JohnnyU
Footballguy
James Casey should be a hot pickup soon. Also, here is a tidbit on Garrett Graham. Don't waste your time with Dressen.
TE Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
Why Graham is Under the Radar: This draft class has several tight end prospects who overshadow Graham with their physical promise. Wisconsin teammates Travis Beckum and Lance Kendricks often got more press, because Graham lacks the eye-popping measurements or workout numbers that generate great interest.
Why He Has Promise: Versatility. Like several prospects in this class, Graham is a good receiver with decent yards-after-the-catch skills, but what N.F.L. teams will value more than the media is how he was used as a run blocker at Wisconsin. Graham was an effective lead blocker as a fullback, H-Back, slot receiver and an in-line tight end. He has the initial quickness and understanding of angles to get to his assignment in open space, but he also possesses the technique and tenacity to fire off the line and drive outside linebackers and defensive ends away from the play. Of all the tight ends I watched, he consistently played the most intelligent, physical brand of football, maintaining an intensity that frustrates opponents if they don’t match his effort to the whistle.
Bottom Line: N.F.L. teams, draft analysts and football reporters are suckers for tight ends with great physical dimensions and athleticism. It stems from the belief that they can teach these prospects to become good football players, and every year teams are proven wrong. But they fail to learn. A great example is the 2006 class headlined by Vernon Davis, Marcedes Lewis, Joe Klopfenstein, Anthony Fasano, Tony Scheffler and Leonard Pope. The best tight end in this class might still be Davis, but the tight end with the best career thus far has been Wisconsin’s Owen Daniels, who was the ninth tight end selected in that draft at the top of the fourth round. Like Daniels, Graham is a very similar player lost among the hype of better athletes who, chances are, aren’t likely to become as good as Graham already is. I will not be at all surprised when Graham develops into a solid starter and when half of the prospects rated above him don’t pan out. http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04...f-l/#more-41773
TE Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
Why Graham is Under the Radar: This draft class has several tight end prospects who overshadow Graham with their physical promise. Wisconsin teammates Travis Beckum and Lance Kendricks often got more press, because Graham lacks the eye-popping measurements or workout numbers that generate great interest.
Why He Has Promise: Versatility. Like several prospects in this class, Graham is a good receiver with decent yards-after-the-catch skills, but what N.F.L. teams will value more than the media is how he was used as a run blocker at Wisconsin. Graham was an effective lead blocker as a fullback, H-Back, slot receiver and an in-line tight end. He has the initial quickness and understanding of angles to get to his assignment in open space, but he also possesses the technique and tenacity to fire off the line and drive outside linebackers and defensive ends away from the play. Of all the tight ends I watched, he consistently played the most intelligent, physical brand of football, maintaining an intensity that frustrates opponents if they don’t match his effort to the whistle.
Bottom Line: N.F.L. teams, draft analysts and football reporters are suckers for tight ends with great physical dimensions and athleticism. It stems from the belief that they can teach these prospects to become good football players, and every year teams are proven wrong. But they fail to learn. A great example is the 2006 class headlined by Vernon Davis, Marcedes Lewis, Joe Klopfenstein, Anthony Fasano, Tony Scheffler and Leonard Pope. The best tight end in this class might still be Davis, but the tight end with the best career thus far has been Wisconsin’s Owen Daniels, who was the ninth tight end selected in that draft at the top of the fourth round. Like Daniels, Graham is a very similar player lost among the hype of better athletes who, chances are, aren’t likely to become as good as Graham already is. I will not be at all surprised when Graham develops into a solid starter and when half of the prospects rated above him don’t pan out. http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04...f-l/#more-41773
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Thanks for the heads up. MW
