Our Defense is NOT Loaded; our BACKUPS are weak.

[rkarp1]

But you are dismissing what happened last year in a team that won 14 games won the division, won 3 playoff games and had a stretch of 16-1.

The following “inexperienced” players contributed to that.
Henderson
Williams
Campbell
Wilson
Woodson
Durden
Farmer
Ponder
Woods
Pettus
Borregales


He also got rid of
Duggar
Peppers
Brissett
Jordan
Thornton
Ekuale
Godchaux
Jon Jones
White
Bentley
Last year, and that worked out fine.

This year it was
Jennings
Gibbens
Tavai
Hawkins
Diggs
Lowe
Tonga
Boutte


Perhaps Vrabel has decided that he will be more successful coaching up inexperienced guys that having old veterans with recognizable names.

Are we critizibg him now for doing the same thing that turned a 4-13 team into a 14-3 SB team?

Vrabel. "Our depth stinks"

 

[Ring 6]

Vrabel. "Our depth stinks"

That’s not what he said.

 

[Wozzy]

Vrabel. "Our depth stinks"

Another Rkarp lie.

What he said much more recently…

"I love the guys that we have." - Mike Vrabel's Tuesday, September 1, 2026 press conference

 

[captain stone]

Why don't teams do this more often, claim a bunch of players, keep the ones they want and toss the rest back into the free-agent water...?

 

[rkarp1]

Another Rkarp lie.

What he said much more recently…

"I love the guys that we have." - Mike Vrabel's Tuesday, September 1, 2026 press conference

translation: "our depth stinks"

“I don’t think we have a very deep team,” Vrabel said when asked about personnel usage in the upcoming preseason finale versus the Browns.
“We have to make sure that we’re preparing our football team and that we’re doing everything that we can that we keep our best players available. If that means playing Thursday as part of preparation, then that’s what we’ll do. I have not made that decision yet, but I would say that that’s something that I’m confident in with where we’re set up currently.”

 

[Wozzy]

translation: "our depth stinks"

“I don’t think we have a very deep team,” Vrabel said when asked about personnel usage in the upcoming preseason finale versus the Browns.
“We have to make sure that we’re preparing our football team and that we’re doing everything that we can that we keep our best players available. If that means playing Thursday as part of preparation, then that’s what we’ll do. I have not made that decision yet, but I would say that that’s something that I’m confident in with where we’re set up currently.”

Translation: you outright lied

 

[Wozzy]

Why don't teams do this more often, claim a bunch of players, keep the ones they want and toss the rest back into the free-agent water...

The dynasty Patriots always brought a rotation of guys in from cutdown day and it often extended into the regular season until they found the team they liked.

They also had guys in for a workout or two just to get to know them and put some on a break glass in case of emergency list should injuries occur.

Why more teams didint place waiver claims on these specific players, who knows, maybe most teams were waiting for players to clear waivers so they could sign players as free agents. Other teams are certainly still adding to their rosters now.

 

[rkarp1]

Translation: you outright lied

"I don't think we have very good depth" is the nice version of "our depth stinks".
he was unable/afraid to play any starters for fear of injury.
he said so himself.

 

[rkarp1]

Why don't teams do this more often, claim a bunch of players, keep the ones they want and toss the rest back into the free-agent water...?

Hunter is interesting, but is he a LB or big S? 224 lbs (listed)

 

[Wozzy]

"I don't think we have very good depth" is the nice version of "our depth stinks".
he was unable/afraid to play any starters for fear of injury.
he said so himself.

He could also have been referring to all the bumps, bruises and other injuries among his starters who didn’t play in any of the preseason games.

It looks like Henderson, Barmore and others haven’t practiced and are in danger of not playing Wednesday.

If starters are injured and your backups are already playing then yeah… depth stinks because nobody carries a third or fourth string into the regular season where rosters sit at 53 players.

You took a sound bite and created your own fictional narrative around it based on your agenda. Such an Rkarp thing to do.

Vrabel loves the players that are here, depth ends at some point… it’s not a limitless resource.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

"I don't think we have very good depth" is the nice version of "our depth stinks".
he was unable/afraid to play any starters for fear of injury.
he said so himself.

He said what he said, and didn't what he didn't.
He didn't say our depth stinks.
What he said could be interpreted in many ways.
Perhaps it was nice way of saying our depth stinks.
Perhaps it was a call to those depth players to step up up and take advantage of their opportunity and be ready, because it will be needed at some point during the year.
People take things too literally.
He also said he wanted us to be younger, cheaper, better.
Hard if not impossible to be all 3 of those, yet some posters held onto this quote with cold dead hands and argued we wouldn't acquire aging vets.
AJ Brown; Doubs; Jones; Byard...etc would say differently.
Most starters didn't play for all 32 teams, especially those teams with SB aspirations.
Everyone's depth is suspect.
Our's is no different.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Our's is no different.

Vrabel would not have said what he said (no matter how you interpret it) if our depth was no different than others.

We would not have selected 5 guys who were all awarded to us after the 53 cutdown. Why did we select the most of any team and get awarded everyone? Management must think our depth is lacking.

You are a nice person but that does not change 1. Chism III is super slow like a turtle and sucks at kick off returns, and 2. The Pats depth is weaker than other team's depth.

If management does not admit the Pats' weaknesses, the shortcomings will not be fixed.

 

[Family]

Vrabel would not have said what he said (no matter how you interpret it) if our depth was no different than others.

We would not have selected 5 guys who were all awarded to us after the 53 cutdown. Why did we select the most of any team and get awarded everyone? Management must think our depth is lacking.

You are a nice person but that does not change 1. Chism III is super slow like a turtle and sucks at kick off returns, and 2. The Pats depth is weaker than other team's depth.

If management does not admit the Pats' weaknesses, the shortcomings will not be fixed.

10% of the roster is made up of players who were either waived or going to be waived last week.

The coach even said the team isn't very deep.

It's a joke this is even a discussion anymore.

 

[rkarp1]

10% of the roster is made up of players who were either waived or going to be waived last week.

The coach even said the team isn't very deep.

It's a joke this is even a discussion anymore.

some posters like to joke
they joke that Chad Muma is a good LB
they joke that a 6th rd draft pick and an udfa that is currently injured, were not "thin" depth
the teams actions with cutting players, claiming udfa's and the HC's coments about the teams depth are proof of the situation

perhaps the HC is wrong
perhaps the young players are going to be great nfl players
I would have preferred a little more depth with a vet. Mausau has been in the league a year. played 15 games for a bad Giants defense. undersized but maybe he can be that depth guy while the team develops the younger guys

 

[captain stone]

Hunter is interesting, but is he a LB or big S? 224 lbs (listed)

I don't know either... What I do know is that I wish they had placed claims on those who have actually played the position at this level before.

 

[captain stone]

He said what he said, and didn't what he didn't.
He didn't say our depth stinks.
What he said could be interpreted in many ways.
Perhaps it was nice way of saying our depth stinks.
Perhaps it was a call to those depth players to step up up and take advantage of their opportunity and be ready, because it will be needed at some point during the year.
People take things too literally.
He also said he wanted us to be younger, cheaper, better.
Hard if not impossible to be all 3 of those, yet some posters held onto this quote with cold dead hands and argued we wouldn't acquire aging vets.
AJ Brown; Doubs; Jones; Byard...etc would say differently.
Most starters didn't play for all 32 teams, especially those teams with SB aspirations.
Everyone's depth is suspect.
Our's is no different.

Ours is indeed different than "suspect": At some positions, it's Non-existent.

 

[Brady85-23]

I dont know how the post week 1 additions subtractions work but S john saunders jr is still a free agent. Makes no sense hes not atleast on a practice squad somewhere. I think the pats add him to the 53 after week 1

 

[Brady85-23]

2 possible back ups at edge anthony lucas and mason reiger are on practice squads right now

 

[n1997y]

2 possible back ups at edge anthony lucas and mason reiger are on practice squads right now

Why do you think either of them would be better than Jacas, Hutchins, or Hunter? Those are the backups they’d have to replace.

 

[Brady85-23]

Why do you think either of them would be better than Jacas, Hutchins, or Hunter? Those are the backups they’d have to replace.

Hunter is a LB they only have 4 edge players i think a 5th would be nice and maybe when Landry comes back the pats could sneak that 5th guy on their own PS