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The Patriots added two young defensive tackles and subtracted a quarterback and yet another linebacker from their 53-man roster. All of their cuts have cleared waivers but they’ve added back just Ja’Gared Davis and Jonas Gray, along with QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson to the practice squad. There’s still no full time long-snapper on the roster.

What does it all mean?

 

Some wishes do come true…

The long awaited trade of Ryan Mallett to the Houston Texans finally went down on Sunday. As is so often the case with these things, it ended with more of a whimper – a conditional 7^th round pick in 2016 – than a bang. Still, it freed up a roster spot (quickly gobbled up by the acquisition of DT Kelcy Quarles) and provided validation for what everyone already knew. Jimmy Garoppolo is the backup for Tom Brady and possibly (stress possibly) the QB of the Future (stress future) for New England.

Mallett should have a chance to win the starting job in Houston and let’s hope he does. Details of the trade indicate the 7^th rounder becomes a 6^th should Mallett play 40% of the offensive snaps for the Texans. The first thing Mallett should do when he arrives in Houston is to take Andre Johnson out to dinner. Let him have sex with you on the first date if you have to. Send him flowers the next morning with a card that says, “You’ll always be my first read.”

Just four linebackers?

With five linebackers and ten defensive linemen, assuming a return to the 3-4 as the Patriots’ base defense, I wasn’t particularly concerned. Cutting Chris White to make room for DT Bruce Gaston had me scratching my head.

Perhaps Belichick will use Tavon Wilson and Patrick Chung in the box, in place of a linebacker?

Of course, yesterday should remind us Belichick’s a long way from done. There is no off position on the genius switch.

Why defensive tackles?

DT didn’t appear to be a position of weakness, with Vince Wilfork, Sealver Siliga, Dominique Easley, Chris Jones and Joe Vellano, with rookie Zach Moore swinging in from DE on occasion. Perhaps Easley isn’t as close to 100% as hoped? Siliga and Jones got nicked up in preseason action but the consensus seemed to be move along, nothing to see here. Are there injuries more serious than previously thought? Then again, can you have too many young, athletic defensive tackles? Apparently so, at least if you’re the Giants and Cardinals who couldn’t make the numbers work to keep Quarles and Gaston (respectively). They may simply be short term insurance policies for Siliga, Easley and Jones but looking back at Quarles pre-draft profile is intriguing.

Practice squad? You talkin’ about practice squad?

So far, the Patriots have announced just three additions to the practice squad (the aforementioned Davis, Gray and Bethel-Thompkins). There are seven spots open (flashing my math skills there). Josh Boyce, Jeremy Gallon, Roy Finch, Dax Swanson and Jon Halapio are still on the market.

I’ve thought long and hard (okay, not that long and not that hard) about the Pats signing Boyce to the practice squad and I think it make more sense to give him one more chance than it does to let him go. As disappointing as his preseason performance was, he does have a full year in the Patriots offense and just about everyone on the WR depth chart has some kind of injury history.

Having Gallon, Finch, Swanson and Halapio sign up for the practice squad would exceed expectations so that’s probably not going to happen. In fact…

Doug Kyed of NESN.com reported yesterday that Jeremy Gallon will not sign on to the Pats practice squad. Bummer. Thinking about it from Gallon’s perspective, I could see how he’d want to find a team with a little less depth at wide receiver. I’ll guess Cleveland as the most likely destination for Gallon.

No news on Roy Finch as yet. We’ll keep thinking good thoughts.

Update: Swanson has been added to the practice squad.

Gronkalicious

So, really, who cares about the practice squad, long-snappers or linebacker depth. Rob Gronkowski will be playing against the Dolphins when the Patriots get the 2014 season started on September 7.