Pats Bring Back LB Niko Koutouvides

[QB12]

Gresh just said on the Gresh & Zo show on 98.5 that Niko Koutivides is back.

 

[JackBauer]

Pretty resounding meh.

 

[BradyManny]

Was a little surprised Rivera originally made it over him based on what little we'd seen, so I'm pretty OK with this. He looked solid in preseason action.

 

[DarrylS]

That is all the news for the day, back to hysteria..

Fan the flames for the ratings..

 

[TheBeers]

Kout was absolutely horrible in the Tampa game. I thought Tarp/Carpenter looked better overall.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

 

[JJDChE]

I assume this is because Rivera wasn't performing in practices, or something? Seems like a weird move otherwise.

I also thought Tarpinian looked the best of the bubble LBs.

 

[Kontradiction]

Niko's BACK!?

 

[p8ryts]

Just for special teams. Terrible tackler.

 

[Froob]

Game over for the rest of the league.

 

[Sicilian]

Was a little surprised Rivera originally made it over him based on what little we'd seen, so I'm pretty OK with this. He looked solid in preseason action.

Same here. Neither one of them is great shakes, IMO, but given how they both contribute on special teams, I thought Niko at least looked somewhat normal on regular D. It felt like every time Rivera was out there on D the play went in his direction and we gave up plays.

All in all though, hard to feel strongly one way or the other about a bottom of the roster ST'er.

 

[mgteich]

Almost all of the media rosters had Koutouvides on the 53 as a special teamer. Rivera was a surprise to make the 53. Now, we are back to "normal", with Kout on the 53 and Tarp on the Practice Squad. We'll see if Rivera makes the Practice Squad, and if he bumps Tarp.

We usually have 1-2 positions for special teamers who are emergency linebackers (think Izzo and Davis). Koutouvides has replaced Rivera for one of those positions; White has the other. And, no, we don't want to see him having any reps at linebacker.

BTW, we are still carrying 3 inactive developmental front seven players on the roster, too many IMHO (Forston, Francis and Bequette).

 

[JJDChE]

Something completely crazy just dawned on me. Do you think this is a play to try to get a few of these bottom of the roster guys a game check? I assume Rivera's salary is guaranteed now, so he's getting paid. Then you put Niko on the gameday roster a few times and Tarp on the gameday roster a few times to get some money in their pocket and to show them we like having them around.

I had never considered this before, but it makes sense. We're talking vet min for all these guys (did Rivera have the lowest contract, maybe that's what got him on the roster?). For a few hundred grand you can keep a few guys loyal and hanging around and let them make a living.

Things that make you go hmmmm...

 

[mgteich]

Yes, this is crazy. Rivera has no guarantees; that is for vested veterans. I would note that some players have incentives for being on the Game Day roster.

The patriots often show Practice Squad players that we value them by paying them more than other teams do. So it is with bottom of the roster players. If we want to send them a message, we pay them more bonus, more salary, or more incentives.

Rivera was given a chance to prove himself. He didn't. Koutouvides is back.

Something completely crazy just dawned on me. Do you think this is a play to try to get a few of these bottom of the roster guys a game check? I assume Rivera's salary is guaranteed now, so he's getting paid. Then you put Niko on the gameday roster a few times and Tarp on the gameday roster a few times to get some money in their pocket and to show them we like having them around.

I had never considered this before, but it makes sense. We're talking vet min for all these guys (did Rivera have the lowest contract, maybe that's what got him on the roster?). For a few hundred grand you can keep a few guys loyal and hanging around and let them make a living.

Things that make you go hmmmm...

 

[TheBeers]

It may not be for game checks.. but it definitely could be to keep some of these guys practice squad eligible for next season.

 

[resdubwhite]

If they paired him with our now infamous TE on road trips they could share the
Koutananny room.




Try the veil. Its fantastic.

 

[Urgent]

The problem with the fourth LB on ST is that he ends up as the third LB at some point in the season and has to start.

From my view during the preseason, Bobby Carpenter performed far better on defense than Koutovides, Tarp, or Rivera. It's very hard to comment on special teams play from watching preseason football on television. None of these guys is a Larry Izzo ST leader, however. And Carpenter has been noted as a good ST player across his career.

The more significant difference in play on defense usually outweighs the less significant difference in ST play.

 

[Sicilian]

The problem with the fourth LB on ST is that he ends up as the third LB at some point in the season and has to start.

From my view during the preseason, Bobby Carpenter performed far better on defense than Koutovides, Tarp, or Rivera. It's very hard to comment on special teams play from watching preseason football on television. None of these guys is a Larry Izzo ST leader, however. And Carpenter has been noted as a good ST player across his career.

The more significant difference in play on defense usually outweighs the less significant difference in ST play.

Did Carpenter land anywhere? Not trying to refute your point, just curious if anyone else picked him up.

 

[MP-Logick]

Considering special teams arguably cost us the game last week, I'm rather pleased with this move.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]