Pre-TC poll: which WRs will make the roster?

[ctpatsfan77]

Please note that I'm not including Matt Slater here because he will almost certainly make the roster as a ST player. I'm also not including Brandon Lloyd, since he's a lock too.

Remember you can pick as many as you want.

 

[patsinthesnow]

It's most likely going to be:

1. Welker
2. Lloyd
3. Gaffney
4. Branch
5. Edelman
6. Slater

I still give Ebert a chance to beat out one of Branch or Edelman.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Please note that I'm not including Matt Slater here because he will almost certainly make the roster as a ST player. I'm also not including Brandon Lloyd, since he's a lock too.

Remember you can pick as many as you want.

Welker is not a lock?

I don't see any way that Wes isn't playing in 2012 for the Pats

Branch is staying,I think Belichick loves Branch and knows he has something left

Stallworth is on his way out,I don't think he has anything left.

WRs will be Welker,Edelman,Slater,Branch,Gaffney,Lloyd

 

[BlueThunder]

If Ebert makes the roster and Branch doesn't, he'll have earned the spot. :rocker:

If he doesn't, I hope he slides to the PS

 

[patriot lifer]

If Edelman didn't have the punt returning abilities, I wouldn't select him.

 

[Nikolai]

Yeah, I've got Edelman as an ST, not a WR.

1. Lloyd
2. Welker
3. Gaffney
4. Branch
5. Stallworth

WR options on the team as ST

1. Slater
2. Edelman

But I could just as easily see Edelman over Stallworth.

 

[NSPF]

Wow, OP doesn't have a lot of confidence in Lloyd here... Didn't even bother to put him in the poll...

Anyway, I agree with the consensus.
1. Welker
2. Lloyd
3. Gaffney
4. Branch
5. Edelman
6. Slater

 

[jmt57]

My purely speculative guess of those that will join Lloyd and Slater:

Wes Welker
Jabar Gaffney


Deion Branch
Jeremy Ebert


I know conventional wisdom says Julian Edelman over Ebert, but I guess I'm unconventional. Belichick has had three years to assess Edelman, and I'm guessing he doesn't consider him to have a particularly high upside. Ebert is under contract through 2015 while Edelman is a free agent next year. Assuming (I realize that's a big if) Ebert can show something in camp it wouldn't surprise me at all if he makes the roster over Edelman.


As for Deion Branch I realize he slowed down as the season wore on last year. The reason that happened was because he was overused last year, which was due to the failed Ochocinco experiment. With a much lower number of snaps I think he can still be effective in a limited role - more productive as a number four receiver than any other alternative. While it would be expected for a #4 WR to be a special teams contributor, the Pats have more than enough ST specialists that this does not need to be a consideration.

 

[Pujo]

Welker is more of a lock than Lloyd, though I don't see either of them not making the roster.

 

[jmt57]

Welker is more of a lock than Lloyd, though I don't see either of them not making the roster.

Although Welker may be more important to the team than Lloyd is, in my opinion Lloyd is more of a lock than Welker is.


If the Pats were to trade Welker then it would cost them nothing in either real dollars or cap space - while clearing $9,515,000 of cap dollars off the books that could be rolled over towards the 2013 cap.


If the Pats were to release or trade Lloyd then it would cost them a $3,000,000 signing bonus and also use up $1,900,00 in cap space and cost them a total of $3,900,00 in dead cap space.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

The only locks I see are Jesse Hallaway and Matt Roark. 3-5 remains to be seen

 

[Deus Irae]

Although Welker may be more important to the team than Lloyd is, in my opinion Lloyd is more of a lock than Welker is.


If the Pats were to release or trade Welker then it would cost them nothing in either real dollars or cap space - while clearing $9,515,000 of cap dollars off the books that could be rolled over towards the 2013 cap.


If the Pats were to release or trade Lloyd then it would cost them a $3,000,000 signing bonus and also use up $1,900,00 in cap space and cost them a total of $3,900,00 in dead cap space.

Welker signed his tender. His money is guaranteed. If he were cut the full amount would be paid to him, and it would all count against the cap.

 

[Sciz]

Welker
Lloyd
Gaffney
Slater

Those four are locks. That leaves at most two spots. Edelman gets one spot unless Ebert or Stallworth or someone vastly outdoes him as a receiver plus contributes as a returner.

The last spot goes to Stallworth if he sticks out as a kick returner, Ebert if he sticks out as a future starting WR, or Branch otherwise. I really see no reason to keep Branch if he's going to be the #4, because even in case of an injury, he's the #3 in a two-TE offense that only used three or more WRs on 28% of the snaps last season. I don't think he'll get any interest if released, so he could be on the shadow roster and be signed only in the case of two WR injuries or something like that. But if Stallworth and Ebert don't warrant that #4 spot, then Branch sticks as a #4 WR who is inactive on gamedays assuming health.

For the sake of this poll, I'll go with Edelman and Branch as the last two.

 

[brdmaverick]

Wow, OP doesn't have a lot of confidence in Lloyd here... Didn't even bother to put him in the poll...

Just the opposite, actually.

 

[brdmaverick]

Yeah, I've got Edelman as an ST, not a WR.

1. Lloyd
2. Welker
3. Gaffney
4. Branch
5. Stallworth

WR options on the team as ST

1. Slater
2. Edelman

But I could just as easily see Edelman over Stallworth.

I'm finding it tough to get rid of some of these guys too, but I don't think 7 roster spots get allocated to WR's (even if they do double duty as special teamers).

 

[brdmaverick]

For those people selecting "someone else not on the roster" I'm just curious, is this just a generic hunch or do you have someone in mind (MIke Williams)

 

[Rob0729]

Welker would have to murder one of Belichick's kids to not make the final 53 man roster at this point because the only other way he would be gone is if another team offered a first and at least a third for him at this point.

Here is my depth chart:

Welker
Lloyd
Gaffney
Branch
Edelman
Slater

if they keep seven, Ebert will make the roster. Stallworth has an outside shot, but he will have win the kick returner battle to get a roster spot IMHO.

 

[patsinthesnow]

The main reason I'm rooting for Ebert as my training camp binky is while I love the veteran WR trio we have (Welker, Lloyd, Gaffney), they only have a two year shelf life of great play left before they all start tanking at 33 years old. We need to develop a young WR at some point, and Edelman is pretty much a lost cause there.

For a 7th round pick, Ebert has the production (75 catches 1060 yards 11 TD) in the Big 10 and the measurables (5'11 200, 4.38 forty 4.15 short shuttle). It would suck to lose him by trying to get him on the PS if he shined in camp/pre-season. (This is all moot if he stinks)

A WR to develop is more valuable than PR edelman or 4th WR Branch imo.

 

[Pujo]

Welker signed his tender. His money is guaranteed. If he were cut the full amount would be paid to him, and it would all count against the cap.

Are you sure about that? I'm not sure if franchise tenders are different from regular contracts, but normally, a veteran's contract for the year becomes guaranteed if he's on the roster for the first game.

 

[Deus Irae]

Are you sure about that? I'm not sure if franchise tenders are different from regular contracts, but normally, a veteran's contract for the year becomes guaranteed if he's on the roster for the first game.

Yes, it's guaranteed the moment the tender is signed.