05-05-2022, 05:02 PM
(05-05-2022, 01:13 PM)Vas Deferens Wrote: Agree with the majority of what you said here. Just want to give some insight I recently received around hayden.
Won't go in depth on the source here, but i had a long conversation with an individual high up in another nfl teams staff about our hayden pick up. This individual has a knowledge about players and the team systems far beyond what 99.99% of us here have and I trust his insight. He made it clear there will be a significant drop off from CJ to Hurst. Said he's a great guy, but he's going to struggle with more advanced routes / package pick-ups we installed with CJ. Give him a point in a straight line down the field and he'll get to it fast, I was told, but don't expect a ton of production that requires football IQ. Also indicated CJ is a far superior blocker.
Again, not saying we should have gone after a TE, just want to pass along and temper expectations for Hurst. He's just not in the same league as CJ. I'm more concerned with the loss of CJ's intangibles and his locker room presence really. Can't fault the guy one bit for getting that bag and will always root for him.
Not sure what expectations of Hurst need to be tempered. While CJ was a catalyst guy he is not one of the top TEs in the game of football. If you examine how Hurst has been utilized over his career it is extremely similar to CJ. From what I have seen of the snaps he has taken for Baltimore and Atlanta he is going to fit the role we use the position very well. He is pretty strong in the TE screen game and can find the soft spot to settle down in a zone. Really consistent in the short crossing game and has shown some ability to get behind defenders in the right situations. Just as CJ he is not one of the top TEs in the game but should fit the role here pretty well.
