REPORT: Patriots Add WR Austin Collie

[JackBauer]

Re: Austin Collie signed

+1. This has me extremely nervous about Amendola's health

4. Little connection to Amendola. While there is a temptation to think that perhaps Collie's addition is tied to Amendola needing more time, that's not the sense we get. Amendola, it seems, is closing on a return.

Thoughts on Patriots' signing of receiver Austin Collie - ESPN Boston

 

[Aßßynormal]

Re: Austin Collie signed

Thompkins, limited shoulder, was probably the last straw. Collie gives us useful depth. What if only Boyce and Edelman are available? We throw the ball to Sudfeld? I guess we'll have too (plus Hooman). I hope Washington is available and ready for WR slot work this week.

 

[DaBruinz]

Re: Austin Collie signed

Curious signing. I really wish he would just retire. The guy is already looking at being a complete vegetable in his 50's, if he even makes it that far. I wonder what this means for the health of Amendola.

I think it says more about Dobson and Thompkins health than it does Amendola. Dobson and Thompkins are both banged up. Only ones who are "healthy" are Boyce and Edelman.

 

[chumpchange]

Re: Austin Collie signed

And those risks would be???

Seriously, if he gets hurt he is gone. If he doesn't, he was a very good receiver a couple years back. He should be able to learn the sytsem and there is no cost to the Pats to speak of.

Guy wants to play ball, it is his head, his body, and his life. So his choice.

Some posters here should remember this is football, guys get paid extremely well to go out and risk life and limb.

People in the military go out and risk life and limb and get paid less then many of us.

I second this. He desperately wants back in the NFL, has offered to sign waivers, understands the risk completely, and still wants to play. Lots of professions are MUCH more risky and much less compensated, and people have the free will to engage in them if they choose to assume that risk.

 

[DaBruinz]

Re: Austin Collie signed

He missed all of last season with a patella injury or something and it was a pretty serious injury. Obviously, we need some depth at WR as Edelman has never played a full season ever and neither has AmeninjuryDola. Its low risk and high reward, teh same way BB has done it for years. The only question in my mind is if he is smart enough to run the routes properly and if TB12 can get comfortable enough to throw the ball his way. I think it is a good signing.

This shows how little people know:

Amendola played 16 games in 2010 and in 2009, the 2 he missed weren't injury-related. It was because he was a rookie.

 

[DaBruinz]

Re: Austin Collie signed

As a side note, with regards to depth at WR, we still have Mark Harrison stashed somewhere, on some designation. I’m not sure what the deal with him is, but he’s a freak. If someone can enlighten me/us on his status, I would greatly appreciate it.

Mark Harrison is on the Non-Football Injury list. He's eligible to start practicing after week 6... Same with Armstead

 

[BobDigital]

Re: Austin Collie signed

My guess is this is just a depth move and everything injury wise is status quo from what we thought before this signing.

However, I have my own minor suspicion that this could move Sudfeld down to the inactive game day roster or put him on the practice squad. To be frank his play has not justified him being in the game I think right now Collie can help you more.

Well looks like I hit that nail on the head! Sudfeld has just been released (hope we resign him to the PS cause I like his promise).

 

[shmessy]

Re: Austin Collie signed

And those risks would be???

Seriously, if he gets hurt he is gone. If he doesn't, he was a very good receiver a couple years back. He should be able to learn the sytsem and there is no cost to the Pats to speak of.

Guy wants to play ball, it is his head, his body, and his life. So his choice.

Some posters here should remember this is football, guys get paid extremely well to go out and risk life and limb.

People in the military go out and risk life and limb and get paid less then many of us.

Wow, you have your perspective in order.

Our military people are not playing a freakin' game.

 

[JMC00]

Re: Austin Collie signed

Eh, I'm not sure how much you can take from that. Ocho was faster than Branch and Brady still felt better throwing the Branch. This is purely a depth move if it doesn't have any bearing on the status of Dobson and Amendola.

Branch and Chad Johnson is a bad example. Austin Collie has never caught a pass from Tom Brady.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Austin Collie signed

Branch and Chad Johnson is a bad example. Austin Collie has never caught a pass from Tom Brady.

I'm failing to see how that's relevant to what you posted.

 

[shmessy]

Re: Austin Collie signed

I second this. He desperately wants back in the NFL, has offered to sign waivers, understands the risk completely, and still wants to play. Lots of professions are MUCH more risky and much less compensated, and people have the free will to engage in them if they choose to assume that risk.

Another genius.....

The vast majority of those professions are about protecting and saving human lives.

Yes, there are freak show professions like human cannonballs, motorcycle jumpers and flame eaters at roadside carnivals. But even the MMA tests their athletes very closely. Notice none of them play on teams for franchises.

The biggest headwind for football as a sport going forward is this whole concussion issue. It is the #1 threat to the NFL's future. Nothing else comes close. If you do not understand that, you haven't been awake the past 5 years.

I can assure you, the NFL does NOT allow anyone to just enter into the league by signing a waiver saying "Yeah, I'm not well, but I'll sign a waiver".

 

[neuronet]

Re: Austin Collie signed

Another genius.....

The vast majority of those professions are about protecting and saving human lives.

Yes, there are freak show professions like human cannonballs, motorcycle jumpers and flame eaters at roadside carnivals. But even the MMA tests their athletes very closely. Notice none of them play on teams for franchises.

The biggest headwind for football as a sport going forward is this whole concussion issue. It is the #1 threat to the NFL's future. Nothing else comes close. If you do not understand that, you haven't been awake the past 5 years.

I can assure you, the NFL does NOT allow anyone to just enter into the league by signing a waiver saying "Yeah, I'm not well, but I'll sign a waiver".

Shmessy you mad bro?

It's not like there are no safety measures in place. I see them being extra cautious with him. He really wants to play. We really need someone. Why being such a worry wort he's a grown man? I don't get it.

Let's have some optimism people. This guy is an amazing reciever when peaking, we might have something special on our hands!

 

[shmessy]

Re: Austin Collie signed

Shmessy you mad bro?

It's not like there are no safety measures in place. I see them being extra cautious with him. He really wants to play. We really need someone. Why being such a worry wort he's a grown man? I don't get it.

Let's have some optimism people. This guy is an amazing reciever when peaking, we might have something special on our hands!

Nah, just working on deadline! .

And you are completely right. They are sure to be very careful with this guy - - you understand there are no "You're a huge risk, therefore you will sign a waiver and we are completely blameless".

The reasoning "Eh, he'll sign a waiver" is almost as ridiculous as "Hey, our soldiers put their lives on the line, why not guys who are trying to score touchdowns!"

This guy is very talented. The expectation (and requirement for the NFL) is that his health is ok enough to play.

Anyone who says, "Who cares, he'll sign a waiver" is not to be taken seriously.

 

[JMC00]

Re: Austin Collie signed

I'm failing to see how that's relevant to what you posted.

It wasn't meant to be relevant to what I posted, it's relevant to your post.

Ocho was faster than Branch and Brady still felt better throwing the Branch.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Austin Collie signed

It wasn't meant to be relevant to what I posted, it's relevant to your post.

No, it's not. Your OP was about Boyce's speed being an advantage over Collie's and I gave you just one more recent instance in which speed didn't matter. Ocho had more speed than Branch, but Brady threw to Branch more because he could trust him to be in the right place at the right time. If Collie can digest the playbook, and Brady has more confidence in him to be in the right place at the right time than Boyce, then Collie will get playing time over Boyce and the speed differential won't make a bit of difference.

 

[mgteich]

Re: Austin Collie signed

As of today, the only healthy wide receivers are Edelman and Boyce.

Of course gronk is out and Sudfeld has been waived.

I am surprised that we didn't sign a WR weeks ago. That being said, this seems a strange choice. Of course, Collie could be gone by Saturday.

 

[supafly]

Re: Austin Collie signed

This move has nothing to do with Josh Boyce

Josh Boyce has been getting open, it's not his fault Brady doesn't throw to him. And about the do everything better, well that's wrong. Boyce is faster than Collie.

The odds of all of Thompkins, Dobson, and Boyce highly contributing or even all seeing the field when Amendola/Gronk return are slim at best.

Not only that, but it's rather obvious that Brady doesn't have much chemistry with Boyce, nor does he seem to trust him based on his 6 targets in 4 games.

I would firmly disagree with your thoughts that Boyce is better than Collie (aside from the concussion concerns) at this point in time. Collie has had 3/4 seasons where he caught about 55+ balls, and has the experience and range to go inside/intermediate routes--which is pretty much all that Boyce was doing at this point.

I never claimed that's why the move was made. I asked another poster a question if they thought it were possible. Obviously we could improve upon the position of Josh Boyce--at least for this rookie season anyway.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Re: Austin Collie signed

Collie borders on desperation

maybe an injury depth precautionary move

 

[supafly]

Re: Austin Collie signed

I am surprised that we didn't sign a WR weeks ago. That being said, this seems a strange choice. Of course, Collie could be gone by Saturday.

I'm not as surprised as you are about not signing another receiver, at least with Harrison and Sims that are familiar with the system anyway. I did not feel that the odds were too good of bringing in an outsider at this point in time.

Collie would seem to be somewhat of a "strange" signing for sure, but it's possible that Belichick sees his experience in a system that was similar to ours in some ways as a benefit. After all, the guy did have 54+ catches in 3 of his 4 seasons in the league with Manning.

He should be able to run the short/intermediate routes well enough that he could be considered an upgrade to the WR4-5 due to experience, or at least a depth signing at worst. In a best case scenario, he never sees the field too much anyway with Amendola, Edelman, Thompkins, and Dobson healthy.

 

[supafly]

Re: Austin Collie signed

Collie borders on desperation

My guess is that the pickings were slim, PWP.

Outsiders without much experience in our system (or at least a similar system in some ways) aren't likely to be able to come in and contribute much based on their inexperience and inability to pick up the nuances of our scheme if called upon; at least not too much at this point in the season anyway.

Where I feel they may have dropped the ball was not targeting someone earlier in the summer when they became aware of the Hernandez debacle. Of course it's possible that they thought they'd wait and see how the offense/rookies looked first, and then felt that they could make the average waiver wire signing with a guy like Collie. Who the hell knows?