Smith vs. Yeatmen should be a good battle

[Off The Grid]

I'm now officially on the Yeatman bandwagon thanks to Off The Grid.

I think he's not only had a better camp, but he's also a better athlete with more upside.

May The God of Your Choice Bless You, Brother Atlanta. Thanks, man.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

Neither show up to me as anything special at this stage that I'd choose to keep either at the expense of say, one of the more impressive looking OL or DL that are surely going to be cut to get down to 53.

As such, I'd send both to the PS (I can't imagine any team jumping all over either guy) and bring either up on an as needed basis.

 

[italia44]

* Your first point is a good one although I wonder if the new kickoff rules means he has more like 1 or 2 special teams guys than the 3 or even 4 he has used in the past.

* If I'm the loser of the Smith Yeatman battle I'm not positive that I do stick around on the practice squad: you're essentially hoping that you can leapfrog an identical player of the same age and skill set, and that's hard to do.

* I wouldn't be shocked to see them be very aggresive with practice squad salaries. They have the cap room, they have a lot of roster spots opening up in 2012, and they have a lot of young guys who aren't good enough to make the Patriots roster but who could easily get picked up if they don't have a good practice squad deal (I'm thinking Ross, Carter, Yeatman, Tarpinian, Lavarias, Austin, Maneri, Silvestro, that Corey Woods guy).

According to Mike Reiss the pats are already paying more $$ to their UDFA/PS guys.....Oh...and imho...Austin,Maneri and Yeatman will never make it thru waivers.:rocker:

 

[NEPatriot]

According to Mike Reiss the pats are already paying more $$ to their UDFA/PS guys.....Oh...and imho...Austin,Maneri and Yeatman will never make it thru waivers.:rocker:

I agree with you on Maneri and Yeatman. I'll be taking a closer look at Austin tonight.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

I'm still not with you. He knows (or at least pre kickoff rule changes he knew) that he has three or four game day roster spots for dedicated special teamers, so he really doesn't seem to care if those players have positional versatility or not. I'd guess his weighting for those three or four slots is 80% special teams, 10% potential to play another position down the road, 10% ability to play another position right now.

EDIT: All things being equal I'm sure he'd rather have special teams aces that could play other positions, but he clearly doesn't care that much or he wouldn't keep guys like Slater and Izzo and Andrews with no ability to play another position on the roster year after year.

BB isn't reserving spots for ST only players they have to earn their spot on the team on merit. The new KO rules may impact White's and Slaters' spots.

This year's roster will be a good test. The end of the roster will have more than a few battles. Slater and White may be battling for example Lee Smith, Brandon Deaderick, Darius Butler, Sammy Morris, Mark Anderson, Julian Edelman or one of the OL for roster spots 51-53. There seems to be more talent at the end of the roster than in past years.

Speaking of Sammy Morris, him along with Kyle Arrington, Dane Fletcher, James Sanders and even newly signed Niko Koutouvides to a certain extent all seem to be capable of playing both on special teams and playing on offense/defense.

 

[Off The Grid]

I'm becoming more and more intruiged with "Yates" the more I read about him, he seems like someone with a lot of sports intuition and body skill who's not quite a fully formed football player yet, when he becomes one with more training/coaching/experience I think he'll be a quiet beast. I don't want to risk it by letting him go, with more experience and 30lbs he'd be a mean tackle, there's just too much value here to let this guy go.

Hey Grid, good job on pimping this guy, who's the next under the radar gem waiting to be polished?

Much grass, Brother Snake. Much grass.

***

You know, I actually may have an answer for that.

Of course, any such player is already on the team. And the guy who comes to mind when you ask that has been around for a full year, so many have heard of him, though most have him nowhere near their radar, s'far's I can tell. This is a guy who Brother Mayo and I are both very high on. He's the guy that, at FootBallsFuture, last spring, Rabbi'sSon and I ~ this was months before our blow up ~ were maybe the only ones who'd even HEARD of the guy, and were both pumped about:

#66 ~ "Crushing" Kade Weston ~ 6.5/315



Kade Weston is as raw as Yeatman is, but his rare fusion of Size, Power, Brute Strength, Speed, and startling Agility for a man of his Immensity offers the potential to be an utterly destructive FORCE.

And his FootBall skills are exceptional as well: His performance in the Positional Drills at the 2010 Combine literally drew applause!! :rocker:

***

He's got a long ways to go, but I liked what I saw against the Jaguars, and even though he's currently #427 on the D Line Depth Chart, I believe that his potential is immense.


***

Your question inspires me, Brother Snake!! I do believe I'll spin this off into its own little Thread.

 

[mgteich]

sigh

No, doesn't allocate player to Special-Teams Only players. He also doen't allocatye positions to ILB only players or CB only players or LS only players.'

HOWEVER, Belichick allocates positions to Special Teams players in much the same way that he allocates positions to the Offense of the Defense.

LONG SNAPPER
Would it good if our LS also was an energency backup center? Sure it would be good. But Belichick has considered this position important enough to allocate a position to our LS.

SPECIAL TEAMS GUNNERS, BLOCKERS AND TACKLERS
Poster here don't think that Belichick allocates positons to these functions. HOWEVER, every year there are players who fulfill these roles who do not fill any other role. Sure, we might have a year when the very top special teamers were all position players and no player made the team to play special teams. But then again it migh snow in July in Boston.
This situation has never happened and it is unl;ikely to ever happen, NO MATTER HOW MANY HUNDRED POSTS suggest that belichikc should mend his ways and not waste roster spots.

For so many posters, Belichick surely can find position players who can long canp and play other special teams positions as well Slater and White. Well, the reality is that for the last 30 years, the [patriots have not been able to accomplish this task.

JUST MAYBE BELICHICK IS RIGHT TO ALLOCATE POSITIONS TO ST SPECIALIASTS
Maybe we should allocated positions to kickers, punters and long snappers.
Maybe we should allocate 2-3 positions to starting special teamers. After all, these players are active for every game, and are much more valueable than a 4th or 5th running back or many other of the backup positions that rarely see any reps.

Slater and White may not make the team. Other top special teams might beat them out, perhaps Morris or Lockett or Barrett. But my prediction is as it has been for 30 years. When we look at the roster for Game 3, there will be at least 5 players who are on the team to play special teams, and in many years the number will be higher.

 

[mgteich]

sigh

No, doesn't allocate player to Special-Teams Only players. He also doen't allocatye positions to ILB only players or CB only players or LS only players.'

HOWEVER, Belichick allocates positions to Special Teams players in much the same way that he allocates positions to the Offense of the Defense.

LONG SNAPPER
Would it good if our LS also was an energency backup center? Sure it would be good. But Belichick has considered this position important enough to allocate a position to our LS.

SPECIAL TEAMS GUNNERS, BLOCKERS AND TACKLERS
Poster here don't think that Belichick allocates positons to these functions. HOWEVER, every year there are players who fulfill these roles who do not fill any other role. Sure, we might have a year when the very top special teamers were all position players and no player made the team to play special teams. But then again it migh snow in July in Boston.
This situation has never happened and it is unl;ikely to ever happen, NO MATTER HOW MANY HUNDRED POSTS suggest that belichikc should mend his ways and not waste roster spots.

For so many posters, Belichick surely can find position players who can long canp and play other special teams positions as well Slater and White. Well, the reality is that for the last 30 years, the [patriots have not been able to accomplish this task.

JUST MAYBE BELICHICK IS RIGHT TO ALLOCATE POSITIONS TO ST SPECIALIASTS
Maybe we should allocated positions to kickers, punters and long snappers.
Maybe we should allocate 2-3 positions to starting special teamers. After all, these players are active for every game, and are much more valueable than a 4th or 5th running back or many other of the backup positions that rarely see any reps.

Slater and White may not make the team. Other top special teams might beat them out, perhaps Morris or Lockett or Barrett. But my prediction is as it has been for 30 years. When we look at the roster for Game 3, there will be at least 5 players who are on the team to play special teams, and in many years the number will be higher.

 

[Mark Morse]

I'm not sure this is true. Yeatman ran about 4.75 in the 40, Smith about 5 flat.

Will Yeatman stands Out on Pro day at College Park

LEE SMITH 40 YARD DASH TIME

I'm not a good enough scout to tell the difference between the two.

I don't know where Maryland got their numbers from, but NFL Draft Scout (which are actuall draft scouts) had him at 5.08. Smith subsequently was 4.94

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

sigh

No, doesn't allocate player to Special-Teams Only players. He also doen't allocatye positions to ILB only players or CB only players or LS only players.'

HOWEVER, Belichick allocates positions to Special Teams players in much the same way that he allocates positions to the Offense of the Defense.

LONG SNAPPER
Would it good if our LS also was an energency backup center? Sure it would be good. But Belichick has considered this position important enough to allocate a position to our LS.

SPECIAL TEAMS GUNNERS, BLOCKERS AND TACKLERS
Poster here don't think that Belichick allocates positons to these functions. HOWEVER, every year there are players who fulfill these roles who do not fill any other role. Sure, we might have a year when the very top special teamers were all position players and no player made the team to play special teams. But then again it migh snow in July in Boston.
This situation has never happened and it is unl;ikely to ever happen, NO MATTER HOW MANY HUNDRED POSTS suggest that belichikc should mend his ways and not waste roster spots.

For so many posters, Belichick surely can find position players who can long canp and play other special teams positions as well Slater and White. Well, the reality is that for the last 30 years, the [patriots have not been able to accomplish this task.

JUST MAYBE BELICHICK IS RIGHT TO ALLOCATE POSITIONS TO ST SPECIALIASTS
Maybe we should allocated positions to kickers, punters and long snappers.
Maybe we should allocate 2-3 positions to starting special teamers. After all, these players are active for every game, and are much more valueable than a 4th or 5th running back or many other of the backup positions that rarely see any reps.

Slater and White may not make the team. Other top special teams might beat them out, perhaps Morris or Lockett or Barrett. But my prediction is as it has been for 30 years. When we look at the roster for Game 3, there will be at least 5 players who are on the team to play special teams, and in many years the number will be higher.

I'm pretty sure he does allocate players to certain positions, is Brady a Linebacker or a Quarterback? What is McCourty a Defensive lineman, a Tight end? no he's a Cornerback just Like Bodden is and I would hope BB makes sure he has enough of them on the roster.

And as far as you typing "sigh" in your response to me, please have a little more respect than that. I don't type in "sigh" when you start a new thread every time a random thought pops into your head or when you put delusionally put Alge Crumpler on your current roster but I could.

 

[Off The Grid]

Hey Grid, good job on pimping this guy, who's the next under the radar gem waiting to be polished?

I should also add:

IL ~ Tom Austin ~ A Man Barely Alive ~ 6.4/310 ~ has become of GREAT interest to me as an high quality Reserve Interior O Grizzly. I think he makes the Opening 53, health granted. Props to Brother Mayo.

OG "Mashing" Mark Wetterer ~ 6.4/305 ~ is almost certainly strictly Practice Squad material, but I really like his potential to develop into an awesome Sub under Coach Dante, a la Dan Connolly.

 

[TheSolderKing]

let's hope 1 pulls a hamstring tonight so we can IR the guy neither of the 2 would pass through waivers


i'm not wishing injury... but that would be a valid excuse to be put on IR

 

[Shelterdog]

let's hope 1 pulls a hamstring tonight so we can IR the guy neither of the 2 would pass through waivers


i'm not wishing injury... but that would be a valid excuse to be put on IR

Why do you need a valid excuse? Thomas Austin's agent isn't *****ing if his client gets put on the IR with a phantom injury.

 

[TheSolderKing]

Why do you need a valid excuse? Thomas Austin's agent isn't *****ing if his client gets put on the IR with a phantom injury.

I thought u needed a valid excuse. The nFL has cracked down on this hiding I thought?

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Yeatman, not Smith in with starting lineup 3TE set TD.

 

[TheSolderKing]

I wasn't focusing on the TE's last night and I wish I had. Who looks better? I saw Yeatmen early in game how was his blocking?

 

[nnmnmmnn]

Both. I don't see why the possibility of carrying 4 TEs is being ignored.

With all the plays with 2 and 3 TEs on the field that they've been running, I would think there's a reasonable chance that they'll have 4 TEs with 3 active on gamedays.

I think it's much more likely than the roster predictions coming out with 7 receivers. Question for those people: Do you dress all 7? If not, who isn't active on gameday?

Quite a few plays with three TEs again...

 

[NinjaZX6R]

I wasn't focusing on the TE's last night and I wish I had. Who looks better? I saw Yeatmen early in game how was his blocking?

I thought it was good. I might be wrong but Yettman blocked better than Gronk imho. He almost looked like a tat leaner version of Solder. I saw him block DE's few times. I like this kid.

 

[The Scrizz]

I wasn't focusing on the TE's last night and I wish I had. Who looks better? I saw Yeatmen early in game how was his blocking?

Yeatman looked very good on a few blocks. Don't remember seeing much of Smith, although during one close-up he appeared to be developing a very bad blister. I'd IR him, he could get a nasty infection rolling around in the dirt so much.

As of right now, I prefer Yeatman. But then again I am turning into an OTG disciple so it might just be his enthusiasm rubbing off on me.

 

[mgteich]

Splinters from sitting on the bench in preseason have been know to be serious enough to put players on the IR list.

Yeatman looked very good on a few blocks. Don't remember seeing much of Smith, although during one close-up he appeared to be developing a very bad blister. I'd IR him, he could get a nasty infection rolling around in the dirt so much.

As of right now, I prefer Yeatman. But then again I am turning into an OTG disciple so it might just be his enthusiasm rubbing off on me.