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Bedard knows Grant well since he covered the Packers for 2 years, including their SB year. Bedard recommends Grant highly.
2012 Free Agent Thread - Patriots Only
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Bedard knows Grant well since he covered the Packers for 2 years, including their SB year. Bedard recommends Grant highly.
Due diligence, filling out the Rolodex, considering all options? Comparing these guys to the draft prospects they've recently worked out?
A reasonably capable veteran RB on the roster as a reserve wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, though.
Hightower (25), coming off an ACL tear suffered in Wk-6 last season with WAS, was decent with ARZ in 2009/2010. I wouldn't consider him a "feature back" by any means, though he ended up being used that way in ARZ due to Beanie Wells' slow start. If healthy, could be a good RBBC contributor (caught 60-something passes in 2009). Seems to lose the handle frequently, though (5 times each in '09 & '10).
Grant (29) was also pretty decent for the Packers in 2007-09 until he broke his ankle at the very start of the 2010 season (after which, it appeared that the Packers OL completely forgot how to run-block). He seemed just "okay" last season. Was once more of a "feature" back than Hightower ever was. Not as much receiving as Hightower, but also somewhat better ball security.
IIRC, Grant has been the better of the two in passpro.
German_Patriot
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Add Addai to the list of RB-visits.
RB Joseph Addai was also in to visit. :facepalm:
midgar8784
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Woot...rings!!!
Providence Colt
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Personally, I think the guy's getting a bum rap. I think he'd be good for anyone that'll get him.
He's been brittle these past few years and he's nowhere near an every down back, but he can still pass-block, and he's been running behind a horrible offensive line.
It's very possible, though, that he is damaged goods and that he's been dinged up one too many times over the years and that he's done (like most RB's approaching 30). If that's the case, then disregard, but in 2011, he didn't necessarily look like someone that was fully out of gas.
After some careful thought, I've decided these visits could be a well planned smokescreen for the draft. (sssh...BB doesn't want anyone to know he's picking a RB as highly as he is planning.)
Totally fine with bringing depth guys like this in, who you can get for cheap. Wasting a draft pick on a RB isn't necessary.
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Wouldn't all the visits indicate interest in supplementing the roster?
Or is it a super-sneaky double-back bluff?
I pretty much agree with this. It seemed to me that Addai was very good his first couple season but, as the Colts OL deteriorated, so did Addai's running production and health (though his very good production as a receiver maintained pretty well). 2010 had to be awful for him with (as I understood it) a shoulder/neck stinger that just wouldn't go away.
Still, as with Grant and Hightower, I don't think the Pats are trolling for a feature back with Addai, just a veteran presence to round out the RBBC (Morris, Taylor, Jordan). So, in addition to having a vastly superior OL to run behind, Addai wouldn't have nearly the workload he had in Indy.
And, of course, all these visits certainly include a very thorough physical.
So, is that an abscessed tooth or just your tongue that's causing your cheek to puff out like that?
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If we have a vastly better rushing oline, then we must have had some pretty crappy backs in here.
1 thing in Hightower's favor is he's only 26 and was out 10 games last year with an ACL iirc, which is the bad news.
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Wouldn't all the visits indicate interest in supplementing the roster?
Or is it a super-sneaky double-back bluff?
Well in Addai's case, the physical will give the Pats the opportunity to surreptitiously remove the spycam.
:Lecture:
ESPN reporting that TE Chris Cooley (6'3"/255) may become a cap casualty in Washington ($6.23 M in 2012).
I'm not suggesting him for the Pats, but it might shake up the draft a bit if he becomes available (or gets traded) this week.
I'm not suggesting him for the Pats, but it might shake up the draft a bit if he becomes available (or gets traded) this week.
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I have a bunch of Skins fans who would be furious to lose Cooley. The guy has been the only bright spot in a dark dark place for a long time. Even if he is not worth 6 million a year the fanbase loves the guy. They should give him a chance to play with a legit QB before the cut or trade him. I think he could return to form. He has either been injured or had bad QB play the past few seasons.
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I mean I know a bunch of Skins fans, not I have.
There was a time when I was really high on Cooley, but at this point he's had a serious injury history, and it's possible he's past his prime by now.
More of an H-Back type. Good skills, surprisingly quick, decent blocker for his size, pretty good locker room guy.
I don't know that he fits here (like MM said), but he might do pretty well for a couple of years on a team with a young QB who needs a security blanket. Detroit? Buffalo? Carolina maybe?
Greg Bedard reported for the 2nd time in as many weeks that Brian Waters intends to play this year.
Grumpy_Bottom
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I still really hope, despite protestations that Cannon is looked at as a tackle, he's the guy who can/will beat out Waters so we have a bit more force running the ball. With him and Gallery, I like our ability to road grade a lot, especially if Vollmer can come back and be healthy and Solder beefs up his drive a little.