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The General TE Thread

BloodRaven said:
I googled him before responding to jog my memory and I think we disagree on this it just looks like offseason shape to me, like 10 pounds he would sweat off in 2 weeks if he was healthy enough to run.
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Yeah seriously. It's like what Suggs usually does every year. Suggs comes into camp like 20 pounds overweight and then come regular season he's fine. Why I'm not too worried about the weight thing. But as for the injury... Just smh.
 
BloodRaven said:
I googled him before responding to jog my memory and I think we disagree on this it just looks like offseason shape to me, like 10 pounds he would sweat off in 2 weeks if he was healthy enough to run.
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Not really. Sweating out weight doesn't burn off fat. It temporarily shrinks fat cells. He probably did that at the combine so he wouldn't look so out of shape. He needs to close to 20 lbs. cuz he was a shade under 250 although he was flabby. He needs to tone up to with some muscle. At the combine he was flabby neck to toe and you could see he didn't run very often for being a TE.

He looked soft and flabby running the 40 when you should look toned while running and using muscles. He moves very well for being totally outa shape. He has hit the weight room by coaches orders and put on some upper body muscle since the combine and rookie camp and got a little stronger. But more work is needed to tone up and lose the excess. Like we said he moves so very well for being so outa shape and would be pretty good as is. However his outa shape frame is likely contributing to his injuries. Think how explosive and good he could and would be if he got in his best shape?? He could probably run a sub 4.6 at over 250 lbs. he would blow up the offense and be a borderline NO.1 receiver from the TE position!! He is so very natural fluid smooth and sudden in routes. And has physical athletic ball skills with strong hands.
 
When our tight-ends hinge on a druggy who has already been suspended twice, a guy who just had a knee surgery never performed on a NFL player before, and a 36 year old who just came off of an achilles.... I am honestly afraid.

Makes me wonder if the team goes a little away from two tight-end sets. I personally am a fan of two tight-end sets but man that is probably the team's weakest position and it used to be the deepest. And it is sad because it could honestly be fine if we knew down the road none of them would get injured but the team's injury history has been pretty terrible lately. Nick Boyle is gonna have to have a huge season. I really wonder when Maxx Williams will be back at 100%. I think we are going to be picking up a tight-end when training camp cuts happen.
 
I forgot about Crockett Gillmore because of his injuries lmao I forgot he is still here like 10 minutes later maybe theres a chance.
 
Sooky said:
I forgot about Crockett Gillmore because of his injuries lmao I forgot he is still here like 10 minutes later maybe theres a chance.
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I agree Crockett's kind of a wildcard this year in terms of productive play but that's the same with Williams and Watson as well - the only really steady guy is Boyle and he's a bad test away from also being done for the year on a suspension
 
rossihunter2 said:
I agree Crockett's kind of a wildcard this year in terms of productive play but that's the same with Williams and Watson as well - the only really steady guy is Boyle and he's a bad test away from also being done for the year on a suspension
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There's a good chance Boyle would be done for his career if another bad test should go down.
 
Maxx talked a big game about humble and going to work and doing what the coaches said to do. This of course was 2 years ago when he got drafted.


Has anyone seen any recent pics? Does he still look a little on the heavy side?
 
2 years in a row the TE situation goes from deepest position and thinking we're going to have to cut a potentially talented young player to hoping we have even 1 legit option you can count on.

I have faith that Watson and Gillmore can both be above replacement level TEs -- if healthy.

I don't think Boyle can be a high volume pass catcher but a good all around guy -- if not suspended.

And I think Maxx has all the potential in the world to be a very very good pass catcher - if he can get on the field. But if he goes another year w/out playing it's going to be tough. 2 years and 2 offseasons without playing and developing could easily be a career killer.


But I also don't want to rush and bring in Barnidge or someone like that. Bc if any two of them can stay healthy or available, TE at least isn't a weakness imo, like Center potentially is.

Rather spend money on OL.
 
Boldnpurpblack said:
2 years in a row the TE situation goes from deepest position and thinking we're going to have to cut a potentially talented young player to hoping we have even 1 legit option you can count on.

I have faith that Watson and Gillmore can both be above replacement level TEs -- if healthy.

I don't think Boyle can be a high volume pass catcher but a good all around guy -- if not suspended.

And I think Maxx has all the potential in the world to be a very very good pass catcher - if he can get on the field. But if he goes another year w/out playing it's going to be tough. 2 years and 2 offseasons without playing and developing could easily be a career killer.


But I also don't want to rush and bring in Barnidge or someone like that. Bc if any two of them can stay healthy or available, TE at least isn't a weakness imo, like Center potentially is.

Rather spend money on OL.
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Welcome to the board, Bold
 
Tank said:
I'll say it again........don't sleep on Watson.
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Definitely not sleeping on him... like i said I think he can be an above average starting TE for us.

But, the "last season" that everyone refers to as the possibility of his production was really an anomaly in terms of his career arc -- and we all know that playing w/ Brees in that Saints offense can really inflate numbers. Jimmy Graham was widely regarded as the 1B to Gronk, or a not-too-far-behind 2nd while a Saint, and while he had a bit of a rebound last year - he's hardly been THAT level.

So, couple the fact that the production possibility everyone points to is pretty flimsy imo, with being in his mid-30's and coming off an Achilles tear, I'm not optimistic or expecting anything great. Even SSS who everyone points to as the "look see a 36 yr old can come back from an Achilles" wasn't nearly the same guy post injury as he was before.

He had a solid year with us last year, but remember the seasons before he was on unreal paces for catches and yards. He was a shell of that guy last year, though that shell was still pretty darn good.

Watson was never the player SSS was when healthy, so it's reasonable to expect he wont be able to return to quite the high level that Steve did. So, I think it's a very real possibility that his healthy high mark, and his return from injury optimistic, best case scenario may be fool's gold.

But he's a hard worker, and aside from the Saints year was pretty reliable in what you could expect. He's a good, not great, blocker... and a good, not great, pass catcher.


I think realistically... he can reliably give us what Boyle has flashed in the instances we've seen him play well. What I mean is, he can consistently give us what our positive memories of Boyle are.... but he doesnt come with the upside/potential that Boyle does.

So hopefully Boyle takes a step and Watson is a back up or rotational guy. But in case he doesnt, he can more reliably deliver Boyle than Boyle can.
 
Boldnpurpblack said:
Definitely not sleeping on him... like i said I think he can be an above average starting TE for us.

But, the "last season" that everyone refers to as the possibility of his production was really an anomaly in terms of his career arc -- and we all know that playing w/ Brees in that Saints offense can really inflate numbers. Jimmy Graham was widely regarded as the 1B to Gronk, or a not-too-far-behind 2nd while a Saint, and while he had a bit of a rebound last year - he's hardly been THAT level.

So, couple the fact that the production possibility everyone points to is pretty flimsy imo, with being in his mid-30's and coming off an Achilles tear, I'm not optimistic or expecting anything great. Even SSS who everyone points to as the "look see a 36 yr old can come back from an Achilles" wasn't nearly the same guy post injury as he was before.

He had a solid year with us last year, but remember the seasons before he was on unreal paces for catches and yards. He was a shell of that guy last year, though that shell was still pretty darn good.

Watson was never the player SSS was when healthy, so it's reasonable to expect he wont be able to return to quite the high level that Steve did. So, I think it's a very real possibility that his healthy high mark, and his return from injury optimistic, best case scenario may be fool's gold.

But he's a hard worker, and aside from the Saints year was pretty reliable in what you could expect. He's a good, not great, blocker... and a good, not great, pass catcher.


I think realistically... he can reliably give us what Boyle has flashed in the instances we've seen him play well. What I mean is, he can consistently give us what our positive memories of Boyle are.... but he doesnt come with the upside/potential that Boyle does.

So hopefully Boyle takes a step and Watson is a back up or rotational guy. But in case he doesnt, he can more reliably deliver Boyle than Boyle can.
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Sounds to me like you are sleeping on him. lol I think you may be in for a surprise.
 
Tank said:
Sounds to me like you are sleeping on him. lol I think you may be in for a surprise.
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Well I take "sleeping on" to mean, you arent paying attention to, havent done the homework on, or are overlooking something.

I dont think that I have or am. Ive thought about it, considered everything... and i know he could very well lead this TE group, and the safe money is probably that he will.

But i think too many people are sleeping on the negatives. Watson has one 800 yd season, one 700 yd season, and one 600 yd season. And only 1 was in his last 5 seasons. He has more seasons with 0-250 yds than he does 600+ yds.

He has 3x more seasons with 500 yds receiving or less than he does seasons with 500 yds receiving or more.

Most guys dont suddenly start peak production trends at 36 yo coming off an achilles.

I think he can be an effective player for us. I think he can even be our lead TE. But, i just think that if he is its only bc Boyle, Gillmore or Maxx have not progressed to their potential.

Most likely im expecting the position to be platooned with no guy getting over 400 or so yards.


So I guess it depends on what you think will surprise me, or what youre expecting Watson to do. I wont be at all surprised if he leads our TE's with 35-50 catches for like 400-450 yds. But I also wouldnt consider that a huge success for our TE group (though it actually would be one of Watsons best 4-5 seasons ever).
 
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