FOXBOROUGH - On Monday, we got our first chance to talk to Mike Vrabel since the postgame press conference after losing in Chicago. Many topics came up, so let’s run through the head coach’s responses and put them into the BSJ translator.
Q: There's a couple of guys – Greg Van Roten, one of them – are eligible to be put on the clock. Will we see him this week?
MV: "We probably won't see him today, but maybe this week. We'll see where that goes. Those guys, I think him and Dell [Pettus] are eligible, potentially, to try to get back out there and see where that goes. But we'll have to make a decision with Marcus Bryant, so we'll probably give us through today here. See where guys progress and go from there."
Q: Mike, what goes into managing IR for you the rest of the season with the limited number of return spots?
MV: "Probably just the depth that you have at the position or the need. I don't think it's something that you really want to make a habit of, but we're in the position that we are. So, figuring out who's healthy enough to return. Some guys aren't. Then we'll see where we go with the depth at each position."
Q: Mike, Alijah [Vera-Tucker], you put him on IR on Thursday. Is that something that you guys are hopeful is a short-term thing?
MV: “I don't think it's for the season, but I couldn't tell you what short-term is determined by, however many weeks he has to be out. It wasn't going to be this week, so we figured it was going to be at least four games, so that's why we made the decision that we made.”
BSJ ANALYSIS: With the sheer number of injuries the Patriots have had through the spring, summer, and now the first seven weeks of the regular season, deciding who to bring back is a little trickier than they would like.
All teams can recall eight players from IR. The Pats have already used two: A.J. Brown and Bryant (though the 2nd-year tackle hasn't been activated yet). But when you look at who’s left - Vera-Tucker, Mack Hollins, Romeo Doubs, Reggie Gilliam, Pettus, Van Roten - and the fact that they’re not even halfway through the season, the guess is Vrabel and company will have to save a couple of spots in case they have IR cases later in the year (remember, Milton Williams, Will Campbell and Hollins all came back late in the season/postseason).
That makes me wonder whether someone like Van Roten will get a chance to return, or get released, like punter Bryce Baringer, who was sent packing today so the Pats don't use up one of those eight spots.
By the way, the good news is Ben Brown headed out to practice on Monday, and it appears that knee injury wasn't as serious as it looked in the moment. That also could factor into the decision on Van Roten.
Mike, how have you felt about A.J.’s [Brown] performance in the run game?
MV: “We know it takes all 11. A receiver's job is critical to be able to protect the guy who has the ball and how well they play without the ball. So, I would say offensively, we have to do a better job, and that includes A.J. That includes the quarterback coming out with play fakes. That's what it takes in the run game.”
BSJ Analysis: Look, Brown’s effort - or lack thereof - has been