Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Colts Take Dallas Clark Off the Market
In a move that has been expected, the Colts placed the franchise tag on Dallas Clark. Showing interest in Alge Crumpler may have been a ploy, however it didn't work. Instead... the tag. With Indy's cap situation, it is possible they will choose not to tender Utecht, but Clark gets banged up enough he probably stays too. So, its either Crumpler or the draft. Figuring the bidding war that seems to be on the verge of erupting for Crumpler, coupled with the thought that the Hawks are working on Brown, Trufant and hopefully Lock right now, the TE is mostly likely a rookie next year. I think they will go with the most polished one they can find, even giving up potential for the ability to immediately contribute in the passing game. END.
Looks like we're going to face another year of crap at TE. Drafted TEs DO NOT have an impact in their first year. Getting one now is great for the future, and I'm all for it, but for '08 it sucks.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't Numbskull figure out that a Ryan Hannam type of TE is good for a team. Sure, he's no star, but he's a solid player who actually has a strength - he can block and block well.
If the TE position is going to be shit this year, at least we should get a guy who can block.
I'm sick of the jack of all trades and master of none type of guys we have at TE.
I'm also sick of NBA analogies on TNT.
I think Crumpler will be an interesting goose to chase. A few teams will be very interested, but most of them won't have as much money as he will want, and the hype will build as Crumpler decides to take his sweet time getting into shape.
ReplyDeleteI think this will go to our benefit as Hawks fans. Our Front Office is moving real slow on signing our FA's, so maybe Crumpler taking time to get in shape will give our Front office time to make the deals they will make and, if the offers aren't accepted and it looks like we won't we able to sign a pricey FA then we will have money to sign Crumpler.
I sure hope we don't draft Davis in the 1st round. If the top 3 RB's are gone by 25, I hope we are able to trade with Atlanta for their two 2nd round picks. Then we could get a guard, DT, and a RB in the 2nd.
ReplyDeleteI think that if we get Davis just because he is currently the most polished, we will be wasting a 1st round pick, and that later it will bite us in the backside.
we need another blocking TE, the 2 TE set doesnt work at all with 1 that cant block. cottam is my first pick second would be carlson.
ReplyDeletewhy trade the first round pick? chance are there will still be an elite OL or DT left.
ReplyDeleteWhy in hell would anyone want Crumpler? Last thing we need, especially on offense, is another dude on the wrong side of 30 with bad knees.
ReplyDeleteDavis will make this offense get up and go. Especially if we dump the dead weight that is Shaun Alexander. Imagine a tight end that can actually stretch the field AND catch the ball.
Forget about Atlanta trading the two 2nd round picks. They are in the midst of a house cleaning, just like Miami. They want all the draft picks they can get.
I think the 1st round pick is likely to be influenced as much by what happens with Locklear, or Trufant, as by anything else.
The same people who complain about Shaun being a terrible blocking RB are the ones who want a Fred Miller type, a terrible blocking TE.
ReplyDeleteA good blocking TE from the draft is just like a 1st round Guard. No matter how good they are there is an adjustment to blocking the seasoned NFL pros. The hawks have a capable blocking TE, his name is Will Heller. What I believe they are looking for, is someone who can help in the middle of the field in the passing game, while the teach him to be a capable blocker. The top all around TE in the draft is not going to be a great blocker, at least not against good to top D ends.
ReplyDeleteIf I was making a wishlist it would be to sign Faneca and put Wahle at RG. Draft Fred Davis in the 1st round and a versatile RB in the 2nd round considering how deep the draft is in RBs, or pick up Mewelde Moore.
ReplyDeleteThey definitely need to resign Hackett or their passing game will sputter with Branch at 70% and Engram getting older.
And if there's going to be a bidding war for Crumpler they should pick up the TE from the Titans or maybe Utecht from the Colts instead.
That would give them a dominant offensive line for great pass protection and a great running game to control the clock and the game. Their passing game would be insane with receivers to throw to with TEs and a RB also.
Trufant in my opinion is a lower priority because if you look at the teams with the elite cornerbacks like the Broncos and 49ers who have the 100 million dollar CBs, neither of those teams even made the playoffs. On the other hand, the Patriots won the superbowl in 2004 with Randall Gay, an undrafted rookie and Asante Samuel who was a 3rd round 2nd year player at the time. Now the Giants this year won with a rookie late first round pick at CB and an undrafted veteran.
Isn't Samuel about to get more money than Trufant?
ReplyDeleteThere is another option at TE lurking out there.
ReplyDeleteNo one is picking up on the press around the Packers which has indicated Bubba Franks might be cut for monetary reasons.
I'd rather take Crumpler with an incentive laden contract than Bubba, however.
Another Holmgren connection.
Like any of this matters to the powers that be. Adhering to the phrase "Best available talent" over need is really the only way to avoid reaching for someone and getting burned later.
ReplyDelete"Isn't Samuel about to get more money than Trufant?"
ReplyDeleteYeah, but not from the Patriots. Look at the contract they offered Ty Law, before he hurt himself, that Law rejected because it was too small.
The Patriots don't pay big money for cornerbacks because doing so means they can't spend as much money on other positions. That's really the biggest impact an elite 100 million dollar cornerback has a on a team. Look at the Giants, they stopped the Patriots best passing offense in history, mainly with pressure from the front 4, not with elite pass coverage.
I'm not overawed by either Samuel or Trufant. Samuel won't be as good outside of New England, I'm not convinced Trufant is anything other than an average or possibly slightly above average corner.
ReplyDeleteIt may be true that TE's need to learn NFL blocking scheme's and might struggle for a year in blocking, they're not supposed to be required to take on DE's by themselves. They're responsibility is to help the tackle, either full time on a play or by chip blocking then getting into the pass pattern, or pick up a blitzing LB, CB or S. I don't know how many times I saw Stevens, for example, ignore a guy who was obviously lined up to come around the end and just go run a pattern, which resulted in a sack or hurried throw.
I agree about Heller. If we took Davis as a pass catcher, Heller and a late round pick like Jed Collins from WSU would work well in 2 TE formations.
mysticseachicken - Do you really want to bring Jedzilla to Seattle? While I'm a big Coug fan and would love to see him do well, I just don't see Collins being much of an NFL tight end...
ReplyDelete