Watson Graham really hurt, or lack of confidence..

[Sean Pa Patriot]

With OJ Santiago signed to the roster, and Rob Taddford signed to the practice squad does people think that maybee Graham and or Watson could be out longer than anticipated, or has it become a lack of confidence for puting the ball on the ground constantly..??? Im not sure but we sure love the tight end positon, and we have not gotten it right since Marv Cook and Ben Coates..

 

[satz]

No because the league knows to get to brady you take out the TE and some people are dumb enough to believe a TE can play WR .

Point our TE are on Jacked up all the time ......

 

[BelichickFan]

No because the league knows to get to brady you take out the TE and some people are dumb enough to believe a TE can play WR .

Point our TE are on Jacked up all the time ......

Huh ??? What do they teach in Boston schools ?

Anyway . . . it means that Watson will miss a game or two, or there's a good chance he will, and they need a TE. If it were season ending he would likely be on IR already.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

With OJ Santiago signed to the roster, and Rob Taddford signed to the practice squad does people think that maybee Graham and or Watson could be out longer than anticipated, or has it become a lack of confidence for puting the ball on the ground constantly..??? Im not sure but we sure love the tight end positon, and we have not gotten it right since Marv Cook and Ben Coates..

To me Watson and his fumbling have been a major disappointment this year. I'm almost glad he's sitting and IR would not be a tragedy, either...

He just seems lost out there sometimes...

He might need some time to sort himself out and decide if he really wants to be an NFL tight end.

The guy is a heartbreak waiting to happen!

He'll make one monster catch and then drop an easy ball. Then he'll run a great route, catch it and end up fumbling at a key moment.

In terms of unfulfilled potential (not to mention a very shaky bread basket), he reminds me, for some reason, of another famous fumbler named Sammy Smith, a running back from FSU who played for Denver and Miami, but ultimately was nudged out of football over his fumbling...

Sammy went on to a career as a cocaine dealer and ended up in prison.

Hope things work out better for Watson.

One silver lining: maybe with Watson finally exposed as a semi-bust, Moonlight Graham will start to live up to his potential...

I sure miss Christian Fauria...

We could use some of his old-school-between-the-legs TD spikes right about now!

ADPF

 

[BelichickFan]

I sure miss Christian Fauria...

I don't, he had a lot of drops his last year here. I am cautiously optimistic on Dave Thomas though.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

I don't, he had a lot of drops his last year here. I am cautiously optimistic on Dave Thomas though.

True, true...Fauria did drop some balls...

But I felt alot more confidence in him than I do in Watson...

As far as Thomas, why did we sign Santiago instead of stepping Thomas up?

And wasn't Santiago a pretty big stud TE in Atlanta before Alge Crumpler got there?

Does OJ have anything left in the tank?

 

[BelichickFan]

As far as Thomas, why did we sign Santiago instead of stepping Thomas up?

I expect Thomas to play a lot more than Santiago but if our #3 TE (Thomas) is temporarily the #2 TE then we need a new #3 TE.

 

[Krugman]

I'm hoping Mills will be good next year as a reciever(Iknow he's a tweener TE/FB) but close enough...

 

[Alk]

So where is Rod Rutledge these days? I'm actually kind of serious. If Watson is down for any extended amount of time, our best option to replace him is Graham. Rutledge was a very good blocking TE so he could fill Graham's normal role as Light's babysitter and that would allow Graham to actually run a few routes.

 

[skri65]

To me Watson and his fumbling have been a major disappointment this year. I'm almost glad he's sitting and IR would not be a tragedy, either...

He just seems lost out there sometimes...

He might need some time to sort himself out and decide if he really wants to be an NFL tight end.

The guy is a heartbreak waiting to happen!

He'll make one monster catch and then drop an easy ball. Then he'll run a great route, catch it and end up fumbling at a key moment.

In terms of unfulfilled potential (not to mention a very shaky bread basket), he reminds me, for some reason, of another famous fumbler named Sammy Smith, a running back from FSU who played for Denver and Miami, but ultimately was nudged out of football over his fumbling...

Sammy went on to a career as a cocaine dealer and ended up in prison.

Hope things work out better for Watson.

One silver lining: maybe with Watson finally exposed as a semi-bust, Moonlight Graham will start to live up to his potential...

I sure miss Christian Fauria...

We could use some of his old-school-between-the-legs TD spikes right about now!

ADPF

With all due respect, I can't see how Watson, the leading Patriots reciever, going on IR wouldn't be a trajedy. We'd be losing our leading reciever; again, I don't see how that WOULDN"T be a big deal.

 

[TracerTrav87]

I hope Watson is not seriously injured. Personally I like the guy and think he has what it takes to be a stud TE.

 

[RayClay]

So where is Rod Rutledge these days? I'm actually kind of serious. If Watson is down for any extended amount of time, our best option to replace him is Graham. Rutledge was a very good blocking TE so he could fill Graham's normal role as Light's babysitter and that would allow Graham to actually run a few routes.

Rutledge hasn't played since 2002.

I'm sure he's kept in shape, though.

 

[Alk]

Rutledge hasn't played since 2002.

I'm sure he's kept in shape, though.

Wow, has it been that long?

 

[Joker]

Maroney back..with Dillon...one home playoff game...Rodney back to stabilize the secondary...anything can happen...Pittsburgh did it last year...why NOT us?

 

[DarrylS]

Before people starting pining for Christian Fauria, this year in the Redskins offense he has 2 receptions in 9 games.. not much production there.

 

[satz]

Huh ??? What do they teach in Boston schools ?

Anyway . . . it means that Watson will miss a game or two, or there's a good chance he will, and they need a TE. If it were season ending he would likely be on IR already.

English is the 4th language i learned to speak and write so i think they are doing a good job.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Before people starting pining for Christian Fauria, this year in the Redskins offense he has 2 receptions in 9 games.. not much production there.

Whoa! You forget "Fall Down" Fauria's greatest secret asset. After making a catch, Fauria could be 100% relied upon to fall to the ground. Immediately. Who knew at the time that Fauria was doing this so that he would not become a Drive Killer like Ben Watson? Who knew???

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

Exactly.....People suddenly forget all the positives that Watson has. They forget his effort in Denver catching up toChamp Bailey, and as far as most of us are concerned, he made a play that should have been called correctly, and we probably would hve won that game.

They have forgotten allthe great catches he did make, and the YAC on so many of them.

So he has run ito a bad streak...he will get over it. He is still a superb football player and his loss, if their is to be one, will be hard to replace.

Watson is definitely a special talent, but there is just something missing that I cannot put my finger on...

And the fumblitis is driving me nuts!

I'd like to see Graham faetured a little more now. Remember that catch and run vs. Atlanta last season for TD? (I think it was Atlanta).

I think he has a lot more of that in his bag...

 

[TruthSeeker]

Man, I want some of what you people are smoking. Watson a "bust" ? Puhleaseeee.......the guy is a stud, in his second full year, his first as a #1 TE. If Watson hasn't blown out his knee again (I'm hoping he hasn't, but it looked pretty bad last Sunday), I think he will be an allstar by next year. Like I mentioned in another Watson thread, Jerry Rice used to fumble a lot his first two years, sometimes without being touched, I wouldn't worry too much about the fumbles, only injuries can derail Watson's career, not fumbles.

 

[Ichiro]

I think the TE position is not being coached or evaluated correctly on this team and it has been a problem during the whole Belichick regime.

Graham is a wonderful blocker, great leader and physical player. But during his 5 years here he was never made a consistent contribution to the passing game like most 1st round TE's. Early is his career he was fighting the ball. Now it seems most of us are resigned to the fact that he will never develop into a Todd Heap-like TE. Remember we traded up to draft this guy in 2002.

Watson is another story. His fumbles are problematic, but its his technique in the passing game that bothers me the most. He does not recognize and sit down in zone coverage, does not catch the ball with his hands, and does not attack and go back towards the ball in the air. I love his speed and hustle, but these fundamentals are the key to guys like Gates and Gonzalez being the primary reciever on their teams. I would overlook his below average blocking if he was more polished in the passing game.

I know that the Pats value the TE a lot. But the way the front office (Dave Stachleski, Jabari Holloway, Arther Love) and coaching staff have handled this position leaves a lot of questions.