How big is a tight end to an offense? - Just look at this Sunday's games

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

There are 8 teams playing this weekend - 3 of those teams have thier #1 TE as best in the league and all voted to the pro bowl and going to the second round of the playoffs.

Witten,Gates and Clark are all pro bowlers who played a big role in getting thier respective teams to the 2nd round and a couple of others like Keller,Heap and Shockey are pretty good too.

It proves that this season was definately a big season for the Tight Ends who made a difference for thier team success.

I hope Belichick looks at it this way and picks up a solid TE in the draft or in FA (if there are any good ones in FA) - Missing a great alternative besides the WRs in the passing game does hurt but few really look at that,most look at the #3 WR and down.

I think either Watson or Baker should be expecting some serious challenge this year,I think TE is going to be a 1st day surprise pick from BB especially a second rounder if FA has nothing to offer.

 

[TriplecHamp]

Jermaine gresham!!!

 

[The Hurricane]

Of the 8 teams playing this weekend - 3 of those teams have at least two players with the last name Williams on their roster.

This proves that having multiple people with the last name Williams on your roster makes a difference in your team's success.

You are confusing correlation with causation. While having an awesome tight end would be nice, I can think of other upgrades that would have a much greater impact.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

I mostly agree with this sentiment.

A good tight end is a security blanket for a quarterback. It doesn't JUST cover up a weakness at wide receiver.

As good and tough as Welker is, he can't be the big in the middle pass catcher a tight end can be.

A good tight end can more easily get those third and fives by running and turning around and using their size to shield the defender away from the ball. This sustains drives.

One of the things I think people confuse here are fantastic fantasy numbers with winning offensive football. You can put up a bunch of yards and points but if you do it so quick that you give the other team the ball quicker and put your defense on the field more, it's harder to get the edge in time of possession.

I rambled.

Thank you.

 

[BelichickFan]

Of the 8 teams playing this weekend - 3 of those teams have at least two players with the last name Williams on their roster.

This proves that having multiple people with the last name Williams on your roster makes a difference in your team's success.

You are confusing correlation with causation. While having an awesome tight end would be nice, I can think of other upgrades that would have a much greater impact.

Not to mention that this thread is redundant to Belichick's history with him already having drafted two TE in the first round plus more in the mid rounds. Suggesting Belichick needs to notice this to decide to value TE is a little silly.

 

[Nonentity]

What you need is a 3rd receiving option to exploit single coverage. A tight end is great because of their size, but slot receivers can do the same job.

Arizona don't especially suffer from their lack of a tight end, for example. Fitzgerald/Boldon/Breaston do the job just fine, as did Moss/Stallworth/Welker.

 

[satz]

I am confused why you do not like Wes Welker and his production. He runs and operates in the receiving TE areas in the middle .He does every thing better than any TE i have ever seen.

Why would you want Wes benched for a receiving TE option ?.

 

[patriotscpfc]

I don't really count Clark as a TE.

The next time he stays into block will be the first time of the season.

And you missed out Shiancoe. Top 10 of TDs scored this year if I remember right.

 

[TheComeback]

I am confused why you do not like Wes Welker and his production. He runs and operates in the receiving TE areas in the middle .He does every thing better than any TE i have ever seen.

Why would you want Wes benched for a receiving TE option ?.

No one suggested benching Welker for TE. Wes can't block light a TE and having another reliable short/intermediate threat just opens things up for Welker even more.

 

[chevss454]

Jermaine gresham!!!

Gresham is a beast with soft hands and speed, no question about that.
I just wonder what the Pats need more? RG, OLB/DE, RB, ILB, WR...maybe C. So many needs, so few UFA's. Glad I dont have BB's job THIS year.

"You can have anything you want, but you cant have everything you want."

 

[Deus Irae]

New England won 3 Super Bowls with Graham/Watson/Rutledge/Wiggins/Fauria as the tight ends. While it would be nice to find a tight end that blocks like Graham and works the passing game like a Ben Coates, it clearly hasn't been essential to the Patriots thus far.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

When did the dynasty ever have an elite TE? Our offense needs to focus on a deeper set of WR's and fixing the interior of the line.

People are talking about TE, RB. We won super bowls with Antowain Smith and Daniel Graham. Corey Dillon was a luxury, we got him in an offseason where we had an extra 1st/2nd rounder and barely any needs. This year we have several needs ahead of RB and TE.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I am confused why you do not like Wes Welker and his production. He runs and operates in the receiving TE areas in the middle .He does every thing better than any TE i have ever seen.

Why would you want Wes benched for a receiving TE option ?.

Thats actually the biggest problem..We only have Welker as a true threat in the middle of the field - the more savvy options we have the more productive an offense is and the more you move the chains - We all realize that Watson will never produce the talent that he shows on paper.

Welker as the only option in the short passing game has this team totally predictable and besides that Wes is getting hit way too many times,time to get him some help.

I think Wes is fine on the outside too by the way

Teams are not stupid,They KNOW once Brady drops back to pass, he is looking immediately at ONLY 2 guys most of the time - we need some threats to add-on or this offense will suck and be predictable for a long time.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

New England won 3 Super Bowls with Graham/Watson/Rutledge/Wiggins/Fauria as the tight ends. While it would be nice to find a tight end that blocks like Graham and works the passing game like a Ben Coates, it clearly hasn't been essential to the Patriots thus far.

IMO Going after a player who is still great like Gonzalez who was available,could actually have made a HUGE difference in this teams offensive personality this year.....I could venture to say it might have even helped us win another game or two this year.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I don't really count Clark as a TE.

The next time he stays into block will be the first time of the season.

And you missed out Shiancoe. Top 10 of TDs scored this year if I remember right.

Shiancoe was great as well but he didn't make the pro bowl..my assessment of this is due to the fact that of the 4 teams playing this weekend,3 of hem have pro bowl voted TEs - that has never happened before - Only Vernon Davis is sitting home watching the playoffs of all the pro bowl TEs

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

When did the dynasty ever have an elite TE? Our offense needs to focus on a deeper set of WR's and fixing the interior of the line.

People are talking about TE, RB. We won super bowls with Antowain Smith and Daniel Graham. Corey Dillon was a luxury, we got him in an offseason where we had an extra 1st/2nd rounder and barely any needs. This year we have several needs ahead of RB and TE.

We won those Super Bowls with a good offense like the guys you mentioned BUT we won the SB because we had a very solid defense to back the offense up...now that our defense is in a bit of dissaray, the focus is to make the offense rock solid which could keep the deficiences of the D covered up a little.

Does anyone really think the defense of the 18-1 2007 team were great?..The defense was really not that good,it was just covered up by our offense putting up 40 points a week on the scoreboard.

 

[Deus Irae]

IMO Going after a player who is still great like Gonzalez who was available,could actually have made a HUGE difference in this teams offensive personality this year.....I could venture to say it might have even helped us win another game or two this year.

There was still a salary cap this season. New England doesn't involve the tight end to the extent that dropping elite cash on a 32 year old tight end while also giving away a 2nd round pick for him would make a lot of sense. This is particularly true when that tight end is a diva like Gonzalez.

I agree with the notion that the overarching issue with the Patriots passing attack is the lack of diversity of weapons. How much of that is personnel, how much is coaching and how much is injuries are the questions that must be asked and answered in the offseason. I think it's safe to say that keeping Watson and getting a legitimate WR3 would be of more help than keeping Aiken as WR3 and getting a top receiving tight end, because of the Patriots reliance on the tight end as a blocker.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

There was still a salary cap this season. New England doesn't involve the tight end to the extent that dropping elite cash on a 32 year old tight end while also giving away a 2nd round pick for him would make a lot of sense. This is particularly true when that tight end is a diva like Gonzalez.

I agree with the notion that the overarching issue with the Patriots passing attack is the lack of diversity of weapons. How much of that is personnel, how much is coaching and how much is injuries are the questions that must be asked and answered in the offseason. I think it's safe to say that keeping Watson and getting a legitimate WR3 would be of more help than keeping Aiken as WR3 and getting a top receiving tight end, because of the Patriots reliance on the tight end as a blocker.

I would like to see a fullback on this team to take care of blocking assignments more than TEs who should be out there giving Brady more options and get more weapons in the passing game with a solid catching TE,Fauria was not a HOer but he was very good at what he did in both blocking and catching ...Possibly looking for a good TE in FA if the draft is weak in that position is my hope at this point.

 

[TriplecHamp]

When did the dynasty ever have an elite TE? Our offense needs to focus on a deeper set of WR's and fixing the interior of the line.

People are talking about TE, RB. We won super bowls with Antowain Smith and Daniel Graham. Corey Dillon was a luxury, we got him in an offseason where we had an extra 1st/2nd rounder and barely any needs. This year we have several needs ahead of RB and TE.

Watch Dallas Clark, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzales, and Jason Witten, they are all just as big of weapons as most of the receivers in the league today.

 

[Deus Irae]

I would like to see a fullback on this team to take care of blocking assignments more than TEs who should be out there giving Brady more options and get more weapons in the passing game with a solid catching TE,Fauria was not a HOer but he was very good at what he did in both blocking and catching ...Possibly looking for a good TE in FA if the draft is weak in that position is my hope at this point.

I've posted on this elsewhere, but it fits here as well. This team decided to get rid of the fullback and just use linemen in the role. That eliminates the pass to the fullback and puts a slower, less agile player in the role of lead blocker. That's all well and good on 4th and 1, and on short distance goal line plays, but it's not going to do much good on 1st and 10.

Belichick's been cutting edge on a lot of things during his time, and there's no questioning the brilliance of some of his moves. Eliminating the fullback was not one of his finest moments, though.

BTW, Bo Scaife might be a tight end that interests the Patriots if Watson is heading out the door. He'll be a RFA if there's no CBA, but it's reported that the Titans might let him go because they've got another player behind him.