Talking TEs - 2014 Draft

[mayoclinic]

I'm far from being as educated as you guys are, and haven't watched any of these guys beyond youtube videos. But Troy Niklas is the one TE that really stands out to me. I love how he lines up like a traditional tight end and takes on DEs in the blocking game. Even more so, the way he fakes a block and explodes into the middle of the field is beautiful to my eyes. I think it was Mayo who said he looked like a lesser gronk, and I couldn't agree more. He would make the perfect back up. I love the way he drives through dbs trying to block him, and catches contested passes.

Amaro, Ebron, and ASJ just don't do it for me. ASJ would be my fave from these 3, but Amaro and Ebron seem to just run wr routes and do nothing in the run game. At least I could't find any videos showing any blocking skills, so I could be way off.

Ebron is my top TE prospect but he'll be off the board, and I'm not sure I would pull the plug at 29 depending on who else is on the board. He has rare athletic ability, but he does have some inconsistency. He's kind of the Ra'Shede Hageman of the TE position.

Niklas is my favorite in-line TE prospect. I'd like to address backup/2nd in-line TE in FA if possible, but if we were to address it in the draft Niklas would be my guy. I prefer him to ASJ, and think he has more upside. ASJ is more developed in his route running at this point, so I can understand the differing point of view.

Rodgers is my favorite move TE value. I think he can be as good as Amaro with some coaching - the Cal program was a hot mess this year. Jeff Tedford felt that Rodgers could be the best TE in the country, and I wouldn't at all be surprised for Tampa Bay to target him in this draft. I'm just not sold on Jace Amaro being that special. Colt Lyerla is, from the neck down, but unfortunately the head is not a detachable option. Logan Thomas and Larry Webster are intriguing athletes with great conversion potential (as is Mark Harrison), but none of them has shown anything on the field yet at that position.

 

[gobesmug]

Ebron is my top TE prospect but he'll be off the board, and I'm not sure I would pull the plug at 29 depending on who else is on the board. He has rare athletic ability, but he does have some inconsistency. He's kind of the Ra'Shede Hageman of the TE position.

Niklas is my favorite in-line TE prospect. I'd like to address backup/2nd in-line TE in FA if possible, but if we were to address it in the draft Niklas would be my guy. I prefer him to ASJ, and think he has more upside. ASJ is more developed in his route running at this point, so I can understand the differing point of view.

Rodgers is my favorite move TE value. I think he can be as good as Amaro with some coaching - the Cal program was a hot mess this year. Jeff Tedford felt that Rodgers could be the best TE in the country, and I wouldn't at all be surprised for Tampa Bay to target him in this draft. I'm just not sold on Jace Amaro being that special. Colt Lyerla is, from the neck down, but unfortunately the head is not a detachable option. Logan Thomas and Larry Webster are intriguing athletes with great conversion potential (as is Mark Harrison), but none of them has shown anything on the field yet at that position.

Ebron definitely has freakish athletic ability. I guess its the draft grade that has me unimpressed. I hope BB doesn't spend a 1st pick on TE or a WR when there is going to be some good defensive prospects sitting at 29. I would probably have a heart attack if Pryor some how fell to 29 and BB drafted Amaro and I'm only 28.

I'll have to search youtube for any videos on Rodgers. I normally like the same prospects you do, so I'll probably be yelling at the tv when BB drafts a Rutgers safety in 4th with Rodgers still available.

 

[Elijah T.]

Ebron is my top TE prospect but he'll be off the board, and I'm not sure I would pull the plug at 29 depending on who else is on the board. He has rare athletic ability, but he does have some inconsistency. He's kind of the Ra'Shede Hageman of the TE position.

Niklas is my favorite in-line TE prospect. I'd like to address backup/2nd in-line TE in FA if possible, but if we were to address it in the draft Niklas would be my guy. I prefer him to ASJ, and think he has more upside. ASJ is more developed in his route running at this point, so I can understand the differing point of view.

Rodgers is my favorite move TE value. I think he can be as good as Amaro with some coaching - the Cal program was a hot mess this year. Jeff Tedford felt that Rodgers could be the best TE in the country, and I wouldn't at all be surprised for Tampa Bay to target him in this draft. I'm just not sold on Jace Amaro being that special. Colt Lyerla is, from the neck down, but unfortunately the head is not a detachable option. Logan Thomas and Larry Webster are intriguing athletes with great conversion potential (as is Mark Harrison), but none of them has shown anything on the field yet at that position.

Good post as usual...I agree with 90% of it, but the more I look at Amaro the more I see Hernandez at 6'5 260 (comparing Hernandez at Florida).

I like Amaro in 'this' offense a lot and would not be upset with him at 29, but I agree with your other prospect assessments and wouldn't be dissapointed with Rodgers or Niklas later.

 

[gobesmug]

I just watched what I could find of Rodgers on youtube. The only video was of Cal vs Stanford, in which they got beat by almost 50 points. Thats Broncos territory. Here is what I saw from my unskilled eye.

He looks solid, and appears to have some pretty good core.strength. His blocking was decent, and he ran pretty good routes. His hands were good, and he made some nice grabs in traffic. But he seems to lack the quickness needed to play a move TE position.

Perhaps he had some knee or ankle injury that game, but I did not see any explosiveness from the lower body. He slows starting off, and failed to gain separation from the Stanford LBs. However, he did seem to have a knack for positioning his body in a way to create a throwing lane. To be honest, he looked like Hooman, but better body positioning in his route running with softer hands.

 

[gobesmug]

For a later round prospect, Jacob Pederson out of Wisconsin looks pretty good. I just got done watching some videos of him, including footage of every snap from a game against Purdue. He is a little on the small.side, being 6-3, 245.

Here a few positives that stood out to me:
The guy seems to have pretty good speed, and runs decent routes. He catches the ball away from his body in traffic. He his aggressive in the blocking game. In the footage I saw, he ran a lot of motion plays into the back field on running plays, attacking his blocking assignment. He showed enough flexibility to lead block and even a ran a reverse on one play. Just loved the way he blocked without fear.

Negatives:
None. Just kidding. He is not as sudden or quick as I would like. He catches well, but his running in the open field was nothing impressive. He runs with the ball tucked under both his arms,.which limits his mobility to move laterally. He needs to build up strength to block effectively in the NFL. He didn't shy away from contact, but when he engaged a DE or DT, he got pushed back easily. He doesn't have elite size, and doesn't appear to have elite athleticism either.

In summary. For a 6th or a 7th round pick, this kid could be a decent option for a move TE. He shows the ability and desire to move anywhere on the field. A year on the practice squad to build up strength is what he would probably need.

 

[AzorianPats]

For a later round prospect, Jacob Pederson out of Wisconsin looks pretty good. I just got done watching some videos of him, including footage of every snap from a game against Purdue. He is a little on the small.side, being 6-3, 245.

Here a few positives that stood out to me:
The guy seems to have pretty good speed, and runs decent routes. He catches the ball away from his body in traffic. He his aggressive in the blocking game. In the footage I saw, he ran a lot of motion plays into the back field on running plays, attacking his blocking assignment. He showed enough flexibility to lead block and even a ran a reverse on one play. Just loved the way he blocked without fear.

Negatives:
None. Just kidding. He is not as sudden or quick as I would like. He catches well, but his running in the open field was nothing impressive. He runs with the ball tucked under both his arms,.which limits his mobility to move laterally. He needs to build up strength to block effectively in the NFL. He didn't shy away from contact, but when he engaged a DE or DT, he got pushed back easily. He doesn't have elite size, and doesn't appear to have elite athleticism either.

In summary. For a 6th or a 7th round pick, this kid could be a decent option for a move TE. He shows the ability and desire to move anywhere on the field. A year on the practice squad to build up strength is what he would probably need.

Sounds like Aaron Hernandez, but not as athletic!

I too like the sound of Pederson!

 

[gobesmug]

Sounds like Aaron Hernandez, but not as athletic!

I too like the sound of Pederson!

Without the ball in his hands, I could see him running similar routes to Ahern, but he looks nothing like Ahern with ball in his hands. He just looks awkward while running, and doesn't have the same movement without the ball. Perhaps its a coaching thing, where too much emphasis was placed on ball security, because he looks like he is running into a pile of DTs, even when no one is around.

If I were to compare him to anyone it would Hooman, but with higher potential, a little more athleticism, better route running, and much better hands. I would like see tape on him from some other games, its possible he shows more suddeness and agility then I saw with footage on youtube. I could see his ceiling being Chris Cooley from a few years back.

 

[varjao]

Several mock drafts have ASJ and Amaro avaiable at #29

I would be totally ok with ASJ, it would for sure improve our 20+ yards pass % , great route runner, fast, good hands.

 

[varjao]

A friend told me that Amaro has an alleged credit card fraud.

After Hernandez, I can't see them giving any benefit of the doubt for several years.

 

[PatsFan2]

What's the take on that U-Mass Prospect TE Rob Blanchflower? Could he be diamond in the rough not coming from a Big Football School?

 

[PatsFan2]

If the Patriots drafts TE: Jace Amaro I am not going to complain one things for sure he would put our TE position back on the map.

 

[PatsFan2]

Ebron is my top TE prospect but he'll be off the board, and I'm not sure I would pull the plug at 29 depending on who else is on the board. He has rare athletic ability, but he does have some inconsistency. He's kind of the Ra'Shede Hageman of the TE position.

Niklas is my favorite in-line TE prospect. I'd like to address backup/2nd in-line TE in FA if possible, but if we were to address it in the draft Niklas would be my guy. I prefer him to ASJ, and think he has more upside. ASJ is more developed in his route running at this point, so I can understand the differing point of view.

Rodgers is my favorite move TE value. I think he can be as good as Amaro with some coaching - the Cal program was a hot mess this year. Jeff Tedford felt that Rodgers could be the best TE in the country, and I wouldn't at all be surprised for Tampa Bay to target him in this draft. I'm just not sold on Jace Amaro being that special. Colt Lyerla is, from the neck down, but unfortunately the head is not a detachable option. Logan Thomas and Larry Webster are intriguing athletes with great conversion potential (as is Mark Harrison), but none of them has shown anything on the field yet at that position.

Big fan of Richard Rodgers also Kid will be Beast in the Passing game. The Patriots should have some good options in FA and the Draft. I wouldn't mind Scott Chandler Bills TE in FA and Richard Rodgers via the Draft. Those guys should hold it down and anything we get from Gronk is gravy.

 

[AQPE]

I've been on the "TE is a priority" bandwagon for a while now, more specifically a move TE replacement for <former employee #81>. They didn't have one of those last year (after Sudfeld bombed out) and it really hurt them. My thinking is that when you look at who the Pats have in each position group, the TE group even with a healthy Gronk is the one that they could upgrade most with the infusion of the right talent. Its not that I don't think they need upgrades at a bunch of spots (C, RG, WRX, DT, DE, "coverage" OLB, SS), I just think that the biggest impact from last season to next season (in addition to getting back a 100% Gronk) would be to improve their depth and capabilities at TE.

So, the choices for them are obviously (1) address this in free agency, or (2) address this in the draft, or (3) do both.

In my ("ludicrously uninformed," as the Fanatical Yankee is prone to saying) opinion, considering what I understand to be the current perception of the available talent level and the ease of integrating the new talent into the team next season, the best option for them to fill that position is in free agency, but obviously the costs are much higher and the pickin's are much slimmer there.

I haven't studied this well enough, but like I think most of the folks here, I doubt Baltimore lets Pitta walk. He would be my top choice of those out there (I'm assuming here that Graham will be so prohibitively expensive that he is not even a possibility for the Pats). Thus for me, among the possible available free agents, the prime candidates are (1) Chandler, (2) Pettigrew, and (3) Gresham (if he is cut loose, obviously). My concern here is that I think there will be a pretty hot market for the available FA TEs this year. The impact of Gronk, Graham, Vernon Davis, Julius Thomas, etc. in the past 3 or 4 seasons has in my view elevated the value of this position. I'd have to think that, for example, Seattle and Green Bay would be two of the teams that are looking for an impact TE (Seattle with a reliable safety valve for Wilson in addition to a healthy Harvin next year is a sickening thought). The Pats have too many needs right now, to get them to the next level and win the championship, to overspend for TE in free agency. Thus, I think their best option is to go for a second-tier TE in free agency and see how the draft plays out at the top end.

Regarding the draft - the subject of ths thread - I'm of the opinion that they should either draft a move TE with their #1 or wait until day 3 for a developmental type guy. IMHO there are really only 3 players worth considering as a #1 pick at TE: Ebron, Amaro, and ASJ. I really doubt that Ebron will be there at #29, and I would be shocked to see BB move up enough spots in the draft to be able to take him. This leaves Amaro and ASJ as realistic possibilities for their #1. Of the two, I'm a lot higher on ASJ than Amaro, for a couple of reasons. One is that ASJ has, in my view, a lot more flexibility for the Pats offense than Amaro. I can't see Amaro locking down a DE or OLB on a goal-line or short-yardage situation where they need to run the ball nearly as well as ASJ. The second area is in the red zone. Off what I've seen (again, ludicrously uninformed as my ability to discern this is), ASJ offers a lot more potential as both a blocker and an end zone target than Amaro. If Ebron and ASJ are gone, then I'd rather see the Pats wait and take a second-tier guy like Rodgers or Lynch. The Logan Thomas conversion idea is interesting, but a concern i have with that is that their TE coach is new this year, so handing him a project may not be the right move, and also this team is so close that using a roster spot for a project is not good timing, I don't think. I want no part of Lyerla and as for Harrison I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised but would not want the Pats to bank on that as the solution.

Thus, I'm in the ASJ camp. If here is there, I hope they take him. I don't see him getting past Seattle in the 1st round. If he isn't there, even if Amaro is, I'm hoping they go in a different direction - DE or DT if they stick with #29, or - my real hope, a trade down into the early 2nd round to grab someone in the WRX, DT, DE, "coverage" OLB, SS groups (I don't think they should spend a high pick on a C or RG, I think the value at those spots is better on Day 3).

 

[ctpatsfan77]

A friend told me that Amaro has an alleged credit card fraud.

After Hernandez, I can't see them giving any benefit of the doubt for several years.

By that logic, they should have cut Dennard already.

I think they'll be less lenient, but they're not going to have a zero-tolerance policy.

 

[mayoclinic]

Big fan of Richard Rodgers also Kid will be Beast in the Passing game. The Patriots should have some good options in FA and the Draft. I wouldn't mind Scott Chandler Bills TE in FA and Richard Rodgers via the Draft. Those guys should hold it down and anything we get from Gronk is gravy.

Make it Brandon Pettigrew and Rodgers and I'm sold. And if Jermaine Gresham or Marcedes Lewis gets cut, they would be terrific, too.

 

[patsderoer]

This guy is a beast. His legs never stop moving until he is down.


Colt Lyerla Ultimate Highlights 1080p - YouTube

I would definitely take a 5th round flyer on him

 

[ctpatsfan77]

This guy is a beast. His legs never stop moving until he is down.


Colt Lyerla Ultimate Highlights 1080p - YouTube

I would definitely take a 5th round flyer on him

No TE in the draft is more like Hernandez on the field.

No TE in the draft is more like Hernandez off the field.

 

[patsderoer]

No TE in the draft is more like Hernandez on the field.

No TE in the draft is more like Hernandez off the field.

Let's be serious, Lyerla hasn't killed anyone. He wasn't a problem when Chip Kelly was still in town. A 5 round pick gamble to see if he controls himself under BB. I say 5 round because I can see the Eagles taking him in the 6th or 7th.

 

[Snake Eyes]

This guy is a beast. His legs never stop moving until he is down.


Colt Lyerla Ultimate Highlights 1080p - YouTube

I would definitely take a 5th round flyer on him

I still think he's too risky in the 5th because some other potential studs will likely be available then. If I can trade around a bit and pick up a few 7ths I'll do it but damn, what the hell was he doing getting busted with coke?

 

[DocHoliday]

I'd take Colt in a heartbeat