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

[Kontradiction]

It was established during the preseason that the 53rd spot on the roster was the most critical spot on the entire roster, and could not be expended on a developmental QB, like many other teams do.

You sound butthurt about it. But I see what you're trying to do.

 

[mgteich]

We are discussing the Practice Squad. Yes, we should also have 2 backup offensive linemen and 2 defensive front seven players on the Practice Squad.

We have 2 quarterbacks active. We have ZERO depth inactive. We have ZERO depth on the Practice Squad. I understand that the patriots are the best team in the history of the NFL. However, we are left to understand why Belichick is alone among NFL coaches with regard to backup quarterbacks.

We lots of reasons to have 3rd quarterback on the Practice Squad. Injury is one situation as some teams have found out. Yes, Mallett could be injured and Brady may need to be out for a series.

More importantly, we are not developing quarterbacks. Mallett is in his contract year next year. Now, we might as well forget ANY ideas of trading him. After all, at least one backup should know the system.

Why aren't there 10 linebackers? Why aren't there 15 defensive linemen? Why aren't there 12 offensive linemen?

Would you feel better if a Curtis Painter was backing up Mallett? He is absolutely useless, will know the system, but does little to help the team win. He occupies a roster spot that may be used more productively, and is the probabilistic equivalent of buying asteroid insurance, in the event one goes crashing into your home.

In the past 12 years, they lost Brady for one season. In 2008, the Pats needed the QB3 to back up the starting QB2. Mallett remains on the team with knowledge of the system. If you go down the road of "What do we do if both fall?", then you may as well assume the opposing defense is so dominating the game that you are likely to lose the QB3 as well, so why not have a QB4 as insurance.

I suspect if a team terminates Brady and Mallett in one game, then JE probably would take the snaps. But get real - at that point, the game is probably over because that other team is killing the Pats. If they don't go down in the same day, then there are plenty of JAG FAs to throw in the position.

It is a case of insurance versus optimal use of the roster. I would go with the latter.

 

[VrabelJr]

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?

Your title states that the Pats are the only NFL team with just 2 QBs.

Your list then shows that 11 other teams also have 2 QBs.

QBs on the Practice Squad don't work out. I imagine BB has more belief in some street vets than anybody he could put on the PS right now.

 

[MassPats38]

We are discussing the Practice Squad. Yes, we should also have 2 backup offensive linemen and 2 defensive front seven players on the Practice Squad.

We have 2 quarterbacks active. We have ZERO depth inactive. We have ZERO depth on the Practice Squad. I understand that the patriots are the best team in the history of the NFL. However, we are left to understand why Belichick is alone among NFL coaches with regard to backup quarterbacks.

We lots of reasons to have 3rd quarterback on the Practice Squad. Injury is one situation as some teams have found out. Yes, Mallett could be injured and Brady may need to be out for a series.

More importantly, we are not developing quarterbacks. Mallett is in his contract year next year. Now, we might as well forget ANY ideas of trading him. After all, at least one backup should know the system.

If a QB is on the practice squad, then that QB can be taken, at any time, by another team with QB needs when signed to the active roster (injuries were implicit in this thread, which means many teams have QB needs and search the best available). There is no farm team system in the NFL. You do not send an NFL player to the minors under contract, and elevate him exclusively to your team when he's ready.

The practice squad players are emergency relief, hopefully with just enough talent to make them attractive to the team with that practice squad and no others. Educating a practice squad QB, ie. player development, on your offensive system creates a major liability when that player is signed by another team. That person is trained to command the offense, and therefore leaves with a good chunk of the playbook. Why would you want to do that? Or invest time and energy into developing a QB, who becomes good enough and joins another NFL team on the active roster?

This is not the Durham Bulls. This is not the PawSox. If a player is good enough, then he is on the active roster or another team's active roster. Marginal misses become practice squad fodder, and it is hoped no other team has an interest. Mallett is the development project now. There is a 53-man roster, so precisely how many QBs need to be developed at one time? What are the odds a third tier QB will be called to action, and will not simply occupy a role a more diverse player could use more productively?

If a player on the PS is good, then he gets snatched up. Why not snap up some JAG veteran free agent or other team's practice squad QB when the need arises in lieu of that scenario if the practice squad QB does not appeal to 31 other NFL teams? Is that PS player likely to make your team more competitive, inferior abilities and all, if he has spent time on the practice squad? Will a more talented free agent with less system knowledge represent an inferior choice as an emergency option?

 

[PatsFanSince74]

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

You left out
D) All of the Above
E) None of the Above
:singing:

 

[mgteich]

This makes a nice story.

Practice Squad players canNOT be "taken" at any time by another team. A player can CHOOSE to sign to another team at any time. The patriots have several times paid Practice Squad players the full rookie minimum, the same as he would earn if he were on the 53. Under those circumstances, the player stays.
======

The patriots have used the Practice Squad to develop players for years. This is most obvious on the offensive line, but has also been the case on the defensive line.

We disagree. I would have a quarterback on the Practice Squad; you would not.

If a QB is on the practice squad, then that QB can be taken, at any time, by another team with QB needs when signed to the active roster (injuries were implicit in this thread, which means many teams have QB needs and search the best available). There is no farm team system in the NFL. You do not send an NFL player to the minors under contract, and elevate him exclusively to your team when he's ready.

The practice squad players are emergency relief, hopefully with just enough talent to make them attractive to the team with that practice squad and no others. Educating a practice squad QB, ie. player development, on your offensive system creates a major liability when that player is signed by another team. That person is trained to command the offense, and therefore leaves with a good chunk of the playbook. Why would you want to do that? Or invest time and energy into developing a QB, who becomes good enough and joins another NFL team on the active roster?

This is not the Durham Bulls. This is not the PawSox. If a player is good enough, then he is on the active roster or another team's active roster. Marginal misses become practice squad fodder, and it is hoped no other team has an interest. Mallett is the development project now. There is a 53-man roster, so precisely how many QBs need to be developed at one time? What are the odds a third tier QB will be called to action, and will not simply occupy a role a more diverse player could use more productively?

If a player on the PS is good, then he gets snatched up. Why not snap up some JAG veteran free agent or other team's practice squad QB when the need arises in lieu of that scenario if the practice squad QB does not appeal to 31 other NFL teams? Is that PS player likely to make your team more competitive, inferior abilities and all, if he has spent time on the practice squad? Will a more talented free agent with less system knowledge represent an inferior choice as an emergency option?

 

[Claremonster]

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?

Edelman and Tebow for the shadow roster. Flutie and Testeverde if they still have a heartbeat.

 

[MassPats38]

This makes a nice story.

Practice Squad players canNOT be "taken" at any time by another team. A player can CHOOSE to sign to another team at any time. The patriots have several times paid Practice Squad players the full rookie minimum, the same as he would earn if he were on the 53. Under those circumstances, the player stays.
======

The patriots have used the Practice Squad to develop players for years. This is most obvious on the offensive line, but has also been the case on the defensive line.

We disagree. I would have a quarterback on the Practice Squad; you would not.

I was not implying conscription or kidnaping. The point was there is no contract or CBA provision that prohibits another NFL team from adding a practice squad player to the active roster. I am well aware of contract issues for practice squad players, so let's not play semantics. But thanks for the caps. They really make the explanation pop. I am aware of two examples in which a player declined to join the active roster of another team, Dennis Dixon and Tori Gurley. Both involved offers made by division rivals late in the season for a few weeks of rental time that likely would have burnt bridges with the practice squad team and the possibility of a future there. I suspect there are few bona fide offers for an active roster spot rejected by practice squad players. As this article illustrates, practice squad players want to be signed to an active roster, not a specific active roster. Visions of quality practice squad players passing on an active roster spot and a future in the NFL in exchange for the dream of Patriots playing time that may never come is a bit of a stretch.

 

[mgteich]

I have no clue how you know that.

In any case, the team has several times paid Practice Squad players more money than minimum, and sometimes full rookie salary. Your contention seems to be that they were wasting their money. My expectation is that players are paid more precisely to avoid them taking offers from other teams.

In any case, I agree that any Practice Squad player can sign with another team at any time.

IMHO, that is not a reason to avoid using the Practice Squad to develop players at AB, as we do at OL and DL.

BTW, capitalization is for emphasis. I see no reason for you to take such as a personal affront.

I suspect there are few bona fide offers for an active roster spot rejected by practice squad players.

 

[supafly]

As a clarification: I'm not specifically asking why there isn't a third QB on the 53; about a third of NFL teams are doing that. I'm wondering why there isn't even a third QB on the PS, which essentially no other team has done.

I think it's a very fair and legitimate question, particularly with Mallett heading into his contract (and likely last) year. As pointed out, we will most likely need someone new to spend an entire season picking up/learning the system.

It's this reason alone why I don't see it as a viable option to only keep 2 QB's again next year, although there are some low percentage options that could happen which we've discussed previously.

 

[BlueThunder]

Vinny Testeverde is on speed dial ?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Vinny Testeverde is on speed dial ?

Rotary dial, maybe.

 

[JoeSixPat]

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.

Edelman can at least fill in if they're in a pinch - but I generally agree that if the Pats lost their starter and backup the season would be generally shot anyways. What's the point of wasting the roster spots?

If you've got a QB who is worth it sure - they've had 3 before - but obviously there's no one they value enough to have on the roster right now.

 

[supafly]

Rotary dial, maybe.

That's classic, right there :rocker: