Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Should we?

Benjamin Watson’s second stint with the Patriots is over before the tight end could suit up for the team in a meaningful game. New England will not be activating the veteran tight end, according to ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss.

Watson served his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy but was inactive for Sunday’s 33-7 win over the Washington Redskins. The team had a roster exemption for Watson that expired on Monday, so they had to choose whether to activate him to the 53-man roster or not. They chose the latter, saving them roughly $2 million toward the salary cap, giving them roughly $3.7 million in cap space to work with the rest of the season.

https://www.prosportsdaily.com/artic...nt-593709.html

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

I wouldn't mind Watson. He is on the down side of his career but maybe he could contribute here and there.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Our TE group is not exactly lighting things up, even before Brees went down. Having a veteran presence could always help.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Absofreakinglutely . Who do we cut to make room?

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Meh, his first stint with us he was clutch when we needed him. Last stint he was underwhelming. If we lose somebody maybe but Hill has been good, Cook is coming along nicely, and it doesn't look like we have room for 3 TE's anyways.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Send Carr or Jordan Humphrey to the practice squad.

I'll continue to beat that dead horse ... we need another receiver to take the heat off MT and Kamara.

If Watson can contribute ... great.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

I don't think we have much room for him now, but definitely should keep tabs on him. He is always welcome in our locker room, great guy.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

I would do it for blocking alone. He probably catches half the stuff Cook is dropping.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

I don’t know... Just call it a day Ben.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

He's got nothing to offer unfortunately.

If you can't stick to the team as a TE for the Pats this season, yeah you're done.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Or maybe the Pats are clearing space for an upcoming trade ... you know guys like Diggs, Green or Emmanuel Sanders. AB is no longer on the team and Josh Gordon isn't healthy.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

That's very possible, they saved $2 million.

This team only has two substandard TEs on the roster, so it's definitely a head scratching decision.

It also appears it totally blindsided Watson as he seems devastated.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Well.. he's still nation making. So he probably needs the $.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

I would keep Watson on speed dial in case of injury, but right now if another TE is needed I would like to see Dan Arnold get his chance.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Watson would be a temp band-aid at best and its very difficult to move a team forward when you keep bringing back the past to get you through a dry spell.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

I get it (temporary fix) but what do you do to offset the lack of production from guys not named MT & Kamara? Cook has turned out to be meh in NO ...

Tre is just returning from injury, Kirkwood is on IR and Carr is just out there taking up a roster spot.

Would it hurt to bring Watson in for a look and demote Carr or Humphrey back to the practice squad?

IMO we need another savvy vet (Diggs, E Sanders or player X) down the road. At some point this season or in the playoffs, a good DC will take away our main guy.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Definitely keep his number on speed dial, and make the call this week to offer him condolences and say hello and check in with him, but I don't think it's time to put the offer out there for him RIGHT NOW. But I could easily see him coming back in, for like a Mike McKenzie type cameo, remember when Payton brought Mike back for a few games late in the year in '09 when we had injury problems at his position area, and Mike was a perfect stopgap fit for a couple of games.

Not a tight end of course, but I still kinda think Dez Bryant is definitely on the Payton radar as a possible wild card roster move late in the season, to get some receiving alternatives to the Thomas and Kamara show. That still might happen.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Speed dial if Cook goes down. Other than that, pass.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

That's not the same Watson we have known it seems. Concussion in preseason and while the PED's have been explained away as "fertility drugs" those players know what is going into their bodies and have every possible available resource to not make the wrong decision.

Watson went 4/6 40 yards and a TD.. Up until Sunday no receivers were meeting anyone's production expectations.

I am cautiously optimistic for what ever it is worth.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Watson purposely took a legitimate medication, prescribed by HIS doctor, that he knew was on the NFL's banned list. He had already retired and was no longer planning to play again at the time. Later he decided that he would take the Patriots up on their offer and informed them that he had taken the medication and why. Both sides went into it knowing that a suspension would be coming. There was nothing nefarious involved. And it definitely wasn't a fertility drug they way they've been pumping out kids.

:D

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Coaches game plan leaned heavily on the tight ends against Tampa. We wound up moving away from that and Thomas excelled even though Dallas game planned to take him out of the game, which is why we went tight end heavy. Also, we are developing one or two young talents on our roster.

Thomas is a great blocker but we already have that in Hill. Thomas is an average tight end at this age but we already have that in Jared Cook. He's great in the locker room but I'm afraid that barring injury he won't sign with the Saints. Tomorrow I'll probably be proven wrong but we'll see. Don't get me wrong. I love the guy but we have to stay with the youth movement.

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Tom Brady says he misses Ben Watson after release: 'Pretty tough'

“I miss him. He was right next to me (in locker room). For as great as a player he was, he was 10 times a better person. Just the highest integrity. I can’t say enough good things about Ben, what he’s meant to me, my family, our team. We’re gonna miss him.”

https://patriotswire.usatoday.com/20...inline-related

Re: Patriots Will Not Activate Benjamin Watson, Veteran TE is Now a Free Agent
 

Patience y'all. Cook will be fine.