Lots of Competition For Roster Spots

[BradyManny]

Personally, I think any player that hasn't contributed on offense or defense so far in their career (other than the rookies) are potential targets to be cut. That includes Slater. There are only 53 roster spots and the Pats have added a lot of free agents and rookies many of which will get roster spots.

Agreed - and many of the rookies and year #2 guys should be good special teamers. Chung, Butler, Tate are all noted STers. Wheatley, Wilhite, Redd, Guyton can all contribute on ST as well.

 

[Ungeheuer]

Something tells me they'll keep Edelman over Slater/Ventrone. Right now the receiver corps looks like:

Moss
Welker
Galloway
Lewis
Aiken
Slater
Ventrone
Tate
Edelman

If Tate's a PUP or an IR, then you basically have four guys (Aiken, Slater, Ventrone, Edelman) competing for one or two spots. Unless Slater blows them away as a returner, he's probably gone. But Edelman is going to have to show something on ST to stick. It probably comes down to that, who contributes more on teams.

 

[TimU]

I don't see why Aiken would be a lock as the #5 receiver over Slater and Ventrone.

Well, Aiken is the only one of the three that actually spent any time at the position last year. He is also the best ST'er of the three, at least by reputation. Those are two pretty good reasons to expect that he is above them on the depth chart.

 

[mgteich]

I don't think that Aiken is clearly a better special teamer than both Slater and Ventrone. He was so good as the #4 receiver last year that he was replaced. We signed Galloway and Lewis. He is competing for the ST/WR spot. Slater was our top gunner.

Well, Aiken is the only one of the three that actually spent any time at the position last year. He is also the best ST'er of the three, at least by reputation. Those are two pretty good reasons to expect that he is above them on the depth chart.

 

[JSn]

I think Slater and Ventrone will make the team. My darkhorse is Richard Pryor, hehe.

 

[BradyManny]

I think Slater and Ventrone will make the team. My darkhorse is Richard Pryor, hehe.

But who are you cutting to have them make the team? I wish it were a 60 man roster so we wouldn't have these problems, but the bottom line is, somebody has to go. Tate being PUP'd would help both their causes though.

 

[JSn]

But who are you cutting to have them make the team? I wish it were a 60 man roster so we wouldn't have these problems, but the bottom line is, somebody has to go. Tate being PUP'd would help both their causes though.

I was just looking for an excuse to mention Richard Pryor.

I've been looking over MG's roster, and minor quibbles aside, it's tough to tell. I mean, I think most would call Guyton a lock at ILB and who the heck was he at this time last year? For me, I didn't know much about him and didn't think he'd get through camp.

This will get easier as things progress. I think Tank Williams is a guy to watch.

 

[Lampshade]

I don't think that Aiken is clearly a better special teamer than both Slater and Ventrone. He was so good as the #4 receiver last year that he was replaced. We signed Galloway and Lewis. He is competing for the ST/WR spot. Slater was our top gunner.

We don't know that he's been replaced as the #4 receiver, that is pure conjecture.

 

[JSn]

Borrowing MG's template and making the calls...

MG’s ROSTER AS OF MAY 4

OFFENSE (24)
QB (3) Brady, O'Connell, Hoyer
RB/FB (5) Taylor, Faulk, Morris, Maroney, BJGE
WR (4) Moss, Welker, Galloway, Lewis
TE (3) Watson, Baker, Smith
OT (4) Light, Kaczur, LeVoir, Vollmer
OG/C (5) Mankins, Koppen, Neal, Hochstein, Ohrnberger

DEFENSE (23)
DL (6) Wilfork, Seymour, Warren, Green, Wright, Brace
OLB (4) Thomas, Crable, Banta-Cain, Woods
ILB (4) Mayo, Guyton, Bruschi, McKenzie
CB (5) Butler, Bodden, Springs, Wheatley, Wilhite
S (3) Meriweather, Sanders, Chung
DB (1) Ventrone

SPECIALISTS (3)
K (1) Gostkowski
P (1) Hanson
LS (1) Ingram

COMPETING FOR THE LAST 3 ROSTER SPOTS (3)
Smith, Aiken, Ventrone, Slater, Alexander, Redd, Pryor, Richard, fa

STARTING THE SEASON ON THE PUP LIST
WR (1) Tate


QB
I chose Hoyer as QB #3 pending a vet, which maybe doesn't seem as critical as has been stated. Gutz is alright, but he was dropped last year and brought in at the bottom when Tom went down. He'll have to work his arse off, I don't see it happening.

RB
I Chose The Firm as RB#5. He gets too much love AND too much hate here, but he was important last year, played really well and I think we know a deep RB committee is huge down the stretch... like in case Taylor has another accident in his maturbatorium.

WR
On paper, this group is SICK.
And...

TE
Another great gang on paper. I won't miss Wendy, to be honest.
I'd actually expect to see Watson lining up at WR a bit too. Yeah, yeah, stone hands and whatever. He only sucks about half as much as most people here claim, and is IMO above average and still showing improvement.
He may not be Gonzalez or Witten, the list of TE's in that class is might short. And he's very good blocker. This should be an excellent TE line-up and I bet we see these guys being the new path to the end-zone on ST's.

OT
LeVoir plays like a starter. He'd have to really crap the bed to not make the team.

OG
Hochstein and Ohrnberger, but I'll be honest that's mostly a hunch. Maybe I should see a chiropractor.

Defense
This whole unit seems pretty clear, pending any FA acquisition, which I'm starting to think may not be necessary. Does Taylor come in and improve the team? Yeah, but his role would be so specific I think teams could game-plan around him.

The DB slot is tricky, because none of those guys make you go "ooooh, that guy's the poop!"

I'm gonna say Slater, even though he's not on the list. Can he work those skills up in camp enough to be an emergency DB? I have a feeling he can.

Which makes the 3 bonus guys a "little" easier: Ventrone (excellent all around player, imo), Redd (call it a Binky thing, I think he becomes a rotational OLB by year's end), and Aiken.

LS
I think if they match up even in camp, we go with the younger LS. Experience is important, but placing a guy who could be the next 6-8 year LS for the team seems worthwhile. An since we won't be punting this year, he only needs to ace the SB winning field-goal...

 

[ALP]

Do you prefer Wendy? or DeVree? or Listorti? Why?

he prefers thomas

 

[CoachK]

With Pioli in KC and McDaniels in Denver, the Pats may have some decent trade bait at the bottom of the roster. With both those clubs looking for 3-4 defensive players, I can see several of the players in the front seven potentially traded away for conditional draft picks.

I could see either of them giving up a 3rd round pick for Green. The flip side of their interst is that it will be very difficult to slide good 3-4 performers onto the practice squad this year.

 

[mgteich]

And it's conjecture that Moss is our #1 receiver. The fact is that Lewis was signed to a long-term contract.

We don't know that he's been replaced as the #4 receiver, that is pure conjecture.

 

[mgteich]

....and Lewis

Agreed - and many of the rookies and year #2 guys should be good special teamers. Chung, Butler, Tate are all noted STers. Wheatley, Wilhite, Redd, Guyton can all contribute on ST as well.

 

[mgteich]

You have found a way to keep four for the three final spots, keeping Aiken, Ventrone, Slater and Redd. I'm fine with your entire roster choices as of May 4. BUT YOU ARE CORRECT! There really are four final spots rather than three.

HOWEVER, I think that the recent signing of McGowan makes me believe that Ventrone will now NOT secure the final DB spot.

I would also want to keep LeKevin Smith as a 7th DL.
====================================================
MY FINAL FOUR AS OF MAY 5
Smith, McGowan, Redd and Slater (with Aiken and Ventrone losing out). And I really don't have strong feeling of the final choice among Slater, Aiken and Ventrone.
=====================================================

Borrowing MG's template and making the calls...

MG’s ROSTER AS OF MAY 4

OFFENSE (24)
QB (3) Brady, O'Connell, Hoyer
RB/FB (5) Taylor, Faulk, Morris, Maroney, BJGE
WR (4) Moss, Welker, Galloway, Lewis
TE (3) Watson, Baker, Smith
OT (4) Light, Kaczur, LeVoir, Vollmer
OG/C (5) Mankins, Koppen, Neal, Hochstein, Ohrnberger

DEFENSE (23)
DL (6) Wilfork, Seymour, Warren, Green, Wright, Brace
OLB (4) Thomas, Crable, Banta-Cain, Woods
ILB (4) Mayo, Guyton, Bruschi, McKenzie
CB (5) Butler, Bodden, Springs, Wheatley, Wilhite
S (3) Meriweather, Sanders, Chung
DB (1) Ventrone

SPECIALISTS (3)
K (1) Gostkowski
P (1) Hanson
LS (1) Ingram

COMPETING FOR THE LAST 3 ROSTER SPOTS (3)
Smith, Aiken, Ventrone, Slater, Alexander, Redd, Pryor, Richard, fa

STARTING THE SEASON ON THE PUP LIST
WR (1) Tate


QB
I chose Hoyer as QB #3 pending a vet, which maybe doesn't seem as critical as has been stated. Gutz is alright, but he was dropped last year and brought in at the bottom when Tom went down. He'll have to work his arse off, I don't see it happening.

RB
I Chose The Firm as RB#5. He gets too much love AND too much hate here, but he was important last year, played really well and I think we know a deep RB committee is huge down the stretch... like in case Taylor has another accident in his maturbatorium.

WR
On paper, this group is SICK.
And...

TE
Another great gang on paper. I won't miss Wendy, to be honest.
I'd actually expect to see Watson lining up at WR a bit too. Yeah, yeah, stone hands and whatever. He only sucks about half as much as most people here claim, and is IMO above average and still showing improvement.
He may not be Gonzalez or Witten, the list of TE's in that class is might short. And he's very good blocker. This should be an excellent TE line-up and I bet we see these guys being the new path to the end-zone on ST's.

OT
LeVoir plays like a starter. He'd have to really crap the bed to not make the team.

OG
Hochstein and Ohrnberger, but I'll be honest that's mostly a hunch. Maybe I should see a chiropractor.

Defense
This whole unit seems pretty clear, pending any FA acquisition, which I'm starting to think may not be necessary. Does Taylor come in and improve the team? Yeah, but his role would be so specific I think teams could game-plan around him.

The DB slot is tricky, because none of those guys make you go "ooooh, that guy's the poop!"

I'm gonna say Slater, even though he's not on the list. Can he work those skills up in camp enough to be an emergency DB? I have a feeling he can.

Which makes the 3 bonus guys a "little" easier: Ventrone (excellent all around player, imo), Redd (call it a Binky thing, I think he becomes a rotational OLB by year's end), and Aiken.

LS
I think if they match up even in camp, we go with the younger LS. Experience is important, but placing a guy who could be the next 6-8 year LS for the team seems worthwhile. An since we won't be punting this year, he only needs to ace the SB winning field-goal...

 

[pats1]

For kicks, the following non-rookies are PS eligible (*=3rd year rule):

Kevin O'Connell
Matt Gutierrez
Omar Cuff
Tyson DeVree
Brad Listorti
Robert Ortiz
Dan Connolly*
Ryan Wendell
Damane Duckett
Titus Adams*
Shawn Crable
Angelo Craig
Vince Redd
Terrence Wheatley

The following players are not PS eligible, but just missed the cut:

BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Matthew Slater
Mark LeVoir
Steve Williams
Gary Guyton
Mike Richardson
Ray Ventrone
Antwain Spann

Both Spann and Yates are the only players to have used up their 3 years of PS eligibility; however, Yates has 5 accrued seasons and Spann only has 2. It's just a quirk in the system that Yates was still eligible last year - he still has yet to dress for at least 9 games in a season.