Patriots claim QB Matt Corral (who is now MIA)

SMU_Sox

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This is a low-key really nice pickup. I had Corral as the best QB in the draft last year and he fits for what they want to do with the quick game, play-action, and RPOs. He’s decent in a spread system. He’s mobile and a good scrambler. Good arm too. Most analysts had him as one of the best three guys coming out last year although last years class was not great to say the least.

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Not often does a meme actually happen but… this is really a meme moment.

I liked Corral a lot more than Zappe that’s for sure. I didn’t have him as a fit because of two things 1) size and 2) the off-field stuff. Skill set wise he makes a lot of sense especially now that they are not running the Matt Patricia “offense”.

If it turns out Mac isn’t the guy Corral is someone with the upside of a + starter. You could build and develop around his skill set. Is that likely? No. But it’s much more likely than with Zappe who absolutely does not have starter upside. I for one am excited about the pickup.
 
Eddie Jurak

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This move actually gives the Pats the opportunity to benefit from the #3 QB rule.

If Corral stays on the 53 but the Pats do not think he is familiar enough with the offense to be the backup at Week 1, they can elevate Zappe to the active roster (making him the backup) and designate Corral as the emergency QB (meaning he can only play if Jones and Zappe are hurt, and if one of them returns he must immediately leave the game).
 
joe dokes

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
Well on paper I like the idea of them Wu Tanging their QB portfolio a bit. They have options if Jones gets hurt or cannot average more than minus five YPA.

Maybe Corral will be golden.
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He will, however, need guards who do more than sneeze at d-linemen as they run by.
 
j44thor

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The big brain move might be to pull a Cora and have him start vs. PHI and feed him to the wolves which are the PHI pass rushers. Let him take the 6+ sacks the OL will certainly give up then bring in Mac once PHI pulls their starters up 4 scores which they tend to do. You aren't beating PHI regardless so might as well save your "franchise" QB for winnable games, half-kidding?
 
Andy Merchant

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They were saying on Toucher & Rich this AM that Corral dated the SI Swimsuit model daughter of Bret Michaels. How long until Bon Jovi gets pushed aside in the owner's box for Michaels? This totally has to happen.
 
Curt S Loew

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Andy Merchant said:
They were saying on Toucher & Rich this AM that Corral dated the SI Swimsuit model daughter of Bret Michaels. How long until Bon Jovi gets pushed aside in the owner's box for Michaels? This totally has to happen.
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Huge Steelers fan. Not gonna happen. Plus, Bon Jovi is a Bill guy from the Giants days. He won't make that trade. Bon Jovi will retire a Patriot.
 
SMU_Sox

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Rumor has it that they are going to cut Corral and promote Zappe but they want Corral on the PS. I will be unhappy but I get it. The 53 man emergency QB rules make what they wanted to do impossible.
 
Eddie Jurak

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SMU_Sox said:
Rumor has it that they are going to cut Corral and promote Zappe but they want Corral on the PS. I will be unhappy but I get it. The 53 man emergency QB rules make what they wanted to do impossible.
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I don't fully get that. I mean, I get that they cannot use either as an amergency third unless both are on the 53. But that doesn't seem like a good reason to cut Corral right now. They can elevate Zappe 3 times if they want before they have to add him to the 53, which seems like it would give them more time to evaluate Corral. I'm left thinking he really must have turned them off - in just 9 days.
 
lexrageorge

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SMU_Sox said:
Rumor has it that they are going to cut Corral and promote Zappe but they want Corral on the PS. I will be unhappy but I get it. The 53 man emergency QB rules make what they wanted to do impossible.
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Eddie Jurak said:
I don't fully get that. I mean, I get that they cannot use either as an amergency third unless both are on the 53. But that doesn't seem like a good reason to cut Corral right now. They can elevate Zappe 3 times if they want before they have to add him to the 53, which seems like it would give them more time to evaluate Corral. I'm left thinking he really must have turned them off - in just 9 days.
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Yes, they could call up Zappe and make him one of the 46 dressed players, and bench Corral without any roster impact. Or they could add both of them to the game day 46, although that has the obvious downside of leaving 43 non-QB game day spots.

The only thing they cannot do is have either Zappe or Corral be the "47th player", aka emergency QB. Then again, Corral has had over a week now to show himself in practice, and if he's not any better than Zappe then there's no real downside to cutting Corral in the hope of getting him onto the practice squad. And having only 2 QB's dressed for a regular season game is not at all unusual.

EDIT: Time drags when waiting in anticipation, @Eddie Jurak
 
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Eddie Jurak

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lexrageorge said:
Then again, Corral has had over 2 weeks now to show himself in practice, and if he's not any better than Zappe then there's no real downside to cutting Corral in the hope of getting him onto the practice squad. And having only 2 QB's dressed for a regular season game is not at all unusual.
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Didn't they claim him on Aug 31?
 
BigJimEd

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Section15Box113 said:
Will be interesting if he makes it to the PS.
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And if Corral is willing. Panthers reportedly wanted to stash him on their practice squad. He may have some other interests.
Patriots probably had some discussions if that's the way they're going.

Still I'm a little surprised. Don't see the rush in adding Zappe to 53 unless some other teams are showing interest.
 
lexrageorge

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Saints Rest said:
If there is no emergency 3rd QB, can the 2nd QB be a PS elevation?
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Yes, but he needs to be placed on the game day roster.

Ale Xander said:
Hate this

Hope they get him back

He is much better than Zappe
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And we know this how? Zappe has actually thrown passes in anger in regular season NFL games. Corral has yet to throw his first career pass. My guess is if Corral was "much better" than Zappe, he would have shown that in practice. This is one area where we can safely say In Bill We Trust.
 
Ale Xander

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lexrageorge said:
Yes, but he needs to be placed on the game day roster.


And we know this how? Zappe has actually thrown passes in anger in regular season NFL games. Corral has yet to throw his first career pass. My guess is if Corral was "much better" than Zappe, he would have shown that in practice. This is one area where we can safely say In Bill We Trust.
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He had one week.

Corral Had a serious injury going into the draft and STILL was drafted higher than Zappe.

Bill hasn’t made a good decision at new QB’s in over 20 years
 
lexrageorge

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Ale Xander said:
He had one week.

Corral Had a serious injury going into the draft and STILL was drafted higher than Zappe.

Bill hasn’t made a good decision at new QB’s in over 20 years
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What does draft position have anything to do with Zappe vs Corral? Carolina didn't seem to worry about losing him all that much. Reality is that guys like Zappe and Corral are highly fungible.

Drafting Jimmy G and Brissett were good decisions; just that neither was needed due to the presence of another QB on the roster. Mac over Cam was a slam dunk and resulted in a playoff berth.
 
Jungleland

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BigJimEd said:
And if Corral is willing. Panthers reportedly wanted to stash him on their practice squad. He may have some other interests.
Patriots probably had some discussions if that's the way they're going.

Still I'm a little surprised. Don't see the rush in adding Zappe to 53 unless some other teams are showing interest.
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Yeah, who knows. Reich is no slouch, but if I'm Corral I'm viewing BB and backing up a guy on year 3 who might suck than backing up the #1 overall pick going into his first season. Obviously there may be other teams interested, though.
 
brendan f

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lexrageorge said:
Media noise.
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I don't think it was necessarily noise. I think they explored veteran backups and then saw an opportunity with Corral once he was released. It was reported that the Pats were the only team to put a waiver claim on him so there is reason to think he won't be claimed this time around. The Panthers threw him in the dumpster, so I doubt he has any want to go back there. Maybe the Pats just want to dump him, too, or maybe they still see him as a long-term project with upside. Maybe they misunderstood the 3 QB roster rules that the NFL clarified the other day. Who knows.
 
Harry Hooper

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So, is the conclusion the Pats didn't feel comfortable yet turning they keys to the offense over to Corral as the #1 backup, but they would like to keep him around?
 
ManicCompression

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The attention to impact ratio of backup QBs is way out of wack. The 99% likelihood is that neither of these guys are going to go on to be starters. They might go on to win a couple of spot starts in a pinch if we're lucky, and then they'll be out of the league, and they'll be replaced by new mid-rounders that we'll pray and hope turn into something.
 
Cellar-Door

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Exempt/left squad is usually used for guys who are thinking about retiring or who refuse to report. Corral going on there is strange, will be interesting to hear why
 
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ManicCompression

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brendan f said:
With the Pats potential O-line issues and the Eagles pass rush, you may change your mind by week 1.
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Would love to know how many wins you think one backup qb would offer over another in a situation where Mac gets injured.

If Mac gets injured week 1, bring on 2-15 so we can draft Caleb Williams. I don’t really care if Matt Corral has the upside to win 3-4 games to Zappe’s 2, or vice versa. The difference between the two shouldn’t matter at all to this years team.
 
lexrageorge

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As noted earlier in this thread, Corral has battled demons in his past. Hope he is OK.

And the “Belichick screwed up” takes haven’t aged particularly well.
 
Harry Hooper

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Does it have to be anything more than the guy hearing the Pats plan for the swap for Zappe and just walking out? Why practice and risk injury?
 
lexrageorge

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Harry Hooper said:
Does it have to be anything more than the guy hearing the Pats plan for the swap for Zappe and just walking out? Why practice and risk injury?
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That’s usually not a good idea for a player trying to make a team. It could be the case, but if so he may have burned his bridges.
 
Ale Xander

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When I saw the title edit to MIA

I had assumed the dolphins picked him up
Mea culpa
 
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