Tight end and this year's draft

[PatsCanDoIt]

I've seen a few highlights of Gronk and he looks like a deep threat. I do not mean red zone threat only. 30-35 yards away from scoring he can beat his LB and outplay the safety for the ball. Kinda like what Moss did to Miami in '07. He can threaten the seam and catch; Watson could only threaten the seam.

 

[VJCPatriot]

So what do the scheme experts on the board think is up with the drafting of what some considered the two top TEs in the draft?

Do Gronk+Hernandez = Graham/Watson II?

You're aiming too low. There's a reason the Pats let Graham and Watson walk.

Think more -- Todd Heap + Tony Gonzalez. Now that would be an awesome duo!

 

[DarrylS]

If I remember right his test failures were all while he was at Florida. He passed the tests at the Combine meaning that he doesn't enter the program automatically when moving to the NFL.

Heard various reports that he was clean at the combine, so he comes to us with a clean slate... not to say that the NFL randomness testing may be more frequent for him, but he has already cost himself millions.. only a complete fool would flirt with this system.

 

[Uncle Rico]

According to Reiss, Bruschi sees the Bavaro connection:

"(Bruschi) repeated something he’s said in the past, that he believes Bill Belichick is looking for the next Mark Bavaro, the former New York Giants tight end. He thinks Gronkowski could fit that mold, while Hernandez could become almost like a third receiver on the field.

Tedy Bruschi assesses McCourty pick - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

 

[JoeSixPat]

Jo6P, I kind of go light on that "look" to current moves. I guess you could say BB "flirted" with the high-price-tag approach, and now by God, he's turning back the clock. But the first thing he said after winning vs. the Rams in XXXVI was "Can you believe we won it with this bunch?"

He then went about the business of trying to replace our lovable all-heart jags. The Jermaine Wigginses, Antoine Smiths, and Joe Andruzzis were gone by the XXXVIII.... along with most other players from that first team.

I think it's more like "value where you find it" - believe me if Tate and Price both pan out (actually, if either pan out, given the Edelman and Welker presences,) it's unlikely these guys are going to be the killer weapons we are talking about them becoming.

I could be wrong, of course. Brady can throw deep or throw short. Not a mad bomber, not a gunslinger, an efficient field general. I don't think BB wants to go into a 16-game campaign w/out a threat at TE, and there's safety in numbers (alge included.)

Yes - I could well be reading too much into the drafting of pass catching TEs... it might look like they have more short passing options on paper but our TEs have had a tough time doing that in reality.

In 2001, without full confidence in Brady's deep ball - and lacking a true deep threat - they dumped the ball to Troy Brown over 100 times. It was a low risk methodology that sometimes resulted in a high reward - but at the very least they kept the ball moving forward.

The pass effectively was used first and foremost to set up the run.

Last season was far too Welker and Moss focused and I think that hurt the offense, as good as both of those players are.

This season, with a healthy Moss and a many-headed "Welker/Brown" type slot receiver, they could be even more dangerous - or at least difficult to defend.

But theory and execution are two different things.

 

[Patsgofor4]

New England Patriots mailbag: Laying a foundation through the NFL draft - ESPN Boston

This may have already been linked in another thread but it is worth a second look. Hernandez make the FSU defenders look silly as he breaks one player's ankles and makes another fly off the screen (2/3 of the way into the video). How can you watch that clip and not get excited about what he may be able to do for the Pats?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Jo6P, I kind of go light on that "look" to current moves. I guess you could say BB "flirted" with the high-price-tag approach, and now by God, he's turning back the clock. But the first thing he said after winning vs. the Rams in XXXVI was "Can you believe we won it with this bunch?"

He then went about the business of trying to replace our lovable all-heart jags. The Jermaine Wigginses, Antoine Smiths, and Joe Andruzzis were gone by the XXXVIII.... along with most other players from that first team.

I think it's more like "value where you find it" - believe me if Tate and Price both pan out (actually, if either pan out, given the Edelman and Welker presences,) it's unlikely these guys are going to be the killer weapons we are talking about them becoming.

I could be wrong, of course. Brady can throw deep or throw short. Not a mad bomber, not a gunslinger, an efficient field general. I don't think BB wants to go into a 16-game campaign w/out a threat at TE, and there's safety in numbers (alge included.)

Andruzzi has three rings. Pokey was replaced by a second round draft pick...of sorts. Wiggins had a good career, but he's no Daniel Graham.