Additions and Subtractions Are Not Out Of Need

[maineman209]

There will be a truck full of back up tackles and QBs to pick from at around 4:00 pm on September 1, 2018.

A truck full of guys who may not have the first clue about the Pats' blocking schemes, and certainly won't know the protection calls and adjustments. And that's assuming that someone who becomes available at the point will be inherently "better" than the guys currently on the roster - not a given at all.

You can't always get what you want.

 

[oceansizer]

IMO we still need to bolster SS position. I am fine with our "trio" but if somehow one of them is out due to injury then we are in a real trouble. Unless someone sees infamous Richards as a real deal as a safety.

 

[mgteich]

I'm simply not buying.

We need a receiving TE who CAN BLOCK, as a backup to Gronk. We almost always need a blocking TE or FB on the field. In 4 "WR" sets, we have a couple of RB's that are "better" targets than Hollister.
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As has been the case since the murderer was here, many poster think of a receiving TE as a necessity. I see a receiving TE as the 7th receiving choice at best, after 3-4 WR's, 1 TE, 2 RB's and perhaps a FB.

Hollister is going to be the receiving TE. He may okay more snaps than Allen.


Allen’s a good blocker but we aren’t crippled without him.

 

[mgteich]

Would someone please post the number of receptions by receiving TE's when Gronk was healthy and playing. I understand the need as a backup to Gronk. Otherwise, I would think that this player would have almost zero reps on the offense.

 

[WinstonSmith]

You can't always get what you want.

True, last minute pickups aren't ideal but if you try sometime you find you get what you need.

 

[maineman209]

Would someone please post the number of receptions by receiving TE's when Gronk was healthy and playing. I understand the need as a backup to Gronk. Otherwise, I would think that this player would have almost zero reps on the offense.

Since AHern was "acquired" by the Massachusetts State Prison Team in 2013, I'd say that the number of "receiving TE's" on the roster who weren't also decent blockers has been pretty low.

 

[Ring 6]

Would someone please post the number of receptions by receiving TE's when Gronk was healthy and playing. I understand the need as a backup to Gronk. Otherwise, I would think that this player would have almost zero reps on the offense.

We will see. Like every other position, how we use them depends upon who we have.
Bennett caught 33 passes in the 8 games gronk played just the year before last.
And Bennett certainly wasn’t here to block.

 

[Ring 6]

Since AHern was "acquired" by the Massachusetts State Prison Team in 2013, I'd say that the number of "receiving TE's" on the roster who weren't also decent blockers has been pretty low.

Bennett. Tim Wright (26 catches after being acquired late in preseason) Scott Chandler (23 receptions)
That’s 3 of 5 years.
The other 2 were 2017 when Allen failed as a receiver and 2013 when we couldn’t find a replacement after the murderer was arrested.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

There will be a truck full of back up tackles and QBs to pick from at around 4:00 pm on September 1, 2018.

The question I asked earlier is how can someone that is not good enough for another team quickly learn our playbook and fit in? Specifically a QB.

 

[Deus Irae]

Would someone please post the number of receptions by receiving TE's when Gronk was healthy and playing. I understand the need as a backup to Gronk. Otherwise, I would think that this player would have almost zero reps on the offense.

I'm not playing the "receiving TE when Gronk was healthy" game, because that's basically playing against the house when the house has rigged the games, but I'll point out the number of catches for some of the recent TE2s.

• Hernandez had a bunch each year (45, 79, 51)
• Tim Smith, stiff that he was, still had 26
• Scott Chandler, on his last leg, had 23
• Bennett had 55

Hernandez was not a special case, in the sense of being the only TE2 that was planned to be worked extensively into the passing game. It was BB's hope that Smith would be a better and more used part of the passing game. It was also BB's hope that Chandler would be a better and more used part of the passing game. And Bennett would still have been getting catches if Gronk was healthy.

 

[Ring 6]

A truck full of guys who may not have the first clue about the Pats' blocking schemes, and certainly won't know the protection calls and adjustments. And that's assuming that someone who becomes available at the point will be inherently "better" than the guys currently on the roster - not a given at all.

You can't always get what you want.

I’d bet they take a LONG look at OT and QBs for the practice squad.

 

[Ring 6]

The question I asked earlier is how can someone that is not good enough for another team quickly learn our playbook and fit in? Specifically a QB.

Guys we pick up at cutdown are most often guys who we know can contribute on special teams and might have a chance to work their way into offense or defense.

Or practice squaders

 

[captain stone]

The question I asked earlier is how can someone that is not good enough for another team quickly learn our playbook and fit in? Specifically a QB.

Because a particular player might have faced a log-jam at his particular position on a particular team, and - as long as his heart & mind are right - still has more coachable talent than the dozen-plus useless pieces of crap at the end (and not-so end) of our current roster.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

On a 53-man roster, when you have the three specialists and about 5 special-teams-only guys, just about every roster spot will be filled on the basis of need, where that need is dire, potential, anticipated, or even just a nagging concern. Expect 10-15 guys to go on IR this season, like in most.

 

[goheels22002]

The question I asked earlier is how can someone that is not good enough for another team quickly learn our playbook and fit in? Specifically a QB.

Fit in where? On the bench? The Pats don't need a starter. They need a backup. If Brady goes down week 1, they're screwed anyway.

Look, it's not the new guy's job to be Brady, it'll be Josh's job to build an offense around the new backup at first.

Unless they trade for Teddy Bridgewater. You know why?

Cause he's quick like a ...

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Fit in where? On the bench? The Pats don't need a starter. They need a backup. If Brady goes down week 1, they're screwed anyway.

Look, it's not the new guy's job to be Brady, it'll be Josh's job to build an offense around the new backup at first.

Unless they trade for Teddy Bridgewater. You know why?

Cause he's quick like a ...

I hear what you are saying however you may also be making the case for keeping what we already have.

 

[goheels22002]

I hear what you are saying however you may also be making the case for keeping what we already have.

Maybe. Let's see which backup QBs hit the waiver wire next Saturday, or, if Belichick makes a trade. Belichick has a history of trading away his backups - Cassell, Mallett, Brisset, Bledsoe, and Ramsey

 

[maineman209]

Maybe. Let's see which backup QBs hit the waiver wire next Saturday, or, if Belichick makes a trade. Belichick has a history of trading away his backups - Cassell, Mallett, Brisset, Bledsoe, and Ramsey

Well, you can make a case based on the fact that all were QBs and all were traded - if you ignore the fact that the circumstances for each of those trades were significantly different.

 

[goheels22002]

Well, you can make a case based on the fact that all were QBs and all were traded - if you ignore the fact that the circumstances for each of those trades were significantly different.

No question about that. Four out of five were backups to Tom Brady, and so is Brian Hoyer. I'm not seeing any reason why Brian Hoyer is the indispensable backup QB. I'm also not seeing any reason for Bill Belichick to pass on a chance to upgrade that position, or any position for that matter, that he won't do it.

The truth is that the Patriots have a 41-year-old elite QB, a 32-year-old journeyman QB, and a 24-year-old neophyte 7th round rookie QB. I think it's possible to upgrade the depth at that position.

 

[maineman209]

No question about that. Four out of five were backups to Tom Brady, and so is Brian Hoyer. I'm not seeing any reason why Brian Hoyer is the indispensable backup QB. I'm also not seeing any reason for Bill Belichick to pass on a chance to upgrade that position, or any position for that matter, that he won't do it.

The truth is that the Patriots have a 41-year-old elite QB, a 32-year-old journeyman QB, and a 24-year-old neophyte 7th round rookie QB. I think it's possible to upgrade the depth at that position.

Desirable, certainly. Possible? Right now? That's a completely different matter.