NE interested in TE Delanie Walker

Signing would make alot of sense. Brings me back to the Crumpler signing. I don't recall where or what station but during that or around that season on a local boston radio show a caller called about Crumpler and what a waste he was. The hosts jumped all over the caller saying the word out of Foxboro were coaches + Gronk/AHern were signing praises. He laid the blueprint for the youngings on how to be pro, how to communicate , small details + techniques. Both players at one point attributed alot of their early success to him.

I feel this would be a similar situation to that. I would also be ok with Dwayne Allen. I am sure some of you just shook your head but fact his Allen was a 3rd OT out there, mauler of a blocker. Would have been a godsend if we had him last year. He was also man enough to deal with constant media trashing and fan ridicule but still show up and give his best. A good role model for the "team first" mantra.

Dwayne Allen was released Aug 31st 2019 and we did not sign him all of last year (when we were desperate). I doubt that the Pats will sign him in 2020. Something we do not know - he was released with an injury settlement.

I don’t remember the exact figures, but Miami cut Allen owing him a substantial amount of guaranteed salary. With offsets, Allen would have basically been playing for free in 2019, unless he got a contract bigger from another team than the guarantees Miami owed him.

Also, Allen had surgery last offseason and was quoted after his release as saying something along the lines of he had to get healthy first before he would consider signing with another team.

Perhaps, it took him longer to recover than he thought, or the Patriots were interested last season but were too cap strapped to offer him anything above Miami’ guarantees. In short, there were reasons why the Pats didn’t sign Allen last year despite their need at his position but might this season.

IMO - sign Walker AND Allen. Could use both. Depends on costs of course.

UptownPatsFan said:

6a. Vitale opt-out in perspective: Of the seven Patriots players to opt out of the 2020 season, I viewed four as locks to make the initial roster -- Hightower, Chung, Cannon and running back/core special-teamer Brandon Bolden. So fullback Danny Vitale and reserve center/guard Najee Toran, from my view, might not have been part of the mix anyway. While the Patriots were looking forward to seeing if Vitale could emerge as the replacement for the retired James Develin, my sense based on conversations with agents around the NFL was that he wasn't their top free-agent target at the position this offseason.

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Guess that's why I couldn't find the tweet

Didn't realize it was in the Reiss Sunday column. Nice job.

I look for the Patriots to trade a fifth round pick to Denver for Andrew Beck and a
seventh round pick. Beck can be used at fullback and tight end.

Ross12 said:

IMO - sign Walker AND Allen. Could use both. Depends on costs of course.

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Charles Clay should be signed ahead of either of them; Walker is old & broken-down, and Allen is simply broken.

With so little time to evaluate talent, the Patriots may choose not to
bring the roster up to 80 players.

Sign me up for Allen. I hear he's fully healthy and waiting by the phone. His blocking makes a huge difference.

If Walker could put together one more season without being injured it would be a good signing. Duh. But that is a tall order considering his history. Maybe if they limited his reps it might work out?

Jeff Heuerman might be another name to consider; he was released by Denver last week, but given his injury history and Bill's recent experience with another former Donkey TE (Matty LaGlasse), perhaps he would be wise to not go down that road again...

Patriot Missile said:

If Walker could put together one more season without being injured it would be a good signing. Duh. But that is a tall order considering his history. Maybe if they limited his reps it might work out?

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The question is whether he is a better TE on the team that Izzo. The bar is very low.

I guess since they signed Leggett, they aren’t signing Walker.

Leggett if healthy could be a good blocking TE, he's massive, a good athlete and has untapped potential.

Wozzy said:

Leggett if healthy could be a good blocking TE, he's massive, a good athlete and has untapped potential.

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His body type reminds me of a heavier version of Darren Waller, who did nothing his first 3-1/2 years in the league with Bal'mo until Oakland signed him off their PS, then he exploded last season...Probably won't happen with Leggett here, but ya never know...Another reason I'm still itching to sign Charles Clay...

Wozzy said:

Leggett if healthy could be a good blocking TE, he's massive, a good athlete and has untapped potential.

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Lazy with bad habits. His coaches and QB won’t put up with that, so he might not be in Foxboro very long.

captain stone said:

Charles Clay should be signed ahead of either of them; Walker is old & broken-down, and Allen is simply broken.

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I like Clay as a receiver, but he hasn’t caught much over the last two years. He gets hurt every year. Does he have anything left?

TomPatriot said:

Lazy with bad habits. His coaches and QB won’t put up with that, so he might not be in Foxboro very long.

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Yeah, right now he's TE #4. He did have success with a mobile QB in college, maybe he could impress enough in camp to make the team. His college videos are pretty impressive. I don't see them keeping 4 TEs, so it's probably going to be Izzo vs Leggett in camp.

Just read that the Pats AREN'T signing Leggett now. Walker now still a possibility.

TomPatriot said:

I like Clay as a receiver, but he hasn’t caught much over the last two years. He gets hurt every year. Does he have anything left?

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He's missed a couple of games here & there...Hasn't played a full season since 2013, but he's never appeared in fewer than 13 games, ever, including 15 last season with the Football Cardinals, so he seems to have avoided major injuries:

Charles Clay

He also had experience in college at Tulsa in the backfield as both runner & blocker, so he should be able to line up anywhere that has TE/FB responsibilities, similar to what Bill might've had in mind for Vitale here, and Clay's bigger than Danny V too:

Charles Clay (American football) - Wikipedia

Will he replace 2018 Gronk? No; even that version of him was a unique beast...But he's a damn sight better than what we had here last year; and unlike Jordan Leggett, who himself is still trying to learn what it really takes to be an NFL pro, Clay will provide valuable leadership & experience for Asiasi & Keene, similar to what Algae Crumpler provided in 2010, and he would also come with a thorough knowledge of the AFC East to boot...