We shouldn't pass on TE early just because of the past

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

I don't really have a preference on when the Pats decide to take a TE. I don't have a favorite player at that position. However, I don't agree with the view of some that we shouldn't take one early based upon the fact that we don't use the position enough.

I loved Daniel Graham as a Patriot. He was arguably the best blocker at his position in the NFL. We all wish he would have contributed more to the passing game with his receiving skills. But since leaving for Denver, he hasn't exactly set the world on fire.

In 3 seasons with the Broncos (47 games played), he has 84 catches and 7 TDs.

In his last 3 seasons with us (only 37 games played), he had 67 catches and 12 TDs.

To me that shows that it wasn't simply us not using him right or refusing to focus in on him.

We'll see how Ben Watson does in Cleveland. But with his off-and-on injury problems and at times questionable hands, I don't think he was an 85 catch guy that we just blew it with.

Again, I'm not going to call it a mistake if we take Jermaine Gresham in round 1 or Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham in round 2 because of past seasons. Brady's not going to purposely avoid throwing to an open TE that rarely drops the ball. Belichick's not going to purposely design game plans that don't involve the TE if they show they can get open and catch the ball. That's the way I look at it. If the Pats think they have found the TE they've been looking for, get him.

Like I said, I'm not pushing for the Pats to take a TE early, but if they do, all that matters is what that player can do for this team, not what Graham and Watson did.

 

[BelichickFan]

I fully expect a TE and a WOLB to be drafted in the first two rounds, of all our needs those are the two that haven't been addressed. Thomas will be gone and we've signed no replacement, same with TE, we lost two and signed just one. The other "needs" have been taken care of by re-signings, depth signings and expected injury returns (McKenzie, Tate).

 

[BritPat]

You're right we shouldn't pass on a TE in the first two rounds because of the past.

We should be passing on a TE in the first two rounds because there's too many questions over the guys ranked that high, and we want blockers first.

 

[spacecrime]

You're right we shouldn't pass on a TE in the first two rounds because of the past.

We should be passing on a TE in the first two rounds because there's too many questions over the guys ranked that high, and we want blockers first.

I thought Gronkowski was highly rated as a blocker?

 

[Since1971]

You're right we shouldn't pass on a TE in the first two rounds because of the past.

We should be passing on a TE in the first two rounds because there's too many questions over the guys ranked that high, and we want blockers first.

Agreed. When we had Watson, great athlete, solid citizen (High wonderlick score) we hardly used him. If we utilized the position more as a receiver I wouldn't be adverse to taking T/E in 1st two rounds. But we hardly utilize the position. There were time last year where your watching the game and its like Watson has disappeared from the game! Two TD's in opener against Bills and then nothing.

Having said all that, the USC T/e Anthony McCoy is an interesting prospect and might be available in 4th round.

 

[MaineMan]

One thing that stands out to me WRT the Pats use of TEs in the passing game historically is that all our TEs typically had notably higher receiving stats before McDaniels took over the offense in '07.

Now, it can be argued that '07 was also the first Moss/Welker season - the first time the passing game included elite WRs (who immediately began sucking up most of the targets). However, in Denver, McDaniels is reputed to be using Scheffler and Graham less in the passing attack than Shanahan/Cutler did. The actual target stats from PFF don't seem all that dramatically down from '07 and '08, though, and, IIRC, Graham had perhaps his career season in '08.

Meanwhile, since Graham left the Pats, BB has tried out numerous TEs - veteran FAs/trades as well as low picks/UDFAs of his own and from other teams, as well as using TEs as H-backs and O-linemen as blocking TEs. He's shed some fairly decent players recently, and, now, he has Crumpler (primarily a blocker at this stage) and two JAGs/PS guys whose main strength in college was receiving. So it appears he's been searching for "something" different WRT the position generally.

I realize that all this doesn't clear anything up. But the TE situation seems to me to be far more complex than simply whether a guy can catch or block or how high he's rated on draft boards. IOW - it's completely up in the air as far as what BB does - if anything - to address "the TE situation" in this draft.

I have my doubts that he drafts a TE in the first two rounds, but I always expect to be surprised by what BB does. He could take Gresham at #22. He could just as easily play musical draft picks to snag ****erson in the third and then just pick up a couple PFAs that few of us have ever heard of.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

So it appears he's been searching for "something" different WRT the position generally.

A while ago, I gave up trying to figure out what BB is looking for at linebacker. After this season, I gave up trying to figure out what BB is trying to do at TE. [Sending David Thomas away for peanuts to bring in Michael Mitchell, who doesn't even make it to the trade deadline?]

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Should NE draft a TE in the second round (with only Grasham projected to the first it's looking very unlikely one will be taken there), I would be more likely to expect them to "reach" for one whom most draftniks have moved down their boards or never had that high to begin with.

 

[BelichickFan]

Having said all that, the USC T/e Anthony McCoy is an interesting prospect and might be available in 4th round.

If we could get him in the 4th round I would do it but I don't think we'd get him there. I like McCoy and I suspect the Patriots do to, in fact I won't be at all surprised if he's out 2c pick. What worries me about him is, even though he's a good blocker (which is good), he wasn't as productive catching as his athleticism suggests, which is eerily reminiscent of Watson in college (not that McCoy is as athletic as Watson).

 

[MaineMan]

A while ago, I gave up trying to figure out what BB is looking for at linebacker. After this season, I gave up trying to figure out what BB is trying to do at TE. [Sending David Thomas away for peanuts to bring in Michael Mitchell, who doesn't even make it to the trade deadline?]

I believe that BB frequently experiments a lot more than most people realize. I also believe that BB is evolving faster and learning more from the previous season's experience than ever before. He may even just now be entering his best years of coaching.

 

[mgteich]

Tight Ends seem to be moving up. I don't expect guys like ****son, ****erson and McCoy to there in the 4th. 2c or the 3rd seem to be the best value. Unless we trade for Olsen, I would expect Belichick to make sure he gets a TE by the mid third.

If we could get him in the 4th round I would do it but I don't think we'd get him there. I like McCoy and I suspect the Patriots do to, in fact I won't be at all surprised if he's out 2c pick. What worries me about him is, even though he's a good blocker (which is good), he wasn't as productive catching as his athleticism suggests, which is eerily reminiscent of Watson in college (not that McCoy is as athletic as Watson).