Tight Ends

[jmt57]

Even though the Pats do not return any Tight Ends from last year's team, there is almost no question on whom will be on the roster at this position at the start of the season. A short thumbnail on the three who will make the cut, and the one that will not.

• #82 Alge Crumpler 6-2, 262, age 33, 10th year; 2nd round '01 (Falcons)
• #87 Rob Gronkowski 6-6, 265, age 21, rookie; 2nd round (#42) '10
• #85 Aaron Hernandez 6-2, 245, age 21, rookie; 4th round (#113) '10
• #84 Rob Myers 6-4, 240, age 24, 1st year; UDFA (Jets) '09

 

[jmt57]

Tedy Bruschi sounds like he is a big fan of Hernandez.

Tedy Bruschi and Mike Reiss break down the New England Patriots heading into training camp - ESPN Boston


I'm also excited to see the tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. They haven't had a physical specimen like Gronkowski in a long time. The deal with him is whether he can pick up the intricate Patriots offense, with all the multiple formations, shifts, motions and adjustments. Hernandez is basically a wide receiver in a tight end body. He runs routes better than some Patriots receivers. I might draft him in my fantasy league.

 

[jmt57]

The Boston Herald's Karen Guregian gives her outlook on the position in A look at seven spots up for grabs at Patriots camp


Locks to start: None

Prime contenders: Alge Crumpler, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez.

Battle lines -- The three represent a complete change in the tight end position from last season. Gone are long-time stalwart Benjamin Watson and short-lived free agent pick-up Chris Baker. Now you have veteran Crumpler and two rookies. It will be interesting to see who wins the starting spot, or if more than one starts should the Pats employ multiple tight-end sets. All three provide different skills sets. Crumpler has evolved into more of a blocker with age, but can still catch the football. Gronkowski figures to be more of an in-line tight end while Hernandez, who fits the Dallas Clark mold, can line up anywhere. He looks to have the most immediate impact catching the football.

Subplot -- The Pats didn’t have the best conversion rate in the red zone (52.3 percent, 13th in the NFL). It’s here where the bigger tight ends can make a difference. The 6-foot-6 Gronkowski, who has great hands, looks like a natural to be a huge weapon for Brady in this spot, but it’s not outlandish to think all three could be employed inside the 20, perhaps at the same time.

 

[Uncle Rico]

I'm curious if any folks watching camp today had anything to share on Gronkowski and Hernandez?

 

[jmt57]

Some comments today from Mike Reiss.

Chat: Chat with Mike Reiss - SportsNation - ESPN Boston

Q. Who do you think will be the best New England Patriots Rookie in 2010?
A. I think they are going to get contributions from quite a few of them. But the two rookies who caught my eye today were the tight ends -- Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. I see a significant opportunity for them to make a difference. Let's see what they do with it.

Reiss also said the top unit primarily consisted of a 2TE/2WR formation.

Q. Were you able to see how the offense looked today in terms of the line, WRs & TEs, and RBs? I guess just wondering about the overall look and if some of the question marks have answers?
A. The top group I saw was LT Light; LG Kaczur; C Koppen; RG Neal; RT Vollmer; TE Crumpler; TE Gronkowski/Hernandez; WR Moss; WR Tate; RB Maroney; QB Brady.

Regarding Hernandez:

Q. do you see hernandez playing the slot, similiar to what dallas clark does for the colts? I think he can contribute right away having familiarity with this offensive scheme
A. Surely, I think we'll see that at times. But I also saw Hernandez lined up in the traditional TE spot today.

Hmm, I thought Crumpler was a near-lock to make the roster.

Q. Do you see Crumpler as having a legit chance to make the team, or is he only serving as a training camp mentor for Hernandez/Gronk?
A. I think Crumpler will make the team and be the top blocking TE early in the season. His presence allows rookie TE Rob Gronkowski to be groomed without the pressure of having to step in immediately.

 

[Uncle Rico]

And a Reiss blog item about how the two rookie TEs, working with Brady, stood out today:

Rookie TEs in middle of the action - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

 

[jmt57]

And a Reiss blog item about how the two rookie TEs, working with Brady, stood out today:

Rookie TEs in middle of the action - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Thanks for that link. Obviously you don't want to read much into the first day of training camp, but it's nice to see the two of them got off on the right foot.

On one play, Gronkowski ran to the left side and with his size (6-6, 265) easily shaded a defender for a touchdown catch. Not long after that, Hernandez came down with a difficult touchdown grab on the right side, leaping into the air and wrestling the ball away from a defender as both were in position to make the play.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Thanks for that link. Obviously you don't want to read much into the first day of training camp, but it's nice to see the two of them got off on the right foot.

On one play, Gronkowski ran to the left side and with his size (6-6, 265) easily shaded a defender for a touchdown catch. Not long after that, Hernandez came down with a difficult touchdown grab on the right side, leaping into the air and wrestling the ball away from a defender as both were in position to make the play.

Funny, here's Rapaport on that play:

while he always seemed to be right there, safety Patrick Chung got beat a lot in fighting for the ball. It happened, too, on the goal line when Aaron Hernandez out-wrestled him.

BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Rap Sheet Blog Archive What happened at the Patriots training camp? Day 1, Session 2 edition

Must be hard when covering a practice to decide sometimes what is a positive play and what is a negative play!

 

[jmt57]

If Alge Crumpler turns out to be too slow, any chance the Pats keep this guy on the roster?

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 1)

78. Tight end Rob Myers: For one surreal stretch this offseason, after the Patriots parted ways with Chris Baker and let Benjamin Watson and Robbie Agnone walk, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Myers was the only tight end in Foxboro. But then, the Patriots signed Alge Crumpler and drafted Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, and Myers returned to scout-team anonymity.

 

[jmt57]

Bruce Allen from Patriots Daily previews each of the four tight ends in the Pats' training camp.

Positional Previews – Tight Ends | Patriots Daily

There was plenty of outcry early in the free agent period when the Patriots had only practice squad tight ends under contract. Since the additions of the top three above, things have quieted down, and now there is even a bit of anticipation over the potential of the position. There is speculation that with the occasionally stone-handed Ben Watson out of town that Tom Brady might actually look to the tights ends more often this season. Stop me if this sounds familiar, but the Patriots are relying on young players here, and need them to come though. If they can, Gronkowski and Hernandez could be a formidable duo for seasons to come.

 

[efin98]

I am not surprised at the reports so far about the TEs...

 

[jmt57]

Some camp observations from Sunday's practices by the guys at PFW:


Official Patriots Football Weekly Blog Blog Archive From the Hart: Practice 7 observations

–He’ll likely get overshadowed by the three more well-known guys ahead of him on the tight end depth chart, but Rob Myers is quietly having a very good start to camp. The 2009 practice squader is a smooth route runner and has decent hands. I like what I’ve seen. Another year on the practice squad and maybe an in-season call-up might be in the cards.

–Brian Hoyer had a good series of plays late in a team segment, completing a few short throws in the flat. On one he rolled out to hit Aaron Hernandez, who then turned up the sideline before taking a pretty good pop from his former Florida teammate Cunningham.

–Brady hit Gronkowski for another touchdown in goal line work. The rookie tight end caught the ball just short of the end zone and then ran through Chung for the score.

 

[jmt57]

More on the tight ends from Don Banks of Sports Illustrated in his Postcard from the camp: Patriots

Rookies in New England are seen and not heard, so I didn't get the opportunity to chat up new Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez after Saturday morning's workout, but from early indications he's the pass-catching option the team thought he would be.

After struggling in the red zone in 2009, the Patriots totally revamped their tight end position, drafting University of Arizona's Rob Gronkowski in the second round, Florida's Hernandez in the fourth, and signing veteran Alge Crumpler in free agency. They intend to use them all, and have thrown to tight ends often so far in camp. I asked Crumpler, the former Falcon and Titan, for the scouting report on Hernandez:

"What Aaron has is a good knowledge of football, and that probably started with his coaching in college,'' Crumpler said. "Those (Florida) guys are successful for a reason. He's very inquisitive and asks a lot of questions, because he wants to be a very good player. But he still has a long way to go. As a group, us tight ends are the only position in the building that hasn't had any chance to be a part of this team before, so we're all still trying to prove ourselves.''

​

 

[jmt57]

More camp observations on Monday morning's practice from PFW.

Official Patriots Football Weekly Blog Blog Archive Quick Kicks: Practice 9 observations

– Still in the 7-on-7 period, which was the liveliest part of the workout, Hernandez ran a nice fly route down the right sideline and nearly came down with a deep ball from Brady. Despite cornerback Kyle Arrington providing as tight a coverage as possible without committing a penalty, Hernandez jumped and spun counterclockwise to get his hands on the underthrown ball. But when Hernandez hit the ground on his back, the ball fell to the ground as well. The rookie again came up slowly from that play.

– Overall, it seemed like a tough day for Hernandez. It started with his hose-down and continued when he appeared to get an earful of constructive criticism from coaches and even some veterans. He also might’ve been physically shaken up after making a couple of catches. However, toward the end of the session, Aiken offered an encouraging tap on the shoulder, and at the end of practice, Brady knelt next to Hernandez and gave him what looked like a pep talk.

 

[jmt57]

From Thursday: Official Patriots Football Weekly Blog Blog Archive From the Hart: Practice 14 observations

–Aaron Hernandez worked with the wide receivers during a lot of drills early in practice while the rest of the tight ends were elsewhere. He took reps in a slot group that include both Wes Welker and Buddy Farnham, as Edelman was with the running backs at the time.

–Brady had to have another discussion with Hernandez after a route miscommunication led to a poorly overthrown pass at one point.

–During two-minute action late in practice Brady led his unit to a field goal, kicking things off with consecutive completions to a crossing Welker and Moss running an out. He followed with an out to Hernandez. The next pass to Welker was broken up by Butler. The drill concluded with Belichick calling for a third-and-10 situation from the 30 with the offense needing a field goal with just 23 seconds to play. Brady completed an out pattern to Hernandez to set up a 38-yard field goal.

Brady has spent a lot of time talking to Hernandez and tutoring him, and clearly hasn’t shied away from throwing him the ball in team drills. Not bad for a youngster when in a two-minute drill to be the only guy not named Moss or Welker to catch passes.

 

[RayClay]

I am so psyched about out tight ends. Felt we projected our two former #1s to be better than they really were as football players, but hit the jackpot for less this time. Nice veteran addition too.

Of course we're still projecting here, til we see them in the regular season.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

I've only seen Hernandez play in college, but I'm confident this TE group will be the best in the BB era.

 

[jmt57]

Two Rookie Tight Ends Stay Silent: Seen, Not Heard by Ian Rapoport for the Boston Herald


There is 42nd overall pick Rob Gronkowski, the 6-foot-6, 265-pound former Arizona star whose complete makeup led some to believe he would’ve been the first tight end picked had he not missed 2009 with a back injury.

And there is 113th selection Aaron Hernandez, the 6-2, 245-pound ex-Florida Gator who won the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end after making 68 catches for 850 yards and five touchdowns. Had he not battled character questions, he likely would’ve been selected in the second round.

Plenty of talent. Even more hope.

That’s why veteran Alge Crumpler counseled the two during camp. It also may be why the team has been cautious with media appearances, declining to make them available through nine days of camp.

“I talk to them about controlling and managing expectations,” Crumpler said. “I talk to them about it, coaches talk to them about it. You have to be able to manage the expectations. For one, that’s something they can’t control. What happened here in the past, we can’t control. All we can control is how we attack every single day and prepare every single day to become the pro that we want to be.”

Gronkowski looks like a player who could be a running back’s dream with a sealing block on the edge. As for Hernandez, his acrobatic catches look routine. He features the smooth moves of a receiver and has often been with the first unit.

“They’ve been productive on the field,” director of player personnel Nick Caserio said, “but obviously the true test will come once we get into a game setting.”

 

[jmt57]

Veteran TE on mission; Crumpler prepared to handle all roles by Nate Taylor for the Boston Globe:


Crumpler said he is willing to take on any role coach Bill Belichick wants. And with the Patriots’ complex offense, that could mean a lot of responsibilities. But Crumpler said that is his way of showing the organization his commitment to being professional. It’s a mentality that is seen more in an unproven rookie than an accomplished player entering his 10th season.

“I don’t think there’s anything in this offense that I can’t do,’’ Crumpler said. “I just hope to be productive in any way. It’s just a matter of what the coaches want me to do, and if I’m able to do it effectively.’’

“I think Alge has been really good for our football team,’’ Belichick said. “He prepares with great diligence and puts a lot of time in it. He never wants to walk on the field unprepared.’’

But Crumpler’s job description is multifaceted. The Patriots not only want him to make a difference on offense, they also want him to help rookie tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez — players who could soon take playing time away from Crumpler — get adjusted to the NFL. Carlos Butler and Rob Myers, two other tight ends with little experience, are also on the roster, and could benefit from some mentoring from Crumpler.

“Everybody in this league is a great athlete, but it takes a lot of work off the field to be a good pro,’’ Crumpler said. “I just want to make sure I know what’s going on so that when they ask a question, I can be prompt in my responses.’’

 

[DarrylS]

These guys present a unique skill set that we have not seen for a while.. Gronkowski is huge and rivals Vollmer... Hernandez has unique speed and pass catching ability... Crumpler is the proven vet.

Very enthusiastic about these additions.. cannot wait to see how they do in real time..