Why are the Pats the only NFL team with just 2 QBs?

[ctpatsfan77]

Literally every other team has at least three QBs on the payroll.

• 1 team, Buffalo, has 4 QBs on the 53.
• 20 teams have 3 QBs on the 53, and several also have a PS QB.
• 11 teams have just 2 QBs on the 53.

But of those 11, every other team either has a QB on the IR (Carolina and Cleveland) or on the PS (ATL, BAL, CIN, DAL, GB, IND, OAK, TB).

The Patriots are the only team in the entire NFL that isn't currently paying at least three QBs.

Any thought on why?

 

[Whitt25]

Because Mallett has the strength and intelligence of two quarterbacks combined?

 

[Archeryaddict12]

Because Mallett has the strength and intelligence of two quarterbacks combined?

Seriously just LOLed. We trust that Tom will be healthy every game or almost every game.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Most teams go starter-veteran backup-developmental, right? In our case, our "vet backup" is also our developmental QB.

I'll be shocked if we don't have 3 QBs next year, with a rookie as our 3rd.

 

[CelticPatriot]

Cause there is no need to carry a 3rd QB, if Brady and Mallett both got injured the season would be done so it wouldn't even matter who they brought in or how well they knew the system.

 

[mgteich]

The patriots aren't willing to spend the time to train a Practice Squad player who will never play. Personally, I have always favored having a QB on the Practice Squad. After all, if Brady or Mallett are injured for a couple of games, there should SOME Plan B.

 

[Tunescribe]

Because Julian Edelman was a quarterback in college and would be our surprise "emergency" QB ...

 

[Whitt25]

Seriously just LOLed. We trust that Tom will be healthy every game or almost every game.

Well, yeah. Tom Brady is a God quarterback. You can't measure a power like that. Ryan Mallett, though, is superhuman, but still just a human.

 

[captain insano]

Literally every other team has at least three QBs on the payroll.

• 1 team, Buffalo, has 4 QBs on the 53.
• 20 teams have 3 QBs on the 53, and several also have a PS QB.
• 11 teams have just 2 QBs on the 53.

But of those 11, every other team either has a QB on the IR (Carolina and Cleveland) or on the PS (ATL, BAL, CIN, DAL, GB, IND, OAK, TB).

The Patriots are the only team in the entire NFL that isn't currently paying at least three QBs.

Any thought on why?

teams with three QBS don't really have any.

 

[Ozymandias]

Because Tim Tebow is on the shadow roster, duh.

 

[Deus Irae]

Because Belichick didn't plan properly, like usual, and has left the Patriots vulnerable in this area. /CLs


Because Belichick is a genius and is playing checkers while the rest of the league plays chess, and he realizes that if you get to your 3rd QB, you're screwed anyway, so there's no point keeping a developmental player around. /Homers


Because Belichick looked at his roster and saw other areas that were in much more need of depth and possible development this year. /most people

 

[Tunescribe]

Because Tim Tebow is on the shadow roster, duh.

That's Halloween scary.

 

[mgteich]

So, Belichick is a genious at managing roster spots because he hasn't wasted a PS spot as insurance for the off-chance that Brady or Mallett misses a couple of games?

It is more than getting down to the 3rd quarterback. It is a matter of having 2 quarterbacks to suit up for a game if we have one out for a couple of weeks.

I guess that we would simply suit up one quarterback if Brady and Mallett were out for a couple of weeks, and have Edelman hand off if there was any even minor injury in the game.

Sounds like sound planning to me,. ???

BTW, I understand that many of our posters consider that we should concede the season if Brady is injured. Somehow, I don't think Belichick takes this view.

Because Belichick didn't plan properly, like usual, and has left the Patriots vulnerable in this area. /CLs


Because Belichick is a genius and is playing checkers while the rest of the league plays chess, and he realizes that if you get to your 3rd QB, you're screwed anyway, so there's no point keeping a developmental player around. /Homers


Because Belichick looked at his roster and saw other areas that were in much more need of depth and possible development this year. /most people

 

[InRodWeRust]

We have to make room for Leon Washington. That one rushing attempt for one yard was critical to the success of this team so far.

 

[supafly]

There's really no way around keeping 3 next season, as Mallett will be in his last year of contract, and it normally takes a new QB at least a full season to try and learn our offense. In other words, we cannot wait for the draft of 2015 when Mallett has already left via free agency, the replacement for Mallett will need to be groomed in the meantime.

The only way around keeping 3 is if we stash a guy on the practice squad and Belichick really has high hopes for him at the backup position and/or we somehow pick up one of our journeyman castoffs like Hoyer or Cassel.

There's always the thought that we could extend Mallett for a longer term as our backup and still only carry 2, but we've gone over the odds of that happening plenty of times in various different threads.

 

[YearbookCurfew]

We have Mallet, Edelman, and Brady. Brady hardly (knocks on wood) ever gets injured, and if Mallet were to go down, we could put in Edelman. No real reason to have a third QB that takes up a spot for that could be used for defense or offense.

 

[supafly]

We have to make room for Leon Washington. That one rushing attempt for one yard was critical to the success of this team so far.

Leon Washington has been extremely frustrating to date, as have all of our free agent acquisitions in terms of missed time (A.Wilson, Washington, Kelly, Amendola, Svitek, Armstead).

It seems as if Belichick is giving him the benefit of the doubt to try and prove himself once healthy, so we'll have to see if that happens or not. He finally returned to practice today.

 

[supafly]

We have Mallet, Edelman, and Brady. Brady hardly (knocks on wood) ever gets injured, and if Mallet were to go down, we could put in Edelman. No real reason to have a third QB that takes up a spot for that could be used for defense or offense.

You mean in the same vein that we could use Sopoaga as a TE, or Wilfork to placekick?

What would give you any sense of confidence that Edelman could run our offense at a quarterback in this system? Has he taken any practice reps or gotten any looks in preseason games?

I don't think too many would consider Julian Edelman as a candiate to play backup QB, unless it were to run out a game in garbage time by handing the ball off, which just about anyone could do.

 

[Deus Irae]

So, Belichick is a genious at managing roster spots because he hasn't wasted a PS spot as insurance for the off-chance that Brady or Mallett misses a couple of games?

It is more than getting down to the 3rd quarterback. It is a matter of having 2 quarterbacks to suit up for a game if we have one out for a couple of weeks.

I guess that we would simply suit up one quarterback if Brady and Mallett were out for a couple of weeks, and have Edelman hand off if there was any even minor injury in the game.

Sounds like sound planning to me,. ???

BTW, I understand that many of our posters consider that we should concede the season if Brady is injured. Somehow, I don't think Belichick takes this view.

I'm confused by your post. I was just laying out basic positions one might expect from the various posting-types around here...

 

[Gumby]

Since BB has had as many as 4 QBs on the 53-man roster in his tenure w/ Patriots; I think it is safe to assume that he is NOT MARRIED to the concept of 2 QBs. That he has deferred to 2 QBs ONLY DURING THE BRADY ERA and essentially ALMOST ONLY IN YEARS TB WASNT COMING OFF A SEASON-ENDING INJURY/OR STILL YOUNG....

that leads you to conclude that he ONLY DOES THIS BECAUSE TB's DURABILITY GIVES HIM THAT FLEXIBILITY.

And the WHY of course because he gains a MAN ADVANTAGE-ROSTER FLEXIBILITY to be able to play games with his Shadow Roster guys and have an extra ST player on the roster.

Seeing that they usually have 4 QBs in pre-season to allow them to run all the scout teams / scout FA wr-players etc.. I have no clue why he doesnt see the value in having a 3rd QB on the PS. (I agree w/ MGTEICH here).

But I assume that the same way he values guys in the Draft that most other teams don't value the same: He values those 8 guys more than the 93d to 120th best QB in the WORLD.

Also consider that with the regard that most in NFL have for Patriots, BB and TB; there is probably 15 teams that would think the Pats #3 on the PS has GOT TO BE BETTER than their #3/4 guy (just cause BB thinks he's good) -- so BB is just avoiding the turbulence that would come [edit: from other teams poaching] and has somebody on his shadow-roster speed-dial.