Projecting a Patriots 53 Man Roster: Version 3.0
by Greg Knopping on Sep 2, 2011 3:21 PM EDT
in Opinion/Analysis
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PrintMy final shot at predicting what the Patriots final roster might look like:
QB (3): Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett
Thoughts: No changes, this group is as stable as they come.
RB (5): BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead, Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk (PUP)
Thoughts: No changes once again, as I have Sammy Morris sticking. I think Morris offers a lot to the team as a special teams player (up-back on kick returns and covering kicks) as well as an occasional HB/FB. The other four seem set in stone, with Faulk likely to land on PUP.
WR (6): Wes Welker, Chad Ochocinco, Deion Branch, Taylor Price, Julian Edelman, Matt Slater
Thoughts: Brandon Tate is left off here. Slater is a more rounded special teams player who has also made some flashes at receiver in the preseason. Food for thought: Could Deion Branch be a surprise release?
TE (3): Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Will Yeatman
Thoughts: Gronkowski and Hernandez are solidified at the top, while all indications are that rookie free agent Will Yeatman has beat out 5th round pick Lee Smith for the 3rd tight end spot.
OT (4): Matt Light, Sebastian Vollmer, Nate Solder, Steve Maneri
Thoughts: Once again, no changes here. Food for thought: Could the presence of Will Yeatman make a player such as Steve Maneri expendable (or vice versa?)
OG/C (5): Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell, Rich Ohrnberger
Thoughts: Ohrnberger is added here, although I'm a bit skeptical as to whether or not he could start any games should the Patriots need him to.
Defensive players after the jump!
DT/DE (6): Vince Wilfork, Albert Haynesworth, Mike Wright, Shaun Ellis, Kyle Love, Gerard Warren, Ron Brace (PUP), Brandon Deaderick (IR)
Thoughts: I slept on Gerard Warren at times throughout the preseason. He's performed well, and earns a spot over Myron Pryor. Landon Cohen and Darryl Richard are tough cuts as well. Once again, Brace and Deaderick stick around on reserve lists.
DE/LB (4): Jermaine Cunningham, Rob Ninkovich, Andre Carter, Mark Anderson
Thoughts: This group stays the same. Rookie free agent Aaron Lavarias has impressed, and could land on the practice squad. The big cut here is Eric Moore. I had him off the roster after the second preseason game and I'm sticking to my prediction here. I think he's the 3rd best 3-4 OLB after Cunningham and Ninkovich, and I think Carter and Anderson represent better options as ends in 4-3 sets. Numbers crunch.
LB (5): Jerod Mayo, Gary Guyton, Brandon Spikes, Dane Fletcher, Tracy White
Thoughts: Tracy White could be pushed off the roster by Jeff Tarpinian or Ricky Brown, but I think he's done enough to secure his spot. Brandon Spikes also recently returned to practice, so the stories of his demise were probably premature.
CB (5): Devin McCourty, Leigh Bodden, Ras-I Dowling, Kyle Arrington, Darius Butler
Thoughts: Recent pick-up Antwaun Molden impressed against the Giants, but I don't know if it's enough for him to stick on the team's 53 man roster. Darius Butler was a bit up and down in the preseason, but looked like he was starting to build some confidence.
S (4): Pat Chung, Brandon Meriweather, Sergio Brown, James Ihedigbo
Thoughts: The big news this week was the news that the Patriots were letting go of veteran safety James Sanders. While the Patriots may be unhappy with the play of Brandon Meriweather, I think they will still hold on to him. The fourth safety spot likely will go down to James Ihedigbo and Josh Barrett. It's hard to say who will come out on top in that battle.
Specialists (3): Stephen Gostkowski, Zoltan Mesko, James Dearth
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I think Barrett beats out Ihedigbo
But so much food for thought…om nom nom
Does anybody know what happened with Arrington's injury last night?
It matters not how strait the gate, nor charged with punishments the scroll:
I am the Master of my fate. I am the Captain of my soul.
Reiss tweeted that initial reports are that its nothing serious.
Lewis Hamilton~ 2011 F1 Champion!!!
Life is about who makes it, not who makes it the fastest! Drive slow homie.
or an ER visit
Trevor Bauer: 14-4, 2.00 ERA, 162 IP, 246 K in UCLA, Visalia (Hi-A), and Mobile (AA)
by freeland1787 on Sep 3, 2011 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Pet Sematary was set in NE...
Death isn’t necessarily ruled out.
"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West
any recent word on Taylor Price?
you predict Branch to be cut, so does that mean Taylor Price has earned himself quite a bit of playing time outside opposite 85?
i shouldn't say "predict"
but you pose it as a possibility
by POV on Sep 2, 2011 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I think if Ocho had picked up the offense right away this was a possibility.
With him struggling atm though I don’t see it happening.
I really don't see Branch getting cut
Say what you want about how he hasn’t been involved in the pre-season and all of that, but I think that connection between him and Brady is much too valuable to be tampered with considering the rest of the receiving corp atm. TB has a strong bond with Welker too, but after that, he really seems to lack that chemistry with just about every other WR the team has. Maybe next year when Brady’s had more time to build that connection, but I just don’t see it happening with the lockout and all.
Then again, we are talking about the Patriots, so who knows. Maybe Brady will end up being traded and Brian Hoyer will lead the team to a Superbowl trophy. To quote Kevin Garnett here, anything is possible.
by indy pats fan on Sep 2, 2011 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed.
The PATS need Branch and Welker simply to give Brady two targets that he has had success with while bringing along Ocho, Price, and Edelman as reinforcements. Brady’s success with Hernandez and Gronkowski has been a huge positive.
Unfortunately, in today’s NFL, every player, especially the receivers, appear like they are one hit away from an injury or worse, IR.
To me, that is why Edelman is a must keep. He is the perfect back-up to Welker (who has just recently endured a neck injury). It would be ideal to keep Tate and Slater, but the roster needs might make that impossible to do.
you mean mallett instead of hoyer
because mallett will be mvp of sb L
Trevor Bauer: 14-4, 2.00 ERA, 162 IP, 246 K in UCLA, Visalia (Hi-A), and Mobile (AA)
by freeland1787 on Sep 3, 2011 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions
99.9% i would go with this
Trevor Bauer: 14-4, 2.00 ERA, 162 IP, 246 K in UCLA, Visalia (Hi-A), and Mobile (AA)
now or in the future
If the Pats dump Branch they are not looking to win this year. Branch and Brady are like peanut butter and jelly. They have nothing to prove to anyone. The “beat writers need to write” but in reality what the Pats have once again shown is un-predictability. They went all out in game 2 (preseason) with starters in game 3 Bill B. went very VANILLA against a really good team in the Lions. Even though the starters got their arses handed to them, for my Panamanian wife to be able to slap me and call the plays on Offense and Defense shows that Bill B. was wanting to see his players call out each other and GET HUNGRY. With Myra Kraft passing on I think the Pats really could use that for an undefeated season with a superbowl win. However, (in Bill We Trust ) I can see the Pats taking a different path to the Lombardi by being just good enough to get to the Promise Land and then kick arse and take numbers. Ocho, is going to catch 17 td`s this year and I believe Brady will throw 60 Td`s. This to me is like 9/11 all over again. The difference is …..is that this team is nasty.
by stren on Sep 3, 2011 11:13 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd for crazy, unabashed homerism.
"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West
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