Big Shout Out To Thomas

Oswlek · Sep 20, 2006

TNPatsFan said:
So according to KC Joyner, Jeremy Tuman is a better TE than Graham. That right there should tell you how credible his "statistics" are. I just don't believe everything is so cut and dried, like Joyner does. You can't pick some obscure statistic out of the air and declare player A a better player than player B because he has a better number.

If anyone doesn't think Graham is an outstanding blocker, go back and watch the Super Bowl against Carolina and watch him dominate.

Graham wasn't as spectacular as typically last year, but there was a very good reason for it. It's tough to be a great blocker when you can barely lift your arms up.

PonyExpress · Sep 20, 2006

TNPatsFan said:
So according to KC Joyner, Jeremy Tuman is a better TE than Graham. That right there should tell you how credible his "statistics" are. I just don't believe everything is so cut and dried, like Joyner does. You can't pick some obscure statistic out of the air and declare player A a better player than player B because he has a better number.

If anyone doesn't think Graham is an outstanding blocker, go back and watch the Super Bowl against Carolina and watch him dominate.

You are misrepresenting what Joyner said. Joyner said Tuman was a better point of attack and key blocker than Graham in 2005. That is all. We are talking about 2005, not 2003. The best evidence we have to judge Graham on is from 2005. Players have down years. Until disproven in 2006, I'll believe Joyner's cold, analytical observation over rose-colored glasses.

TNPatsFan · Sep 20, 2006

So I guess what I see Graham doing on the field is a fluke, because he doesn't have the right numbers to be good.

PonyExpress · Sep 20, 2006

Oswlek said:
Graham wasn't as spectacular as typically last year, but there was a very good reason for it. It's tough to be a great blocker when you can barely lift your arms up.

Exactly. Graham was hurt and less effective last year. Is he all the way back? I'm not sure. He had some trouble with Fletcher's quickness in Game1, although there's no great shame in that necessarily.

patsox23 · Sep 20, 2006

PonyExpress said:
Dan is not a killer blocker. He is an average blocker.

Wow. Pony, God love ya, but this is...not your best work. Try again. Graham is arguably THE best blocking TE in the NFL.

patsox23 · Sep 20, 2006

I appreciate that Pony brought some stats to back up his point, but I think some stats are useful and others are misleading. The idea that Daniel Graham is not an elite blocking TE is silly. Sometimes you have to just watch the games. He's a football player and a terrific blocker. But hey, given that he's almost surely leaving next year, I hope you're right so the fall-out won't be as severe.

Mosi Moose · Sep 20, 2006

i'm not sure we have to "pick" one or the other--I love the 3 TE sets that we used last Sunday and think we'll see more of that this year. Splitting Ben out is a match-up nightmare. It also gives Dave the chance to run a route that can be used as a "check down" of sorts for Brady--much like that pass that he caught on Sunday. I love that play.

zippo59 · Sep 20, 2006

I recall Graham blocking Julius Peppers 1 on 1 last year and completely handled him. This might have been before he got injured but how many TE's are able to block a star DE 1 on 1?

jczxohn1 · Sep 20, 2006

Good news about Thomas. I was apprehensive, thinking he was more a receiver-only type guy.

njpatsfan · Sep 20, 2006

BelichickFan said:
That's interesting - and good - because although his listed height/weight isn't too much different than Graham and Watson were as rookies, he does look thin out there. He might well be our #2 TE next year so we need him to be a solid blocker - we know he can catch.

I can't wait to see NEM's head explode when we draft another TE (one of the #1's) next year.

R

JustWinBrady · Sep 20, 2006

Seeing that this is Graham's last year of his contract, I look for the Patriot's to franchise him next year. I think the tag is ~3.4M. Teams may be tempted to trade for him, maybe another #1 next year. Denver is interested in him. Leslie & graham trade reports. He played at Colorado. Hopefully graham will play a great game this week.

Bostonian1962 · Sep 20, 2006

Nice post.

He seems to me to be one of those guys that you just look at and see a FOOTBALL PLAYER!

AzPatsFan · Sep 20, 2006

Alk said:
You're kind of selling Watson short aren't you? I think Graham is clearly our best all around TE and alot of Patriots fans severely underrate him. You say he's an average blocker but the fact that whenever Light is struggling with an elite pass rusher and Graham slides over and the pass rush virtually disappears is no coincidence. His hands are well above average and he has just enough speed (although nothing like Watson's) that most LBs are going to have a hard time covering him. I think if we let Graham walk next season, it's going to be a HUGE loss.

BB pays for genuine production. Look how much he is paying for reserve DL Jarvis Green. Would any other FO do that ? Probably Not.

I expect he thinks highly of the things that Graham does, that win games but don't show up on the stats sheet.

Big Shout Out To Thomas

Oswlek

Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal

PonyExpress

In the Starting Line-Up

TNPatsFan

Practice Squad Player

PonyExpress

In the Starting Line-Up

patsox23

Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract

patsox23

Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract

Mosi Moose

On the Game Day Roster

zippo59

Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract

jczxohn1

PatsFans.com Supporter

njpatsfan

Third String But Playing on Special Teams

JustWinBrady

On the Game Day Roster

Bostonian1962

In the Starting Line-Up

AzPatsFan

Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal

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