The official "If this were the END of preseason, who stays, who goes, thread?

[Bostonian1962]

I hope we weren't cutting our rookie 3rd round pick.


Buddy is gone though, sorry. Practice squad if we're lucky.


WR: (6)

Branch
Ochocinco
Welker
Price
Edelman
Slater (ST)

Agreed!...................................................

 

[Bostonian1962]

I know it's early, but I'm seeing some good problems on this team.

Both backup QBs look very solid, Hoyer we already knew about, Mallet's first game looking great so far.

Where do I even start at running back? We know that BJGE is solid, I'd say above average, Woodhead is something special every time he touches the ball. Ridley seems like he breaks the first tackle every time, he's tough to wrap up. He can also get unbelievably low to the ground and keep his balance. I'm very impressed.

I think BJGE will be the work horse, Woodhead will be the 3rd down and passing back, Ridley will see a lot of goal line work.

Tight ends look great, we didn't see Gronk tonight but from all reports in training camp, he's embarrassing the defense. Hernandez had some fumble problems early but he sure can move. Yeatman had some nice grabs too. I don't recall seeing Smith.

Wide Receivers ...Price wants a spot. That's for sure, kid looks fast.

They showed Smith a bunch. I even seem to remember one of the penalties was on him. He sure looked the part, but then again so did Yeatman.

 

[Bostonian1962]

Not only did Price show great hands, and moves, and the ability to get open, but he took that defenseless hit to the head (on which the Jag was penalized), and was right back in there like nothing ever happened. That kid showed ALOT!

 

[TruthSeeker]

There was a real energy to the pass rush last night - nit was nice to see the guys on the outisde looking to beat their man rather than engage him in a bull rush.

My observation was that our outside rushers consistently ran up the field while the running back went right through the area they were supposedly defending for big gains. I hardly saw this as a positive.

 

[livinginthe past]

My observation was that our outside rushers consistently ran up the field while the running back went right through the area they were supposedly defending for big gains. I hardly saw this as a positive.

We each have our own perspective - i'm looking at the passing downs specifically where we pressured well off the edge and then stopped the QB stepping up.

Sure we got gashed in the run game a few times, but it was mostly early.

We also had 7th rounders and UDFA's making up a majority of that line.

 

[manxman2601]

You think it's unfortunate the shark wasn't real?

Fair question. That would depend on what happened a few seconds after the photo was taken I suppose.

No, the unfortunate was in reference to how dramatic a photo it was if it was real.

 

[Haley]

I was impressed by:
Richard - Darryl who?? Wow! Great Game from this guy!
Fletcher - especially when I found out he was doing the signalling last night
Price - Great footwork on catches and nice PR too, I think he replaces Tate this year
Ridley - Had some great moves!
Mallett - sluggish and a little sloppy, but not for a first game. Quite a cannon!
Hoyer - played a very pro game
Farnham - had a great night!
Arrington - always tight coverage, nicely played
Gostkowski - nice to see him back in full form with some long FGs!
Solder - even Hoyer commented after that nothing came from his left
Cohen - nice sack!
Cunningham - good pressure and nice sack too!
Slater - Blinding speed on ST

Underwhelmed by:
Edelman - just seems like the tank is on empty these days
Hernandez - butterfingers! Cmon Aaron, you can do better! Otherwise looked good.
Katula - still with the bad snaps?
Butler - They kept throwing to his side for a reason. Always seemed a step away from coverage.
Wilhite - Just didn't seem effective out there, kind of an off game for him I hope.

 

[condon84]

Come on. No matter the excuses you cant say corners played bad in a half of 2 completions. Thats just having a predetermined opinion and finding a way to fit it.
But, I'm speaking too much about this before watching

I'm a Butler fan so if anything I want the kid to succeed. If anything, the only predetermined opinion being shown is your reply to my post highlighted by the fact that you haven't even watched the game.

 

[patchick]

Come on. No matter the excuses you cant say corners played bad in a half of 2 completions. Thats just having a predetermined opinion and finding a way to fit it.
But, I'm speaking too much about this before watching

Andy, there's a case to be made that Butler wasn't really such a train wreck. One good example was a completion on something like 3 & 16 in Jax territory where the ball was thrown low and the receiver had to dive to the ground for it. Butler didn't challenge him at all, just sort of stood around and touched him dead...a yard shy of the 1st down. It looked awful, but it got the job done.

That said -- why on earth are you arguing about his play before you've even seen the game? Watch it first, then come back and argue!

 

[Haley]

I don't really think Butler was awful. It was more that the others around him were better. He isn't quite living up to expectations and there are just better alternatives on the team. Last night he was clearly beat out by Bodden and Arrington. I'm sure there is no question McCourty would beat him out as well. He played better than Wilhite and he looked better than the beginning of last year. But that is about the best I can say for him.

 

[fumbrunner]

My thoughts, from memory.

This team has incredible QB depth. It was my first time seeing Mallet and he looks great out there. Effortless in his delivery with incredible velocity. Many teams would die to have one decent QB. We have three.

Taylor Price looks like a guy that will force himself on the roster. Outstanding game by him. Tate is on the bubble, and I dont think the team will skip a beat without him.

Whilhite and Butler cannot cover. If we are going with a 4 man front, we need guys who can cover tightly. Neither of these guys can. Whilhite also missed a tackle on that big JAX run back, as did Merriweather. Arrington to nickel. One of these guys becomes a dime back, the other is gone. Flip a coin. Neither deserves to be here.

Love the pressure fromt he DL.

And what can you say about Dane Fletcher! Outstanding game.

 

[fumbrunner]

It looked to me that Butler was playing consistently with a big cushion...it that was dictated by the scheme, I don't know.

Hobbs 2.0. Let's hope it was scheme. I doubt it though.

 

[Urgent]

Hobbs 2.0. Let's hope it was scheme. I doubt it though.

Exactly.

You could replace all the negative comments on Butler with Hobbs name from several years ago. The only difference is that Hobbs was the #2; Butler is the #5 CB.

If he is fifth on the depth chart (assuming Dowling plays) the Pats should be fine.

 

[randomk1]

I don't really think Butler was awful. It was more that the others around him were better. He isn't quite living up to expectations and there are just better alternatives on the team. Last night he was clearly beat out by Bodden and Arrington. I'm sure there is no question McCourty would beat him out as well. He played better than Wilhite and he looked better than the beginning of last year. But that is about the best I can say for him.

How do you come to that conclusion? How many balls were thrown his way and what was the completion percentage against him? I'd love to see this guy improve but he showed no signs of it even against these ****ty jags receivers.

 

[BTTA]

If he is fifth on the depth chart (assuming Dowling plays) the Pats should be fine.

Isn't it wonderful for us to be this worried about the quality of play of the presumed #5 CB? I love being this spoiled.

And the 2nd string OL last night was remarkable. Granted, it was the Jags DL and LB's, but still it was their starting DL and LB's for a while.

 

[Urgent]

My take on winners & losers:

QB - all looked good.

RB - Ridley looked so good that this could really put pressure on Faulk's roster spot. How did Ridley look good? He showed power up the middle on the goal line against the Jacksonville starting defense. He showed the ability to bounce the ball outside when bottled up. And he caught seven balls. If he is this versatile, why do the Pats need a fifth and sixth back? We've all been big Faulk fans for a long time, and he is a top locker room guy. Maybe best near-term decision is PUP for the first six weeks, and see what's going on with health. Of course, Vereen could well end on IR as well.

WR - Sort of the same issue here for Tate. While he misses training camp, Price looks great.

TE - two drops by Hernandez - that's an issue. He looked fully recovered from his hip surgery and was able to get open consistently.

OL - Solder was solid all game. For a guy that's had about a week of camp, he performed very well. The rest of Scarnecchia's crew was mixed and matched - no Light, Mankins, Koppen, Connelly, or Vollmer; no major breakdowns. Real hard to guess who the back-ups will be.

DL - interesting mix of 3-4 and 4-3. With no Wilfork, Haynesworth, Wright, Brace, Ellis, Deaderick, Pryor - again it's hard to judge who the back-ups will be. Cunningham certainly got a lot of time, and had one nice sack but got moved around on some run plays. As did a lot of the interior line - they looked pretty active on pass plays and allowed huge holes up the middle on run plays. I noticed Anderson but not Carter.

LB - No Spikes, Mayo, and again sort of hard to judge who the back-ups are.

DB's - pretty vanilla coverage. No McCourty or Bodden. I didn't learn anything.

The back-ups certainly got their chances against the Jax starters. I'm sure the coaches film, linked to the assignments, will offer a lot more insight than what we can pick up.

 

[Shelterdog]

It looked to me that Butler was playing consistently with a big cushion...it that was dictated by the scheme, I don't know.

The pre-snap cushion is alway, always, always the scheme. It's not like BB wants the guys 4 yards back and they just decide on their own to be 7 yards back.

 

[Shelterdog]

How do you come to that conclusion? How many balls were thrown his way and what was the completion percentage against him?

Well what is the answer?

 

[Haley]

How do you come to that conclusion? How many balls were thrown his way and what was the completion percentage against him? I'd love to see this guy improve but he showed no signs of it even against these ****ty jags receivers.

I think you have misread my post a little. I am saying that Butler does not measure up to Arrington and Bodden. I never saw him horribly out of position, just always about a step or two off. He did have a number of tackles. This would indicate throws in his direction, so coverage not as tight as the opposite CB, but he was at least close enough to still tackle the guy. He did not impress and I wouldn't call his performance good, but to say he was horrible seems a bit of an exaggeration.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Redskins QB roster: John Beck, Kellen Clemens, Ben Chappell, Rex Grossman, Matt Gutierrez.

Hoyer can be traded this year, talk about a mess at QB for the skins.