Was Michael Lombardi half-right this past April?

[ctpatsfan77]

I'm changing a quote from Lombardi slightly here, but would you agree with this?

Off the field, Rob Gronkowski's and Aaron Hernandez's ability will make Patriots coach Bill Belichick not want to stop coaching in the next 10 years and keep chasing titles. Gronkowski and Hernandez bring good news to Pats fans in every area.

He originally said that about Mallett. . . . but I'm thinking that BB finally has the tight ends he's been coveting for almost 20 years now. . . . and wants to take advantage of it.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I'm changing a quote from Lombardi slightly here, but would you agree with this?



He originally said that about Mallett. . . . but I'm thinking that BB finally has the tight ends he's been coveting for almost 20 years now. . . . and wants to take advantage of it.

I hope so, I also hope an additional TE or 2 will make him REALLY want to keep coaching for a while.

 

[LetsGoPats36]

After Rod Rutledge, Jermaine Wiggins, Cam Cleeland, Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham, Fred Baxter, Ben Watson, Andy Stokes, Jed Weaver, David Thomas, Garrett Mills, Kyle Brady, Marcus Pollard, Stephen Spach, Alex Smith, Chris Baker, Alge Crumpler and a few more I'm probably forgetting... BB found his guys

Tight end has been an interesting position to follow on this team since BB took over.

 

[Poker]

It's a interesting connection. Combine that with a lot of current thinking that tight ends in the offense are "the next big thing" (see this week's Tuesday Morning Quarterback column for instance), and with BB having no only one but two of the very best TEs and I can see it.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

After Rod Rutledge, Jermaine Wiggins, Cam Cleeland, Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham, Fred Baxter, Ben Watson, Andy Stokes, Jed Weaver, David Thomas, Garrett Mills, Kyle Brady, Marcus Pollard, Stephen Spach, Alex Smith, Chris Baker, Alge Crumpler and a few more I'm probably forgetting... BB found his guys

Tight end has been an interesting position to follow on this team since BB took over.

Let's not forget that BB wanted Kyle Brady back in the 90s before the JEST took him one spot before.

As far as David Thomas goes, I still think he was a good player who was just badly mishandled (he had no chance to get on the field in 2006, stuck behind two #1s; in 2007, they should have PUPed him rather than rushing him back from injury).

 

[LetsGoPats36]

Let's not forget that BB wanted Kyle Brady back in the 90s before the JEST took him one spot before.

As far as David Thomas goes, I still think he was a good player who was just badly mishandled (he had no chance to get on the field in 2006, stuck behind two #1s; in 2007, they should have PUPed him rather than rushing him back from injury).

I had high hopes for Thomas. He was a boss playing at Texas with VY.

Jed Weaver is another guy I thought was gonna find success with us. He used to be a good pass catcher.

Personal favorites out of that list have to be Fauria and Wiggins. Jermaine straight killed it in the snow bowl.

 

[Uncle Rico]

After Rod Rutledge, Jermaine Wiggins, Cam Cleeland, Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham, Fred Baxter, Ben Watson, Andy Stokes, Jed Weaver, David Thomas, Garrett Mills, Kyle Brady, Marcus Pollard, Stephen Spach, Alex Smith, Chris Baker, Alge Crumpler and a few more I'm probably forgetting... BB found his guys

Tight end has been an interesting position to follow on this team since BB took over.

Arther Love!

 

[Uncle Rico]

Let's not forget that BB wanted Kyle Brady back in the 90s before the JEST took him one spot before. ...

Jets' pick of Brady (at #9) was a classic, announced as their fans are chanting "We want Sapp! We want Sapp!" at about 1:30 of this clip.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

After Rod Rutledge, Jermaine Wiggins, Cam Cleeland, Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham, Fred Baxter, Ben Watson, Andy Stokes, Jed Weaver, David Thomas, Garrett Mills, Kyle Brady, Marcus Pollard, Stephen Spach, Alex Smith, Chris Baker, Alge Crumpler and a few more I'm probably forgetting... BB found his guys

Tight end has been an interesting position to follow on this team since BB took over.

This post leaves nothing more to say.

Correction: Mike Vrabel could also play tight end, and he was certainly the most reliable pass catcher of that group, sadly.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

After Rod Rutledge, Jermaine Wiggins, Cam Cleeland, Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham, Fred Baxter, Ben Watson, Andy Stokes, Jed Weaver, David Thomas, Garrett Mills, Kyle Brady, Marcus Pollard, Stephen Spach, Alex Smith, Chris Baker, Alge Crumpler and a few more I'm probably forgetting... BB found his guys

Tight end has been an interesting position to follow on this team since BB took over.

When the Giants won in '86, TE Mark Bavaro was the all-purpose TE that was a key cog in that offense. As D-Coordinator of that team, BB saw up close what a huge asset Bavaro was and has been looking for the next Bavaro ever since. Gronk by far has come the closest.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Potstickas]

With the success of Hernandez, i'm wondering if we can get another recieving TE to replace ocho/WR3 if he fails to succeed. I know it was hard enough to find Hernandez...

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

With the success of Hernandez, i'm wondering if we can get another recieving TE to replace ocho/WR3 if he fails to succeed. I know it was hard enough to find Hernandez...

Garrett Mills was an earlier attempt to find such

 

[farn]

BB has always seen value in TEs. Graham and Watson were a good combo, but one felt they never achieved all that was expected.

These guys - AH and RG - are insane. Seems like it didn't take them any time at all to get rolling as rookies and they are far exceeding that production this year.

AH in the 4th round ? Crazy. RG in the 2nd ? LOVE it.

I'd hate to see where NE would be without them.

 

[DaBruinz]

The Combo of Fauria and Graham took us through 2 SBs..

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

After Rod Rutledge, Jermaine Wiggins, Cam Cleeland, Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham, Fred Baxter, Ben Watson, Andy Stokes, Jed Weaver, David Thomas, Garrett Mills, Kyle Brady, Marcus Pollard, Stephen Spach, Alex Smith, Chris Baker, Alge Crumpler and a few more I'm probably forgetting... BB found his guys

Tight end has been an interesting position to follow on this team since BB took over.

Christian Fauria deserves some accolades,he made some pretty good contributions to the team.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

Gonna be a sad sad day when Bill retires.

 

[BlueThunder]

When BB retires everyone in Foxboro will hear a big sigh of relief from a couple hundred miles south.....

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

When BB retires everyone in Foxboro will hear a big sigh of relief from a couple hundred miles south.....

Wouldn't that be the Atlantic Ocean? :bricks:

It's one of those things that i know will happen, but I can certainly wait a long tiem before that day. Almost exactly the same feeling I have about my daughter and dating some day.

 

[Ron Sellers]

When the Giants won in '86, TE Mark Bavaro was the all-purpose TE that was a key cog in that offense. As D-Coordinator of that team, BB saw up close what a huge asset Bavaro was and has been looking for the next Bavaro ever since. Gronk by far has come the closest.

Regards,
Chris

I second this. Bavaro was a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses, and as a defensive coordinator Belichick was surely very thankful that he did not have to game plan against him. It has taken a long time but BB now has something similar on his own team.

 

[Uncle Rico]

When the Giants won in '86, TE Mark Bavaro was the all-purpose TE that was a key cog in that offense. As D-Coordinator of that team, BB saw up close what a huge asset Bavaro was and has been looking for the next Bavaro ever since. Gronk by far has come the closest.

Regards,
Chris

Here's a link of BB talking about Bavaro last year.

Gronkowski has a little Bavaro in him - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

That BB would even talk about this in the context of Gronkowski's play says a lot about Gronk. Belichick's admiration of Bavaro is pretty clear.