Ballard claimed by Pats

never thought it was from them though.

We didn't want him counting against our 90 man limit, and even if we IR'd him, he would have. Because injured role players are essentially never claimed off waivers, we thought (and I don't blame the thought process one bit) that we could let him go and bring him back at a later date. Ballard's camp thought the same thing.

But then the Pats swooped. BB is the type of guy who wouldn't care as much about fling out the extent of his roster this early in the off season--i.e. he was more willing than we were to stash Ballard even if he counted toward the 90 man.

isn't as little money as some think.

Best I can tell if the Pats tender Ballard, based on 2012 tender #'s the lowest he'd make is around 1.3M.

So he can't practice this year, has a torn ACL and MCL and they feel like it makes sense to possibly tender him next year for 1.3M and Ballard is going to replace Aaron Hernandez (who isn't even really a TE).

I agree this is one of Belichick's shaky personnel moves where Belichick the GM if f-ing with Belichick the coach.

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But they can also choose not to tender him at any significant level if they feel he's not going to get back to where he was or where he was progressing to. At that point, all they did was eat $540K this year to take a chance.

well if you cant beat em... Steal em...

I can see other than first right of refusal, and then any team can still sign him because he was a UDFA for no compensation.

Maybe then they'd get some compensatory pick investment, but that seems silly.

very strategic. Well Reese and Ross just got to get another talent. It's tough when every team knows your scouting department is top notch.

Steve Smith...

my ass.

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going to be coming off major injuries.

The only way I can see them considerng replacing AH with him is if they add another WR or playmaking RB, that they evaluated as higher quality, rotating the pieces around like the Patriots can.

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but he's not Aaron Hernandez. It's silly to even suggest Ballard could replace him. In that system Hernandez needs to be game-planned for, Ballard would likely not. I agree it's low risk but it's also low reward.

And how do the Pats get him to IR? Do they need to waive him, LOL.

I believe he's an ERFA this year.

What Garafolo said makes sense.

Hernandez is great, but he's essentially a large WR. He does nothing a traditional TE does and he really isn't a blocker.

But he moves like a receiver.

Quote:

I am tired AnishPatel : 5:11 pm of that turnover at the position. For fuck sake, draft someone and develop them. If that means paying then do it. It's like a revolving door there.

I am not sure of what the bitching is about. If Ballad and Beckum didn't get hurt they would be the starting TEs in 2012.

and may turn into a very good TE down the line if he can come back healthy.

Tough loss.

is going to get a minimum offer at the end of the season - they [the Pats] are going to be willing to cut him - and will have Jake as insurance for what has been a very successful formula for them - Gronk eats up a lot of cap space - you can't tie all that money up at the TE position

Not only do they have Gronk and Hernandez they had enough depth in Bo Scaife and Daniel Fells neither of whom is injured. Any TEs not named Gronk or Hernandz have combined for 52 yards and 2 TDs in the last two years for the Pats. Not to mention they probably plan on using their WRs more with the signings of Gaffney, Lloyd, and Stallworth.

Classless move on their part. Bill is probably still butthurt about losing 2 superbowls to us.

starting on PUP and then going to IR?

most sites list Ballard as an ERFA this year and RFA next year.

They lost Boss only because he got an outrageously inflated Raiders contract.

They lost Ballard because he got an injury that will cost him this season.

Where's the revolving door?

They lost Boss only because he got an outrageously inflated Raiders contract.

They lost Ballard because he got an injury that will cost him this season.

Where's the revolving door?

lines up at TE mostly in the redzone where he is a better redzone threat than Ballard.

Ballard isn't a great blocker so I don't get the slight against Hernandez.

hernandez caught 80 passes for 900 yards with 7 TD's in really 12 games this year.

He's going to get cut or a minimum offer? Welker is playing on the FT this year and the Pats seem like they don't want to offer him a LT Deal.

I'd say Welker is not re-signed before Hernandez. And even if Welker is re-signed it has nothing to do with Hernandez.

and a luxury at a veteran contract - and I disagree if you don't think Jake is a red zone threat - he is a very good target in the red zone, has good hands, runs a good route and holds onto the ball in traffic. Jake is money!

You can't just pay players for the hell of it.

I have to believe they plan on retaining him otherwise the move would make zero sense.

before the season starts.

Remember when we traded Michael Matthews, a TE, to the Pats for a conditional draft pick? BB looked at him, released him and we never received a draft pick.

for 2013. Seems hard to believe that going into camp with 89 instead of 90 was worth the risk.

in 2013. He spent all of his first year (2010) on the practice squad, so that wouldn't count as an accrued season towards his free agent rights. Assuming he initially signed a 3-year deal, it would expire after 2012, but FAs with only 2 accrued seasons become ERFAs, rather than RFAs.

What if he's just saw a potentially great player in Ballard, has plenty of $$$ and is willing to "put him on the shelf" for a year and bring him back ?

Gronkowski and Hernandez have proven that you don't need spectacular speed to make it all the way to the Superbowl. Maybe he's going to go to a "super-heavy" receiving corps - Gronk, Hernandez and Ballard all on the same field, at the same time.

have no idea why anyone thinks this means the Patriots might now trade Hernandez. Would you trade Hernandez to keep Ballard, a lesser player coming back from a terrible knee injury who might never be the same?

As far as his rights are concerned, I doubt they will have to tender him that high to keep him next off season. He will have missed the entire year and there is no guarantee that he can come back from a torn ACL and microfracture surgery. Who is going to bid for him under those circumstances, especially since he was a UDFA? Would anybody even give up a fifth? I doubt it.

if you are not looking at Jake as a cheaper alternative - why sign him - there is no logic to that what-so-ever - this signing is the death blow to Hernandez remaining on the Pats.

Hernandez did not perform well in the Superbowl at all - for all his good numbers

Hernandez was outstanding last year.

game in 2010 - week 11 against the Eagles, he was an ERFA this year I believe.

maybe we'll sign Hernandez and return the favor next year

good TE with a blown out knee.Belichick knows talent.

Hernandez (in 14 games)
rec yards
79 910

How is Ballard in the same stratosphere?

Patriots run a 2 TE offense, they need both gronk and Hernandez

in terms of what the Patriots currently need and get out of their TEs, especially with him coming off the major knee injuries.

They're not comparable players in the slightest and they're not going to be. AH leaves, it'll have little to do with this claiming/signing.

You need 6 games on either the 53-man, IR, or PUP for a season to count as "accrued" towards your FA rights.

so why claim Ballard?

BB is held in low esteem here? Seriously?

more games than just the Eagles game. Not sure how many.

Rotoworld and other sites list him as an RFA in 2013. Not sure what's right.

The way I see it, is that they still left didn't they? I don't care how they left, but the end result is no we have to start over and develop another damn TE. Injury, getting outbid, and now this move by the Pats. The end result is the TE leaves. So in my mind, now it's a new TE that needs to come in, get taught everything and start over to get the guy on the right page, and involved in the offense.

I still don't understand why we had to waive him. Why couldn't we just place him right on IR and not risk this?