By whom? BB was a great Giant and always will be. Take a look at the NFL Network two parter where they follow BB around. You'll see where his heart is. He bleeds blue.
No one is comparing Hernandez to Ballard. Not even close.
Hernandez isn't going to be with the Pats for long. Gronk is their future at TE, and someone will want to make Hernandez a featured receiver and the No. 1 TE in a Graham/Finley role. The Pats will try to trade him. That's hypothetical, of course, but it's really not far fetched at all. I'd say it's more likely than it is unlikely.
Ballard is an option as Hernandez's replacement--if he returns to health. His long term trajectory is likely as a No. 2 and he's a similar TE to Gronk; the Pats can run similar packages with Ballard in the game.
If the Pats trade Hernandez they'll replace him with a WR or finesse TE, not Jake Ballard - who like you say is more similar to Gronk, only not nearly the blocker or receiving threat.
If you don't see the connection, you're being purposefully
obtuse. The Pats didn't have some TE/WR tweener role that they had to fill by drafting Hernandez, and they won't have one when he's gone. They've historically run with traditional TEs rather than the hybrids.
...are signing, claiming or otherwise acquiring guys from our roster to add to their own. It's a double whammy, we lose a contributor and he ends up on a rival. True Ballard won't play this season but he was developing quickly and had a good upside. BJ, MM and now Jake all playing for the enemy. Yeah it's part of football but I don't like it, not one little bit. Let these guys sign with Jacksonville for fucksake.
On field Ballard cannot help the Patriots , but he sure will help with in depth information about the Giants.
practice habits,
who does Eli key on specif situations
receivers tendencies
What coverages give Eli a hard time,
who`s the weak link of the oline
oline splits -oline stance
run or pass
information about protections
audible patterns
body languages
hand signals
Unless we see them in the Superbowl 'again' we won't play the Pats for four years. It's not impossible but I'd call that a very very very longshot. BB might be a stickler for preparation but the idea he signed Ballard to scout the Giants is farfetched.
I agree, there is only so much information you can get, assuming it says the same year to year. I personally think it's not as bad as fans make it out to be.
Bill Belichick prepared against the Giants to try to win
I agree, there is only so much stuff you can get from the guy if any that you can't see from watching tape. I am not really worried about players moving from team to team like that.
Signing a TE with TWO bum knees (PCL & ACL), respectively because you want to gain information about an NFC team, which are very long odds that you'll ever see in a championship game ....
Conspiracy Theory are for the ultra-paranoid, at this point.
Maybe the majority opinion around here is that Ballard is very ordinary, but MAYBE, just maybe "little Bill" sees him in a whole different light - not as a replacement for Hernandez, as some have suggested, but as the next the next piece in his innovative & evolving TE intensive offense.
the Pats didn't draft Hernandez with the expectation he'd become a great blocker/two way TE.
They knew what they were getting, just maybe didn't know how good he'd be since he was so young.
Hernandez played the 7th most snaps on the whole offense last year. I can see the Pats feeling like Ballard if he can regain his health may be insurance for a Gronkowski injury as a 3rd TE. Maybe. But in that offense I do not see them planning for Ballard to be the #2 TE, effectively replacing Hernandez unless they add offense from another source - in which case Ballard isn't really replacing Hernandez.
was my fav TE but I never saw him getting back for 2 years..
2 knee's bad and may never be the same..surprised Ballard
went...Belli is trying to break our balls...see him in SB this year with Bennett and Freak.....
him for info about the giants offense seems a bit far fetched. Not to mention, it's a ungracious backhanded stab at Ballard and the player he turned out to be this past year - an above average pass catching TE with a ton of upside on the blocking side, given his size.
Looks like the move was to make room to get Rocky back with the surgeries this off season. Kuhn's work visa being an issue, what is the long term plans with all these DTs and how did that impact the decision on Ballard's cut? It looks like Rocky had an offer in place. Also, not knowing how MB works out, are the Giants still committed to Beckum even with Robinson?
they couldn't live without the likes of David Douglas or Stephen Goodin or Jojo Nicolas for training camp and had to expose Ballard? Just doesn't make sense to take the risk
Those guys you named don't make any. Rocky Bernard does. That's who was signed and they made the decision the best way to balance the cap was to waive Jake. there was a good chance noone would pick him up then we could stash him on IR for the year til he was healthy. Salary cap is a stern mistress that forces tough decisions in some cases.
aimed at next year and the year after. It's a similar strategy as drafting (I follow the notion that you draft for next year). In this case, though, you have a very promising prospect who you can legitimately IR. It costs them half a mil this year, but they have a no risk shot at a good player. on IR, he won't take up a roster spot.
And, count me amongst those who say that the professionals can figure out everything Ballard can tell them from watching tape of last year. Add in the fact that we don't play them all that often, and that whole angle gets far fetched.
for the clarification. If Ballard cleared waivers and they re-signed him and placed him on IR, would his salary count against the cap? I assumed that it would, thus no cap savings. Am I wrong on that?
are playing the Pats for the SB again this year, I think another TE would have stepped in to Big Jakes shoes. He had some crucial catches this year as did Manningham. He'll be missed but wasn't going to play this year anyway.
Things happen so fast in the NFL and this move may end up meaning nothing like the Boss and Smith moves did. By the time Ballard comes back, Robinson and Bennett may be one of the best tandems in the league. Ya never know!
the outcome could have been much differant, there is a chance Ballard will be available in December and with the new rule one player can be activated from IR. Playbook is a possible bonus but most likely Giants don't see Patriots this year unless they both return to Super Bowl. Its really a two year commitment by the Patriots if they want a return on this investment but playoffs is possible however unlikely. As to resigning Ballard next year, well Reese does not resign to many players once they leave, his focus is on keeping the guys he has and filling holes. Good luck Jake some of us will certainly miss you.
I believe for a player to come back from IR, he needs to be on the 53-man roster after the final camp cuts prior to the start of the season, even if the Pats feel Ballard could play in December, I'd be surprised if he was on the 53-man roster. PUP is more likely IMO.
clarification...because Ballard will not have another accrued season, he will be an Exclusive Rights Free Agent. There is no way he can come back unless the Patriots cut him.
They waived a player they didn't have any intention of/ expectation of playing this year based on their decision to IR him. TE is covered for this season. As Reese said himself, he doesn't get emotional over anyone,
You know he is obsessed with tight ends. He can never have enough of them. I've always been surprised by how many he has drafted over the years even given the ones already on his roster at the time. It's as if he feels about tight ends the way the Giants feel about pass rushers.
This move has nothing to do with fucking with the Giants or picking Ballard's brain.
He was one team away from getting him through waivers....
...mores the pity. The Pats were the last team able to claim Jake. It was a calculated risk. NFL GM's make many calls like this during a season. Fair to say JR and his two rings get more right than wrong.
Bear Pascoe
If the Giants waited until the first roster cuts, from 90 to 80 they could have just directly IR'd him.
Shows either a) how little they were concerned with losing him or b) how surprised they were someone claimed him
Hernandez isn't going to be with the Pats for long. Gronk is their future at TE, and someone will want to make Hernandez a featured receiver and the No. 1 TE in a Graham/Finley role. The Pats will try to trade him. That's hypothetical, of course, but it's really not far fetched at all. I'd say it's more likely than it is unlikely.
Ballard is an option as Hernandez's replacement--if he returns to health. His long term trajectory is likely as a No. 2 and he's a similar TE to Gronk; the Pats can run similar packages with Ballard in the game.
This isn't hard to understand.
If Ballard gets back to 100%, he's proven he can play/make big time plays in this league.
Sucks, but best of luck to Jake.
If the Pats trade Hernandez they'll replace him with a WR or finesse TE, not Jake Ballard - who like you say is more similar to Gronk, only not nearly the blocker or receiving threat.
That may not be a problem soon, and hence, Dubs' point. That Ballard could replace Hernandez, in a more traditional 2 TE offense.
BB most likely wants the keys to audible calls to help the defense stop us. You can bet it's not because he thinks jake is a great player.
On field Ballard cannot help the Patriots , but he sure will help with in depth information about the Giants.
practice habits,
who does Eli key on specif situations
receivers tendencies
What coverages give Eli a hard time,
who`s the weak link of the oline
oline splits -oline stance
run or pass
information about protections
audible patterns
body languages
hand signals
etc...
There's nothing Jake Ballard can tell him that he hasn't already seen. There's no state secret on Eli Manning. His team defenses didn't execute.
The man has been dissecting offensive game tape for like 25 years.
Conspiracy Theory are for the ultra-paranoid, at this point.
Maybe the majority opinion around here is that Ballard is very ordinary, but MAYBE, just maybe "little Bill" sees him in a whole different light - not as a replacement for Hernandez, as some have suggested, but as the next the next piece in his innovative & evolving TE intensive offense.
They knew what they were getting, just maybe didn't know how good he'd be since he was so young.
Hernandez played the 7th most snaps on the whole offense last year. I can see the Pats feeling like Ballard if he can regain his health may be insurance for a Gronkowski injury as a 3rd TE. Maybe. But in that offense I do not see them planning for Ballard to be the #2 TE, effectively replacing Hernandez unless they add offense from another source - in which case Ballard isn't really replacing Hernandez.
2 knee's bad and may never be the same..surprised Ballard
went...Belli is trying to break our balls...see him in SB this year with Bennett and Freak.....
He was one of my favorite players.
Best of luck to you, Mr. Ballard.
The Giants identified certain areas they would attack.
Use certain setup plays
He's mine now!
And, count me amongst those who say that the professionals can figure out everything Ballard can tell them from watching tape of last year. Add in the fact that we don't play them all that often, and that whole angle gets far fetched.
Things happen so fast in the NFL and this move may end up meaning nothing like the Boss and Smith moves did. By the time Ballard comes back, Robinson and Bennett may be one of the best tandems in the league. Ya never know!
( Don't you miss the Cold War *Grin*)
I like Reese, but he gambled and lost on this one.
This move has nothing to do with fucking with the Giants or picking Ballard's brain.
So he's obsessed to the point of picking up an injured TE of waivers?