Too Much TE?

[The D.O.Z.]

(05-05-2024, 02:03 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: The whole situation at TE is really strange to me. I feel conflicted about it.

On the one hand, I think All was a reach at Rd 4 with his injury history (current injury?). Will he even be able to help this year? I thought we had more pressing needs at CB4 and IOL and good ones were still out there at #115. Not to mention RB. For a team that is all in, it did not make much sense to me. He was my least favorite pick in the whole draft.

However, none of that has a whit ti do with the player. Who is quite talented. If healthy (huge if), and if he is the same guy post ACL (big if), he is easily the most complete TE in our group and is TE1. There is no possible universe where he is not on the 53 or on the PUP/IR.

I was similarly conflicted about McLachlan. I think he was good value in the 6th. A few draftnicks had him as a top 5 TE. Kiper 7th.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2024/insider/story/_/id/38381720/2024-nfl-draft-rankings-mel-kiper-big-board-top-prospects-position-best-players

But after locking Sample up for 3 years, signing Gesicki, bringing Hudson back, AND drafting All, it did not make much sense to me. Again, I'd have gone IOL here.

So what to make of it going forward?

Big picture, Sample, Gesicki, and All are all mortal locks for the roster, or PUP if All is not healthy. We are not gonna risk losing any of them. Period.

All & McLachlan, for me, are the most well rounded of the bunch. I think we see All (if healthy) as TE1. He can catch, run, and block. Has some wiggle. Can line up at FB.

And I think we see McLachlan as a future TE2/TE3 type. A bit more of a pass catcher than a blocker, but not to a Gesicki/Hudson degree and will provide a good balance with Sample as the backup TEs in that regard. Also a real try hard guy who should be able to play specials.

Gesicki & Hudson are basically slot receivers. They are the most ready to contribute at the moment (in the passing game) given All's injury. But both are also on 1 year deals. And also play the least on special teams. I am not sure either is in our long term plans. But if we keep 4 TEs, a pure pass catcher is fine. Two might be a bit much, though. Then again, none of the others can cone close to their effectiveness as receivers (with All hurt).

The last couple years, we have started the year with 3 TEs on the 53, but finished with 4. We have also carried 7 WRs a time or two.

The easiest solution is to just carry 4 TEs and put All on PUP to start and go 1 lighter at another spot (RB , OL, LB). I think that is what we'll do.

If they have to pick one guy to risk losing by sneaking him onto the PS, it is gonna be Hudson.

Really, I could see scenarios where we keep 11 WRs + TEs, and go lighter at 2 spots (RB, OL, LB, DB). The new kickoff rules are kind of a curveball, do we need more returners (Evans). Less LB/RB/S/TE special team players? More lineman types on specials?

It isn't just about Hudson or McLachlan's value vs the other TEs, it is about their value vs the other guys on the bubble: Evans, Ford, Carman, Smith, T. Hill, Lee, Ossai, C. Sample, Robinson, Carter, Tufele, Bell, Harper, J. Davis, Ivey, Anderson, and Anthony.

And how Burton, Jones, & Iosivas develop will also play in. How much slot help from TEs do we need? If it not much, then Hudson's spot is iffier.

But All's health is the big one. He (and Anderson & Ivey) are coming off serious injury. If All is healthy, he is gonna be in the 53. We won't stash a healthy All on PUP. We could for Ivey or Anderson.

Personally, I think Hudson has more value than most of the guys I listed as bubble guys. Though a healthy Gesicki takes most/all of his snaps. Which reduces his value.

You make some great points here. My guess is they go slim at LB. We have ADG and Bachie backing up Wilson and Pratt, and rarely go pure 4-3. If it's not nickel, it's usually a 5-2 or a variant of 3-4 with 3 down linemen and Hendrickson and Hubbard standing up on the edges. So we don't use LB much aside from our "starting 2". Harper can be PS'd unless he lights it up in the preseason.

I think we keep 4RB, with Trayveon and Evans as returners. Them not drafting a RB sort of wrote it on the wall for me. It's the only reason Evans sticks on this roster, in my opinion.