I'm Fine With The Roster As Is

[mgteich]

Sure, I'd like to see us add Law (or another vet DB), Seau and/or a short-yardage running back.

Sure, there will be changes because of injuries, real or imagined.

I see battles for reps, but I don't see too many battles for roster spots. Mruc, Britt and/or Spach are around just in case.


MG’s ROSTER AS OF JULY 12
OFFENSE (24)
QB - 3 Tom Brady, Gutierrez, O’Connell
RB - 3 Faulk, Maroney, Morris
FB - 1 Evans
C - 1 Koppen
G - 4 Hochstein, Mankins, Yates, Neal/(Mruczkowski)
OT - 4 Light, O'Callaghan, Kaczur, (Britt)/Ross
WR - 5 Moss, Gaffney, Welker, Washington, Chad Jackson
TE - 3 Watson, Dave Thomas, Pollard/(Spach)

DEFENSE (22)
DE - 4 Warren, Green, Seymour, Santonio Thomas
DT - 3 Wilfork, Le Kevin Smith, Wright
OLB- 4 Vrabel, Adalius Thomas, Crable, Woods
ILB- 3 Bruschi, Mayo, Hobson
CB - 4 Hobbs, Bryant, Wheatley, Wilhite
S - 4 Sanders, Harrison, Meriweather, Williams

SPECIALISTS (3)
P - 1 Hanson
K - 1 Gostkowski
LS - 1 Paxton

SPECIAL TEAMS (4)
STER – 4 Alexander, Izzo, Slater, Webster,(Aiken),(L. Sanders),
(Richardson),(Ventrone),(Ruud), (Eckel), and the (UDFA’s)

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

I would like to see Law and Seau added too. I'm afraid that this years secondary could resemble the horrid secondary in '05. The Pats middle LB's should be faster this year with the addition of Hobson and the drafting of Mayo. I'm excited to see if Crable can get some playing time as well. I say he will, he is a far better athlete than Alexander and Woods.

 

[Metaphors]

In your roster above, who do you see as the inactive 8? Besides O'Connell of course...

 

[rookBoston]

I agree, the team is largely in place. I'm optimistic about the young LBs.

I do think there are some camp competitions that deserve some attention, most particularly at CB. And there are spots to be earned in the ST blocking and coverage units.

But that's about it.

 

[BelichickFan]

Wilhite as the #4 CB concerns me a little - not for that spot but that with a couple of injuries he's suddenly the #2 CB - but as much as I loved Seau, I'm just not sure there's a LB on that list I want to cut for him. I'm happy to see the defense looking younger (with a few notable exceptions) while, on paper, looking as good as last year if not better.

 

[bradmahn]

Wilhite as the #4 CB concerns me a little - not for that spot but that with a couple of injuries he's suddenly the #2 CB - but as much as I loved Seau, I'm just not sure there's a LB on that list I want to cut for him. I'm happy to see the defense looking younger (with a few notable exceptions) while, on paper, looking as good as last year if not better.

My prediction for defensive backs is that there will be nine contributors: four safeties (Sanders, Williams, Meriweather, Rodney) and five cornerbacks (Hobbs, Bryant, Wheatley, Wilhite, and Lewis Sanders). In the Camp Battles: CB thread, I detailed why I think Lewis makes the team (versatility at dime back) and I agree, Wilhite is probably too raw to make much of a name for himself on D. He'll most likely be a special teamer.

Alexander? Izzo? Seau plays special teams, right? I'd certainly take him over either one of those players (who are both good special teamers but don't bring much else to the table).

I think Ruud will find a place on this team.

 

[BelichickFan]

Alexander? Izzo? Seau plays special teams, right? I'd certainly take him over either one of those players (who are both good special teamers but don't bring much else to the table).

I was looking at those listed at LB; Alexander and Izzo are better ST guys than Seau but we did add a few guys who should be good ST players this offseason that could made Alexander expendable from that role - and he's certainly not needed at LB.

 

[RayClay]

My prediction for defensive backs is that there will be nine contributors: four safeties (Sanders, Williams, Meriweather, Rodney) and five cornerbacks (Hobbs, Bryant, Wheatley, Wilhite, and Lewis Sanders). In the Camp Battles: CB thread, I detailed why I think Lewis makes the team (versatility at dime back) and I agree, Wilhite is probably too raw to make much of a name for himself on D. He'll most likely be a special teamer.

Alexander? Izzo? Seau plays special teams, right? I'd certainly take him over either one of those players (who are both good special teamers but don't bring much else to the table).

I think Ruud will find a place on this team.

I think Richardson (cb) competes for a backup job.

 

[Joker]

Man, nice tag line...I saw Jim Nance when I was young..never forget it

 

[DarrylS]

I think Richardson (cb) competes for a backup job.

I seem to remember that there was a lot of upside for him before he was redshirted.. also not sure of the future of Pierre Woods.. has to come on strong this year or he is gone.

 

[DSal]

Alexander? Izzo? Seau plays special teams, right? I'd certainly take him over either one of those players (who are both good special teamers but don't bring much else to the table).[/quote]

I understand your point, but, if Junior comes back at the expense of Alexander or Izzo, the team will have subtracted from special teams and adds a player that will have a limited role on the D and doesn't play st's. Isn't the team running the risk of having a special teams unit that's running a little thin of guys that primarily play special teams? I know everyone would want all players to contribute on offense/defense as well as special teams but the reality is you need some guys to be "special teams only" type of players.

 

[dhamz]

I seem to remember that there was a lot of upside for him before he was redshirted.. also not sure of the future of Pierre Woods.. has to come on strong this year or he is gone.

No way Woods is gone. I am not sold he can play LB in any meaningful way but he is the best special teams guy on the roster.

 

[patchick]

No way Woods is gone. I am not sold he can play LB in any meaningful way but he is the best special teams guy on the roster.

There's plenty of competition for that ST title (Kelley Washington, anyone?), but I agree that Woods makes real contributions on the field. A 2nd-year guy who played in every game last year, registering 21 tackles, is a solid bet to make the roster. Point to ponder: Woods has totaled more tackles in his 2 seasons than Eric Alexander has in 4.

Mgteich, if you end up writing in Law and Seau, what names do you erase?

 

[PATSNUTme]

Sure, I'd like to see us add Law (or another vet DB), Seau and/or a short-yardage running back.

Sure, there will be changes because of injuries, real or imagined.

I see battles for reps, but I don't see too many battles for roster spots. Mruc, Britt and/or Spach are around just in case.


MG’s ROSTER AS OF JULY 12
OFFENSE (24)
QB - 3 Tom Brady, Gutierrez, O’Connell
RB - 3 Faulk, Maroney, Morris
FB - 1 Evans
C - 1 Koppen
G - 4 Hochstein, Mankins, Yates, Neal/(Mruczkowski)
OT - 4 Light, O'Callaghan, Kaczur, (Britt)/Ross
WR - 5 Moss, Gaffney, Welker, Washington, Chad Jackson
TE - 3 Watson, Dave Thomas, Pollard/(Spach)

DEFENSE (22)
DE - 4 Warren, Green, Seymour, Santonio Thomas
DT - 3 Wilfork, Le Kevin Smith, Wright
OLB- 4 Vrabel, Adalius Thomas, Crable, Woods
ILB- 3 Bruschi, Mayo, Hobson
CB - 4 Hobbs, Bryant, Wheatley, Wilhite
S - 4 Sanders, Harrison, Meriweather, Williams

SPECIALISTS (3)
P - 1 Hanson
K - 1 Gostkowski
LS - 1 Paxton

SPECIAL TEAMS (4)
STER – 4 Alexander, Izzo, Slater, Webster,(Aiken),(L. Sanders),
(Richardson),(Ventrone),(Ruud), (Eckel), and the (UDFA’s)

Good job on the roster. There is always a dark horse that makes the team based on training camp performance. Unfortunately there always seems to be one loss due to injury.

 

[mgteich]

Woods is arguably our best Ster and is an adequate emergency backup. He is going nowhere.

I seem to remember that there was a lot of upside for him before he was redshirted.. also not sure of the future of Pierre Woods.. has to come on strong this year or he is gone.

 

[mgteich]

Law and Seau would replace Webster and Alexander.

I do agree that Lewis Sanders or Richardson might beat out Webster. Law or a minor trade (conditional 5th for making the team) for another DB would make me much more confortable than any of these.

There's plenty of competition for that ST title (Kelley Washington, anyone?), but I agree that Woods makes real contributions on the field. A 2nd-year guy who played in every game last year, registering 21 tackles, is a solid bet to make the roster. Point to ponder: Woods has totaled more tackles in his 2 seasons than Eric Alexander has in 4.

Mgteich, if you end up writing in Law and Seau, what names do you erase?

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

I think we'll see pretty quickly how awful or good the secondary is going to be on the depth chart after Hobbs.

If they don't have a legit pass rush then the secondary could get torched, but I do think they ahve enough bodies in the secondary to find a starter opposite Hobbs.

 

[gomezcat]

It looks as good a roster as anyone else's and that's all you can ask for. The O has the same potential as last year's (notwithstanding the fact that teams in the NFL will have learned from last year).

The D isn't as fast as those Tampa 2 types, but is less vulnerable against the run. Having said that the D isn't as fast, it's probably going to be faster than last season's D- one which would get to Eli Manning a bit more quickly and nail him, in the way that they couldn't always do in the SB. There is a school of thought that Dom Capers will bring some of the Blitzburgh philosophy to the team. I certainly hope so!

I suspect also that the O line will have spent A LOT of time working on dealing with a Giants style pass rush; it's fair to say that the other coaches in the NFL will have seen Justin Tuck have so much joy inside and thought, "now there's an idea". One hopes they forgot that teams can run over small DTs....

 

[RayClay]

Good job. I love Santonio, but he's replaced by a real NT, which Wright and Le Kevin are not, or an extra corner.

Even if we have corners at ST, we're replacing an All Pro and need all the potential players at CB, since BB knows how to use them as specialists.

 

[mgteich]

Sure I'd like a real NT to take Santonio's spot. But I don't think Fafita or Kenny Smith will do so. They certainly could. And we could bring in someone. But for now, given the current roster, I think that Snatonio can make the 53.

I don't think we'd give the spot up to a corner. I think seven DL's has been the low limit for a starting roster since Belichick has been here.

I agree that we need corners. I have 5 corners on the 53, including Webster, with only 4 safeties, the lowest number of safeties in many years. More common for Belichick is 3 corners and 6 safeties.

Good job. I love Santonio, but he's replaced by a real NT, which Wright and Le Kevin are not, or an extra corner.

Even if we have corners at ST, we're replacing an All Pro and need all the potential players at CB, since BB knows how to use them as specialists.