Pats get WR Devin Street back from the Colts

[Lose Remerswaal]

Colts took him off of the Pats' practice squad last year, Pats got him off of waivers yesterday.

http://www.patriots.com/news/2017/05/02/patriots-claim-wr-devin-street-waivers-indianapolis

 

[TheoShmeo]

Absent injury, it's hard to see how Street or any of the WR UDFAs the Pats have signed could be anything other than training camp fodder, practice squad guys or guys the Pats want to take a look at for the future.

Cooks, Edelman, Hogan, Mitchell or Amendola should all stick, never mind nominal WR Matthew Slater, and I don't think the Pats have ever kept more than 5 WRs (plus Slater) on the 53-man roster.

That's not my way of saying this is not news. But I do wonder why a WR with other options would choose to sign in NE right now. Maybe the guys they have signed haven't had other choices. Or maybe I'm missing something.

 

[Harry Hooper]

If you're a WR on the NFL fringe, one thing you get with the Pats is a lot of playing time in the pre-season games as the likes of Edleman, Gronk, and Amendola get light duty. You also build a knowledge base that makes you a candidate down the road to get called back to the Pats as folks get injured.

 

[Stitch01]

Absent injury, it's hard to see how Street or any of the WR UDFAs the Pats have signed could be anything other than training camp fodder, practice squad guys or guys the Pats want to take a look at for the future.

Cooks, Edelman, Hogan, Mitchell or Amendola should all stick, never mind nominal WR Matthew Slater, and I don't think the Pats have ever kept more than 5 WRs (plus Slater) on the 53-man roster.

That's not my way of saying this is not news. But I do wonder why a WR with other options would choose to sign in NE right now. Maybe the guys they have signed haven't had other choices. Or maybe I'm missing something.

I agree with your sentiment (more so for veterans, UDFA's there's not an easy path to the 53 but 1) the practice squad is a worthy goal for many of them for '17 2) with the Pats, a UDFA can feel pretty good about getting a fair shot to compete for a job at some point and the Pats have a history of paying up a bit for PS players 3) Really good introduction to the NFL to be part of the Pats program 4) While the immediate need for '17 isnt there, both Edelman and Amendola's contracts are up after the season, Hogan is cuttable, and the Pats didnt draft anyone at WR this year so there is a path to an '18 opportunity) , but Street was claimed off waivers, he didnt have a choice.

 

[TheoShmeo]

Fair points, Harry and Stich01. Although I do not see Hogan as cuttable. I mean, everyone is theoretically cuttable, but I like his game and hope the Pats find a way to include him even with Cooks here and Gronk back. But that's a detail and your reactions all make sense. At the end of the day, I don't see any of these guys making the 53 in 2017, but things have a way of changing quickly in the NFL.

 

[Stitch01]

Im strictly talking from a cap/contract perspective. I dont think they owe anything if Hogan is cut in '18. So if a UDFA beats Hogan out for the job on merit he's probably going to win the job.