I Suspect The Roster Is Almost Set

[patchick]

I think Watson is gone. Why else put him in the 2nd half if he is a roster lock?

By that reasoning, Alex Smith is definitely gone...so you're going with 2 TEs.

Smith was the one running with the scrubs last night, Watson just subbed in for occasional 2 TE sets.

 

[pats1]

Im not guessing at anything. Im assessing. Im guessing that Lenon isnt a good enough player to make this roster. About that I am guessing. Bruschi himself played nothing but end until learning the inside position. Vrabel had only ever played end or OLB before learning to do it on the fly and manning that spot pretty well. You have athletic ability, size, and an ability to learn a new position, all of which I see in Ninko, you can make it work. Youre a 235lb LBer trying to make the roster of a man KNOWN to utilize very large LBs? You better be darned good. And I just havent seen that.

It really doesn't matter "what you see in Ninko;" all that matters is what the coaching staff sees and right now all he has played is Burgess' and TBC's position, and neither of those guys is ILB material.

 

[mgteich]

I agree with your roster and comments.

Personally, I wouldn't think that Nunn has any chance for the roster, except a long shot to replace Edelman. Lewis is a special teamer.

I have...

OFFENSE (25)
QB Brady, Walter, Hoyer
RB Taylor, Maroney, Faulk, Morris
WR Moss, Welker, Galloway, Edelman, Lewis, Aiken
TE Baker, Thomas, Watson
OL Light, Kaczur, O'Callaghan, Wendell, Mankins, Koppen, Neal, Orhnberger, Vollmer

DEFENSE (24)
DL Seymour, Wilfork, Warren, Green, Brace, Wright, Pryor
DE/OLB Burgess, Banta-Cain
OLB Thomas, Woods, Crable
ILB Mayo, Guyton, Lenon
CB Bodden, Wilhite, Springs, Butler, Wheatley
S Meriweather, Sanders, McGowan, Chung

SPECIALISTS (3)
K Gostkowski
P Hanson
LS Ingram

Most likely changes: swap out BJGE for Morris, Britt for O'Callaghan, Connolly for Wendell, Nunn for Lewis, Alexander for Lenon.

Assuming no changes, that leaves one spot for: Ninkovich, Nunn, Alexander, Ventrone or BJGE. (I'm assuming poor Slater's headed to IR.) Nunn has impressed the heck out of me and is a KR option to replace Slater, Ventrone is great on ST coverage, but given the composition of the roster I'm taking Ninkovich.

 

[RussFrancis]

It really doesn't matter "what you see in Ninko;" all that matters is what the coaching staff sees and right now all he has played is Burgess' and TBC's position, and neither of those guys is ILB material.

So, it really doesnt matter, "what I see"?? Yet, you list a full 53 as if that matters?? Cmon, now. We're assessing here and making calculated opinions of what we see happening here based on our experience/knowledge of this team. Opinions here suddenly dont matter? And I appreciate the fact that the guy hasnt been asked to fill that specific role. But had Troy Brown ever been asked to play CB before the season he filled in there, and did a brilliant job doing so I might add? Exactly. We assess. Please dont tell me it doesnt matter.

 

[mgteich]

Belichick would like to trade one of them. This was the last chance to showcase them.

By that reasoning, Alex Smith is definitely gone...so you're going with 2 TEs.

Smith was the one running with the scrubs last night, Watson just subbed in for occasional 2 TE sets.

 

[pats1]

So, it really doesnt matter, "what I see"?? Yet, you list a full 53 as if that matters?? Cmon, now. We're assessing here and making calculated opinions of what we see happening here based on our experience/knowledge of this team. Opinions here suddenly dont matter? And I appreciate the fact that the guy hasnt been asked to fill that specific role. But had Troy Brown ever been asked to play CB before the season he filled in their and did a brilliant job doing so I might add? Exactly. We assess. Please dont tell me it doesnt matter.

It's reasonable to predict a 53 based off what is actually happening on the field. But once you start to guess on position changes, it starts to not make sense. It's like making a 53 based on the prediction that Darryl Richard gets moved to guard because he's a big, strong guy. Just doesn't work...

 

[Lampshade]

By that reasoning, Alex Smith is definitely gone...so you're going with 2 TEs.

Smith was the one running with the scrubs last night, Watson just subbed in for occasional 2 TE sets.

Yep, and there are only 4 TEs on the roster. Someone had to play with the scrubs.

 

[RussFrancis]

It's reasonable to predict a 53 based off what is actually happening on the field. But once you start to guess on position changes, it starts to not make sense. It's like making a 53 based on the prediction that Darryl Richard gets moved to guard because he's a big, strong guy. Just doesn't work...

No. No, its not. Im not moving Ninkovich to TE. Lets not go too over the top here with the criticism of the shifting a guy inside. Its not all that much of an impossibility. Im moving him 1 spot over to an ILB position in a run-stopping 3-4, or in short yardage. I never said the man would be filling that spot in an every down role. I made the case that the guy has the athleticism and natural body type of a Pats ILB that we've utiilized in the past. Again, Vrabel moved to the ILB without ever having played there. It happens.

 

[DaBruinz]

I agree with your roster and comments.

Personally, I wouldn't think that Nunn has any chance for the roster, except a long shot to replace Edelman. Lewis is a special teamer.

Nunn is also a special teamer. And with Slater's injury, there is definitely another slot open.. It will be interesting to see where BB uses that slot.

 

[Patspsycho]

Watson may just end up getting cut. I dont think he will, but we'll soon see. But as for why you play him last night? The man needed the work. He needed to shake some of that rust off before week 1, imo. He needed to get re-acclimated to game speed because he hadnt really seen much action prior to last night.

Going by that logic, we would see Springs or Crable in there because both dressed, and both have seen very little time.

 

[Patspsycho]

Belichick would like to trade one of them. This was the last chance to showcase them.

I don't think you'd be able to trade Smith at 1.5m, I think an outright cut is going to be the case.

 

[RussFrancis]

Going by that logic, we would see Springs or Crable in there because both dressed, and both have seen very little time.

Id have to reason we're actually still protecting those 2 players' injuries. They very likely still need every last day of rest and recovery. Which at this point is a little disconcerting in both cases.

 

[mgteich]

Please list the special teams unit where Nunn plays. If he is to make as a special teams player, I have Alexander/Lenon, Ventrone and Ciurciu ahead of him for the last special team spot, if there even is one.

Besides #53 is likely to come from another team.

Nunn is also a special teamer. And with Slater's injury, there is definitely another slot open.. It will be interesting to see where BB uses that slot.

 

[Patspsycho]

Please list the special teams unit where Nunn plays. If he is to make as a special teams player, I have Alexander/Lenon, Ventrone and Ciurciu ahead of him for the last special team spot, if there even is one.

Besides #53 is likely to come from another team.

punt return

 

[mgteich]

Then why haven't we cut Smith? Perhaps other teams are interested, perhaps not. Or, prehaps we're planning to keep Smith as our #3 and with Watson being traded.

I don't think you'd be able to trade Smith at 1.5m, I think an outright cut is going to be the case.

 

[JSn]

punt return

Yeah, I think Nunn can replace some of what Slater was doing (might take a few weeks to learn) and his potential vs. a one-year stop-gap in Galloway... I'd take Nunn at this point.

 

[mgteich]

As I said, Nunn is this year's 4th quarter and 4th game binky. Personally, I think it is delusional to think that Nunn would contribute as much this year as Galloway. He is this year's Childress.

As far as Slater, his punt return skills were always irrelevant. If someone is to replace Slater (who many thought wasn't making it anyway), it would be a special teams defensive player and/or blocker like Alexander/Lenon, Ventrone and Ciurciu.

 

[BradyFTW!]

No. No, its not. Im not moving Ninkovich to TE. Lets not go too over the top here with the criticism of the shifting a guy inside. Its not all that much of an impossibility. Im moving him 1 spot over to an ILB position in a run-stopping 3-4, or in short yardage. I never said the man would be filling that spot in an every down role. I made the case that the guy has the athleticism and natural body type of a Pats ILB that we've utiilized in the past. Again, Vrabel moved to the ILB without ever having played there. It happens.

Guys who can play both ILB and OLB are rare- Adalius and Vrabel come to mind, but they're definitely not the rule. They're two different positions, and assuming that a guy can make the shift is never a good idea.

 

[BradyFTW!]

As I said, Nunn is this year's 4th quarter and 4th game binky. Personally, I think it is delusional to think that Nunn would contribute as much this year as Galloway. He is this year's Childress.

As far as Slater, his punt return skills were always irrelevant. If someone is to replace Slater (who many thought wasn't making it anyway), it would be a special teams defensive player and/or blocker like Alexander/Lenon, Ventrone and Ciurciu.

That's fair- I had Nunn making the team, but not over Galloway. That doesn't make sense at all.

 

[bat55w]

Does anyone know what time they announce cuts on Sat?