If we are going to look ahead w/o graham

[satz]

Off late evans is coming up on a few topics and also i am looking that he being played in graham`s position when graham is out.

are we seeing a BB project in evan`s conversion to a blocking TE .i wonder as
of all the TE we have non who can block like graham .but evans with a little improvement in catching[he does not have dropped many when given a choice] should work out nice.

He is cheaper and faster then graham on the ground game.He will be a beast of a blocking TE/FB if you think about it.Yes we have millis but this guy can work now and is bigger .

Also, i am disappointed in Watson blowing blocks in the running game and hits/hurrys on brady this year.He is a passing TE which i have feeling thomas is going to take over in a year or 2 and also thomas transitions into a 3rd WR position .

 

[mgteich]

bb is always preparing for life after any potential free agent.

1) Graham is an important part of the team for 2006
2) Graham is the best blocking TE in football
3) Thomas is not transitioning to WR. He will be a fine blocking TE.
4) We also have Mills who is expected to be an H-back
5) I'm fine with Watson, Thomas and Mills as our TE's, although we could add another, as we will do if Graham is not extended.
6) Evans is a fullback and a receiver. There is no reason for him to learn to be a lineman.

Off late evans is coming up on a few topics and also i am looking that he being played in graham`s position when graham is out.

are we seeing a BB project in evan`s conversion to a blocking TE .i wonder as
of all the TE we have non who can block like graham .but evans with a little improvement in catching[he does not have dropped many when given a choice] should work out nice.

He is cheaper and faster then graham on the ground game.He will be a beast of a blocking TE/FB if you think about it.Yes we have millis but this guy can work now and is bigger .

Also, i am disappointed in Watson blowing blocks in the running game and hits/hurrys on brady this year.He is a passing TE which i have feeling thomas is going to take over in a year or 2 and also thomas transitions into a 3rd WR position .

 

[DCPatsFan]

Maybe they franchise Graham and trade Watson instead? It's possible...

 

[Flying Fungi]

there is no way that Evans is faster than Graham...

...different skillsets altogether...

 

[patsfan13]

Comparing Evans to Graham as a blocker, is like comparing Randle El to Brady as QB.

 

[cstjohn17]

Off late evans is coming up on a few topics and also i am looking that he being played in graham`s position when graham is out.

are we seeing a BB project in evan`s conversion to a blocking TE .i wonder as
of all the TE we have non who can block like graham .but evans with a little improvement in catching[he does not have dropped many when given a choice] should work out nice.

He is cheaper and faster then graham on the ground game.He will be a beast of a blocking TE/FB if you think about it.Yes we have millis but this guy can work now and is bigger .

Also, i am disappointed in Watson blowing blocks in the running game and hits/hurrys on brady this year.He is a passing TE which i have feeling thomas is going to take over in a year or 2 and also thomas transitions into a 3rd WR position .

Graham may or may not be back, his biggest imapct is as a in-line blocker. This can be replaced although Graham offers more upside as a pass catcher than your typical blocking TE.

Evans is a nice solid player, helps feel the back-end of the roster. I don't think he can be effectively transitioned into a TE. He is too short and can't hold up in-line, he is good blocker when on the move but gets runs over when asked to hold up at the point of atatck.

Thomas - Should develop in a nice pass catching TE, maybe a poor mans Dallas Clark. May never be a dominant blocker and will almost certainly never be a WR.

Mills - Don't know what this pick was all about, appears to be a jack of all trades and may replace someone like Pass on the roster in the future. Not a dominant blocker either as a TE or FB. Not his fault but I would have much rather seen the Pats take a LB in the 4th round instead of a reserve 4th TE.

Watson - Very fast, can put pressure on the interior of the field. Ok blocker, seems to get beat more than he should. I hate to say this becasue Shockey is such a flake but while watching the Giants - Falcons game I saw glimpses into what a dominant TE looks like. One one play he made a WR like move on a Safety (deked him out of his pants) and then made a difficult catch for a TD. After watching Shockeys performance it seemed to magnify the weaknesses in Watson's game. I hope I am wrong but I don't know if he will ever be more than a top 15 type of TE, never a top 5.

 

[patsox23]

Maybe they franchise Graham and trade Watson instead? It's possible...

Why on Earth would we do that???

 

[Alk]

Why on Earth would we do that???

Because they're the Patriots and they always do the exact opposite of what people are expecting?

 

[DCPatsFan]

Why on Earth would we do that???

Because so far, in my opinion, Graham is the best TE on the team.

 

[The End Zone]

Watson - Very fast, can put pressure on the interior of the field. Ok blocker...

OK BLOCKER??? He puts in a Randy Moss-like effort on most blitzing linebackers and protects Brady like a matador when they keep him in. We need to either find a way to re-sign Graham that makes sense financially for the club or find a way to add a little more power to Ben's finesse blocking techniques. As far as production goes I'm not worried about Watson long-term. Right now the Pats have no real deep threat on the field, and so until Chad Jackson drops the Bethel Johnson act, absorbs the playbook and rubs a little Icy Hot on his hamstring nobody is going to respect the Pats vertical game and teams will continue to allow their safties to clog up the middle where Watson would normally find room to operate. Even though I am critical of his blcoking abilities, Watson is one of the best athletes in the NFL today (see the often refered to Denver play from last year). He needs some help, help that Graham has been happy to provide, but he's a freak of nature and so trading him is one of the seven dumbest ideas I've ever heard. (I think Al Davis had the other 6...)

 

[lobster]

There have been a number of fans who have written off a new contract Graham, however he's been stepping up his receiving game into more the role the Pat's need for him now the OL is protecting Brady better. Graham had one 15-yard reception I believe and the Pat's probably want to see more before making a very good offer.

 

[pats1]

Maybe they franchise Graham and trade Watson instead? It's possible...

Everything's possible, sure, but that's just downright CRAZY.

 

[Mike the Brit]

I've been the second-biggest Grahambo fan on this board, I think, but this season I have been disappointed.

When he has been asked to step up into a pass-catching role, he has seemed stiff and hesitant. I don't put all the drops down to him (Brady has made some less than perfect throws) but he's not created much separation from what I've seen.

Come on, Grahambo! Sign the contract and let's see you establish yourself as the best tight end around.

 

[DCPatsFan]

Do you guys think the Pats will franchise Graham? I think they plan on keeping all three TEs around next year...

 

[DCPatsFan]

Everything's possible, sure, but that's just downright CRAZY.

I like Watson, but I don't think he's the superstar that everybody makes him out to be, and when you factor in Graham's exceptional blocking ability in the running game, I think he's more valuable to the team, at this point anyway.

I guess what I'm hoping for is that, for the 2007 season, Graham stays, Watson catches 70-80 balls with 10+ touchdowns, and David Thomas becomes a consistent receiving threat as well.