NFL offseason thread

Gronkowski having back surgery -- won't be back in time for camp and his status for the opener is in question. This after four arm surgeries since the start of last season and an ankle last year.

Patriots become a slightly above-average offense without him.

But at least we know what they're going to do with Tebow!

 

OK, so obviously the Hernandez thread isn't the place to discuss the impact on the Patriots' passing game.

And the Tebow suggestions are pretty strange -- the guy is going to convert to starting tight end in two months' time? Uh, no.

But obviously this and many other moves suddenly leave the Patriots in a world of hurt. Welker is gone, Gronkowski's comeback is very uncertain, and Hernandez is gone. Woodhead, too. And their defense ranges from good to bad to oh-my-god-we-have-to-score-45-to-win.

Can Danny Amendola replace all of that?

 

Hope the Patriots don't call my man Cooley. Would hate to see him in a Pats uniform. Ugh.

 

Have seen former Saint David Thomas mentioned. He played for the Patriots from 2006-08, so he obviously knows the system.

 

There's only one man who can fill the void on the Pats' offense. And he's a fucking soldier.

 

Even any of those guys are backups at best, at this point. The Pats' offense is entirely driven by mismatches at tight end, and particularly mismatches caused by having two such tight ends, and now they have neither.

I could see this being the fall-apart year, 8-8 or worse. I guess maybe Gronk makes it back and gives them a full 16 games, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

I think you could use Tebow as a bit of a halfback/TE hybrid, similar to how Minnesota used to use Jim Kleinsasser.

I'm not saying it's an ideal situation or an easy transition, but it is one option they could look at. Even if they used the formation once or twice a game it would give opponents one more thing to have to prepare for.

I think they'll pick someone up. I doubt it will be Winslow.

Did Dallas Clark ever sign anywhere? Belichick will probably take Tebow or some other TE who is completely off the radar and turn them into a huge contributor.

 

Clark is indeed still a free agent, and Mike Reiss has mentioned him as a possibility (along with Thomas):

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4744733/quick-hit-thoughts-around-nfl-pats-160

 

I think Shockey's still out there, too.

 

nah. i'm stayin' here with my peeps.

 

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST.

 

winslow's a jet. unless you mean sr.?