Dorsett, Calhoun, Munson

[luuked]

That’s a good argument for keeping 5.
We are going with the assumption that keeping 6 means Thomas and Gordon are good to go.
So the 5th would probably be inactive behind Edelman Gordon Thomas Harry. So the 6th wouldn’t be activated unless we had 2 WR injuries.
Is the difference between the 6th and whoever would be in the PS factored in the chance of 2 injuries that big? For the WR4 role? Only after 2 injuries?

Also in the spread on passing downs where gronk was effectively a Wr the RB position can also factor in.

I mean theoretically you have a 46 man roster and then 7 slots you can stash developmental players behind. Just because someone makes the 53 it doesn't automatically follow that he has to be a contributor for this season unless injuries hit.

So keeping eg. Meyers as your sixth WR makes sense if you think he could develop further into a WR2 or WR3. Especially when Thomas, Gordon and Dorsett are all FA and maybe gone at the end of the season.

That all being said I agree that it is hard to determine the value of someone that has flashed hard enough in the preseason to make it impossible to stash him on the PS relative to ST contributions of someone else. But that's why BB is paid the big bucks and for the overwhelming most part he has done well with value and risk assessment.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

I have assigned an expert to work on this situation:

 

[ralmat55]

Reading this thread, I’ve been reminded that I’ve fretted over this player or that player being kept when the Patriots cut down to the roster limit for teams that went on to have a 1-15 record and that most of the players I fretted over and lost didn’t go on to have good careers elsewhere and, most likely, would have been gone in a season or two if they had survived cutdown.

With that said, I like Phil Dorsett. He’s been a solid contributor here for 2 seasons on teams that went on to play in the Super Bowl. He has good hands and seems to have the support of his QB and is popular among all his teammates. But, he’s scheduled to make $2.6 million this year of which $2.1 m has yet to be paid. Do you pay him that just to be mostly inactive deep depth in case Gordon relapses or Thomas struggles coming off his injury? Especially when keeping him for another season means you lose a player who can be around to contribute for the next 4 years at roughly the same money you’ll pay Dorsett just for this season.

Belichick has done a brilliant job over the years of balancing the present with the future. That along with TB12 is why this team has won 16 AFC East titles in 19 years. Belichick knows more about the status of Gordon and Thomas and more about the development of Harry and Meyers than we do and will do what he thinks is best for the long term and short term interest of the team. But, as I see it, I would not keep Dorsett if it meant I couldn’t keep, say, Keion Crossen to cover punts and provide depth at the most important position group on a team other than QB for the next 3 seasons while on his rookie contract.

That same decision has to be made regarding Brian Hoyer, Duron Harmon and Rex Burkhead or any veteran who plays a position where there seems to be more good football players than spots on the roster. Football is about roles and situations. Choosing a roster of players to best fill those roles and succeed in the situations a game and season will present is what the process that will unfold over the next week plus is all about.

 

[Ring 6]

I mean theoretically you have a 46 man roster and then 7 slots you can stash developmental players behind. Just because someone makes the 53 it doesn't automatically follow that he has to be a contributor for this season unless injuries hit.

So keeping eg. Meyers as your sixth WR makes sense if you think he could develop further into a WR2 or WR3. Especially when Thomas, Gordon and Dorsett are all FA and maybe gone at the end of the season.

That all being said I agree that it is hard to determine the value of someone that has flashed hard enough in the preseason to make it impossible to stash him on the PS relative to ST contributions of someone else. But that's why BB is paid the big bucks and for the overwhelming most part he has done well with value and risk assessment.

I think that there just isn’t room to straddle both sides of:
1) wr5 only sees the field if there is an injury and only is vital if there are 2. I dont trust Meyers as wr5
and
2) we need to keep Meyers because he won’t make it to the practice squad

Yes there are 7 inactives but normal a few games into the season most of those are injured players. I think a standard rule of thumb is you only keep one player at a position that won’t see the field until something goes wrong

I totally understand the argument in a vacuum but it doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

 

[Ring 6]

Reading this thread, I’ve been reminded that I’ve fretted over this player or that player being kept when the Patriots cut down to the roster limit for teams that went on to have a 1-15 record and that most of the players I fretted over and lost didn’t go on to have good careers elsewhere and, most likely, would have been gone in a season or two if they had survived cutdown.

With that said, I like Phil Dorsett. He’s been a solid contributor here for 2 seasons on teams that went on to play in the Super Bowl. He has good hands and seems to have the support of his QB and is popular among all his teammates. But, he’s scheduled to make $2.6 million this year of which $2.1 m has yet to be paid. Do you pay him that just to be mostly inactive deep depth in case Gordon relapses or Thomas struggles coming off his injury? Especially when keeping him for another season means you lose a player who can be around to contribute for the next 4 years at roughly the same money you’ll pay Dorsett just for this season.

Belichick has done a brilliant job over the years of balancing the present with the future. That along with TB12 is why this team has won 16 AFC East titles in 19 years. Belichick knows more about the status of Gordon and Thomas and more about the development of Harry and Meyers than we do and will do what he thinks is best for the long term and short term interest of the team. But, as I see it, I would not keep Dorsett if it meant I couldn’t keep, say, Keion Crossen to cover punts and provide depth at the most important position group on a team other than QB for the next 3 seasons while on his rookie contract.

That same decision has to be made regarding Brian Hoyer, Duron Harmon and Rex Burkhead or any veteran who plays a position where there seems to be more good football players than spots on the roster. Football is about roles and situations. Choosing a roster of players to best fill those roles and succeed in the situations a game and season will present is what the process that will unfold over the next week plus is all about.

I agree, except for Harmon. There aren’t good players pushing him out of his role.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

If Brady gets a vote on Dorsett:

“Phillip is a guy that I’ve played a lot of football with, and I have a lot of trust in. Experience is a great thing in football if you use it well, and I think our experience together pays off,” Brady said. “I read his body language.

“I think the great thing about Phil, he takes advantage of his opportunities. A lot of guys have been injured this preseason. Phil plays all three wide receiver positions, remembers all the coaching points from all the times we’ve talked about certain things. Even though he may not have done it, he goes in there and does it the way that Coach wants it done. I love playing with Phil. He’s been a great contributor to our team, and he had a great night.”​

 

[Ring 6]

If Brady gets a vote on Dorsett:

“Phillip is a guy that I’ve played a lot of football with, and I have a lot of trust in. Experience is a great thing in football if you use it well, and I think our experience together pays off,” Brady said. “I read his body language.

“I think the great thing about Phil, he takes advantage of his opportunities. A lot of guys have been injured this preseason. Phil plays all three wide receiver positions, remembers all the coaching points from all the times we’ve talked about certain things. Even though he may not have done it, he goes in there and does it the way that Coach wants it done. I love playing with Phil. He’s been a great contributor to our team, and he had a great night.”​

Or he is helping him get another job.