The Atlanta Falcons Will Draft A Tight End, But In What Round?
by Dave Choate on Mar 18, 2009 8:00 AM EDT
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Since we know any upgrades or additions at the tight end position are coming through the draft, it seemed like an appropriate time to gauge when you guys think we should make that pick.
The dude above is Brandon Pettigrew, who the guys over at SBN's Mocking the Draft have penciled in as the Falcons' selection in the first round. I'm of the opinion that our first pick needs to come on the defensive side of the ball, so despite Pettigrew's pedigree as probably the best at his position in 2009, I can't see the Falcons grabbing him at 24.
So logically, we ought to be looking a little further down in the draft. I'd argue that on the short list provided at the official site, Jared Cook and Shawn Nelson are the next tier of tight ends. Cook is a hell of a receiver whose blocking skills might be up for questioning, and Nelson is a little less well-rounded than he is. If we're looking for a guy who can both block and catch right out of the gate, our options appear to be virtually nonexistant. David Johnson of Arkansas State, who isn't likely to go before the last three rounds of the draft, might actually be the most well-rounded guy out there.
The question then becomes whether we're looking for a guy who the team can mold over the next couple of seasons as Ben Hartsock and Justin Peelle form a two-headed beast, or if the team should bite the bullet and get the most talented pass-catching tight end they possibly can. I'm of the opinion that picking up a guy with upside a little later in the draft is the intelligent thing to do, as there's still many glaring needs on defense and we could still use a quality right tackle. I guess I'd select either Johnson or Dan Gronkowski out of Maryland, who is a very competent blocker, in the fifth round or so and see what can be done with them, unless Dimitroff moves back and picks up multiple second-or-third rounders.
What do you guys think?
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If we take a TE, you gotta consider Beckum...
He fast and strong, needs to add 10-15 lbs to play TE, but the NFL strength coached will put that on in 6 months…
"We're not maxed out, ... The best is still ahead of us."
Bobby Bowden
TE in later rounds...
I dont think TE in the first is a good thing. We arent talking about a dynamic TE here with proven production like Gresham will be next year. The “drop” in talent from 1st rd to 4th round wont be that great.
Kinda wish we still had Milner.
" No, I think I'll sit in the balcony " - Abe Lincoln
5th round TE
Ahem Ryan Purvis! perfect fit for Matt Ryan. Both BC alums and the Falcons will get more production out of him immediately. His numbers went down at BC simply because Matt Ryan wasn’t there. Big target who likes to rumple down field and drag tacklers. good blocker and gets better each year.
"Just want the Falcons to win a bowl before I'm gone!"
by Edgecrusher211 on Mar 18, 2009 11:45 AM EDT reply actions
Knowing absolutely nothing about the kid...
After your description, SOLD.
Agreed ...
that was a solid description. Moreover, I’m sure Matty Ice would dig it.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
He's 6'4 260
Has no touchdowns last year only caught 24 last year when he had 54 the year before? The Falcons will want a Tight End sooner then that personally. They are aiming to spread the field not another blocker.
54 catches by a TE
is a pretty good year Squall. Id take that from a Rookie TE. Keep in mind when he had 54, it was our very own Ryan throwning to him so they have a history. BC wasnt exactly loaded with Ryans talents last year at TE.
" No, I think I'll sit in the balcony " - Abe Lincoln
Also just a note*
Last year he was the projected 3rd rated TE. Without Ryan, his numbers lowered into obscurity. Even if the Falcons draft him,he could easily replace one of our many backups, possibly 2 of them until next season. Then they could pursue Jermaine Gresham who will easily stretch the field and is far superior to any TE in this class.
"Just want the Falcons to win a bowl before I'm gone!"
by Edgecrusher211 on Mar 18, 2009 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Too slow...
His 40 time was 5.12. Grady Jackson is faster than that….He’s not gonna see ACC defenses next year, lol…
"We're not maxed out, ... The best is still ahead of us."
Bobby Bowden
I'd be thrilled w/ Pettigrew ...
but NOT at 24. I really really really don’t think TD is going to pull the trigger on him at 24. Sure, he isn’t as fast as some had hoped, but neither was the Crumpmeister.
Alge ran a 4.76 coming out of college in ‘01 (Pettigrew ran a 4.8). I’m not looking for Vernon Davis speed … someone who can block very well and catch very well will more than exceed my expectations. But again, at this point, it wouldn’t be prudent to take Pettigrew at 24.
Now, if TD can trade down and get us another couple of picks, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Birds pick him up early in the second round.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
No Way
Heap is much much better then Smith. Smith was picked up strictly for depth.
Tight End
The tight end although a great part to the line up is not a necessity in the first round. I say if anything aim for either an outside lineback or cornerback. Chauncey Davis has done a good job becoming a pass rusher so we can add one a little later on. Switch Jamaal Anderson to defensive tackle. So if it were me deciding draft day I would either think of trading up tfor Aaron Curry or Aaron Maybin. The second round pick has to be another defensive pick like Georgia’s Asher Allen or Alphonso Smith.
The third round should go offensive with either Jared Cook South Carolina or Fenuki Tupou Oregon.
As I've said before...
Rule of Thumb: Unless the 2nd coming for Tony Gonzalez is available you never, never, never waste a 1st round pick on a TE.
I could easily see us using our first 3 picks on defensive players (and I hope we do). That means it’s likely we’ll be drafting a TE in the 4th. I’m sure TD can find a Owen Daniels or at least a Donald Lee in the 4th or 5th. In combination with Peele a 4th rounder should be sufficient.
Falcon Fans UNITE!
I'd be OK w/ taking Pettigrew in the second round
Especially if TD trades down and picks up a couple extra picks. I’m sure it’ll be a game time decision, but I won’t go up in arms if he pulls the trigger on Pettigrew.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
I agree
If we could trade into the top of the 2nd round, pick up some extra picks, and still get Pettigrew – I’d be ok with it. By the way, I’m not sure where else to put this, but I read a pretty good story on Pettigrew here:
Defense First
I think we need to address the corner/safety need in the first round simply because there is less quality depth in those positions than there is in the TE position. How important is it to get a 1 dimensional TE? We either get 1 of the 3 TE’s that are proven blockers and receivers or just add a slot receiver in our scheme. We need a serious safety and a press corner and still need a linebacker which has some depth in the draft. Put your mind around this though……….if there is a studd DT left………..which there shouldn’t be by then, that’s where the need is the greatest.
Im all about defense as well
Unless the Falcons want to trade up for BJ Raji, I dont see us taking a DT in the first or second. They’ll probably address the secondary and LB positions first.
Sintim in the 1st
Moore in the 2nd
Mickens or Hill in the 3rd
McKillop in the 4th
Martin & Purvis in the 5th
Gresham! there’s your tight end for next year.
Bad news folks: I don’t see a repeat of the 11-5 season we had last year. Tougher schedule and a revamped defense comes into play. That will improve our draft position a bit and we’ll have Gresham without a doubt.
Just my thoughts
"Just want the Falcons to win a bowl before I'm gone!"
One final argument on Ryan Purvis
You have to remember is that your only as good as your last season. Your absolutely right our own Matt Ryan was the quarterback for the BC Eagles when Purvis had 54 catches. However our offense is not a run first offense when Purvis was in a pass first offense for the pass two seasons. 54 s an outstanding season but I see a tightend in the third round before anything. I see the Falcons leaning more to Chase Coffman who had a whooping 90 catches in 2008 for Missouri.
Huh?
I’m a bit confused…I believe the Falcons are a run offense, their certainly not pass happy. Ryan does his job to ensure the offense needs to move the football. I just don’t see a dire need for a TE this year. Why waste a 3rd pick on Coffman, when they can pick up a CB, or S? Purvis/Peele could split time until next season.
"Just want the Falcons to win a bowl before I'm gone!"
Agreed
I have yet to see or read any reason whatsoever to look for a TE in this years draft, or at least not with any of our first four picks. If we are looking for depth or to simply improve our current depth, then I guess you could take a late rounder or sign a cheap FA, but even then it still seems like a waste to me. The position just does not warrant this amount of attention considering its relative non-use in the overall offensive scheme, much less the passing game itself.
Our most immediate needs are all defensive and to eschew an early round pick for a TE just seems illogical to me at this point.
Agree to disagree ...
Yes, MS said he wanted to be a “run first” team, but at times last year … our running game was stifled. You can’t always rely on the run. It can be your first option, but it isn’t going to work ALL the time.
Look at last season: Every game we lost, Burner didn’t break 100 yards. Tampa in week 2 (42 yards), Carolina in week 4 (56 yards), Philly in week 8 (56 yards), Denver in week 11 (80 yards), NO in week 14 (61 yards), etc. In my opinion, Turner is a FOOTBALL GOD, but he can’t/isn’t going to run over everyone. I think TD appreciates this and wants to have the best offensive weapons available to get us by when our running game isn’t doing what we need it to.
Pelle can catch 30-40 passes a year, Hartsock is the best blocking TE in the league, but we wouldn’t (hopefully) draft a TE that mirrors either of them.
The ideal pick up would be a dual-threat guy. Someone who the opposing D Coordinator looks at and says, “Hmm … either this guy is going to help create an enormous whole for Burner OR go out for a pass.” Right now, we don’t have someone who fits that bill. I understand where you’re coming from, we have A LOT of needs to address on defense. But it isn’t like the addition of a dual threat TE at some point during the draft would be entirely worthless.
Granted, I’ve been wrong before, so maybe I’m making too much of this.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
Agreed, but
we lost those games for a lot more reasons than just not getting the running game going. (esp that GD*&% Philly BS&% refs **7290345 game) For most of those losses I can point to key factors as to why we lost and none of them would have anything to do with our running game.
I do see and agree with your point on what we have as TE’s currently and I do think we should look at getting that guy who can be used for both running and passing situations, I just don’t see the need to try and get that filled early in the draft, if at all. Like I said, pick one up in the later rounds but wasting a pick earlier for only a marginal improvement when those same picks could be used to upgrade defensively for a more substantial improvement overall doesn’t sit right with me. I think we can get better TE talent next year if we really need it.
You're absolutely right ...
I thought about that after I posted my previous comment. If our D had stepped up, if the refs had been paying attention (instead of picking their noses), etc., we might have won some of those games. But still, w/ more offensive firepower/weapons at our disposal, we might have been able to build larger leads and, as a result, bring home the W. I see your point, and it’s an excellent point, but it goes both ways IMO.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
Oh most definitely
And that was my point last year when they released Crumps. If we needed a TE of that caliber, why didn’t we just keep him? He would have easily provided our fresh rookie QB with a safety net. At the time, it seemed like keeping Crumps would have been a safe thing to do until we knew how well Ryan would meld with our WR’s. Outside of White and Crumps, we had butter hands everywhere in the passing game, so to me it didn’t make sense.
I just figure if we didn’t need a solid pass-catching TE for year one, and we did just fine without one, then there really isn’t a pressing need for one this year.
every so often
Murlarkey gets a wild hair up his ass and asks Matt Ryan to throw the ball way too much (remember the playoffs?) – I don’t think Matty Ice will have the same problems stepping up to the plate this coming year, but a more reliable TE would be very beneficial to his growing role.
Yes, we are a run first team. Just every so often, Murlarkey thinks he can “surprise” opposing defenses by being a little pass happy. Very rarely did it work out in our favor… but I think with the growth of Matt Ryan and a slightly less predictable TE, it could be a little more feasable.
I say that a late draft pick on TE is a good idea. I mean… we are in current need of a 3rd stringer if nothing else. What happens if Hartstock goes down again?
Whats the point
I am hoping they dont draft a tight end at all. Keep Peele in place for one more year. Draft your defensive needs this year since there are lots of options out there. There will be better options on FA tight ends next year and maybe even better options in the draft. I say dont draft a TE at all. I see it as a wasted pick. they wont start anyway…
Life is a garden. Dig it!
by Hardcore Falcon on Mar 19, 2009 10:45 AM EDT reply actions
SLEEPER:
Cameron Morrah, TE
Morrah had pretty good overall numbers in the combine. He should be available LATE in the draft. Of course if we draft him, Peele would have to be the man this season while Morrah gets coached up and bulked up.
NFL.com Analysis
Height: 6’3"
Weight: 244
College: California
Ranked 3rd in 40 Yd Dash – 4.66
Ranked 4th in 3 Cone Drill – 6.99
Ranked 5th in 20 Yd Shuffle – 4.36
Ranked 5th in Bench Press – 24
Strengths: Long, lanky build with plenty of room for additional mass. Good use of hands and lateral quickness off the line of scrimmage to get into his route. Can threaten down the seam. Flashes the ability to sink his hips and generate some separation out of his breaks. Flashes courage over the middle to extend and make the tough catch in traffic. Can snatch the ball out of the air. Generally soft hands for the reception and will catch with his body when he is expecting a big hit. Ascending prospect whose best football is still ahead of him.
Weaknesses: Lacks bulk, especially in his upper body. Shows some effort as a run blocker, but is easily discarded by front seven defenders due to his lack of strength. Talented receiver, but is prone to lapses in concentration. Drops some easy passes. Doesn’t consistently use his size to his advantage over the middle. Impressive touchdown total more a reflection of defenses’ focus on dynamic sophomore running back Jahvid Best.
Falcon Fans UNITE!
Seems like another Martrez Milner to me
Milner may have actually turned out to be decent if he ever saw the field, but Morrah smacks of a project too. I’m fine with that with the current coaching staff, but I’d hope he wouldn’t take more than a year or two to offer value.
by Dave Choate on Mar 20, 2009 12:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed ...
Strength and conditioning coaches do wonders, but if he was easily “discarded” as a college player, I’m not sure how much his blocking ability can be helped as a pro.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
....
wasted pick
Life is a garden. Dig it!
by Hardcore Falcon on Mar 20, 2009 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I liked Milner.
Marroah could be a similar project, but Antonio Gates and Shannon Sharpe were also projects.
The point is a talented TE can be found late in the draft and I believe TD has the eye to find that diamond in the rough. I of course do not know if Morroah could be a diamond but if TD see something and Scelfo can coach him and Mularkey can utilize him, then we could use our first 4 or 5 picks on more critical areas…Strong Safety, Linebacker, Defensive Tackle, Cornerback, another Linebacker, etc.
You feeling me?
Falcon Fans UNITE!
by Blue Falcon on Mar 20, 2009 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm feelin' ya ...
but I’m not sure he’s the right project.
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
Think we all can agree
Go later rounds for a project. I agree that maybe he isn’t the guy, but there’s choices I feel about work.
PLEASE, Not ANOTHER Tight End!!!
If we decide to get “another” TE, I hope they don’t waste it on ANOTHER high round pick i.e. Junior Miller, and use those higher rounds to sure up the Defensive Line…where we are getting killed at every year!!!
Can I taste it?
Take Brandon Pettigrew
Brandon Pettigrew the best TE in the draft and will make the most impact with just his size and hands alone.
some examples of the number 1 TE in the draft, first one selected . 1 13 Tony Gonzalez Chiefs California 1 14 Bubba Franks Packers Miami (FL) 1 31 Todd Heap Ravens Arizona State 1 14 Jeremy Shockey Giants Miami (FL) 1 24 Dallas Clark Colts Iowa 1 6 Kellen Winslow Jr Browns Miami (FL) 1 30 Heath Miller Steelers Virginia 1 6 Vernon Davis 49ers Maryland 1 31 Greg Olsen Bears Miami (FL) 1 30 Dustin Keller Jets Purdue.
Brandon could be on this list as one of the best. hes that type of player. even scouts and other players on NFL network even have him in there top 20 players
by upandcomingcoach on Mar 20, 2009 10:52 PM EDT reply actions
Pettigrew...
he is by far the most NFL ready Te in the draft this year. But do you really want to have us spend a high draft pick on a position that, while being a need, isn’t even in our top 3 major needs (DT, LB, S). i believe that we can get a good TE in the later rounds. we could conceivably get Travis Beckum in the 5th round.
by TheFranchiseis#2 on Mar 21, 2009 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I like the argument for the BC battery...
…I don’t think Roddy White and Michael Jenkins will get as mad as TO and Roy Williams did. LOL
hey what about that one guy from florida he may have some durability problems but thats why weve got l.j to add more depth he is lightning fast an average blocker but hes going to be a beast reciever
We didn't sign LJ ...
"He's getting better, but he's not there yet ..."
- Bobby Cox (talking about Boyer)
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