I think that you're absolutely right. The Patriots do try to do the right thing by their players -- especially vets like Tebucky.
It's still puzzling to me, though, how it could be that they felt that Tebucky could be a contributor last season but now have decided that he can't -- without any serious intervening playing time.
I understadn that. The Pats do it all the time with honored vets. But I don't understadn why they would cut him at all. THey signed him for two years with a (small) sb. He wasout for one injured, why not try him out the second year. He was still under contract, they aren't in cap trouble, and theree is a reason they signed him for two years?????
You naughty boys, changing the question to which my answer applied.
1. I don't know what factors made the decision for BB.
2. But I can speculate! :singing:
- Since the conclusion of the Indy collapse, the primary focus of the staff has been developing an After Action Report (AAR) and using it to outline the changes needed to move forward. This undoubtedly involved a look back to the template created after the 2005 season. That template appeared to call for more speed to Special Teams and creating more depth at S - addressed by signing two SS/Special Teams studs: Jones and Mitchell. Preseason injuries screwed that approach right into the ground.
The Pats compensated by hiring & firing a variety of experienced STs players off the street and plugging in Practice Squad players as fast as they could be developed. At the close of the season, there were two large fast SS types on IR, Rodney on Sick, Lame, & Lazy, Sanders, Baker, Hawkins, and Andrews on the field and some good, "fast," Special Teams' players from the LB, CB, WR, and RB inventories plugged in and doing a pretty fair job when you consider all the turnover.
The AAR process would also have meant reviewing Training Camp and Preseason film to evaluate the players improvement from start to finish. It doesn't appear that the template has changed significantly (except for Jones), since the DB/Special Teams inventory is still pretty deep, soooo...
- A. The oldest reserve gets the shaft.
- B. Tebucky wasn't progressing fast/well enough in his recovery.
- C. The template is changing and the emphasis will be on young, fast LBs, WRs, CBs, TEs, and water boys vice Ss.
- D. Tebucky said naughty things about someone's mother.
- E. Tebucky stunk and was on the cut list for preseason, but saved his income by wrecking his knee.
- F. The depth in the draft for S looks very promising and BB/SP can be assured of getting at least one "younger" player from the pool of large Ss and small coverage LBs.
There you go, my deepest thoughts on the subject all catalogued for your edification. Best Wishes for Tebucky. :rocker:
