Patriots claim Martellus Bennett

Ed Hillel

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He’s super cheap next year, too. He’ll probably hold out, but that’s cool. I doubt he actually retires except as a threat.
 

DJnVa

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Claimed....does that mean no one else claimed him? We gotta be like 31st in line.
 

DJnVa

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I think the Pats were 29th.
Yeah---so just wondering if he's reporting the Patriots were simply one (of a few) teams to claim him or that he's been awarded here.

Cuz I miss him.
 

steveluck7

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Yeah---so just wondering if he's reporting the Patriots were simply one (of a few) teams to claim him or that he's been awarded here.

Cuz I miss him.
I've never heard the first reports of a team claiming a player not be the team that was awarded the claim.

That said, i'm certain the Browns screwed this up somehow
 

PayrodsFirstClutchHit

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From a Reddit thread on the claim topic...

Zero loss to this claim, we were down a 4th round comp pick if he'd passed waivers anyway, and anyone who would claim him instead of us would've lost their 4th, so he was guaranteed to pass through waivers otherwise.
 

Van Everyman

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ImageUploadedBySons of Sam Horn1510263364.203747.jpg

My ten year old daughter will be elated. This was the sign she made when we went to the parade last year – the Black Unicorn and the GOAT on the Boat.
 

ilol@u

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I thought Dwayne Allen was a good enough blocker. I hope he stays on the roster. Is Hollister the odd one out?
 

OurF'ingCity

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Zero loss to this claim, we were down a 4th round comp pick if he'd passed waivers anyway, and anyone who would claim him instead of us would've lost their 4th, so he was guaranteed to pass through waivers otherwise.
Can someone more familiar with the rules explain whether this is accurate? In other words, is this a loophole where the Pats get both the compensatory pick AND get the player back (albeit for only part of the season)?

Edit: nevermind, looks like they don't get to keep the pick too. Figured there wouldn't be that blatant of a loophole.
 

wilked

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The only real question here is health - guy can clearly contribute
 

Old Fart Tree

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FUCK YES
man I was hoping they would when I saw he was available. One of my all time favorites, even before he was a Patriot. I'm always a little bummed that he was interfered with on that goal line throw; the PI of course set up the gamewinner but it would have been awesome to haul that in and end the game on a TD throw...

Hope his health can hold up, but even if it doesn't, I'm just excited to have the black unicorn back in foxboro...
 

mikeot

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Quality guy, good to get him back, hoping he's healthy enough to contribute on the field.
 

TheoShmeo

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I cannot believe nobody else claimed him!
Read on FB that other teams would lose a compensatory pick but the Pats will not. I am not sure that is correct and pure dumbassery on their part is more fun to consider. Either way, good for the Pats.

As to Allen being a good blocker, I can't recall seeing him make many and he didn't get a lot of snaps. I get keeping him around until Bennett shows he's healthy but otherwise, I'd rather keep Hollister. He's made a few tough catches and looked good in pre-season games. I like his upside.
 

Nator

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I cannot believe nobody else claimed him!
Well it's week 10, he's bothered by a shoulder condition, and he would have to learn a new offensive system from scratch for anyone but New England.

He'll need to pick up some of the nuances of this year's offense, but he'll know generally what is going on, plus he'll be familiar with most of the people he's playing with.
 

tims4wins

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Pats averaged 30.3 ppg in games Marty and Gronk played last year. 31.7 if you throw out Jets game since Gronk got hurt early. Offense is almost all the same pieces - Edelman for Cooks, Blount for Gillislee. It all comes down to health. This has huge potential especially in the red zone given their problems to date.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Pats averaged 30.3 ppg in games Marty and Gronk played last year. 31.7 if you throw out Jets game since Gronk got hurt early. Offense is almost all the same pieces - Edelman for Cooks, Blount for Gillislee. It all comes down to health. This has huge potential especially in the red zone given their problems to date.
Assuming Marty bounces back from his injury enough to contribute, it also should help us manage Gronk's workload and increase the likelihood of him actually being healthy come playoff time.
 

Willie Clay's Big Play

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Between learning a new offense, bum shoulder and claiming this will be his final season I am still surprised that there weren't any teams that put in a claim on him. There are so many teams still "alive" in either a playoff or WC chase. Is it common for players or agents to make it known that there is a location they would like to go or that they would not report if claimed by a particular team?
 

jercra

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Assuming Marty bounces back from his injury enough to contribute, it also should help us manage Gronk's workload and increase the likelihood of him actually being healthy come playoff time.
This theory that Marty makes Gronk less likely to be hurt is a bit like saying if I put a second window in my house the first is less likely to get broken. Gronk gets broken. It's what he does. While it's hard to complain about the end result, marty was on the team the entirety of last season. Gronk wasn't. Hopefully this just means Allen doesn't go out on another route the rest of the season and, if reasonably healthy, we can see the two/three TE goal line sets from early last season.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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This theory that Marty makes Gronk less likely to be hurt is a bit like saying if I put a second window in my house the first is less likely to get broken. Gronk gets broken. It's what he does. While it's hard to complain about the end result, marty was on the team the entirety of last season. Gronk wasn't. Hopefully this just means Allen doesn't go out on another route the rest of the season and, if reasonably healthy, we can see the two/three TE goal line sets from early last season.
If Gronk plays fewer snaps when active, and if the team can more confidently rest him for a game or two down the stretch when he is a little bit banged up rather than putting him on the field, then he has less chance of getting badly hurt and missing the post-season. Pretty simple.
 

uncannymanny

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This theory that Marty makes Gronk less likely to be hurt is a bit like saying if I put a second window in my house the first is less likely to get broken. Gronk gets broken. It's what he does. While it's hard to complain about the end result, marty was on the team the entirety of last season. Gronk wasn't. Hopefully this just means Allen doesn't go out on another route the rest of the season and, if reasonably healthy, we can see the two/three TE goal line sets from early last season.
More like if you put a second pane of glass in the window, you’re less likely to end up with a breezy living room this winter.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Fox Sports seems to have NFL wire transactions quickest. They show Bennett now as acquired by the Patriots -- so I think that removes any doubt whether he was merely claimed by the Patriots among others or whether the claim was successful. Welcome back, Marty.

https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/transactions
 

Van Everyman

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This theory that Marty makes Gronk less likely to be hurt is a bit like saying if I put a second window in my house the first is less likely to get broken.
Bedard doesn’t agree with you:

This is what he wrote before the claim:

“I’ve just got to go out there and just be on top of my game the whole time,” tight end Rob Gronkowski said when he was asked what he thought he didn’t do well on Sunday. “Some plays here and there I do good. And others, I feel like I just don’t have it for that one. I’ve just to play all four quarters, every play, to the max.”

… It’s interesting Gronkowski was so self-reflective in the postgame press conference, because at one point during the game, when he didn’t corral a few catchable balls, I thought, “Gronk looks like he’s worn out. He’s not Gronk right now.” Gronkowski also appeared fatigued — more than the usual post-game tiredness — in that press conference.

The truth is that this has been going on for a few games. Gronkowski certainly has his moments where he shows that he’s the best tight end in the game, especially in the passing game. Even Gronk at 75 percent is better than any other tight end in the NFL.

But there have been subtle signs that he’s having some issues. His blocking work has been adequate — even very good for a play here or there — but more often than not, his blocking has been subpar for him, especially when it comes to sustaining blocks in the run game.

I don’t think this about Gronkowski’s compete level or his interest in doing the dirty work associated with the position. I think the Patriots have asked too much of him, and they better find a way to get him some help before the trade deadline or he might not last the season.
https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2017/11/09/report-te-martellus-bennett-returns-to-patriots/
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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I'm not much of an X and O guy, but if Bedard thinks that Gronk's blocking this year has really only been "adequate," I think he has a very high standard. Gronk has been outstanding blocking this year, by my untrained eye.
 

Dotrat

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He’s one of the more genuinely interesting and likable pro athletes in the whole wide world and brought a wonderful and intelligent eccentricity to the Pats last year. I hated seeing him go, am thrilled he’s back, and hope he’s got enough left to help, especially with blocking and in the end zone. Welcome back, Unicorn!
 

m0ckduck

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A lot of ifs, ands, and buts with this move. But: prior, I felt we were one Gronk injury away from having no shot at the SB. Now, I feel like it would at least be interesting.

From a sheer rooting standpoint, he is to Gronk as Garappolo was to Brady.
 

mulluysavage

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Love rooting for Marty the Unicorn, the author, the dancer, the outspoken man: the man who had two chances at the SB-winning catch. I will probably just be rooting for him to get back on the field the rest of the year. The Pats owe him peanuts, a good price for long odds.
 

jercra

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Bedard doesn’t agree with you:
My point was that Marty was here all of last year and Gronk still go hurt. We have exactly one season with Bennet and Gronk together which resulted in Gronk not lasting the season. The injuries to Gronk have been contact injuries. He will still be contacted. The total number of times he gets contacted may go down, but does Marty being on the team mean Gronk will go out on less routes and be on less plays in general or does it just mean that Hollister and/or Allen will be in on less plays with Gronk playing the same role but with less focus? If it's the latter, or even just a small decrease in playing time, then it's just as likely Gronk doesn't survive the season as any other season. The real benefit to Gronk, and the offense as a whole, is that there's another option for the D to worry about and for Tom to target. I don't think it will have any material impact on Gronk's playing time. And of course, BB will only have him in for like 6 snaps in Mexico City just to make me look foolish.
 

Luis Taint

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Somewhere in Philadelphia, Blount is following Doug Pederson around wearing Larami Tunsil gas mask.