Playoff lessons and drafting: the need for a 3rd TE

[Snake Eyes]

One thing that has stood out to me this playoff season is how important Tight Ends are becoming, the versatility and ability to create mismatches can make the better ones incredible weapons at a relatively low price. Our TEs are obviously ridiculous and Jimmy Graham is a freak (imagine if we got him instead of Taylor Price).

Anyway, combine that with the wisdom of the Navy Seal answer to "how many _____ should I carry"?

"Two is one and one is none"

So, if we want to run 2 TE sets that means we need at least 3 TEs! I can think of none better to add to the fold than Coby Fleener!

 

[ctpatsfan77]

One thing that has stood out to me this playoff season is how important Tight Ends are becoming, the versatility and ability to create mismatches can make the better ones incredible weapons at a relatively low price. Our TEs are obviously ridiculous and Jimmy Graham is a freak (imagine if we got him instead of Taylor Price).

Anyway, combine that with the wisdom of the Navy Seal answer to "how many _____ should I carry"?

"Two is one and one is none"

So, if we want to run 2 TE sets that means we need at least 3 TEs! I can think of none better to add to the fold than Coby Fleener!

The "Achilles heel" of this offense is that it relies on one extremely impressive player: GRONK. I'd like to see the Pats carry at least one additional TE who can be at least a passable receiver and a passable blocker.

 

[LloydBraun]

The "Achilles heel" of this offense is that it relies on one extremely impressive player: GRONK. I'd like to see the Pats carry at least one additional TE who can be at least a passable receiver and a passable blocker.

Huh!?

Are u serious? Grok is a beast, but what about Welker, Hernandez, etc.

I luv your sense of haha.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Huh!?

Are u serious? Grok is a beast, but what about Welker, Hernandez, etc.

I luv your sense of haha.

My point is this: surgery mode works because GRONK is both an outstanding receiver AND an outstanding blocker.

 

[ay-yo]

Ill add that as TE's become bigger passing threats in the league getting guys who can cover them becomes much more important. Upgrading Guyton's roster spot would really help our D.

 

[Peachhead]

Ill add that as TE's become bigger passing threats in the league getting guys who can cover them becomes much more important. Upgrading Guyton's roster spot would really help our D.

^this

I think between Gronk and Hernandez we are the most TE rich team in the league. And I'd be pretty unhappy if we used anything more than a day 3 pick on another one. It would suit me just fine if we don't take one at all. Or sign an afterthought FA for vet minimum.

But like ay-yo says, I think we should put major resources toward defending TEs.

 

[jr_3421]

My point is this: surgery mode works because GRONK is both an outstanding receiver AND an outstanding blocker.

I agree with this point but Gronk's success depends on Welker and Hernandez more than you think. Remember when Hernandez was out in the beginning of the year? Gronk and Welker were no where near as effective. And the first time the Pats played the Broncos, Denver proved that it was possible to to cover Gronk. They just couldn't account for Hernandez. Right now the offense works because we have 3 players that can beat most 1 on 1 coverage. Take away any one of them and the offense will change completely.

 

[Off The Grid]

One thing that has stood out to me this playoff season is how important Tight Ends are becoming, the versatility and ability to create mismatches can make the better ones incredible weapons at a relatively low price. Our TEs are obviously ridiculous and Jimmy Graham is a freak (imagine if we got him instead of Taylor Price).

Anyway, combine that with the wisdom of the Navy Seal answer to "how many _____ should I carry"?

"Two is one and one is none"

So, if we want to run 2 TE sets that means we need at least 3 TEs! I can think of none better to add to the fold than Coby Fleener!

I couldn't agree more.

As I've been preaching since the Dawn of Time: Tight Ends ~ Flex Ends like Rob Gronkowski and Wing Backs like Aaron the Navigator ~ that offer an Offense the ability to execute at an extremely high level while morphing instantly from Power Running to Vertical Passing without changing personnel...offer utterly and absolutely devastating potential.

Likewise, dynamic O Backs who can Run, Receive, and Block effectively are exponentially more dangerous than one or two dimensional players.

That's why I've been pounding the table for us to get Coby Fleener and Michael Egnew since October...and why I've since added the name of Evan Rodriguez.

***

By the way...

The Dogma of Redundancy is an American Armed Forces philosophy ~ and one NASA and countless other organizations embrace ~ NOT one that should be attributed exclusively to any single Branch or Unit, thank you very much.

11B

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I think with Garrett Mills on the practice squad, we have a guy that can duplicate some of the things that Henandez does for us.

Fleenor is probably the closest thing to a backup Gronkowski in this draft, because he can block a little and catch,but he is not as fast as Gronkowski.

Still in my mind, the major emphasis of this draft needs to be defense.

 

[Snake Eyes]

^this

I think between Gronk and Hernandez we are the most TE rich team in the league. And I'd be pretty unhappy if we used anything more than a day 3 pick on another one. It would suit me just fine if we don't take one at all. Or sign an afterthought FA for vet minimum.

But like ay-yo says, I think we should put major resources toward defending TEs.

While I certainly agree that we should invest in defending TE one simple way of doing that is to hire Coby Fleener so he can't attack us

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I think with Garrett Mills on the practice squad, we have a guy that can duplicate some of the things that Henandez does for us.

Fleenor is probably the closest thing to a backup Gronkowski in this draft, because he can block a little and catch,but he is not as fast as Gronkowski.

Still in my mind, the major emphasis of this draft needs to be defense.

The Pats waived Mills a couple of weeks ago. . . .

 

[mrscruff]

.... But Dorin ****erson still is on the Pats Practics squad.

 

[Peachhead]

I don't like spending draft capital for "in case so-and-so gets hurt" (notice that's different from "so-and-so is never healthy"). If for one reason or another one of our TEs doesn't play for awhile we just tweak the system and use another weapon.

We won a crapload of games before any stud TEs were here. We'll be fine if we ever had to go without them for a while.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I don't like spending draft capital for "in case so-and-so gets hurt" (notice that's different from "so-and-so is never healthy"). If for one reason or another one of our TEs doesn't play for awhile we just tweak the system and use another weapon.

We won a crapload of games before any stud TEs were here. We'll be fine if we ever had to go without them for a while.

I’m not interested in merely winning games, I want to win championships. The league is going in a TE direction, if we ignore that it’ll be at our peril. Myself and others have called for more “man-beaters” at WR, someone like Coby Fleener gives us that at WR but he also has a ton of more traditional TE potential.

Overkill is under-rated, so please give me an extra helping of TE!