The Least Valuable Safety

[TBR]

I've been wondering why so many have assumed all week that 2 players who have played a total of ONE practice with the team would actually see the field for much, if at all of the action?

Talib played for us in the very 1st game after we traded for him. He had 1 week of practice too.

Browner's been a Patriot for 6 months. Played through training camp and pre-season.

 

[mgteich]

I can tell you this Don Jones lost the gunner job last season with Miami because of his poor play in that role. He is an average special teams player at best and in comparison to Cole who held a similar role last season he is a significant downgrade. Browner plays specials just an FYI, he is actually a damn good special teams player.

http://www.fieldgulls.com/2012/1/5/2682954/brandon-browner-goes-beastmode-on-special-teams

Just another tidbit from the poster who doesn't understand special teams. I'm not sure how many times you want to make some assertion on my understanding of football only to have me prove that I'm actually more knowledgeable than you on the subject but we can keep doing this if you would like.

Perhaps you have a communication problem. We'll do this is small bits.

1) You said "Don Jones did not play on Monday". Actually he played on 4 ST units.

2) If you MEANT to say that Jones didn't play well, that is another position entirely.

3) If you believe that Browner should play all 4 special teams units and be our gunner in place of Jones who should be cut, you MIGHT have said that. Most of us would prefer that Browner be used more as defensive player and less as a Special Teamer, but that is another matter.

4) If you simply disagree with Jones as the Belichick's choice to play Speical Teams and think that he should be cut because of poor performance, with no named replacement, you might have said that.

BUT NO,

You simply asserted that "Don Jones didn't play and I didn't notice any significant difference" and further that "I would cut him"

For some of us, it is difficult to see from your statement that you well understood that Jones indeed DID play on all the Special Teams units, and that you DID notice his poor play. For me, this is most difficult to discern from your post.

 

[Brady6]

Perhaps you have a communication problem. We'll do this is small bits.

1) You said "Don Jones did not play on Monday". Actually he played on 4 ST units.

2) If you MEANT to say that Jones didn't play well, that is another position entirely.

3) If you believe that Browner should play all 4 special teams units and be our gunner in place of Jones who should be cut, you MIGHT have said that. Most of us would prefer that Browner be used more as defensive player and less as a Special Teamer, but that is another matter.

4) If you simply disagree with Jones as the Belichick's choice to play Speical Teams and think that he should be cut because of poor performance, with no named replacement, you might have said that.

BUT NO,

You simply asserted that "Don Jones didn't play and I didn't notice any significant difference" and further that "I would cut him"

For some of us, it is difficult to see from your statement that you well understood that Jones indeed DID play on all the Special Teams units, and that you DID notice his poor play. For me, this is most difficult to discern from your post.

I meant against Oakland he missed that gams and we didn't appear any different. My apologies for my mistake.

Jones is not the gunner with us that is Slafers job.

 

[supafly]

Talib played for us in the very 1st game after we traded for him. He had 1 week of practice too.

Browner's been a Patriot for 6 months. Played through training camp and pre-season.

All due respect, I think your comparison between the 2 is horrible. You are forgetting the most important aspects:

1) Browner only had the opportunity to have ONE real practice with the team coming on a shortened week. It was hardly the same for Talib, who practiced 3 straight times.

2) Browner hasn't taken place in any kind of game setting in a very long time, since he's been suspended for awhile going back to last year. Aqib Talib had been playing that season when we traded for him, and thus was in proper football shape. Belichick addressed this during his Friday presser.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

With respect to the OP, I'd agree that Harmon is our least valuable safety. However, he is part of the rotation, provides depth, and has 3 years left on his rookie contract. I'd be surprised to see him go. If nobody gets hurt this week, I'd expect an attempt to get Butler to the PS with a larger than normal salary.

The only way I can see around this is if BB thinks he can convert Ryan to safety right away as Browner moves into the CB mix. However, with Ebner out (or at least uncertain for next week given that he's out this week), the big dime DB role needs to be filled, and that further reduces safety depth. Wilson could move into this role with Chung or Collins as his backup, but that's a lot of positions to shuffle just to keep a CB with potential who doesn't play much. Even when he got reps last week, Butler looked lost much of the time, circling the edges of the play.

In simpler terms, I think the premise of the OP ignores the most straightforward approach: the Pats add a CB, so they cut a CB - especially with depth concerns at other positions.

 

[Brady6]

Talib played for us in the very 1st game after we traded for him. He had 1 week of practice too.

Browner's been a Patriot for 6 months. Played through training camp and pre-season.

Talib actually was acquired during our bye week on 11/1/12 and he did not play until the Colts game on 11/18/12.

 

[goheels22002]

There's no comparison between Talib and Browner. Talib was playing full-time in Tampa Bay, and was shooting his way out of town with Sciano (almost literally with his gun violations hanging over his head.) He also was a bye-week pickup, so he had lots of time with the Patriots coaches and his position group to get acclimated.