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Ayers signed to the Patriots Practice Squad

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by dd63, Sep 4, 2017.

  1. blountforcetrauma

    blountforcetrauma Well-Known Member

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    Yeah I'm honestly always intrigued when Bill takes a player that others seem not to have a use for. I agree that they don't necessarily have dominant wideouts BUT they have such a specific system they basically just always manage to find guys who can operate within it and then it's either sink or swim. Chad Johnson said that their playbook was so complicated he could never get the hang of any of it but in Cincy people were thinking he was a future hall of famer for a period of time.
     
    • Informative Informative x 1
  2. Steel_Elvis

    Steel_Elvis Staff Member Mod Team

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    Personally, I would have kept Ayers over Hunter. I don't even understand why Hunter made the roster. Is he going to play over Bryant, JuJu or Rogers? No. Does he offer special teams value? No. Is he better than DHB as a receiver, thus forcing us to keep him so that DHB is the emergency WR 6? No. To me keeping Hunter was insurance against injuries to multiple outside receivers, and you can find guys like that on your PS or the waiver wire when and if you need them. But what do I know?

    This and cutting DJ for Grimble were confusing moves IMO.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  3. Fugitive60

    Fugitive60 Well-Known Member

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    Even if you take what you said at face value, the Steelers aren't looking at upside, they are looking at now.
     
  4. sleehrat

    sleehrat Active Member

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    Well, if Ben is an influence on some of these moves as stated in another post...

    He always wanted tall receivers. Hunter has a couple of inches on Ayers.
    Now we have

    6-4
    6-4
    6-7
     
  5. KnoxVegasSteel

    KnoxVegasSteel Well-Known Member

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    Ocho stinko LOL. Not the brightest bulb in the box.
     
  6. TheTerribleOwl

    TheTerribleOwl Well-Known Member

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    Hunter is pretty easily a better WR than DHB at this point. DHB can't catch a cold.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  7. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    Apparently they have been using Hubbard as a blocking TE as well. So they can get by that way. It gives Grimble one more year to see if he can show something. Weslye Saunders was athletic too, but he didn't last either, so we'll see I suppose...

    I don't understand how they didnt find Ayers a spot as some kind of kick returner... never seemed a priority for the coaching staff. I don't want AB back there anymore. I believe in most years Ayers would have made the team, but we were too stacked at the position this year.
     
  8. Diamond

    Diamond Well-Known Member

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    They lost their star slot receiver so it's expected they would be looking for others to have as insurance, plus he can return kicks.


    New England has also shown an interest in paying their practice squad players more than the minimum salary- and sometimes as much as roster players- in order to keep them in the fold.
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2017
  9. Diamond

    Diamond Well-Known Member

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    Heres a look at our practice squad:

    Pittsburgh Steelers
    Practice squad:
    Kyle Friend, C
    Jake McGee, TE
    Fitzgerald Toussaint, RB
    Marcus Tucker, WR
    Justin Thomas, WR
    Matt Galambos, LB
    Jacob Hagen, S
    Lavon Hooks, DE
    Farrington Huguenin, LB
    Dashaun Phillips, CB
     
  10. Steel_Elvis

    Steel_Elvis Staff Member Mod Team

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    I think DHB is a more complete receiver. Both of them can stretch the defense and sometimes come up with the deep ball. DHB can run more routes and (importantly) block both in the run game and for WR screens. If there's a difference in their hands, it's not significant.
     
    • Disagree Disagree x 1
  11. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    Same here haha.


    Ayers will likely be a fine special teams player now in New England. Guess Bill saw enough of him in the preseason to warrant picking him up; minute amount of time being irrelevant in this case.
     
  12. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    Alternatively, we'll hear as much about him as we do Justin Thomas, or any other WR on a practice squad.

    He has more of a chance cracking the Pats 53 than here... but he's still only on the practice squad.
     
  13. blackandgoldpatrol

    blackandgoldpatrol Well-Known Member

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    With the patriots losing Edelman, grabbing ayers makes perfect sense.... his skill set matches what they do on offense perfectly
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  14. defva

    defva Well-Known Member

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    This is what I was thinking. He's not apart of their 53 man roster...even with a wr out for the year. He's on their p.s
     
  15. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    he wouldn't sign on ours but he would theirs. hmmmmm. :hmm::cool:
     
  16. SteelCity_NB

    SteelCity_NB Staff Member Mod Team

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    I see it like this. Hunter is a better backup in the event of an injury to AB or Bryant. He is more of an outside guy.

    Even if Eli suffers an injury I think JuJu would be ahead of Ayers in the slot.

    Ayers had too much in front of him in the WR department. It probably came down to who they wanted more on ST, DHB or Ayers. They went with the vet.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  17. thesteeldeal

    thesteeldeal Well-Known Member

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    Honestly I see the same opportunity here or there. He is simply a injury away from either starting roster. Yes Edelman got hurt ,are you guys aware they made a trade for Phillip Dorsett to take Edelmans place. If someone else goes down he's on their PS the same as if someone went down here he would be the first call up....
     
  18. thesteeldeal

    thesteeldeal Well-Known Member

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    Idk man....Ayers got work on the outside as well. To me Hunter is a one trick pony and yes decent insurance should MB go down. JuJu may very well be a upgrade but he is constantly being bit by the injury bug and don't forget he is a rookie so there will be a learning curve. I really liked the versatility and skill set we saw from Ayers in a limited sample. He is more versatile than Hunter and DHB....I like the potential Hunter brings to the red zone but I like everything else Ayers brings including STs....PR,KR and I'm sure he can do a decent job covering kicks and punts ,he's a good athlete. I can kinda understand wanting to keep Hunter because of our struggles in the RZ.....I will continue to say DHB shoulda been the odd man out....yeah I know gunner extraordinaire ....
     
  19. fanforlife

    fanforlife

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    I hope Brady and Ayers don't iight the Steelers up when we play NE during the regular season this year.
     
  20. KnoxVegasSteel

    KnoxVegasSteel Well-Known Member

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    We're talking about a #7 WR who isn't even on the 53 man roster. Not sure I'd be too concerned about Ayers beating up on us... now that's funny.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  21. D0bre Shunka

    D0bre Shunka Well-Known Member

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    PS. It's the PS

    Calm yourself...
     
  22. fanforlife

    fanforlife

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    I'm not as worried about the guy catching the ball as I am about the guy throwing it to him, similar to last year.
     
  23. D0bre Shunka

    D0bre Shunka Well-Known Member

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    All yeah, anyone else like Tucker?
     
  24. 69-2now

    69-2now Well-Known Member

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    He won't be on the PS long, Brady will make him look like Jerry Rice within a month:hmm:
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  25. defva

    defva Well-Known Member

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    I do
     

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