OT: Shaun Philips to be released today

[Joey007]

So the Patriots should weaken their special teams on the off chance that Phillips isn't done, and the off chance that Phillips can have a significant impact as the team's DE6 (behind Ayers)?

How much weaker will cutting one Special teamer make us? Not trying to underrate Special Teams or anything, but come on now. I feel as though it'd be much easier to keep a Special teamer on the practice squad as well. If we get a bit weak in that department, and if Phillips doesn't work out we could easily cut Phillips and bring back a guy for Special Teams. You can keep a special teamer on the practice squad. You can't keep a guy like Phillips on the practice squad.

 

[Deus Irae]

How much weaker will cutting one Special teamer make us? Not trying to underrate Special Teams or anything, but come on now. I feel as though it'd be much easier to keep a Special teamer on the practice squad as well. If we get a bit weak in that department, and if Phillips doesn't work out we could easily cut Phillips and bring back a guy for Special Teams. You can keep a special teamer on the practice squad. You can't keep a guy like Phillips on the practice squad.

The ST player will have more impact than Phillips, unless more DEs get hurt. You say you don't want to underrate Special Teams, but then you proceed to do exactly that.

 

[Joey007]

The ST player will have more impact than Phillips, unless more DEs get hurt. You say you don't want to underrate Special Teams, but then you proceed to do exactly that.

We have a pretty strong special teams in terms of coverage though wouldn't you say? So are you saying our depth at DE is stronger than the depth at special teams?

 

[luuked]

The ST player will have more impact than Phillips, unless more DEs get hurt. You say you don't want to underrate Special Teams, but then you proceed to do exactly that.

I think you already gave the only other possible scenario to make room. Cut Tyms or IR Dobson.

In fact given the BB mantra that you should never waive someone that you are not prepared to lose I would be surprised if Devey will be released for Siliga. Despite everything so far he has been with the unit since training camp and if someone goes down he could play right away.

Also, given how rarely we actually use the deep ball (and even then LaFell is not that much slower than Tyms) I think that the writing is on the wall on what will happen with Siliga.

Of course all of this is void if someone gets seriously injured.

 

[Danger Zone]

It might be anecdotal to say this now because of our roster dilemmas but a 53 roster cap doesn't seem like its enough to give fair depth to every position.

Seems like the number could be increased by a few.

 

[Ring 6]

You can only keep 53. The only "fat" left on the roster is Devey, and they've still got to activate Siliga. Easley is being used at both DT and DE, and Siliga back would make it even easier to put Easley on the outside, if needed.

DT
Wilfork
Branch
Siliga
Chris Jones

DE
Ninkovich
Chandler Jones
Moore
Easley


So you're already working with 8 DL, and that doesn't count Ayers, who's really DL#9.

Chandler jones isn't playing and Moore is a 6th round rookie who has played 74 snaps on his career mostly in garbage time.
He is currently our de3. That is an important position. Cutting one of the many special teamers makes sense to have a capable de3.

 

[Ring 6]

The ST player will have more impact than Phillips, unless more DEs get hurt. You say you don't want to underrate Special Teams, but then you proceed to do exactly that.

So you think Moore is a great de3 huh?

 

[shmessy]

So you think Moore is a great de3 huh?

Evidently the Tennessee Titans didn't think Shaun Phillips was either.

 

[Ring 6]

Evidently the Tennessee Titans didn't think Shaun Phillips was either.

The same Tennessee Titans who allowed Akeem Ayers to play 2 defensive snaps all season before trading him to us?
Weak appeal to authority.

So for the record, you feel we are all set with Moore as the next man up and top reserve at DE?

 

[50-yard-line]

Buchanan is already on IR. You can cut any number of other guys if you love Moore.
I do not want to get to a SB, have an injury and have no pass rush. This guy can rush the passer better than all but maybe 1 or 2 guys we have on the field today.

I worded it wrong, but you're misunderstanding me here. I would love to see Philips picked up - him and Jones coming off the edge with Easley and branch in the middle on passing downs is tantalizing.

I wouldn't cut Moore for him, though, like I said (and yeah, forgot Buchanon was on IR).

Also, Easley is the third DE, not Moore, I believe.

 

[Ring 6]

I worded it wrong, but you're misunderstanding me here. I would love to see Philips picked up - him and Jones coming off the edge with Easley and branch in the middle on passing downs is tantalizing.

I wouldn't cut Moore for him, though, like I said (and yeah, forgot Buchanon was on IR).

Also, Easley is the third DE, not Moore, I believe.

No Easley is a DT.

Increasing the chance of winning the SB is more important to me than the chance a 6th round pick rookie who has played 74 snaps all year when the starter at his position has missed 4 games won't make it to the practice sqaud.
There will be 10 Moores in next years draft.

 

[shmessy]

The same Tennessee Titans who allowed Akeem Ayers to play 2 defensive snaps all season before trading him to us?
Weak appeal to authority.

So for the record, you feel we are all set with Moore as the next man up and top reserve at DE?

Key word, Andy is TRADE. They traded 25 year old Ayers because there was value to him.

They CUT 33 and 1/2 year old Phillips.

And, #2, Ayers was more of a necessity to the Patriots after losing Mayo - - the LB depth was far more concerning than the current DE depth. You're worried about BACKUP DE depth, with Ayers the worry was about STARTING LB depth.

That being said, who knows? Maybe the Pats take a flyer on Phillips. I'm worried about what they would lose in making room for him.

 

[50-yard-line]

No Easley is a DT.

Increasing the chance of winning the SB is more important to me than the chance a 6th round pick rookie who has played 74 snaps all year when the starter at his position has missed 4 games won't make it to the practice sqaud.
There will be 10 Moores in next years draft.

Easley was playing both, and he's listed as a DE. I'd RATHER see him inside as well - as I think he gives you taht Geno Atkins-type of penetration, which will really make Chandler special, but if Nink or Jones went down, I am confident that 3rd man up at DE would be Easley.

 

[Deus Irae]

We have a pretty strong special teams in terms of coverage though wouldn't you say? So are you saying our depth at DE is stronger than the depth at special teams?

Special teams never have enough depth, just due to the numbers situation. So, the question becomes whether Phillips can have an impact that's enough to overcome that.

On a team that already has 5 "DEs" (Jones, Ninkovich, Ayers, Easley, Moore), I don't see any way Phillips has such an impact.

 

[Joey007]

Special teams never have enough depth, just due to the numbers situation. So, the question becomes whether Phillips can have an impact that's enough to overcome that.

On a team that already has 5 "DEs" (Jones, Ninkovich, Ayers, Easley, Moore), I don't see any way Phillips has such an impact.

I still have a hard time counting Easley as a DE even though he's lined up there on many occasions. And I don't have a huge leap of faith in Moore, the 6th round rookie.

 

[Mack Herron]

Special teams never have enough depth, just due to the numbers situation. So, the question becomes whether Phillips can have an impact that's enough to overcome that.

On a team that already has 5 "DEs" (Jones, Ninkovich, Ayers, Easley, Moore), I don't see any way Phillips has such an impact.

The problem with this perspective is that when I last looked Jones and Easley were inactive and Moore was ineffective. So at the moment I see DE as painfully thin, but things could certainly change if they expect Jones, Easley and Siliga (allowing someone else to kick outside) to return in the near future. Encouraging news on Jones todya, while Easley's and Siliga's injury status is essentially unknown.

 

[Deus Irae]

I still have a hard time counting Easley as a DE even though he's lined up there on many occasions. And I don't have a huge leap of faith in Moore, the 6th round rookie.

The team had Wilfork and Chris Jones. The team has added Branch. The team will add Siliga. So, other than obvious passing downs, when would Easley see the field at DT?

 

[Deus Irae]

The problem with this perspective is that when I last looked Jones and Easley were inactive and Moore was ineffective. So at the moment I see DE as painfully thin, but things could certainly change if they expect Jones, Easley and Siliga (allowing someone else to kick outside) to return in the near future. Encouraging news on Jones todya, while Easley's and Siliga's injury status is essentially unknown.

It all comes down to who you can cut. You've only got 53 spots.

 

[meatface]

You could say that this Free agent bust Titanic.

 

[Ring 6]

Key word, Andy is TRADE. They traded 25 year old Ayers because there was value to him.

They CUT 33 and 1/2 year old Phillips.

And, #2, Ayers was more of a necessity to the Patriots after losing Mayo - - the LB depth was far more concerning than the current DE depth. You're worried about BACKUP DE depth, with Ayers the worry was about STARTING LB depth.

That being said, who knows? Maybe the Pats take a flyer on Phillips. I'm worried about what they would lose in making room for him.

Ayers is playing DE