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All this goes to the point that BB seems to down on specialists (finally). I've been arguing against the Chris White types. Give me Chung or a Devlin instead of him. Work on teaching a Wendell or Connolly or Devey to long-snap instead of using one of the 53 on Aiken. We need more versatility/Swiss Army knife type players who can fill in CAPABLY when the injuries mount. BB seems to have come around more to that thought after last year's situation.
In know we have been critical of Ben Volin, but he hit the nail on the head this morning:
Bill Belichick prioritizing Patriots' defensive versatility - The Boston Globe
I'm not sure that's what it means.
Every team could use more versatility/Swiss Army knife type players. But they're hard to find and hard to develop.
But as far as NFL teams go, we've got a lot more than most because BB has emphasized that versatility.
It's why Ninkovich is long snapping in addition to his LB/DE duties. Or how Edelman (and Brown before him) play WR and CB. Hernandez pre-murder investigation was moved all over the place. Connolly can play center or guard. Brady can punt when necessary.
However, continuing with the Swiss Army knife analogy, it's great if you only need to do it one or two times. But if you're doing it all the time, then no, you want something else. A Swiss Army knife corkscrew is fine to open up a bottle or two while you're camping, but if you're a sommelier, you're going to want a professional-grade corkscrew. The scissors are fine if you're cutting some twine or a loose thread once or twice a year, but if you're a seamstress, it's not going to suffice.
Teaching one of the OL to long snap is a good idea. Expecting to replace your full-time long snapper with one of those guys just to save a roster spot is not.