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Talking TEs - 2014 Draft


Stumbled across some of ASJ's film while watching Bishop Sankey. Dude blocked pretty freaking well. I know he is not going to be able to work out as his pro day but I'm hoping Pats can get him in for a private workout and interview afterwards. I haven't been able to find anything to justify his lack of work ethic through the web. Just a bunch of hearsay so far.

Anyway, still think he is someone they should be looking at with 62.

The thing about ASJ is that he has the best hands in the draft. Numerically speaking he had the fewest drops of any top TE prospect. The question that I have in my mind is why is his YAC so low compared to other tight ends? He just doesn't have the escapability or core strength of an AH. So I don't think he's a threat in the open field like the Prisoner was.

Well you can't have everything. Some have compared ASJ to Jason Witten. If he's a poor man's Witten, I snap him up in the 2nd round no questions asked. But it's so hard to project these young'uns. Especially when you don't even have combine to work off. I guess you have to go with game film, pro day, and personal workouts. The only good news is that this probably drops him down to our pick range.
 
Meanwhile, the NFL did not permit Washington TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins to participate in the position’s on-field drills on Saturday after medical testing done at the combine revealed he had a pre-existing foot condition and there are concerns he may not be 100% for the Huskies pro day early in April. And Kansas State OT Luke Lucas, the biggest prospect at the position at the combine, could be sidelined for as much as two months after he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot.

Imagine getting him late Second that would be a dream come through for me...First Round Talent in the Second. If he can't go in his pro day I don't see him going anywhere in the First...good news for us either way.:cool:
 
Iowa's TE CJ Fiedowowicz ran a 7.10 three-cone? He's so a Patriot. Trade down, take another mid level player, and take Fiedowowicz early in the second. Done.

I don't even consider the Fed until the end of the 3rd round.
 
The thing about ASJ is that he has the best hands in the draft. Numerically speaking he had the fewest drops of any top TE prospect. The question that I have in my mind is why is his YAC so low compared to other tight ends? He just doesn't have the escapability or core strength of an AH. So I don't think he's a threat in the open field like the Prisoner was.

I think there are 2 reasons for ASJ's lack of YAC:

1. He is probably not as explosive as Gronk.

2. As Manx has pointed out, 25% of his catches were in the red zone, which limits his YAC numbers.
 
I really hope BB draft ASJ, but for that we've got to spend the #29 pick, I don't think we can get him in day 2, unless BB trade down and grab him early in the second.

ASJ
Fiedorowicz

:rocker:
 
Give me a Guard and DT/LB/S in the first two rounds and take Niklas in the middle to late 3rd. Trade up for him in the third if we have to. Guy is explosive and I think he was the highest potential in the draft (he only has one year as a starter).

He moves very well for a guy his size. Although he is not the fastest, he knows how to use his size and physicality to get open. He is very good at running the seam route and out route. He is tough to bring down and breaks more tackles than a guy his size should, which IMO really separates him from CJ Fed; Fed seems to go down after first contact and not get much YAC.

Niklas isn't the most polished player and needs to be coached up in other areas. He would likely need a full offseason with the strength and conditioning staff to realize his full athletic potential; I think he could get stronger in his lower body and be more explosive/faster. He definitely has the potential to step in Day 1 as a second TE and play like Gronk did as a rookie, where he was primarily used as a red zone threat. Picturing it now with that much size it would be like having 2 extra tackles on the field! Talk about power football and power run game! In passing situations, it would definitely open up space outside for dobson and the other receivers to work with so much size in the middle of the field! Official binky! :rocker::rocker:
 
Give me a Guard and DT/LB/S in the first two rounds and take Niklas in the middle to late 3rd. Trade up for him in the third if we have to. Guy is explosive and I think he was the highest potential in the draft (he only has one year as a starter).

He moves very well for a guy his size. Although he is not the fastest, he knows how to use his size and physicality to get open. He is very good at running the seam route and out route. He is tough to bring down and breaks more tackles than a guy his size should, which IMO really separates him from CJ Fed; Fed seems to go down after first contact and not get much YAC.

Niklas isn't the most polished player and needs to be coached up in other areas. He would likely need a full offseason with the strength and conditioning staff to realize his full athletic potential; I think he could get stronger in his lower body and be more explosive/faster. He definitely has the potential to step in Day 1 as a second TE and play like Gronk did as a rookie, where he was primarily used as a red zone threat. Picturing it now with that much size it would be like having 2 extra tackles on the field! Talk about power football and power run game! In passing situations, it would definitely open up space outside for dobson and the other receivers to work with so much size in the middle of the field! Official binky! :rocker::rocker:

As people have pointed out earlier in the thread, Niklas has had quite a few concussions.

I think they can get Fedoriwicz in the 3rd or 4th. And that is because of the depth at positions like CB, WR and the O-line.
 
Imagine getting him late Second that would be a dream come through for me...First Round Talent in the Second. If he can't go in his pro day I don't see him going anywhere in the First...good news for us either way.:cool:

Didn't Mark Harrison have a foot injury that kept him out the whole year for the Pats ? Not sure I'd spend a 2nd on a guy who could miss a lot of time. We need TE help NOW, we need it yesterday ! We need a rookie TE to come in and catch at least 30+. Gronk may have to be PUP'd.
 
Any film on CJ? I haven't seen much tape on youtube, and what I have seen hasn't been nearly as impressive as any of the other top 4 TEs in terms of receiving. I don't get it at all. Any help?
 
Any film on CJ? I haven't seen much tape on youtube, and what I have seen hasn't been nearly as impressive as any of the other top 4 TEs in terms of receiving. I don't get it at all. Any help?

I watched quite a bit of college football this year but I hadn't seen any Iowa games this year so I had to rely strictly on clips from draftbreakdown.com and his 2012 showed some quickness in his short five yard passes. It wasn't much but I could see him fitting in our offense quite well.
 
I watched quite a bit of college football this year but I hadn't seen any Iowa games this year so I had to rely strictly on clips from draftbreakdown.com and his 2012 showed some quickness in his short five yard passes. It wasn't much but I could see him fitting in our offense quite well.

Yeah, I noticed that his receiving stats really jumped his senior year when he said they featured him as a receiver, but all the stuff I saw was 4-5 yard catches and being tackled relatively easily with pretty much zero YAC. I did some more research and saw that he was honored as "best receiver" at the senior bowl, but the competition for the award was hardly daunting and he didnt even register a single reception in the game itself.


Sorry, but if I was making the picks, it would be hard for me take him before the 5th round. I don't see the same athleticism and upside in him that guys like ASJ, Niklas, Amaro, Leonard, Duncan, Burton, or Lyerla possess. He could be very good, but I haven't seen anything from him that wows me.
 

I was watching some clips of him 2 days ago and I was intrigued by his receiving skills. He physically looks like a traditional in-line tight end but his play was that of a flex one. I'm in favor of finding guys that can step in for Gronk(ASJ, Fiedor, T. Niklas,etc), but this guy, from the little that I have seen, may be the best of all the tight ends to replace the prisoner.
 
Fiedorowicz and Niklas might be the two best fits. Both of them have solid blocking skills and the Patriots have to take a serious look at how Gronk can play this year. Back problems at Arizona, forearm and ACL surgeries already at his young age, endurance may be questionable. Niklas has some real raw talent, from good genes with Bruce Matthews being his Uncle but concussions and only having 573 total receiving yards in his entire ND career may actually benefit the Pats and drop him into the 4th round.
 
Lions not expected to sign Brandon Pettigrew before free agency | ProFootballTalk

If the price is reasonable, I'd like the Pats to pursue this. One less need to fill in the draft. Gronk + Pettigrew = excellent depth at in-line TE + the ability to run 2-TE "heavy" sets + improved red zone capability. That makes the team better, IMO. I understand that Pettigrew has some issues with drops, but that will keep his cost down.
 
One guy who hasn't really been discussed as a possible UFA option is Dustin Keller. He's coming off an ACL injury from August, and the idea of having 2 TEs coming off ACL injuries might be scary. But he'll have been almost a full year out from his injury once training camp starts.

Keller didn't miss a game for 4 years with the Jets, then had his contract year cut to 5 games due to a high ankle sprain and groin injury. The Dolphins signed him to a 1 year deal worth just over $4M last year, and then he blew out his ACL in training camp after being hit by DJ Swearinger in a similar play to Rob Gronkowski's hit by TJ Ward.

Keller had terrific explosiveness and movement skills coming out of college (41" VJ + 10'11" BJ + 26 BP = 77-78; 4.53 40 + 1.62 10-split + 4.14 SS + 6.88 3C = 17.17) and was extremely productive for the Jets for his first 4 years.

Any interest if he's willing to take a cheap deal?
 
I would be all for a TE in FA cause it will likely not line up well in the draft for us.

I don't like Amaro or ASJ at 29 and both will likely be gone by 62 as would likely Niklas who is raw anyway. After those guys it is either a huge drop off or character issues. While I have supported taking a TE with character question marks late I don't want us having to rely on him if Gronk goes down.

I am all for a FA signing but I also look to improve the spot more than a FA could right now.
 
I think, and I may be right,that Troy Niklas will end up being the best all around TE in the draft. Take Amaro in the first Niklas in the 2nd. Bing bang boom Dee Brown!
 


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