To add another layer to the Suck for Luck going on.. I have watched several Stanford games since hearing Lucks name a great prospect early last year. While watching these games the guy I noticed almost instantly is Coby Fleener. Question being, for the obvious posters, does his game translate well into the NFL? Being that we are in the sweepstakes for Luck, say we do get the first pick outright and draft Luck. Would it be prudent to draft a kid like Fleener in the 2nd? adressing another immediate need, plus giving Luck a comfort level with a position we sorely lack talent in? Is the 2nd to high for him?
Too early to say right now IMO, but he's a talented pass catcher. I like him. Did some nice things last year (haven't got around to this year).
JUst assuming we do have the luxury of getting Luck I just noticed that he appeared to be Lucks safety valve and made the plays once the ball was in his hands. I know some draft sites have him ranked anywhere from the 1st to the 3rd TE available at this point. Keep us updated on you thoughts!
Fleener is a stud. Unfortunately Ireland completely ignores the TE position. He's passed on Aaron Hernandez and Jimmy Graham. If he's still here, don't expect us to take a TE before the 4th round, if at all.
we will just assume Ireland is still around. How can he ignore the position at this point? The likes of Gronk, Graham, Finley, and the list goes on...shows that it is of the upmost importance in the league. Especially given we have a fantastic WR trio IF Marshall decides to concentrate. Say we get Luck...we are a playmaking TE and a RT away from being right up there in offensive production. I'd say there is now 6 musts haves for a diverse O that can produce wins... a LT, a C, playmaking wr, RB,TE, and QB. IMO we have 3. we need a TE and QB. The rest will play itself out.
I noticed Fleener as well. I haven't scouted him but he catches naturally and his blocking is supposed to be decent as well. I was hoping that if they got Luck they would get his receiving TE for him too. I really think that having that kind of security blanket for your young QB makes a world of difference. That is what the teams did for Sanchez, Flacco and Ryan, just to name a few who's team's enjoyed some success.
I would be pumping my fist so much if we got Dwayne Allen from Clemson. He has been a beast and has made some spectacular grabs too. I dont know if he will make it out of the first round though...
I agree with you on Allen. I love what he brings to the table in blocking. He and Fasano would rival Witten and Bennett in run blocking and would be a solid receiving combo. The things you can do in the run game when you have quality blockers on the edge are tremendous. Imagine having two guys that can totally take out your outside speed rushers from the running game. That's ugly for a defense, real ugly. Add in some powerful interior run blockers and the other team is going to be having a tough day.
Fleener and Zach Ertz are both studs who will be drafted in rounds 2-3. If we were to get Andrew Luck, I think it would be terrific to land either one of them.
Luck does seem to feature the tight end most often. That's what strikes me about the guy. He's not a passer in the mold of say Kelly with multiple WRs, etc etc... Ertz is the better blocker correct? I look at the prototype set by the Patriots as a perfect example of how to exploit teams with two tight ends that can spread the field. Why not feature more of a position that's so difficult to match-up with? Fleener would be fantastic as well. He's slower, but he's a slightly better blocker and route runner than Hernandez. Between him and Charles you have major match-up problems against those two.
I know this doesn't belong here, but a FB thread sounds like a waste just for Boren. Anyone think a team may decide to seriously feature the FB position again in the NFL. If you're the only team in the league that has a guy like Boren leading the way isn't that a major advantage? The quality of players you can get at the FB position could be a major steal.