- Joined
- Oct 20, 2007
- Messages
- 29,794
- Reaction score
- 20,459
No, I'm claiming that he'd be a member of the Patriots if he could do either of them well. That's why they were pointed out in separate sentences and everything.
Separate posts, even.
Registered Members experience this forum ad and noise-free.
CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.No, I'm claiming that he'd be a member of the Patriots if he could do either of them well. That's why they were pointed out in separate sentences and everything.
Thomas was used as a blocking tight end, and that definitely doesn't necessarily mean he would still be a member of Patriots. He could both block and catch, however he recently hasn't been getting the blocking done. Like I recently stated, he provides more flexibility than Matthews who is a pure blocking FB type of TE.
Of course, Michael Matthews will have a major impact, even as much as welker and Moss!
He said *since*. Do you know what since means? hint: it does not mean 'as much as'.
No, I'm claiming that he'd be a member of the Patriots if he could do either of them well. That's why they were pointed out in separate sentences and everything.
I have to disagree with that. Thomas is at least an average blocker and a decent receiver with excellent hands. He's never put it together though for some reason and he hasn't gotten a lot of work on ST, which is not a good sign for a backup TE.
I don't know much about Matthews, but I'm guessing he's first and foremost a better ST player than Thomas. And if he's as good a blocker as some here claim (which is highly doubtful given the level of fruit punch being drunk on this board), he'll be an excellent addition.
I don't know much about Matthews, but I'm guessing he's first and foremost a better ST player than Thomas. And if he's as good a blocker as some here claim (which is highly doubtful given the level of fruit punch being drunk on this board), he'll be an excellent addition.
Giants and Patriots similar in the way they were built
The front offices of the Patriots and Giants have done a terrific job of assembling the players who will take the field in Super Bowl XLII. How did they do it? Let's take a look.
Before we do, however, here's an interesting note about Giants tight end Michael Matthews as it relates to this topic. Matthews went undrafted last spring, and the two teams that expressed interest in signing him entering training camp were -- you guessed it -- the Giants and Patriots. Both teams offered the Georgia Tech product $7,500 to sign. Matthews sided with the Giants, figuring he might have a better chance to make their roster
Michael Eisen - Story - 10.19 TE Michael Matthews Journal 1 - Giants.com
October 19, 2007
TE Michael Matthews was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent. At 6-4, 270 lbs, Matthews provides Big Blue with a young, hungry tight end behind Jeremy Shockey. Matthews, a good blocker and receiver is expected to be an important part of the 2007 New York Giants.
New York Giants TE Michael Matthews no new kid on the block - NJ.com
"He's probably the most underappreciated guy on the whole team," Boss said. "He continues to do whatever they ask him to do and keeps a good attitude about it, so I hope he goes out there and gets a few opportunities to make some plays."
Matthews had plenty of opportunities during his rookie season, but had a handful of sure catches go off his hands. He has made no excuses for the drops, but was clearly affected by a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery and a dislocated finger.
McKenzie and the running backs tease Matthews about the drops, with McKenzie saying he "can't let those go" without making a few jokes, Ward adding that Matthews is the "catalyst" for all the one-liners about dropped passes that are thrown the way of any Giant who fails to make a catch.
But the players wouldn't joke about such things if they didn't feel Matthews was carrying his weight as a blocker.
"He's doing a pretty good job," McKenzie said. "He's had to tackle many positions, whether it's the H-back, blocking tight end, pass-receiving tight end. He's come a long way, but we get on him for the little things."
So you think that BB cut Thomas for the hell of it then?
I think BB traded Thomas because what Thomas brought to the table was matched and exceeded individually by Watson, who has been getting better as a blocker, and Baker. Aiken comes close to doing what Thomas was able to do at his best (rookie season). BB was able to take the 7th he got for Thomas and trade for a true upgrade as an in-line blocker. I do agree with Bucky that Thomas was a much better blocker (when healthy) than given credit for by this forum. He's in a good place to develop his career and BB made the team better by upgrading the blocking TE slot. win-win-win (Matthews on becoming a Patriot.)So you think that BB cut Thomas for the hell of it then?
He didn't cut him. He basically swapped him for Mathews. As to why, as I mentioned, he probably needed a better ST player and more diverse blocker. And didn't care so much about receiving skills given the makeup of the roster. I'm sure he was also concerned about Thomas' history of not producing.
Let's remember that NYG disposed of Matthews the same way BB disposed of Thomas and if you go on their board (which I'm not about to do), you'll probably find a bunch of people badmouthing him. I don't think Matthews is a better or worse player than Thomas. They're just different.
I think BB traded Thomas because what Thomas brought to the table was matched and exceeded individually by Watson, who has been getting better as a blocker, and Baker. Aiken comes close to doing what Thomas was able to do at his best (rookie season). BB was able to take the 7th he got for Thomas and trade for a true upgrade as an in-line blocker. I do agree with Bucky that Thomas was a much better blocker (when healthy) than given credit for by this forum. He's in a good place to develop his career and BB made the team better by upgrading the blocking TE slot. win-win-win (Matthews on becoming a Patriot.)
I think BB traded Thomas because what Thomas brought to the table was matched and exceeded individually by Watson, who has been getting better as a blocker, and Baker. Aiken comes close to doing what Thomas was able to do at his best (rookie season). BB was able to take the 7th he got for Thomas and trade for a true upgrade as an in-line blocker. I do agree with Bucky that Thomas was a much better blocker (when healthy) than given credit for by this forum. He's in a good place to develop his career and BB made the team better by upgrading the blocking TE slot. win-win-win (Matthews on becoming a Patriot.)
But the main question is how many plays he was in each game, two? He has scrub written all over him.
Well then you can take comfort in knowing that a three time Super Bowl champion disagrees with your analysis. Thomas was being looked at almost EXCLUSIVELY as a blocker, both at the fullback position and at the tight end position. The fact that BB cut him and brought in Matthews shows that someone who has won multiple Super Bowls and has an eye for talent obviously thinks that Matthews would be better in that role.
Were you under the impression that Kyle Brady was brought in for his receiving and special teams expertise?
Living up to the ignorance of my username? Obviously Maroney is just a terrible player and cannot even find a hole, therefore tap dancing and losing yards is his only solution.
Even if Matthews is the first decent blocking tight end since Daniel Graham, he's still not the solution. Graham could block but he was also a very good receiver, he started an average of about 13 games per season for the Patriots and even caught 7 TD's for us in 2004 along with 30 receptions. Matthews only started 11 out of 32 games which is only a little over 1/3 of both seasons, he's really not a flexible player.
You are 'exclusived' .I never personally said that I think Thomas was a horrible blocker, so you can excluse me in the "this forum" part of your post. I just believe that Matthews is the better blocker, especially when you look at the runners he blocked for. And, seeing the types of holes that have been opened in the running game this preseason (or lack thereof), I'm excited about this signing because of what it means for the running game.
So you think that BB cut Thomas for the hell of it then?