Tight End - A Very High Draft Need

[mgteich]

Your stated was that we have 0% need.

Of course, we might be able to sign a free agent TE this year. They are available at reasonable value in some years and not in others. I would greatly PREFER a veteran free agent to a draftee. I too would see much less need if we signed a Crumpler or a Fauria.

As always (when free agency is before the draft), Belichick will try to fill all our needs (or all but one) in free agency, allowing much greater flexibility in the draft.

So the Patriots can't sign a TE in free agency, but they can sign every other position there?

 

[makoute]

Wouldn't place it as a very high need in the draft at all to be honest, we have two very good starters who you would solely focus on developing. You need a guy who can step in and keep things ticking over should an injury happen, if you indeed chose to go with three TE's.

If your going offence and you said Reciever then I'd agree, then again I wouldn't take one over anything that coud make a difference on D this April.

Then wouldn't you need a backup to those three TEs in that case, in which case you would carry 4 or more TEs.

 

[Deus Irae]

Your stated was that we have 0% need.

Indeed....

There is 0% need of using a pick on a tight end. There are plenty in the free agency pool who can fill in the 3rd TE role.

I stand by that post.

 

[JFK]

If we see a steal in the 3rd round then maybe but TE is not really a need...Especially if we get a good WideOut. WR, OLB and FS are more important.

 

[mgteich]

Yes, we do indeed need wide receivers, five of them.

Should we stop discussing any other needs because we need wide receivers?

The New England Patriots need WIDE RECEIVERS! You do get the WIDE part?

 

[ausbacker]

Your stated was that we have 0% need.

Of course, we might be able to sign a free agent TE this year. They are available at reasonable value in some years and not in others. I would greatly PREFER a veteran free agent to a draftee. I too would see much less need if we signed a Crumpler or a Fauria.

As always (when free agency is before the draft), Belichick will try to fill all our needs (or all but one) in free agency, allowing much greater flexibility in the draft.

The Patriots have many and varied needs, however, I would have no problem making an area of strength even stronger if the opportunity presented itself.

Does anyone else not see the potential for a 3 Tight End set creating mismatches of monumental proportions for the Patriots whilst also covering the injury base and a return to the 2 Tight End set?

Granted, I agree there are more pressing needs but the NFL is about evolution and reinvention to stay ahead of the pack.

 

[Boomer B]

We need to be able to stretch the field vertically, a deep threat WR is a must. We should take a top WR in FA, and the 1st 3 rounds of the draft should be all D (with C a possibility).

A 3rd TE should be at the very bottom of Belichick's list.

 

[ATippett56]

Yes, we do indeed need wide receivers, five of them.

Should we stop discussing any other needs because we need wide receivers?

Here is a list of unrestricted free agent tight ends:

KFFL - 2012 NFL Free Agents

Knock yourself out.

A third tight end is one of lowest priorities for the New England Patriots offense, especially if Deion Branch is not re-signed, Chad Ochostinko is cut, Dan Koppen is not re-signed, Brian Water retires, Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis is not re-signed.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Forget the draft at TE if Jacob Tamme is available

 

[Snake Eyes]

Here is a list of unrestricted free agent tight ends:

KFFL - 2012 NFL Free Agents

Knock yourself out.

A third tight end is one of lowest priorities for the New England Patriots offense, especially if Deion Branch is not re-signed, Chad Ochostinko is cut, Dan Koppen is not re-signed, Brian Water retires, Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis is not re-signed.

You've got a whole lotta crap players on that list, I want someone that will IMPROVE the offense, not simply fill up a roster spot. A TE like Fleener is an outside threat that we need to keep the chains moving and he'll be effective at blocking, which assists in the running game.

 

[Wilfork#75]

Drafting a TE in the first 3 rounds would be a HUGE mistake. First, we rely on our TE's way too much, it gives no balance to the team, condenses the middle of the field and makes it much harder to run the ball. Adding another one simply is not a need. With Solder as the #3 OT, he can be your blocking TE, and re-sign Dorin ****erson to the main roster as your mini Hernandez. When Solder becomes the starting LT in 2013, then you draft a blocking TE like Michael Williams from Alabama.

Second, this TE frenzy the NFL is about to go through is going to get out of control. Every team in the NFL is going to be looking for TE's this offseason, so their value goes way up. To get quality guys you will have to overpay, and with backup TE being such a small need, it just doesn't make any sense to pay the price. Add in the fact that with every team trying to run two TE sets, teams are going to have much more experience stopping it. We need to move away from being TE reliant, and balance out this offense. Gronk and Hernandez are great and they will be around for a long time, but don't get caught up in this TE fad that the rest of the league is about to go through. When everyone else is going one way, go the other and take advantage of it.

 

[highlander2190]

I was actually thinking this the other day for what we were going to draft. I think its a proven fact that right now as it stands when Brady doesn't have a healthy Hernandez/Gronk, the current offense drops considerably. The fact of the matter is that we really don't have a suitable back up should any one of our top 4 go down (we can probably slip by for a while without Branch).

With the league always trying to copy the most successful I wouldn't be surprised that teams go searching for quality TE's this year. Bill's goal should be to stay one step ahead of the game on this. I think the best way for that is to acquire a 3rd TE similar to Hernandez and Gronk. If you thought the 2 TE set gave defensive coordinators headaches imagine a 3TE 1WR 1RB set would do to them when all 3 TE's can go out and grab a catch at the same quality as a WR. This also provides suitable backup should one be running out of gas or gets injured.

If Bill somehow does end up getting this TE and a WR than can stretch the field, this offense could truly be scary.

 

[THELAWFIRM226]

Tell me this thread is a joke.....

 

[ATippett56]

Tell me this thread is a joke.....

Didn't you get the memo? The New England Patriots are going to a three tight end offense next season.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

You've got a whole lotta crap players on that list, I want someone that will IMPROVE the offense, not simply fill up a roster spot.

I disagree that players like Fred Davis, Marceded Lewis and Bear Pascoe are bums. But they'd most likely be more expensive than the worth of a third TE.

 

[Triumph]

Didn't you get the memo? The New England Patriots are going to a three tight end offense next season.

I dont see how having another TE like Gronk or Hernandez really works. He would have to play alot and gain experience to be ready should one of the other guys goes down.

3 TEs
5 OLs
1 QB
1 RB
1 WR - Only 1 WR on the field when the Pats usually carry 5.

OR

3 TEs
5 OLs
1 QB
0 RB - The Pats carried 5 RBs this season and I guess theyll be 4 in 2012
2 WRs

 

[ATippett56]

I dont see how having another TE like Gronk or Hernandez really works. He would have to play alot and gain experience to be ready should one of the other guys goes down.

3 TEs
5 OLs
1 QB
1 RB
1 WR - Only 1 WR on the field when the Pats usually carry 5.

OR

3 TEs
5 OLs
1 QB
0 RB - The Pats carried 5 RBs this season and I guess theyll be 4 in 2012
2 WRs

The New England Patriots offensive roster will look like this next season:

QB - 3
OL - 9
TE - 6
RB - 4
WR - 2

 

[BradyBranch39]

I'll go for Gronk 2.0 - Coby Fleener

Same size
Another big target for Brady to throw to in the endzone.
Great catching and leaping ability Luck to Coby Fleener, Amazing One Handed Catch.wmv - YouTube

He's also a good vertical threat Coby Fleener #82: Highlights - YouTube

I agree that a great TE is very much a need for Pats and their heavily TE based offense. We saw what happened this year when Gronk went down and no one could replace him.
I would take Fleener with the first pick.

That was with a real QB throwing him the ball though. He'll certainly suffer when he realizes Brady can't throw that well any more.

 

[ausbacker]

That was with a real QB throwing him the ball though. He'll certainly suffer when he realizes Brady can't throw that well any more.

I had to re-read this comment several times to make sure I read correctly what you wrote. This is one of the more ridiculous comments I've read in some time, and that takes into consideration the post Superbowl emotive hoopla.

Brady is such a poor passer he just broke Dan Marino's record for passing yardage and is second of all time behind Drew Brees.

You may want to re-assess your comment.

 

[hovis]

I had to re-read this comment several times to make sure I read correctly what you wrote. This is one of the more ridiculous comments I've read in some time, and that takes into consideration the post Superbowl emotive hoopla.

Brady is such a poor passer he just broke Dan Marino's record for passing yardage and is second of all time behind Drew Brees.

You may want to re-assess your comment.

Or maybe he was joking and you need to wipe the sand out your vagina.