TE group

[BlazeCarolina]

Just now, kungfoodude said:

I just don't think there is much in the way of ceiling and he's a replacement level player. 

Not advocating for jettisoning him but if a better player is there in FA or the draft, you take them.

Definitely could be upgraded.  Agreed.

Evans does look promising so far, though.  Still no clear #1, but Evans hasn't had the time.

[scpanther22]

I think if you have to use their age as the main selling point it might mean they haven't shown enough on the field to make a statement yet lol

[tukafan21]

14 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

So you'd forego an opportunity to upgrade based on what you've seen? I wouldn't.

I think these ideas of going into off seasons with clear plans on which positions to target usually end in reaches in the draft and overpaying in FA. Upgrade where you can when you can where it makes sense 

This offseason, yes, because we have too many other needs to where it won’t be reaching for something else instead of a TE upgrade.  If these guys were out of contract and it was extend them to bring in someone better, that would be a different discussion then.

But we still need upgrades at every level of the defense, a long term center, backup OL, and maybe even WR depending how the year shakes out with XL and Coker.

(all of the above is also ignoring the QB question that will still trump all else)

I’d struggle to see a situation where a draft pick or FA signing makes more sense for a TE than the best player at a position we’re in worse shape at.

 

Edited 1 hour ago by tukafan21

[kungfoodude]

7 minutes ago, tukafan21 said:

This offseason, yes, because we have too many other needs to where it won’t be reaching for something else instead of a TE upgrade.  If these guys were out of contract and it was extend them to bring in someone better, that would be a different discussion then.

But we still need upgrades at every level of the defense, a long term center, backup OL, and maybe even WR depending how the year shakes out with XL and Coker.

(all of the above is also ignoring the QB question that will still trump all else)

I’d struggle to see a situation where a draft pick or FA signing makes more sense for a TE than the best player at a position we’re in worse shape at.

 

I don't think you forgo the opportunity to upgrade a position significantly because the team has other issues. That is gonna be the case for several more offseasons as we attempt to build.

If you have the opportunity to get a game changing TE, you take them. Now, I do mean largely through the draft. I don't think we should be breaking the bank on a TE in free agency.

[strato]

Last year people were saying how Sanders was the best pick of the draft. 
week 8 and he hasn’t done poo. 
That is some devalued stock right now. 

Edited 1 hour ago by strato

[kungfoodude]

6 minutes ago, strato said:

Last year people were saying how Sanders was the best pick of the draft. 
week 8 and he hasn’t done poo. 
That is some devalued stock right now. 

That's why you gotta be careful about those early takes. Pretty sure there are a lot of dusty ass Kelvin Benjamin jersey's out there.

[LinvilleGorge]

Sanders looked like a guy who didn't belong in the league at first then improved then got hurt. I still don't know who he is as an NFL player but I haven't seen enough yet to count on him as anything more than camp competition long term. Tremble is a mediocre #2/solid #3. That's just what he is. That people are excited about Mitchell Evans and his 9 catches for 90 yards through 7 games kinda says everything about our TE group. Wanting to take TE off the board this off-season is bat poo crazy.

[Swaggasaurus]

2 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Sanders looked like a guy who didn't belong in the league at first then improved then got hurt. I still don't know who he is as an NFL player but I haven't seen enough yet to count on him as anything more than camp competition long term. Tremble is a mediocre #2/solid #3. That's just what he is. That people are excited about Mitchell Evans and his 9 catches for 90 yards through 7 games kinda says everything about our TE group. Wanting to take TE off the board this off-season is bat poo crazy.

Sanders is a drive killer. That’s who he is as an NFL player.

[tukafan21]

34 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

I don't think you forgo the opportunity to upgrade a position significantly because the team has other issues. That is gonna be the case for several more offseasons as we attempt to build.

If you have the opportunity to get a game changing TE, you take them. Now, I do mean largely through the draft. I don't think we should be breaking the bank on a TE in free agency.

The only place a game breaking can't miss TE is available, is in the 1st round of the draft.  Yes, you can hit on them from anywhere else, but even once you're in the 2nd round it's by no means a game changing TE that you're not going to miss on.  So there's no way I'd be on board with a TE in the 2nd or 3rd round of the draft either, not with who we already have.

So, if we're sitting there in the 1st round next year, there is no way a Bowers type of TE falls to us while at the same time not having any other available players there at positions of a bigger need, particularly on defense.

A game changing TE is obviously a great player to have, but it's also probably the least important position to have impact players at.  Because of that combined with what we've seen from our guys who are all on cheap contracts for the next few years, I can't see any scenario where it would make sense for us to bring in any new TE's next year (outside of late season major injuries to where we obviously wouldn't have them next year, like Brooks this year).

Edited 56 minutes ago by tukafan21

[tukafan21]

23 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Sanders looked like a guy who didn't belong in the league at first then improved then got hurt. I still don't know who he is as an NFL player but I haven't seen enough yet to count on him as anything more than camp competition long term. Tremble is a mediocre #2/solid #3. That's just what he is. That people are excited about Mitchell Evans and his 9 catches for 90 yards through 7 games kinda says everything about our TE group. Wanting to take TE off the board this off-season is bat poo crazy.

It's not about taking TE off the board, it's that we have bigger needs at too many other more important positions, to where using our precious draft capital or cap room on improving the TE doesn't make sense this offseason, when we do have young guys who aren't bad and have real potential.

TE needs will fall behind our needs at all 3 levels on defense and at least Center on offense.

I just don't see any scenario where taking a TE in the draft or using cap room on one makes sense over those other positions when we have some real potential in our TE room on cheap contracts.

[LinvilleGorge]

5 minutes ago, tukafan21 said:

The only place a game breaking can't miss TE is available, is in the 1st round of the draft.  

That's the only place a game breaking can't miss player is available on any draft and yet some of them still bust.

[LinvilleGorge]

1 minute ago, tukafan21 said:

It's not about taking TE off the board, it's that we have bigger needs at too many other more important positions, to where using our precious draft capital or cap room on improving the TE doesn't make sense this offseason, when we do have young guys who aren't bad and have real potential.

TE needs will fall behind our needs at all 3 levels on defense and at least Center on offense.

I just don't see any scenario where taking a TE in the draft or using cap room on one makes sense over those other positions when we have some real potential in our TE room on cheap contracts.

Upgrade where you can, when you can. Reaching based on need doesn't help you.

[OldhamA]

2 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

That's the only place a game breaking can't miss player is available on any draft and yet some of them still bust.

Off the top of my head:

• LaPorta - 2nd round
• McBride - 2nd round
• Ferguson - 4th round
• Freiermuth - 2nd round
• Andrews - 3rd round

Bowers is a freak of nature, but TEs that change the game can be found outside the 1st round.

[strato]

1 hour ago, kungfoodude said:

That's why you gotta be careful about those early takes. Pretty sure there are a lot of dusty ass Kelvin Benjamin jersey's out there.

I wasn’t one of the people saying he was the best pick. I am generally willing to give guys a couple of years. 
 

I am sort of fanning this class though. T Mac seems legit. And the people behind him are contributing. I understand the bar is a bitlow. Getting on the field is easier here than in years past but I think we are raising the floor if nothing else. 

Edited 10 minutes ago by strato