Escobar Blocking Issues

[xwalker]

I am really suspicious of anyone that played D1 football for 3 years and benches that pathetically. It's not like he is a DB or something, he has a big frame. Is it work ethic? How the heck do you only bench 225 12 times? What was he doing in the off season?

He couldn't bench at the combine due to a shoulder injury. The 12 reps were at his Pro Day which was less than a month after the combine.

 

[Alexander]

He couldn't bench at the combine due to a shoulder injury. The 12 reps were at his Pro Day which was less than a month after the combine.

I do not think the bench results, like the 40, guage what it takes for him to be successful overall. All in all, brute strength in blocking is about equivalent to straight line speed in terms of pass catching. A small piece of it. His technique to simply wall off and keep defenders engaged is just as effective as his ability to pancake them. That tells me want to and more importantly technique is the problem here. I'd bring in Novacek for a couple of days to teach him how it is done.

 

[xwalker]

He's pokey slow for a receiving threat.

His top speed is 18.94 mph. Witten's top speed is 17.94 mph.

 

[xwalker]

Yes.

Jimmy Graham 38 1/2
Gronk 33 1/2
Gonzalez 36
Vernon Davis 42
Gates 39
Hernandez 33

I mean, its OK, but nothing special. Of course, we can't measure his "elite hands" when he was playing high school level talent, so we just have to take everyone's word on it. If Travis Fredrick was 3rd string right now, people would be pretty upset. You wouldn't hear any of this 3 year crap.

I am not saying this guy is a bust, I just don't think he was a good pick at 47.

Witten's vert was only 31". It really killed his career not being able to jump higher...

 

[CyberB0b]

Witten's vert was only 31". It really killed his career not being able to jump higher...

He certainly has never been a red zone thread in his career, as great as he is, that is his one knock. People are hyping Escobar as a big red zone threat, but I don't see it.

 

[Alexander]

He certainly has never been a red zone thread in his career, as great as he is, that is his one knock. People are hyping Escobar as a big red zone threat, but I don't see it.

Romo was second best in the NFL last year in non-Redzone TD passes only to Rodgers. I get they wanted to get him a better redzone target, but if the idea was to plug in Escobar, who is a poor blocker, into red zone passes for hope of getting him looks in the passing game does not seem like it has a strong shot at success.

Martellus Bennett had the same expectations, but he never developed into that red zone threat. The whole report on Escobar is that he was more of a vertical, run the seam, straight line player who functions more like a wideout. That does not scream red zone threat unless they intend to hope he catches a bunch of fades or something.