What's your final 53?

[ATippett56]

All four keep either SERGIO BROWN or IHEDIGBO!

Unfortunately, the New England Patriots Stooge Fest lives on!

 

[ATippett56]

Reiss/Yates/Rodak:

New England Patriots' 53-man roster projection (v. 5.0) - ESPN Boston

They all have Koppen cut. They all keep 5 running backs. They also all have Hoyer making the team.

I can't imagine Bill Belichick keeping six defensive ends on the 53 man roster.

 

[captain stone]

What about IRing Chung in 5 days? I was a big fan early but he can't stay on the field.

I hope Chung's injury isn't so serious that he has to sit for at least the first 8 weeks, as per
the new IR rule.
The thought does underscore the need to draft a top-100 talent, physical-specimen Safety
in next year's draft, however.

 

[ATippett56]

The thought does underscore the need to draft a top-100 talent, physical-specimen safety in next year's draft, however.

Nate Ebner says hi!

 

[captain stone]

I can't imagine Bill Belichick keeping six defensive ends on the 53 man roster.

Why not? We can never have enough Pass-Rushers; and besides, Ninko can play some OLB, too.

 

[Reckedtrek]

Why not? We can never have enough Pass-Rushers; and besides, Ninko can play some OLB, too.

I hope we have pass rush coming out of our eyeballs. At which point, the next wise ass that asks "yeah, but can he rush the passer?" gets hit in the head with a tack hammer.

 

[ATippett56]

Why not? We can never have enough Pass-Rushers; and besides, Ninko can play some OLB, too.

Personally, I'm not sold on Trevor Scott.

 

[captain stone]

Nate Ebner says hi!

Hi Nate! Don't take this the wrong way, but I need to see you in a regular-season game,
before I can start fitting you for a bust in Canton.

 

[captain stone]

Personally, I'm not sold on Trevor Scott.

Neither am I; but let's face it, nobody we have has had NFL success rushing the passer.
It's therefore a good idea to hedge our bets with numbers until we see who rises to the top.

 

[Brady_12]

Neither am I; but let's face it, nobody we have has had NFL success rushing the passer.
It's therefore a good idea to hedge our bets with numbers until we see who rises to the top.

Just speculation but BB bets are going to pay off this year. Top 15 D? My $ is on BB/MP

 

[ATippett56]

Hi Nate! Don't take this the wrong way, but I need to see you in a regular-season game, before I can start fitting you for a bust in Canton.

By the way, I seriously doubt your top 100 2013 draft pick selection will be a Hall-of-Fame candidate either.

Don't put the nail in the coffin with regards to Patrick Chung's career either.

 

[part-timer]

QB-Brady,Mallott,Hoyer
WR-Lloyd,Welker,Branch,Edelman,Slater
RB-Ridley,Vereen,Woodhead,Demps (Bolden to PS)
TE-Gronk,AH,Fells,Silvestro (Shiancoe to 8 week IR)
OL-Soldier,Mankins,Connolly,Vollmer,Cannon,Wendell,McDonald,Thomas,Koppen (Waters stays on DNR list as a 54th player to report if needed)

DT-Wilfork,Love,Deaderick,Brace
DE-Jones,Ninkovich,Cunningham,Bequette,Scott
LB-Hightower,Mayo,Spikes,Carpenter,white,Koutouvides
CB-McCourty,Arrington,Dowling,Moore,Cole,Dennard
S-Chung,Gregory,Wilson,Ebner

ST-Mesko,Gost,Aiken

PS-RB Bolden,OL Koppa,WR Ebner,FB Kettani,DE Francis,LB Rivera,Lb Tarpinian,S Brown

Demps injury status could change a few spots, if Demps is put on 8 week IR than Shiancoe gets cut,Bolden makes the team,and Weems makes the PS.

 

[patchick]

Hi Nate! Don't take this the wrong way, but I need to see you in a regular-season game,
before I can start fitting you for a bust in Canton.

Sure, but the main message I take away is that the Patriots DID draft two good-looking safeties this year as well as signing a good-looking vet FA. Yet you're not alone in calling for a high draft pick to be spend on a stud safety.

Does that mean that you and others don't think the Pats will be able to field a good starting pair in 2013 out of the trio of Gregory, Wilson and Ebner? I think that would be a pretty major disappointment.

In recent years, unfortunately, "a top-100 talent, physical-specimen safety" as you described has required a round 1 pick. (Harrison Smith at #29 overall? Meh.) I'd rather devote that to DT or OT.

 

[aluminum seats]

Interesting bit from Bedard about Waters' return being perhaps somewhat less likely now. Sort of mysterious about it.

Has there ever been so much intrigue about whether an offensive lineman will play or not? Getting a little annoying.

 

[doesntmatter1]

Interesting bit from Bedard about Waters' return being perhaps somewhat less likely now. Sort of mysterious about it.

Has there ever been so much intrigue about whether an offensive lineman will play or not? Getting a little annoying.

His situation feels very similar to derrick burgess's in 09. He eventually called it quits if you don't remember.

 

[Creative Username]

QBs (3)- Brady, Mallet, Hoyer
HBs (4)- Ridley, Vereen, Woodhead, Demps
WRs (5)- Welker, Lloyd, Branch, Edelman, Slater
TEs (3)- Gronk, Hernandez, Fells
OT (4)- Solder, Vollmer, Cannon, Kopa
OG (4)- Mankins, Waters, Connolly, Mcdonald, (Still firmly believe that Waters will be back)
C (2)- Koppen, Wendell

DE (5)- Jones, Ninkovich, Cunningham, Deaderick, Bequette
DT (5)- Wilfork, Love, Brace, Forston, Scott (not sure if Scott plays DE)
LB (5)- Mayo, Spikes, Hightower, Tarpinian, Carpenter
CB (6)- McCourty, Dowling, Arrington, Moore, Dennard, Cole
S (4)- Chung, Gregory, Wilson, Ebner
ST (3)- Gostkowski, Mesko, Aiken

Bolden and Ebert make PS...

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Total shot in the dark, there are always unexpected moves and these are all likely to be wrong.

Vereen traded to Detroit, Moore mild surprise cut, Koppen cut, Forston and Francis make it. Kopa makes it. Two open spots for players not on roster, 1 trade, 1 waiver claim. Waters and Ihedigbo or Koutivides if no trade or waiver claim.


QB (3) Tom Brady, Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer
RB (4) Stevan Ridley, Brandon Bolden, Danny Woodhead, Jeff Demps
WR (5) Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Deion Branch, Julian Edelman, Matthew Slater
TE (3) Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Daniel Fells
C (3) Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell, Nick McDonald
G (2) Logan Mankins, Donald Thomas
T (4) Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer, Marcus Cannon, Mat Kopa
DE (4) Chandler Jones, Jermaine Cunningham, Rob Ninkovich, Jake Bequette
DT (6) Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love, Ron Brace, Brandon Deaderick, Justin Francis, Marcus Forston
ILB(5) Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Donta Hightower, Bobby Carpenter, Jeff Tarpinian
OLB(0)
CB (5) Devin McCourty, Ras-I Dowling, Kyle Arrington, Alfonzo Dennard, Marquice Cole
SS (2) Patrick Chung, Nate Ebner
FS (2) Steve Gregory, Tavon Wilson
ST (3) Stephen Gostkowski, Danny Aiken, Zoltan Mesko

Total players: 51
Created with Pats Picker: Pats Picker 2012

 

[captain stone]

Sure, but the main message I take away is that the Patriots DID draft two good-looking safeties this year as well as signing a good-looking vet FA. Yet you're not alone in calling for a high draft pick to be spend on a stud safety.

Does that mean that you and others don't think the Pats will be able to field a good starting pair in 2013 out of the trio of Gregory, Wilson and Ebner? I think that would be a pretty major disappointment.

In recent years, unfortunately, "a top-100 talent, physical-specimen safety" as you described has required a round 1 pick. (Harrison Smith at #29 overall? Meh.) I'd rather devote that to DT or OT.

A lot could happen btwn now & draft weekend 2013; so if Wilson & Ebner prove worthy of contributing meaningful snaps, Gregory becomes a reliable open-field tackler & occasional ballhawk, and Chung stays healthy all year and doesn't prove a liability in coverage (neither of which he has shown during the past 3 years), then the need to spend a top-100 pick on a Safety will become mitigated; that pick can then be spent on an OT, OG or WR.

 

[captain stone]

Unfortunately, the New England Patriots Stooge Fest lives on!

The 3 Pats Stooges are gone...Long live the 3 (or 4; Shemp was good too) Real Stooges!

 

[captain stone]

Some tough cuts, some easy ones, and others I would make if a decent vet were signed:

QB (3) - Brady, Hoyer & Mallett
Neither Hoyer nor Mallett have been good enough to justify keeping only 2 QBs.
RB (5) - Woody, Ridley, Vereen, Bolden & Demps
I'd try to sneak Bolden to the PS if a viable FB/RB were acquired, because Kettani ain't it.
TE (3) - Gronk, Hernandez & Fells
Shiancoe could be a post-Week 1 signing.
WR (4) - Welker, Lloyd, Branch & Edelman
I really, really hope that Jabbah is a post-Week 1 signing.
OL (9) - starters: Solder, Mankins, Connolly, Waters & Vollmer
backups: Koppen, Cannon, McDonald & Thomas
If a viable Swing Tackle can be acquired, then Koppen can be dropped;
if there's neither a Swing Tackle nor Waters in the future, then Wendell can stay.

DT (4) - Wilfork, Love, Brace & Deaderick
The odd front is officially ovah, because neither of these 4 are 3-4 DEs.
DE (5) - Ninko, Jones, Scott, Cunningham & Bequette
Andre Carter's a post-Week 1 possibility; you can never, evah have enough Pass-Rushers.
LB (5) - Mayo, Hightower, Spikes, Carpenter, Tarpinian
Mark Herzlich would've looked really good here. Bill needs to scour the waiver wire,
because Tarp, Niko, White & Rivera all suck. I'd rather have Guyton than any of 'em.
CB (6) - McCourty, Arrington, Dowling, Moore, Cole & Dennard
As it is with Pass-Rushers, you can never have enough CBs.
S (4) - Chung, Gregory, Wilson, Ebner
I'd try to sneak either Moore or Dennard to the PS if a viable SS/FS were acquired,
because neither Sergio, Diggy or Mal Williams can play a lick of defense.

Specialists (4) - Ghost, the Zoltan, Aiken & Slater
Stay by the phone, Lonie.

That leaves one spot open, either for a vet signing/re-signing, or for one of the following:
Ebert, Shiancoe, Silvestro, JWarren, Wendell, Francis, Lavarias or Martin.

9 wrong: unforseen cuts - Hoyer, Branch, Koppen, Carpenter, Tarpinian;
unforseen keeps - Wendell, Forston, Rivera, White.

One obvious conclusion is that the excreble Mike Rivera has inherited the compromising photos
which Eric Alexander held for years. Bill should've dropped Rivera & White, kept Carpenter
and re-signed Gary Guyton (or even better, sign Sean Loiseau and/or Josh Kaddu).