OL Stokes signed, Clement to IR

[BPF]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2008/08/pats_sign_stoke.html

Pats sign Stokes; IR for Clement
Posted by Mike Reiss, Globe Staff
August 2, 2008 02:22 PM

The Patriots announced the signing of free-agent offensive lineman Barry Stokes today. The team also placed veteran offensive lineman Anthony Clement on injured reserve with a knee injury.

 

[BPF]

Stokes is a long shot to make it this season but he is a very versatile OL, playing both guard spots and right tackle. He is a good player to familiarize with your system and keep his number handy in case you get depleted by injuries on the OL.

He does everything fairly well but is not great at anything. He works extremely hard and is a blue collar guy who loves the game. He is strong and is difficult to bull-rush and is also pretty adept at blocking counter moves. He does get caught flat-footed in pass pro when playing RT but surprisingly he has the agility to recover. In his career as Reiss said, he has played for 8 different teams during his 11 yrs in the league and was a starter during 2 yrs with Cleveland in 2002-03.

 

[rusH1023]

Stokes is a long shot to make it this season but he is a very versatile OL, playing both guard spots and right tackle. He is a good player to familiarize with your system and keep his number handy in case you get depleted by injuries on the OL.

He does everything fairly well but is not great at anything. He works extremely hard and is a blue collar guy who loves the game. He is strong and is difficult to bull-rush and is also pretty adept at blocking counter moves. He does get caught flat-footed in pass pro when playing RT but surprisingly he has the agility to recover. In his career as Reiss said, he has played for 8 different teams during his 11 yrs in the league and was a starter during 2 yrs with Cleveland in 2002-03.

With the few questionables there are on the OL, this is a comfort.

 

[BPF]

With the few questionables there are on the OL, this is a comfort.

Barring any injuries these are the OL I expect to see on the opening day roster: Light, Britt, Mankins, Hochstein, Koppen, Neal, Yates, Kaczur and O'Callaghan.

There will be an opening if Neal starts off the year on PUP and if Kaczur is suspended by the league it could be 2 openings but my best guess is that Connolly makes the PS and is called upon if needed. If that doesn't happen and if Ross gets healthy he might have a shot. The questions surrounding Neal and Kaczur are why we see all these veteran OL signings like this one.

 

[Urgent]

Come on, Clement. IR after two or three practices?
That's one way to make sure you're not cut.

Stokes?
Yeah, only if there are a couple injuries does he have any shot.
I guess he was next on the list.
It's more likely that, given those injuries, someone released at the end of pre-season would take that spot.

 

[drew4008]

Quick question for anybody who knows... what is the benefit to the Patriots for them to IR Clement and not release him?

 

[Gumby]

what is the benefit to the Patriots for them to IR Clement and not release him?

clearly the one benefit: while he remains on the BB shadow roster he is still protected from being taken off waivers by another team.

A late round draft pick/FA rookie cut this early in tng camp may have somewhat decent odds of not being picked off waivers. (And a rookie or junior year player can at least me held on PS.) But with all teams still at the 80 man limit most teams have room to take on a VET guy for depth and hope he sticks on their shadow roster (or if they have a injury need - fill a hole).

 

[Rob0729]

Quick question for anybody who knows... what is the benefit to the Patriots for them to IR Clement and not release him?

Other than allowing him to collect a salary and keep him from talking to division rivals about what he learned in Pats camp, I don't think there is one.

 

[Pujo]

Quick question for anybody who knows... what is the benefit to the Patriots for them to IR Clement and not release him?

Per the CBA, they couldn't release him without reaching an injury settlement first, and why pay him to allow him to go somewhere else?

 

[Canada's #1 Pats Fan]

Per the CBA, they couldn't release him without reaching an injury settlement first, and why pay him to allow him to go somewhere else?

a la back to the Jets

 

[captain stone]

The questions surrounding Neal and Kaczur are why we see all these veteran OL signings like this one.

That's exactly why.

The right side of the OL has many answers, but no solution.

Will Barry Stokes be tried at G or T, or both? Is he any good at either one?
Can O'Cal establish himself at RT?
Will Kaczur suffer from withdrawl symptoms, and will we notice the difference?
Is McMahon just TC fodder, or can he become the backup RG/RT?
Can Connolly provide quality versatility, incl. Center, in addition to youth & size?
Will we again have to suffer Hochstein's impersonations of a turnstile?
Can Yates stay healthy, and will it matter?
Will Ross ever see the field, or will he be another example of a fatbody OLman who couldn't get in Patriots shape?
And most importanly, how badly hurt is Neal?

 

[BPF]

That's exactly why.

The right side of the OL has many answers, but no solution.

Will Barry Stokes be tried at G or T, or both? Is he any good at either one?
Can O'Cal establish himself at RT?
Will Kaczur suffer from withdrawl symptoms, and will we notice the difference?
Is McMahon just TC fodder, or can he become the backup RG/RT?
Can Connolly provide quality versatility, incl. Center, in addition to youth & size?
Will we again have to suffer Hochstein's impersonations of a turnstile?
Can Yates stay healthy, and will it matter?
Will Ross ever see the field, or will he be another example of a fatbody OLman who couldn't get in Patriots shape?
And most importanly, how badly hurt is Neal?

My best guess is that Stokes will compete at G. With Light, Britt, O'Callaghan and Kaczur we are ok at T.

O'Callaghan will certainly have a cchance to establish himself.

Kaczur will not suffer from withdrawals, it's August now and he was caught in April.

Connolly will probably be a PS player.

I don't know why you think Hochstein is a turnstile. He is no all-pro but he is a very servicable backup OL. He is tough and competes well and always plays to the whistle. He is smart and displays solid technique. He is versatile as we all know. He seems to have a good feel for angles and positioning and also uses his hands well. He displays ok foot agility with his best strength being his initial push. He is not that athletic which makes him a liability in space. He is also weak vs big/strong inside bull rushers. He sometimes plays high which makes him look stiff and that's when he gets beat most often. He is not starting material but is valuable as a backup at both G and C.

Yates will be fine.

Ross is a very athletic and versatile OL with foot quickness. He has a good burst, is quick/sudden with change of direction skills. He is better in pass protection than run blocking and can redirect/recover. His best trait is altheticism, he is by no means a fatbody.

Don't know about Neal's injury.

 

[BPF]

That's exactly why.

The right side of the OL has many answers, but no solution.

Will Barry Stokes be tried at G or T, or both? Is he any good at either one?
Can O'Cal establish himself at RT?
Will Kaczur suffer from withdrawl symptoms, and will we notice the difference?
Is McMahon just TC fodder, or can he become the backup RG/RT?
Can Connolly provide quality versatility, incl. Center, in addition to youth & size?
Will we again have to suffer Hochstein's impersonations of a turnstile?
Can Yates stay healthy, and will it matter?
Will Ross ever see the field, or will he be another example of a fatbody OLman who couldn't get in Patriots shape?
And most importanly, how badly hurt is Neal?

More on Hochstein, from BB's press conf today:

Q: Can you comment on Russ Hochstein’s versatility up front?
BB: I don’t know where we would be without it really. Russ is one of the most solid and consistent players we have on our team. He is really the same guy everyday, whether it be practice, games, preseason or postseason, the first quarter, or the fourth quarter - it doesn’t matter. He is a very consistent and dependable guy. He can play all three spots. He’s played guard, he’s played center, both guards, helped us out on a couple special teams situations - like kickoff return in the wedge, a field goal and that kind of thing. The best compliment you can give a lineman like that is, you don’t really realize when he is in there. He is a solid guy and the last game he played in, he played well and that was a big game. He has been a very dependable guy for us with great inside versatility. He’s played some at tackle and a little bit at tight end and short yardage situations. He’s played every position at the offensive line even though he’s primarily an inside guy. He’s also worked at tackle and short yardage situations out there at tight end. He’s done a good job for us.

 

[captain stone]

That may be straight from the horse's mouth, but I'm not buying what the HC is selling.
What's he going to say, that he sucks?

I saw the last game in which he played, and I don't think he played that well in it, at all.

The FO should've kept Grey Ruegamer instead.

 

[BPF]

That may be straight from the horse's mouth, but I'm not buying what the HC is selling.
What's he going to say, that he sucks?

I saw the last game in which he played, and I don't think he played that well in it, at all.

The FO should've kept Grey Ruegamer instead.

You're kdding I hope. Hochstein has gotten more out of this talent than Ruegamer has, Grey is also always nicked up and nursing some kind of injury. He is known for not being very tough. In terms of talent they are similar players but Hoch has gotten way more out of his time in the league. BTW, Ruegamer didn't play a game last yr during the reg season for the Giants. He did start @ Tampa in the playoffs which made it 2 starts in 2 yrs w/the Giants.

 

[mgteich]

Hochstein is our backup center and guard. His versalitity makes him a perfect gameday backup, and a perfect patriot.