Dustin Keller Visiting Patriots 4/30

[fnordcircle]

The team has, from everything I've read, always drafted based on value at the position. What factors into that value equation is anyone's guess but I don't think drafting a TE is a foregone conclusion. If there's better value on the board I think they take it.

Nobody ever won **** leaving talent on the board.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Nobody ever won **** leaving talent on the board.

Aren't you always leaving talent on the board? There's the assumption that the player they take will provide more impact then the one's they don't take, but it's not like the other players don't have talent.

Maybe I'm not understanding your comment.

 

[OhExaulted1]

Yup - this might be a deep draft, but not at TE

I'm not sure how big a difference there is at #29 or #229 at this position.

Seems to me if Keller passes his physical you sign him even before the draft so you have that much more flexibility

Even better if he's cleared is get a deal done in principal and sign him right after the draft and keep everyone else guessing what Bill's going to do. The spotlight is so bright on every move he makes it's borderline ridiculous, and he eats it up and plays them all like a maestro. It would par for the course.

 

[Deus Irae]

I don't get the issue about "Not a TE1". Who cares? In 2 of 3 NFL seasons, Hernandez had less than 600 yards receiving. Gronk's the team's TE1. The Patriots need a guy who can play TE2 in 2014. If he's healthy, Keller can do that better than anyone on the roster not named Gronkowski, and, quite possibly, better than any of the upcoming 2014 draftees

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Looks like he left without a contract. I hope they can now focus on drafting cj fiedorowicz.

 

[Bonzo]

Considering the severity of that injury, a 1-yr "prove-it" deal seems a tad shortsighted. Sign him on the ultra cheap for 2-ish yrs, with the understanding that 2014 is a rehab-type season. (And if he exceeds those expectations, all the better.)

 

[Avenger]

sign him after June 1 so he doesn't count against comp picks

 

[dales804]

I expect reported interest in him to pick up now that he has visited with NE. He left without a deal so let's see if he catches on someplace else or circles back with NE at some point.

 

[jah]

sign him after June 1 so he doesn't count against comp picks

I'd say this is probably why he left without a contract. Not losing that third rounder for a middle-aged (in football years) tight end coming off a major injury.

 

[BradyManny]

I don't get the issue about "Not a TE1". Who cares? In 2 of 3 NFL seasons, Hernandez had less than 600 yards receiving. Gronk's the team's TE1. The Patriots need a guy who can play TE2 in 2014. If he's healthy, Keller can do that better than anyone on the roster not named Gronkowski, and, quite possibly, better than any of the upcoming 2014 draftees

This. Very much this.

What we had at tight end last season was not adequate. We cannot go into 2014 with Hooman as our 2nd best TE. And I fully realize we have one of the best tight ends ever to play on the roster, but we have to get deeper and better.

 

[mgteich]

I think that would do OK with Hooman and Keller, when Gronk is out.

It is critical to get a TE who can play when Gronk is out, and who might contribute when Gronk is playing. IMHO, Gronk, Keller and Hooman is a very strong set of tight ends.

 

[Rob0729]

sign him after June 1 so he doesn't count against comp picks

I don't know if he will have much affect since he will likely sign for the veteran minimum.

 

[Ring 6]

I think the peak Gronk/Hernandez years have skewed your perception of what a "TE1" is. Look across the league and you'll find that the minority of teams have a TE reach even 600 yards in a season. Keller, when healthy, was indeed a TE1. Not a star or a major impact player by any means, but starting caliber.

He's not that anymore. Fortunately, he doesn't have to be that to be worth signing. He just has to be a cheap vet who still has enough skills to let the Patriots offer some different looks to match up with defenses, without drastically overdrafting someone in this weak TE draft class.

I think the largest point in this is that if you are relying on Dustin Keller as your TE1 you have a pretty good receiver for the position who is a terrible blocker. A TE1 needs to be an effective blocker.
None of this has anything to do with whether or not we should sign Keller for the role he would be best in, just that if you were looking for a TE1 Keller would not be a very good choice.

 

[PatsChamp88]

Some of you are severely overrating Keller because he played good against the Pats.

His career numbers are not that good. Someone here said he's a TE1 when healthy. Sorry but that's just flat out wrong.

http://www.nfl.com/player/dustinkeller/1074/profile

His best year ever was 800 yards. He's failed to even reach 700 yards in all the other seasons he's played. And the past two years he's been injured and only put up 317 yards in the past 2 seasons.


He's just camp fodder at this point.

Actually YOU should be impressed with those numbers considering who was throwing the ball to him...

 

[PatsChamp88]

Anyway if he's completely recovered from those injuries and healthy I don't see any reason why he wouldn't contribute right away but that's a big if and I don't think he is there quite yet.

 

[Triumph]

The team has, from everything I've read, always drafted based on value at the position. What factors into that value equation is anyone's guess but I don't think drafting a TE is a foregone conclusion. If there's better value on the board I think they take it.

Nobody ever won **** leaving talent on the board.

The Pats havent won sheet trading down for so called "value."

Maroney, Brace, Cunningham, Wheatlee among other draft busts. When you have a HOF QB and HC its about winning championships, not just getting there and being happy your team was the loser.

 

[Triumph]

I think the peak Gronk/Hernandez years have skewed your perception of what a "TE1" is. Look across the league and you'll find that the minority of teams have a TE reach even 600 yards in a season. Keller, when healthy, was indeed a TE1. Not a star or a major impact player by any means, but starting caliber.

He's not that anymore. Fortunately, he doesn't have to be that to be worth signing. He just has to be a cheap vet who still has enough skills to let the Patriots offer some different looks to match up with defenses, without drastically overdrafting someone in this weak TE draft class.

How can you be so sure that this is a weak TE draft?

Gronk and Hernandez are/were good but theyre playing with a great QB on a good team. Jimmy Graham is playing with a good QB on a good team. Dennis Pitta is playing with a good QB on a good team. Julius Thomas is playing with a good QB on a good team.

Ladarius Green flew under the radar. Jimmy Graham was a basketball player. Why didnt everyone know that Jordon Cameron would be so good?

 

[meatface]

Has anyone else pointed out that there is no April 31st?

 

[ripatsfan91]

How can you be so sure that this is a weak TE draft?

Gronk and Hernandez are/were good but theyre playing with a great QB on a good team. Jimmy Graham is playing with a good QB on a good team. Dennis Pitta is playing with a good QB on a good team. Julius Thomas is playing with a good QB on a good team.

Ladarius Green flew under the radar. Jimmy Graham was a basketball player. Why didnt everyone know that Jordon Cameron would be so good?

IMO, the draft (outside of Ebron and AC Leonard) doesn't have many tight ends who are athletic as the guys above you just mentioned. All the guys you mentioned were great athletes who ran in the 40 in the 4.5 to high 4.6 range. None of the current crop of tight ends had a 3 cone time sub 7 seconds and no one really showed great explosive numbers (broad jump and VJ).

Surprisingly, one of the least athletic looking guys on tape, CJF, was a top performer at the combine.

I agree that its a pretty weak class. The only reason Jordan Cameron wasn't drafted until later rounds was because of lack of college production. If he was in this draft and put the same numbers up at the combine, he would be drafted within the first 2 rounds.

 

[OhExaulted1]

Has anyone else pointed out that there is no April 31st?

30 days hath September
April, June and November
All the rest have 31
Except for February
Which is my birthmonth
So because God hates me
It's cold and sucks