Wouldn't it be great if Bethel showed up to play?

[PatsFanInVa]

Wow. I'm not sure the Pats can complain about production from sleeper picks. Does the name Tom Brady ring a bell?

Oh, God allmight-diddly-ighty.

You got me there, neighborino. And that Givens guy that just left too.

I meant, "why can't we just have everything go right for once, wahhhh."

I mean, wouldn't it be cool to stay healthy, get a decent bump up in production from Bethel and Klecko, etc.?

Okay, so I want it all-diddly-all.

PFnSpringfield

 

[hwc]

I mean, wouldn't it be cool to stay healthy...

Now, that I agree with. The injuries the Pats have dealt with the last two seasons have been monumental.

I don't think the Colts so much as used a band-aid on a boo-boo last year. But, that stuff all evens out in the end.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

well, yeah. For one thing, it toughens guys up. And you don't see Kraft running to change the rules because Pittsburg won it all or because Denver beat us.

I can just see Polian now... "blitzing's not faiiiiiiiir... quarterbacks can get hurrrrrrt....you have to penalize those bad lineman for hitting a quarterback too lowwwwwww..."

PFnV

 

[shirtsleeve]

well, yeah. For one thing, it toughens guys up. And you don't see Kraft running to change the rules because Pittsburg won it all or because Denver beat us.

I can just see Polian now... "blitzing's not faiiiiiiiir... quarterbacks can get hurrrrrrt....you have to penalize those bad lineman for hitting a quarterback too lowwwwwww..."

PFnV

Kinda cracks ya up dont it?
Yet I dont see the clown rushing in to change the cut block rule. Can you imagine allowing any rule where it would be legal for a defender to deliberately target the knees of a qb?

 

[dryheat44]

I disagree with the assessments here. Bethel Johnson doesn't need to improve at receiver to make the team. I think he has to stay healthy and really want to play. I would take him over Childress in a second, and have a top kick returner, perhaps a punt returner and an excellent defensive Ster. This is plenty for someone labeled as the #5 receiver. We hoped for more, but Bethel is more than adequate as one of the last players on the roster.

I think I've convinced myself that we don't need a 5th receiver, that this position is essentially a Ster.

How many catches or opportunities will the #5 receiver have with
Branch,Jackson,Caldwell,Brown
Graham,Watson,Thomas,Mills
Dillon, Faulk, and Maroney

all catching passes, and that doesn't count Vrabel, Hochstein and Pass?

This is all true, assuming none of the WRs gets hurt. If healthy, the 5th WR is absolutely a ST slot. Bethel has two things going for him right now, 1) He still might be the best KR we have, has returned punts before, and is a good kick cover guy, and 2) He's still dirt cheap. Now, we just drafted 10 newjacks, so we have plenty of cheap guys, so that's less a factor. The question is going to be is Bethel going to be outperformed in the return game by some combination of Hobbs, Zuriel Smith, Childress, Willie Andrews, and anybody else I'm forgetting (Chad Morton is available again)? If the answer is yes, look to see BB attempt to trade Bethel for a conditional late round pick to a team that needs a KR.

 

[Mike the Brit]

I really, really love Bethel, but ...

... there seems to be some clear evidence that the Pats are starting to give up on him.

Mike Reiss has mentioned more than once that they've been trying to shop Bethel:

There seemed to be a suggestion that Bethel Johnson would be out of Foxborough and that management had run out of patience with his inconsistency and lack of application. But with the loss of David Givens and limited free-agent activity at receiver, is Bethel now seen as indispensable? Could he be a number two receiver in 2006?
Ben Hunt, London
A: Johnson was reportedly being shopped by the Patriots in trade talks this offseason. The fact he wasn't dressed for the Patriots' two playoff games in 2005 (coaches' decision) makes me think it's a long shot Johnson can emerge at a No. 2 receiver. While it's always possible, based on the way Johnson ended 2005 and the fact he has 30 career catches over three seasons, I'd say it's highly unlikely.

So, we're dreaming. Well, it's the off-season -- why not?

 

[italian pat patriot]

i always thought he could have done much more better with us...now he could be allready too late but...let's hope...