Pats re-doing contracts on the down low...

[SirApropos]

It's just smart of them to do this to try and keep players they like on the PS. They had several players they had in Training Camp get claimed off of waivers after the final cut downs and several others players that didn't make it get onto other rosters.

Eric Alexander LB - Jacksonville
Thomas Williams LB/FB - Buffalo (PS)
Ted Larsen C/G - Tampa Bay (Waivers)
Thomas Welch OT - Minnesota (PS)
Prince Miller CB - Baltimore (Signed off of NE Practice Squad)
Sam Aiken WR/ST - Cleveland (Now a Free Agent)
Rob Myers TE - Buffalo (Now a Free Agent)
Thomas Clayton RB - Cleveland (Waivers)

 

[DaBruinz]

It's just smart of them to do this to try and keep players they like on the PS. They had several players they had in Training Camp get claimed off of waivers after the final cut downs and several others players that didn't make it get onto other rosters.

Eric Alexander LB - Jacksonville
Thomas Williams LB/FB - Buffalo (PS)
Ted Larsen C/G - Tampa Bay (Waivers)
Thomas Welch OT - Minnesota (PS)
Prince Miller CB - Baltimore (Signed off of NE Practice Squad)
Sam Aiken WR/ST - Cleveland (Now a Free Agent)
Rob Myers TE - Buffalo (Now a Free Agent)
Thomas Clayton RB - Cleveland (Waivers)

Prince Miller was someone the Pats signed from Baltimore after Baltimore cut him originally.

 

[mgteich]

The point involved the bottom 10 players, not the regular backups. I believe that Super Bowl teams have to have solid backups. However, the point involved the top 43 asnd tghe bottom 10. I don't think that having the best bottom ten wins Super Bowls. Now, if we evaluated the 34-43th players on the roster, I might have a different view. Even then, I'm not sure the statment is true.

I disagree.

These teams all win because they have guys down the roster who have stepped in for the superstars.

The Steelers lose big names to free agency and big cities every year - - and they keep on chugging.

The Giants won the SB AFTER Tiki Barber decided he wanted to host The Today Show and The Big Dummy Tight End got hurt - - they had depth to whether those losses.

The Colts consistently draft well and have a deep team. They have Manning, but we have Brady - - doesn't mean that either team forgets it's bottom ten, like Dan Snyder or Jerry Jones does.

Of those four teams (Steelers, Giants, Colts, Patriots), only one - - the Patriots - - has gone big into free agency the past five years - - and, not coincidentally, has been the only one not to win a SB in that time. That philosophy may be changing back to fundamentals again in NE.

 

[Kimimar0]

Its a good message, we saved quite a bit of money from the Moss trade so we use it to reward guys who have impressed.

 

[drew4008]

I don't feel sympathetic..... they shoulda busted their asses more in college.

With the way the drafting system works, that's not necessarily the case. Prospects who did little to nothing in college can and do get drafted based on hype/potential or workout numbers alone.

 

[shmessy]

The point involved the bottom 10 players, not the regular backups. I believe that Super Bowl teams have to have solid backups. However, the point involved the top 43 asnd tghe bottom 10. I don't think that having the best bottom ten wins Super Bowls. Now, if we evaluated the 34-43th players on the roster, I might have a different view. Even then, I'm not sure the statment is true.

2004 NE Patriots SuperBowl Secondary Cornerbacks:

Earthwind Moreland, Hank Poteat, Randall Gay, Asante Samuel (4th rounder the previous year).

This secondary held Peyton Manning (until then record breaking 49 TD's) to 3 points in the playoffs, beat a 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers team in their own stadium and beat Donovan McNabb and a broken leg TO in the SB.

In a 19/20 game season, you're only as strong as your weakest link.

 

[mgteich]

I well understand how well Gay and Samuel played that year. I'd welcome either of them back now at the right price.

Obviously Moreland is one of your binkies. He was not very good at all.
Also, you might consider how well the front seven played that year. A solid front seven makes mediocre corners look awefully good.

2004 NE Patriots SuperBowl Secondary Cornerbacks:

Earthwind Moreland, Hank Poteat, Randall Gay, Asante Samuel (4th rounder the previous year).

This secondary held Peyton Manning (until then record breaking 49 TD's) to 3 points in the playoffs, beat a 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers team in their own stadium and beat Donovan McNabb and a broken leg TO in the SB.

In a 19/20 game season, you're only as strong as your weakest link.

 

[Deus Irae]

2004 NE Patriots SuperBowl Secondary Cornerbacks:

Earthwind Moreland, Hank Poteat, Randall Gay, Asante Samuel (4th rounder the previous year).

This secondary held Peyton Manning (until then record breaking 49 TD's) to 3 points in the playoffs, beat a 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers team in their own stadium and beat Donovan McNabb and a broken leg TO in the SB.

In a 19/20 game season, you're only as strong as your weakest link.

Again, the Steelers, Colts, Saints and Giants won recent Super Bowls without having that great "bottom 10" on the roster. It's a different approach to the same goal, and more than one approach has been shown to work.

 

[lurker1965]

...

Obviously Moreland is one of your binkies. ...

I agree with you. The best thing about Moreland was teams tried to get Brown on the field thinking he was worse, not a step up.

 

[RayClay]

So can Darnell Jenkins play, or what? 250K. They could use an occasional deep threat.

 

[shmessy]

I well understand how well Gay and Samuel played that year. I'd welcome either of them back now at the right price.

Obviously Moreland is one of your binkies. He was not very good at all.
Also, you might consider how well the front seven played that year. A solid front seven makes mediocre corners look awefully good.

Mg, they won the SB in 2004 after beating a record breaking Manning and a 15-1 Steelers team with a CB squad consisting of 2 UDFA's a 2nd year 4th round pick and Hank Poteat.

It's a clear fact, three out of those 4 CB's were the bottom 10 on that roster. Possibly all 4 were (Samuel was not "SAMUEL" by that point).

Spin that anyway you want.

My point is not that the bottom 10 are the most important part of the team. Not at all. But you cannot get through a 19/20 game campaign successfully without having an excellent bottom 10.