Surprise of the 2010 TC...

[jczxohn1]

Certainly plenty to be excited about from that list I am not sure if some deserve to be considered suprises especially the ones about the rookies and second year players.

2, 5 , and 10 seem like good ones though and I will add another suprise and that is the play of Marques Murrell. I am not saying he is the next Vrable but when we signed him I thought he would compete for STs and thats it and to see him competing for the OLB role and even flashing some skills there is a suprise to me.

Murrell's play was a welcome surprise to me as well. To think Ryan cut him to bring his boyz up from Balt. will make all the sweeter if he is able to make them pay.

 

[ausbacker]

I'm surprised that Bill Belichick can't decide between the traditional neck shirt and the more trendy v-neck shirt so he bastardizes both.

 

[SanAngeloState]

1. Ninkovich looking very solid
2. Tate looking like an all Pro
3. Connolly looking better than that bum Mankins
4. Warren looking much better than Warren, an improvement for sure
5. Spikes supplanting Guyton with much better physicality and toughness
6. Cunningham second coming of LT
7. Brady, tanned, rested, ready no lingering effects
8. Welker, what more can be said.

 

[mloyko]

A couple more surprises

- How quick Hernandez, Gronkowski have made an impact. They both have come into camp and looked like they are going to contribute from day 1. The TE position has been overhauled and will be one of our most improved areas this season.

-Our kick/punt return depth. With McCourty,Edelman, Tate, Price we have gone from one of the weakest units in the NFL to potential one of the deepest and best kick return unit in the NFL.

Our special teams last year were awful, both our kick return and kick coverage units were terrible, and we had the worst punter in the league, so I expect our special teams as a whole to be much better this year.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I couldn't disagree more--not many surprises at all.

Wow, TC and one pre-season game and people are ready to declare that:

1. Wheatley is starter material all of the sudden,
2. Gerrard Warren is as good, if not better than Ty Warren,
3. Brandon Tate is not only ready to be a starting WR in the NFL, but is going to terrorize opposing defenses on the other side of Moss,
4. Hoyer could be the second coming of Tom Brady,
5. Mankins gone? No problem--meet Dan Connolly,
6. Julian Edelman is the next Wes Welker (only better because he has better physical tools!).

Seriously, I'm totally pumped about exactly two things: Brandon Spikes and Wes Welker. To me, neither are surprises--Spikes had "natural" written all over him. And Welker is Welker (just keeping fingers crossed--the way he plays, he is injury waiting to happen.

It's a bit of a surprise that it took so long for some poster to exaggerate everything that's been said in order to make this whole string appear ridiculous. I would have expected that this happened by post 20.

 

[Sicilian]

-Our kick/punt return depth. With McCourty,Edelman, Tate, Price we have gone from one of the weakest units in the NFL to potential one of the deepest and best kick return unit in the NFL.

I need to see more out of Tate and Price on returns before I declare them depth. They have the talent to do it, but I didn't see anything against the Saints to say they're anything above average. On the other hand, McCourty looks great and a definite improvement at KR over last year, and Edelman at least gives us another option on PR. Welker is good (but would be better to keep him out of that role if we have a similar alternative) and Faulk is solid but really a game breaker on PR anymore.

Our special teams last year were awful, both our kick return and kick coverage units were terrible, and we had the worst punter in the league, so I expect our special teams as a whole to be much better this year.

Agreed here. Outside of the KR TD, I thought our kick coverage was excellent against the Saints. Seemed like we were always stopping them around the 25 yard line or so. Combine that with Gost's frequent touchbacks, and an improved punter, and the defense is going to have a long field to work with more often than not.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Agreed here. Outside of the KR TD, I thought our kick coverage was excellent against the Saints. Seemed like we were always stopping them around the 25 yard line or so. Combine that with Gost's frequent touchbacks, and an improved punter, and the defense is going to have a long field to work with more often than not.

Long field for Mayo, Spikes, et al. + Short field for TFB = :rocker: :rocker: :rocker: for fans