Schefter: Ochocinco will stay with Patriots

[BradyManny]

If this is the case - then I would very much like to see Ochocinco and Brady throwing passes in LA like Brady and Welker do every offseason.

Ocho has been awful busy tweeting. Let's hope he's equally busy working on learning the offense.

It's not completely inconceivable that he can turn it around. He still has the physical skillset. It's just a disconnect from that physical skillset to the mental skillset.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Anyone who's childish enough to still be using "Ochostinko" is someone who's opinions on the matter can be completely disregarded anyway.

Oh, I'm sorry, has Ocho earned earned the respect of the fans through his stellar play?

 

[pork3]

He had by Bill's count I believe in excess of 111 practices... People act like he came in mid camp and was cut before week 1...

I sincerely hope he proves us all wrong and comes out strong this coming season, but with his new reality show and all, I wonder when he'll find the time.

-Jamman

 

[letekro]

It would appear the coaching staff doesn't share your view.

Mo's view is far more authoritative, and thus correct.

In all seriousness, Ocho was moving way better than Branch last year. I see why they want to give him an offseason to try to get it together. I see the elder WR competition completely open here, with no more than 1 of Branch, Ocho and Stallworth making the cut. Hopefully that guy can be a solid no 3 and we add a developmental guy as the four (or five, depending on how you see Hernandez).

 

[TomPatriot]

Between the TV show filming all spring and the actual wedding filming in July I doubt there will be much time for Ocho to be immersed in anything resembling a playbook. And I don't think it was a matter of his not understanding the playbook. It was his inability to execute complex scheme on the playing field in real time. That's a capacity issue, not an opportunity or intelligence or athleticism issue.

I disagree. Chad O'Shea can make this happen with a dedicated player. He needs the other Chad to be that dedicated player. If he's not, he will be released.

 

[JackBauer]

Seems you have the same problem with them in other instances...

Such as....?

 

[Deus Irae]

Oh, I'm sorry, has Ocho earned earned the respect of the fans through his stellar play?

You must be one of the children.

 

[signbabybrady]

I thought he had already agreed to restructure about a month ago

From my memory.

There was a report that we have asked him to restructure.

He tweeted abuot being open to the restructure or working on it or something of the effect.

But as far as I know nothing has been reported to the league.

A fairly good chunk of time has passed since anything has been said about this so who knows where everything stands right now.


My assumption is since he said he was willing to take the cut that it will happen and he will be in camp not sure if he makes the team though.

Here is how I see it.

Locks = Welker, Lloyd, and Hopefully a rookie. With Slater a STs lock and #6 WR.

I consider Branch to be almost a lock.

We could carry 7 but that seems unlikely and if we did 6 and 7 would probably be Edelman and Slater for STs.

So really we are looking at one open spot for the following (in order of who I feel has best chance of making it)
Edelman
Stallworth
Ocho
Gonzalez
Underwood

I assume Branch will be pretty much the same as last season which IMO is a lock for this team however if he shows up and has lost even more of his game than maybe he doesnt make it (hence the almost lock title).


The way I look at Branch compared to those other guys is like this. Take Branch off last years team and plug in any of the other guys and do you honestly think they catch 50+ balls for 700+ yards? Branch's numbers this year will go down because he will not be the #2 WR but I suspect he will bring the same skills and that is awesome to have hanging around for Depth.

As to Ocho the topic of this thread I think it is fully worth it to try again with him as maybe a full offseasons brings him up to speed maybe not no harm no foul in bringing him to camp to find out. Hell, they invested enough time and money it would be foolish not to give it as much a chance at success as you can.

 

[Gronkandez]

Between the TV show filming all spring and the actual wedding filming in July I doubt there will be much time for Ocho to be immersed in anything resembling a playbook. And I don't think it was a matter of his not understanding the playbook. It was his inability to execute complex scheme on the playing field in real time. That's a capacity issue, not an opportunity or intelligence or athleticism issue.

The only problem with retaining him on a restructured deal even through camp is the message it sends within the locker room where meritocracy has always been the bottom line (Bill's binky's are treated by a different standard, they get mulligans and red shirts) and the potential for injury once he resumes football activities which would put them on the hook for at least one more season whether he can contribute or not...

This sounds a little personal to me. And I don't Bill is keeping him b/c he's his binky, IMO it has more to do with the structure of the contract. You can take a cap hit to cut him or give him a chance to prove something and pay him a little more to keep him if he performs.

 

[Kontradiction]

IMO, he's only getting this much patience for two reasons:

1. His close relationship with Belichick.
2. His agreeing to further restructure his deal.

#2 is the biggest aspect. If he didn't restructure his deal again, he would most likely have been let go after the Branch deal became public. Again, this is just my opinion. Personally, I don't have high hopes for Ocho. There were moments last year where he ran such a bad route that it was embarrassing. But if the coaching staff is willing to give him another chance then I have no say in it. Let's hope he puts down the Twitter and gets on the same page as Brady.

 

[THELAWFIRM226]

I'm glad he's staying. I truly believe he will produce for us this season, I really think that he will be significantly improved from last season.

 

[DaBruinz]

I thought he had already agreed to restructure about a month ago

Just because he agreed doesn't mean that he and the team have come to an agreement on what the restructured deal will look like.

Personally, I don't want them to restructure his deal so that, if they do cut him, they don't break their streak of not having cut a player who restructured their deal to stay..

 

[MoLewisrocks]

This sounds a little personal to me. And I don't Bill is keeping him b/c he's his binky, IMO it has more to do with the structure of the contract. You can take a cap hit to cut him or give him a chance to prove something and pay him a little more to keep him if he performs.

People always claim opinions to be personal or hater based or childish when they don't agree with their own.

This is what Deion Branch had to agree to in order to be traded here:

Deion Branch - On October 5, 2010 ESPNBoston's Mike Reiss reported that "Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch agreed to take a pay cut for the final year of his contract as part of the deal that brought him back to New England from the Seattle Seahawks. The restructuring reduces Branch's 2011 base salary from $5.95 million and puts it closer in line with Wes Welker's base salary of $2.15 million in 2011, a source told ESPNBoston.com. Branch has a chance to earn an additional $2 million in the form of incentives."

Moss had to do the same. The mistake with him was going all in after he faded down the stretch in 2007. Because in the end it was clear he wasn't a patriots type of player and he could not check his ego at the door nor was he mentally tough enough to push through adversity.

Albert had to restructure down to $1.5M plus incentives.

IMHO that is what should have been done with Chad - who was supposedly lobbying for just a shot to play here for Bill and with Tom. And if it had been he wouldn't be here now. Instead he was given the diva/celebrity treatment even as he was being "rescued". A very un-Belichick approach that flew in the face of the meritocracy. Instead he got a 3 year extension for twice what he was owed on his last season of the Cincy deal. And that created $6M in sunk cost and a $3M dead cap scenario which is what they are apparently determined to continue to try and salvage.

Some here claim Bill does lots of stupid things. I on the other hand claim there are only occasional, almost imperceptible miscues or mistakes made. So when I'm not being childish for being critical I'm a blind homer for not being critical enough...

 

[RayClay]

I heard that they've been using crayons and a coloring book to draw out the plays for him and it's apparently been helping.

Maybe Spikes will give him some of his ritalin.

 

[pork3]

Maybe Spikes will give him some of his ritalin.

Not a bad idea as it's been abused in the past to aid mental faculties.

-Jamman

 

[RayClay]

Maybe Spikes will give him some of his ritalin.

Not be a bad idea as it's been abused in the past to aid mental faculties.

-Jamman

With his attention span, he might need a constant IV drip which would be awkward, but at least he might be in the right spot on the field when Tom looks for him.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Of course he is staying here.....Who else wants this loser bum?

Might be the dumbest mistake of the offseason for Belichick if he keeps this turd past August

 

[Ivan]

There's no harm in having Ocho compete for a spot, he will have to shine because he's not sticking if he isn't a top 4 WR, Belichick isn't going to suit up a number 5 WR who cannot play on ST's.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Moss had to do the same. The mistake with him was going all in after he faded down the stretch in 2007. Because in the end it was clear he wasn't a patriots type of player and he could not check his ego at the door nor was he mentally tough enough to push through adversity.

That said, you have to wonder what would have happened with Moss had Brady not gotten injured in 2008. . . .

 

[BradyBranch39]

give him a contract that allows him to reach the original money if he meets certain incentives. That way, if he does nothing we're on the hook for less.