Punt returner - who is it?

[signbabybrady]

I'm a little skeptical of Riley as the next slot man mostly due to O'Brien letting him go. But I thought he looked decent day 1. I didn't get much of an opinion on Berios from the 1 practice.

Not sure they even did one punt in Practice. STs work I noticed was kickoff.

I hope one of them can step up but I fear with the WR crunch that it might be Jules again. At WR Jules, Hogan, and Slater are locks. Matthews and Paterson are highly likely. Not much room left and you still have Britt and Dorsett in line for WR before Riley or Berrios.

Jules' suspension will allow us to take a longer look at 1 of them but we hall remember how that looked with Harper and the few guys we tried before DA.

 

[maineman209]

Harper and the few guys we tried before DA

I'm not sure about the "before DA" part. DA became the #2 PR to Edelman in 2014 (16 PR to Edelman's 25). Harper was with the Pats only in 2015 and had 3 PR compared to 23 for DA (at a 12-yd average).

due to O'Brien letting him go

I wouldn't read to much into that. O'Brien was dealing with a crap-tonne of injuries/temporary replacements last season and needed roster spots. It's just as valid to assume that O'Brien thought that McCarron was the least likely to be claimed/signed by another team in the relative short term as it is to assume that O'Brien "let him go" because he wasn't performing.

 

[jah]

Before the Edelman suspension I didn't think either would make it.

Now I give a slight edge to McCarron due to time spent on Patriots and being more impressive physically.

 

[signbabybrady]

I'm not sure about the "before DA" part. DA became the #2 PR to Edelman in 2014 (16 PR to Edelman's 25). Harper was with the Pats only in 2015 and had 3 PR compared to 23 for DA (at a 12-yd average).



I wouldn't read to much into that. O'Brien was dealing with a crap-tonne of injuries/temporary replacements last season and needed roster spots. It's just as valid to assume that O'Brien thought that McCarron was the least likely to be claimed/signed by another team in the relative short term as it is to assume that O'Brien "let him go" because he wasn't performing.

I thought he had cleared waivers and BoB chose not to put him on practice squad.

 

[maineman209]

I thought he had cleared waivers and BoB chose not to put him on practice squad.

McCarron did clear waivers, and the Pats signed him just a couple days later, IIRC.

Still, we don't know what constraints O'Brien felt he was under wrt making a PSquad move with him at the time. O'B may have felt that he'd have the opportunity to bring McCarron back to the active roster or put him on the Psquad the following week.

I mean, it's not as if that Pats haven't made numerous, similarly "risky" moves with players they appear to have valued fairly highly (lost some and "gotten away with it" on other occasions).

It's always a "choice", of course. But we can't know whether or not it seemed, at the time and under the specific circumstances, like merely the "least bad" choice to O'B and other Texans' personnel "insiders". It's just an assumption to equate such a cut with a "rejection" of the player involved.

 

[Ring 6]

One of them only really needs to be good enough at WR this year to hold the #5 WR spot (assuming they also show the potential to develop). The #5 WR spot might make them the 10th/11th most frequently targeted player - maybe one target per game.

We may not have a #5 WR
But if we do I think they are still behind:
Edelman
Hogan
Matthews
Britt
Patterson
Dorsett
Mitchell if healthy

If we keep 5 they would have to beat out 3 from that list.

 

[Ring 6]

McCarron did clear waivers, and the Pats signed him just a couple days later, IIRC.

Still, we don't know what constraints O'Brien felt he was under wrt making a PSquad move with him at the time. O'B may have felt that he'd have the opportunity to bring McCarron back to the active roster or put him on the Psquad the following week.

I mean, it's not as if that Pats haven't made numerous, similarly "risky" moves with players they appear to have valued fairly highly (lost some and "gotten away with it" on other occasions).

It's always a "choice", of course. But we can't know whether or not it seemed, at the time and under the specific circumstances, like merely the "least bad" choice to O'B and other Texans' personnel "insiders". It's just an assumption to equate such a cut with a "rejection" of the player involved.

But didn’t the patriots sign him to the practice squad? If so (going by memory) BOB could have as well and if he spent camp there it would make sense for him to sign there for the ps

 

[Ring 6]

If neither of them make the team, then they're going to go into the season with exactly one WR who's under contract for 2019, and that would be Edelman.

I don’t think having one who has never caught an nfl pass really does much to that issue.

 

[Ring 6]

But didn’t the patriots sign him to the practice squad? If so (going by memory) BOB could have as well and if he spent camp there it would make sense for him to sign there for the ps

Actually Houston cut him, signed him to the PS then cut him off of the PS, so the idea they he wasn’t wanted there seems to have some validity.

 

[maineman209]

So, fielding punts in Day-2 practices:

Berrios, McCarron, Edelman, plus Chung, Wiltz and Hogan.

 

[captain stone]

Turner?

 

[maineman209]

Turner?

Very little experience with returning punts, AFAIK.

 

[DarrylS]

This is the only positive of the Edelman suspension, someone else will be given the opportunity to field punts rather than exposing Julian to all that chaos... I wonder how many fans of teams in the NFL have the luxury of wondering who will be the punt returner??.. Are Pats fans more sophisticated as have we learned to focus on the "third" phase of the game??

 

[maineman209]

This is the only positive of the Edelman suspension, someone else will be given the opportunity to field punts rather than exposing Julian to all that chaos... I wonder how many fans of teams in the NFL have the luxury of wondering who will be the punt returner??.. Are Pats fans more sophisticated as have we learned to focus on the "third" phase of the game??

Anybody who pays attention to BB's often lengthy answers to legitimately good questions about FOOTBALL is likely to have a significantly deeper understanding about the whole game. Probably 95% of football "fans" leave their seat or their couch to take a leak and/or to get another beer when the punt team comes on.

 

[bormio]

I could see JE being sent out for selected returns, but I think they really do not want him to have to do it regularly. They are looking for someone else to do that. Jones is not in the equation. Berrios’ 15.9 ypr average in college is pretty eye-popping.

 

[maineman209]

I could see JE being sent out for selected returns, but I think they really do not want him to have to do it regularly. They are looking for someone else to do that. Jones is not in the equation. Berrios’ 15.9 ypr average in college is pretty eye-popping.

Well, it was 15.9ypr for his Senior year. He wasn't exactly setting the world on fire prior to that, but he did continuously improve and become more consistent over his last two seasons at Miami, which is probably more important anyway.

 

[bormio]

Well, it was 15.9ypr for his Senior year. He wasn't exactly setting the world on fire prior to that, but he did continuously improve and become more consistent over his last two seasons at Miami, which is probably more important anyway.

He had an ACL repair in January before his freshman year - probably affected his first couple of years. Of course, that is not ideal.

 

[captain stone]

...Probably 95% of football "fans" leave their seat or their couch to take a leak and/or to get another beer when the punt team comes on.

I stick around for punts so I can watch Allen "boom" another 42-yarder (gross, not net).
After that, I leave my seat in the knowledge that the defense will surrender at least 2 first downs during the following drive, so I won't be missing anything.

 

[Ring 6]

Well, it was 15.9ypr for his Senior year. He wasn't exactly setting the world on fire prior to that, but he did continuously improve and become more consistent over his last two seasons at Miami, which is probably more important anyway.

It was also only 13 returns, so stats don’t really tell us much. 15.9 per punt return is much less impressive in college than the NFL also.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Especially after his therapy....

Troy Brown and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson aren't walking through that door, folks