Did we keep the wrong Tight End

[BRADY2MOSSS]

I think Daniel Graham is a better route runner than Ben Watson and a way better deep threat
Imagine Graham in this Offense with Moss and Welker.
we could've line him up in the 5 wide package making it impossible for teams to double Wes Welker in the slot.

 

[sbcpats70]

Not sure about that, but I will tell you that I'm very, VERY underwhelmed with Watson. I think they should cut him after this year and go looking for someone else.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Watson has had a few drops but he's been very good this year overall. Sometimes I think I watch a different game than others, although Watson has had a few drops the past few games.

It's a moot point, though, Graham was a UFA, Watson wasn't.

 

[baba booey]

They kept the rookie contract, and while they valued Graham, they weren't going to give him the guaranteed money that he could get on the open market.

 

[oldskool138]

Letting Graham go was a salary cap decision allong with Daniel wanting to move closer to home.

I think people's memory is hazy. Graham was not a great pass catcher or route runner...a great blocker, yes, but not that great as an offensive threat.

Watson is cheaper but not as great of a blocker. He was supposed to make big strides in the pass-catching department this year but the light really hasn't come on yet.

The Pats do need to address the TE situation this off-season.

 

[fair catch fryar]

I think Daniel Graham is a better route runner than Ben Watson and a way better deep threat
Imagine Graham in this Offense with Moss and Welker.
we could've line him up in the 5 wide package making it impossible for teams to double Wes Welker in the slot.

Expectations were so high for Watson, that most people see him as a disappointment. I think we'll still see some production out of him. Graham seems like he was a better blocker and locker-room type guy, but for the $, I don't think we could've afforded him and had the free-agent signings like we did. Besides, I think BB was hoping for a nice 1-2-3 punch with Watson, Brady, and Thomas, but injuries have decimated out tight-ends this year.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Your are right. You can't count on that Belichick/Pioli team to make the right decissions.

Graham had a Pro-Bowl year with Denver but he got cheated out of it.

 

[satz]

Consider this that watson was a receiving TE who over the years has developed his blocking work.Last year he was asked to do much.When you see tony or gates they have a awesome running game that ditacted that the top cb and top safety were on his case all game punishing him. we made his face double and triple coverages.

this year he is staying in to protect more with kyle down and does not play in the 4 wr set we run or 3 wr / i rb set we ran a tonne.

His contract is till 09 and i think with thomas coming along fine we might have 2 good blocking /receiving TE.

 

[Amnorix]

Denver signed him for 5 years at $30 Million, and got 24 catches for 246 yards and 2 TDs out of it. This after they seemingly (and he definitely) expressed an interest in increasing his catching opportunities. Instead, eh was what he always was and always will be -- a fine blocking TE and nothing special in the passing game.

 

[A.C Vegas]

Letting Graham go was a salary cap decision allong with Daniel wanting to move closer to home.

I think people's memory is hazy. Graham was not a great pass catcher or route runner...a great blocker, yes, but not that great as an offensive threat.

Watson is cheaper but not as great of a blocker. He was supposed to make big strides in the pass-catching department this year but the light really hasn't come on yet.

The Pats do need to address the TE situation this off-season.

They already have they have David Thomas comiong back from an injury and he showed in his rookie yeara (a couple times) that he could have quite a bit of potential

 

[Seacoast Fan]

I think Daniel Graham is a better route runner than Ben Watson and a way better deep threat
Imagine Graham in this Offense with Moss and Welker.
we could've line him up in the 5 wide package making it impossible for teams to double Wes Welker in the slot.

Maybe I am missing something, always a possibility, I admit, but it is always possible for a team to double Welker in the slot, regardless of the formation or the tight end. Its a matter of who the other team wants to double, and I think that has far less to do with who the tight end is than who the other wideouts are.
Even is Graham is a way better deep threat than Watson, this team doesn't lack for deep threats, nor with the ability to make the other defense "pick its own poison" so to speak.

 

[dhamz]

Graham was neither a good route runner or a deep threat. He was a great blocker and a very good runner after the catch. He struggled catching the ball at times.

Watson runs pretty good routes and can get deep down the field. He isn't a great blocker and for all his combine skills and size a stiff breeze seems to knock him over after he makes a catch. He struggles with catching the ball at times.

Neither guy is a stiff by any means but neither is ever going to be an All Pro.

Did we keep the wrong TE? That implies there was a choice. There wasn't. Graham was a FA who would take big $ to sign. They chose not to attempt to keep him. Watson was locked up to a reasonable deal and was and is going nowhere whether Graham was signed or not.

 

[ClevTrev]

The only concern I have with Watson is his health and his ability to stay on the field. When he's on, his blocking and receiving skills enable him to play different roles with the offense. He's a good one. Let's hope he is 100% through the playoffs.

As mentioned, Graham was a necessary cap decision, and Thomas is on IR. With a healthy Thomas, Watson's time off the field wouldn't have been so critical.

 

[patchick]

It's a moot point, though, Graham was a UFA, Watson wasn't.

Amen! The title of this thread suggests there was a choice of keeping one or the other, which is nonsense. Graham was a UFA who bolted for big money from his home town team. Watson is in the middle of a rookie contract making a $560,000 salary. If Graham had stayed, Watson wouldn't have gone.

If there was any choosing between, it was Kyle Brady as a blocker at $1 million/year vs. Daniel Graham as a blocker at $6 million/year. Personally, I like that decision.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

This thread is wrong on so many levels. The choice was never between Grambo and Watson. Grambo did not want to re-sign with the Pats and he rebuffed our attempts to re-sign him at the price that Bioli felt he was worth.

Secondly, the only thing Grambo did consistently well was block. His pass catching was wildly inconsistent outside the red zone, and we are just fine currently inside the red zone. As well as outside the red zone....

Third, Dave Thomas may have been the replacement for Grambo, but he just hasn't remained healthy. Kyle Brady replaces Grambo's blocking just fine, and we are simply not lacking in pass catching threats.

Finally, Grambo hasn't done squat to earn his money with the Broncos, and is already whining about being mis-used in that offense.

We are undefeated, we scored the most points in league history, Brady has gotten more pass protection than we are used to seeing this season. What more can we want?

When Kyle Brady was healthy for most of the season, not a single person in the media or at this fansite ever said "Gee, we need disgruntled Grambo back, that was a mistake letting him do what he wanted and sign with his hometown team."

Yeah, what in the world is wrong with Bioli, anyway?

This is a kneejerk fanboy post.

 

[MassPats38]

Graham sees himself as a receiving tight end, but somehow both the Pats and now Denver see him as a blocker. Watson has his drops/tips, but I would take him over Graham in a heartbeat as a receiver due to his combination of speed and size. If you want to pay almost $6 million for that (and I think Kyle Brady can better perform that role at a fraction of that price), have at it.

And frankly, after seeing Watson blast Champ Bailey after that interception in 2005, I will always regard him highly. Much like I valued Vinatieri for catching and leg tackling Herschel Walker on a kickoff return - not really his job, but I'll take heart and persistence over pure talent as it displays a commitment to winning.

 

[BRADY2MOSSS]

it looks like Kansas city is going into a rebuilding mode, with that said. What are chances or odds of us trading for Tony Gonzales?

 

[oldskool138]

it looks like Kansas city is going into a rebuilding mode, with that said. What are chances or odds of us trading for Tony Gonzales?

Nil

1234567

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

it looks like Kansas city is going into a rebuilding mode, with that said. What are chances or odds of us trading for Tony Gonzales?

ZERO.

I guess you missed the threads we had on BB calling out Gonzales in the Pro Bowl.

 

[fourthandmiles]

I thought Watson's health issues were a direct result of Roy "Ulf" Williams? Effn Thug