Tight Ends
 

Re: Tight Ends
 

Nice find Box. And some nice insight on our kids.

Bill is always ahead of the curve. He just didn't have the right TE's. Both were reluctant blockers coming out of college and maybe because it wasn't in their pedigree they were injured a lot learning the role. Graham became a solid blocker, but he hated the role. And athletic as he was, Watson could never master chewing gum while walking. Sounds like this crop has been genetically altered to be multi dimentional coming out of college... because of the spread of the spread.

Bad news for all the WTF is our fullback let's get back to pounding the rock crowd... Now if they can get Maroney integrated into the short passing game, what's comin' next will be a formational diagnostic crap shoot...:D

Re: Tight Ends
 

If Crumpler really has trimmed up, and gotten significantly quicker, we could have a pretty sick 3 TE formation. That group would create some serious matchup problems.

Re: Tight Ends
 

Nice read... I can't wait to see these guys light up the Jest!

Re: Tight Ends
 

Interesting that the article mentioned Gresham, at first but based the rest on the Pat's 2 picks. Physically, this "new breed" of TE compares to the defensive equivalent of the successful DE/OLB conversion project. Hopefully, with a more agile Crumpler, they will prove competitive against Ryan's blitz pkgs.

Re: Tight Ends
 

I'm very happy with the TEs the Patriots picked, but the article is utter hogwash.

Teams are NOT suddenly drafting more tight ends for strategic reasons. The average number of TEs drafted in the last four years of this decade is precisely the same as in the first four years of this decade. This year it happened to be the deepest position in the draft, so teams took a lot of them, that's all.

Check it out: all of the receiving threats who are supposed to be the prototypes of this "new breed" that "everybody wants" -- Hernandez, Pitta, Dickerson -- went much LATER than expected in this draft. That's not a sign of increased demand, it's increased supply!

Hogwash, I tells ya, hogwash. :snob:

Re: Tight Ends
 

Weakening one area to theoretically strengthen another. Meet the new NFL, same as the old NFL.

Re: Tight Ends
 

this season can't start soon enough.

Re: Tight Ends
 

In five years the spread will be dead. It will rest at the bottom of Lake Ichigumi with the K-Gun, the original shotty, the run and shoot, the wing-t, and certain west coast concepts. It's not difficult to anticipate this trend, and the league is already shifting. Spread is speed and space. Defenses adjust to disrupt the timing and get into quick pursuit angles. Offenses will eventually get beat by these upfield/penetration, and realize what Joe Gibbs did two decades ago. Block the defenders and they are at your mercy. So, like in anything else, the balance shifts back towards blocking and physical football. Not too difficult to grasp, and certainly nothing brilliant, but far too often
media is well behind the trend.

As Patchick pointed out, it's not a demand conversation but a supply conversation. Don't get me wrong- there are some great tight ends that are coming out. However, a guy like Gronkowski is much more of a true TE than Hernandez or Jimmy Graham. There will be excellent opportunities to utilize their skill sets, but the position and the game as a whole will always seek it's own level. Those who become enamored with the offense will be out thought, out strategized, and eventually become obsolete. Those that can take the concepts with validity each new trend brings can anticipate the shifts, and grow mentally.

They're getting tougher, more physical on offense. They recognize this trend. Now bring me my fullback! :)

Re: Tight Ends
 

Preach on!

+1 (if we had rep)