I will explain why it has to be Ryan Claridge for you. Ross Tucker has described a player on IR in 2005 practicing who was a developemental player. The only player on IR that year who fits that description was Claridge. So it has to be him.
The Patriots got an advantage by keeping a developmental player on IR and practicing him, but not much. Any player IRed to hide on a roster is a player not good enough to make the 53 man roster, but just good enough that a team with big holes at that position might take a pass on the guy for no other reason than he was drafted in the fifth round rather than the sixth or seventh. But like most practice squad guys, the odds of him making the 53 man roster the following year was slim at best.
As for the practicing aspect, that as been overstated too. The Patriots were not going to take out Tedy Bruschi or Mike Vrabel out of reps to give reps to Claridge. Why would they give reps to a guy who cannot be activated over a guy like Larry Izzo or Monty Beisel who might actually have to play the position that Sunday. It makes no sense. At best, an IR guy might spend time on the scout team instead of another back up who probably would not be activated for the game or see very limited time on the field during the game. Again, limited benefit.
I am done with this issue now. The Patriots are done. Goodell is done. Time to move on.
