The Case For A Tight End In 2Nd/3Rd Round

[freebird310]

Only way I could see it is maybe if Colby Fleener was still on the board, if a Zach Brown Andre Branch or David Wilson was still on the board, would have to think about THAT as well ......but if either Usemele or Zeitler was there, man prolly got to get one, I dont see TE happening at #2, but if Orson Charles was there at our #3, guy could be deadly in the 4vert ..........

[mrfahaji]

The Redskins do not need a TE. They have Fred Davis.

Noted. I had no idea how good he was, and whether Cooley was injured long term etc. They were listed as a team with too many holes elsewhere on the team anyway.

[meyerbudNYG]

Do you draft by need, or by value? Well I think clearly the best strategy has to be a mixture of both. There's very little point drafting the best tackle available if he isn't good enough to outshine Svitek (or Baker...).

With our first pick being 55th (?), I can't see that we will be able to pick up an excellent OT unless we take a gamble, and history has shown us that Dimitroff loses when he gambles on O-Line in the draft.

We could still get a decent OG, and if there's a strong one on the board in round 2, I say that's the direction we go. But, there are a few reasons why Tight End might be the best option this year. We definitely need one, and the idea of 'learning under a Hall of Famer' has been discussed many a time. So, why else? I actually need some help filling in some gaps to my theory, so here goes:

1) Apparently this year, unlike last year, is deep with TEs. I don't follow college, it's hard enough following the NFL over here. Is this true?

2) Tight End is not a popular pick with early rounders. Kyle Rudolph went second round last year and he was one of only a handful of prospects. More choice at the position probably means teams won't be desperate to pluck TEs early.

3) How many teams need Tight Ends? I've made a list. The Colts (Clark, getting on a bit), the Redskins, and a couple of other teams surely have too many holes to fill to worry about a TE early:

Broncos, Raiders, Chiefs, Dolphins, Raiders, Bills, Cardinals, Seahawks, Bears.

Even amongst these teams, I'm not sure how many of them a) Really need a tight end and b ) don't have more pressing needs. Any suggestions for additions/removals from this list welcome.

In conclusion then, I know that Tight End is not desperate for us, YET. But given what I have outlined above, it might be the best value/need trade-off available to us in the second or third round.

Oh, and one last point. I know this year was a bit disappointing, but look on the bright side, we might not be picking until 55, but we're still picking before the Saints!

I come from the Ernie Accorsi school of thought that value is more important than need out of rookies.

First you have to have a philosophy, ours is that in a 4-3 the way to have the best defense you possible can is to pump up the DLine. I mean if you think about it we drafted Kiwianuka while we had Strahan, Osi, and Tuck. Our goal was to never run out.

I think the general statement that a football game starts inthe trenches is the truest thing in the world.

You guys are a good team with some glaring needs, this issue is that its on both sides of the ball's lines. You have an outstanding LB core and a better than average secondary. If you guys had the DLine, it may turn your your secondary into probowlers

Offensively, Turner-Gonzo-White-Jones was one of the most dynamic skill position groups in the league. Regardless what some on these boards think, you have a young QB who has had a great start to his career - he never even had a chance vs us because he wasn't able to set and throw.

I think LT is the best position u guys can go for at the moment - that or a pass rusher. I think it would have to depend who drops to you.

Getting a replacement for Gonzo at this point makes complete sense, but i wouldn't consider it a big need. It all depends who drops to you - so i would have to say value of spots you need or are going to need shortly is what your best off doing

Yup. I am ALL IN on going to get Eifert in next draft.

#allin

[PapaJoe]

I come from the Ernie Accorsi school of thought that value is more important than need out of rookies.

First you have to have a philosophy, ours is that in a 4-3 the way to have the best defense you possible can is to pump up the DLine. I mean if you think about it we drafted Kiwianuka while we had Strahan, Osi, and Tuck. Our goal was to never run out.

I think the general statement that a football game starts inthe trenches is the truest thing in the world.

You guys are a good team with some glaring needs, this issue is that its on both sides of the ball's lines. You have an outstanding LB core and a better than average secondary. If you guys had the DLine, it may turn your your secondary into probowlers

Offensively, Turner-Gonzo-White-Jones was one of the most dynamic skill position groups in the league. Regardless what some on these boards think, you have a young QB who has had a great start to his career - he never even had a chance vs us because he wasn't able to set and throw.

I think LT is the best position u guys can go for at the moment - that or a pass rusher. I think it would have to depend who drops to you.

Getting a replacement for Gonzo at this point makes complete sense, but i wouldn't consider it a big need. It all depends who drops to you - so i would have to say value of spots you need or are going to need shortly is what your best off doing

#allin

Nice post. Thx for your contribution.

What the Gmen do in drafting for their DL is phenomenal. I can only wish the Falcons could do that and hit on them so often. I happen to believe this year is actually a weak class for true 4-3 DEs fwiw.

As much as I'd love to get a Franchise LT in Atlanta I thought Svitek did okay once he was allowed to replace Sam "worthless" Baker. Our biggest OL need to is to solve the RG hole. Reynolds > No. Hawley > No. Johnson > hurt for 2 years. Can't rely on him.

Next is we have got to get a legit 300 lb.+ C that can perform. Hawley was not impressive last year when replacing McClure. And McClure has no Ummph; he has to have help against DTs all the time which means our Gs aren't avail to help on Ts coming inside. Send an extra guy into our A gap on the right and Matt is dead-to-rights in .4 seconds.

[phattywankenobi]

Tight end is not an immediate need. If the Falcons had the luxury then that would be great to give the rookie TE to learn from the best. The problem is the Falcons possibly need by training camp a DE, LT, RG, and possibly a CB, DE, C, and RB with only 5 picks. Typically only up through the 3rd round might have an immediate impact so the Falcons have to be very careful and definitely pick needs based over talent.

Next year if Gonzo retires the Falcons hopefully have all 7 picks again.

[LookAboutFalcon]

Tight end is not an immediate need. If the Falcons had the luxury then that would be great to give the rookie TE to learn from the best. The problem is the Falcons possibly need by training camp a DE, LT, RG, and possibly a CB, DE, C, and RB with only 5 picks. Typically only up through the 3rd round might have an immediate impact so the Falcons have to be very careful and definitely pick needs based over talent.

Next year if Gonzo retires the Falcons hopefully have all 7 picks again.

Agreed, focus on needs esp. O-linemen.

No time for luxary picking.

[meyerbudNYG]

Agreed, focus on needs esp. O-linemen.

No time for luxary picking.

its not luxary picking. Gonzo has 1 MAYBE two years left. You have to plan for the future.

FAs are for the spring, drafting is for the race

If u keep trying to draft for need with picks, your always going to be chasing

[mrfahaji]

Nice post. Thx for your contribution.

What the Gmen do in drafting for their DL is phenomenal. I can only wish the Falcons could do that and hit on them so often. I happen to believe this year is actually a weak class for true 4-3 DEs fwiw.

As much as I'd love to get a Franchise LT in Atlanta I thought Svitek did okay once he was allowed to replace Sam "worthless" Baker. Our biggest OL need to is to solve the RG hole. Reynolds > No. Hawley > No. Johnson > hurt for 2 years. Can't rely on him.

Next is we have got to get a legit 300 lb.+ C that can perform. Hawley was not impressive last year when replacing McClure. And McClure has no Ummph; he has to have help against DTs all the time which means our Gs aren't avail to help on Ts coming inside. Send an extra guy into our A gap on the right and Matt is dead-to-rights in .4 seconds.

I agree with everything you (and a few of the posts before/after) say, but the point of my OP is that I don't know if we should blindly draft an O-Lineman in the second round regardless. As I said, if a good OG is still there, we must take them, but say that 7 OGs have been taken by that point. We could take the 8th best, or maybe wait until the following round and grab the 12th best. By this point, it might be that they're all much of a muchness and it will be a bit of a gamble as to which OG left on the board is going to turn out well. Given Dimitroffs record on linemen, I'd bet he'd back the wrong horse! (I'm not a TD critic generally btw)

However, if in the second round the 3rd or 4th (or maybe even 1st or 2nd) Tight End is available, we secure someone who is likely to become a regular player, and it wouldn't be as much of a risk. With fewer draft picks than usual, we need to hit on a higher percentage this year.

I'm not overlooking our other needs, I agree with the Giants fan's view about winning the trenches, but I'm making a case for TE!

[Falcon Fanatic]

The only TE worth taking with a pick that high is Dwayne Allen from Clemson. He will be long gone by our pick. No thanks. We need defense, defense, defense. Take the Boykin kid and another defensive player and wait until later in the draft to take George Bryan to take Reggie Kelly's roster spot.

[DirtyBirdInThe610]

I'm Thinking Get Coby Fleener this year and Tyler Eifert in the first round next year so we can try to run a two tight end system.

[rcky_mtn_falcon]

I'd kind of like to see us pick up Ladarius Green from Louisiana-Lafayette in the 5th. Give him a year to learn from Tony, and bulk up a little. I think he could develop into a **** of a TE.

[fansince78]

The case for taking a TE in the draft is as strong as the case for wearing sunglasses at night.

[niels petersen]

you know how the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you....once is enough..We dont need any more projects on the line. We need someone with experience, not a rookie, especially not knowing if ja55 will be back.Maybe if we had some solid veterans whom that rookie could learn from then yea, but we dont.

Well, I don't think one can be scared to draft the same position again because the first one didn't pan out. I don't think TD thinks that way either. If he believes the guy is the right player, I think he will pull the trigger.

Imagine if the Lions had had enough of 1st round WR busts, and didn't draft Calvin Johnson?! Their FO would have gone crazy when they saw what they had missed out on.

[wilco]

you know how the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you....once is enough..

Im all for getting another TE this offseason, wether late in the draft or in FA. Plenty of teams use 2 TE sets now to help out in protection, create missmatches and disguise a play. We should do the same. Gonzo won't last forever.

[jbrinson]

For the millionth time: We have SEVEN POINT FIVE MILLION DOLLARS coming off the books next offseason. We can address it with some of that cash then.

What recent team has won a superbowl on the back of one of these wide receiver/tight end prototypes? The Pats are there, but we all know that Brady is making Gronk a lot better than he really is.

Gronk is 6'7 and runs a 4.6. he would be a beast anywhere. Hernandez would be a beast anywhere. I'm not a patriots fan but i'm a big fan of these tightends and i would love if the falcons could have a tightend like them

[ol'_dirty2]

No more spending high round picks on DE's....We need someone who is going to make an immediate impact and not be a project..

With that said, id take TE orson charles from UGA...dude is a beast and will be an immediate impact on the other side of gonzo..more toys for matt can never be a bad thang.

Yeah...Big O can block and runs good routes. Learning beside the GOAT wouldn't hurt him either.