Big wide receiver or tight end debate – Amaro or Benjamin at #29

[Brady6]

The consensus amongst us is that we need to draft a tight end early and rebuild the two tight end offense that we had before losing Hernandez to BCSO. The way I see it is that Hernandez and Gronkowski being tight ends did not matter though; it was the skillset that they offered that made the offense work. Knowing that does it make sense for us to draft a tight end just because that is the position he plays.

At pick #29 if Jace Amaro and Kelvin Benjamin are both on the board whom would you choose.

Personally, I am learning towards Benjamin over Amaro and then drafting a true in line tight end like Fiedorowicz deeper in the draft.

What are your thoughts?

Edit: I agree with those of you who have posted already, it is unlikely that I would select either player at #29 as well, but for discussing the big WR or TE, look at it as if you are in an area of the draft that you would select those two players and who would it be?

 

[mayoclinic]

I would not draft either player at 29.

 

[Brady6]

I would not draft either player at 29.

Yeah I probably would not either, but let’s say it was just out of those two, I am looking more at the mythology of the question than the actual players, do you take the big WR who may be more talented or do you take the TE.

 

[everlong]

i would not draft either player at 29.

1000x.........

 

[BobDigital]

Personally I have serious reservations if either of those players are worth pick #29. Given the choice I'd pick someone else and trade down.

If I have to pick I pick Benjamin. He seems limited in his route tree but we could use him in the Moss role (Just run verticals. That is your route tree).

Also I think he is better built for playoff style football. Amaro has a touch of Jimmy Graham in him (not in the good way) and might be pushed around when the whistles are swallowed.

Benjamin seems to me (could be wrong) to be more physical.

 

[Texxx]

The Patriots have shown that they can find a lower tier TE to produce a lot better than they can get a lower tier big wide receiver to produce.

I think a big WR that is really talented is a much bigger need here and finding a productive TE is a lot easier for this organization to find as well. They've had great offenses with top TE's for years and still weren't able to win it all.

 

[everlong]

Trade down and get ASJ in the 40's. I want another TE so the Pats go back to 21 formation and not the spread.

 

[mayoclinic]

Yeah I probably would not either, but let’s say it was just out of those two, I am looking more at the mythology of the question than the actual players, do you take the big WR who may be more talented or do you take the TE.

You always have to look at the actual players. I would not take either player at 29. In general, I wouldn't take a WR in the 1st round, and I always consider an impact TE a 1st round value, but it depends on the actual players.

 

[Brady6]

You always have to look at the actual players. I would not take either player at 29. In general, I wouldn't take a WR in the 1st round, and I always consider an impact TE a 1st round value, but it depends on the actual players.

Ok let’s say you trade back to #40 and Benjamin, Amaro, and Jenkins are all on the board who would you select there?

 

[mayoclinic]

Ok let’s say you trade back to #40 and Benjamin, Amaro, and Jenkins are all on the board who would you select there?

Dominique Easley.

But of your three options: ASJ.

 

[BobDigital]

Dominique Easley.

But of your three options: ASJ.

Mayo I thought you were off the Easley wagon like me after that "Cartoons > Football" interview. You back on it now or where you never off?

 

[mayoclinic]

Mayo I thought you were off the Easley wagon like me after that "Cartoons > Football" interview. You back on it now or where you never off?

I was never off it. That had no impact on my assessment of Easley - I think it's a tempest in a teapot. Easley is my #2 DT after Aaron Donald, with Hageman #3, Jernigan #4, and Caraun Reid #5. I'm still undecided about Will Sutton, and I'm not sure where I fit Stephon Tuitt and Brent Urban.

 

[Brady6]

Dominique Easley.



But of your three options: ASJ.

Huge fan of Easley I'm hoping the injury red flags have him slip to #62.

 

[Brady6]

I was never off it. That had no impact on my assessment of Easley - I think it's a tempest in a teapot. Easley is my #2 DT after Aaron Donald, with Hageman #3, Jernigan #4, and Caraun Reid #5. I'm still undecided about Will Sutton, and I'm not sure where I fit Stephon Tuitt and Brent Urban.

I cannot get down with the Sutton love many have. He is undersized and his athletic ability was unimpressive at the combine.

 

[mayoclinic]

Huge fan of Easley I'm hoping the injury red flags have him slip to #62.

I can't see it. I doubt he'll last beyond the top 40 or so. Believe me, if I could get Easley at 62 it would make things a lot easier:

- Trade back from 29 to about 40 or so, picking up an early 4th
- Take ASJ or Amaro at 40
- Take Easley at 62
- Take the best available OL at 93. Hopefully someone like Joel Bitonio, Marcus Martin or Weston Richburg is still available.
- Hope that one of Christian Jones or Jordan Trip is available in the early 4th.
- Hope that one of Antone Exum or Phillip Gaines is available with our 4th round pick.

Unfortunately, I doubt other teams will cooperate enough for that to occur. My best approximation of that is to take Easley at 40 and hope Troy Niklas lasts to 62. That's pretty much my draft plan, unless the Pats can swing a trade up for Aaron Donald.

 

[patchick]

I would not draft either player at 29.

Nor would I. But on the general question of "big WR vs. TE," with Dobson & LaFell both under contract for the next 3 years it seems to me that a tight end should make a much bigger impact on the offense.

 

[mayoclinic]

Nor would I. But on the general question of "big WR vs. TE," with Dobson & LaFell both under contract for the next 3 years it seems to me that a tight end should make a much bigger impact on the offense.

And I still have hopes for Mark Harrison (who could play as a big WR, or as a WR/TE hybrid). That's 3 guys almost 6'3" and 210#+, 2 of whom have 4.37 speed.

As I posted elsewhere, right now we have a very young and stable set of WRs from a contract perspective, and at reasonable cap cost:

- Danny Amendola (turns 29 in November): signed through 2017 (though he could be a cap casualty as early as 2015)
- Julian Edelman (turns 28 in May): signed through 2017
- Aaron Dobson (turns 23 in July): signed through 2016
- Brandon LaFell (turns 28 in November): signed through 2016
- Josh Boyce (turns 23 in May): signed through 2016
- Kenbrell Thompkins (UDFA; turns 26 in July)): signed through 2015
- Mark Harrison (UDFA); turns 24 in December): signed through 2015

If 1 or 2 of the youngsters develop, the Pats will be in great shape. The low cap cost of the position is something that can't be emphasized enough, IMO.

If we get really lucky then Aaron Dobson will get stronger in his upper body and will develop into a Demaryius Thomas type of #1 WR, with Lafell playing an Eric Decker kind of role, and Edelman as a younger version of Welker. Add in Gronk, and possibly another TE, plus the other guys for depth, and we could have a really strong group of receivers. It could take another year for the youngsters to develop (and they could easily fall flat, it's obviously not a given), but if things fell right we could be sitting pretty at what was considered a position of weakness (how often have we said that!).

The other piece of the equation is getting the RB position stabilized for the long term. Vereen will hopefully get extended, and either Blount locked up for a few years or an alternative brought in (I'd love a RB with receiving skills like Knowshon Moreno, though that's a long shot).

Short of the TE position - which I believe can be addressed in day 3, unless someone like ASJ falls into our lap - I don't think that the offensive "skill" positions are an issue. We need to address the lines in the draft, on both sides of the ball.

 

[cstjohn17]

Nor would I. But on the general question of "big WR vs. TE," with Dobson & LaFell both under contract for the next 3 years it seems to me that a tight end should make a much bigger impact on the offense.

Yep, the big WR ship seemed to have sailed.

Mostly my analysis points to DT in round 1 then TE in round 2.

 

[Pats-Phan]

I haven't studied the draft prospects but the Pats should take BPA. Build the offense around the talent you have. We have a greater need at TE than WR but I'm not worried about losing Boyce or Thompkins if there's a prospect who projects as a no 1 WR. Reaching for a TE just so we can run a 2 TE offense is a terrible idea.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Note: This is not meant as an endorsement or anti-endorsement, merely an expression of a fact.

Kelvin Benjamin posted this on Instagram:

Then again, there's also a photo of him wearing a Panthers hat (which is a sign that he is aware of what's going on in the NFL. ).