Patriots 53-man Roster Projection 3.0: Several Vets Face the Axe

[mgteich]

fair enough

Belichick keeps 7 or so people who are starters on the special teams and have minimal or no positional skills. A STO players is almost never cut because he didn't have positional skills.

Last year we had 7 (reps at a position)

Slater (0)
Ebner (1)
King (0)
Humber (2)
McClellan (8)
Grigsby (28)
Crossen (39)

All of these had over 100 reps on ST's. All were on the team to play special teams. IMO, only Crossen was considered to have any potential as a position player. It is NOT the case that Belichick chooses players who are almost as good as the top STers he can get, with the idea that their positional value will be important. Belichick simply gets the best special teamers he can. Of course, sometimes he chooses players with potential who have some ST skill likes J Jones.

9 position players also had over 100 ST reps.

Good point! I should have been more clear. Was thinking of keeping a younger, positional player who is not solely a special teamer like King or Ebner.

 

[50-yard-line]

fair enough

Belichick keeps 7 or so people who are starters on the special teams and have minimal or no positional skills. A STO players is almost never cut because he didn't have positional skills.

Last year we had (reps at a position)

Slater (0)
Ebner (1)
King (0)
Humber (2)
McClellan (8)
Grisby (28)
Crossen (39)

All of these had over 100 reps on ST's.

This is why I think Crossen sticks around. He might be the gunner replacement when Slater decides enough is enough. He's also getting better at DB, according to my (faulty) eye test.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

fair enough

Belichick keeps 7 or so people who are starters on the special teams and have minimal or no positional skills. A STO players is almost never cut because he didn't have positional skills.

Last year we had 7 (reps at a position)

Slater (0)
Ebner (1)
King (0)
Humber (2)
McClellan (8)
Grigsby (28)
Crossen (39)

All of these had over 100 reps on ST's. All were on the team to play special teams. IMO, only Crossen was considered to have any potential as a position player. It is NOT the case that Belichick chooses players who are almost as good as the top STers he can get, with the idea that their positional value will be important. Belichick simply gets the best special teamers he can. Of course, sometimes he chooses players with potential who have some ST skill likes J Jones.

9 position players also had over 100 ST reps.

Yep, and note that those are all nominally defensive players, except Slater, and the balance of the roster reflected that with 4 or 5 more (nominally) defensive players on the roster over the course of most of the year. Also, in terms of special teams snaps, 14 of the top 20 were defensive players and 3 were the specialists, with only Develin, Hogan and Slater as nominally offensive players getting more than 100 ST snaps. (Hollister and Burkhead were close.)

This year, Brandon Bolden will be added to the mix, but unless some of our WRs, new TEs or RBs become ST stars, we can continue to expect the balance of the roster to tip defensively, even if they aren't all players that we want to see lining-up on defense.