Vrabel: “I don’t think we have a very deep team”

[JoeSixPat]

I don't disagree with Vrabel keeping starters out of meaningless games, but we need to prepare ourselves for a difficult September as we'll be watching the pre-season version of the team who haven't played any live snaps together since the Super Bowl

That's not to say they won't win some - just that it will likely be much sloppier football than what we'll be seeing in December.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

It’s brutally frank, and it does inoculate against the accusation that he built a 1-guy-deep Potemkin village of a team that gets “exposed” when the next man has to step up.

He also needs to dump binkies post-cutdown day. This is your warning. If you learned their names, that’s on you.

Then there will be th inevitable “but ______!?! For only a sixth?” Reaction to one of these moves

 

[Triumph]

I see Vrabes comments as a motivation tool for players to step up these last few weeks of preseason. Basically, who wants it more and is hungrier? If so show us.

 

[mgteich]

I don't disagree with Vrabel keeping starters out of meaningless games, but we need to prepare ourselves for a difficult September as we'll be watching the pre-season version of the team who haven't played any live snaps together since the Super Bowl

That's not to say they won't win some - just that it will likely be much sloppier football than what we'll be seeing in December.

Playing three controlled scrimmages is more valuable that playing 3 preseason games. No one ever played four. The last game was never for anyone but scrubs.

I don't think that we'll be ready to face the first four games, but it won't because the players didn't have enough pre-season game reps. It will be because our OL is still not all that great. It will be because we are very vulnerable to the run. It will be because we have a weak pass rush. Let's be clear, we may not be ready for the first four games, but we will have a much more successful after those games.

 

[TheRainMaker]

There is no team in the NFL that is "deep". They might be with certain position groups, but even that is rare.

Even during the Pats dynasty they had many backups that were liabilities. That's were coaching comes in to help reduce exposing those bad players when an injury occurs. Mike should know this better than anyone.

 

[Grogan14]

May be a way for him to try and motivate the fringe players to step it up for the last 2 weeks.
Howver, he has control of the front office and they have cap space, there were plenty of opportunities to do something about it through free agency.

 

[TommyD4207]

Bobby Wagner & Matt Milano could beef our LB weakness.

Bobby Wagner maybe. Matt Milano can go kick rocks. Don't need a cheap-shot artist on the team, thanks.

 

[manxman2601]

I see Vrabes comments as a motivation tool for players to step up these last few weeks of preseason. Basically, who wants it more and is hungrier? If so show us.

I think, and hope, this is right. After all, what does Vrabel expect? He cuts most of the team when he becomes HC and then doesn't re-sign, or cuts, fairly significant depth pieces like Tonga, Gibbens, Jennings at the end of his first season. That's why the team isn't very deep.

 

[TommyD4207]

I think, and hope, this is right. After all, what does Vrabel expect? He cuts most of the team when he becomes HC and then doesn't re-sign, or cuts, fairly significant depth pieces like Tonga, Gibbens, Jennings at the end of his first season. That's why the team isn't very deep.

...meh.