The Silly Season — TE Ratings
Posted: June 18, 2005 @ 1:29 pm
The PFW folks have some justification for their RB ratings — rookies don’t get overrated, in case they’re flashes in the pan — but the magazine’s TE rankings leave them open for serious questions from Cowboys fans. The position is not as deep as RB, with only 15 players getting a grade. It’s how the magazine grades that will make you see red:
The review of Witten is soft and evasive, saying nothing eloquently,
Fine athlete with better-than-average speed and soft, natural hands. Can throw poorly thrown balls by adjusting and can separate from the defense in confined areas and break open. Appears a bit stiff and won’t shake more limber defenders. Height helps as a blocker, where he gives good effort, but technique can be improved. Somewhat new to the position. Has good weight room strength, not functional football strength. Holds the ball on contact and shows good concentration.
It’s clear that this ratings system is skewed towards guys with speed. Gonzales, Heap, McMichael and Kleinsasser are much better known as receivers than blockers. There are not many in the top eight who are good combinations of blocking and receiving. Alge Crumpler would top my list there, and deserves his high rating, IMO. (It’s too bad Michael Vick doesn’t trust him the way that Troy Aikman did Jay Novacek. With the Falcons’ mediocre receiving corps, Crumpler should have even better stats than he’s posted.)
That said, this list is wildly inconsistent. Shockey is given the third rating based on a “high ceiling,” even though he was booed by Giants fans last year for dropping the ball and looking disinterested in the game. Franks is a good TE, but has shown nothing special in his time as a pro. And he’s a glaring disappointment if you consider that about ten years ago, when Franks was a sophomore at Miami, Sports Illustrated singled him out as one of the players who would revolutionize the game in the next decade. I wouldn’t even consider Franks the second best U. of Miami TE over that span; Shockey and Kelley Winslow Jr. can fight over the top two spots.
Witten, on the other hand, is downgraded because he does not look natural yet. These guys are not rookies. There is a better way to guage their value than their draft-day scouting reports. It’s called production, and on that subject, I’ll defer to Seahawks’ DC Ray Rhodes. Ray-Ray is no Cowboys lover, having faced then for years as the Eagles HC and DC and as the 49ers DC. When Seattle and Dallas met last year, Rhodes declared Witten the best tight end in the NFC. I don’t know if I’d take him over Crumpler, given the choice, but he’s no worse than fourth on this list, behind Gonzalez, Crumpler and Gates. Witten is two- dimensional, and he’s only 22 years old. The rest of these guys are older, and lack balance in their games.
Have at it.
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I think Parcells knows a good TE when he has one.
more of the sick dallas bias in this league, can’t we all just get along and give respect where respect is due
That ranking is a joke. Its a disgrace to read. Witten is the 3rd best tight end in the league, maybe 2nd. Gates is a monster in the red zone so ill give him the 2nd spot. But Crumpler no way. Heres some stats for you to think about:
Witten had only 1 game last season where he had less then 3 catches. Crumpler had 5 games with only 1-2 catches.
Witten 89 catches to Crumplers 48. Thats almost half.
Witten had 4 games with 8 or more catches. Alge had none.
774 yards to 980 yards.
And the most telling stat: Alge has MIKE VICK. Witten had 41 year old Vinny Testerverde. Vick is the vocal point of the entire defense. Every defender watches him. Alge should be better then Tony Gonzalez. Witten had to block for alot of the game, and had Vinny throwing him the ball.
lou you make such a true point. because i mean campbell was gone, and he had barely any help alot of the time and look at his numbers. witten deserves a whole lot better. but it aint worth losing sleep over.
let these punks think of the boys as not good enuff for the top 50 or top 20 positional rankings because come game day, we’ll show them all. and no one will have thought about us being dangerous since all the “experts” ranked us so low.
should be
Tony
Gates
Witt,
those are the top three regardless of what these guys say, no way crumpler can hold a candle to Jason, no way.
Kleinsasser is a very solid blocker good athelete but hasnt’ really had a solid season put together yet seeing him ahead of Jason made me laugh, even though I’ve like Jimmy since he was throwing shot puts 62′ and running the 100 yard dash around 10.6 seconds back at track meets in North Dakota. I’ll still never forget him beating our starting running back in the 100 yards. our running back had already qualified for state but got blown off the line seeing someone 6′3″ run a 10.6 in the 100 is pretty impressive, none the less.
Jason witten is light years ahead of him in this game and is only 22, the only way Jimmy gets him is blocking but come on Witten had one of the better recieving years any TE has had of late for that alone he should be top three on the list.
Witten…Pro Bowler. Let’s stay on point here. Look at the off season FA acquisitions and the draft choices we made. When we win 11+ games this year, I wager that we won’t have the proper resprentative in Hawaii.
I don’t know where Witten ranks, but I do know where Past and Present Cowboy players rank with the media and that is last. Drew Pearson said publicly what 99.9% of fans have been thinking.
So when Witten, JJ, LA, RL and all the rest don’t get the deserved recignition they rightfully deserve it’s been that way for years.
The bias media would like to think that we are Cowboy fans are paranoided…facts are facts they can’t stand a good thing as long as it wears a star on it’s helmet.
Now that I have given it some thougth, Witten is clearly a 3 or 4.
Believe it or not, I am actually a distant relative of Kleinsasser’s. But rank him ahead of Witten? I think we would all have less stress if we stopped reading those mags. The ‘Boys will NEVER be given their due, just because of what team they play for.
you’re right james, cowboys players will never be given their due because they are cowboys. either you love em or you hate em their isnt much middle ground here
I’ll defend Crumpler, just like Rafael, yes Lou, Crumpler has Vick throwing him passes, but at throwing passes, Testaverde is better than Vick, I still se Vick too tempting when throwing the rock to the middle of the field, something that’s a must when a QB throws to a TE, like we saw all over the year (Testaverde to Witten).
But I agree with all of you guys, that rating is shamefull, I just hope that all of those Cowboys bashers at mid-season accept what they made in all this ratings and respectfully start eating some crow.
Witten is a good TE and he should make multiple probowls but he is not yet a player who can break down double teams and make the play the way Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates can.
I agree with Rafael and Clandus on Crumpler, not only can he move he is the best blocker of all the top TE. If all you want is a recieving TE then I would take a healthy Todd Heap over Witten too. Heap is the fastest TE in the league and creates matchup problems for safteys or OLB. Jeremy Shockey showed great promise his first year, but he has failed to deliver for two years.
With that said I would rate Witten 4th because he blocks and with Shockeys lack of production I do not see how you can rate Witten below 5th in the league.
I agree that Crumpler is a better blcoker, and Crumpler averages better recieving average numbers because Vick can run around back there. TE’s have LB’s or S covering them. With Vick running around forever in the backfield, its easy for Crumpler to get open. If Witten had Vick back there, I think he would put up even bigger numbers then last year. There both real good, and Shockey cannot compare to either of them.
If I were to choose 1 receiving TE it would be Gates, the guy is a beast. If i’m looking for the total package I would take Witten. However, the most consistently great TE on the list has been Tony G. So I would rank the top 3 as
TG
AG
JW
Look for Witten to move in the top spot within the next couple of years with TG getting old and Witten developping into a phenom, especially with Bledsoe throwing him the ball. Drew loves passing to TE.
Lou,
I disagree. I think the pedestrian receiving numbers Crumpler puts up are an indictment of Vick, not of him; Vick is still far from a polished WCO QB, and
he’s not the rhythm passer that a guy like Steve Young was. I don’t know if Crumpler’s numbers would be better than Witten’s. I’m guessing they would not be. (I’m arguing that Crumpler is the best physical package, not necessarily that he’s better than Witten.) But they would be better if Vick was a better QB. He’s amazing, but he’s still a running QB who throws, not a throwing QB who can run. If he ever becomes the latter, he’ll kill the league. But he’s not there yet.
Yes, Vick is nothing more that a slingshot passer, throwing rocks to the open. He doesn’t throw to the middle of the field, and that was evidenced in the NFC Championship game, one of the safeties was always open for the hot receiver, which usually was Price, with the other safety waiting for Vick to run. You just can’t win a gme if you’re as predictable as the Falcons were in that game.
A TE with blocking hability tends to be slower, if he breaks open, avoiding the center of the field because his QB can’t throw there, he opens himself as a target to the Safety looking for the hot receiver and an interception takes place or a short gain.
I think that several teams took notice of that, and if they can stop Vick when running, they will do the same, and the Falcons won’t be in the playoffs and Crumpler still’s going to have mediocre numbers.
I’ll rate the top 5 TE’s like this: Gonzo, Heap, Crumpler, Witten and Gates. Gates as the 5th because he isn’t reliable as a blocker.
Mike Vick plays some sandlot football. You see it in his eyes. You see it in his motion. Sometimes the sidearm. Sometimes the run around in the backfield catch me if you can. Then unloads the bomb. The thing of it is……is he is that much more talented. Unbelievable. If he buys into Mora’s offense and studies up………and has another WR he actually trusts…….he would be frightening.
Rafael could not describe him better when he says “He’s amazing, but he’s still a running QB who throws, not a throwing QB who can run. If he ever becomes the latter, he’ll kill the league. But he’s not there yet.”
Which is basically what I was saying in my comparison of Vick to the only other guy we can compare him to Randall Cunningham. When he became the guy that THREW IT in Minnesota, and ran 2nd………he was the QB behind the most potent offense in the NFL and one of the highest scoring offenses ever in the NFL. Vick has that kind of potential. I think Mora is a good fit, because he continues to allow him to be Michael Vick. Which is a lot of pure Natural Talent. What we are seeing Gentlemen, in a comparison to basketball……..is Jordan when he was scoring 63 against Boston Celtics and Larry Bird in the Playoffs but not winning Championships. Like Jordan, Vick has to continue to improve on his skills and TRUST those other players around him. Price is a guy that excelled in Buffalo but not with Vick, WHy? My guess is the two aren’t working on improving. Rafael is right if he ever becomes the latter he would kill the league.
Witten…………vs any tight end. I take Witten. Young, seems like just a great kid having fun playing football. He wants to play hard. Can block, has good speed, and good hands. Sign up another like him, and I will buy an oxygen take for Keyshawn and fountain of youth for Terry and we can just roll with that set.
I am not worried about Mediots. Put a Star on the side of a players helmet and the guy is immediately hated by the West Coast and East Coast Media……oh throw in Chicago too………so that don’t leave a lot of good press. I live in Virginia, you never find anything out about Dallas unless we lose to Washington……….uh……….which ain’t often and not likely to happen this year either.
Did Novacek ever go to a pro bowl? I honestly cannot remember but I know he has Three Super Bowl Rings. Witten is a Winner. The Cowboys will be too, despite the naysayers.
Crumpler is a great tight end, but lets not forget Witten put up huge numbers in the passing game without a running game for half the season.
The Falcons had the #1 rated rushing attack last year to go along with Vicks arm. I think at 22 years old, we’ve just begun to see Witten’s potential. Give Witten a few more years and I’ll bet there won’t be a team in the NFL that would hesitate to trade their TE for ours.
Jon,
Thanks for the info on the duel quarterback system. I agree power running is definately the way to go wear down defenses. I just thought having the duel quarterback system would be an easy way to get some touchdowns. Anyways, to answer your question I believe Jay Novecek was a perrenial pro bowler from 91-95. Him and like ten other cowboys durings the nineties…Aikman, Smith, Irvin, Johnston, Newton, Stepnoski, Norton, Lett, Maryland, and I believe it was another offensive lineman…Erick Williams or Mark Tuinea I think..oh and I forgot about ol Woodson. Lemme know if I forgot anyone…man we had some studs
u guys give a lotta credit to our defense…but u tend to forget we had like 7 pro bowlers on our offense suring the glory years. I think Juice, Witten, Flozell Adams, Larry Allen, Marco Rivera, Roy Williams and Terrence Newman will be pro bowlers this year. (maybe LaRoi Glover…I know he’s our perrenial pro bowler, but im not sure he’ll get enough playing time to produce like years past). What do u guys think?
Chris,
Winning is the one thing that will wash out all this non-respect/bias nonsense. The Cowboys are not the top sellers in merchandise, but they’re always sleeping giants with the fans of America. I remember seeing comments in ‘91 that the top rated games that year were the Cowboys, even though they had been dogs for years. It was all the old fans coming out of the woodwork. MNF is always looking for a reason to get them on, because almost every year, they produce the highest rated games. Once the winning starts, the ratings take care of themselves.
And the same is true for accolades. In ‘92, when they make the Super Bowl, I don’t think the Cowboys had very many Pro Bowlers on defense, even though they had the #1 rated unit. (Correct me if I’m wrong, but did they even have one defensive starter? I don’t recall if Charles Haley got a nod.) The next couple of years, half the NFC squad was Cowboys players.
What was that song, “money changes everything?” Well winning will too.
1993-96 was insane. They averaged Eight Pro Bowlers on offense! Eleven to ten average total. Two years they had four on the offensive line. Watching the pro bowl was like watching the Dallas offense play.
What sucks is how the media tries to use the talent to cancel out individual players: Emmitt was a product of the offensive line or Aikman had Emmitt, Irvin and Novacek. Irvin was the only one who was always considered great on his own but than doesn’t get into the HOF. What nonsense. As for Emmitt and the line, I remember in 91 and 92 magazines saying the opposite and that HE was making the line look better.
I think making great plays in the playoffs and certainly in the Super Bowl helps. Especially now that fans vote. Ken Norton made it impossible he wouldn’t get in the Pro Bowl the next season after his stop of Thurman Thomas at the goal line in the 92 Super Bowl. Dallas had no Defensive players in the 92 Pro Bowl at all but three in 93. Two of those had big plays in the Super Bowl: Norton and Everett.
Of course all I care about is that sixth ring. Being tied with Frisco sucks and I will definitely be going to SF watch Dallas pummel that team.
That reminds me. Does anyone know how I can get the 92 NFC championship game? I don’t understand why the NFL doesn’t sell games. They would make a fortune. Other than highlight videos why would they not sell them?
off subject
tony dixon has signed with the washington redskins
I know that JJ hasent got the respect he deserves because he just came out last year and all. But then why all this Antonio Gates talk wasnt this his first productive year? Isnt this Jason’s second productive year? I also must add that arnt there alot of players that have one really good year and never do anything again? Shockey is garbage every time i watch the guy he is dropping ball or sitting on the sidelines injured heres a one year wonder for ya. I dont get to see a whole lot of Heap but isnt he injured alot too? What does it matter if the guy looks “stiff” what does that matter? He puts up big numbers yea TG type numbers and except for 2 monster years that tony g put up Jason Witten’s numbers are better thats right better than tony ever had. So whats the problem. See for your self You can go to nfl.com look at tonys numbers and see for yourself what apperently none of these mediots could see the F’n numbers that do not lie
Goodbye Mr. Dixon. Should have put up when you had the chance!
with all of the down grading of the cowboy players. doesn’t anyone think that bp sees all of this, and is using this as a master motivator. we all know that we have some really good players. however, i am glad that we are under-rated. that will give our guys something to prove. i think that might put a chip so some of their shoulders, and bp is going to be chipping away at the chip. know bp is known as a master motivator, and this is a major edge that he likes. “NO ONE IS AS GOOD AS THEY MAY THINK THEY ARE”. I can see this being the new sign that bp hangs up on the wall of knowledge. as far as the mediots eating crow. i just rather admit that they where wrong and didn’t see it coming. that just tells me that they are not as “smart as they think they are” another sign to hang up on the wall.
oh yea, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY EVERYONE.
i think witten should be in the top 3. i also like dallas clark. i have seen him catch a few balls too.
Geno
Gate & Witten are very comparable players, both are entering their third years in the NFL. Witten started 7 of 15 games in year one making 35 catches for 347 yds (9.9 avg) and a TD. Gates started 11 of 15 with 24 recs for 389 yds (16.2 avg) and 2 TDs. Last year Witten was 15 of 16 games 87 recs for 980 (11.3) & 6 TDs; Gates started 15 of 15 with 81 recs for 964 yds (11.9) & 13 TDs.
The thing about Gates is he didn’t play the position, or football, in college, he played basketball. So, his transformation and production are deserving of attention and praise. I think Jason will be every bit the impact player for the Cowboys as Gates is for the Chargers, especially with Bledsoe.
Wow Jason Witten ranked #9 in tight ends. I had to read this ranking system about 30 times before I realized these guys were serious. I was wondering if they were ranking something like tight ends who write the best poetry or some other kind of special talent. There is no way that these guys are ranking these guys as the best tight ends in the NFL. Jeremy Shockey is possibly the most over-hyped, overrated player I have ever seen. Just cuz he’s a “badass” and likes to be all flamboyant does not make this guy the 3rd best NFL tight end. I mean seriously, say I take the point of view of all the Cowboy haters out there (and there are a lot), Gates and Heap still belong ahead of Shockey hands down. It is not even close there. Witten will post better numbers than any tight end on the board there, with the exception of Gonzalez. Their numbers will be very similar though.
Oh, and whatever these guys at PFW are smoking, I want some…It must be daaaamn good stuff haha
Paul Young,
here is a one of the sites I use to purchase old Cowboy games.
SPORTSVISION88@ aol.com
This guy is pretty reasonale must of the time.
3. Jeremy Schockey
????????????????????????????????????
What kind of drugs was the man who did this ranking sheet on before he A. Put Wittn so damn low on the list full of mediocre tight ends at best other than the company of gates crumpler and gonzales. and B.who in their right mind EVER put Jeremey even in the top ten!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! im in utter outrage my friends.. dallas has to be the most unfairly treated and bashed on team and for no reason, look at these reports as far as julius and witten so far. they have both gotten low ass ratings i think we all need to go to this guys house and beat the living %$#$ out of him and tatoo a blue star on his forehead and asscheeks.
A lil off topic but do u guys know if we’re gonna take anyone in the supplemental draft. The big name out there seems to be Manuel Wright, DT out of USC. If I’ve heard correctly this guy was expected to be a 2nd round draft choice for next years draft. What is the likelihood this guy falls down to the fourth? If I were the boys I think Id be willing to give up a fourth next year for this guy now. Glover could take him under his wing like the other rookies thus far and develop this kid well before expected. What do u guys think?
Chris,
Unlikely.
i figure that we are going to lean toward wr’s and maybe offensive line. we are getting old in those poss.
i agree with you james.
look guys, i think J Wit will be one of the best tight ends in the league when its all said and done. tony gonzo isnt as superior as we all would like to think, he had about 15 more catches than Witten this season and witten always had receivers vinny could throw to such as morgan johnson and glenn when he was healthy (plus those youngsters showed promise). green doesnt have that much, why do you guys think they signed loud mouth mitchell. and holmes doesnt carry the full load on that offense either, not like juice jones does when he enters the game, i mean seriously guys, 30 + carries three games straight is a lot takin away from jason witten. but honestly i think this rating is bull. and not only cuz im a cowboy fan but because im a realist i think we really do have something special that could develop into one of the best we have seen play the game at that position. i have said my peace. goodnight to all
ALL THIS CRAP ABOUT OUR TE. AS I SAID BEFORE ON OUR RUNNING BACK ISSUE,WE ARE HELD AT A LOW STANDARD IN THIS LEAGUE,OUR CONCERN OVER SUCH GARBAGE SHOULD BE NIL TO NONE. WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE IN WITTEN. THEY SAY HE’S NOT FAST BUT HE SEEM TO BE OPEN NO MATTER WHO PEOPLE PUT ON HIM. 89 CATCHES, THATS NOT A FLUKE SEASON THATS A PRO BOWL SEASON, AND THATS WHAT WE HAVE IN WITTEN, A PRO BOWLER!!!. SO WHATS THE NEXT GARBAGE WE GET TO HEAR ABOUT?.. LOYAL COWBOY FAN FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!.
Witten is a superstar but he’s going to fly under the rader and thats fine with me. The Cowboys will always be one of the last team’s to get shown the highlights of on Sunday Night Primetime, and we’re never going to get talked about on Sunday mornings. We will just go out there and take care of business. We have a hungry team and not too many outspoken guys (only KJ, and hes been alot calmer since joining us). I hope the mediots keep us in the dark the whole season, because we are going to be DANGEROUS in the playoffs and the team no one wants to play.
He won’t fly under no radar, the coaches know who Jason Whitten is, and they are gonna try to play stopping him, and all those mediots that say that he’s the 9th best TE will say that all along thought Witten was a Top-5 TE, then next year June, they will stash Witten again at 9th or near……. I guess they just don’t like to eat crow, even when at times they need to…….
Rafela, I asked ot do a piece on Dallas as a team this year, and you said I could, but I wasnt sure if you wanted me to mail it to you or what so here it is……. If its worth yof a blog by itself, feel free to post it as one.
QB- Bledsoe scares me if its anything more than a 3 step drop. He may be a liabiltiy on long yardage situations, and has been sack happy. The good news is, like Ive said a bunch of times, hes basically a younger Vinny, so it shouldnt get worse than what we had last year. Drew should benefit from several big targets, and a good line.
Rating- 6.5
RB- Whats a healthy JJ going to look like? He showed flashes last year in big spots and with the bright lights of prime time shining.Hes shown the cut-backs and jukes that we havent seen here in a long time, word is hes catching balls great in mini-camps(take it for what it is) And the thought of him in the open field is probably a scary thought for defenses, The depth is what makes this group for me. A-Train, is solid, hes not going to juke anyone, but hes not afraid to lower his shoulder and get some tough yards, We havent seen anything from M.Barber III .in an NFL game yet, but based on what I saw when he was at Minnesota and what Ive read on draft sites, hes more than capable of his current role as a back-up. Nice hands, decent speed, good pure runner, and a nice frame, 6′0″ 215 lbs. With long arms. Word on the street is hes going to be our #1 kick returner as well.
Rating- 8.5
TE- Witten broke Dallas team records for TE’s in catches and yards in only his second year.. He has great hands, runs good routes, he gets to the sticks and is tough. What Id like to see is some better blocking. Which brings me to Cambell, whos back from injury. Hes not flashy, but hes one of the better blocking TE’s in the league and is underrated as a reciever
Rating- 9.0
WR- Morgan should be more knowledgable of the offense and healthier, but is IMO on a short leash. Crayton may be the guy pushing Morgan for the 3rd reciever spot. Copper was impressive at spots last year, and hopefully will continue to develop w/ Crayton as the future for this team at WR. Key exceeded my expectations last year, but may be slowed down by injury and may be near the end of his career. Glenn continues to have solid hands, and still shows the necessary speed to get donw field. I cant help but hold my breath when hes in the openfield however w/ his small frame(5′11 195). May I suggest he jsut gets down like STL’s recievers?
Rating 6.5
O-Line Floz will be Floz, up and down at times, but can still dominate. Vollers is the early candidate at RT. HEs added 15 pounds, although he still might need to add 15 more, but its good news so far regarding Kurt.( were not going to get into secret plan B option at RT) LA. and Rivera are just about as good as it gets at guard IMO. Both tough, nasty players. Age and health is a concern here, our line is the key to our season, and one of the main 4 guys getting hurt would be disasterous. Al Johnson is solid, never going to dazzle, but gets the job done.
Rating- 8.5
Overall Offense- 7.5
D-Line Glover, and Ellis should be fresh all game and all year With newly acquired depth throughout the line w/ Canty, Ferguson, Spears, Koleman, JAy Ratliff and occasionaly Demawcus Ware we can mix it up and hopefully The Parcells finds a winning combo. Ferguson is bulit for the 3-4 nose spot, and Glover has played it before. HArd group to rate, Im not sure even they know how their going to be used.
Rating-8.0
LB– Dats is undersized for the MLB spot. And w/ him being our best LB, if the 3-4 isnt working for him, I can see us playing less of it then people think. Bradie James has good size/athleticism for the spot, but wll he know his assignments? He hasnt shown it yet, so thats a concern.If only we can put Dats head in Bradies Body. W/E Role Ware palys, wheter it be 3-4 LB, or 3rd down rushing end it will be either new or extremely challenging for him. Unfortunately. I can see him starting slow. Singelton is the consummate veteran, and w/e is asked oh him, Im sure hes going to be willing and give it his best. He may be on the outside looking in in the 3-4. Burnett, when healthy is a physical phenom. Converted from FS his freshman year at Tenn. He has coverage skills and is a sideline to sideline player. W/ all our rookie, how fast will the transition be? Good news is we have the option of throwing him to the wolves or not. If hes not ready, he wont be forced inot the line-up
Rating -6.5 (A lot of youth and a lot of Q’s)
DB’s -Improved, Former pro-bowler AAron Glenn has signed on for cheap to be our 3rd corner, Henry, a young pro-bowl type talent himself, will be pushed by Glenn. Mickey from DallasCowboys.com has said that Henry has looked stiff in mini-camp. That might be something to keep an eye on this season, Newman really came on at the end of last year, and has some serious help for once, he certainly has the abiltiy to do it, he proved it w/ his pro-bowl alt. invite his rookie year. Can he be consistent? Roy, will be at his natural position of SS. Roy closer to the line can only mean good things. The bad news would be his old spot, FS. We have several options , Reese, Davis, Berry-O, or even Hunter. Whoever it is, please, dont get beat deep like Lynn Scott, Your not the star of the defense, jsut be consistent, get us a few picks, but be where you ave to be, no Big Plays!!
7.5 (FS really brings this down)
Overall Defense- 8.0
K/P-I might be the only one who likes Cundiff, strong leg(But for some reason not on KO’s) He has some competition this year, but Im sure hes not fazed, this guy shows serius stoicism, and never lacks confidence. McBrair, was servicable last year in his rookie season. If he improves, thats good, if not….eh.
Rating -7.0
Returners- I cant commment, Im not certain who its going to be. My guess would be MB3 and Tyson Thompson(long shot, but I like him) on KR and Newman at PR (Its going to happen this year, but not permanently) That crew looks pretty good by me.
Overall Team-8.0
i thought the first year we won a Super Bowl……..we had the best defense……..and no pro bowlers……….but I could be wrong…….
either way……….the media was wrong……….those guys were some of the best………
Talk about a flash in the pan…has Jeremy Shockey done anything since his rookie year?
These guys at PFW don’t know what they are writing. He’s better than nine…no doubt. Given his young age, he’ll be better than them all except maybe Gonzales by the time he’s done with his career.
I for one think Shockey is a monster. NYG had no line and no QB. He was hurt in ‘03 and still had issues last year.
Gates and Gonzolez are clearly the best receiving TEs. Jason’s not too far behind.
Crumpler and Heap are the better all-around guys.
I’d put Witten at 6th…maybe 5th (ahead of Shockey or Crumpler) whom I would have near tied behind TG, AG, & TH.
The media biased is evident, but not too far out of whack. I’m sure somebody could make a case for Franks & Kleinsasser (better blockers?). Still have no idea how McMichael got in the top 10.
Shockey a monster? The guys a monster off the field to his coach, not on the field. He doesnt show up for workouts and always thinks hes the best player out there. The guy hasnt put up good numbers. His best year he had 2 TD’s. Gates had 3 more TD’s last year alone than Shockey does in his career. The guy is horrible. Give me Eric Johnson over Shockey, from SF who has no line, QB, RB, or WR’s. Shockey makes noise for his mouth, not his production.
Another note: notice how all the best TE’s have great RB’s behind them. TG has got the Priest, AG has LT, Witten has JJ, etc, AC had the #1 running game last year, etc.
Lou,
To say he doesn’t show up for workouts is a bit misleading. It’s not like he’s not working out. He as well as many other players, including Ray Lewis and Ed Reed workout at the University under a very demanding regiment in the offseason. I think you could do worse than woking out with those two, dont you?
Josh,
Do you think he should be working with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, two defensive players, or his rookie QB and QB’s coach?
In non-contact drills……. mini camps tend to be conditioning programs and practices to familiarize themselves with the playbook. Shockey attended to the playbook practices and then gone again to far south. If he’s studying and training in a demanding program I don’t see where the harm is done…… BTW, I consider Witten shouldn’t have anything to envy out of Shockey, well, I don’t know if he’s got a good looking Miami or NY girlfriend……. but other than that……..
SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT A PLAYER WHO DOESN’T SHOW UP TO HIS TEAMS MINI CAMP. HE NEEDS TO GEL WITH HIS QB. AND BY THE WAY, HE HASN’T DONE ANYTHING FOR ANYBODY TO CALL HIM GREAT. BE CAREFUL ON HOW YOU CHOOSE TO LABEL PEOPLE, BECAUSE YOU PUT UNBELEIVABLE PRESSURE ON THAT PERSON TO PERFORM. AND SO FAR ALL WE SEEN WITH HIM IS POTENTIAL. AND IF HE KEEPS GETTING HURT, ALL HIS POTENTIAL WOULD BE WOULDA AND COULDA BE’S. HE NEEDS TO BE WITH HIS TEAM MATES NOT HIS WORKOUT BUDDIES. LONGTIME COWBOY FAN FOR LIFE!!!!!!!.