04-27-2010, 06:16 AM
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#4
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All Pro Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 17,627
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Re: Tight end and this year's draft
Hernandez has a different skill set from Gronk, but the main import of the two picks is insurance. Great if both pan out - and probably they consider it a good thing that in that unlikely eventuality, they could conceivably each have their own roles. But more than anything it signifies their belief that you don't know who will and won't pan out.
As the OP mentions, neither Graham nor Watson were considered good enough to keep around long-term.
What we can learn from this is neither of the #1 picks we spent on TE netted an indispensable TE, and that the TE has not been drafted who is deemed worth paying "real" money.
There is therefore no reason to believe that two lower-round TEs will be deemed keepers either.
It also demonstrates that you must always have a bunch of TE prospects around.
The pattern makes me think that BB believes you can very often get a good tight end in the draft. That means you will always be able to select that weapon in a later draft. If he ever ends up with the TE equivalent of Lawrence Taylor - and if he recognizes it - he'll keep him around. (Maybe. Depends if he gets a good enough offer.) If offensive weapons pan out elsewhere, and the TE can't be used as a huge offensive threat anyway, BB will unload the TE before he costs too much, and reload again.
I don't think he thought Grahambo and Watson were JAGs. I think they were JATEs, meaning you could come close to the same quality and that the need is not there for the difference between either of them and another "good enough" TE.
If we end up with a "production hole" at receiver during Gronk's/Hernandez' rookie deals, and one or both TEs make their cases without any question, they might sign contracts beyond their rookie deals. But my bet is if either is a Patriot in 2014, we've returned to the Caldwell-as-#1-receiver days.
Guys, I like everybody we draft, but I don't think you should learn the names of new Patriots' tight ends. It's easier on you that way psychologically.
PFnV
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