Patriots Rumor Isaiah Likely - Future Patriot?

[farn]

Can he block?

...or rush the passer ?

 

[Triumph]

Isaiah UnLikely seems a little Jekyll/hyde to me shows up one game disssapears the next.

Look who the QB is.

 

[Pape]

He's an FA at season's end if they don't re-sign him.

right - what would a reasonable contract offer be?

i wouldn't give up picks to get him... clearly there are consistency issues there...

 

[Pape]

Look who the QB is.

"That QB" threw for 4200 yards and 41 td's last year...

he's not drake "drake maye" maye, but eh, a team could do worse...

 

[Ross12]

Dude is DK Metcalf huge and young @ 25 yo. Went to high school in Everett, Mass.

So under utilized in Baltimore. He would totally blow up with Maye throwing the ball his direction.

Yep. I think he can be a weapon.

Is he a stellar blocker? No, but he has room to grow. And worst case, he is a red zone threat, which they need. They can still draft and develop a TE, but their cupboard is bare right now as far as young TEs go, so signing a 25 year old guy who could blossom into something is absolutely worth trying.

TBH, he seems like exactly the type of player Maye would love to throw to.

 

[Triumph]

Yep. I think he can be a weapon.

Is he a stellar blocker? No, but he has room to grow. And worst case, he is a red zone threat, which they need. They can still draft and develop a TE, but their cupboard is bare right now as far as young TEs go, so signing a 25 year old guy who could blossom into something is absolutely worth trying.

TBH, he seems like exactly the type of player Maye would love to throw to.

Likely has great hands too.

 

[maust]

"That QB" threw for 4200 yards and 41 td's last year...

he's not drake "drake maye" maye, but eh, a team could do worse...

Consider the source of the comment you were responding to. "That QB" is damn good for "that" offense. Baltimore has historically been and still is the home of a TE friendly offense. I think Likely's pass blocking deficiencies make him a poor candidate for the Pats. His career catch success rate is a not excellent but good-ish 68.5%, not high enough to overcome his blocking issues

 

[Zuma]

Good catch percentage. Strange not a single TD this season. Only 6 1st downs.

 

[Pape]

Consider the source of the comment you were responding to. "That QB" is damn good for "that" offense. Baltimore has historically been and still is the home of a TE friendly offense. I think Likely's pass blocking deficiencies make him a poor candidate for the Pats. His career catch success rate is a not excellent but good-ish 68.5%, not high enough to overcome his blocking issues

great point.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

I'd be very interested. But the great thing is that we're running from a position of strength this offseason. We have tons of cap space and a relatively small list of contributors to retain or replace (Chaisson, Tonga, Hawkins, Hooper, maybe Gibbens). That means all of our FA and draft decisions can be based on value.

The benefit of adding a guy like Likely in place of Hooper is 1) he's a better player and 2) you start layering the depth chart for eventual Henry decline or even parting of ways. Over the next couple of years it'd be nice to start phasing Henry into Hoper's more limited TE2 role and have a younger guy ready for TE1. Likely gives you that right away. You enjoy a TE-1A and TE-1B situation for a year and then Henry can be TE2 if he's kept for his decline years, or even give you the possibility of moving on.

A younger upgrade/replacement for Hooper is a great place to think about spending some money or using a higher draft pick this year, but they only should do so if the value is there. It seems to me Likely is an awesome projection in this offense but they might not agree. And some other team may be more desperate to just pay him such a sum of money that it isn't worth it. If so, walk away. No harm, no foul. This is why it's great to have your roster layered with depth and quality options everywhere so you can pick and choose good values vs. desperately try to fill holes.

 

[maust]

I'd be very interested. But the great thing is that we're running from a position of strength this offseason. We have tons of cap space and a relatively small list of contributors to retain or replace (Chaisson, Tonga, Hawkins, Hooper, maybe Gibbens). That means all of our FA and draft decisions can be based on value.

The benefit of adding a guy like Likely in place of Hooper is 1) he's a better player and 2) you start layering the depth chart for eventual Henry decline or even parting of ways. Over the next couple of years it'd be nice to start phasing Henry into Hoper's more limited TE2 role and have a younger guy ready for TE1. Likely gives you that right away. You enjoy a TE-1A and TE-1B situation for a year and then Henry can be TE2 if he's kept for his decline years, or even give you the possibility of moving on.

A younger upgrade/replacement for Hooper is a great place to think about spending some money or using a higher draft pick this year, but they only should do so if the value is there. It seems to me Likely is an awesome projection in this offense but they might not agree. And some other team may be more desperate to just pay him such a sum of money that it isn't worth it. If so, walk away. No harm, no foul. This is why it's great to have your roster layered with depth and quality options everywhere so you can pick and choose good values vs. desperately try to fill holes.

I agree with the meat of your post, the Pats do need to target the position. Likely just isn't the right guy, he's what Hooper is but younger and NE needs better

 

[WhatJustHappened]

It looked like he was going to take over for Andrews, but they just extended Andrews for 3/39.

 

[DC Patriots]

He’s averaged fewer yards and TD’s than Hooper, although it’s close. I see a number of Ravens games being down here. I think PF2 has it right. He’s streaky, looks unstoppable some games and some games you don’t see him. I think he’s a very nice complementary player, not really a game changer.

But I’d be happy to be proven wrong.

 

[Wozzy]

Not sure what that has to do with Isaiah Likley
While you 'might' give up a late round pick to add him the Pats can't. It's Dec 4th, no one can

If he gets cut then…

 

[maust]

If he gets cut then…

If Savage gets released he isn't making it all the way up to the Pats place on the waiver wire. Nice to be able to have that as a 'problem' isn't it?

 

[Wozzy]

Maybe it's just me but so far Likely has been no more than a younger version of Hooper with slightly poorer blocking. It's not as though Baltimore is a team that underutilizes the position. He's in his 4th season, if he had more one would think it would have shown up. I'd like to see the Pats do better at the position vs just trying to maintain, Henry isn't getting any younger after all

I agree, Likely is nothing special. He played with Lamar and he throws to TE’s as much as anyone. Likely also didn’t explode on the scene when Andrews was hurt.

I’d rather have a great blocker like Foster Moreau or take a flyer on a cheap reclamation project like Daniel Bellinger than spend bigger money on Likely.

 

[Rob0729]

I think I would go with David Njoku. Far more versatile and likely more productive. Njoku can block. He is a very good receiver when he has a real QB. His demand has diminished because he has been playing in Cleveland. Only knock is he will be 30 next year.

Likely seems like a big WR playing TE. Not sure if that is what the Pats really need. Maye already has Henry as his go to guy. You need a guy as your #2 TE who is more versatile.

 

[TommyD4207]

I think I would go with David Njoku. Far more versatile and likely more productive. Njoku can block. He is a very good receiver when he has a real QB. His demand has diminished because he has been playing in Cleveland. Only knock is he will be 30 next year.

Likely seems like a big WR playing TE. Not sure if that is what the Pats really need. Maye already has Henry as his go to guy. You need a guy as your #2 TE who is more versatile.

Njoku's 30 next year and has a pretty extensive injury history. I'd rather they get younger at the position, a guy like Likely has way more upside.

 

[DC Patriots]

I’d add I think Njoku will likely be more expensive. If Likely gets money in the 9-10m a year range someone is really buying potential rather than production

 

[maust]

Njoku's 30 next year and has a pretty extensive injury history. I'd rather they get younger at the position, a guy like Likely has way more upside.

Likely's skill set is fairly average, outside of being younger and his lack of injury history I don't see any great upside to Hooper or any other JAG. Again, he'sokay but don't we want better than okay?