Smith vs. Yeatmen should be a good battle

[TheSolderKing]

BTW good call on Old Crumply Balls, I know a lot of the board's resident experts gave you grief about it.

thnx bro

 

[Bostonian1962]

Based on 1 preseason game, I pick Big Y, if I may call him that. Some people will say Y not. I say Y yes.

I reserve the right to change my mind after any or all of the next 3 preseason games.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

thnx bro

Lol. But I do think if one of the two TE's either gets injured, BB will be calling old balls.

Shadow roster baby!!!

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

The long snapper is too situationally important to have an everyday player play there--you don't want to have a random backup longsnapping because Smith or Ninkovich got the wind knocked out of him 10 minutes earlier.

Couldn't you have Smith longsnap if Ninkovich got hurt or Ninkovich longsnap if Smith got hurt?

 

[TheSolderKing]

I just hope that we can hide the 1 that doesn't make it. IR is a nice place

 

[Shelterdog]

Couldn't you have Smith longsnap if Ninkovich got hurt or Ninkovich longsnap if Smith got hurt?

I guess you could. Then you get to the next question, which is are either of these guys good enough to be an NFL long snapper. A blown snap is a really bad play (you're getting screwed on field possession or blowing a scoring opportunity) so you have to be about very close to perfect to keep the job. I have no idea if Ninko and Smith are good enough.


You'd also have to have both Ninko and Smith spend a lot of practice time with the kickers, so they'd lose time with their units.

It doesn't seem insane to me but there are reasons everybody gets a veteran, dedicated long snapper.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

I guess you could. Then you get to the next question, which is are either of these guys good enough to be an NFL long snapper. A blown snap is a really bad play (you're getting screwed on field possession or blowing a scoring opportunity) so you have to be about very close to perfect to keep the job. I have no idea if Ninko and Smith are good enough.


You'd also have to have both Ninko and Smith spend a lot of practice time with the kickers, so they'd lose time with their units.

It doesn't seem insane to me but there are reasons everybody gets a veteran, dedicated long snapper.

I understand the importance of the position, I just wanted to point out from your example the either Smith or Ninkovich should be available instead of a "random backup." I'm not going to pretend I know how accurate of a longsnapper either one would be, and chances are Katula is better (not perfect, he already had a bad snap) but it could possibly be a way to keep Smith on the roster if he doesn't beat out Yeatman.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

I understand the importance of the position, I just wanted to point out from your example the either Smith or Ninkovich should be available instead of a "random backup." I'm not going to pretend I know how accurate of a longsnapper either one would be, and chances are Katula is better (not perfect, he already had a bad snap) but it could possibly be a way to keep Smith on the roster if he doesn't beat out Yeatman.

I wonder if they put Yettman as the 3rd TE and Lee as the 4thTE/ LS. That way, he is rarely a blocker and be a LS.
But I agree w. Shelter dog, I rather have a full time LS. Can't have Ingram type snaps like last year.

 

[mgteich]

1) Every year, there are posters who want to reduce the number of special teams only players. And every year Belichick signs at least two plus a long snapper.

2) I agree that there will be good battle between Smith and Yeatman. However, if neither impresses the coaches enough, we might get Crumpler back. We need a blocking back for 2011.

3) Posters often overrate patriot players. I think that it would be unlikely that either of these players would be picked up if the were cut the day before the last cut. But, in any case, Belichick will do what is necessary to have the best 53 on the roster. Personally, I think Yeatmen or Smith need to be almost as good as Crumpler to stay.

4) One possbiity is that both get waived with the idea that one will make it to the Practice Squad, perhaps with full roster pay. Personally, I think that this would be a great deal for either players. They would practice with the patriots all year, and be very likely to get a spot next year.


Alternatively, we could keep one, and waive the other, with the waived player being offerred full roster pay to be on our Practice Squad.

 

[Shelterdog]

1) Every year, there are posters who want to reduce the number of special teams only players. And every year Belichick signs at least two plus a long snapper.

2) I agree that there will be good battle between Smith and Yeatman. However, if neither impresses the coaches enough, we might get Crumpler back. We need a blocking back for 2011.

3) Posters often overrate patriot players. I think that it would be unlikely that either of these players would be picked up if the were cut the day before the last cut. But, in any case, Belichick will do what is necessary to have the best 53 on the roster. Personally, I think Yeatmen or Smith need to be almost as good as Crumpler to stay.

4) One possbiity is that both get waived with the idea that one will make it to the Practice Squad, perhaps with full roster pay. Personally, I think that this would be a great deal for either players. They would practice with the patriots all year, and be very likely to get a spot next year.


Alternatively, we could keep one, and waive the other, with the waived player being offerred full roster pay to be on our Practice Squad.

* Your first point is a good one although I wonder if the new kickoff rules means he has more like 1 or 2 special teams guys than the 3 or even 4 he has used in the past.

* If I'm the loser of the Smith Yeatman battle I'm not positive that I do stick around on the practice squad: you're essentially hoping that you can leapfrog an identical player of the same age and skill set, and that's hard to do.

* I wouldn't be shocked to see them be very aggresive with practice squad salaries. They have the cap room, they have a lot of roster spots opening up in 2012, and they have a lot of young guys who aren't good enough to make the Patriots roster but who could easily get picked up if they don't have a good practice squad deal (I'm thinking Ross, Carter, Yeatman, Tarpinian, Lavarias, Austin, Maneri, Silvestro, that Corey Woods guy).

 

[FlyboyPatsFan]

I admit that I watch more football than I analyze, so take this with a grain of salt. As a physical specimen, Yates (what the other players are calling him, perhaps a play on his number 88) stands out on the field. Just looks bigger than those around him. My eyes were drawn to him play after play before I knew who he was in the first training camp. He catches everything. Reminds me a bit of Gronk the way he uses his body to box out defenders. Run blocking looked good. Pass blocking, not so much. Saw him beat a number of times as he dropped back to protect Brady. He also seems awkward after the catch and makes me cringe every time he is hit, kinda like Edelman.

I hope we find a way to keep and develop him. Guess he's my binky for this years young crop.

1) Every year, there are posters who want to reduce the number of special teams only players. And every year Belichick signs at least two plus a long snapper.

2) I agree that there will be good battle between Smith and Yeatman. However, if neither impresses the coaches enough, we might get Crumpler back. We need a blocking back for 2011.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

1) Every year, there are posters who want to reduce the number of special teams only players. And every year Belichick signs at least two plus a long snapper.

2) I agree that there will be good battle between Smith and Yeatman. However, if neither impresses the coaches enough, we might get Crumpler back. We need a blocking back for 2011.

3) Posters often overrate patriot players. I think that it would be unlikely that either of these players would be picked up if the were cut the day before the last cut. But, in any case, Belichick will do what is necessary to have the best 53 on the roster. Personally, I think Yeatmen or Smith need to be almost as good as Crumpler to stay.

4) One possbiity is that both get waived with the idea that one will make it to the Practice Squad, perhaps with full roster pay. Personally, I think that this would be a great deal for either players. They would practice with the patriots all year, and be very likely to get a spot next year.


Alternatively, we could keep one, and waive the other, with the waived player being offerred full roster pay to be on our Practice Squad.

1. That's because BB isn't sitting around telling Ceserio "I want players who can only play special teams. A special teams player who can't play another position is just as one dimensional as an offensive player who can't play special teams. Tracy White and Matt Slater, if they make the team, will make it because their exceptional play on special teams forces BB to give them a spot not because he is simply a special teams only player.

2. BB doesn't cut players before training camp only to bring them back in the regular season. I would imagine Yeatman has already impressed and Smith still has more time to do so.

3. Posters may overrate some players but there is a good chance both TE's would get claimed by another team seeing that they are both blocking TE's.
And Crumpler is no longer on the team, so being as good as he is shouldn't be much of a problem.

4. You don't release both players only to keep the one that doesn't get claimed, in theory you'd be keeping the worse player, the one nobody else wanted so you can do what give the job to the guy you released in the first day or two of training camp? What kind of rationale is that? It makes no sense at all.

So for example Yeatman impresses more than Smith. Your idea would be to release them both and Yeatman who theoretically played better, gets claimed by another team, Smith does not and is signed to the practice squad, gets paid a full salary. What you've just accomplished is keeping the worse player nobody wanted at the expense of the better player who was wanted by other teams, not only that you're paying him full salary yet he will be unable to play for your team without another transaction. It's a lose-lose-lose proposition. I'm glad you're not running the team.

 

[Shelterdog]

1. That's because BB isn't sitting around telling Ceserio "I want players who can only play special teams. A special teams player who can't play another position is just as one dimensional as an offensive player who can't play special teams. Tracy White and Matt Slater, if they make the team, will make it because their exceptional play on special teams forces BB to give them a spot not because he is simply a special teams only player.

I don't quite get your point. I'm sure he'd rather Slater could actually play receiver but at the end of the day he almost always takes the best two to four special teams guys and uses them as exclusive or near exclusive special teams guys.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

If both Smith and Yeatman were studs on ST, I would not mind keeping them both and considering Hernandez an HB/FB type.

A power formation of Gronkowski, Smith and Yeatman at TE with Branch or Chad Johnson at WR and Ridley at RB, would be very difficult for opposing defenses, might even could run play action from it.

 

[jefmblrd]

I have to say that the two times I've been to training camp Yeatman has looked better than Smith-both in terms of catching the ball and overall football speed. Didn't really focus on their blocking. I would guess that Yeatman makes the team over Smith at this point.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

I don't quite get your point. I'm sure he'd rather Slater could actually play receiver but at the end of the day he almost always takes the best two to four special teams guys and uses them as exclusive or near exclusive special teams guys.

If they earn their spot it is because of their standout play on special teams forces the team to keep them despite their inability to contribute in other areas. It's not because BB needs to have a certain # of players who only play special teams on the roster. He's not building the roster saying I want four spots reserved for special team only players (not counting K,P,LS).

 

[Shelterdog]

If they earn their spot it is because of their standout play on special teams forces the team to keep them despite their inability to contribute in other areas. It's not because BB needs to have a certain # of players who only play special teams on the roster. He's not building the roster saying I want four spots reserved for special team only players (not counting K,P,LS).

I'm still not with you. He knows (or at least pre kickoff rule changes he knew) that he has three or four game day roster spots for dedicated special teamers, so he really doesn't seem to care if those players have positional versatility or not. I'd guess his weighting for those three or four slots is 80% special teams, 10% potential to play another position down the road, 10% ability to play another position right now.

EDIT: All things being equal I'm sure he'd rather have special teams aces that could play other positions, but he clearly doesn't care that much or he wouldn't keep guys like Slater and Izzo and Andrews with no ability to play another position on the roster year after year.

 

[sbpatfan]

I doubt both make the team. It would be redundant and a waste of a roster spot.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I admit that I watch more football than I analyze, so take this with a grain of salt. As a physical specimen, Yates (what the other players are calling him, perhaps a play on his number 88) stands out on the field. Just looks bigger than those around him. My eyes were drawn to him play after play before I knew who he was in the first training camp. He catches everything. Reminds me a bit of Gronk the way he uses his body to box out defenders. Run blocking looked good. Pass blocking, not so much. Saw him beat a number of times as he dropped back to protect Brady. He also seems awkward after the catch and makes me cringe every time he is hit, kinda like Edelman.

I hope we find a way to keep and develop him. Guess he's my binky for this years young crop.

I'm becoming more and more intruiged with "Yates" the more I read about him, he seems like someone with a lot of sports intuition and body skill who's not quite a fully formed football player yet, when he becomes one with more training/coaching/experience I think he'll be a quiet beast. I don't want to risk it by letting him go, with more experience and 30lbs he'd be a mean tackle, there's just too much value here to let this guy go.

Hey Grid, good job on pimping this guy, who's the next under the radar gem waiting to be polished?

 

[Off The Grid]

1. That's because BB isn't sitting around telling Ceserio "I want players who can only play special teams. A special teams player who can't play another position is just as one dimensional as an offensive player who can't play special teams. Tracy White and Matt Slater, if they make the team, will make it because their exceptional play on special teams forces BB to give them a spot not because he is simply a special teams only player.

2. BB doesn't cut players before training camp only to bring them back in the regular season. I would imagine Yeatman has already impressed and Smith still has more time to do so.

3. Posters may overrate some players but there is a good chance both TE's would get claimed by another team seeing that they are both blocking TE's.
And Crumpler is no longer on the team, so being as good as he is shouldn't be much of a problem.

4. You don't release both players only to keep the one that doesn't get claimed, in theory you'd be keeping the worse player, the one nobody else wanted so you can do what give the job to the guy you released in the first day or two of training camp? What kind of rationale is that? It makes no sense at all.

So for example Yeatman impresses more than Smith. Your idea would be to release them both and Yeatman who theoretically played better, gets claimed by another team, Smith does not and is signed to the practice squad, gets paid a full salary. What you've just accomplished is keeping the worse player nobody wanted at the expense of the better player who was wanted by other teams, not only that you're paying him full salary yet he will be unable to play for your team without another transaction. It's a lose-lose-lose proposition. I'm glad you're not running the team.

Perfectly put, sir.