Week 17 practice/roster news: MM practicing! TB, Gilly, Rex, Branch not

[maineman209]

Good research but Hollister is a rookie with an undetermined-at-this-point upside. Allen is TE2 and a good blocker. Cutting those two would not make sense.

But Dorsett's upside at the ripe old age of 24 (same age as Hollister) has already been determined?

At WR it's a numbers game. Cooks, DA, MM and Hogs stay.

We don't even know if Hogan will be able to play again this season.

Now it's Dorsett. If he's gone zero cap hit. Plus Brady won't throw to him.

Allen = 21 tgts
Dorsett = 13 tgts
Hollister = 10 tgts
Develin = 9 tgts

When Brady has thrown to Dorsett, he's caught 69% of those throws for 168 yards.
The other three guys + Britt have combined for 22 catches on 43 tgts (51% catch rate) for a total of 189 yards.

I think Britt is a better, more proven talent who can't do less than what Dorsett has done here.

In fact, Britt has actually done less over the past two games than either Dorsett or Allen.

Britt has a 54% career catch rate and has yet to prove much of anything in the Pats offense. The only Pats receivers he can't do less than are Hogan since week-8 and MM since last season. Anything beyond that for Britt - or for Hogan or MM, for that matter - is merely a projection at this point. And I actually like Britt.

 

[maineman209]

Looks like the odd man out according to who?

Britt is a fmr 1000 yd receiver while Dorsett has done nothing.

Britt and MM aren't even close to the same body type. One man is 5-11. The other is 6-3 220

Dorsett has 168 receiving yards in the Pats offense. That's "nothing"?

 

[primetime]

I think Britt is a better, more proven talent who can't do less than what Dorsett has done here.

The only thing Britt's proven recently is that he's not even the 5th best receiver on the Cleveland Browns.

 

[luuked]

Looks like the odd man out according to who?

Britt is a fmr 1000 yd receiver while Dorsett has done nothing.

Britt and MM aren't even close to the same body type. One man is 5-11. The other is 6-3 220

I didnt say the same body type. Point is that both of them are built to work against man and I am not sure there is space for two of players of the same archetype while removing your only fallback player if something was to happen to Cooks.

Also again. You are talking about a guy who at this point should have a firm understanding of most routes and concepts vs. a guy that arrived 2 weeks ago. I see way more reasons for Britt to be the one out than Dorsett.

What will happen ? Who knows.. still possible that the entire MM situation is more of a safety valve move in case something happens to anyone until the playoffs. Just because one beat guy said that MM might play against the Jets it doesnt mean that he will. I question the accuracy of that based on MM missing the majority of the season, just being back for the first practice and his activation requiring the release of a player when keeping him as practice only player buys the team a free slot for another 2 weeks.

But we shall see..

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

This injury report could explain why Gill saw lesser action than I'd expect as the game became a downhill affair. I'm not questioning the value of running Lewis A LOT but at the end it wasn't needed and I was surprised we didn't see more Gill by that time (seeing Bolden finish the last series).
Having Burk and Gill appearing probably out and having White possibly out? Damn. I just don't now want to see Lewis being given 175% normal (normal 15) number of handoffs and 200% normal catches (2 or so normal) except in the playoffs.
The good news is the Jets O looks uncommonly bad. Hard to believe anyone would say this but losing McCown has made their O go from middling-lesser to morbid-laughable (something like 9 ppg since McCown went out). If the Patriots D can't shut these guys down then it's time to panic.

 

[maineman209]

(seeing Bolden finish the last series)

Acknowledging that it was against the Bills and at the very end of an already-decided contest, it was still kinda cool seeing Bolden get two totes for 20 yds. If need be, he's still probably capable of helping the Pats milk the clock at the end of a game.

Securely.

Not to jinx him, but he's never fumbled in the regular season.

 

[RobertWeathers]

But Dorsett's upside at the ripe old age of 24 (same age as Hollister) has already been determined?



We don't even know if Hogan will be able to play again this season.



Allen = 21 tgts
Dorsett = 13 tgts
Hollister = 10 tgts
Develin = 9 tgts

When Brady has thrown to Dorsett, he's caught 69% of those throws for 168 yards.
The other three guys + Britt have combined for 22 catches on 43 tgts (51% catch rate) for a total of 189 yards.



In fact, Britt has actually done less over the past two games than either Dorsett or Allen.

Britt has a 54% career catch rate and has yet to prove much of anything in the Pats offense. The only Pats receivers he can't do less than are Hogan since week-8 and MM since last season. Anything beyond that for Britt - or for Hogan or MM, for that matter - is merely a projection at this point. And I actually like Britt.

Britt was with ****ty/rookie QBs his entire career and he still put up very good years. I'm not holding a 54% catch rate against him.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The only thing Britt's proven recently is that he's not even the 5th best receiver on the Cleveland Browns.

Now that's an organization that knows what it's doing....

 

[RobertWeathers]

Dorsett has 168 receiving yards in the Pats offense. That's "nothing"?

Table scraps. Check downs.

You can't sit there and tell me he has been a playmaker in this offense. I know there is only enough balls to go around but he's had hundreds of snaps and to only be thrown at dozen or so times is bad.

Once Hogs and MM come back (maybe) he'll be buried again or gone

 

[RobertWeathers]

I didnt say the same body type. Point is that both of them are built to work against man and I am not sure there is space for two of players of the same archetype while removing your only fallback player if something was to happen to Cooks.

Also again. You are talking about a guy who at this point should have a firm understanding of most routes and concepts vs. a guy that arrived 2 weeks ago. I see way more reasons for Britt to be the one out than Dorsett.

What will happen ? Who knows.. still possible that the entire MM situation is more of a safety valve move in case something happens to anyone until the playoffs. Just because one beat guy said that MM might play against the Jets it doesnt mean that he will. I question the accuracy of that based on MM missing the majority of the season, just being back for the first practice and his activation requiring the release of a player when keeping him as practice only player buys the team a free slot for another 2 weeks.

But we shall see..

I don't think it matters if Dorsett knows the routes of 1) He doesn't get open and 2) Brady won't throw to him.

 

[n6249c]

I don't think it matters if Dorsett knows the routes of 1) He doesn't get open and 2) Brady won't throw to him.

Doesn't matter if he gets open if Brady won't look at him let alone throw to him.

 

[luuked]

I don't think it matters if Dorsett knows the routes of 1) He doesn't get open and 2) Brady won't throw to him.

On most snaps he either runs trash routes as a decoy, blocks or is so far down the progression order that even when he is open Brady has already let go of the ball. But, hey, guess what.. for all those things knowing where to be is actually vital. Which is more than Britt was able to do so far as we have just seen against the Bills when his route that led to an INT was not necessarily what Brady expected. Which again is not shocking after only being here for 2 weeks but that just makes my point.

Anyway dont want to get into yet another Dorsett discussion over all of this. Everything about that topic has been written so many times that it is just boring.

We will soon know if MM gets activated and what the repercussions are.

 

[luuked]

Table scraps. Check downs.

You can't sit there and tell me he has been a playmaker in this offense. I know there is only enough balls to go around but he's had hundreds of snaps and to only be thrown at dozen or so times is bad.

Getting check downs and the occasional designed play is his entire receiving role. He is the 4th or 5th option and is mainly responsible to drag coverages with him so the primary options in various concepts have more space, block downfield and be a very late progression.

If he hits 200-250 yards in that role it is fine. This reminds me of how some people dont get the role of Dwayne Allen and complain about his lack of production even though he has been pretty good in his role as blocker and occasional outlet.

 

[TomPatriot]

Which is more than Britt was able to do so far as we have just seen against the Bills when his route that led to an INT was not necessarily what Brady expected.

I don’t have a problem with the rest of your quote. Britt might be gone if MM returns. But this is just flat out wrong. Britt’s route had nothing to do with the pick. Brady’s bad, late read and a smart jump by Poyer led to the pick.

 

[RobertWeathers]

On most snaps he either runs trash routes as a decoy, blocks or is so far down the progression order that even when he is open Brady has already let go of the ball. But, hey, guess what.. for all those things knowing where to be is actually vital. Which is more than Britt was able to do so far as we have just seen against the Bills when his route that led to an INT was not necessarily what Brady expected. Which again is not shocking after only being here for 2 weeks but that just makes my point.

Anyway dont want to get into yet another Dorsett discussion over all of this. Everything about that topic has been written so many times that it is just boring.

We will soon know if MM gets activated and what the repercussions are.

Getting check downs and the occasional designed play is his entire receiving role. He is the 4th or 5th option and is mainly responsible to drag coverages with him so the primary options in various concepts have more space, block downfield and be a very late progression.

If he hits 200-250 yards in that role it is fine. This reminds me of how some people dont get the role of Dwayne Allen and complain about his lack of production even though he has been pretty good in his role as blocker and occasional outlet.

Hes been WR2 since the Chargers game and has 5 catches and has played a ton..

 

[luuked]

I don’t have a problem with the rest of your quote. Britt might be gone if MM returns. But this is just flat out wrong. Britt’s route had nothing to do with the pick. Brady’s bad, late read and a smart jump by Poyer led to the pick.

I was thinking the same thing during the game. And Poyer made a great play just sitting at sticks depth on 3rd & 7.

It wasnt until I read about his post game comments in the press conference:

Q: How important is it to go back to Kenny Britt after the interception and give him confidence being a new guy?

TB: It's just building on the things that happen in practice and when things come up we try to correct them. Everyone is trying to do the right thing out there. Certain players you've had more time to connect with and that's part of playing football.

And Chatham mentioned it as well on his podcast that from the sound of it Brady might have expected Britt to do something else (e.g. sit or continue on).

 

[PatriotsReign]

JFC, this dude is gigantic.

HFM!!! (Holy f***ing Mohammed)

 

[luuked]

Hes been WR2 since the Chargers game and has 5 catches and has played a ton..

So he is above Dola ?

WR3 doesnt mean anything in an offense with Cooks, Dola, Gronk, Burkhead, Lewis...


Last year MM had 75 yards on 192 snaps (35%) until Gronk got knocked out of the Seahawks game. Dorsett has had so far this season 332 snaps which is about 31% of the total snaps.

We are talking about the same production that MM had just a year ago stuck in a similar position on the depth chart.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Agree. I like him as a player. Just hasn't done much

This is not true. I wish someone who has access to the 22s can show the numerous times Dorsett has been wide open. It is to the point that opposing teams know Brady does not look his way, so they don't bother covering the guy. It is particularly obvious on most of Brady's ints this season.

 

[RobertWeathers]

So he is above Dola ?

WR3 doesnt mean anything in an offense with Cooks, Dola, Gronk, Burkhead, Lewis...


Last year MM had 75 yards on 192 snaps (35%) until Gronk got knocked out of the Seahawks game. Dorsett has had so far this season 332 snaps which is about 31% of the total snaps.

We are talking about the same production that MM had just a year ago stuck in a similar position on the depth chart.

Yea I misspoke. Hes WR3.

Last year MM was a rookie. Dorsett is a 3rd year pro. MM gets open by himself. Dorsett does not. When players went down, MM was thrown to. When players go down, Dorsett is still a decoy Brady and coaches do not have 100% confidence in making plays.