Paul’s Calls: Things could get tight
Written by Paul Perillo on June 9, 2009 – 1:31 pm -Continuing our look at some of the veteran newcomers I decided to focus on the tight end position during today’s OTA session at a frigid and wet Gillette Stadium.
Alex Smith and Chris Baker joined incumbents Benjamin Watson and David Thomas – as well as part-time fill-in Tyson DeVree – on the team’s depth chart this offseason. Smith and Baker figure to really enhance the competition at the position and they do so with plenty of NFL experience. Baker, who arrived as a free agent from the Jets, is entering his eighth season out of Michigan State while Smith, a fifth-year player out of Stanford, was acquired via trade with Tampa Bay.
“Something we always stress here is doing things the way we do them around here,” Watson said. “No matter if you’re a veteran from somewhere else, when guys come here there’s always a certain way coaches like things done around here, so they have to learn how we do it. But it’s great to have guys that have been in the league for a long time, who know what it takes to play every game, guys who are very accomplished.”
In Smith and Baker, the Patriots have two such players at Watson’s position. While it’s far too early to tell how that will unfold during training camp and the regular season, it’s already apparent that Bill Belichick will have some options when it comes to roster spots.
“You see here they are very meticulous on the routes similar to the West Coast with the spacing and just attacking defenses in their weaknesses,” said Smith, who played his whole career in the West Coast offense. “I see a lot of similarities. It might be even more evolved than what I was used to. I thought [Jon] Gruden had a pretty complex system with personnel and formations but here it’s almost like twice as much. They’re pretty intricate here.
“[The competition] is all across the board – receivers, running backs, tight ends – we’re all just trying to get better. When we put the pads on is when we can try to separate ourselves.”
The Patriots offense always features a variety of personnel groupings and these OTAs have been no different. On Tuesday, both Smith and Baker (I tried to speak to Baker as well but he and Smith left the field at the same time and he didn’t wait for me to finish with Smith) lined up together and in various packages with multiple wide receivers. Both showed some quickness getting off the line and were open throughout the day – mostly on crossing patterns underneath but also occasionally in the end zone during some red zone work.
DeVree turned in the best play of the day when he one-handed an errant toss in the left corner of the end zone but Thomas, Smith, Baker and Watson were constants in the secondary. Baker worked himself free in the right corner of the end zone on one play but Tom Brady’s pass was overthrown and the connection failed. Later, Matt Gutierrez fired a bullet to Thomas streaking across the deep middle for a nice gain on a play that Smith was actually wide open underneath.
Judging from Tuesday’s action, it would certainly appear that the tight end could re-emerge in the New England offense this season. Smith and Baker figure to be right in the middle of that given their experience and versatility.
“The biggest compliment to me would be not being able to label me at all,” Smith said when I asked him how he’d describe himself as a tight end.
“Being able to do it all is what I strive to do. I don’t want to be known just as somebody that goes downfield – I want to get the job done in the running game, pass blocking, catching passes downfield … if they can say I did it all it would be better than saying I excelled at any one thing.”
Health is always a concern at all positions and certainly Watson and Thomas have dealt with their share of injuries in the past. But assuming everyone’s healthy, Belichick could have one of his more difficult decisions to make should he choose to keep only three tight ends.
Personally, with more than six weeks to go before training camp even starts, I’d be perfectly content to keep all four on the roster. It’s the deepest, most talented group of tight ends Belichick has assembled and the versatility of using some of them in multiple ways would be too tough to pass up.
How do you feel the tight end position will shake out when it comes time to finalize the 53-man roster?
Posted in OTAs (2009) |
June 9th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I think Baker and Smith are both locks. Baker coming off of several productive seasons, and Smith the same. I think Watson will make it too simply because he is a pure athlete and if healthy I think could play a huge receiving role. Thomas is the odd man out if you ask me.
June 9th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Dave Thomas, thanks for playing. We have some nice parting gifts.
June 9th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Tyson Devree- makin it look easy!
Ben Watson- makin it look harder than it should be!
June 9th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Interesting insight as ever, PP.
I like Smith, I like Baker. I think Watson has been a disappointment, but I agrew with Dan B. that Thomas is the one that I’m not sure about. How many TEs do we take in the 53? I thought 4 at first, but now that Pass is back, I think one of the TEs has to step aside to take 5 RBs.
June 9th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Alex Smith is a beast. You will be glad to have a high character, soft-handed, versatile receiver in your starting line up. He can line up anywhere and be effective everywhere. His numbers went down because the idiot staff in TPA couldn’t figure out how to get him the ball. They traded him and kept Jeremy Stephens — go figure.
June 9th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Doesn’t matter,how are the TE’S going to matter if Brady is constantly laying on his BACK!!!J-E-T-S!!
June 9th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
I think the Patriots will need to extend their roster to about 60 this season with all the TEs and RBs, not to mention DTs and OL. Holy-shmoly. Maybe that would be one thing to talk about when the new players contract is written.
June 9th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
if ben watson was playing with Drew Bledsoe as his qb he’d be Lovett Purnell . give the new guys a chance ben has proven he can’t get it done .
June 9th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Ben Watson has not lived up to the first round selection. He rarely catches with his hands, putting the tip drill into play everytime he crosses the middle. David Thomas needs more playing time, his rookie season he got on the field and contributed. Baker is proven, Smith a little unknown but a mobile big man with good hands. Verdict- Watson traded for a third round pick.
June 9th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
I’m a huge fan of David Thomas. I followed him in Texas, was amazed by what he did at the Rose Bowl alongisde Vince Young, and I was exillerated when the Patriots picked him. He’s a great route runner, a near-perfect pass catcher, and improved on the only flawed part of his game, which was his blocking. I’d love to see Benjamin Watson leaving New England via a trade for some defensive talent, because he is incredibly overrated in my opnion. Had a couple of good plays in one year, and then failed miserably the following seasons. A complete underachiever, Vernon Gholston-type of player. Alex Smith (the Slash guy, not that 49ers player who says he’s a QB) was also a favorite of mine. He possesses Watsonesque physical abilities, but he’s a player (a huge difference between the two). Baker is a nice player, very steady and consistent. I’d love to see DeVree making the rooster, because he looks like a potential playmaker, but I think it’ll be tough for him. I’d like to see:
Alex Smith as the starter, but I think it would be foolish not to use him all over the field, in many positions and situations, to make the most out of his athletic abilities. Also, Chris Baker would be the 2nd TE for me, while we could use David Thomas as the 3rd guy, specially in passing downs. Watson should be traded, and DeVree will probably be cut. A great group, really. Hard to pick. In my eyes, Watson is the odd man out, because we are well aware of what he can do (run fast and tackle hard) and what he can’t do (catch passes and run routes).
June 10th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Nice to see we have gained a Jets retard among our midst.
Looking forward to seeing another great double sack by Adalius Thomas on your new douche of a QB and pure 3rd-down back. And your excellent receivers….
Anyway, I think it will be 4. But it will be tight between De Vree and another. Because Tyson offers a lot of Special Teams prowess as well as Goal Line ability.
J-E-T-S Suck, Suck, Suck.
June 10th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Trading Watson would be ideal situation. Smith, Baker and Thomas would be a nice threesome.
June 10th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Does Watson understand what’s going on here? From his smug comments (players come and go all the time- no big deal?)I’m not sure. Benjamin: BB says its now or never for you– that’s why there are two TEs ahead of you now (at RB, at least Maroney got the message).
June 10th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I think it’s time to shop Watson, to see if there is any value for him. He may get the team a fifth round pick, which at this point is more valuable than him.
June 10th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
The same way that Miami introduced the Wildcat last season, I’d love to see New England do something innovative and come out with a “tall” package. Imagine lining Moss up out wide with Watson and Baker in the slots and either Thomas or Smith (or whoever the best “speed” TE is) out to the other wide side. Keep the patterns shorter so that Brady isn’t left exposed in the pocket too long waiting for his guys to get open and then let the big boys pick on small DBs in space.
We have a set of athletic TEs. We should use them in a new way. How would defenses line up against that? Using DBs who are too small to cover the much larger TEs or using linebackers who are at least some of the time gonna get beaten big time?
June 10th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
I got Smith & Baker making it. Keep Thomas as the #3, and trade Watson to KC or someone who needs a TE for a pick or player.
June 10th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Let’s keep 4 TEs. Especially those who can line up in a variety of formations.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
….I really wouldn’t be surprised to see Watson gone before start of the season as I think there are guys who are better at a lower cost…..also don’t be that impressed with the J-e-t-s guy, I heard his dog spotted him the J and the e…and I hope that he is counting on Vernon (workout warrior) Gholston for any of those sacks..:)
June 11th, 2009 at 9:20 am
I think BB will keep 4. Maybe Watson will wake up, maybe he won’t. BB is only going to keep the guys that can block well. Protecting Brady and keeping our running game going are BB’s first TE priorities. Despite Watsons “hands of stone”, if he outblocks one of the other guys he is likely to stay around.
I hate to say it but the writing may be on the wall for one of our favorite players to be yet another late cut casualty. BB has had numerous RB’s taking passes out of the backfield, new guys being worked out as punt returners. Then Pass comes back. I hope I am wrong, but I get the feeling that Faulk might get cut prior to the first game. He is due a half million roster bonus if he is on the roster for the first game. Cutting him would save the Pats 2.9 million against the cap in ‘09 plus the 500,000 bonus = 3.4 million. We do have a number of guys to re-sign, and we could still benefit from picking up a decent OLB.
June 11th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
IT ‘ s ELINTARY , My dear WATSON …It’s time for you to go .
I’m hoping he is dealt sometime during the summer to an NFC team that is either weak at TE ( or incurs an injury ). I would settle for dumpin’ him for a 2010 5th ( with performance clauses that might rise it to a 3rd ).
Time to cut bait.
June 11th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
( ELIMENTAY )
June 11th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
…eh .. .ELIMENTARY
(3rd times the charm )
June 11th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
NO WAY K FAULK GETS CUT . . . not a chance ( He’s got a roster spot as long as he’s able to breathe )
A+ Blocking ,
A+ Reads ,
A+ Hands out the backfield ,
A+ On hittin’ the holes during Draws,
A+ Leadership