2. I LIKE the trade of Thomas....and I liked Thomas, but he'll do better in another system. The more I think of it, what good is it to have a great pass catching TE in THIS offense. In the spread offense, the WRs are the ones that will catch ball. TEs are for blocking, the GL offense, and safety release patterns. Quite frankly, if I want to send someone down the seam, I'd just as soon it be a WR.
And don't sleep on Watson....just 3 years ago, he caught 50 balls in just 13 games... but it was in a DIFFERENT offense. Matthews' blocking skills fill a bigger need on the team than than a good pass catching TE (Thomas).
3. I still don't like the fact that we kept 5 RBs. BTW its the number I don't like, not the 5 guys they kept. Again, I would have rather had a guy like Lenon or Ventrone instead of a 5th RB who will probably be an inactive until an injury occurs
4. I read somewhere that 9 of the 11 draft picks were kept. WOW, before the season I would have thought that 5 would be stretching it. This COULD be the best draft class since 2003....if not the best in n the BB era....and I'm thinking Nunn comes back to the PS
5. Very disappointed that Crable was put on IR....again. I was looking forward to watching him develop. I can still picture his pick in the Giant pre season game that year. It was a VERY athletic play. All that promise and nothing to show for it but TWO red shirt years
6. Hey my "binky" Rob Ninkovich made the roster DESPITE keeping 5 RBs. But if I were Rob, I wouldn't fully unpack just yet because I have a feeling that there is a QB in our future and someone will have to go, and Rob MAY not be the 53rd guy, but he's close.
7. Good to see that Slater will recover. I fully expected him to wind up on the IR. But he's another guy who just might be warming a roster spot until the Pats look to tweak the over the next few weeks.
BOTTOM LINE - Good club now...SHOULD get better as the season goes along.
2----I think some have mentioned how a tight end is better catching a ball on the seam than a WR..Watson can be good at that and he has speed and size. Not that I would expect him to catch a ton of passes, but he CAN do that. Thomas, for all his supposedly great skills of receiving, has done little but show flashes...just enough to get by. I KNOW he was Young's big target at Texas...BUT he hasn't even come close. I like having a larger tight end for blocking...with he and Baker in the game..it will make it easier for RBs to get in..MORE a DGraham ni the trenches sort of guy...I agree. And Baker does have good hands. Would not be surprised to see a DeVree or other TE on the Practice Squad.
3----Running backs go down and are filled with bumps and bruises, so having an extra one is quite good..to fill in for whoever of the 4 ahead. The problem is that there HAS to be 8 inactive players...one can add a Ventrone ot a ST player, but who are the 8 going to be? Usually 2 OL, a 3rd Qb if they pick one up, a DL man...and 4 others. Having an extra ST player is fine IF he can get on the field. I'm fine with having a RB inactive each week..some players need to be inactive...ST players can't be.
4----As many have pointed out...Nunn will NOT make it back to the PSquad..and that is quite sad..I wish him well and I expect one team will pick him up and he will become a tough NFL player..a real surprise having not been invited to camps the year he graduated.
5----Hopefully he can have impact next year..but I am sort of pessimistic. Quite a disappointment. My only hope is that while he's recovering from these injuries is that he's also becoming more in football shape and strengthening his legs and becoming more into an NFL OLB's body. Hoping....
6-----I think Ninkovitch is OK..there are other places where players could be cut...so I think he could be vulnerable..but a few down the line. I think with so few ILBs, having Ninkovitch and other to go outside is good as Thomas might be that inside back up player.
7-----I thought mid afternoon that Slater would make the team. It was also only a bit over a day since the injury occurred so I was thinking that maybe there was a gray area with his injury that possibly they don't know for sure how long he will be out...waiting for more info on that. It is possible...and for that reason, I think he might end up going on IR. So I would say that it is VERY possible.
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I----I do not think that Hoyer will be cut. No way will he make it to the Practice Squad. O'Connell looked incredibly shaky and had four teams coming after him. Hoyer would have more. Not happening...he's basically taking KO's place on the roster as teh young QB that the team wishes to groom.
II----I do think a vet quarterback will be brought in. They have a bunch of choices out there, Huard, Griese, Garcia and others. I would not at all be surprise dif in two days another is on the 53.
III---There offensive line is not set. They have 3 interior line backups and only 1 at tackle..my sense is that either Connolly or Wendell will stick. Both can play C or G, but it seems neither is totally strong at all 3 positions. My guess is that one goes and possibly returns to the Practice Squad and a vet tackle is brought in to back up Light and Kaczur.
Or..maybe they are really all set with Vollmer and would have a position open.
IV---This team really is in flux with so many players available so this roster is hardly set in stone. There will be a few changes in the next 4-5 days.
V----There are a bunch of injuries that are under the radar for the most part that I do believe are influencing the roster shaping to some degree. Morris, Maroney, Edelman, Welker, Connolly, Pryor, Springs, Wheatley...it will be interesting to see who of all of these is not on the field when practices begin this week.
