Pats sign veteran OT Oliver Ross

[patchick]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

anyone else ever notice that when a new player signs on, the post are always split into "he's to old, he sucks" or "great sign, should help" is was even that way with Moss. Has anyone came on that we all just agreed on?

Adalius Thomas.

 

[Terry Glenn is a cowgirl]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2008/06/patriots_agree.html



Nice move. If he can get back to his Steelers days.


thoughts?

Nice depth...

 

[tombonneau]

I'm cautiously optimistic on most no-name signing, but a 33-year old journeyman OL who spent last year out on IR likely won't even make this squad. Seems like a warm camp body to me.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

My entry into this year's "Guy who'll most likely retire during camp" category or poll.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

ok, here is my opinion on this signing, and every other that came before and will come after. I dont care how old a player is, or what he has done on previos teams, if the patriots think they are good enough to sign on, thats ok by me. I dont care how you were then, show me what you got now.

And see how he performs in our system vs someone elses. There've been players who've really developed here, and they probably never would have elsewhere playing under a different system or QB. Or coach-BB's one of the best at putting players in a position to succeed and so is Brady.
I agree- I'm ok with any signing until it's proven to be otherwise.

 

[Horace's Ivories]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

Yep. Most NFL teams are desperate on June 2nd.

classic! 10 char

 

[NE39]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

No, at worst he gets hurt in training camp and the Pats are on the hook for his entire salary. See Stableford, Dana.

You mean Dana Stubblefield?

Still, even with that, the risk is likely minimal. I'd bet anything he signed for the minimum and less than $40K in guaranteed money. That would qualify for the veteran's exception, which means at worst he would eat $490K in cap room. Taking a chance on a quality vet at short money like that is well worth the risk.

 

[Lifer]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

it assures us of a 19-0 season!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tedy54]

Not a bad move. A little long in the tooth for an O lineman but his experience mixed with the younger players, makes for a good combination. He's a good one to have around albeit not as a starter any longer.

 

[Ungeheuer]

Oliver Ross was a very good right tackle for the Steelers. I lost track of him after he went to the Cards, but my sense of him is that he signed a big deal there, was expected to anchor the Arizona line, and didn't pan out playing mostly at left tackle. That said, he was a very good run-blocking-type right tackle at Pittsburgh. It's a little weird because from what I remember he wasn't the typical Pats-type tackle -- not small and athletic, but more a huge road-grader type. If someone else out there has seen him play more, please correct me, but that was my impression. But if he's healthy, he might be a nice pickup.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

Don't forget Britt. Given that he has hung around for a couple of years now "in the program", I assume that someone believes he can do the job.

Britt is too valuable to use at RT.

Based on what I've seen, he is the only one capable of handling the critical LOT position if they need to fill it because of injury. So despite his talent, he is stuck backing up LT. Plus he would only be a adequate RT, fine at pass blocking but without the drive blocking abilty needed in a RT.

Kaycur is an acceptable RT, but he would excel at RG if they needed him there, such as if Steve Neal is unable to continue, and had someone to play RT. I am not impressed with Billy Yates.

O'C has been un-able to develop the capacity to pass block effectively enough for full time play at RT.

Ross could play RG if needed, or more likely allow Kaycur to go there, which is more probable. The Pats line blocking schemes just seem are better when the RG can trap and pull.

O'C couldn't do that, and Ross may be unable to do that as well.

So if Neal is unavailable, then Kaycur to RG, and Ross to RT. O'C and Yates remain backups along with Britt.

What do you think?

 

[Pats726]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

No, at worst he gets hurt in training camp and the Pats are on the hook for his entire salary. See Stableford, Dana.

Dana Stubblefield...He was on IR then cut as he had an injury settlement...entire salary?? Didn't happen..

 

[castlelong1]

I look at it like all signing in June. No big signing bonus? Cool, if he sucks he is cuttable. If he's good, why would I complain? Heck, sign up Stalin, Pol Pot, and Jimmy Olsen if they are cuttable.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

Is this a move of desperation?

A move of desperation would have been trading future draft picks or a good player from our team at another position for a decent tackle on another team. You might also consider it a move of desperation if we were to pull Bruce Armstrong out of retirement.

Signing an aging vet to possibly add depth and at the very least, add competition in training camp isn't desperation... it's business as usual.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

My entry into this year's "Guy who'll most likely retire during camp" category or poll.

Really? I'm going with Marcus Pollard.

 

[spacecrime]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

Dana Stubblefield...He was on IR then cut as he had an injury settlement...entire salary?? Didn't happen..

I never heard about him being cut. He was signed and he was hurt while practicing, and then placed on IR. Being placed on IR is not the same as being cut. The rules are pretty clear about players who are injured playing football, and I remember reading about this one as he was hurt very early on.

If Stubblefield chose to sign an injury settlement later, he could have, but he was not required to. I never heard that he did, though. If I were interested enough, I suppose the salary data is somewhere, but ....

 

[Pats726]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

I never heard about him being cut. He was signed and he was hurt while practicing, and then placed on IR. Being placed on IR is not the same as being cut. The rules are pretty clear about players who are injured playing football, and I remember reading about this one as he was hurt very early on.

If Stubblefield chose to sign an injury settlement later, he could have, but he was not required to. I never heard that he did, though. If I were interested enough, I suppose the salary data is somewhere, but ....

An assertion was made that his full salary was paid because he was on IR and that was not what happened. Stubblefield was injured after the first preseason game that year and placed on IR after the 3rd game. After the Arizona game in that week he was cut from IR as there was an injury settlement. Not sure what pct of his salry was paid, but I am sure it would be on Miguel's pages.

 

[Dino 6 Rings]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

Its a good signing for the Pats for depth at the position. Ross was a monster for a while for the Steelers but the "more money bug" got him sent to the Cards and then the "injury bug now that I got my money" bit him. Don't expect him to start, but should a guy go down on your o-line for a week or 2, Ross could fill in nicely.

 

[NEPatriot]

Re: Oliver Ross Signs with Pats

I like his 1 year deal. If he is productive, he will stay next year. If not, we don't loose anything.

 

[Urgent]

eh.

Some points:

If he's injured, Pats would eat his entire salary.
Not necessarily the case. As noted, injury insurance. If he gets better, they can release him if he's not on IR. And finally, the Pats are $10mm under the cap. The risk of paying $500K (vet min) might be worth it.

Clearly depth. I'm not sure about the whole 'Ross at RT, Kaczur at RG' if Neal is injured. If Neal is injured, it's more likely that Billy "Highest Paid PS Player in History" Yates or Russ Hochstein plays RG.

Adding a veteran RT for camp makes sense. I'm sure the money was right. There are surprisingly no rookies, neither drafted nor even udfa at tackle. Josh Coffman was a Patriot for about 24 hours, from the time they signed him as a rookie free agent to the time they first saw him on the field.

If Kaczur or O'Callaghan is injured in training camp or preseason, he will be valuable. Right now, I'd say he is just above Marcus Pollard and just below Scott Player on the depth chart. In the case of Pollard, if Watson or Thomas was injured, I'd rather have Stupar or DeVree. In the case of Ross, if Kaczur or O'Callaghan was injured, I'd be happy to have Ross as a back-up.