Who is on the roster bubble?

[jah]

I think you've hit the major positions Bob. I would also add the TE position...does O'Shannessey edge out Hollister and does Bill even carry 3 tight ends going into the first game.

The phrase "edge out" implies it's a close battle, but the only things I've really seen Hollister do are:

1) Sign a big, yet still easily cuttable, UDFA deal
2) Made some catches in preseason week 1
3) Endeared himself to fans by being a twin or something (probably a stretch but I'm really reaching for a reason people are so in love with the guy)

Remember Zach Sudfeld? He looked wayyyyy better than Hollister 4 years ago. Hollister seems to have a ceiling as an average to good pass catcher who can't block.

 

[mgteich]

Why do you think he'll be cut?

I'll give you two reasons he won't

1) With JE11 going down, he's now your primary KR until Cyrus proves he can handle it.

2) He won't be cut because he's good. If he's good, that means he'll stay on the roster or be traded for a player/position that BB sees as more desperate of a situation than RB.

Edelman had 3 kick returns in 2016 (out of 29). He was NOT our primary kick returner.
8 Jones
5 Amendola
3 Edelman
13 Others

However, I do agree that Lewis will be one of our 2 top KR's: Lewis and Jones. Basically, Lewis will replace Amendola in that role, since we are too thin at WR to have Amendola return kicks.

 

[maineman209]

The phrase "edge out" implies it's a close battle, but the only things I've really seen Hollister do are:

1) Sign a big, yet still easily cuttable, UDFA deal
2) Made some catches in preseason week 1
3) Endeared himself to fans by being a twin or something (probably a stretch but I'm really reaching for a reason people are so in love with the guy)

Remember Zach Sudfeld? He looked wayyyyy better than Hollister 4 years ago. Hollister seems to have a ceiling as an average to good pass catcher who can't block.

OTOH, I haven't seen consistently good blocking out of O'Shaughnessy yet, either. And he's been an "average to good" pass-catcher.

I've seen both O'Shaughnessy and Hollister appear on ST coverage units, but I've seen O'Shaughnessy around the ball more.

From what I've personally seen, they're close.

Allen seems to be a great blocker, but an average pass-catcher. So, maybe the Pats can use a guy who's a better receiver who can work on being a better blocker, or maybe they'd prefer to go in another direction entirely.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

There are always surprise cuts - I would say Dion Lewis is fighting to make the team (will probably be there)

Dion Lewis has outshined all the RB's this preseason. One could argue he has had, so far, the best preseason on the entire team.

Two years removed from his ACL and the difference from last season is night/day.

 

[SalemPats]

Dion Lewis has outshined all the RB's this preseason. One could argue he has had, so far, the best preseason on the entire team.

Two years removed from his ACL and the difference from last season is night/day.

I agree, he is looking solid, but with White stealing playing time and the addition of Gilleslie and Burkhead someone has to take a back seat. It's a shame he has had these injuries

 

[QuantumMechanic]

What players are currently regular-season-PUP-eligible? (And do they need to be put on the 53-man roster first to go onto reg season PUP? Or is that only necessary for players that you want to bring back from IR?)

 

[SalemPats]

Why do you think he'll be cut?

I'll give you two reasons he won't

1) With JE11 going down, he's now your primary KR until Cyrus proves he can handle it.

2) He won't be cut because he's good. If he's good, that means he'll stay on the roster or be traded for a player/position that BB sees as more desperate of a situation than RB.

I just go back tot he SB, where Dion did not look good return kicks - running back is a battle right now with James White being the only one with an established role in that Faulk/Vereen mold. When Lewis came back healthy he sort of supplanted Blount, but didn't play that well. Too me it's a battle

 

[jah]

OTOH, I haven't seen consistently good blocking out of O'Shaughnessy yet, either. And he's been an "average to good" pass-catcher.

I've seen both O'Shaughnessy and Hollister appear on ST coverage units, but I've seen O'Shaughnessy around the ball more.

From what I've personally seen, they're close.

Allen seems to be a great blocker, but an average pass-catcher. So, maybe the Pats can use a guy who's a better receiver who can work on being a better blocker, or maybe they'd prefer to go in another direction entirely.

I do agree that the available spot (if any, which I strongly believe exists because of Gronk's proclivity for getting hurt) is for a move-type TE. I also agree that O'Shaughnessy and Hollister possess similar skillsets/profiles. However, I give O'Shaughnessy a significant edge because he's played in regular season games before.

 

[jah]

Dion Lewis has outshined all the RB's this preseason. One could argue he has had, so far, the best preseason on the entire team.

Two years removed from his ACL and the difference from last season is night/day.

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say he's had the best preseason the team (for starters, Hogan has been incredible). I don't know if I'd say he's looked as good as he did in 2015, either. He's definitely way closer to 2015 form than 2016 form, though.

 

[supafly]

OTOH, I haven't seen consistently good blocking out of O'Shaughnessy yet, either. And he's been an "average to good" pass-catcher.

I've seen both O'Shaughnessy and Hollister appear on ST coverage units, but I've seen O'Shaughnessy around the ball more.

From what I've personally seen, they're close.

If it's really that close and O'Shags can't use his blocking or ST leverage to gain some distance in the race, then Belichick should consider only carrying 2 TEs with Hollister developing on the PS.

 

[supafly]

What players are currently regular-season-PUP-eligible? (And do they need to be put on the 53-man roster first to go onto reg season PUP? Or is that only necessary for players that you want to bring back from IR?)

PUP players can remain on the in season PUP list without needing to be added to the 53.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any significant players who opened camp on a PUP and still remain there.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say he's had the best preseason the team (for starters, Hogan has been incredible). I don't know if I'd say he's looked as good as he did in 2015, either. He's definitely way closer to 2015 form than 2016 form, though.

I'm onboard that Hogan has been "the man" this preseason, which is why I used the words "one could argue...."

Deion's '15 preseason was legendary so getting anywhere close to that is saying a lot, which is how he is playing.

He is routinely making the first guy miss every time he touches the ball.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I just go back tot he SB, where Dion did not look good return kicks - running back is a battle right now with James White being the only one with an established role in that Faulk/Vereen mold. When Lewis came back healthy he sort of supplanted Blount, but didn't play that well. Too me it's a battle

So one game is what you are basing it on?

 

[maineman209]

What players are currently regular-season-PUP-eligible? (And do they need to be put on the 53-man roster first to go onto reg season PUP? Or is that only necessary for players that you want to bring back from IR?)

A player who is on PUP ("Active/PUP") throughout Camp can be moved to regular season PUP (Reserve/PUP) during cutdowns without ever being a part of the "final" 53-man roster. The requirement for Reserve/PUP eligibility is that the player may not have practiced with the team at all at any time during Camp/pre-season. Any player who has practiced even for a minute is no longer eligible.

The Pats started Camp with only Hightower and Branch on Active/PUP, but both were removed from that list and began practicing over the past couple weeks, so they're no longer eligible for Reserve/PUP.

Active/NFI, Reserve/NFI (Non-Football Injury) is pretty much the same, but, obviously, refers to an injury sustained outside the realm of the NFL. Could be used on a veteran player who accidentally shoots himself in the leg at a nightclub in July, but it's most often used for a rookie who's still recovering from an injury sustained in college, before his entry into the NFL.

Rookie OT Andrew Jelks is currently on Active/NFI and will almost certainly be moved to Reserve/NFI during cutdowns.

UDFA rookie DE, Keionta Davis, is in an interesting situation. He still hasn't been medically cleared to practice after he was discovered to have a bulging disk in his neck at the Combine. That's a non-football injury. The Pats signed him to his first NFL contract a couple days after the first pre-season game, but didn't put him on the Active/NFI list.
As far as I know. It may have merely been missed by reporters.

However, since he hasn't practiced, that would seem to make him eligible to be moved to Reserve/NFI during cutdowns. I'm not entirely certain of that, but pretty sure.