Hypothetical question about Steve Tasker (1 Viewer)

[Raider Nation]

Let's say there was a player in the 2006 draft who was GUARANTEED to be the next Steve Tasker. Don't ask me how all 32 GMs would know..... just assume that they would. Let's say God himself talked to them and assured them that "Joe Blow from State U" would be the exact same special teams demon that Tasker was.

Armed with this information, is Joe Blow worth a 1st round pick? If so, how high?

The catch is that this player will ONLY be useful on special teams. Kick and punt coverage teams, and kick and punt return teams. In an absolute emergency, he could be plugged into the 5th or 6th WR role, but 99% of the time he only plays special teams.

Would this player be selected in the 1st round?

 

[CalBear]

No. It's too much money and too high a draft pick to spend on a part-time player. Same reason kickers and punters aren't selected in the first round. How much yardage will Steve Tasker earn you over the course of a season, compared to a good special teams player you can get as a free agent? Maybe 10 yards a game?

 

[Raider Nation]

No. It's too much money and too high a draft pick to spend on a part-time player. Same reason kickers and punters aren't selected in the first round. How much yardage will Steve Tasker earn you over the course of a season, compared to a good special teams player you can get as a free agent? Maybe 10 yards a game?

Interesting. I happen to disagree. Taking a guy anywhere from 1.16 to 1.32 who is guaranteed to have Tasker's career is a shot most GMs would take, IMO. Look at all the 1st round busts there are. It seems like more 1st rounders crap out than hit it big.You are getting the best special teams player in the league for 10+ years. Tasker hung around the NFL for 14 years because he did one thing, and he did it better than anyone.

 

[CalBear]

Realities about Tasker: He had 204 tackles in 195 games. He blocked 7 punts in 12 seasons. Is slightly more than one tackle per game, and one blocked punt per season, worth a first-round pick? Not even close.

 

[mcjc4]

As good as he was, did the Bills ever pay him as if he was one of the first team players? Probably not. That fact will answer your question. If he was offered the right amount of money from somebody during his carreer, he would have probably gone elsewhere. But I'll venture to guess he wasn't.

 

[Raider Nation]

Realities about Tasker: He had 204 tackles in 195 games. He blocked 7 punts in 12 seasons. Is slightly more than one tackle per game, and one blocked punt per season, worth a first-round pick? Not even close.

That's a bit unfair. The blocks are irrelevant. He earned his reputation by being a relentless coverage man on kicks and punts. Even if his tackle statistics aren't overly impressive, that's mainly because he freed up his teammates to make tackles because he was being double-teamed as the gunner on every punt.

 

[CalBear]

Realities about Tasker: He had 204 tackles in 195 games. He blocked 7 punts in 12 seasons. Is slightly more than one tackle per game, and one blocked punt per season, worth a first-round pick? Not even close.

That's a bit unfair. The blocks are irrelevant. He earned his reputation by being a relentless coverage man on kicks and punts. Even if his tackle statistics aren't overly impressive, that's mainly because he freed up his teammates to make tackles because he was being double-teamed as the gunner on every punt.

This is a guy who was elected to the Pro Bowl as a special teams player, during a year when he wasn't even playing special teams. Oh-Ver-Ray-Ted.

 

[Raider Nation]

Realities about Tasker: He had 204 tackles in 195 games. He blocked 7 punts in 12 seasons. Is slightly more than one tackle per game, and one blocked punt per season, worth a first-round pick? Not even close.

That's a bit unfair. The blocks are irrelevant. He earned his reputation by being a relentless coverage man on kicks and punts. Even if his tackle statistics aren't overly impressive, that's mainly because he freed up his teammates to make tackles because he was being double-teamed as the gunner on every punt.

This is a guy who was elected to the Pro Bowl as a special teams player, during a year when he wasn't even playing special teams. Oh-Ver-Ray-Ted.

You spelled High-Ly Re-Spec-Ted incorrectly.

 

[Bri]

You are getting the best special teams player in the league for 10+ years. Tasker hung around the NFL for 14 years because he did one thing, and he did it better than anyone.

I think the model special teams players are guys like Ray Lucas(well maybe not him ) and Troy Brown that perform well on special teams while they learn the craft and become starters. The roster is just too tight to have a guy that's special teams only.Of course teams have had them and the Giants certainly love their pro bowler Tyree but I don't think you enter a draft with that mindset.

Last year I think Sproles and Mathis were drafted to play special teams and be dynamite return men but Sproles is planned on being the 3rd down back to LT and Mathis the WR opposite Andre.

It's like an entry level position IMO

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Realities about Tasker: He had 204 tackles in 195 games. He blocked 7 punts in 12 seasons. Is slightly more than one tackle per game, and one blocked punt per season, worth a first-round pick? Not even close.

That's a bit unfair. The blocks are irrelevant. He earned his reputation by being a relentless coverage man on kicks and punts. Even if his tackle statistics aren't overly impressive, that's mainly because he freed up his teammates to make tackles because he was being double-teamed as the gunner on every punt.

This is a guy who was elected to the Pro Bowl as a special teams player, during a year when he wasn't even playing special teams. Oh-Ver-Ray-Ted.

Wow, I normally love your stuff Cal, but you are WAY off on this one. Tasker was a much more valuable member of those Bills teams than most think. I still have hope that one day he'll be in the HOF.

 

[raidergil]

Based on the premise that you know before the draft that he'll be as good as Tasker, then yes, you draft him first round because you are getting a player that will be the best at his position for at least 10 yrs. Nobody makes the HOF as a special teams player, but Tasker was so good people still talk about him going to Hall. If you know you can get a player like that how do you NOT draft him high? Heck, on this premise you could argue him as the #1 pick cause you know what'd you'd be getting - there's never any guarantees in the draft.

The Bills' special teams were consistently a top unit due to Tasker. Not only what he did on the field, but it was like having another coach out there. After he retired the Bills' speacial teams became the worst in the league until they finally hired a good coach.

He could do everything you want on special teams and do it well - plug him in anywhere. Plus, he could step in at WR like he did in a playoff game vs Miami and go for over 100 yds and 1 TD. Jim Kelly always lobbied to get him more time at WR.

Wasn't he also a Pro Bowl MVP?

 

[Borat]

This is an excellent question. Frankly, I'm not sure. I'll have to think about this one and come back later.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Yep, he won the Pro Bowl MVP one year.

 

[Boston]

A few things here...

*The beauty of guys like Tasker is they generally are undrafted/low round selections. They also usually make low money. Therefore their value is twofold. They perform at a high level on the field and they allow the team to use their other resources (i.e. higher draft picks and cap space) on more traditional positions.

*If you use a high pick on a specialist like Tasker you're probably neglecting a more important position that needs to be addressed.

*If a team were on the cusp of a championship and Tasker was a final piece type of acquisition it may make sense. Yet, most teams are not in that category and therefore have far more important areas that need to be filled like CB, D Line or O line. If thoses areas suck than it really doesn't matter how good your special teams are.

This is a great question and I'd say for about 25 or so teams this would not make any sense at all. Yet for a few teams that are very close it could make sense yet even than I can't say I'm very comfortable using such a high pick on a complete specialist who doesn't add any other value elsewhere.