Tight Ends

[jmt57]

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 4)

42. Tight end Alge Crumpler: It’ll be fascinating to see how the 6-foot-2 Crumpler — who is apparently “down” to 275 pounds — works with the rookie tight ends. My guess is that he’ll serve as the primary blocking tight end, at least early on. Crumpler is also supposed to be a high character guy, and it will also be interesting to see how his leadership skills play out in the locker room.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I've only seen Hernandez play in college, but I'm confident this TE group will be the best in the BB era.

At least one preseason publication ranked them as the best TE trio in the AFC already.

 

[jmt57]

Training Camp Report From Tuesday Afternoon Practice by Christopher Price for WEEI:


Rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez continued to be shuffled around the field. On one play in 11-on-11 drills, he was lined up at fullback, and delivered a nice block that sprung Laurence Maroney for a big gain. On the following play, he was lined up just outside the slot and caught a pass in the flat that ended up going for a big gain.

 

[jmt57]

WEEI's Christopher Price profiles two more tight ends from the Pats' roster from his pre-camp ranking of two weeks ago:

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 5)

40. Tight end Aaron Hernandez: The Florida product was moved around like a chess piece through spring practices — he spent almost as much time split out as he did lined up alongside a tackle. He had some usual rookie stumbles, but he spent a sizable chunk of time with first offense, and based on how he looked this spring, the 6-foot-1, 245-pounder could get the bulks of the reps with the first team offense this summer. As long as he (and for his part, Rob Gronkowski) can show he can get separation, it just might signal the return of the tight end as a regular part of the New England passing game. (That is, as long as he remembers what Christian Fauria told me about how to survive as a tight end in the New England offense: “The more plays you make, the more touches you’re going to see,” Fauria said. “The more plays you make, the more consistent you are, the more they will get you the ball. Are you a guy they can count on? They’ll figure it out quickly, and if you aren’t, they’ll get rid of you.”)



39. Tight end Rob Gronkowski: While Hernandez appeared to be more of a pass-catcher and Alge Crumpler was clearly imported for his blocking services, Gronkowski looks to be more of a hybrid, someone who can do a little of both. (That’s why I have him as the highest-rated tight end in camp.) At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, he’s a surprisingly big body — I believe fans will be shocked to see just how big he is when he sidles up to the rope line for autographs during training camp — and if he does flash good hands (like he did this spring) and put a spate of collegiate injuries behind him, he will contribute to the Patriots’ offense.

 

[mgteich]

Gronk is the best TE to come out in at least a couple of years. If he healthy, he is our #1.

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

It seems that Aaron Hernandez was a major steal in the 4th round. I've heard a lot of good things about him, perhaps even more than I've heard of Gronkowski. Gronk is definitely the more versatile player with more potential as a blocker and pass receiver while Hernandez is primarily known for his skills as a receiver. I really think we have something here with our TE's.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Bruschi in his chat on ESPN last week said this about Hernandez:

I'm hearing Aaron Hernandez is going to be special. He's a receiver in a TEs body. Let's see if Billy O'Brien uses him properly.

The bit about O'Brien jumped out at me; I posted a follow up but it was unanswered (I'm sure they get a ton of questions). So I'm curious what folks here make of this? Didn't exactly sound like a vote of confidence for O'Brien; but it also may be tempering expectations because of the way the Pats have used TEs (ie Watson) isn recent years.

Chat: Chat with Tedy Bruschi, Mike Reiss - SportsNation - ESPN Boston

 

[RayClay]

Bruschi in his chat on ESPN last week said this about Hernandez:



The bit about O'Brien jumped out at me; I posted a follow up but it was unanswered (I'm sure they get a ton of questions). So I'm curious what folks here make of this? Didn't exactly sound like a vote of confidence for O'Brien; but it also may be tempering expectations because of the way the Pats have used TEs (ie Watson) isn recent years.

Chat: Chat with Tedy Bruschi, Mike Reiss - SportsNation - ESPN Boston

Sounds like a swipe. Bruschi's got to learn to say what is on his mind.

Maybe not. I don't see how many ways you can use a guy who lets 180 lb cornerbacks wrestle the ball from him in the end zone. Watson was incredibly soft, though talented.

 

[Uncle Rico]

I have a feeling the Pats will resist showcasing Hernandez in pre-season games.

 

[jmt57]

Some more on Hernandez:

Rookie TE Hernandez on Brady: If I'm open, He'll Find Me by Ian Rapoport for the Boston Herald:

The rookie tight end thinks he’s starting to have a good on-field connection and chemisty with Brady.

”I just come out here every day and try to get open,” Hernandez said. ”He’s such a great quarterback. If I’m open, he’ll find me.”

What has he learned from Brady?

”He just teaches me, along with the receivers like (Randy) Moss and T-Holt, teaches me little moves on routes, how to change stuff up,” said Hernandez, ”and it’s helped me a lot so far.”

Hernandez believes he’s been aided by having played in Florida’s system, which has similar concepts.

”It’s similar because it’s a spread offense,” he said. ”We have a lot of stuff that’s similar to Florida, but a lot of the stuff is also different, a lot of the language to it. If you study it, it all comes easy.”

 

[jmt57]

Patriots Roster Prediction #26: TE Aaron Hernandez by Richard Hill for Pats Pulpit:

Past Role: Hernandez was first team All-SEC, first team All-American and was voted the best collegiate Tight End, all in 2009. He was the Florida Gators' leading receiver, as a junior, and decided to forgo his final year in college to enter the NFL draft. A Hern (which shall be his nickname) was a pass catching tight end who, at 6-2, 245 lbs, was too small to be a successful in line blocker. He made his living catching the ball and blocking downfield, as well as helping out as a halfback.

Predicted Role: A Hern should be a large part in the Patriots offensive success. He has tremendous size, which would make him uncoverable by a cornerback or a safety. He'd be a great red zone threat and has the strength to help out in the running game, should the running back run off tackle. He's going to be one of Tom Brady's favorite targets all over the field, especially if Randy Moss faces his regular double coverages.

In the first preseason game, A Hern was used on a couple quick screen passes to no success. These plays do not play to his strengths and that route should not be his primary route during the regular season. Look for A Hern to adopt a Dallas Clark type of role on the offense, as a big receiver who creates big mismatches in the secondary.

Predicted Season Numbers: 7 Games Started, 16 Games Played, 45 receptions, 600 yards, 6 TDs

Predicted Depth Chart: #1 WR/TE, #3 TE

Summary: A Hern should have a successful rookie year. He should have a productive season as one of Brady's primary targets. If the coaching staff uses him downfield, he'll see a lot more success and should put up huge numbers for a rookie. If the staff keeps him on those screen passes, he'll have an awful rookie year.

I like the Dallas Clark analogy; not so sure about the nickname though.

 

[jmt57]

It Is What It Is: Belichick Talks Welker, Crumpler and Holt by WEEI's Chris Price:


Q: How is Alge Crumpler doing for you guys in camp?

BB: He’s doing great. He’s been a great addition to our team, on and of the field [with his] leadership, his experience. He adds a lot to our team. He certainly adds a lot to that position. Again, he has been around pro football his entire life. He really understands the game on and off the field. [He’s] very professional. [He’s] very well prepared. He’s been a great addition. He is really a model type of player. I don’t think there’s much you could ask him to do that he hasn’t done, given the opportunities that he’s had. Since he’s been here he’s been tremendous.

 

[jmt57]

It Is What It Is: Gonzalez Sees A 'Future' For Pats Rookie Tight Ends by WEEI's Kirk Minihane:

“I have watched both tight ends, and they are rookies so they are still learning this game,” Gonzalez said after Tuesday morning’s joint practice session with the Falcons and Patriots. “I do see a future for them. Hernandez with the receiving part of it has got that down. He can keep improving on that. If you are going to be a tight end, and you want to be called a tight end, then you better learn how to block. That is what the position is. With the other tight end [Gronkowski] I think he has a pretty good receiving game and he has got the blocking pretty good.”

“First of all, at the tight end position you have to be a complete tight end,” said Gonzalez. “You can’t just be a receiving tight end, or just a blocking tight end. You have to do both things at a pretty high level. You can do one a little bit better, but something I tell every player coming into the league is that ‘you get out of it what you put into it.’ It is not about what you do at practice it is about what you do before practice and after practice. If you are one of those guys who goes straight in after the horn rings to shower and go home then I don’t think you can be ever as good as you could be.”

 

[jmt57]

Jeff Howe of NESN thinks Gronkowski is the Pats #1 TE right now.

Rob Gronkowski Taking Over as Patriots' No. 1 Tight End Target - New England Patriots - NESN.com

Tight Ends
1. Rob Gronkowski: Most complete tight end they've got
2a. Alge Crumpler: Very good blocker, surprisingly nice hands
2b. Aaron Hernandez: He gets a ton of reps in two-tight end sets, as well as the spread offense.

 

[jmt57]

With Help From Brady, Hernandez Opening NFL Career On Strong Note by WEEI's Chris Price



Hernandez brings an interesting dynamic to the New England offense. The 6-foot-1, 250-pounder is built like a big receiver than a tight end, and throughout the two-plus weeks of training camp, he’s been moved all over the field. The Patriots have lined him up in the slot, they’ve split him wide, as well as flush against the tackle — on one play during the joint practices with New Orleans, he delivered a big block as a fullback that sprung running back Laurence Maroney for a big gain.


That sort of versatility served him well at Florida, but that’s not the only reason he’s had early success in the New England offense, according to Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio.

“I think Aaron is an athletic guy,” Caserio said. “He’s fast. He’s got good quickness. He’s got good vertical speed. He gets into the defense quickly. He catches the ball well. So I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily a matter of schematics. I think it’s just a matter of a particular player’s skills and then what he’s showing on the field were some of the things that we saw from him as a player at Florida.”

 

[jmt57]

Andy Hart of Patriots Football Weekly thinks very highly of Rob Gronkowski:

Official Patriots Football Weekly Blog - From the Hart: Monday post-camp practice observations

Gronkowski simply went off catching the ball. He caught, rough estimate, 15-plus passes throughout the workout. That receptions came in both group and team work. In the red zone and in the middle of the field. He looked smooth as ever. I wonder if he got extra reps thanks to Hernandez’ absence, as some of Gronkowski looks came out of spread formations with him lined up out wide more often than we’ve seen previously. Regardless, he took full advantage and seemed to have fun doing it. He caught a touchdown from Tom Brady, beating Brandon McGowan just over the goal line inside the left pylon and then celebrated by punting the ball into the Field House roof has his offensive teammates cheered. Whether it was Brady or Brian Hoyer, their favorite receiver on the day was No. 87, just days after his first career touchdown in Atlanta. His stock, role and potential continue to grow. Can I stop now? When do Offensive Rookie of the Year ballots get issued? My vote is already spoken for.

 

[jmt57]

Erik Scalavino of Patriots Football Weekly compares the current group of Tight Ends to previous ones on Belichick's previous Pats' rosters:

Ask PFW: Preseason progress reports

Q.: I have two questions about the three new tight-ends. Firstly, the two rookies have been hyped quite a lot, but so were [Daniel] Graham and [Benjamin] Watson when they were drafted. How do you compare Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski to them? Should I believe the hype? Last year, [Chris] Baker was believed to be an upgrade as well, but didn’t really do much. So, how do you see the overall transition at tight end? Is it going to be an immediate upgrade or will it take some time (Both regarding running and passing game)?


A good analogy. The difference being that Graham, Watson, and Baker weren’t all together at the same time and weren’t newcomers at the same time. Another difference is that Watson was a holdout, which put him behind the eight ball. When he finally did show up, he looked impressive early, but then got injured almost immediately and was lost for the season (2004).

Graham was never overly impressive as a pass catcher, but he had his moments and was a solid blocker. Baker looked good as a receiver last preseason before disappearing during the regular season. This summer, all three new tight ends have looked good catching the ball. The results are inconclusive, at this point, regarding their blocking abilities, but I’d say Gronkowski and Crumpler are ahead of Hernandez in that department, based on their experience and what little we’ve seen of them doing so in practice.

Overall, though, I’m more encouraged by what I’ve seen from the latest trio than I was by each of the former players at the position. Against the Falcons, we saw the exciting dimension they can add to the passing game, and if the running game continues to be as successful as it was in Atlanta, the tight ends will get some credit for that as well. It’s still very early to make any definitive statements, but I’d expect the tight end position to be more productive this year than in years past.

 

[RoughingthePasser]

More weapons for Tom?
Look out!

 

[jmt57]

From Richard Hill of Pats Pulpit:

Patriots Roster Prediction #22: TE Alge Crumpler

Past Role: Crumpler was one of the best tight ends in the league for the first half of the decade. He was one of the best receiving tight ends and one of the best blockers during his time with the Atlanta Falcons. In 2008, he was picked up by the Tennessee Titans in order to help groom the young tight ends on the Titans (Bo Scaife and Jared Cook) and was integral in lead blocking for Chris Johnson's monster season.

Predicted Role: Just like how he helped Johnson, look for Crumpler to help the Patriots anemic running game. He will have a similar impact in 2010 that he had in 2009 with the Titans. He'll be a great blocker and a great teacher for Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. He'll be the #3 receiving tight end in order to give more reps to Gronk and Hernandez as receivers. He'll be the #2 in line blocker ahead of A Hern.

Summary: Crumpler will be an excellent leader for our young tight ends. He's still able to step up and perform if called upon, but hopefully the young tight ends will learn their roles and play well. Crumpler will also make frequent appearances in the red zone in 3 TE sets that the offense should be using more frequently.

 

[jmt57]

Ten Things We Learned Thursday Night by WEEI's Christopher Price:

There’s more than one rookie pass-catching tight end on the roster

Without Aaron Hernandez in the lineup, it was Gronkowski’s night, and he certainly made the most of his opportunity. The rookie tight end out of Arizona had three catches for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns were unique, and flashed different aspects of Gronkowski’s skill set.