Reiss' assessment of Pats' FA signings as roster locks

Reiss' assessment strikes me as overly optimistic for some of these guys, so I'm curious about others' thoughts.

The obligatory ESPN link:
Assessing where all 13 Patriots offseason acquisitions fit

The summary:

SUREFIRE LOCKS

• TE Martellus Bennett
  
• G Jonathan Cooper
• WR Chris Hogan
• DT Terrance Knighton
• DE Chris Long
• LB Shea McClellin

MIDDLE GROUND

• CB E.J. Biggers
• RB Donald Brown
• TE Clay Harbor
• DT Markus Kuhn
• WR Nate Washington

LONGER ODDS

• LB Ramon Humber
• DT Frank Kearse

He has Chris Hogan listed as a possible top 3 target. Did I miss something?

OT: I don't mind clicking on a Mike Reiss link. I rationalize it as sending a care package (click) to a POW.


Edit: I meant Chris Hogan.

Seems accurate for me, I'd only move Chris Long to middle ground and EJ Biggers to NO WAY IN HELL ODDS.

varjao said:

Seems accurate for me, I'd only move Chris Long to middle ground and EJ Biggers to NO WAY IN HELL ODDS.

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There's no way chris long isn't making this team. He's chandler's replacement.

TommyBrady12 said:

There's no way chris long isn't making this team. He's chandler's replacement.

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Exactly, he's a 100% lock.

As of right now (pre-draft), I'd call Nate Washington a surefire lock too. That could change after the draft but we all saw how thin the WR corps was last season. Washington has experience in the system and was still productive with Hoyer tossing him the rock in Houston. I'd say he's a lock from where we stand right now. After the draft? Maybe not.

Love reading these type of pieces by Reiss. I think he does a great job. I really wish ESPN would let him go back to having his chats!!!

Seems about right to me.

I would move Harbor up to the Lock category and Kuhn down to the Longer Odds category.

Regardless, it was a killer free agent period as was expected with only Hicks as a loss other than those (Jones, LaFell) we chose to lose.

Anybody else worried about Potroast's newfound weight loss work ethic being short lived?

betterthanthealternative said:

Anybody else worried about Potroast's newfound weight loss work ethic being short lived?

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If short lived maybe he could just play 3rd base.

On Potroast - I am not worried for a one season deal - I am more worried about his headache health issue

I wouldn't call Cooper a 'lock' he needs to show up at training camp ready to go or the Pats won't be in the mood to give him his 1.7M on the 5th day of camp.

TommyBrady12 said:

There's no way chris long isn't making this team. He's chandler's replacement.

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He is not as good as Chandler Jones anymore. Sheard is his replacement, and Long is Sheard's replacement. I'd say Long is damn close to a lock, but not entirely.

IllegalContact said:

I wouldn't call Cooper a 'lock' he needs to show up at training camp ready to go or the Pats won't be in the mood to give him his 1.7M on the 5th day of camp.

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If he doesn't make the team after us trading Chandler, there will be a lot of angry Pat fans!!!

ashley1992 said:

If he doesn't make the team after us trading Chandler, there will be a lot of angry Pat fans!!!

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Cooper was a throw-in....in fact, I'm not sure the Pats would have gotten the 2nd round pick without Cooper in the deal....I'd be willing to bet that the Cooper throw in was requested by the Cards and not the Pats

Elijah said:

He is not as good as Chandler Jones anymore. Sheard is his replacement, and Long is Sheard's replacement. I'd say Long is damn close to a lock, but not entirely.

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Nobody new is ever a total lock. Sloppy writing on Reiss' part to say otherwise, but with all he goes through at ESPN I can't get upset about that.

IllegalContact said:

Cooper was a throw-in....in fact, I'm not sure the Pats would have gotten the 2nd round pick without Cooper in the deal....I'd be willing to bet that the Cooper throw in was requested by the Cards and not the Pats

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nope, a reclamation project
let's see how it plays out
i actually look forward seeing him in preseason

long distance said:

nope, a reclamation project
let's see how it plays out
i actually look forward seeing him in preseason

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absolutely, but I'll bet you the Cards brought up Cooper and not the Pats

being a reclamation project is not relevant to the fact that he was a throw in to the cards

Fencer said:

Nobody new is ever a total lock. Sloppy writing on Reiss' part to say otherwise, but with all he goes through at ESPN I can't get upset about that.

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Of course they can be. The pats spent a lot of money and draft capital to acquire bennett, cooper, hogan, etc. they are not going to cut them before they play their first season with the team.