Vellano and Thompkins make Mel Kiper Jr. midseason list of top rookies.

[woolster22]

Re: Re: Vellano and Thompkins make Mel Kiper Jr. midseason list of top rookies.

I think the fact that he was a UDFA shows that he's good enough to beat out a bunch of drafted WR's--many of them in the top few rounds.

He's definitely raw, but he also has noticeable talent too (IMO). I think we see him progress in the next season or two.

His double catching would beg to differ. This season anyway.

For a peak rookie wr this year, I think Dobson. IF KT can learn to catch with his hands maybe he surprises and surpasses.

That said, who is hiding the jugs machine?

 

[Ozymandias]

I'm glad these rookies are getting the recognition they deserve for their play on the field.

Hopefully, this praise (despite its idiotic source) doesn't go to their heads. The last thing you need is some rookies getting gassed up, thinking they've arrived. They gotta keep grinding everyday because they haven't really accomplished anything yet.

 

[supafly]

His double catching would beg to differ. This season anyway.

For a peak rookie wr this year, I think Dobson. IF KT can learn to catch with his hands maybe he surprises and surpasses.

That said, who is hiding the jugs machine?

His double catching and tendency to round off routes are exactly why I referred to him as "raw still," but for a UDFA to be able to prove himself far ahead of a 2nd and 4th round pick all summer long shows something; as does his pace to rival or top the production put up by Brandon Llyod last season.

I'm not quite sure why you'd feel that Dobson is currently better, since Thompkins has come in from day one and beat him out for more reps, starting positioning, more targets, and has drawn the praise of both Belichick and Brady who recently stated that "Kenbrell came in this spring and acted as if he were a 1st round draft pick."

The truth is that they BOTH need to learn how to properly catch the ball and run the correct routes, but I don't understand why anyone would think that Aaron Dobson has looked better thus far? He's the one dropping balls left and right in key situations, although Thompkins isn't far behind him. I think if anyone predicted a 50+ catch season with 9 TD's and a very nice 15 ypc average from our 2nd rounder this year we'd have laughed them out of the forum, let alone the guy who was undrafted who beat out the 2nd rounder....

Much like you, I've been yelling for the JUGGS machine for weeks...in the pouring rain...on their day off to boot. You're right, someone up and hid that thing.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Yes, that is definitely contributing to the problem, and the loss of Mayo behind them is likely just amplifying that issue.

Boy, I should would have liked to see another capable vet brought in, at least for competition anyway.

I think you and I exchanged the same posts about the DT worries (as well as the hope for a vet DT) at exactly this time last Saturday night/early Sunday morning. Well, I'll save us from having to do it a third time next late Saturday/early Sunday and say, good or bad, we are going to have to accept that Jones and Vallano are it (unless this new/raw behemoth on the PS can show something).

Yet even with these concerns on D, I still think the D is capable enough to keep the score in check most of the time. It's not like they were, last week, being gouged for too many big plays or were giving up lots of points. Their overall play was competitive. And given that a decent vet DT will eventually be back in the line up and the superstar CB should also return sometime over the next few weeks, this D looks generally satisfactory. And they will be significantly above satisfactory, IMHO, from a proper complimentary POV. Right now the O is the weak side of the complimentary equation and that is making the D work much much harder to keep the score in check. The best thing for Jones/Vellano (with the exception of simply getting better) is for Gronk to stay healthy and find his old self. For our, by far, best pass catching back returning to the line up and getting his groove back. For DA to find his health/footing. For Brady to find his range with these returning parts and all the parts overall. For JM and BB (something I do not understand with their thinking) to get Ridley to get some more/consistent carries (and in general find the sweet spot for the existing + returning parts to operate).
In other words the best thing for Jones/Vellano is to be kept off the field by an O that can move the damn chains, win field position more consistently, iscore some points more consistently, make the other team's O one dimensional...........to better contribute to the complimentary equation.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

His double catching and tendency to round off routes are exactly why I referred to him as "raw still," but for a UDFA to be able to prove himself far ahead of a 2nd and 4th round pick all summer long shows something; as does his pace to rival or top the production put up by Brandon Llyod last season.

I'm not quite sure why you'd feel that Dobson is currently better, since Thompkins has come in from day one and beat him out for more reps, starting positioning, more targets, and has drawn the praise of both Belichick and Brady who recently stated that "Kenbrell came in this spring and acted as if he were a 1st round draft pick."

The truth is that they BOTH need to learn how to properly catch the ball and run the correct routes, but I don't understand why anyone would think that Aaron Dobson has looked better thus far? He's the one dropping balls left and right in key situations, although Thompkins isn't far behind him. I think if anyone predicted a 50+ catch season with 9 TD's and a very nice 15 ypc average from our 2nd rounder this year we'd have laughed them out of the forum, let alone the guy who was undrafted who beat out the 2nd rounder....

Much like you, I've been yelling for the JUGGS machine for weeks...in the pouring rain...on their day off to boot. You're right, someone up and hid that thing.

All good points. There is the point of perspective too. Much like Jones/Vellano, these guys have been pressed into service beyond their experience/expectation level. The passing game was expected to be Gronk + AH + DA + Vereen(Woodhead V.2) with KT-Dobson-JE contributing (basically a 'who would rise up and produce when targeted). Instead the offense has been out + jailed + out + out with KT-Dobson-JE having to be almost the entire pass game. Given that, KT has mostly risen to the occasion, been a very nice surprise and, imho, easily been the more valuable/productive receiver over Dobson. Arguably KT has been the most valuable receiver for the 2013 Patriots so far though the argument is probably more plausible for JE.

When you look at it with that 'perspective', everyone should conclude these two things: (1) not one of these three focal points has been, at minimum, a bad/disappointment and (2) to be 5-2 after 7 games is out performing what realistic expectations would conclude.

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

I'm holding back on KT - he leads ALL WR's in drops per reception and total drops. Not just rookies - we're talking all the WR's in the league that have at least 20 catches -> KT is the worst.

7 drops vs. 23 receptions
He's at 1 drop for every 3.2 receptions - a hideous ratio.

Saying he needs to learn to catch with his hands and all that is fine but not many guys can change their catching style dramatically and suddenly learn how to hang on to the football consistently. If they could there wouldn't be such a shortage of good WR talent...

 

[PatsBoy12]

I wouldn't put either of them on my list if I was compiling one. They've been good at times and terrible at times.