TE Visanthe Shiancoe to in season IR

[Joker]

watch...after all this...Herno will get one pass thrown his way and Gronk will block the whole game as BB tries to get his 9.5 million worth from Welker by targeting him 30 times...that and about twenty of those delayed draws they run when the O line is a sad sack sorry sight.

 

[Ring 6]

As opposed to the following ex-Patriots tight ends:

Fred Baxter
Kyle Brady
Chris Baker

Right, because those guys caught 50 passes a year and had 20 receiving TDs in 3 years.

 

[Sicilian]

I think this is getting a bit overblown. If you're going to use this designation, you need to use it on a player who meets the following criteria:

1) He's hurt enough that there's significant chance that HIS backup will get hurt before he can come back. Thus you need more insurance on the 53.

2) He's not hurt quite enough that he is likely to miss the rest of the season.

3) You believe his ability is enough that it's worth getting him back versus a player you could sign off the scrap heap.

Those criteria create a sort of Goldilocks Zone of circumstances that I'm guessing not every team has happen every season. So you might as well use it while you've got a decent situation. Not to mention that, with each passing week, the chances that #2 is true get less and less.

 

[brdmaverick]

I have to agree with sentiment on here that it was a bad move. With every football season it's likely that someone else will get hurt that this option would be best spent on.

 

[Sicilian]

I have to agree with sentiment on here that it was a bad move. With every football season it's likely that someone else will get hurt that this option would be best spent on.

Again though, it's a very specific set of circumstances that make this option ideal for an important player. For example, if Jerod Mayo goes down in week 4, and he's predicted back in 4-6 weeks, are you going to use it on him? With his history of coming back quickly, he's likely going to be closer to coming back in 4 weeks, so you're going to accept that you lose him for an additional 4, just so you can replace his spot on the roster with a 53rd player who will probably be inactive on game days?

You basically need to KNOW that this player is going to be gone for right around the 8 weeks, otherwise you're going to end up shelving the player for more weeks than is necessary.

 

[BSR]

I have to agree with sentiment on here that it was a bad move. With every football season it's likely that someone else will get hurt that this option would be best spent on.

So you rather that they cut someone so they keep Shiancoe on the 53? Its obvious that they want to keep Shiancoe so how does this benefit them if they have to cut someone now so as not to use this IR rule?

 

[Ring 6]

So you rather that they cut someone so they keep Shiancoe on the 53? Its obvious that they want to keep Shiancoe so how does this benefit them if they have to cut someone now so as not to use this IR rule?

There is no way to know if another opportunity to use it would come up. In the event it did, you could simply leave that player on the 53 as an inactive until he is healthy.
The only dilemma would be that you may need more end of the roster manuevering due to injuries to actives, but 1 injured player on the 53 isn't going to make much difference.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Reading the comments I don't understand why the NFL made the rule so restrictive. Why not allow more flexibility given that medical issues aren't physics and outcomes may unexpectedly vary from plan?

 

[mgteich]

Even 2 or 3 injuries wouldn't make much difference. Would it really make much difference if Forston, Francis and Rivera were on the Practice Squad instead of the 53?

There is no way to know if another opportunity to use it would come up. In the event it did, you could simply leave that player on the 53 as an inactive until he is healthy.

The only dilemma would be that you may need more end of the roster manuevering due to injuries to actives, but 1 injured player on the 53 isn't going to make much difference.

 

[Spiral]

Given the number of TE options that the Patriots have, I think the alternative to DFR IR would be to cut him. Who would claim him and put him on their 53-man roster for game 1, thereby guaranteeing him is 2012 salary? Probably no one.

 

[Ring 6]

Even 2 or 3 injuries wouldn't make much difference. Would it really make much difference if Forston, Francis and Rivera were on the Practice Squad instead of the 53?

Depends on where the injuries are since they are on the roster for depth.
Lets see if any are actvie though before dismissing them as useless.

 

[Ring 6]

Given the number of TE options that the Patriots have, I think the alternative to DFR IR would be to cut him. Who would claim him and put him on their 53-man roster for game 1, thereby guaranteeing him is 2012 salary? Probably no one.

I think you lose more by losing the player than you gain by reserving the potential to maybe use it on someone else.
I know its a brand new and shiny idea, but there isn't a lot of value at stake here.

 

[mgteich]

However, others would likely have signed him next week. We already have the $400K committed. If we cut him and signed him next week, we would have an injured player and have to pay him again.

In any case, Shiancoe is one of at least 3 options later this year at 4th TE: Shiancoe, Hooman and Ballard. We have the best starting tandem of TE's in the league. We also have the best backup tandem. Finally, we have the best Plan C options if someone is injured. We WILL NOT repeat last year's travesty of not having TE's to run the offense when one of our tTE's was injured.

This is an 8 week IR list. We will basically make a decision about Shiancoe and Ballard at the same time.

This is a special team with SEVEN tight ends under contract for 2012.

Given the number of TE options that the Patriots have, I think the alternative to DFR IR would be to cut him. Who would claim him and put him on their 53-man roster for game 1, thereby guaranteeing him is 2012 salary? Probably no one.

 

[mgteich]

I didn't say that they were useless. I merely stated that we wouldn't lose much by having them on the Practice Squad instead of being inactive. We might activate one of them if there are injuries at other positions.

Depends on where the injuries are since they are on the roster for depth.
Lets see if any are actvie though before dismissing them as useless.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Given the number of TE options that the Patriots have, I think the alternative to DFR IR would be to cut him. Who would claim him and put him on their 53-man roster for game 1, thereby guaranteeing him is 2012 salary? Probably no one.

Exactly. People need to think this through.

Keeping Shiancoe on the 53 is the worst possible option. Let's say that Shiancoe is kept on the 53 may roster and the hypothetical Mayo injury happen. Mayo is then placed on the 8 week-IR list. What, exactly, have you gained over the other scenario of Shiancoe being on the 8-week IR list and Mayo being on the 53 man roster? Anyone?

Obviously, you haven't gained a thing; it's at best equivalent.

So, the real question to ask is:

Is Shiancoe worthy of an essentially guaranteed spot on the team at the halfway point of the season?​

If the answer is yes, then end of discussion since it *always* make sense to use the 8 week-IR list designation on him (see above discussion). If the answer is no, then the other option is to cut Shiancoe now so that you can have someone else on the 53.

What's the point of keeping Shiancoe on the 53 if you're not sure he's good enough? What's the point of not using the 8 week-IR designation if he is good enough?

Hopefully this makes as much to other as it does to me.