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Post by rkarp on Aug 25, 2024 5:55:44 GMT -5
taking a stab at the roster before the game and cut downs
Quarterback (3)
Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye, Joe Milton III
PS- Bailey Zappe
Running back (4)
Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, Kevin Harris, JaMychal Hasty
PS- Terrell Jennings
Wide receiver (6)
Demario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, Ja’Lynn Polk, Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Reagor, Javon Baker
PS- Kayshon Boutte, Kawaan Baker, David Wallis, Matt Landers
PUP: Kendrick Bourne
Tight end (4)
Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Jaheim Bell, Mitchell Wilcox
Offensive line (9)
David Andrews, Michael Onwenu, Sidy Sow, Chuks Okorafor, Vederian Lowe, Caedan Wallace, Layden Robinson, Nick Leverett, Michael Jordan
PS- Atonio Mafi, Kellen DIesch, Zuri Henry, Charles Turner
PUP: Cole Strange
Defensive line (9)
Keion White, Deatrich Wise, Anfernee Jennings, Josh Uche, Davon Godchaux, Oshane Ximines, Jeremiah Pharms, Trysten Hill, Daniel Ekuale
IR: Christian Barmore
Linebacker (5)
Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jahlani Tavai, Raekwon McMillan, Joe Giles-Harris, Christian Elliss
PUP: Sione Takitaki
Cornerback (6)
Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Alex Austin, Shaun Wade, Isaiah Bolden
PS-Azizi Hearn, Marcellus Dial
Safety (5)
Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins, Dell Pettus, Brenden Schooler
PS- Josh Bledsoe IR: Marte Mapu
Special teams (3)
Joey Slye, Bryce Baringer, Joe Cardona
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Post by quagmire3 on Aug 25, 2024 6:07:01 GMT -5
Looks like a pretty good projection. I would bet you are within 4-5 players of the actual final 53 (players signed after release from other teams, and there is always a surprise or 2).
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Post by mthurl on Aug 25, 2024 6:36:24 GMT -5
JaMychal Hasty making the team is interesting, haven’t heard much about him this camp. Had to look him up. The guy has very quietly been able to bounce on and off rosters for 4-5 years now. Could be a half decent fill in for a third down roll, especially with Gibson being injury prone.
To me, Tyquan Thornton…I mean, this is it. It has to be it. If he can’t do it now, and I’m talking show something worthy in the first month of the season, then I cut him. I hate to waste foster spots on guys like him, I know it’s a necessary evil but it has to end this time around. I guess it’s not like he’s keeping all pro wide receivers from making the team, but still you can’t just waste roster spots every year for a guy that only shows a glimpse every 6 months. In camp this summer (only one practice I saw) he looked very much the same guy to me. Bumped off routes, fooling around in line waiting for his turn. I no longer have any confidence in him, and I used to.
Not to be my usual Debbie downer self, but I’m looking at this roster thinking…half this team looks like it just came out of the expansion draft and selected waiver wire castoffs from established franchises. Our best unit is the defense and we no longer have Barmore or Judon. There’s little reason to believe this team won’t have the number one pick in the draft next year. The only thing that could kill that is Drake Maye starting, and succeeding. Or teams playing here against us in December not wanting to deal with the weather (that’s a thing in my opinion). A team either resting players in December or out of the picture, just not wanting to run around in snow and freezing winds.
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Post by rkarp on Aug 25, 2024 6:44:16 GMT -5
JaMychal Hasty making the team is interesting, haven’t heard much about him this camp. Had to look him up. The guy has very quietly been able to bounce on and off rosters for 4-5 years now. Could be a half decent fill in for a third down roll, especially with Gibson being injury prone. To me, Tyquan Thornton…I mean, this is it. It has to be it. If he can’t do it now, and I’m talking show something worthy in the first month of the season, then I cut him. I hate to waste foster spots on guys like him, I know it’s a necessary evil but it has to end this time around. I guess it’s not like he’s keeping all pro wide receivers from making the team, but still you can’t just waste roster spots every year for a guy that only shows a glimpse every 6 months. In camp this summer (only one practice I saw) he looked very much the same guy to me. Bumped off routes, fooling around in line waiting for his turn. I no longer have any confidence in him, and I used to. Not to be my usual Debbie downer self, but I’m looking at this roster thinking…half this team looks like it just came out of the expansion draft and selected waiver wire castoffs from established franchises. Our best unit is the defense and we no longer have Barmore or Judon. There’s little reason to believe this team won’t have the number one pick in the draft next year. The only thing that could kill that is Drake Maye starting, and succeeding. Or teams playing here against us in December not wanting to deal with the weather (that’s a thing in my opinion). A team either resting players in December or out of the picture, just not wanting to run around in snow and freezing winds. rebuilding a roster takes a few years even once you have the QB this roster was a massive rebuild
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Post by DaPatriots on Aug 25, 2024 6:49:45 GMT -5
Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt has the offense's full attention play McAfee praises Drake Maye's preseason performance (1:56)
Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer Aug 25, 2024, 06:00 AM ET Share LikeLike Open Extended Reactions Like 1 FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. AVP influence: There was a moment inside the Patriots' offensive team meeting room during training camp that showed, in part, how players have rallied around first-year offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt (aka "AVP").
Players had grown accustomed to watching film of quarterbacks who played under Van Pelt at some of his previous coaching stops, such as Aaron Rodgers (Packers) and Deshaun Watson (Browns). But on this day, the film up on the screen was a play-action fake from the late 1980s and early 1990s, and it wasn't even from the NFL.
"When he pulled it up, everyone was like, 'Who is that?' When they realized it was AVP, everybody starting hooting and hollering," quarterback Bailey Zappe said.
"I mean, he got everybody dirty. He had the ball in his pocket, the hand out, everybody was going after the running back. Then he spun around, keeper, hit the flat, and it was a big gain."
The way wide receiver Tyquan Thornton remembers it, "that brought a little juice to the room."
Van Pelt was a four-year starter at the University of Pittsburgh, where he set school records for most passing yards (11,267), completions (867) and attempts (1,503), and he still uses some of his play-action fakes and quarterback keepers, among other things, as teaching tools for his current players.
Van Pelt, 54, is arguably the most important hire that first-year head coach Jerod Mayo made on his staff. Mayo refers to him as the "head coach of the offense" and his development plan for quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, is directly linked to hopes for the Patriots' return to excellence.
In a league that has been trending more to younger coordinators who worked under offensive innovators such as Rams head coach Sean McVay and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, the Patriots ran a counter play in tapping the experienced and affable Van Pelt, who runs a West Coast offense featuring wide-zone run concepts. Mayo said he and Van Pelt meet multiple times a day and believes their partnership is off to a promising start.
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Have the Patriots done enough along the offensive line to support Drake Maye? 7dMike Reiss "We're on the same page. I have nothing but complete faith in AVP and the rest of the staff. He's just one of those steady guys. A big play, he doesn't get too high. A bad play, he doesn't get too low. I think you need that in your coordinators," Mayo said. "The consistency in his attitude, I think, has definitely rubbed off on the guys."
Part of Van Pelt's appeal to players is that he isn't shy at poking fun at himself, which dates to his playing days as a longtime backup for the Bills (1994 to 2003) and left a Pillsbury Dough Boy doll in his locker as an acknowledgment of not having the most chiseled physique. He earned the trust of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, who remains one of his closest friends, as well as former Patriots and Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe.
Now in his 20th coaching season, this is the first time he's truly been handed the keys to a team's offense from Day 1.
"To be able to stand in front of the group, and run it as your offense, as our offense, it's special," Van Pelt acknowledged in the days leading up to Sunday's preseason finale at the Washington Commanders [NBC, 8 p.m. ET]. "It's different. I haven't had that opportunity in quite a while."
Van Pelt has veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who played for him in Cleveland in 2022, as his No. 1 quarterback. Brissett has also served as a mentor to Maye, who has been working as the No. 2 quarterback throughout training camp. Mayo has yet to officially name his starter for the regular-season opener at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8, saying he would wait until after the preseason to do so.
Van Pelt served as the Browns' offensive coordinator from 2020 to 2023, but head coach Kevin Stefanski called the plays. In 2009 with the Bills, Van Pelt was thrust into the coordinator role just days before the season opener, which he said still shapes his approach today. He was also an assistant with the Buccaneers (2010-2011), Packers (2012 to 2017) and Bengals (2018-2019) and cites the totality of that experience as "vital."
"I've been doing this for a long time and seen a lot of issues, a lot of problems. Solved a lot of those as well, so I think it gives you a foundation," he said.
Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is in his first season with the team. Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports Is there perhaps a chip on his shoulder that it took this long to finally be put in this position?
"No chip on my shoulder whatsoever," he said. "I thought I brought value to the Cleveland Browns as the offensive coordinator -- maybe not the playcaller, but a lot of the way we did things was based on what I believed in.
"Having the opportunity here to fully game plan; it's very collaborative with our staff, there are guys have their areas of expertise, and they are going to have a big say in what we do offensively [and] schematically. But it's great to have that opportunity to stand in front of the room and be responsible, ultimately on Sundays, for playcalling."
Van Pelt was widely credited with getting five different Browns starting quarterbacks ready to play in last season's 11-6 campaign. The Patriots are banking on similar results with Maye, whenever that may be.
"Alex is, first and foremost, a great man," said offensive line coach Scott Peters, who followed Van Pelt from Cleveland to New England. "He's played the game at a high level as a quarterback. He knows the game in and out. He's coached for a long time. He has a great rapport with the players -- they trust and respect him."
2. QB1 chatter: In reference to when Maye might be the starter, Mayo said last week in his weekly radio interview, "We're going to stick to the [development] plan -- it may not be a popular plan, but we're doing what we think is right for the organization, not only in the near term but also in the long term."
And while Van Pelt left open the possibility that Maye could start Week 1, he said, "There's still a process of how you bring a rookie quarterback along; it's important to remember that as well."
Remarks such as those reflect why it would take a significant turn for the Patriots to name Maye the Week 1 starter over Brissett.
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3. Mayo's message: Zappe relayed that there is a quote posted on the walls inside the team facility that reads, "Don't worry about criticism from those you would never seek advice from."
Mayo was asked why he chose that theme to highlight to players, who perhaps might be influenced by social media.
"I could go for about 30 minutes on that question," he said, boiling it down to this point: "I'm not going to take financial services advice from a barber [and] I'm not going to take any type of haircut advice to from a financial advisor."
Mayo cited former players Matthew Slater (special assistant to the head coach) and Dont'a Hightower (inside linebackers coach) as those who have increased credibility with younger players because they've been in their position before.
4. QB breakdown: Quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney on each of the team's four quarterbacks:
Brissett -- "We have nine years of tape. We know what Jacoby is. We know what to expect from him. He's just fine-tuning his game. He's a better player than he was when I had him in Cleveland [in 2022]."
Maye -- "Very calm. In control. When he comes off, he can tell me exactly what he sees, which is very important. ... There's obviously a difference when you come in your first day to knocking on the door of the season, so we were expecting him to be here. We expected him to be really good."
Joe Milton III -- "Joe's been tremendous. He had a much different offense, so learning our system, and maybe not getting as many reps as some other guys. But he's doing a lot with the reps."
Zappe -- "Bailey's been a pro's pro. He's been in some tough situations here over the years. Tough situation when you go in for your first preseason game [this year] and they boo. He's been the same guy every day and he's had a really good camp. He's gotten a lot better from Phase 2 [of the offseason] when I first saw him. I've been impressed."
5. Depth needed: Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said he anticipates the Patriots being "aggressive" on the waiver wire with the No. 3 priority, and offensive line and run-stuffing defensive tackle are among the numerous spots that look like they could use reinforcements.
First-year Patriots defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery spent the prior nine years in Green Bay, and so if a player like 2022 seventh-round pick Jonathan Ford is waived (and healthy after leaving Saturday's game with a calf injury) based on the depth the Packers already have in place, he'd seemingly fit the profile of what New England might be seeking; similar to late-round draft picks such as Georgia's Zion Logue (Falcons), Northern Iowa's Khristian Boyd (Saints) and Auburn's Justin Rogers (Cowboys) if they are waived. Those are the types of moves that can be anticipated -- nothing headline-grabbing, but additions to build much-needed depth.
6. Hill's time? The Patriots are thin at defensive tackle after Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots, in addition to free agent signing Armon Watts not emerging. Veteran Davon Godchaux and second-year player Jeremiah Pharms Jr. are the top run-stuffers, with Daniel Ekuale and Trysten Hill (6-foot-3, 310 pounds) the top penetrators. Hill, a 2019 Cowboys second-round pick out of Central Florida who has yet to meet his draft-slot expectation, has been a sleeper of sorts in camp, showing up Thursday with a tipped-ball interception.
"We call him 'Full Speed' because he's explosive. I like his energy," Ekuale said.
7. Explosive Stevenson: Running backs coach Taylor Embree has been encouraged by what he's seen from Rhamondre Stevenson and believes the potential for more big plays is there for him with wide-zone runs.
"Last year, they ran a lot of duo and tight-zone stuff -- get bodies on bodies -- and he was able to make some stuff. But I think the wide zones will open up explosives for him. We've already seen a few in joint practice and against our defense," Embree said.
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8. Layden on OL: Rookie right guard Layden Robinson, the fourth-round pick from Texas A&M, was elevated to the top unit the past two practices after an injury to left tackle Vederian Lowe led to a shake-up that bumped Mike Onwenu to right tackle and Chukwuma Okorafor to left tackle. Mayo referred to the new grouping as "encouraging," with starting left guard Sidy Sow saluting Robinson's work by saying, "Very, very strong and smart. Physically, that guy is so damn strong."
9. They said it: "Early on, he would throw interceptions and get so down on himself. I would say now, as we exit camp, he's done a lot better job being able to pull the nose up on the plane when it seems like it's going down. I think that's an important quality." -- Mayo, on Maye's response to adversity.
10. Did You Know? Sunday's game marks the 24th time that New England and Washington meet in the preseason. That makes Washington the third-most frequent preseason opponent for the Patriots, behind the Giants (31) and Eagles (25).
Marvin Harrison Jr. solidifies role in Cards' training camp play Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. Davante Adams: Who's the top fantasy WR? (1:16)
Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff Writer Aug 24, 2024, 06:00 AM ET Share LikeLike Open Extended Reactions LikeFire 68 TEMPE, Ariz. -- Michael Wilson has had a front-row seat for fellow receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.'s training camp, and he quickly came to the conclusion that opposing defenses -- at least early in the season -- will likely be sticking their top cornerback on the rookie.
Like everyone else who has watched the No. 4 overall pick, he has seen Harrison live up to the hype. There's little doubt in Wilson's mind, even before Harrison has taken a single regular-season snap, that Harrison will be a topic -- if not the center -- of conversations in defensive meetings on a weekly basis.
"Obviously, you don't go fourth overall, first receiver, if you don't have elite traits, elite tangible qualities with size, speed, ball skills," Wilson said. "Like, he's got all of that.
"So, I'm sure Week 1 or throughout the course of the season, they're definitely going to be conscious of where he is."
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"I see what everybody else sees," Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting said. "Obviously, we all see it the same way, but he's just very talented. He can do so many different things for our team and we're going to put him in situations and ask him to do a lot more for our team.
"He's a guy that can just make any play that's really given to him or thrown to him. Very athletic, very smart, very savvy, as well, with his route craft, and, just, the sky's the limit."
It's expected that Harrison will see a variety of coverages thrown his way by defensive coordinators who will try to, at best, eliminate him from the game plan, or, at the least, limit his touches. That could be anything from cloud coverage, when a corner rolls up to jam and reroute Harrison, with a deep half safety over the top. In a league that has become more split-safety heavy on defense, the Cardinals could see more Cover 6 (quarter, quarter, half) to disrupt Harrison at the line of scrimmage, with deep help over the top. Teams are also expected to be physical with Harrison at the line, but he's shown enough strength and physicality to play through contact.
While the expectations for Harrison grow every time a new highlight of him lands on a phone screen, he has chosen to keep his personal goals, with the exception of winning, private. Wide receivers coach Drew Terrell doesn't want to set statistical benchmarks because it puts too much external focus on what he called the "wrong thing."
History could be an indicator for what kind of season Harrison could have. In each of the past five years, the leading rookie receiver has topped out at about the 1,400-yard range or the 1,000 to 1,100-yard range. Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua had the most receiving yards in a rookie season since 2019 with 1,486 last season. Ja'Marr Chase had 1,455 in 2021, Justin Jefferson had 1,400 in 2020, Garrett Wilson had 1,103 in 2022 and A.J. Brown had 1,051 in 2019.
Marvin Harrison Jr., the No. 4 pick of the 2024 draft, has lived up to the hype thus far. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Harrison's potential has fantasy managers clamoring to draft him. He is the highest-drafted wide receiver in ESPN fantasy leagues in the last 20 years with an average draft position of 22nd, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Some of that has to do with quarterback Kyler Murray.
Even before the Cardinals reported for training camp, Harrison had established that he is Murray's primary receiving target, a role that will be magnified now that Zay Jones is suspended for five games. And all he's done throughout camp is solidify that role in all the high-speed, up-tempo practices.
"I just try to do my best that I can for him, get open and make plays," Harrison said.
That's helped Murray become "very confident" in his star rookie. The two have spent a considerable amount of time together off the field, which Murray described as "very positive." He says it'll translate to the field, as well.
What's stood out to Murray about throwing to Harrison is his natural ability.
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"I think you just watch him," Murray said. "You can watch him and tell when a guy's got it. He's got it."
Harrison has enjoyed his first training camp because its cadence, which coach Jonathan Gannon has tweaked this year to give players a day off after every three practice days, is less taxing than his college camps.
Even though Harrison, the son of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, grew up around the NFL game, there has still been a learning curve to playing in the NFL.
"I think the players react a lot quicker and this game's a little bit smarter than at the college level," Harrison said. "I will say, seeing [safety] Budda [Baker] fly across the field is a little different than what I'm used to, just how he goes out there and makes plays, but it's been a joy to watch defense and offense battle back and forth."
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To counter the speed around him, Harrison said he'll have to respond and recognize coverages more quickly.
By and large, Harrison's first training camp has looked like every other rookie's. He has rookie duties and has had ups and downs. But, wide receivers coach Drew Terrell said, it's clear that Harrison has been operating at a different level than the most other rookies.
"Obviously, he's more advanced in that he's almost been groomed to do this since a young age," Terrell said. "Since the first conversation I ever had with him in predraft process, he's been a pro. He knows what the expectation is. He's very hard on himself and knows what to expect of himself.
"Obviously, for a rookie, getting accustomed to a new environment, the speed of the game, the detail with which we train and all those things is, it's an adjustment for any rookie. But, he's as well prepared as anybody we've had coming in the two years we've been here. He's an advanced guy for even a rookie."
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Post by mthurl on Aug 25, 2024 7:03:59 GMT -5
JaMychal Hasty making the team is interesting, haven’t heard much about him this camp. Had to look him up. The guy has very quietly been able to bounce on and off rosters for 4-5 years now. Could be a half decent fill in for a third down roll, especially with Gibson being injury prone. To me, Tyquan Thornton…I mean, this is it. It has to be it. If he can’t do it now, and I’m talking show something worthy in the first month of the season, then I cut him. I hate to waste foster spots on guys like him, I know it’s a necessary evil but it has to end this time around. I guess it’s not like he’s keeping all pro wide receivers from making the team, but still you can’t just waste roster spots every year for a guy that only shows a glimpse every 6 months. In camp this summer (only one practice I saw) he looked very much the same guy to me. Bumped off routes, fooling around in line waiting for his turn. I no longer have any confidence in him, and I used to. Not to be my usual Debbie downer self, but I’m looking at this roster thinking…half this team looks like it just came out of the expansion draft and selected waiver wire castoffs from established franchises. Our best unit is the defense and we no longer have Barmore or Judon. There’s little reason to believe this team won’t have the number one pick in the draft next year. The only thing that could kill that is Drake Maye starting, and succeeding. Or teams playing here against us in December not wanting to deal with the weather (that’s a thing in my opinion). A team either resting players in December or out of the picture, just not wanting to run around in snow and freezing winds. rebuilding a roster takes a few years even once you have the QB this roster was a massive rebuild And there could be 4-5 players on this roster right now (not named Maye) that could be potential Pro Bowlers and future foundations of this team, but right now, we don’t know that and it doesn’t appear like that. However White on defense could be a great player, same with Gonzalez. And on offense maybe the guard they drafted will develop into a solid starter…maybe Baker and Polk develop into legitimate NFL starting WR’s and Bell surprises as a jack of all trades fullback/hback/tight end. But compared to the rosters and expectations that wasn’t long ago, this is totally different.
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Post by rkarp on Aug 25, 2024 7:40:16 GMT -5
rebuilding a roster takes a few years even once you have the QB this roster was a massive rebuild And there could be 4-5 players on this roster right now (not named Maye) that could be potential Pro Bowlers and future foundations of this team, but right now, we don’t know that and it doesn’t appear like that. However White on defense could be a great player, same with Gonzalez. And on offense maybe the guard they drafted will develop into a solid starter…maybe Baker and Polk develop into legitimate NFL starting WR’s and Bell surprises as a jack of all trades fullback/hback/tight end. But compared to the rosters and expectations that wasn’t long ago, this is totally different. Maye, Onwenu, Stevenson all capable or pro bowl from what we have seen perhaps capabe pro bowl for me include Sow if he can take can take to coaching and show last seasons same improvements in my limited veiws, I also like the upside of Polk, Robinson, Wallace on D, obvisoult Barmore if he can comeback Gonzo if he can come back Jon Jones is always very good. Tavai is close perhaps WHite Baringer and Marcus Jones on ST also have that chance imo I like the new additions. all the young guys need proper coaching obviously
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Post by wonderdrums on Aug 25, 2024 8:08:01 GMT -5
JaMychal Hasty making the team is interesting, haven’t heard much about him this camp. Had to look him up. The guy has very quietly been able to bounce on and off rosters for 4-5 years now. Could be a half decent fill in for a third down roll, especially with Gibson being injury prone. To me, Tyquan Thornton…I mean, this is it. It has to be it. If he can’t do it now, and I’m talking show something worthy in the first month of the season, then I cut him. I hate to waste foster spots on guys like him, I know it’s a necessary evil but it has to end this time around. I guess it’s not like he’s keeping all pro wide receivers from making the team, but still you can’t just waste roster spots every year for a guy that only shows a glimpse every 6 months. In camp this summer (only one practice I saw) he looked very much the same guy to me. Bumped off routes, fooling around in line waiting for his turn. I no longer have any confidence in him, and I used to. Not to be my usual Debbie downer self, but I’m looking at this roster thinking…half this team looks like it just came out of the expansion draft and selected waiver wire castoffs from established franchises. Our best unit is the defense and we no longer have Barmore or Judon. There’s little reason to believe this team won’t have the number one pick in the draft next year. The only thing that could kill that is Drake Maye starting, and succeeding. Or teams playing here against us in December not wanting to deal with the weather (that’s a thing in my opinion). A team either resting players in December or out of the picture, just not wanting to run around in snow and freezing winds. rebuilding a roster takes a few years even once you have the QB this roster was a massive rebuild It still is a massive rebuild. I’m still not convinced they have the QB. This could go on for years.
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Post by thejuice on Aug 25, 2024 11:53:01 GMT -5
JaMychal Hasty making the team is interesting, haven’t heard much about him this camp. Had to look him up. The guy has very quietly been able to bounce on and off rosters for 4-5 years now. Could be a half decent fill in for a third down roll, especially with Gibson being injury prone. To me, Tyquan Thornton…I mean, this is it. It has to be it. If he can’t do it now, and I’m talking show something worthy in the first month of the season, then I cut him. I hate to waste foster spots on guys like him, I know it’s a necessary evil but it has to end this time around. I guess it’s not like he’s keeping all pro wide receivers from making the team, but still you can’t just waste roster spots every year for a guy that only shows a glimpse every 6 months. In camp this summer (only one practice I saw) he looked very much the same guy to me. Bumped off routes, fooling around in line waiting for his turn. I no longer have any confidence in him, and I used to. Not to be my usual Debbie downer self, but I’m looking at this roster thinking…half this team looks like it just came out of the expansion draft and selected waiver wire castoffs from established franchises. Our best unit is the defense and we no longer have Barmore or Judon. There’s little reason to believe this team won’t have the number one pick in the draft next year. The only thing that could kill that is Drake Maye starting, and succeeding. Or teams playing here against us in December not wanting to deal with the weather (that’s a thing in my opinion). A team either resting players in December or out of the picture, just not wanting to run around in snow and freezing winds. rebuilding a roster takes a few years even once you have the QB this roster was a massive rebuild on one side of the ball(offense it was)
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Post by thejuice on Aug 25, 2024 11:54:01 GMT -5
if this team keeps mitchell wilcox on the 53 over boutte (bet he gets claimed on waivers) or any developmental tackle(diersch or henry) they are even dumber than some of us already think lol
overall good projection... but like quags side, id be suprised if they dont claim 2-4 players in waivers on wednesday... i mean if there are any decent guys cut they should be churning the bottom handful of that roster...
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Post by ucmiami on Aug 25, 2024 12:57:47 GMT -5
rebuilding a roster takes a few years even once you have the QB this roster was a massive rebuild It still is a massive rebuild. I’m still not convinced they have the QB. This could go on for years. Yeah - the whole team's direction will be based off of Maye and his development. IF he is a decent QB, THEN the team will gradually improve over the coming years, IF he follows a Mac trajectory, THEN we are back in the hunt for a QB at the top of a future draft. IF he is a great QB, THEN in a few years we may be in the SB picture again.
The rest is mostly noise -
The defense should be pretty good, but they are missing the two best players from the last few years, Judon and Barmore. They have yet to replace McCourty, and we are all counting on Gonlzo to become a shut down corner based on draft and 3.5 games played. I think White is the only other player I expect to be a positive 'surprise' on defense - the other defenders we pretty well know their ceilings and while they are good they aren't likely to become world beaters.
The offense outside the QB room ... some new faces and maybe a few incremental improvements. The receivers room is what it is - a better QB performance will hopefully improve results, but I am not overly excited even with two rookies in the mix. The TEs room has no more talent than it has had for the last few years headlined by Henry again. The RBs, like the TEs have changed the cast behind Rham, but look like a wash. The OL is mostly the same with a few mid-round rookies vying for roster spots and a retread tackle all anchored by the rock solid but aging Andrews - sounds a lot like the last few years.
The coaching staff exploded in numbers, retained most of the defensive staff, but replaced most of the offense. They talk a nice game, but they are almost all new to their responsibilities and unproven. Time will tell, but in terms of football knowledge ...
The front office - scouting hasn't changed personnel, but the head decision maker has been replaced. Again the talking is all positive, but we have yet to see any actual results. They 'burned some cash' on resigning their own FAs with the only surprise for me being the size of some of the contracts. They brought in less than exciting outside free agents that look a little like changing deck chairs on the Titanic to me. And beyond choosing Maye at #3, nothing else really stood out. It was an offensive draft but Polk, Baker, and Bell don't move the needle for me, and Wallace is meh. Possibly Robinson will be the standout of the draft outside of Maye at a position where the depth was already decent.
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