What to do about TE and Escobar

[Aven8]

How are you trading a guy who likely won't play the rest of his contract? Good luck with that...

Yep. That little thing called a physical always gets in the way doesn't it?

 

[Idgit]

Someone hack your account?

Why?

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Should have never drafted TE's in the 2nd round when your star, future HoF TE was drafted in the 3rd round. Sets a bad precedent and is a bit logically flawed, especially from a cap standpoint. Ironically, the guy that has stuck with the team the longest and is working out to a degree is Hanna. Before then, John Phillips was looking promising until he injured his knee. Both guys were latter round picks.

I would like to see Hanna get his chance. The speed is still there. I don't think he'll ever be a TE that beats safeties because he doesn't seem to have that skill. But, I think he can be a good receiver and run some pivot routes to break away from tacklers (something Witten doesn't do well) and find the holes in zones.

I think we need to look to move on from Escobar. He can't block and that makes him limited in what you can do. I'd rather have Witten receiving (or blocking) and Hanna blocking. If you have 2 TE's and you want to threaten the run or have 1 in for pass protection, I'd rather have Witten running the route with Hanna blocking. I'd like to see Swaim get his chance to beat out Escobar as I saw some real blocking ability from him in college and he has some solid speed.





YR

 

[RS12]

Should have never drafted TE's in the 2nd round when your star, future HoF TE was drafted in the 3rd round. Sets a bad precedent and is a bit logically flawed, especially from a cap standpoint. Ironically, the guy that has stuck with the team the longest and is working out to a degree is Hanna. Before then, John Phillips was looking promising until he injured his knee. Both guys were latter round picks.

I would like to see Hanna get his chance. The speed is still there. I don't think he'll ever be a TE that beats safeties because he doesn't seem to have that skill. But, I think he can be a good receiver and run some pivot routes to break away from tacklers (something Witten doesn't do well) and find the holes in zones.

I think we need to look to move on from Escobar. He can't block and that makes him limited in what you can do. I'd rather have Witten receiving (or blocking) and Hanna blocking. If you have 2 TE's and you want to threaten the run or have 1 in for pass protection, I'd rather have Witten running the route with Hanna blocking. I'd like to see Swaim get his chance to beat out Escobar as I saw some real blocking ability from him in college and he has some solid speed.





YR

They are looking at a big TE from Southern Illinois who seems to have a knack for finding seams in coverage, Adam Fuehne.

 

[jobberone]

Have been pondering the TE position, seriously how much longer does Witten have - 2 years ? No one sees a lot of playing time behind Jason, but it's starting to get to that time... Hanna was just signed to a 3 year 8.5 million extension - 6th rounder. He has found himself his niche, and playing well.
Gavin Escobar - the much maligned Gavin Escobar.
Another enigma by our front office. Same size and weight as Hanna, 2nd round as opposed to 6th round. Achilles rupture so not sure what we will get out of him his last year. Has not lived up to his draft pedigree, but I can't help wonder if that is more on the front office than him. Supposedly drafted to play the 12 package, but then the team decided they like the 11 package better. Is that due to over drafting him ? Or lack of talent on his part ? Lack of coaching/knowing what he was before drafting him.
He becomes a UFA after this season, and coming off the injury who knows how much he will play.
Cheap re-sign ? Or just let him go.
We only have Swaim as our 4th option so do we need to take another low round TE ?
Part of Witten's legacy is how he dominated the position here, and the bad choices the FO made on resources behind him.
All I can say is, no more 2nd round TE's .....

All these questions are legitimate. I personally think they took a hybrid TE and turned him into a traditional TE which, IMO, was a mistake. I was all for a hybrid TE/WR. Now he's not so special as a traditional TE. He needs to revert to a hybrid.

 

[jobberone]

Should have never drafted TE's in the 2nd round when your star, future HoF TE was drafted in the 3rd round. Sets a bad precedent and is a bit logically flawed, especially from a cap standpoint. Ironically, the guy that has stuck with the team the longest and is working out to a degree is Hanna. Before then, John Phillips was looking promising until he injured his knee. Both guys were latter round picks.

I would like to see Hanna get his chance. The speed is still there. I don't think he'll ever be a TE that beats safeties because he doesn't seem to have that skill. But, I think he can be a good receiver and run some pivot routes to break away from tacklers (something Witten doesn't do well) and find the holes in zones.

I think we need to look to move on from Escobar. He can't block and that makes him limited in what you can do. I'd rather have Witten receiving (or blocking) and Hanna blocking. If you have 2 TE's and you want to threaten the run or have 1 in for pass protection, I'd rather have Witten running the route with Hanna blocking. I'd like to see Swaim get his chance to beat out Escobar as I saw some real blocking ability from him in college and he has some solid speed.




YR

Can't agree with picking them in the 2nd being flawed due to Witten falling a round. They wanted him but addressed C first by taking Al Johnson out of Wisconsin who was considered to have starter potential. They were shocked when Witten fell which I attribute to his lack of speed.

Escobar may have been available in the 3rd or even 4th although I really doubt the latter. He wasn't a steal in the second. The way they have used him created what amounts to a wasted high pick IMO. There is still time to salvage his career if they will use him correctly. JMO.

 

[LocimusPrime]

What kind of tight end was jay novecek? I want us to get that type of TE.

 

[Doc50]

How are you trading a guy who likely won't play the rest of his contract? Good luck with that...

You're right, of course. I had forgotten that his injury was late in the year.
It's 9 months on an Achilles tear, even if rehab is great. So, he won't be ready until mid season, and he probably won't have enough impact to restore his value.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

They are looking at a big TE from Southern Illinois who seems to have a knack for finding seams in coverage, Adam Fuehne.

Good. I'd rather see them find a latter round pick and work to develop the player instead of going high in the draft. The high draft pick isn't going to start in the next couple of years.





YR

 

[big dog cowboy]

Should have never drafted TE's in the 2nd round when your star, future HoF TE was drafted in the 3rd round. Sets a bad precedent and is a bit logically flawed, especially from a cap standpoint.

NE did the same thing with Kevin O'Connell, Ryan Mallett and Jimmy Garoppolo with some guy named Tom.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

NE did the same thing with Kevin O'Connell, Ryan Mallett and Jimmy Garoppolo with some guy named Tom.

Garoppolo I could understand since who knows how long Brady has left at this age. Plus, the Patriots have never been the greatest draft team. They've hit in certain spots and badly missed in others. They have been able to revolve around Brady, make smart FA pickups at low costs and I think Belichick is the best coach of safeties in the world. So you always get a defense that may be a bit porous, but doesn't give up the big plays and the big yards or blows coverages or misses those tackles that safeties have to make and has such a high powered offense that it works for them. Also helps to skirt every rule you can.




YR