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Are we already missing Joel Dreesen?

CloakNNNdagger

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
The SF game has me wondering if Graham is not affecting our running game. Dreesen not only had darn good hands, he had strong blocking skills. Graham may be showing flashes of good hands, but his run blocking skills thus far have given me basis for high anxiety.
 
Yes!

I think this is our biggest single loss. Dreessen can block & catch, was big in the run game. It opens up the opportunity for Kubiak to add packages for a playmaker like KeyMart, but I think our offense misses Dreessen.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
The SF game has me wondering if Graham is not affecting our running game. Dreesen not only had darn good hands, he had strong blocking skills. Graham may be showing flashes of good hands, but his run blocking skills thus far have given me basis for high anxiety.
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I would look at a TE in the 1st round if he's worth it . We have H Back type guys who are 6'3 . I want a 6'6 guy around the goal .
 
Well, the Broncos gave him 3 years 8.5 million. Unfortunately, I don't think we had the cap space to match that.
 
I think Graham needs experience. Dreeson wasn't the "Dreeson" we're missing today for his first few years. He gradually became the player we're missing. Graham isn't going to become a viable replacement in just a few preseason games after sitting on the bench for most of his career. It's gonna take time.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
The SF game has me wondering if Graham is not affecting our running game. Dreesen not only had darn good hands, he had strong blocking skills. Graham may be showing flashes of good hands, but his run blocking skills thus far have given me basis for high anxiety.
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As much as I LOVED Joel Dreesen, I think it had more to do with the level of competition we were facing (SF is insanely good against the run) with a group of linemen who have only been playing together a few weeks. Another preseason game (I know there are two) and Miami will help tune that up.

He is a much better TE than people give him credit for, I'm going to get flamed but I think I'd rather him over OD given the choice.
 
I'd have liked to have kept Dreesen , sad fact is the cap space just wasnt there to do it.


I thinkthey may sign a blocking TE as some become available as they are cut elsewhere. Brock just hasnt earned his spot on the 53.
 
NastyNate said:
As much as I LOVED Joel Dreesen, I think it had more to do with the level of competition we were facing (SF is insanely good against the run) with a group of linemen who have only been playing together a few weeks. Another preseason game (I know there are two) and Miami will help tune that up.

He is a much better TE than people give him credit for, I'm going to get flamed but I think I'd rather him over OD given the choice.
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No way he is better than OD. OD is a solid blocker and Dreesen is a very good blocker. The difference is in the pass catching. People like to tout his TDs but those were scheme plays and on 4 of his 6 he was simply wide open. Daniels and Foster took most of the coverage letting him squeeze out of the backside for the easy catch. Just sayin.
 
Of course we are missing Joel. Also Winston and Breisel.

A team doesn't just take three offensive line players who started side-by-side on the most productive run offense in the league, replace them with three benchwarmers, and not feel the effect.

Our running game is going to suffer, and we are already seeing early signs of it.
 
Not to be a smartass, or captain obvious or anything, but seeing it's the preseason: no..

Even with that, Foster still averaged over 4 yards-per Sat on 10 carries... His only run the week b4 was 10 yds then he fumbled... Tate also did well the week before...

Too soon to tell either way IMO...
 
Some people are acting like the sky is falling. SF gave up 77 rushing ypg last year. We got 124 yards on them. So yeah we didn't get our normal average against the best run D in the league but they gave up a lot more as well.
 
infantrycak said:
Some people are acting like the sky is falling. SF gave up 77 rushing ypg last year. We got 124 yards on them. So yeah we didn't get our normal average against the best run D in the league but they gave up a lot more as well.
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In the preseason I'll take a stat involving the starting units and work with it, but for the total game? A lot of the guys involved in that 124 yds -for both SF and Hou- will not be on an NFL team in two weeks...
 
infantrycak said:
Some people are acting like the sky is falling. SF gave up 77 rushing ypg last year. We got 124 yards on them. So yeah we didn't get our normal average against the best run D in the league but they gave up a lot more as well.
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That defense is one of the best I can recall against the run in my 40+ years of watching the NFL.

Like I said in another thread , sometimes you just gotta tip your hat to the other guy's. They're gettin paid too ....


TBH , I want to see these two teams play again this year .... with a :trophy: on the line.
 
BullBlitz said:
and we are already seeing early signs of it.
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What signs? Over 4 ypc by Foster Saturday? Foster's only run against Carolina being 10 yds before coughing it up? Tate having a good start last week?

This oline has not sold me yet, don't get me wrong, but it hasn't got me on the edge, either...
 
I think everyone is taking too much into a preseason game, especially against one of the top 3-5 team in the league. Graham and Casey will be fine in the run blocking game.
 
I think James Casey can take his place myself....the guy is going to be good.....remember his catch last year vs New Orleans?

Sure I am going to miss Joel Dressen....but you can not keep everyone every single year some players are going to leave. Look at a team like the Steelers or Patriots...they lose players...but the next man steps up.....

Get used to it....if you have not already.....we will keep losing players every year.....thats the NFL.....
 
I am willing to say this team will keep getting better and better. I think Kubes and Wade will correct weaknesses as season progresses.
 
Honoring Earl 34 said:
I would look at a TE in the 1st round if he's worth it . We have H Back type guys who are 6'3 . I want a 6'6 guy around the goal .
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I'd be willing to bet that they thought about Fleener at 26 in the draft, but Mercilus had fallen into their laps.

I could see a TE being taken by the Texans in the 1st 2 days of the draft in '13. But that's only if Casey's not the guy we (and the staff) thought he was/going to be.
 
Rey said:
I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with your overall point, but fosters stats don't look as good of he doesn't break that long one against the 9ers second teamers.
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True that! But if you look at a lot of the games the past couple of years, like the Steelers last yr, he started slow, maybe a few around 4 or 5, then would break one or two for big gains later in the game... That's how RBs get averages of around 4 yds: some 5yd or so runs mixed with 1s and No-gains then busting 10+ers...never just 4 every carry...

just can't tell either way on the small sample size we have so far, but i'm not cometely discouraged from what i've seen so far...

*edit: created a new word
 
The Medic01 said:
No way he is better than OD. OD is a solid blocker and Dreesen is a very good blocker. The difference is in the pass catching. People like to tout his TDs but those were scheme plays and on 4 of his 6 he was simply wide open. Daniels and Foster took most of the coverage letting him squeeze out of the backside for the easy catch. Just sayin.
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Dreesen's blocking is better than OD in my opinion. OD in space is just god awful to watch too, especially when Kubes plays that little bubble screen to him. Watching OD try to navigate in space gives me heartburn. He's just not a YAC guy. Dreesen was much more so. Plus look at games missed in the last three years for OD. Plus he's a bigger redzone threat. You'll miss him come mid season.

So to summarize, better blocker, better in space, stays healthy, better redzone threat, and better hands.
 
ThaShark316 said:
I'd be willing to bet that they thought about Fleener at 26 in the draft, but Mercilus had fallen into their laps.

I could see a TE being taken by the Texans in the 1st 2 days of the draft in '13. But that's only if Casey's not the guy we (and the staff) thought he was/going to be.
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I know Kubiak loves his TE's but I think unless you have Vernon Davis sitting there Kubiak is probably not pulling the trigger on a 1st round TE. That's a position that gets drafted in the 4th round or later and we find a "gem". I think Duane Brown is the only offensive player we've taken in the 1st round during the Kubiak regime, and that's probably not about to change unless there is some sort of physical freak available.
 
NastyNate said:
Dreesen's blocking is better than OD in my opinion. OD in space is just god awful to watch too, especially when Kubes plays that little bubble screen to him. Watching OD try to navigate in space gives me heartburn. He's just not a YAC guy. Dreesen was much more so. Plus look at games missed in the last three years for OD. Plus he's a bigger redzone threat. You'll miss him come mid season.

So to summarize, better blocker, better in space, stays healthy, better redzone threat, and better hands.
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hmmm...
- Better blocker... no doubt in my mind!
- Better in space...? Not sure about that one. Never seen Dreessen operate much farther than 5-10 yds past the LoS. Never seen Dreessen get open deep between the safeties like O.D. can. ...so don't agree with this one.
- Stays healthy...? Yep.
- Better redzone threat...? The numbers say "yes". BUT... I think that's the play calling as much as his ability to get open. ...so this one is a yes
- Better hands...? I dunno 'bout that; never seen Dreessen have to make a tough catch; at least not of the OMG! types like we've seen Casey make. I have seen O.D. make those in the past. Unfortunately, the last memory of O.D. we have is that drop in last Saturday's 'Frisco game. I thought he should have had that, but I ain't sure Dreessen would have caught it either. ...so I'm going "no" on this one.

The main thing I miss from Dreessen is the blocking. He was almost as good a run blocker as Winston, IMHO.
 
Rey said:
I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with your overall point, but fosters stats don't look as good of he doesn't break that long one against the 9ers second teamers.
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They had a mix of 1s and 2s in there toward the end of the half.

On the other hand, we played our young guys more in the absence of Cody and Watt.
 
Its preseason. Just becuase you excel in preseason does not mean you will excel in the regular season. Remember that year Detroit went 0-16, well they were 4-0 in the preseason. Last year SF looked like a mess in the preseason yet still managed to get within a hair of the Superbowl.

Let's see what happens against Miami before we start getting antsy.
 
I think we miss Dreesen, dude could block and make clutch catches. I would like to see the Texans go after a TE early in the draft next year.
 
BullBlitz said:
Of course we are missing Joel. Also Winston and Breisel.

A team doesn't just take three offensive line players who started side-by-side on the most productive run offense in the league, replace them with three benchwarmers, and not feel the effect.

Our running game is going to suffer, and we are already seeing early signs of it.
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You know, the Denver running game has always been described as plug & play. Most people think of the running back, but it was also true for the OL. For most of Kubiak's tenure in Denver, most of their OLmen were unknowns....i.e. Chris Myers. They developed those guys for their system & had that next man up mentality.
 
b0ng said:
I know Kubiak loves his TE's but I think unless you have Vernon Davis sitting there Kubiak is probably not pulling the trigger on a 1st round TE. That's a position that gets drafted in the 4th round or later and we find a "gem". I think Duane Brown is the only offensive player we've taken in the 1st round during the Kubiak regime, and that's probably not about to change unless there is some sort of physical freak available.
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Watch some Notre Dame football this upcoming season.

Tyler Eifert, about 6'5-6'6, some 250 lbs.
A combination of size, speed, leaping ability, good hands, and toughness.

This guy probably goes in the first or second round.
 
Old thread, dug it up searching our board for Tyler Eifert. What do y'all think about possibly drafting him in the first?

76Texan said:
Watch some Notre Dame football this upcoming season.

Tyler Eifert, about 6'5-6'6, some 250 lbs.
A combination of size, speed, leaping ability, good hands, and toughness.

This guy probably goes in the first or second round.
Click to expand...

b0ng said:
I know Kubiak loves his TE's but I think unless you have Vernon Davis sitting there Kubiak is probably not pulling the trigger on a 1st round TE. That's a position that gets drafted in the 4th round or later and we find a "gem". I think Duane Brown is the only offensive player we've taken in the 1st round during the Kubiak regime, and that's probably not about to change unless there is some sort of physical freak available.
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Now that we've got a competent defense & DC, I think we may see an offensive pick in the 1st round.

Not that we'll definitely pick on an offensive player, but I would think the value of offensive players has caught up to the value of defensive players. Remember, until recently we'd field a top 10 offense & a last place defense.
 
thunderkyss said:
Old thread, dug it up searching our board for Tyler Eifert. What do y'all think about possibly drafting him in the first?





Now that we've got a competent defense & DC, I think we may see an offensive pick in the 1st round.

Not that we'll definitely pick on an offensive player, but I would think the value of offensive players has caught up to the value of defensive players. Remember, until recently we'd field a top 10 offense & a last place defense.
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Do you think Owen Daniels may be a cap casualty? All i do know is our offense has to be retooled. I love AJ as much as anyone but it irritates me when he's the only one making plays for us. Seems like he was the only one who showed up a good portion of the season. If Eifert could be that guy to alleviate the pressure from AJ I'd be all for it.
 
Ryan said:
Do you think Owen Daniels may be a cap casualty? All i do know is our offense has to be retooled. I love AJ as much as anyone but it irritates me when he's the only one making plays for us. Seems like he was the only one who showed up a good portion of the season. If Eifert could be that guy to alleviate the pressure from AJ I'd be all for it.
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I don't think OD will be a casualty, I'm thinking of burying Graham further down the roster.

I'm looking for a Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkosky kind of guy.
 
thunderkyss said:
I don't think OD will be a casualty, I'm thinking of burying Graham further down the roster.

I'm looking for a Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkosky kind of guy.
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Man, TK, your singing my song! I've been wanting the Texans to get this type of TE since last year's draft (Fleener). I'm just not sure the Texans will do it. My guess is they go for a WR or ILB in the 1st. This is a pretty good class for the bigger TE's and they could look at someone like Williams (6'6" 270) in the mid rounds who would be a good blocking TE but also has some good hands and was underutilized by Bama IMO.
 
thunderkyss said:
Old thread, dug it up searching our board for Tyler Eifert. What do y'all think about possibly drafting him in the first?





Now that we've got a competent defense & DC, I think we may see an offensive pick in the 1st round.

Not that we'll definitely pick on an offensive player, but I would think the value of offensive players has caught up to the value of defensive players. Remember, until recently we'd field a top 10 offense & a last place defense.
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Check this interview with McNair after he came back from the Super Bowl. At about the 6:30 - 7 minute mark McNair talks about the draft. First thing out of his mouth is "do we need more defense" to stop the dink & dunk offenses of N. E. and others.

He said "we're in good shape at RB" [okay Bob, I'll give you that one] and we're in good shape at QB [depends on which fan you ask, Bob], and we're in good shape at TE..." ummm.... look closer Bob.

He did say we need more speed at WR.... I guess that's something. Doesn't sound like he's gonna make that a rd 1-3 pick though.
 
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