So who is the 6th LB we'll keep?

He's played well in the 2 pre-season games and carries a lot of special teams cred. He also strikes me a being much stronger and faster this year. He's had a couple of coverage plays downfield where he was in the receiver's hip pocket.

Herzlich to 53. Fox to practice squad

In comment 11808140 fbdad said:

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He's played well in the 2 pre-season games and carries a lot of special teams cred. He also strikes me a being much stronger and faster this year. He's had a couple of coverage plays downfield where he was in the receiver's hip pocket. Herzlich to 53. Fox to practice squad

Herzlich is a very good special teams player, which carries a lot of weight.

The problem is if he ever is forced into duty on defense, he is a major liability. I hope he earns that 6th spot but we'll see.

Herz role with a return of a healthy Beason seems to be murky. McClain is the backup MLB. Paysinger and Kennard are the backup OLBs. If they need a SLB in a pinch, Kiwi takes snaps there over Herz.

Drafted by the Falcons in 2009, he spent the next three years doing next to nothing for them, then it seems he was out of football in 2012, tried out for the Ravens in 2013 but didn't make the final cut, spent another year out of football, then signed by us this Spring. He's looked okay so far...nothing special, but he's made some plays and hasn't looked lost.

Fox is probably destined for the practice squad. Seems like everything Pat Traina has written about him is true.

I had some hope that Justin Anderson would make a bit of an impact this summer, but so far that hasn't been the case. Seems like he's either destined for the practice squad or oblivion.

I didn't think Herzlich had a prayer of making the final 53, but he's looked better this Summer than he has for the past two years, so who knows?

..

go with 5 LBs.

Take an extra Safety or CB instead.

And I don't really know how valuable Herzlich is at STs. Just because he led a crappy ST squad at tackles last year doesn't mean that much.

The others are destined for the scrap heap, Fox to PS.

In comment 11808262 ZogZerg said:

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Agreed. That's the key.

if beasonh is ready week 1 5 LBs with 1 or 2 on practice squad

2 LBs and a Safety in the box so frequently that we don't need 6 LBs..

I agree with all of your input.

I feel pretty good about the 5 guys we have though. Guys like Paysigner and Kennard are great depth.

Being one of the better special teams player on a bad unit doesn't make Herzlich valuable. We play a lot of 3 safeties so I think we roll the dice with 5 linebackers and Kiwi in an emergency. I don't think Fox has stood out to say that he may be a practice squad player. We probably look around the league for a practice squad type and/or special teams demon on the active roster.

to warrant comfort with keeping only five LBs. You need depth at LB and some bigger athletes for special teams roles.

on the roster isn't depth...its just bad.

In comment 11808288 Jimmy Googs said:

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go with 5 LBs. Take an extra Safety or CB instead. And I don't really know how valuable Herzlich is at STs. Just because he led a crappy ST squad at tackles last year doesn't mean that much.

I like this viewpoint. If we do, knock on my skull) hit significant injuries to the LBs, I'm very comfortable with going to a Safety-heavy alignment. We have some romper stompers at Safety.

...for someone who dotes on grammar, that was a fairly crappily put together thought!

but if injuries arrive we're potentially down to one only capable player at a particular, and depth issues trickle down into specials, etc.

We really don't have that type of big physical safety either, there's no Deon Grant-type of talent on hand to offload some of the physical work.

is 5 deep, Herzlich contributes significantly on special teams and will warrant on that basis being kept as the 6th LB IMO.

with a weaker roster. You have to at least decent enough at your primary position to be worthy of being kept, not just because you also add at STs.

If you are a young developing player, then you clearly get some leeway, but that is not Herzlich.

If you are a clear cut Special Teams ace you get leeway too, but I don't think that is Herzlich either.

Anyone know how well? He looked better at DE last week than Herzlich looks at LB

and quite well in the past, that's an interesting point, especially given the likelihood this team will be needing all hands on deck to create a pass rush.

Not even as, "Well, in an emergency, DeOssie could play linebacker." That was supposed to be his primary position, but he's not good enough as a LB to even be 7th man on a 6-man LB corps.

The fact that the Giants will carry 3 special-teams specialists (P Weatherford, PK TBD, LS DeOssie) probably means their 6th LB needs to be competent on defense, not just on special teams.

shows anything on specials, he might get the nod and leave Herzlich as odd man out. That would be only going with 5 with Kiwi in a pinch as mason said.

roster spots for positions went as follows:
2QB
4RB
1FB
6WR
3TE
9OL
9DL
5LB
11DB
1P
1K
1LS

LAST 5 SPOTS WENT TO: 6TH CB, 4TH RB,6TH WR,9TH DL,9TH OL.

now the guys who just made the roster/over who:
6th CB-Charles James/ TRumaine McBride
4th RB-Michael Cox/Kendall Gaskins
6th WR- Jerrell Jernigan/Trindon Holliday
9th DL-Mike Patterson/Israel Idonije/Mark Herzlich
9th OL-Dallas Reynolds/James Brewer

The guy gets called for defensive holding when he's not even on the field. Coughlin won't tolerate that for very long.