Replace underperformers?

[GridIron26]

Skinster, who would you want to be #2 behind Davis if we traded Cooley away? Paulsen is decent TE, but not someone that would scare any team. What if Davis smoked and get caught again then suspended. Then Paulsen would become 1st stringer? We do not have plenty of picks where we can draft a TE and expect him to be good enough to be #1 if Davis got injured or suspended. I do not get it, what is frigging wrong with the idea of two TE set??

Hall, on other hand, I do not mind cutting him. I would prefer to ask him to take pay cut first, but if he refuses then if we can find a free agent that is good enough to replace Hall then I won't have any problem with it.

[skinster]

Originally Posted by GridIron26

Skinster, who would you want to be #2 behind Davis if we traded Cooley away? Paulsen is decent TE, but not someone that would scare any team. What if Davis smoked and get caught again then suspended. Then Paulsen would become 1st stringer? We do not have plenty of picks where we can draft a TE and expect him to be good enough to be #1 if Davis got injured or suspended. I do not get it, what is frigging wrong with the idea of two TE set??

Hall, on other hand, I do not mind cutting him. I would prefer to ask him to take pay cut first, but if he refuses then if we can find a free agent that is good enough to replace Hall then I won't have any problem with it.

Cooley is a fan favorite, but get over it, he is done. 8 catches in 5 games last year? pathetic. Also he hasn't scored more than 3 tds in the last 5 years. I don't see him adding much value, but I do see him eating up alot of cap room. Lets get rid of his contract when it'll cost us less and give us an opportunity to sign someone else (2 mil might very well be the difference in our ability to get a deal done).

Plus, backup pass catching TEs grow on trees in the mid rounds. It really shouldn't be that hard to come up with a second one...hell even one TE isn't even necessary, ask eli manning.

Even if Cooley were any good, it wouldn't make much sense to keep him and Davis. This years patriots are the only TE combo in the history of football that's been any good. Don't expect that we can repeat that. The next best combo I can think of this year is Shockey and Olsen...and combined they didn't even crack 1000 yds, and only had a combined 83 catches. Jimmy Grahm single handedly annihilated those numbers.

However I will say this for cooley. I get the impression that he is the type of guy that sets a good example in the locker room. If he wasn't a leader on the team, I'd say for sure he would be gone.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by skinster

Cooley is a fan favorite, but get over it, he is done. 8 catches in 5 games last year? pathetic. Also he hasn't scored more than 3 tds in the last 5 years. I don't see him adding much value, but I do see him eating up alot of cap room. Lets get rid of his contract when it'll cost us less and give us an opportunity to sign someone else (2 mil might very well be the difference in our ability to get a deal done).

Plus, backup pass catching TEs grow on trees in the mid rounds. It really shouldn't be that hard to come up with a second one...hell even one TE isn't even necessary, ask eli manning.

Even if Cooley were any good, it wouldn't make much sense to keep him and Davis. This years patriots are the only TE combo in the history of football that's been any good. Don't expect that we can repeat that. The next best combo I can think of this year is Shockey and Olsen...and combined they didn't even crack 1000 yds, and only had a combined 83 catches. Jimmy Grahm single handedly annihilated those numbers.

However I will say this for cooley. I get the impression that he is the type of guy that sets a good example in the locker room. If he wasn't a leader on the team, I'd say for sure he would be gone.

If you recall he was never healthy even in camp, and probably had no business playing really. The year before he had 77 catches, he's only 29, too early to toss him to the trash heap.

If he's back to his old self, don't be surprised if he's starting over Davis.

His contract is not a burden to the cap this year, and they could always re-work it to reduce his number.

[CrazyCanuck]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

If you recall he was never healthy even in camp, and probably had no business playing really. The year before he had 77 catches, he's only 29, too early to toss him to the trash heap.

If he's back to his old self, don't be surprised if he's starting over Davis.

His contract is not a burden to the cap this year, and they could always re-work it to reduce his number.

Well said. Agreed.

[skinster]

Originally Posted by CrazyCanuck

Well said. Agreed.

Its no burden, I agree, but ditching it creates opportunities to upgrade in greater areas of need. More cap room is never a bad thing when you have alot of holes to fill. TE is not a hole with davis, and I highly doubt Cooley will be here much longer after this year.

Also there is the (hypothetical) potential for his cap number to hinder us from making a move we want to next year through shaving off 2 mil from the possibility of us cutting him then.

[Defensewins]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

If you recall he was never healthy even in camp, and probably had no business playing really. The year before he had 77 catches, he's only 29, too early to toss him to the trash heap.

If he's back to his old self, don't be surprised if he's starting over Davis.

His contract is not a burden to the cap this year, and they could always re-work it to reduce his number.

Don't forget Cooley started just 7 games in 2009-2010 and the 5 games he played last year he was more like Taylor Jacobs. The recent injury trend is not in his favor. I agree he was never healthy last year, I think he Bs'd his way on to the field last year. He was not able to get healthy last off seaon, that is not good.
Just like Portis, Cooley is a warrior that I hate to cut, but he is turning 30 this year and his body health is no longer what it was. We have to get younger. I think Skinster is right. Plus it looks like there are several good TE's in FA.