change the passing rules to the old school basketball rules. when you catch the pass you have to stop but you can then throw it to someone else.
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It was Welker and Gronk by a considerable margin:
Hernandez was the Zeppo, the Shemp, of the offense:
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I just hope someone takes Bowers early to foreclose the possibility of trading up for another TE.
Most of the Lions problems have been on defense.
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2011 Hernandez had 900 receiving yards. That’s a big part of the offense.
You’re going to feel silly about this take when they ban tackling in 2026.
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Do we evaluate players based upon a single year’s performance?
Any Zeppo reference wins the day for me.
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When I specifically referenced the 2011 Patriots, and their stats from that particular year, then yeah.
But to indulge you, 2010 both Gronk and Hernandez were rookies, and in 2012 they missed a combined 11 games with injury. It obviously wasn’t the same offense with just one of them healthy.
But it is very notable that they year they were both healthy (2011) Brady had his highest volume passing season as a Patriot, by more than 400 yards.
I don’t think there’s much chance of Brad going down this route, particularly with Bowers projected as a top 10 or top 15 pick, but when you have a QB like Goff who is much happier throwing the ball inside the numbers, a pass game that predominantly features two TEs and a slot WR makes a lot of sense, and there is a model (albeit 13 years old) for it being successful.
That’s fair.
Football fans need to start learning the lesson. Taking TEs in the first round is a dumb idea. I remember when Eric Ebron was going to add a whole new dimension to our offense. Then how TJ Hockenson would do the same by being a complete Tight End. Kyle Pitts, Noah Fant, David Njoku, OJ Howard, Evan Engram, Kyle Pitts, Hayden Hurst, Tyler Eifert, Jermain Gresham, Brandon Pettigrew, Dustin Keller. In the last 25 years of Tight Ends in the first round there are maybe like 3 that you could make an argument were worth the pick. Greg Olson, Vernon Davis (I’d argue not at all worth the 6th pick) and Dallas Clark. But there were also just as good Tight ends that went much later. Not only is this a bad idea in general in the draft, and when team building, but this post wants to do it for our second tight end. Im sure some people will say Bowers is different. Hes a beast, He’s an elite athlete, he’s more of a reciever, etc… which are the same arguments we hear every year about the next great multidimensional chess piece.
If we wanted to make our offense unstoppable, we’d be much better off taking one of the amazing recievers to play the x spot. Or even boosting our offensive line. We could instead make our defense better up front or on the backend. Drafting Bowers high will likely be a massive mistake for any franchise. It would be even worse if we did.
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Bowers is a “TE” not a TE. He’s just an offensive weapon and probably every bit as much a WR as he is a TE.
And if you think it’s the same as every year then I question how much you’ve watched Brock Bowers play. That cat is just different after the catch. Probably one of the best twenty or so that I’ve seen at any position. Easily the best YAC “TE” I’ve ever seen.
Brock Bowers is not an offensive weapon like a wr. If he was…he’d play wideout. He’s a tight end. He’s not quick enough to beat corners outside. He’s purely a tight end in the NFL. As was Eric Ebron, Evan Engram, etc. and what Kyle Pitts needs to be to be successful. Again… I’m sure tons of people will say this one time, this one guy is different. He’s not.
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We don’t want them to ban tackling. We want them to ban the forward pass… and running QBs.
Perhaps, but not because TEs haven’t hit in the first.
That’s the same thought process that made people think drafting Ohio State QBs was a bad idea (until Stroud), or taking an Air Raid QB was a bad idea (until Mahomes), or taking a Jeff Tedford QB wouldn’t work (until Rodgers). Just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it won’t. And the idea that some magical barrier exists between the 1st and 2nd round that suddenly allows a TE to become a good player and a better pick is one I can’t get behind. I mean, would Laporta have been a bad player if he went a couple of picks earlier?
Some day, someone will draft a superstar in the 1st.
Now I don’t like taking TEs in the 1st either, but that’s because of positional value. I also don’t want to take a RB, OG, LB, etc… But if you hit on those positions (like Gibbs), then it’s fine. But you have to hit.
I would have no problem drafting Bowers in the 1st.
I am with ya. I wouldn’t be mad.
Doesn’t matter if the defense gives up 30 if the offense puts up 40.
Just like the mid to late 2000s Saints and Colts teams. The defenses couldn’t stop anyone but their offenses were so explosive.
Name an NFL team that averaged 40 pts a game. I’ll wait.
I believe the 2013 Broncos have the all-time record as they scored 37.9 points per game.
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That will make it all the more impressive when we do it next year 
Google believes that as well.