exclude him on a 47 man roster.

2) Mesko has won his battle.

I agree with the rest.

At this juncture of the preseason I have these 47 players on the Patriots (Gronkowski and Armstead are listed but could end up on PUP).

QB (2) Brady, Mallett
RB (4) Ridley, Vereen, Blount, Bolden
WR (6) Amendola, Dobson, Thompkins, Boyce, Edelman, Slater
TE (3) Gronkowski, Ballard, Sudfeld
C (1) Wendell
G (3) Mankins, Cannon, Connolly
T (3) Solder, Vollmer, Svitek
DE (4) Jones, Ninkovich, Benard, Buchanan
DT (4) Wilfork, Kelly, Forston, Armstead
ILB(2) Spikes, Fletcher
OLB(3) Collins, Hightower, Mayo
CB (5) Talib, Dennard, Arrington, Dowling, Ryan
SS (3) Wilson, Gregory, Wilson
FS (2) McCourty, Harmon
ST (2) Gostkowski, Aiken

Total players: 47
Created with Pats Picker: Pats Picker 2013

 

[BTTA]

Tebow is making this team. This will be the only time in a while that Kraft will interfere with BB. They will cut Bolden and let Tebow in. The Krafts feels he needs 'good' people in his team and considering some circumstances this off-season, I can understand why.

Where is the evidence that Tebow is a more of "good people" than is Bolden? What do you know of Bolden that would have you say this?

In fact, where is the evidence that Tebow is seen as a leader in pro football? He'd be the first pro football leader in history who is, at best, mediocre at his position, and probably won't make a roster based on his ability to play. I don't recall Jets players rising up in support of him during his tenure there.

And finally, pro football teams don't put players on the field in real games in roles they haven't proven themselves in. That may happen in high school, and a little bit in college, but no pro team is going to put Tebow in as a TE, RB, or on ST when there are dozens of other players who have proven themselves in those roles and would be available. To do this would be to reduce your chance of success on the play, which would be to reduce your chance of winning the game, which would be to abandon your primary responsibility to the players: do whatever you can to help them win the game.

 

[reflexblue]

Just cut him. They don't owe him anything.

I agree, hes been given a fair shot to make the team, hes no longer NFL QB material. Its time to move on.

 

[reflexblue]

Tebow is making this team. This will be the only time in a while that Kraft will interfere with BB. They will cut Bolden and let Tebow in. The Krafts feels he needs 'good' people in his team and considering some circumstances this off-season, I can understand why.

The FO is trying to build a SB team, not collect "good guys". The fans don't pay to watch 'good guys" they pay to watch the team win games and hopefully the SB.

 

[Brady6]

1) Dowling is certainly a question mark. He could go to in-season IR. I would exclude him on a 47 man roster.

Probably right; but I expect him to remain with the team in some capacity, given that we cannot save any money releasing him I would sooner IR him than risk him landing with a rival and all of a sudden putting it together, Jets, Dolphins and Bills all could use a CB.

 

[mgteich]

We don't keep players who aren't good enough on the roster to prevent him from going to another team.

Probably right; but I expect him to remain with the team in some capacity, given that we cannot save any money releasing him I would sooner IR him than risk him landing with a rival and all of a sudden putting it together, Jets, Dolphins and Bills all could use a CB.

 

[Brady6]

We don't keep players who aren't good enough on the roster to prevent him from going to another team.

That is a very certain statement to make my friend, I hope you have Belichick or Kraft on record to verify it otherwise I’m not sure I would make the bold of an assumption of what this team does to prevent other teams from gathering talent, I would have to believe there is some level of strategy that goes into team building other than he is good keep him, he is bad cut him. That seems very simple and I do not consider Belichick to be a simple man.

But for the record you would also keep Dowling on IR because you own his rights next season to, so why not bring him back and see if you can get something out of him next year.

 

[mgteich]

1) I seen the decisions of Kraft since he bought the team. Kraft cares about his team and doesn't keep players out of fear.

2) With regard to your last paragraph, I am not clear on what you mean. I don't think that Dowling is ready to play. Cole is much more valuable than Dowling as a 5th CB because of his outstanding ST play. The team has to choose whether they have had enough and simply cut him. Alternatively, they can pay him for the season (injury reduced pay) and put him on IR. The last choice is for him to be on the 53 for a day and then put on in-season IR. If the team truly believes that Dowling can be an asset, in-season IR is the way to go.

That is a very certain statement to make my friend, I hope you have Belichick or Kraft on record to verify it otherwise I’m not sure I would make the bold of an assumption of what this team does to prevent other teams from gathering talent, I would have to believe there is some level of strategy that goes into team building other than he is good keep him, he is bad cut him. That seems very simple and I do not consider Belichick to be a simple man.

But for the record you would also keep Dowling on IR because you own his rights next season to, so why not bring him back and see if you can get something out of him next year.

 

[Brady6]

Re: Re: Final Decisions - Probably Already Made

1) I seen the decisions of Kraft since he bought the team. Kraft cares about his team and doesn't keep players out of fear.

Its not fear its a smart decision you own Dowling's rights for 2013 and 2014, there is no incentive to release him from a salary cap perspective why wouldn't you just send him to IR and eliminate any risk of him ending up elsewhere at mid season and potentially contributing?

2) With regard to your last paragraph, I am not clear on what you mean. I don't think that Dowling is ready to play. Cole is much more valuable than Dowling as a 5th CB because of his outstanding ST play. The team has to choose whether they have had enough and simply cut him. Alternatively, they can pay him for the season (injury reduced pay) and put him on IR. The last choice is for him to be on the 53 for a day and then put on in-season IR. If the team truly believes that Dowling can be an asset, in-season IR is the way to go.

My suggestion was he go onto injured reserve if he is not ready to pay, which appears to be exactly what you have also suggested in the second half of this paragraph, so fundamentally speaking it appears we're in agreement and there has been some type of misunderstanding.

 

[mgteich]

If we think that Dowling has any future, we will retain his rights. I don't agree that this is a no-coster. There is some cost this year and next.

Its not fear its a smart decision you own Dowling's rights for 2013 and 2014, there is no incentive to release him from a salary cap perspective why wouldn't you just send him to IR and eliminate any risk of him ending up elsewhere at mid season and potentially contributing?



My suggestion was he go onto injured reserve if he is not ready to pay, which appears to be exactly what you have also suggested in the second half of this paragraph, so fundamentally speaking it appears we're in agreement and there has been some type of misunderstanding.

 

[DocHoliday]

If we think that Dowling has any future, we will retain his rights. I don't agree that this is a no-coster. There is some cost this year and next.

Still costs more to cut him