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- Jul 11, 2005
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... Just got back from Foxwoods, another "grueling" day at the poker table....and I'm trying to get a grasp on the far from final 53 man roster.
1. I was hoping someone would put together a roster using the basic format that we saw so often in our speculations. Didn't see one so I went to Patriots site and checked out the roster there. As I was looking something popped out that I thought was noteworthy.
What do all these players have in common?
Adaleus Thomas, Mike Wright, Pierre Woods, Ryan Wendall, Brandon McGowan, Mike Matthews, Dan Connolly, Ben-Jarvus Green-Ellis, Gary Guyton, Eric Alexander, Chris Hanson. Steven Neal
Yes that's right....they all came into the league as UDFAs. Think about it. This is one of the most talented 53 man rosters in the the NFL, not a team that's "rebuilding" by any means, yet almost 23% of its roster WEREN'T deemed good enough to be drafted out of college. BTW to BB's credit, 8 of the 12 are home grown UDFAs....and 4 of the 12 are starters, plus Hanson.
I just thought it was interesting.
2. I LIKE the trade of Thomas....and I liked Thomas, but he'll do better in another system. The more I think of it, what good is it to have a great pass catching TE in THIS offense. In the spread offense, the WRs are the ones that will catch ball. TEs are for blocking, the GL offense, and safety release patterns. Quite frankly, if I want to send someone down the seam, I'd just as soon it be a WR.
And don't sleep on Watson....just 3 years ago, he caught 50 balls in just 13 games... but it was in a DIFFERENT offense. Matthews' blocking skills fill a bigger need on the team than than a good pass catching TE (Thomas).
3. I still don't like the fact that we kept 5 RBs. BTW its the number I don't like, not the 5 guys they kept. Again, I would have rather had a guy like Lenon or Ventrone instead of a 5th RB who will probably be an inactive until an injury occurs
4. I read somewhere that 9 of the 11 draft picks were kept. WOW, before the season I would have thought that 5 would be stretching it. This COULD be the best draft class since 2003....if not the best in n the BB era....and I'm thinking Nunn comes back to the PS
5. Very disappointed that Crable was put on IR....again. I was looking forward to watching him develop. I can still picture his pick in the Giant pre season game that year. It was a VERY athletic play. All that promise and nothing to show for it but TWO red shirt years
6. Hey my "binky" Rob Ninkovich made the roster DESPITE keeping 5 RBs. But if I were Rob, I wouldn't fully unpack just yet because I have a feeling that there is a QB in our future and someone will have to go, and Rob MAY not be the 53rd guy, but he's close.
7. Good to see that Slater will recover. I fully expected him to wind up on the IR. But he's another guy who just might be warming a roster spot until the Pats look to tweak the over the next few weeks.
BOTTOM LINE - Good club now...SHOULD get better as the season goes along.
1. I was hoping someone would put together a roster using the basic format that we saw so often in our speculations. Didn't see one so I went to Patriots site and checked out the roster there. As I was looking something popped out that I thought was noteworthy.
What do all these players have in common?
Adaleus Thomas, Mike Wright, Pierre Woods, Ryan Wendall, Brandon McGowan, Mike Matthews, Dan Connolly, Ben-Jarvus Green-Ellis, Gary Guyton, Eric Alexander, Chris Hanson. Steven Neal
Yes that's right....they all came into the league as UDFAs. Think about it. This is one of the most talented 53 man rosters in the the NFL, not a team that's "rebuilding" by any means, yet almost 23% of its roster WEREN'T deemed good enough to be drafted out of college. BTW to BB's credit, 8 of the 12 are home grown UDFAs....and 4 of the 12 are starters, plus Hanson.
I just thought it was interesting.
2. I LIKE the trade of Thomas....and I liked Thomas, but he'll do better in another system. The more I think of it, what good is it to have a great pass catching TE in THIS offense. In the spread offense, the WRs are the ones that will catch ball. TEs are for blocking, the GL offense, and safety release patterns. Quite frankly, if I want to send someone down the seam, I'd just as soon it be a WR.
And don't sleep on Watson....just 3 years ago, he caught 50 balls in just 13 games... but it was in a DIFFERENT offense. Matthews' blocking skills fill a bigger need on the team than than a good pass catching TE (Thomas).
3. I still don't like the fact that we kept 5 RBs. BTW its the number I don't like, not the 5 guys they kept. Again, I would have rather had a guy like Lenon or Ventrone instead of a 5th RB who will probably be an inactive until an injury occurs
4. I read somewhere that 9 of the 11 draft picks were kept. WOW, before the season I would have thought that 5 would be stretching it. This COULD be the best draft class since 2003....if not the best in n the BB era....and I'm thinking Nunn comes back to the PS
5. Very disappointed that Crable was put on IR....again. I was looking forward to watching him develop. I can still picture his pick in the Giant pre season game that year. It was a VERY athletic play. All that promise and nothing to show for it but TWO red shirt years
6. Hey my "binky" Rob Ninkovich made the roster DESPITE keeping 5 RBs. But if I were Rob, I wouldn't fully unpack just yet because I have a feeling that there is a QB in our future and someone will have to go, and Rob MAY not be the 53rd guy, but he's close.
7. Good to see that Slater will recover. I fully expected him to wind up on the IR. But he's another guy who just might be warming a roster spot until the Pats look to tweak the over the next few weeks.
BOTTOM LINE - Good club now...SHOULD get better as the season goes along.
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