Well, with all the props thrown out I figured some player needed some wrath.
His numbers look very much like Graham's stats. He drops passes because, unlike many TEs, he can actually get open on a route. His blocking is good. He makes plenty of mistakes but does not quit on plays. And most importantly, unlike the other Brady of last year who was supposed to be a run blocking monster, he is still on the team.
Don't get me wrong, I was as ticked as anybody that he did not catch the pass yesterday. I got a really good seat in the 2006 Chicago game to watch him fumble the ball twice on a single play (how many player's hold that distinction?). But I also saw him run the length of the field on two occasions doing damage control on turnovers that did not belong to him. I try not to have selective memory of players limited to today, looking at the good and the bad.
The fact is there are few good receiving TEs out there, and fewer still good receiving and blocking TEs. Graham could block, so can Watson (although I suspect Graham is better in a pure blocking role - he also signed a $5 million a year deal). For those hoping Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez, or the minority of other all-pro TEs will be taking a pay cut to come to the Pats, put Steven Jackson, Frank Gore, Champ Bailey, Troy Polamalu, and Shawn Merriman on your list as well. They are just as likely to be added (I would put Gonzalez as a remote chance, given KC's dealings last season for draft picks, but not much as he is the only icon on that team and a good locker room influence). Watson is serviceable in his role, and given the emphasis on great wide-outs serviceable should be good enough for the Pats.