How Hard Are The Last "Cuts" Or Moves to a List?

[mgteich]

Injuries will determine almost all of them. I guess Smith and Tate are my only "difficult" final cuts. If anything as I review the roster, I'd like to add an ILB (if Spikes isn't coming back) and/or an interior lineman or two.

Healthy Cuts
------------
Tate
Smith

To IR or another Reserve List or NOT (they all make it if healthy)
Vareen
Wright
Spikes
Wendell

PUP
----
Faulk
Deaderick
Brace
Cannon

 

[supafly]

Who the hell is Smith??

(edited for simple stupidity...was not personally viewing him as a bubble player so I had a total "moment" there. I will leave it up for humility

 

[Clonamery]

Who the hell is Smith??

TE Smith...

 

[supafly]

You're right--it will all depend on the Spikes injury status, but one could certainly get the impression by reading his tweets/updates, and no word on any seriousness of it by the media etc, that he will be back.

I personally believe that he will be back within the month, with a possibility to miss the first game or two, and that's in a worst case scenario. I am honestly more concerned about Fletcher than I am about Spikes.

The possibility of a Tate cut is intriguing, especially due to the revised KO rule etc...but I don't believe that BB gives up on him quite yet, unless of course his inability to properly learn and react to the route trees are what's holding him back. That is a possibility of course. I am thinking that the WR situation will remain the same, even though that'd be 6-7 depending on how you view Slater (ST-only or not). However, the 2 reasons above are most likely why it would happen if that choice was made.

 

[supafly]

TE Smith...

Oh, Lee Smith--LOL..sorry. Thnx for the answer though.

I didn't view him as a possible cut, but with the plethora of TE's I can certainly understand it.

What a dummy I am sometimes...I was thinking he was some backup CB or something.

Yes, TE Lee Smith should make the team IMO, especially with the release of Crumpler.

 

[mgteich]

We have talked for months about how difficult the final cuts would be. As we have indicated, the most difficult is which of the of the competitors for the #3 TE position to keep, and which to to waive with the hope of signing them to the Practice Squad.

 

[supafly]

We have talked for months about how difficult the final cuts would be. As we have indicated, the most difficult is which of the of the competitors for the #3 TE position to keep, and which to to waive with the hope of signing them to the Practice Squad.

Yes, of course. I didn't personally see him as a possible cut, especially with the release of Crumpler, so that's why I wasn't even thinking about the TE position, but you're right. Although I still feel that the recent board rising of Yeatman is not going to matter as much--but we all have different opinions of course.

I think Lee Smith is the 3rd TE, with Yeatman being the odd man out in hopes of making it to the practice squad.

Regardless of which one of the 2 it is, they certainly have a shot at being picked up by someone else. I don't think G.Mills is the 3rd TE--put it that way.

 

[Deus Irae]

Basing this on today's roster:

QB - No hard cuts (Brady/Hoyer/Mallett)
S - No hard cuts (Meriweather/Chung/Sanders/Brown)
P - No hard cuts (Mesko)
K - No hard cuts (Gostkowski)
LS - No hard cuts (Katula)


I think the above are basically universal, given the current roster makeup. Does anyone have a beef with that list?


Edit: That would be 10 spots, leaving 43 to be filled elsewhere.

 

[supafly]

Basing this on today's roster:

QB - No hard cuts (Brady/Hoyer/Mallett)
S - No hard cuts (Meriweather/Chung/Sanders/Brown)
P - No hard cuts (Mesko)
K - No hard cuts (Gostkowski)
LS - No hard cuts (Katula)


I think the above are basically universal, given the current roster makeup. Does anyone have a beef with that list?

No sir..not I.

Definitely see the 3 QB's and 4 safeties as being pretty much set in stone.

 

[Deus Irae]

After the "universals", there are the locks/near locks at each position

RB - BJGE/Woodhead/Ridley
TE - Gronk/Hernandez
WR - Johnson/Welker/Branch
OT - Light/Solder/Vollmer
OG - Mankins/Connolly
C - Koppen

DL - Haynesworth/Wilfork
LB - Mayo
CB - McCourty/Dowling/Bodden


There are others that could certainly be argued here, but I'm looking for near absolutes at the moment.

This is another 20 players, leaving 23 spots left. If anyone thinks I've put someone in "Locks" that doesn't belong there, I'd be happy to hear the reasoning.

 

[patchick]

We have talked for months about how difficult the final cuts would be. As we have indicated, the most difficult is which of the of the competitors for the #3 TE position to keep, and which to to waive with the hope of signing them to the Practice Squad.

I'll go ahead and predict that neither clears waivers. They've both had good camps, they both seem like NFL tight ends, and there are several TE-poor teams out there. In another year I would have said the Pats would keep both, but that's a tough sell with the current roster.

 

[mgteich]

So, I guess we will need to settle for Mills on the Practice Squad and Crumpler on speed dial for our 4th TE.

I'll go ahead and predict that neither clears waivers. They've both had good camps, they both seem like NFL tight ends, and there are several TE-poor teams out there. In another year I would have said the Pats would keep both, but that's a tough sell with the current roster.

 

[Clonamery]

So, I guess we will need to settle for Mills on the Practice Squad and Crumpler on speed dial for our 4th TE.

That would be BB thinking that some time ago, I reckon. Unless a miracle happens.

 

[patchick]

So, I guess we will need to settle for Mills on the Practice Squad and Crumpler on speed dial for our 4th TE.

That's my guess. Luckily, it should be "settling" for the best TE corps in the league.

 

[mgteich]

I agree that 4 TE's is a tough sell. However, all three of our 3 top TE's get over 50% of the offensive reps in 2010. That means we have no backups if we carry "only" 3. I don't expect that belichick wants to decrease the role of the TE.

Another perspective is to consider our #3 receiver (Hernandez) to be a WR rather than a TE.
===============
Let us consider having 25 offensive roster positions. Obviously, there is less of an issue if we allocate 26 positions to the offense. This list of 25 includes special teamers like Slater, Morris and Edelman.

THE TOUGH SELL -WHICH IS MOST IMPORTANT?
4th TE
9th OL (necessary if Cannon has a rsoter spot)
5th RB (necessary if Vareen has a spot)
7th WR

I'll go ahead and predict that neither clears waivers. They've both had good camps, they both seem like NFL tight ends, and there are several TE-poor teams out there. In another year I would have said the Pats would keep both, but that's a tough sell with the current roster.

 

[patchick]

I agree that 4 TE's is a tough sell. However, all three of our 3 top TE's get over 50% of the offensive reps in 2010. That means we have no backups if we carry "only" 3.

...

THE TOUGH SELL -WHICH IS MOST IMPORTANT?
4th TE
9th OL (necessary if Cannon has a rsoter spot)
5th RB (necessary if Vareen has a spot)
7th WR

A good point on the way they use TEs. But from your options, can I assume you're definitely including Sammy Morris? He strikes me as a perfect shadow roster candidate to rejoin the team early in the season. And Cannon to NFI seems pretty likely.

That would make it TE #4 vs. (probably) Brandon Tate? Interesting.

 

[supafly]

As difficult as these roster cuts/moves may be:

This is DEFINITELY a good thing for this team, and something that we have been hoping for.

The talent level and depth on the team is damn good at the moment, and to consider that the NEP will keep the 'top' 53 (depending on positional standings of course) is downright incredible!!

This is one of those "high end" problems to have...

 

[mgteich]

Yes, I do include Morris. He isn't a shadow roster player for me. He is one of our top special teamers. As a top special teamer, he would always be active, and could then be used as a fullback as needed. I would be fine with Belichick signing a free agent to upgrade this position. At this point, Vareen is the question mark. Obviously, belichick may choose to use a roster spot for him even though he is not yet able to play.

I made the case for the fourth TE. I think that ti is a strong case. However, as of now, I think a 9th OL or an additional safety is more likely. Curiously, if we had another punt returner, I might cut both Edelman and Tate. The 3 top receivers plus Price and Hernandez and Slater is plenty. But, alas, we need a punt returner.

QUOTE=patchick;2644211]A good point on the way they use TEs. But from your options, can I assume you're definitely including Sammy Morris? He strikes me as a perfect shadow roster candidate to rejoin the team early in the season. And Cannon to NFI seems pretty likely.

That would make it TE #4 vs. (probably) Brandon Tate? Interesting.[/QUOTE]

 

[patchick]

Yes, I do include Morris. He isn't a shadow roster player for me. He is one of our top special teamers. As a top special teamer, he would always be active, and could then be used as a fullback as needed.

Perhaps "shadow roster" isn't the right word. I'm thinking more of a 54th man -- a vet you fully intend to sign early in the season, but you don't want to guarantee his salary or expose a younger player to waivers.