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With the Pats season over and free agency (hopefully) and the draft still a ways away, I figured this would be a good time to look back - and look forward - with some discussion at each position on the team.
Tight End
Rob Gronkowski
Aaron Hernandez
Alge Crumpler
Carson Butler (practice squad)
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Key Statistic
Crumpler, Gronkowski and Hernandez combined for 93 catches, 1,161 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2010. In 2009, Patriots tight ends Ben Watson and Chris Baker amassed a total of 43 receptions, 546 yards and seven touchdowns. Gronkowski (42, 546, 10) canceled out the 2009 crew by himself.
Hot Topic
Gronkowski and Hernandez, who were selected in the second and fourth round of the 2010 draft, respectively, have given the Patriots some real optimism for the future of the tight end position. The duo has started off on a far better clip than Daniel Graham and Watson, a pair of first-rounders who never received a second contract from the Patriots. If there was one way to really criticize New England's offense over the last decade, it's been its continuous lack of production from the tight ends, but that has all changed with Gronkowski and Hernandez.
Offseason Question How much can the young guys develop?
As much praise as Gronkowski and Hernandez deserve for their rookie campaigns, there were still some glitches in their games. They didn't always run the right routes, and the communication didn't always seem to be as fluid as it could have been at the line of scrimmage. They're a pair of excellent players, and Gronkowski, in particular, looks like he has the ability to be a perennial Pro Bowler. Their biggest focus this offseason, though, has to be on learning the offense, studying tape of opposing defenses and developing ESP with Tom Brady.
Crumpler had a great season as a blocker, but his receiving days appear to be far behind him. I expect him to be back, but he can't afford to lose any more speed or quickness.
__________________
"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
- Marcus Aurelius
Crumpler had a great season as a blocker, but his receiving days appear to be far behind him. I expect him to be back, but he can't afford to lose any more speed or quickness.
Agreed. It would be nice if Hernandez could improve on his blocking skills, allowing us to keep him and Gronk on the field in two TE sets without such a huge dropoff in mauling. Obviously he wouldn't come near Crumpler's ability, but just enough so he couldn't be discounted as a blocker.
Snaps played in 2010:
756 - Gronkowski
540 - Crumpler
486 - Hernandez
Quote:
Storyline not to be overlooked: Crumpler’s impact. A 10-year veteran, his locker was between Gronkowski and Hernandez and he took both rookies under his wing throughout the year. His leadership earned him a role as a team captain just a few weeks into the season.
Future: Crumpler enters the final season of the two-year contract he signed in 2010. He should be back in 2011, while Gronkowski and Hernandez are inked through 2013.
Final thought: This is one of the most solidified positions on the roster. The Patriots would be extending themselves to keep a fourth tight end on the roster, so the club is likely to return the same group of players in 2011. If the Patriots draft a tight end, it would likely be in the late rounds with the idea of grooming him on the practice squad.
Set for next year. A low pick could be used on a blocking specialist to spend a year on the PS before replacing Crumpler.
Right now I love Lee Smith for that rile, I'm thinking of him as a potential tackle but there's nothing to stop us from running plays that use a tackle as a receiver, the Bengals used to do that with Munoz.
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"The secret of steel has always carried with it a mystery, you must learn it's riddle, Conan, you must learn its discipline, for no one in this world can you trust, not men, not women, not beasts...this you can trust"
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2011 Offseason Outlook - Tight End
Linear Mode
