2019 Pats: In-Season Roster & Injury Discussion

RedOctober3829

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Bedard talked to Paul Alexander who was the Bengals OL coach back when they drafted him. A couple snippets. Sounds like a prototypical Patriots lineman from a character standpoint. Dante will turn him into a very useful player who is in the last year of his deal and will leave New England with a good contract.

General thoughts on Russ Bodine, your experience with him and how he’ll fit with Dante Scarnecchia and what the Patriots do?

I think he’s a perfect fit. Let me say this: he’s one of the toughest human beings I’ve ever been around. Personality-wise, he’s kind of like a Dirty Harry or John Wayne type of guy. Few words, strong backbone personality, decisive type. I think he’s a perfect personality for center. Sometimes he can be a bit abrasive because he’s so frank. But that’s what I liked in him most. He has incredible strength (he did 42 reps on the bench at the combine) and toughness and smarts, and he communicates well. And he does all that. I think he really fits in well with what they do. I think he’s a good pickup for them. He’s not really a wide-zone guy. He’s more of traditional, NFL-style blocky, big — he’s big for a center (6-3, 310) — and he already plays with the type of temperament and tenacity that the Patriots are really known for.

How will he be working with Tom Brady with protections and checks at the line?

He’ll be outstanding. He’s in the upper tier in football intelligence. It’s one of his strengths. He’ll see safety rotations and linebacker shifts. He’s decisive. We had very, very few mental errors when he was our center. One of the strengths that I liked about him — and you mentioned that maybe I liked him more than the public did — was because I saw what he did behind the scenes. He was smart, communicated, tough, displayed toughness and if I had to think of what I envisioned him to be, he is that.

https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2019/08/30/kind-player-patriots-getting-russell-bodine-man-developed-breaks/?login=failed
 

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We are likely outside the window for surprise veteran cuts by now. Bill has typically cut vets early in the process to give them more time to work out their next move. There are a few guys that some have speculated as being on the roster bubble this summer that all look like they are going to make the team.... Hoyer, Roberts, Harmon. I don’t know if any of those three were ever actually in doubt but at this point I think they are all safe. Wonder if Wise has earned the veteran notice benefit yet? But if we assume those four are on the team then that means some combination of Rivers, Calhoun, Meyers, Obi are not
 

bsj

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I think keeping Hoyer is going to squeeze out someone who would otherwise have been useful. Would personally rather a Gunner with a Brady/Stidham duo.
 

j44thor

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I think Myers will be cut. He's looked good against 2s and 3s but not sure he has the athleticism or strength to win against 1s. I also think he makes the practice squad, virtually every team has someone resembling a Myers.
 

Euclis20

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I think Myers will be cut. He's looked good against 2s and 3s but not sure he has the athleticism or strength to win against 1s. I also think he makes the practice squad, virtually every team has someone resembling a Myers.
He lead the entire league in catches, receiving yards and first downs. Maybe every team has someone vaguely similar, but I think he's separated himself from the PS fodder.
 

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The problem with keeping Meyers is that unless there is an injury he is not going to play. Unless he jumps Dorsett on the depth chart then there is no chance that Meyers is on the 45 guy game day roster. They will have Gordon, Harry, Thomas, Dorsett dressed on game day and none of those guys contribute on special teams. Add in Edelman and that’s already 5 WRs on the 45 man. Slater is going to dress because he is vital to special teams and he is the break glass in case of emergency #6 WR.

So when would Meyers actually play? Hell even if they put him on the game day roster he still wouldn’t see many snaps. But it makes little sense for him to be active during games.

So what’s the point? They may be better off keeping a player at a position where there is less depth on the 53 man roster and hoping that Meyers slips through waivers vs sacrificing depth elsewhere to keep a WR that has upside but no clear path to playing time.
 

RedOctober3829

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The problem with keeping Meyers is that unless there is an injury he is not going to play. Unless he jumps Dorsett on the depth chart then there is no chance that Meyers is on the 45 guy game day roster. They will have Gordon, Harry, Thomas, Dorsett dressed on game day and none of those guys contribute on special teams. Add in Edelman and that’s already 5 WRs on the 45 man. Slater is going to dress because he is vital to special teams and he is the break glass in case of emergency #6 WR.

So when would Meyers actually play? Hell even if they put him on the game day roster he still wouldn’t see many snaps. But it makes little sense for him to be active during games.

So what’s the point? They may be better off keeping a player at a position where there is less depth on the 53 man roster and hoping that Meyers slips through waivers vs sacrificing depth elsewhere to keep a WR that has upside but no clear path to playing time.
I had Dorsett traded. He holds more value across the league. Therefore, Meyers is kept and not exposed to waivers.
 

Ale Xander

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Myers' weakness is he doesn't play ST. (Dorsett shares that, but Brady has a connection with him, even if only in Brady's mind, its good enough) With Berrios being cut, this looks good for Gunner. He bring a skill other than receptions.
 

Super Nomario

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Myers' weakness is he doesn't play ST. (Dorsett shares that, but Brady has a connection with him, even if only in Brady's mind, its good enough) With Berrios being cut, this looks good for Gunner. He bring a skill other than receptions.
He's a total project as a receiver though. Is it worth keeping a guy just for returns, who isn't a game- breaking type athlete?
 

Caspir

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I think keeping Hoyer is going to squeeze out someone who would otherwise have been useful. Would personally rather a Gunner with a Brady/Stidham duo.
I think the issue with cutting Hoyer is his knowledge of the system and value on the scout team. I don't know if that stuff is overstated, but McCourty gave him a lot of credit following the Super Bowl.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/02/04/patriots-defense-credits-brian-hoyer-for-scout-team-preparation/amp/
I can't imagine Stidham being ready to take a role like that out of the gate despite Skip Bayless penciling him in as the guy who will take Brady's job this season. I'm still with you that I'd rather have someone with upside or a body to help now rather than a third QB but I wonder how the team views Hoyer's familiarity with the system along with the behind the scenes stuff.
 

Captaincoop

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The problem with keeping Meyers is that unless there is an injury he is not going to play. Unless he jumps Dorsett on the depth chart then there is no chance that Meyers is on the 45 guy game day roster. They will have Gordon, Harry, Thomas, Dorsett dressed on game day and none of those guys contribute on special teams. Add in Edelman and that’s already 5 WRs on the 45 man. Slater is going to dress because he is vital to special teams and he is the break glass in case of emergency #6 WR.

So when would Meyers actually play? Hell even if they put him on the game day roster he still wouldn’t see many snaps. But it makes little sense for him to be active during games.

So what’s the point? They may be better off keeping a player at a position where there is less depth on the 53 man roster and hoping that Meyers slips through waivers vs sacrificing depth elsewhere to keep a WR that has upside but no clear path to playing time.
Gordon is always one slip up away from being gone. Edelman is in his mid-30's, and Harry has been banged up all summer.

The odds of Meyers being called on at some point are good.
 

Super Nomario

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Didn't they say the same exact thing about Jules?
Three big differences:
1) Edelman was a big- time athlete, which is why he was a draft pick and Gunner wasn't
2) Edelman flashed more in the preseason, with as many catches in game over (5) as Gunner had in four games total
3) the 2009 receiving corps was super shallow. Sam Aiken started that year. That was the "they just bracket Welker and put a safety over the top of Moss and we're done" year. Gunner could have made last year's team with flotsam and jetsam beyond the top three. This year, there's too much competition.
 

j44thor

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I just want to know who the return man is this season. Odd they featured Gunner there almost exclusively if he isn't the answer.
 

Shelterdog

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Three big differences:
1) Edelman was a big- time athlete, which is why he was a draft pick and Gunner wasn't
2) Edelman flashed more in the preseason, with as many catches in game over (5) as Gunner had in four games total
3) the 2009 receiving corps was super shallow. Sam Aiken started that year. That was the "they just bracket Welker and put a safety over the top of Moss and we're done" year. Gunner could have made last year's team with flotsam and jetsam beyond the top three. This year, there's too much competition.
I think Gunner might be more athletic than you're giving him credit and he's really flashed. But, bottom line, every team in the NFL cut a gunner-type small athlete who made some flashy plays in the pre season (Roy Finch anyone?); those guys are a dime a dozen and there's close to zero chance that somebody else picks up your athletic little dude.
 

E5 Yaz

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The bothersome thing about the Gunner cut is that it makes Edelman the only clear punt returner. With his thumb balky and his value at WR, it would've been nice to have someone else available for that duty