I'll be curious to see how he makes the first to second year jump. It's tougher for Richard Rodgers from an expectations standpoint because the team is hoping for more production out of the TE spot, as compared with expectations on someone like Devante Adams who is the 3rd WR. I am most interested to see how his blocking is improved. There were times last year when it looked like he had never thrown a block in his life. Now that the game is slowing down for him, hopefully he can take over the job and keep Q as the backup.
He's never going to have the explosiveness that Finley had, but perhaps he'll be more steady. Finley teased. That shootout playoff game against AZ...wow. He had his moments, but he also never found consistency. I would take a good hands guy who can run a route and get enough separation to make ARod feel comfortable throwing his way.
"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." -Daniel Patrick Moynihan
For his size I expected RR to be a better blocker that he was. If he learns that part of the game, he could be a pretty good old-school TE, lining up next to the tackle and blocking or running routes. Chewy would be his ceiling, which is pretty good. With Lacy, having a TE that can block or catch well is good for making the offense less predictable.
Fire Murphy, Gute, MLF, Barry, Senavich, etc!
I think he can be solid, and even a decent starter down the line--which isn't all that bad for a third round pick. I think his blocking will improve. He certainly has the size and seems willing. However, he may have great hands, but he'll likely never be dynamic. I hear the reports of his great hands, but then I read this:
It might not really matter with how dynamic our receiving corps could be. If the receiving corps wasn't so good, I'd be a lot more worried about the TE position.S Chris Banjo might have been the most effective defender Monday when the safeties and inside linebackers were matched against the tight ends and running backs in one-on-one coverage. Banjo went 3-1, doing a great job twice against TE Richard Rodgers.
"There's a lot of interest in the draft. It's great. But quite frankly, most of the people that are commenting on it don't know anything about what they are talking about."--Ted Thompson
But there was also this:
Tight end Richard Rodgers made one of the highlight catches of training camp Tuesday with a diving one-handed snag of a Tolzien pass on an out pattern that converted a third down. “I had a feeling he was going to throw it to me, and the ball was going to come out quick,” Rodgers said. “I just came out of (the break), and I knew I could make a play on it once I saw it in the air.”
With our WR corp do we need anything but a 4 WR set and Lacy crushing an MLB?
Swede: My expertise in this area is extensive. The essential difference between a "battleship" and an "aircraft carrier" is that an aircraft carrier requires five direct hits to sink, but it takes only four direct hits to sink a battleship.
You yourself admitted that you would do no better than any NFL GM at making picks, yet you continue to rail on the people who are actually paid to do the work. Amazing. Year after year people complain that a pick isn't a future all-pro/hall of fame candidate. Fucking stupid. Calling fans homers doesn't make you sound smart, it makes you sound like an asshole.
Who put starch in your shorts this a.m.??
A guy like Rodgers, who is a plodder, can be had lower in the draft - or FA. On the other hand, a guy like Findley, who can run and had special physical qualities probably should have been drafted higher than the 4th round we got him in. Rodgers was a 3rd round pick, and Findley was a 4th round pick... what sense does that make??
Plodders at the TE position can be found tending bar just about any night of the week; hence, I wouldn't have drafted him in the 3rd round.
3rd round and higher - you should be looking for quality starters, or guys with upside - Rodgers doesn't fit either catagory. He might end up being a servicable player over time, but don't see him as a good 3rd round value - just MO.
Some have mentioned Mark Chmura - if Rodgers can get to that level, I would be happy with that; but then again Chmura was a 6th round draft pick.
wist
Who the hell is Findley? The Packers drafted Finley in the third round (91)http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/43604092.html
"Never, never ever support a punk like mraynrand. Rather be as I am and feel real sympathy for his sickness." - Woodbuck
He was drafted using their compensatory pick, so it was basically a 4th rounder. I think you'll find that his first year production is probably above average for where they drafted him. Wist has his crystal ball out about future production, so I will defer to the crystal ball.
"Never, never ever support a punk like mraynrand. Rather be as I am and feel real sympathy for his sickness." - Woodbuck
Code:2014 Tight Ends No. Round Pick Player Name Team College 1 1 10 10 Eric Ebron Lions North Carolina 2 2 6 38 A Seferian-Jenkins Buccaneers Washington 3 2 17 49 Jace Amaro Jets Texas Tech 4 2 20 52 Troy Niklas Cardinals Notre Dame 5 3 1 65 C.J. Fiedorowicz Texans Iowa 6 3 34 98 Richard Rodgers Packers California 7 3 35 99 Crockett Gillmore Ravens Colorado State 8 5 15 155 Arthur Lynch Dolphins Georgia 9 7 2 217 Ted Bolser Redskins Indiana 10 7 15 230 Rob Blanchflower Steelers Massachusetts
Last edited by pbmax; 08-05-2015 at 03:29 PM.
Bud Adams told me the franchise he admired the most was the Kansas City Chiefs. Then he asked for more hookers and blow.
Set aside for the moment that Pro Football Reference thinks Davante Adams and Allen Hurns are TEs, exactly who is the late round pick that would be an equal to Rodgers?
Code:Game Game Misc Misc Misc Misc Rk From To Draft Tm Lg G GS Yrs PB AP1 AV 1 Davante Adams 2014 2014 2-53 GNB NFL 16 11 1 0 0 5 2 Allen Hurns 2014 2014 JAX NFL 16 8 1 0 0 4 3 Jace Amaro 2014 2014 2-49 NYJ NFL 14 4 1 0 0 3 4 Richard Rodgers 2014 2014 3-98 GNB NFL 16 5 1 0 0 3 5 Travis Swanson 2014 2014 3-76 DET NFL 16 5 1 0 0 3 6 Eric Ebron 2014 2014 1-10 DET NFL 13 7 1 0 0 2 7 Cameron Fleming 2014 2014 4-140 NWE NFL 7 2 1 0 0 2 8 Austin Seferian-Jenkins 2014 2014 2-38 TAM NFL 9 9 1 0 0 2 9 Crockett Gillmore 2014 2014 3-99 RAV NFL 15 1 1 0 0 1 10 Charles Leno 2014 2014 7-246 CHI NFL 6 1 1 0 0 1 11 Kevin Pamphile 2014 2014 5-149 TAM NFL 7 2 1 0 0 1 12 Rashaun Allen 2014 2014 SEA NFL 1 0 1 0 0 0 13 Blake Annen 2014 2014 CHI NFL 5 0 1 0 0 0 14 Alex Bayer 2014 2014 RAM NFL 6 0 1 0 0 0 15 Cameron Brate 2014 2014 TAM NFL 5 1 1 0 0 0 16 Trey Burton 2014 2014 PHI NFL 15 0 1 0 0 0 17 Asante Cleveland 2014 2014 SFO NFL 6 0 1 0 0 0 18 Anthony Denham 2014 2014 HTX NFL 4 0 1 0 0 0 19 C.J. Fiedorowicz 2014 2014 3-65 HTX NFL 15 8 1 0 0 0 20 Gator Hoskins 2014 2014 2TM NFL 15 0 1 0 0 0 Games Games Misc Misc Misc Misc Rk From To Draft Tm Lg G GS Yrs PB AP1 AV 21 Nic Jacobs 2014 2014 JAX NFL 13 4 1 0 0 0 22 Marcel Jensen 2014 2014 JAX NFL 1 0 1 0 0 0 23 Troy Niklas 2014 2014 2-52 CRD NFL 7 2 1 0 0 0 24 Justin Perillo 2014 2014 GNB NFL 2 0 1 0 0 0 25 Scott Simonson 2014 2014 RAI NFL 4 0 1 0 0 0 26 Jordan Thompson 2014 2014 DET NFL 2 0 1 0 0 0
Bud Adams told me the franchise he admired the most was the Kansas City Chiefs. Then he asked for more hookers and blow.
Yup. There's only one ball so they're not all going to be putting up numbers regardless. Rodgers fits the system running routes underneath and reliably moving the chains when needed. With Lacy, he'll also keep the safeties from playing too soft, which is key. He'll catch everything thrown to him, which is just enough to help the receivers be more dangerous.
As someone else mentioned, Finley was a 3rd round pick. Finley might have been higher than that but he had maturity issues that were known. After watching Finley tantalize but not quite match his potential, I think TT went for the guy with great hands who runs his routes right every time. And unlike Finley, Rodgers has the size to possibly become an all-around Tight End (blocking) rather than a guy who would rather be a wide receiver. Rodgers is off to a good start in my opinion. He certainly was more effective as a rookie than Finley. Plus, he seems to have the confidence of that other guy named Rodgers. If he can solidify the TE position, he's well worth a 3rd round pick.