Which TE do you most want the Pats to take?

[HarkDawg]

YouTube - TE Jermaine Gresham Highlights 2008 Oklahoma

 

[captain stone]

If Vollmer moves back to LT who takes over at RT? I think that's a bit more important than a 3rd day decision.

Barring injuries, of course, a Vollmer move to LT is prob. a year away. Light's the LT - for better or worse - this year. Isn't he then a UFA after this season? I forget.

As long as Light doesn't dramatically regress (not exactly a lead-pipe lock), Vollmer's the RT this year. Our RT of the Future could be LeVoir, or a 2011 draft pick, or a UFA signed next year.

A good RT, even one needed for protecting an even less-mobile-than-ever Brady, isn't quite as hard to find as a good LT. Off the top of your head, and without research, can you name the starting RT during the SB years?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Barring injuries, of course, a Vollmer move to LT is prob. a year away. Light's the LT - for better or worse - this year. Isn't he then a UFA after this season? I forget.

As long as Light doesn't dramatically regress (not exactly a lead-pipe lock), Vollmer's the RT this year. Our RT of the Future could be LeVoir, or a 2011 draft pick, or a UFA signed next year.

A good RT, even one needed for protecting an even less-mobile-than-ever Brady, isn't quite as hard to find as a good LT. Off the top of your head, and without research, can you name the starting RT during the SB years?

Gorin, Ashworth, Robinson-Randall...

I expect Vollmer to contend for starter at both Tackle slots, but I don't think he's a lock for starter, not this year - I'd almost expect BB/Dante to hold him back as #3 and use him to spell Light/Kaczur and be ready to slide in as an injury replacement.

 

[captain stone]

Gorin, Ashworth, Robinson-Randall...

I expect Vollmer to contend for starter at both Tackle slots, but I don't think he's a lock for starter, not this year - I'd almost expect BB/Dante to hold him back as #3 and use him to spell Light/Kaczur and be ready to slide in as an injury replacement.

I'm sorry to go on a thread hijack, but:

Are you bleeping me?

OxyKaczur should not - nay, MUST NOT - start at a Tackle position ever, ever again. Brady is this close to filing for Workman's Comp because of that over-paid turnstile.

As a matter of fact, should our 3 Tackles exit TC healthy & effective, and a young Tackle or 2 with potential drafted/UDFA'd, then unless Kaczur shows a propensity at Guard, his ass should be released, so that his bloated cap hit can be absorbed this year at no future cost to us.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I'm sorry to go on a thread hijack, but:

Are you bleeping me?

OxyKaczur should not - nay, MUST NOT - start at a Tackle position ever, ever again. Brady is this close to filing for Workman's Comp because of that over-paid turnstile.

As a matter of fact, should our 3 Tackles exit TC healthy & effective, and a young Tackle or 2 with potential drafted/UDFA'd, then unless Kaczur shows a propensity at Guard, his ass should be released, so that his bloated cap hit can be absorbed this year at no future cost to us.

Agreed 100%, betting the farm on Light being healthy for the whole year is crazy, the sane thing to do is grab a solid RT this draft, I like Jared Veldheer but am open to other players as well.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I'm sorry to go on a thread hijack, but:

Are you bleeping me?

OxyKaczur should not - nay, MUST NOT - start at a Tackle position ever, ever again. Brady is this close to filing for Workman's Comp because of that over-paid turnstile.

As a matter of fact, should our 3 Tackles exit TC healthy & effective, and a young Tackle or 2 with potential drafted/UDFA'd, then unless Kaczur shows a propensity at Guard, his ass should be released, so that his bloated cap hit can be absorbed this year at no future cost to us.

Take your medication and leave things to Coach Scarnecchia.

 

[Nonentity]

I'm sorry to go on a thread hijack, but:

Are you bleeping me?

OxyKaczur should not - nay, MUST NOT - start at a Tackle position ever, ever again. Brady is this close to filing for Workman's Comp because of that over-paid turnstile.

As a matter of fact, should our 3 Tackles exit TC healthy & effective, and a young Tackle or 2 with potential drafted/UDFA'd, then unless Kaczur shows a propensity at Guard, his ass should be released, so that his bloated cap hit can be absorbed this year at no future cost to us.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand........breathe.

 

[Marqui]

I'm surprised anybody wants to see Kaczur or Light start for this team ever again. You guys must really hate Tom Brady.

 

[CTHuskies]

Jimmy Graham Miami
Michael Hoomanawanui Illinois
Michael Palmer Clemson

Steve Maneri (T) Temple
Alejandro Villanueva (T) Army

 

[bucky]

Agreed 100%, betting the farm on Light being healthy for the whole year is crazy, the sane thing to do is grab a solid RT this draft, I like Jared Veldheer but am open to other players as well.

Right. Because Matt Light is waaay over the hill at 31! And he missed a whopping 5 games over the past 4 seasons after someone rolled up his leg and damaged his knee. That over the hill softie.

Jared Veldheer, on the other hand, comes from that incredible football factory known as Hillsdale and he's guaranteed to stonewall Dwight Freeney on every play because he has a proven track record in the powerful GLIAC.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Right. Because Matt Light is waaay over the hill at 31! And he missed a whopping 5 games over the past 4 seasons after someone rolled up his leg and damaged his knee. That over the hill softie.

Jared Veldheer, on the other hand, comes from that incredible football factory known as Hillsdale and he's guaranteed to stonewall Dwight Freeney on every play because he has a proven track record in the powerful GLIAC.

Light's age doesn't make him a liability, his constant track record of getting beat by speed rushers does. Light missed so few games because he was constantly playing injured, which means his injuries are probably going to get worse.

As far as Veldheer goes, we need someone on RT since Kaczur isn't cutting it and Vollmer is needed at LT. You can talk smack about Veldheer because he comes from a small school but so did Vollmer, and he held his own against Freeney pretty well. Try looking at the abilities of the player instead of their age and size of their school

 

[bucky]

Light's age doesn't make him a liability, his constant track record of getting beat by speed rushers does. Light missed so few games because he was constantly playing injured, which means his injuries are probably going to get worse.

As far as Veldheer goes, we need someone on RT since Kaczur isn't cutting it and Vollmer is needed at LT. You can talk smack about Veldheer because he comes from a small school but so did Vollmer, and he held his own against Freeney pretty well. Try looking at the abilities of the player instead of their age and size of their school

You do realize that in the NFL there are a bunch of freakish athletes who get paid millions of dollars to do nothing but rush the passer. There are also dozens of defensive coaches whose job it is to find and exploit weaknesses in players and to confuse QBs, OL, etc. All OL in the NFL get beat in every game. The same players who give Light and Kaczur problems, give problems to pretty much every other OT in the NFL. So your evaluation of these 2 players is not based on anything besides your opinion of them as it relates to your perceived and perhaps overly elevated standard. Certainly, the numbers don't back up the statement that either one of them is "not cutting it".

 

[patchick]

You can talk smack about Veldheer because he comes from a small school but so did Vollmer, and he held his own against Freeney pretty well. Try looking at the abilities of the player instead of their age and size of their school

Hold on, now -- you can't equate Vollmer's Houston Cougars of Conference USA with the Hillsdale College Chargers. Vollmer lined up against the likes of Tulsa, East Carolina and Oklahoma State; Veldheer against Findlay, Northwood and Tiffin. (I can only assume those are colleges and not the name of a law firm.)

That said, I like Veldheer a lot. He did dominate as you'd expect at his level, he's reported to have an excellent attitude and work ethic, and it inevitably takes a leap of faith to come up with such a spectacular physical specimen after round 1. Light, Vollmer, Kaczur & LeVoir make for the possible luxury of a developmental year to try to mold Veldheer into an NFL lineman.

 

[Snake Eyes]

You do realize that in the NFL there are a bunch of freakish athletes who get paid millions of dollars to do nothing but rush the passer. There are also dozens of defensive coaches whose job it is to find and exploit weaknesses in players and to confuse QBs, OL, etc. All OL in the NFL get beat in every game. The same players who give Light and Kaczur problems, give problems to pretty much every other OT in the NFL. So your evaluation of these 2 players is not based on anything besides your opinion of them as it relates to your perceived and perhaps overly elevated standard. Certainly, the numbers don't back up the statement that either one of them is "not cutting it".

Yeah, more stat worshipping, you do realize that they don't keep stats for when the QB is hurried or hit, only sacked. Light usually sucks, he has games where he plays well but he's extremely inconsistent, likely due to his injuries.

Anyway, what is your point, do you think everything is just fine with the OL? At the very least if you get a solid prospect like Veldheer and mold him into a fine lineman you have extra depth and someone who can step in when the when it's time for Kaczur to go. Also, Kaczur was repeatedly owned by Robert Mathis when we last played against Indy.

I haven't seen much of LeVoir, if he's solid and ready to be plugged in, great, but I somehow doubt he's better than Kaczur if Kaczur was the one playing against Indy even while being repeatedly beaten. The team isn't going to do anything with Brady getting smacked around, and given Brady's further lack of mobility it becomes even more important to protect him.

 

[bucky]

Anyway, what is your point, do you think everything is just fine with the OL? At the very least if you get a solid prospect like Veldheer and mold him into a fine lineman you have extra depth and someone who can step in when the when it's time for Kaczur to go. Also, Kaczur was repeatedly owned by Robert Mathis when we last played against Indy.

My point is that there's a lot of bashing of Kaczur and Light on this board and its unfounded. They are not the 2 best OTs in the NFL of course. But they are good enough. IMP, the only position that needing less improvement than the OL is QB. I agree that Vollmer is better than Kaczur and possibly better than Light. But that actually makes OL that much less of a need.

 

[patchick]

I haven't seen much of LeVoir

No? He's played in 26 of 32 games over the past 2 years.

 

[Snake Eyes]

No? He's played in 26 of 32 games over the past 2 years.

I mean I haven't watched footage specifically with him in mind, analyzing his play as the game goes on. While we're on the subject, what do you think of him as a starting RT, how does he compare to Kaczur or a theoretical Veldheer?

thanks

 

[patchick]

I mean I haven't watched footage specifically with him in mind, analyzing his play as the game goes on. While we're on the subject, what do you think of him as a starting RT, how does he compare to Kaczur or a theoretical Veldheer?

thanks

Well, there's a reason my current mock includes Veldheer in the 2nd. LeVoir was a real find, a capable backup swing tackle (though in my uneducated opinion more of an LT than RT) off the scrap heap. But I don't think the long-term bookend to Vollmer is on the roster right now.

As for Kaczur, when was a draft prospect a lot of analyses projected him to guard. I still think he could be terrific inside.

BTW, how the heck did a TE thread come to this?

 

[Snake Eyes]

Well, there's a reason my current mock includes Veldheer in the 2nd. LeVoir was a real find, a capable backup swing tackle (though in my uneducated opinion more of an LT than RT) off the scrap heap. But I don't think the long-term bookend to Vollmer is on the roster right now.

As for Kaczur, when was a draft prospect a lot of analyses projected him to guard. I still think he could be terrific inside.

BTW, how the heck did a TE thread come to this?

Good question. As for the OP's subject, I like Jim Dray and Scott Sicko, they'll do what we want TEs to do and they're relatively cheap.

 

[yopats]

I agree.. I think there has been an evolution in terms of how TE is used in our offense and that is BLOCKING.. we will pick up some guys that can do a lil bit of both .. but I can guarantee they will be strong blockers..