3 WR and 1 TE yet again

[PatsFan2]

Reiss thinks that the wide receivers are looking so good that we are likely to move to much more of a 3 WR set than 2 WR, with Amendola, Thompkins and Dobson getting most of the reps. Of course, as always, we will run both sets.

Don't Forget about Josh Boyce its seems like he could be a home run hitter from the position...a guy who's a threat to take it the distance everytime he touches it.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I would agree although if they keep 6 WR 4 TE wouldn't shock me because they are usually about 10 strong with both positions. I dont think they need a 7th WR because those guys are either expendable (Jenkins) or PS material Aiken and Simms etc.

Now, if the wanted to keep 5 RB and 3 QB something is taking a hit perhaps.

As far as TE. Gronk Ballard Suds and Fells are the top 4. If they (for some reason) PUP Gronk, which they wont. You can keep Hoo. They are in a tough spot there. You cant have your star TE on the shelf for 9 months. Could IR Ballard but I dont see that either. This is a tough situation with some tuff cuts coming. Fells and Hoo arent making it to Shadow. Suds wont clear waivers.

I think the Pats end up going 4 deep at TE (Gronk, Sudfeld, Fells, Ballard) and 4 deep at RB (Ridley, Vereen, Washington, one of Bolden/Blount), and then 5 deep at WR (Amendola, Thompkins, Dobson, Boyce, Edelman). Slater makes the team but isn't a WR; not sure why people insist on sticking him there on the depth chart.

If the Pats are to go 5 deep at RB (right now it's basically Bolden's upside, cheapness, and ST value vs. Blount being probably a better runner), then I think that comes at the expense of either Tebow (less likely, I already have him not making the team) or secondary depth (which personally I dunno if we can afford to lose). Could possibly come at the expense of a fourth tight end, but I'd prefer that it not, since even without Gronk the Pats have the personnel to run an effective 2TE formation, which is significantly more versatile than 3WR as long as you can put two TEs on the field who are threats to catch. Which Gronk, Ballard, Fells and Sudfeld all are.

FWIW, here's the full roster as I see it:

QB (2) Brady, Mallett
RB (4) Ridley, Vereen, Blount, Washington -- could easily see Bolden unseating Blount here
WR (5) Amendola, Thompkins, Dobson, Boyce, Edelman
TE (4) Gronkowski, Ballard, Sudfeld, Fells
C (1) Wendell
G (4) Mankins, Connolly, Cannon, McDonald
T (4) Vollmer, Solder, Svitek, Zusevics
DE (4) Ninkovich, Jones, Benard, Buchanan
DT (4) Wilfork, Kelly, Armstead, Forston
ILB(3) Spikes, Fletcher, Koutouvides
OLB(3) Mayo, Hightower, Collins
CB (6) Talib, Dennard, Arrington, Dowling, Ryan, Cole
SS (2) Wilson, Wilson
FS (3) McCourty, Gregory, Harmon
ST (4) Gostkowski, Aiken, Mesko, Slater

Total players: 53
Created with Pats Picker: http://patspicker.patsfans.com

 

[Rob0729]

The Pats have and will always revise their system to put themselves in the best position to win. Until Gronk is back, it may be the 3 wide set.

But I still wouldn't read too much into the preseason. The three wide sets may be more for these young receivers to get as many reps with Brady as possible. Having three receivers on the field at once gives at least two young guy and Amendola (who could always use more reps with Brady) time with Brady.

 

[patsfanincleveland]

Oddly enough, with this mix, you could put Ridley as the HB, Blount as the FB, Bolden at TE, and Vereen/Washington spread out wide. I'm not saying it would be EFFECTIVE, but they'd at least all be able to fake it kinda well

The NFL is all about matchups. This comes from scheme versatility.

Besides, last Friday the Eagles announcers openly speculated about 200 snap games in the future.

110-120 snap, "three yards and a cloud of dust" games are not the future.

 

[Sicilian]

The NFL is all about matchups. This comes from scheme versatility.

Besides, last Friday the Eagles announcers openly speculated about 200 snap games in the future.

110-120 snap, "three yards and a cloud of dust" games are not the future.

You took my post far more seriously than I did.

 

[patsfanincleveland]

You took my post far more seriously than I did.

Not literally.

The point is more "scheme versatility" should equal better chance of sticking.

Do you need 6 WR's if Vereen and Sudfeld can be facto WR's?

Belichick's fascination with two TE's springs from versatility. It's highly doubtful he would stay in that mode if he can find versatility elsewhere.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Don't Forget about Josh Boyce its seems like he could be a home run hitter from the position...a guy who's a threat to take it the distance everytime he touches it.

From what I've seen, he's a threat to take it the distance every time he catches it. Which so far has been significantly less often than when he touches it, unfortunately. Hopefully his hands improve over time, because if not he would be far from the first promising WR to be derailed by this issue.

 

[PatsFan2]

From what I've seen, he's a threat to take it the distance every time he catches it. Which so far has been significantly less often than when he touches it, unfortunately. Hopefully his hands improve over time, because if not he would be far from the first promising WR to be derailed by this issue.

Thats a flaw that is correctable Boyce has all the tools. We are not talking about Chad Jackson or Bethel Johnson here. His speed is close to Johnson's and he has more natural ability than Jackson. I think Boyce is going to be a Stud!

 

[nabwong]

Does everyone here thinks Washington is a lock at RB? I don't know his contract situation though. He's a good kick returner but I think someone else can do that job. Maybe Vereen, or Boyce.

 

[BobDigital]

Does everyone here thinks Washington is a lock at RB? I don't know his contract situation though. He's a good kick returner but I think someone else can do that job. Maybe Vereen, or Boyce.

I think he is a sure lock if healthy. He (if I recall correctly) was a top 5 kick returner 2 years running. Our kick return game has not been good recently. Washington gets you on average to the 29-30 yard line when he decides to return it. That is 1 less set of downs we need to convert to get in scoring position and you can not say no to that value.

Also he has flashed well as the back up change of pace behind Vereen. If Vereen goes down for a few games it would be nice to have someone who can do that job. Ridley, Bolden and Blount can't.

 

[mgteich]

Washington and Edelman are locks if healthy. Belichick has a different approach to special teams than you seem to. Washington and Edelman are among the very best in the NFL. Both are backups at positions. I don't we can ask for more from special teams specialists.

Does everyone here thinks Washington is a lock at RB? I don't know his contract situation though. He's a good kick returner but I think someone else can do that job. Maybe Vereen, or Boyce.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Thats a flaw that is correctable Boyce has all the tools. We are not talking about Chad Jackson or Bethel Johnson here. His speed is close to Johnson's and he has more natural ability than Jackson. I think Boyce is going to be a Stud!

Jackson had really good hands:

WR Chad Jackson - Best Hands - YouTube

His problem, evidently, was that he was an idiot.

 

[mgteich]

Boyce won't be active unless there injuries to the others. We have plenty of options with the three top receivers (and with Edelman as a backup). We also have Vereen as a RB who is a receiving threat. This is enough for a FIVE WR set, even before we consider our TE's.

BTW, this is NOT a knock on Boyce. He is simply our #4 receiver, with no reason to be active, absent injuries. He IS good enough for Jenkins to be cut.

Don't Forget about Josh Boyce its seems like he could be a home run hitter from the position...a guy who's a threat to take it the distance everytime he touches it.

 

[tonyto3690]

Reiss is a great reporter, but his football evaluation has never been that great.

We purposefully went away from 3 WR sets because of how it limits the passing game and lack of 3 WRs truly worth it. While we are all excited about how Thompkins and Dobson have looked, I don't think anyone expects either of them to be playing at a near elite level.

We're better off rotating the two of them in for the first half of the season until we know we can truly count on them. Then when Amendola inevitably gets hurt we can start both of them.

Belichick, if anything has been moving to a 3 TE base set. He did it in 2010 with Crumpler, in 2011 with Solder and last year when he could with Hoo/Fells as the third TE when Gronk and Hernandez was healthy.

We took a hit losing Hernandez, but we're not going to schematically change everything.

Until Thompkins and Dobson both play a regular season game or two and unless both of them look like all pros, there's no real reason to switch the scheme.

 

[Bruins29]

Then when Amendola inevitably gets hurt we can start both of them.

Whiner extraordinaire

 

[tonyto3690]

Whiner extraordinaire

I'm not whining. I'm pointing out something that happens every year- thus we can expect will likely happen this year. Blind homerism doesn't change the fact Amendola is extremely injury prone.

 

[supafly]

That's a very reasonable argument, but I'm confused that so many in this thread are placing Ballard ahead of Fells. I was under the impression that Fells has had a much stronger camp, and that he seems to have regained his form after playing injured last year. Am I mistaken?

From all accounts thus far you are definitely right. Fells clearly appears to be the TE1 (absent Gronkowski of course), with Sudfeld/Ballard battling for the TE2 spot and Hooman as the H-back.

Reiss is a great reporter, but his football evaluation has never been that great.

We purposefully went away from 3 WR sets because of how it limits the passing game and lack of 3 WRs truly worth it. While we are all excited about how Thompkins and Dobson have looked, I don't think anyone expects either of them to be playing at a near elite level.

We're better off rotating the two of them in for the first half of the season until we know we can truly count on them. Then when Amendola inevitably gets hurt we can start both of them.

Belichick, if anything has been moving to a 3 TE base set. He did it in 2010 with Crumpler, in 2011 with Solder and last year when he could with Hoo/Fells as the third TE when Gronk and Hernandez was healthy.

We took a hit losing Hernandez, but we're not going to schematically change everything.

Until Thompkins and Dobson both play a regular season game or two and unless both of them look like all pros, there's no real reason to switch the scheme.

Aside from your personal feelings regarding Amendola being injury prone, I think this was an excellent post.

I hear what you're saying re: the injuries, but they were also of the freak nature variety. In other words, I'm much more concerned about the injuries with Talib's reoccuring hamstring/hip issues that have caused him to never completely finish a season in his 5 yr career than I personally am with Amendola's broken leg and collarbone.

That said--we'll all feel a bit leery about it until Amendola can prove himself worthy of getting through an entire season. We could also be looking at him having an injury in the more minor category, which would still allow him to play 12-13 games this year. It's all up in the air at this point.

 

[Bruins29]

I'm not whining. I'm pointing out something that happens every year- thus we can expect will likely happen this year. Blind homerism doesn't change the fact Amendola is extremely injury prone.

So homers think like rational optimistic people and people who act like Debbie Downer on the forum aren't projecting their own failures.

Ahhhh got it.

 

[tonyto3690]

So homers think like rational optimistic people and people who act like Debbie Downer on the forum aren't projecting their own failures.

Ahhhh got it.

The difference between you and me is that I base my opinions based on facts, trends, and history. Not just personal gut feelings. Sorry, Jenkins didn't even make the team, let alone become a big part of the offense like you projected. Amendola has missed more games than started, and people are expecting him to INCREASE his workload to match Welker's and stay healthy? Come on, that is just not realistic.

 

[Bruins29]

The difference between you and me is that I base my opinions based on facts, trends, and history. Not just personal gut feelings. Sorry, Jenkins didn't even make the team, let alone become a big part of the offense like you projected. Amendola has missed more games than started, and people are expecting him to INCREASE his workload to match Welker's and stay healthy? Come on, that is just not realistic.

No, I think the difference between us is a lot more than you not knowing the concept of what a fact is. A lot more trust me.