Decision on Malcolm Mitchell looms today

[mgteich]

I may be wrong, but is MM even needed at this point?

There is likely at last one player who has almost no chance of contributing, and will be pout on IR.

Of course, Mitchell isn't needed. If he were considered likely to be a contributor, he'd be active by now. The open question now is whether it is worth having him on the 53 man roster as an emergency insurance policy in case of injury at the WR position.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Didn't mean to assume. Just put out the idea that coaching decision could be as important as medical decision re. MM roster spot esp. at this point.

Branch felt ready to go two times already but they decided not to suit him for game.

btw - his latest tweet could as well mean he's not coming back..

This was a few days ago.

Keep hope alive!!

 

[The Brandon Five]

I think BB said ATL played a lot of man/Cover 1 but I could be mistaken. Either way the Ds are the same in principal.

Also read that their DC is playing more Cover 2 this year.

With that said I can't see JAX sitting back in a Cover 3 zone all game. Thats suicide.

Either way its a good game for MM b/c when healthy he can beat man coverage and also knows where to sit in zones.

I just can't see him NOT being activated.

If he is not activated then there has to still be something structurally wrong with his leg and it can be re-injured at any moment.

That's true about Atlanta in the SB, which is part of why it took awhile for the team to adjust to it..so that's a good point. But as we saw, MM was effective against that scheme as well.

 

[long distance]

That tweet only references not suiting up on the 13th which was the day they played the Titans. I don't see any way that that tweet gives an impression that he will not suit up for future games.

If anything, it actually gives MORE credence to the chance that he will suit up this weekend if he felt that there was a possibility he may have dressed last week.

good point. could be. i read it differently though.

 

[Real World]

Couldn't they just waive Harris and keep him on the shadow roster? It's not like someone would pick him up. I find Dorsett and Britt to be fairly useless if the option is a healthy Mitchell. History has shown us that it can take a while for WR's to learn this offense (if they can learn it at all), so I view Britt as more of a factor for next season. You'd like the insurance in case MM or another WR goes down, which is why Harris would seem to be the easiest, or safest, play.

 

[maineman209]

Could certainly see activated MM as if he is healthy he should move ahead of Britt and Dorsett on the depth chart. That said, I still have trouble seeing how he would get any significant playing time unless there is an injury. Hard to see the Pats without a RB, Gronk, Cooks and Hogan on the field so that leaves Amendola as a potential rotational situation but with how he plays in the post season and with his specialized role I am not sure that makes sense. Do they prefer to have that extra depth at WR or RB as I think Gilleslee would be the IR/waived candidate. An interesting "problem" to have.

I'm not sure that the "depth chart" notion applies much in the post-season. I think it's maybe mostly about who performs best in practice executing the specific plays that McD thinks will beat the defense that the upcoming opponent plays - and that's not even necessarily as a passing target.

Britt was deactivated for the Titans game, and Dorsett saw zero snaps, while Hogan played a ton of snaps and looked 100% healthy when blocking. However, he saw only 4 tgts and made just the one catch (for a TD). So, maybe he wasn't back to "100% football ready".

Mitchell, who's had a much, much longer layoff, might be in a similar circumstance in this game, if activated.

 

[Snooky97]

I love MM think he’s ridiculously clutch, he turned up massively in the Super Bowl and Brady has a lot of trust in him. How many times do we see Brady go to rookie receiver in the biggest game of the season. I’ve just spent the last ten/fifteen mins to work out who we could cut to get him into the team.

I love Malcom though

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm not sure that the "depth chart" notion applies much in the post-season. I think it's maybe mostly about who performs best in practice executing the specific plays that McD thinks will beat the defense that the upcoming opponent plays - and that's not even necessarily as a passing target.

Britt was deactivated for the Titans game, and Dorsett saw zero snaps, while Hogan played a ton of snaps and looked 100% healthy when blocking. However, he saw only 4 tgts and made just the one catch (for a TD). So, maybe he wasn't back to "100% football ready".

Mitchell, who's had a much, much longer layoff, might be in a similar circumstance in this game, if activated.

Agree. I saw the Titans game almost like a glorified preseason game for Hogs. Run some routes, get in the groove of things, blow up LBs on short passes to RBs, catch a TD....

At the risk is this sounding totally ridiculous, the AFCCG could be a "preseason" game for MM.

 

[long distance]

At the risk is this sounding totally ridiculous, the AFCCG could be a "preseason" game for MM.

The only risk is that Jags get the hold of this ..

 

[RobertWeathers]

The only risk is that Jags get the hold of this ..

Oh well.

 

[mgteich]

Couldn't they just waive Harris and keep him on the shadow roster? It's not like someone would pick him up. I find Dorsett and Britt to be fairly useless if the option is a healthy Mitchell. History has shown us that it can take a while for WR's to learn this offense (if they can learn it at all), so I view Britt as more of a factor for next season. You'd like the insurance in case MM or another WR goes down, which is why Harris would seem to be the easiest, or safest, play.

There is at least one player who could be put on IR. There is no reason to cut anyone., especially someone under contract for 2018.

 

[Doctor DDS]

I doubt Britt will be active the rest of the year and even if he is I'd be surprised if he made an impact. This issue to cut him or not really comes down to what the team thinks about him for next year. From what I recall he signed a 2 year deal and the numbers for next year were fairly reasonable. If they think he has a real shot to help the team next year I think they'd be more inclined to either IR or cut someone else.

 

[PatsFan2]

I'm not sure that the "depth chart" notion applies much in the post-season. I think it's maybe mostly about who performs best in practice executing the specific plays that McD thinks will beat the defense that the upcoming opponent plays - and that's not even necessarily as a passing target.

Britt was deactivated for the Titans game, and Dorsett saw zero snaps, while Hogan played a ton of snaps and looked 100% healthy when blocking. However, he saw only 4 tgts and made just the one catch (for a TD). So, maybe he wasn't back to "100% football ready".

Mitchell, who's had a much, much longer layoff, might be in a similar circumstance in this game, if activated.

Phillip Dorsett seeing 0 snaps again even though active shows how much he doesn't knows or how much Brady have no confidence in him...almost unreal being this far along.

 

[maineman209]

If his leg was still suspect to injury in any way he would not be practicing. His "Good to Go" tweet confirms the team and himself feel he is beyond the recovery period. Question is do they feel he can get game ready in the short period of time to get reps. As stated maybe situational or red zone. Does Anyone know how many plays Britt is playing per game. If it is also situational why not go with MM knowing he already has Brady's trust and understanding of our system.

Britt played ...
... 2 snaps in wk-15 @.PIT ... 1/1 tgt, 7 yards
... 9 snaps in wk-16 v BUF... 1/2 tgts, 16 yds (Brady was picked off on the other throw)
... 29 snaps in wk-17 v NYJ ... 0/2 tgts
Was deactivated for the TEN playoff game.

For reference, Dorsett played ...
... 25 snaps @.PIT ... 1/1, 4 yards
... 26 snaps v BUF ... 1/1, 24 yards
... 45 snaps v NYJ ... 3/5, 26 yards
Was active for TEN, but saw zero snaps.

Hogan played 67 of 81 offensive snaps v TEN ... 1/4 tgts, 4 yds, TD.

 

[maineman209]

The only risk is that Jags get the hold of this ..

Well, the Jags would generally get more rational and relevant analysis and insight from PatsFans than they would ever get from ESPN (except Reiss).

 

[BUSTAMOVE]

Britt played ...
... 2 snaps in wk-15 @.PIT ... 1/1 tgt, 7 yards
... 9 snaps in wk-16 v BUF... 1/2 tgts, 16 yds (Brady was picked off on the other throw)
... 29 snaps in wk-17 v NYJ ... 0/2 tgts
Was deactivated for the TEN playoff game.

For reference, Dorsett played ...
... 25 snaps @.PIT ... 1/1, 4 yards
... 26 snaps v BUF ... 1/1, 24 yards
... 45 snaps v NYJ ... 3/5, 26 yards
Was active for TEN, but saw zero snaps.

Hogan played 67 of 81 offensive snaps v TEN ... 1/4 tgts, 4 yds, TD.

Thanks. You guys are the best with insight. If Mitchell is healthy. Then activate him. Britt is just taking up space right now

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Well if that's the case wouldn't they have just shut him down last week and said to hell with it?? He Practiced Thursday of last week I think.

Keeping Mitchell in limbo last week was insurance against an injury to Cooks, Amendola, or Hogan in the game, I'd imagine. It didn't happen, but who knows ...what happened to Jones might have happened to a WR.

We don't need Mitchell, but this week he could also serve as insurance against an injury to Cooks, Amendola, or Hogan. The difference being, of course, now while taking up a roster spot. I'd guess that one will open up with respect to either Jones or Gillislee.

 

[The Brandon Five]

Keeping Mitchell in limbo last week was insurance against an injury to Cooks, Amendola, or Hogan in the game, I'd imagine. It didn't happen, but who knows ...what happened to Jones might have happened to a WR.

We don't need Mitchell, but this week he could also serve as insurance against an injury to Cooks, Amendola, or Hogan. The difference being, of course, now while taking up a roster spot. I'd guess that one will open up with respect to either Jones or Gillislee.

What the heck is up with Gilly? Practiced last week but was inactive yet again. Disappeared from Halloween to Christmas. Strange to keep him on the active roster all this time.

 

[long distance]

If not mistaken . MM is on the practice field!

(could be Slater, hard to decipher numbers on bad stream)

 

[Nunchucks]

Patriots could use Mitchel, he can beat man coverage and that is something the Patriots really need right now. However, even if healthy, I think the rust may be too much.