Our TE problem

This year the draft has plenty of good TE entering the draft. I don't how you guys can all argue that we have other holes to fill, trade the pick. But we dont really need to trade it. The simple fact that we can get a GOOD tightend with the first pick of the second round. Theres no way that 4 tightends are going be taken in the first round.
Vernon Davis, Maryland
Anthony Fasano, Notre Dame
Marcedes Lewis, UCLA
Leonard Pope, Georgia

If one of these guys are availible and we are up in the second round, this is the position we should address and all these people will be very good players in the NFL. The one I am the most intrigued by is Anthony Fasano, after a year under Charlie Weis he has already been playing in an NFL style offense and has EXCELLED. But if any of these players drop that far, then I would not hesitate to take any of them

UT's David Thomas 6'3 245 could be a steal in later rounds, as well as the USC TE Dominique Byrd, 6'3 260.

We have more important things to address with our second pick in the draft than TE, and I am quite sure that several TEs, including Fasano, will be available later than the 2nd round if our new HC decides our current TEs won't make it in the new system.

MorKnolle said:

We have more important things to address with our second pick in the draft than TE, and I am quite sure that several TEs, including Fasano, will be available later than the 2nd round if our new HC decides our current TEs won't make it in the new system.

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The second round is for interior line right now IMO.

TE no earlier than the 4th, with exceptions to ONLY V. Davis and G. Olsen (if he declares)

Long-Spurs-Texan said:

UT's David Thomas 6'3 245 could be a steal in later rounds, as well as the USC TE Dominique Byrd, 6'3 260.

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I love Thomas, he is a great recieving TE but how is he at blocking. I believe he is descent but i dont know.

I would put Tim Day above Fasano any day. I think day fits our system better but Fasano did have 1 yr of weis and did play better talent at ND then day did at oregon state.

Farough said:

This year the draft has plenty of good TE entering the draft. I don't how you guys can all argue that we have other holes to fill, trade the pick. But we dont really need to trade it. The simple fact that we can get a GOOD tightend with the first pick of the second round. Theres no way that 4 tightends are going be taken in the first round.
Vernon Davis, Maryland
Anthony Fasano, Notre Dame
Marcedes Lewis, UCLA
Leonard Pope, Georgia

If one of these guys are availible and we are up in the second round, this is the position we should address and all these people will be very good players in the NFL. The one I am the most intrigued by is Anthony Fasano, after a year under Charlie Weis he has already been playing in an NFL style offense and has EXCELLED. But if any of these players drop that far, then I would not hesitate to take any of them

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I presume that you want us to take Bush or Young with the 1st pick since you said we don't need to trade, and bringing them in and then taking a TE at #33 and once again putting the OL off until the 3rd rounds and later is going to be bad for this team once again. We have to address OL this year or our offense will continue to struggle, and there is an abundance of good OLinemen in this draft. I personally want to trade down out of the #1 and acquire future 1st rounder(s) and additional 2nd or 3rd round picks for this year, so we can still get our OLinemen we need and maybe look at some TEs in there somewhere, but to place drafting a TE at a higher priority than fixing our OL is going to result in another drastically underperforming year for our offense.

MorKnolle said:

I presume that you want us to take Bush or Young with the 1st pick since you said we don't need to trade, and bringing them in and then taking a TE at #33 and once again putting the OL off until the 3rd rounds and later is going to be bad for this team once again. We have to address OL this year or our offense will continue to struggle, and there is an abundance of good OLinemen in this draft. I personally want to trade down out of the #1 and acquire future 1st rounder(s) and additional 2nd or 3rd round picks for this year, so we can still get our OLinemen we need and maybe look at some TEs in there somewhere, but to place drafting a TE at a higher priority than fixing our OL is going to result in another drastically underperforming year for our offense.

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well part of our problem is our TE. Knowone respects our passing game and until they do our running game will never pick up. The TE will either make the SLB or SS cover the TE... I remember tons of times the SS came on blitzs last season. Now i think we have to improve both our O-line and our TE and if we dont do both then we will be have another losing season.

royce1054 said:

well part of our problem is our TE. Knowone respects our passing game and until they do our running game will never pick up. The TE will either make the SLB or SS cover the TE... I remember tons of times the SS came on blitzs last season. Now i think we have to improve both our O-line and our TE and if we dont do both then we will be have another losing season.

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Exactly, if we have a TE that can catch the ball on passing downs, then they will be forced to cover him to, limiting how many players the other team can blitz with. We need TE that can block AND catch. If Bruener is in the game they know that he is not even going to get a chance at catching the ball because they wont throw to him. If we throw in a receiving TE then they will have to give us respect and cover him.

I think we can get a very good TE with one of our two 3rd rounders. If one is still on the board late in the 2nd (and we think someone might grab him), then perhaps we can trade one of our 3rd's and a 2nd day pick to move up to get him. With us taking Bush or Young with the 1st pick, we really need to go O-line with our 2nd.

TheOgre said:

I think we can get a very good TE with one of our two 3rd rounders. If one is still on the board late in the 2nd (and we think someone might grab him), then perhaps we can trade one of our 3rd's and a 2nd day pick to move up to get him. With us taking Bush or Young with the 1st pick, we really need to go O-line with our 2nd.

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Well for one i dont see how we can possibly take Bush or Young. We have holes at RT, OG, C, TE, DL, LB, CB, & FS is we do what all of you want as in change to 43. Drafting something that is not one of those positions severly hurts us. As of right now not trading our #1 pick we have 4 picks in the 1st 3rd rounds. If we take Bush or Young that doesnt solve any of our needs or really benefits our team but says if we dont fill this hole in FA then we have a serious problem. I think us trading with Jets is the best option. I personally dont see how we can pick one of the 2 without picking up atleast 5 starting FA's. Thats alot. Back to the Jets trade we pick up abraham possibly sign a Teyo Johnson or a Randy McMicheal thats 2 of our needs right there. If we do draft one we have to do it by the 4th round because the talent takes a sharp dive after that and i doubt one of them will fall that far into the 5th. Now we have to pray that we can win out on Steve Hutchinson or LaCharles bentley bc they will be suited by tons of teams. Then we need to check on FA CB's or LB's. As of now i just dont see how we could do make any #1 overall selection there is just too much that we need.

I love Thomas, he is a great recieving TE but how is he at blocking. I believe he is descent but i dont know.
19 Hours Ago 09:23 P

I think could be the steal of the draft, especially if we get him with one of our thirds. Soft hands, above average speed and extremely agile for his size. He reminds me alot of Todd Heap, just a little smaller.

royce1054 said:

Well for one i dont see how we can possibly take Bush or Young. We have holes at RT, OG, C, TE, DL, LB, CB, & FS is we do what all of you want as in change to 43. Drafting something that is not one of those positions severly hurts us. As of right now not trading our #1 pick we have 4 picks in the 1st 3rd rounds. If we take Bush or Young that doesnt solve any of our needs or really benefits our team but says if we dont fill this hole in FA then we have a serious problem. I think us trading with Jets is the best option. I personally dont see how we can pick one of the 2 without picking up atleast 5 starting FA's. Thats alot. Back to the Jets trade we pick up abraham possibly sign a Teyo Johnson or a Randy McMicheal thats 2 of our needs right there. If we do draft one we have to do it by the 4th round because the talent takes a sharp dive after that and i doubt one of them will fall that far into the 5th. Now we have to pray that we can win out on Steve Hutchinson or LaCharles bentley bc they will be suited by tons of teams. Then we need to check on FA CB's or LB's. As of now i just dont see how we could do make any #1 overall selection there is just too much that we need.

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We can't fix it all in one year and we won't win the SuperBowl next year.

But, we can add some talent.

As far as I am concerned, our defense is not a concern this year. We NEED to protect our QB (whether it is Carr or VY). How do we do that? We draft the BEST AVAILABLE OL or TE.

whoops hit enter too soon.

OL obviously helps protect the qb.

TE helps protect the QB also, in several different ways:
i) he can stay in and block
ii) short dropoff threat - which will burn blitzing teams
iii) deep threat

A good TE that can block (Pope/Davis) would really help - and it would not be obvious what we were going to do based on which one of our one dimensional TEs awas in the game. Having a TE and a FB/RB blocking would give Carr more time. Of course, leaving 7 in to block means we also need to sign a free agent #2 WR (to give Carr/VY another option besides look at AJ and if he is covered dump it to DD/Bush).

Xman said:

We can't fix it all in one year and we won't win the SuperBowl next year.

But, we can add some talent.

As far as I am concerned, our defense is not a concern this year. We NEED to protect our QB (whether it is Carr or VY). How do we do that? We draft the BEST AVAILABLE OL or TE.

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trust me i know i have looked at it from like 5 different angles here. Changing to the 43 THIS year would be suicide for this team. Staying at the 34 we only need a LB, CB, and a FS. This is what all you want. All i hear is lets change to the 43. Now we arent going to win the super bowl but we do have to find starting quality somewhere at each of the positions. We cant just throw John Smith in at a position. We have seen what happens when you do that. Like i said it all depends on FA if we can draft Bush or Young. Not even the Texans know if they will take one or the other because they cant possibly know. Lets say they dont bring in anyone to fill any of their vanacies (just a what if we all know they will bring in someone) then there is no way we could take anyone except who we need without throwing out a "minor league" team out there. I am just being realistic here. if we stay in the 34 we have 7 postions if we switch to 43 we need 8 positions. That means we will be forking out some serious money to find some FA to take a spot. I mean come on people we arent going to throw just anyone in there thats all i am saying. Now the quality of FA that comes in a whole notehr question in itself but i am just trying to get people to look at the big picture and not just Bush or Young. We do need to protect Carr but we need a MLB and we need a #2 to replace Buchannon. That right there tells me that is either a FA or 2 of our top 3 picks if we STAY IN THE 34. Now the 43 we need DL,LB, and CB

The way I see it is that if we have a TE that is a threat across the middle then we can leave our back in to block. All year DD has been playing the TE's role on passing downs instead of staying in to pickup the blitz. To me this is just as important if not more to picking up additional linemen. A real TE will provide more benifit to the passblocking by allowing the back to stay in and block than an additional lineman. (Not that we don't need lineman)

IMHO

Bruenor had 2 catches on the year. So, he is really another OT, not a TE - and defense treat him that way (but he is small for a OT).

Rivers had 24 catches. He is 6-4 and 250 pounds. So, his blocking is going to be limited to hitting the guy on his way to his pattern (or should be because he is not a good blocker)

As previously said in this post - we need an every down TE that can block and catch. A stud receiving TE would be ok also if we can get our OL fixed - but for now I say every down TE.

PLUS - we need the endzone threat!!
Look at what HMiller did for Pitt. (39 catches 459 yards 6 TDS). AND HE BLOCKED when they needed it (his stats were projecting much higher until one of their OTs got hurt meaning they had to leave him in to block more on 3rd down).

AND - there will probably be one there at #33 (that will be ranked top 20 because there will 3 ranked that high and they won't go that high) - Pope or Davis would be sweet.

If the Texans select Vince Young I would not mind Thomas at all in the 3rd rd. he seemed really high on him as a teammate, which IS important. then the Texans could take the best tackle available with the 1st pick of the second rd.

I think we have a better of chance of signing Teyo Johnson or a Randy McMicheal so we can draft another position instead of taking a TE in the 3rd or 4th.

royce1054 said:

trust me i know i have looked at it from like 5 different angles here. Changing to the 43 THIS year would be suicide for this team. Staying at the 34 we only need a LB, CB, and a FS. This is what all you want. All i hear is lets change to the 43. Now we arent going to win the super bowl but we do have to find starting quality somewhere at each of the positions. We cant just throw John Smith in at a position. We have seen what happens when you do that. Like i said it all depends on FA if we can draft Bush or Young. Not even the Texans know if they will take one or the other because they cant possibly know. Lets say they dont bring in anyone to fill any of their vanacies (just a what if we all know they will bring in someone) then there is no way we could take anyone except who we need without throwing out a "minor league" team out there. I am just being realistic here. if we stay in the 34 we have 7 postions if we switch to 43 we need 8 positions. That means we will be forking out some serious money to find some FA to take a spot. I mean come on people we arent going to throw just anyone in there thats all i am saying. Now the quality of FA that comes in a whole notehr question in itself but i am just trying to get people to look at the big picture and not just Bush or Young. We do need to protect Carr but we need a MLB and we need a #2 to replace Buchannon. That right there tells me that is either a FA or 2 of our top 3 picks if we STAY IN THE 34. Now the 43 we need DL,LB, and CB

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I don't have an opinion on which D we should run. I say run what we have the most talent to run - if that is 3-4, then stay in 3-4.

But if we stay in the 3-4, what do we need?
MLB - shouldn't we give Greenwood another chance? If not, that contract is a killer.
[one exception to this whole email - if Baltimore doesn't resign Ray Lewis, then I sign him and draft whoever he wants]
CB - I agree we need another stud CB. But, unless one drops, I would wait until next year. Plus, by waiting a year, we can make sure Buchy is bad and that Faggins is not enough - who knows, one might even pan out (I doubt it, but who knows)
LB - the other LBs - we need to see what Orr and Peek can do. Can Wong come back strong? Why not play them and see? (maybe sign a FA to a 1 year deal)
FS - Why not give Brown a chance? Earl panned out. Or take another late round flyer here.
DL - Too much money tied up here to do much anyway. Need to let them age. I would look for young cheap (3rd-5th round) talent to groom here.

If we go 4-3, then I fill the same, give these guys a chance. Let's make sure they either suck or can be used. If one pans out, that is one draft picks saved (equiv to their level of success).

NEXT YEAR (assuming the talent is there - and we fix the O this year) - we could concentrate on D and fill the holes:
1st - CB - we could get a stud CB in the 1st
2nd - FS - a 2nd round FS should be an immediate starter
(or, if Brown pans out, maybe LB/DL or a WR for the future)
3rd - LB/DL - which hole we need to fill
4th - LB/DL - same

This year: OL and a TE if there at #33. And, we sign a free agent WR (Moulds would be sweet - plus he is old so we could give him a 3 year deal).
It would be so nice to see our offense go on the field with 2 minutes left in the game and KNOW we can score. The way it is now, we don't even know if we can get a 1st down. True, we will give up a lot of points, but lets fix one thing all the way.

What's Joppru's status? It would be huge if he came through this year and could actually play injury free. Maybe i'm just dreaming, maybe he's just had freak injuries, let's hope he works out.

I think he is too small to block and too slow to be a major receiving threat (a slower Billy Miller?). He might work as a backup but not as a starter.

From ESPN:
David Thomas
TE | (6'2", 238, 4.8) | TEXAS

Flags: (S: SPEED) Player lacks ideal speed at position

Strengths: An H-back prospect with excellent speed for the position. Is a smooth athlete with quickness and body control. He is an accomplished route runner. Shows good burst out of his breaks and doesn't need to gear down when getting in and out of his cuts. He knows how to separate vs. man-coverage and can generate a lot of speed/athletic mismatches against LB's in coverage. He has long arms, big hands and good leaping ability for the position. Will win the jump-ball more often than not. Does a consistent job of finding soft spots in zone. Uses his frame to shield smaller DBs. Has excellent hands. Can pluck on the run, will catch away from his frame, will adjust to the poorly thrown ball and shows the ability to catch over his head. He has good quickness and speed after the catch. Is better after the catch than most TE prospects in this class. Is a real weapon in the red zone and has an uncanny ability to break free in the end zone as a goal-line receiver. He gives a good effort as a blocker. Takes good angles, typically gets in position and has a stronger upper body than his size would indicate. He's intelligent and works hard on the field and in the classroom. A quality character-type player.

Weaknesses: Is vastly undersized. Not a traditional tight end. Will be an absolute liability as an in-line blocker in the NFL. Narrow base and marginal lower body strength for the position. Will struggle to hold up in the phone booth as a run blocker. Needs to have perfect positioning in order to complete his blocking assignment. Will have some trouble releasing off the LOS as an in-line receiver. Struggles against bigger SLB's that press him and get physical with him. Has adequate speed but lacks ideal top-end speed for the type of role he projects to play in the NFL.

Overall: Thomas appeared in all 13 games as a backup TE and on special teams as a true freshman in 2002. He emerged as a fulltime starter as a sophomore in 2003. As a junior in 2004, Thomas finished second on the team with 430 yards, first on the team with five touchdowns receptions, and third on the team with 25 receptions. Thomas continues to be one of the most productive pass-catching tight ends in college football as a senior in 2005. Thomas is an undersized H-back prospect who has done everything possible over the last two seasons to maximize his draft potential, including an impressive workout for NFL scouts in the spring of 2005. Thomas does not have good size or lower body strength, which will always limit him as a blocker. He also lacks elite speed as a pass-catching specialist. However, Thomas is athletic, quick and intelligent. He knows how to get open versus man-and-zone coverages and his hands are exceptional. He also will get good positioning and give a great effort as a space blocker. Thomas isn't for everybody. But for a team like the Titans or Raiders, who use H-backs and undersized tight ends in the slot in order to generate unique mismatches in the passing game, Thomas is a great fit as a reserve that will also contribute on special teams. As such, look for Thomas to come off the 2006 draft board early on the second day.

From ESPN:
Leonard Pope
TE | (6'6", 259) | GEORGIA

Strengths: Possesses good height, a wide wingspan and the frame to improve his bulk. Is a massive target as a receiver. Shows impressive initial quickness for such a tall TE. Uses quick feet and long arms to release off the LOS. He shows outstanding top-end speed for his size. Is a smooth and fluid athlete. Will be able to stretch the field vertically as a pass-catcher in the NFL. Also can adjust to the poorly thrown ball. Has big, soft hands and is a reliable receiver. Does a fine job of settling into soft spots in zone coverage. Gets upfield quickly and shows some initial burst to pick up yards after catch. Has upside as a blocker because of size potential, long arms and mobility. Continues to improve in that facet every season. Possesses good upper body power and will jar defenders at the POA when he does a good job with hand-placement. Has been durable throughout his career.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal bulk and base. Struggles to anchor at the POA as an in-line blocker. Needs to play with more consistent leverage. Will get pushed around by stronger DE's and SLB's that get into his pads. Still has room to improve in terms of the crispness of his routes.

Overall: Pope started out at Hargrave Military Academy in 2002 before enrolling at Georgia in 2003, when he played in 12 games and finished with one reception. He started 10 games as a sophomore in 2004 and earned first-team All-SEC honors with 25 receptions for 482 yards and six touchdowns. Pope's production as a junior in 2005 has been similar, despite a run-heavy offensive scheme. Pope is a tall, lean tight end prospect with room to improve in terms of his bulk, strength and overall blocking ability. However, he has the frame to get bigger and he already has a wide wingspan. What makes Pope so intriguing as an NFL prospect is his outstanding speed, athletic ability and pass-catching skills. Pope has made no indication as to his NFL future at this point. However, should he elect to leave school after this season, Pope would likely emerge as a late-first or early-second round selection in the 2006 draft.



Vernon Davis
TE | (6'2", 250) | MARYLAND

Strengths: A dynamic athlete. Has rare speed and athletic ability for his size. Shows explosive initial burst to get off the LOS and the top-end speed to stretch the field vertically. He will be a matchup weapon as a pass-catcher in the NFL. Shows a good feel for reading coverages. Is remarkably savvy in terms of setting up defenders in man-coverage and finding soft spots in zone. He shows burst out of his cuts and will consistently separate in one-on-one situations. He has terrific leaping ability and will make the acrobatic catch. He has soft and reliable hands. Shows upper body strength and power at the POA as a blocker. He continues to improve his technique and angles as a space blocker. He also is a workout warrior who set school strength records (in spring of 2005) for a TE in the bench press (460 pounds), power-clean (335 pounds), vertical jump (40 inches), squat (685 pounds) and 40-yard dash (4.41)

Weaknesses: Possesses below average height and speed. Is powerful but lacks a wide base to anchor as a blocker. Needs to improve his hand-usage, angles and overall technique as a blocker. May never develop into anything more than an H-back that needs to be protected as a blocker in space in the NFL.

Overall: Davis played in all 13 games as a reserve during his true freshman season in 2003, and finished with five catches for 59 yards. He started six of the 11 games he played as a sophomore in 2004, finishing with 27 receptions for 441 yards and three touchdowns. Through eight games as a junior in 2005, Davis led the Terps with 32 catches for 592 yards with three touchdowns. Davis is one of the best pure athletes at the tight end position in college football right now. He lacks ideal size and has much room to improve as a blocker, but his overall combination of physical tools and playmaking savvy are hard to ignore. He has not made a decision regarding his future, but we are hearing that Davis is leaning heavily towards leaving school early in order to make himself available for the 2006 NFL draft. If that is the case, and if he verifies his exceptional natural tools in post-season workouts, Davis could emerge as a mid-first round draft pick.



Marcedes Lewis
TE | (6'6", 255, 4.6) | UCLA

Strengths: Is tall and has a great frame. Has added a significant amount of bulk and still has room on his frame to get bigger. He is an excellent athlete for the TE position. Shows upper-echelon top-end speed. Possesses outstanding quickness and agility. Has improved his feel for finding soft spots in zone coverage. He has the speed and athletic ability to stretch the seam vertically in the NFL. Is a playmaker in the passing game. Can work in-line, in the slot and flexed out as a receiver. Possesses big, soft hands. Will pluck on the run, shows good concentration and will do a very good job of looking the ball in. Uses his body to shield defenders and will make big plays in traffic. Shows excellent body control and balance. Is quick and has good elusiveness for a TE after the catch. He works hard as a blocker. Has long arms and shows a little bit of initial pop. He's at his best in space as a blocker. Takes good angles, will be able to consistently hit the moving target, and gives a good effort when trying to sustain. He's a hard worker and has put in a lot of time in the weight room to improve his bulk and strength. High character person that comes well-recommended from his coaching staff. Easy going personality to rises to the challenge and is competitive on the field.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal bulk. Still needs to get bigger and stronger. Does not possess a wide base. Struggles to match up as an in-line blocker against bigger DE's. Will have trouble winning at the POA if he does not get great positioning and stay balanced. Is still a better athlete than football player. Needs to improve his blocking technique. Must learn to play with more consistent leverage as a blocker. Needs to become more physical and finish stronger. He also has room to improve as a route runner. Feel for zone coverage is improving but still not where it should be. Must learn to set defenders up better with double moves. He wastes too much time getting in and out of his cuts. He also has some trouble releasing when he's on the LOS. He can get pressed by stronger SLBs and will have a hard time getting his momentum going.

Overall: Lewis saw time in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2002, finishing with six receptions for 51 yards with one touchdown. He started eight of the 13 games he played as a sophomore in 2003 and notched 30 catches for 377 yards and three touchdowns. As a junior in 2004, Lewis finished with 30 receptions for 360 yards and seven touchdowns, and he already has surpassed that production just seven games into his senior season in 2005. Lewis still has room to improve in terms of his blocking technique, lower-body strength and overall route running savvy. After adding bulk and strength last offseason, Lewis has been an improved blocker in 2005. He also has added a more physical nature to his already freakish receiving abilities. Lewis' pass-catching production as a senior has been astounding and he projects as a game-changing mismatch in the NFL passing game. If he keeps up this pace and is able to verify his size, speed and strength during post-season workouts, Lewis will emerge as a worthy top-15 selection in the 2006 draft.


Anthony Fasano
TE | (6'4", 257) | NOTRE DAME

Strengths: Has adequate overall size. Is a big target in the passing game. Is quicker than fast. Lacks elite athleticism but is smooth and fluid. Knows how to get off the LOS and does an impressive job of settling into soft spots of zone coverage. Has a terrific feel for the passing game. His hands are outstanding. Shows impressive hands when plucking on the run and will secure the ball in traffic. Is a clutch performer with a knack for coming up big on third down situations. A tough runner after the catch. Shows good upper body strength and adequate lower body strength. Is technically sound and feisty as a blocker. Takes good angles and uses consistent leverage at the POA. Does a good job with hand placement and fights to finish. Is able to reach the second-level as a downfield run blocker and can hit the moving target. Is intelligent, tough and hard working.

Weaknesses: Lacks elite top end speed. Will not stretch the field vertically on a consistent basis in the NFL. Not a big threat after the catch. Lacks burst and elusiveness in space. Will need to improve his bulk and base in order to match up as an in-line blocker in the NFL.

Overall: Fasano started three of the 11 games that he played as a redshirt freshman in 2003. He started nine of the 11 games that he played in as a sophomore in 2004, finishing with 27 catches for 367 yards and four touchdowns. He has remained a fulltime starter as a senior in 2005 and his production has continued to significantly improve. Fasano lacks explosive speed and elite bulk as an in-line blocker, but he is one of the best all-around tight ends prospects in college football right now. He has the frame to continue to get bigger, as well as the technique and toughness to develop into an efficient all-around blocker in the NFL. Fasano also has the mobility, quickness, hands and instincts to emerge as a reliable short-to-intermediate weapon in the passing game. Despite his lack of elite physical tools, Fasano warrants second-round consideration in the 2006 draft should he elect to leave Notre Dame following the 2005 season.

This guy looked good in the Rose Bowl.

From ESPN:
Dominique Byrd
TE | (6'2", 260, 4.8) | USC

Strengths: Is an outstanding athlete at the TE position. Has a lot of upside as a pass-catching H-back in the NFL. He has good initial quickness and adequate speed for the position. He can stretch the seam and is a playmaker in the passing game. He has very good hands. He will make the acrobatic catch. Shows good body control and balance. Will adjust to the poorly thrown ball. Is fluid and smooth as a route runner. Also gets upfield quickly after the catch and shows some burst and elusiveness for the position. He is a better blocker than measurables might indicate. He can get overmatched at times, but he will win the battles that he should win. He stays low, shows good leverage, has some pop at the POA and shows a mean streak. Generally gets in good position as a space blocker and will work hard to finish.

Weaknesses: Durability is a major issue. He has suffered three significant injuries (knee, kneecap and toe) in as many years (2003-'05) and also broke his jaw during the 2005 offseason. He has had trouble with academics, which leads to questions about his mental capacity and maturity. He has adequate bulk and strength but could stand to improve in both areas. Also possesses below average height for the position. He has some trouble matching up in-line vs. bigger DE's and SLB's. Does not get a great push in the running game. Lacks lower body strength to create a new LOS as a run blocker. He needs to improve his array of release moves and do a better job of getting off the LOS as a route runner. He also needs to refine his route running skills. He doesn't show great awareness vs. zone and he also will round off a lot of his routes.

Overall: Byrd played sparingly as a freshman in 2002. He wound up starting six games as a sophomore in 2003 and hauled in 14 receptions before tearing ligaments in his left knee vs. Stanford and missing the remainder of the season. As a junior in 2004, he finished with 37 receptions for 384 yards and three TDs in nine games played. He missed the first four games (Virginia Tech, Colorado State, BYU and Stanford) after breaking his left kneecap in a pickup basketball game in the summer. He also had arthroscopic surgery to remove torn cartilage in a toe prior to 2005 spring practice. Byrd is a dynamic playmaker with the potential to develop into a seam-stretching H-back type in the NFL. He is one of the best athletes at the tight end position in this year's class at the tight end position and he flashes terrific upside. However, he still needs to improve his bulk, strength and overall effectiveness as a blocker. He also has had some durability and academic issues that could cause him to slip on draft day. As it stands right now, Byrd has second round talent but is likely to slip to the third round due to the aforementioned red flags.

the draft expert they had on 610 earlier said byrd could last until the 3rd round, unless i heard it wrong.

dirty steve said:

the draft expert they had on 610 earlier said byrd could last until the 3rd round, unless i heard it wrong.

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he should be 3rd at least. He has major injury concerns. I personally do not want to risk a TE who already has injury problems. I like Thomas and Fasano in the 3rd-5th. V. Davis and G. Olsen are the only ones worth a higher pick, Olsen the only one worth a first.

I like Fasano out of Notre Dame.

YoungTexanFan said:

he should be 3rd at least. He has major injury concerns. I personally do not want to risk a TE who already has injury problems. I like Thomas and Fasano in the 3rd-5th. V. Davis and G. Olsen are the only ones worth a higher pick, Olsen the only one worth a first.

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c'mon Young say it ain't so

there are three 1st rd. rated TE's already declared Lewis, Davis & Pope, now if your saying all three will not get picked in the 1st rd. maybe & thats what I'm kinda hoping for the Texans although of the three I'd really like Pope, especially with Vince Young in fold.

however I am warming up to the idea (also Vince inspired) of taking Thomas in the 3rd, he would also be an excellent special teams player and if we lost Wells in free agency he could step right into that role. I also love the idea of addressing the offensive line with that #2 pick a Guard that could start immediatly and replace McKinney like Gilles or Davin Joseph.

I'd like to also give ya'll a heads up on this kid- Quinn Ojinnaka OT out of Syracuse. initially I had him going in the 1st rd but that was before all the Junior class declared, so he is at least 2nd possibly even 3rd potentially. He is playing in the Las Vegas bowl the 14th (this Sat.) would make a very good RT someday & could develop into a starter (not sure the length of Wade's contract) DVR it or catch a glimpse and tell me what ya think

beerlover said:

c'mon Young say it ain't so

there are three 1st rd. rated TE's already declared Lewis, Davis & Pope, now if your saying all three will not get picked in the 1st rd. maybe & thats what I'm kinda hoping for the Texans although of the three I'd really like Pope, especially with Vince Young in fold.

however I am warming up to the idea (also Vince inspired) of taking Thomas in the 3rd, he would also be an excellent special teams player and if we lost Wells in free agency he could step right into that role. I also love the idea of addressing the offensive line with that #2 pick a Guard that could start immediatly and replace McKinney like Gilles or Davin Joseph.

I'd like to also give ya'll a heads up on this kid- Quinn Ojinnaka OT out of Syracuse. initially I had him going in the 1st rd but that was before all the Junior class declared, so he is at least 2nd possibly even 3rd potentially. He is playing in the Las Vegas bowl the 14th (this Sat.) would make a very good RT someday & could develop into a starter (not sure the length of Wade's contract) DVR it or catch a glimpse and tell me what ya think

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I would be very open to Thomas if we took VY. I like pope a lot, but I just cant accept a TE in the second w/out a trade down to pick up another second.

Going by your projections/hopes beer, you have us taking VY #1, Pope in the second. Maybe Luiti falls to the third, but we really need to address our line earlier. To me there is very little difference save for size between Thomas and Pope. Pope is very slinder but very tall. Imagine the D'brick of TE.

If you want Davin and VY, TE is not possible in the second. For me, I want Simpson AND Giles/Joseph/Luiti in the second round.

beerlover said:

c'mon Young say it ain't so

there are three 1st rd. rated TE's already declared Lewis, Davis & Pope, now if your saying all three will not get picked in the 1st rd. maybe & thats what I'm kinda hoping for the Texans although of the three I'd really like Pope, especially with Vince Young in fold.

however I am warming up to the idea (also Vince inspired) of taking Thomas in the 3rd, he would also be an excellent special teams player and if we lost Wells in free agency he could step right into that role. I also love the idea of addressing the offensive line with that #2 pick a Guard that could start immediatly and replace McKinney like Gilles or Davin Joseph.

I'd like to also give ya'll a heads up on this kid- Quinn Ojinnaka OT out of Syracuse. initially I had him going in the 1st rd but that was before all the Junior class declared, so he is at least 2nd possibly even 3rd potentially. He is playing in the Las Vegas bowl the 14th (this Sat.) would make a very good RT someday & could develop into a starter (not sure the length of Wade's contract) DVR it or catch a glimpse and tell me what ya think

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I have already read some into the OT from syracuse. He is supposed to be solid, and very large. A RT only kind of guy. Not very athletic, but solid.

I cannot say I have had a chance nor would I have taken it to watch syracuse in football.

This draft is very deep in regards to tight ends. From what I heard from some draft guru on 610am this afternoon he thinks Thomas and/or Fasano would be available in the 3rd or 4th round. This would be a good pickup at this time in the draft, preferably wait until the 4th round.

YoungTexanFan said:

I have already read some into the OT from syracuse. He is supposed to be solid, and very large. A RT only kind of guy. Not very athletic, but solid.

I cannot say I have had a chance nor would I have taken it to watch syracuse in football.

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and that my friend is the reason I mentioned watching the Las Vegas Bowl this Saturday, and now you know the rest of the story.............

horn_omatic said:

I love Thomas, he is a great recieving TE but how is he at blocking. I believe he is descent but i dont know.
19 Hours Ago 09:23 P

I think could be the steal of the draft, especially if we get him with one of our thirds. Soft hands, above average speed and extremely agile for his size. He reminds me alot of Todd Heap, just a little smaller.

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A lot of Cowboys fans on my MB said that Thomas reminded them of Jason Witten, and that is not a bad thing. If he is there in the 3rd, or if Byrd from USC, I believe H-town should jump on them. Between the two, I have seen more of David Thomas, so I would be biased towards him b/c I know he just does not drop any passes that are thrown to him.

beerlover said:

and that my friend is the reason I mentioned watching the Las Vegas Bowl this Saturday, and now you know the rest of the story.............

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Channel and times?


Also did you watch the HS Army game?

Ian Symonette represented Houston. He is a MASSIVE OT from St. Pius X. (our rival school) He is 6-9 330 as a HS senior. His feet are amazing as WR's can't turn the corner on him. He was an import from Jamacia I believe, so we felt fairly cheated. Great guy who throughly held me down when I practiced with him. He has his choice of colleges basicly. LSU, USC, UT, MIAMI...

Also, another OT to watch is a guy from Westfield. His name escapes me, but he works for my dad. He is maybe 6'5 295. He is picking between Navy, Rice, Army, and a few other big schools.

Xman said:

I don't have an opinion on which D we should run. I say run what we have the most talent to run - if that is 3-4, then stay in 3-4.

But if we stay in the 3-4, what do we need?
MLB - shouldn't we give Greenwood another chance? If not, that contract is a killer.
[one exception to this whole email - if Baltimore doesn't resign Ray Lewis, then I sign him and draft whoever he wants]
CB - I agree we need another stud CB. But, unless one drops, I would wait until next year. Plus, by waiting a year, we can make sure Buchy is bad and that Faggins is not enough - who knows, one might even pan out (I doubt it, but who knows)
LB - the other LBs - we need to see what Orr and Peek can do. Can Wong come back strong? Why not play them and see? (maybe sign a FA to a 1 year deal)
FS - Why not give Brown a chance? Earl panned out. Or take another late round flyer here.
DL - Too much money tied up here to do much anyway. Need to let them age. I would look for young cheap (3rd-5th round) talent to groom here.

If we go 4-3, then I fill the same, give these guys a chance. Let's make sure they either suck or can be used. If one pans out, that is one draft picks saved (equiv to their level of success).

This year: OL and a TE if there at #33. And, we sign a free agent WR (Moulds would be sweet - plus he is old so we could give him a 3 year deal).
It would be so nice to see our offense go on the field with 2 minutes left in the game and KNOW we can score. The way it is now, we don't even know if we can get a 1st down. True, we will give up a lot of points, but lets fix one thing all the way.

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Well Greenwood, Wong, Babin and Peek. i have them in there but Peek didnt really live up to expectations and babin never did. I think we need a LB quality. LB in the 34 are essential... i bet lots would agree with me.. i am infavor of sittin Babin for Hawk and putting him at MLB and moving Wong back to Weak and putting Peek/babin combo at SLB or

CB has to be 1st or 2nd round.

I have brown playing SS... that is true he did play FS didnt he.... well if you want to play him at FS and put Earl at the SS i am infavor of that. I just want Coleman out of there. Still needs to be atleast some typle of 3rd round talent.. plus Brown is really a SS not a FS he could move not saying that i dont know our teams plans on him but i cant take the pick out of their til i know what we want to do with him.

DL only if we go 43.

Ok thats still a CB in top 2 round a LB and some FS talent to be a replacement incase one slips.

then Offense i think we all agree we need RT, LG, C, and a TE.

With the D needs we can do it but its takes alot to address many of these needs. We can get the TE in the FA if we open the check book. I stil think we go Defense in the 1st... prob Hawk to play LB then CB in the 2nd and if we have a 2nd 2nd rounder then we go O-line if not we will have 3 3rd rounds and can take 3 O-lineman in the 3rd. Then in the 4th we can take a FS. that all depends on the deal we get for the #1 pick

Xman said:

Vernon Davis
TE | (6'2", 250) | MARYLAND

Strengths: A dynamic athlete. Has rare speed and athletic ability for his size. Shows explosive initial burst to get off the LOS and the top-end speed to stretch the field vertically. He will be a matchup weapon as a pass-catcher in the NFL. Shows a good feel for reading coverages. Is remarkably savvy in terms of setting up defenders in man-coverage and finding soft spots in zone. He shows burst out of his cuts and will consistently separate in one-on-one situations. He has terrific leaping ability and will make the acrobatic catch. He has soft and reliable hands. Shows upper body strength and power at the POA as a blocker. He continues to improve his technique and angles as a space blocker. He also is a workout warrior who set school strength records (in spring of 2005) for a TE in the bench press (460 pounds), power-clean (335 pounds), vertical jump (40 inches), squat (685 pounds) and 40-yard dash (4.41)

Weaknesses: Possesses below average height and speed. Is powerful but lacks a wide base to anchor as a blocker. Needs to improve his hand-usage, angles and overall technique as a blocker. May never develop into anything more than an H-back that needs to be protected as a blocker in space in the NFL.

Overall: Davis played in all 13 games as a reserve during his true freshman season in 2003, and finished with five catches for 59 yards. He started six of the 11 games he played as a sophomore in 2004, finishing with 27 receptions for 441 yards and three touchdowns. Through eight games as a junior in 2005, Davis led the Terps with 32 catches for 592 yards with three touchdowns. Davis is one of the best pure athletes at the tight end position in college football right now. He lacks ideal size and has much room to improve as a blocker, but his overall combination of physical tools and playmaking savvy are hard to ignore. He has not made a decision regarding his future, but we are hearing that Davis is leaning heavily towards leaving school early in order to make himself available for the 2006 NFL draft. If that is the case, and if he verifies his exceptional natural tools in post-season workouts, Davis could emerge as a mid-first round draft pick.

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LOL, they say his weakness is below average speed? He runs a freaking 4.41 40! He's also an animal in the gym.