I remember a thread a couple months ago saying that there was no way in hell that the Pats keep both of the young Tight Ends... with Gronkowski already locked up, the rest of the planets have come into alignment. :metal: I dont have the post count to post a real link but
I think that makes this move even smarter. They're gonna be lining this guy up in the backfield, in the slot, and outside. If they had to tag him in a couple of years, he would have easily been able to claim a WR tag vs the tight end tag. I'm afraid Wes will probably be gone after this year. Unless he is willing to take the 2 or 3 year deal the Pats were offering.
Brunell's Debt touched on this already, but I'm starting to think that Hernandez is going to have a bigger year in 2012 than Gronk, assuming he stays healthy. Maybe he doesn't grab 17 TDs but I definitely think he'll end up with close to 100 catches and maybe 1200-1400 yards. Especially if the Patriots are indeed looking to 2013 as life without Welker.
There was really such a thread? I cant imagine any way that they would not have kept both. Fact is with Brady back there he can make almost anyone look good, so who the pats have at the WR or TE position is almost irrelevant until he retires.
There is truth to that - but the 'almost' is overstating it a bit. It's more like if you play well, Brady will make you look excellent. If you play excellent, Brady will make you look like HOF material. If you play at a HOF level you will break all-time records. However if you are average or below Brady isn't going to waste much time with you. He's got other people to throw to.
There wasn't a thread specifically devoted to Hernandez leaving NE, but some people made that prediction in the "Gronk signs a new deal" thread. At the time, Gronkowski's new deal was being touted as the biggest ever for a TE, and I believe that some people just got carried away thinking we wouldn't have any $ left for Aaron.
That's exactly where I saw it, in the thread about the signing of Gronk to a multi-year contract. I enjoy coming on the Jet's boards too Joe.. a lot of the posters here have some good things to say about the NFL as a whole.. I get as sick of the Pat's homers sometimes as I do of the Jet's homers.. sometimes you need a change of scenery. So, do the Jet's have an answer for the pair of TE's this year? It's almost silly saying two TE's... Hernandez might as well be a WR at this point.. I suspect they locked him up now to avoid paying him as a WR down the road if they use him in that capacity.. Guess I need to get my posts up Joe, can't view your link!
I suspect the plan is to get pressure on Brady - as much and as quickly as possible, hence the investment in the D-line - like all QBs (and more so than the more mobile QBs) he is less effective at throwing when there is someone bearing down on him. If he has time then you are pretty much screwed as you cant cover everyone.
We'll see if the Jets have an answer for the two TE's, but what we can say without question is that we have upgraded our two Safties big time and that can only help.
