Skillet Hands 2: The Rob Housler Story

[PDXChris]

I saw what you wrote. It's my bad, I didn't explain myself.

Dray does make mistakes, like I said. His blocking is better than Houslers, but still not good enough IMO.

In BA's offense (especially the 2nd half of this year), we ran lots of 2 & 3 TE sets to protect the QB & help the run game. I would say or it appeared this took place around 40% of the offensive plays. In those 20-25 plays a game wouldn't it make more sense to have a guy on the field who can perform his job better than Dray? Personally, I think this team needs to start over & get rid of all 3 of these guys.

Understood and fair enough.

 

[Russ Smith]

I saw what you wrote. It's my bad, I didn't explain myself.

Dray does make mistakes, like I said. His blocking is better than Houslers, but still not good enough IMO.

In BA's offense (especially the 2nd half of this year), we ran lots of 2 & 3 TE sets to protect the QB & help the run game. I would say or it appeared this took place around 40% of the offensive plays. In those 20-25 plays a game wouldn't it make more sense to have a guy on the field who can perform his job better than Dray? Personally, I think this team needs to start over & get rid of all 3 of these guys.

I think it's unlikely we'll do that though. It's quite possible we have 2-3 new starters on the OL next year, I doubt Arians is also going to want to have 3 new TE's to teach his offense to.

I hope we have a #1 TE next year presumably by draft since they don't normally hit FA. But I'd expect at least to have 1 guy back and probably 2.

if we had a #1 I'd be just fine with Ballard and Dray as the other 2.

 

[Cardiac]

I think it's unlikely we'll do that though. It's quite possible we have 2-3 new starters on the OL next year, I doubt Arians is also going to want to have 3 new TE's to teach his offense to.

I hope we have a #1 TE next year presumably by draft since they don't normally hit FA. But I'd expect at least to have 1 guy back and probably 2.

if we had a #1 I'd be just fine with Ballard and Dray as the other 2.

I don't watch enough of the Line play to know how well Ballard was blocking but it had to better than Dray. I notice Dray getting blown up a lot and rarely see him make a good block. Now it could be my perception is off because as I stated I don't watch a lot of the line play.

So if Ballard blocks better than Dray then I would keep Ballard and Housler and our new #1 TE. Sperry and some other UDFA's can battle for the 4th spot.

 

[Cardiac]

I think the distiction between 3rd and 4th TE is pretty slim. That far down the depth chart (a guy who's going to be inactive much of the time) should be more of a developmental player.

You aren't going to be a good football team if you have 35 Jim Drays on your roster--you'll be a Dave McGinnis football team. But you're not going to make the playoffs without 15-20 Jim Drays on your football team. Just solid football players who play for a low-ish salary that are veterans. Justin Bethel, Lorenzo Alexander, Jim Dray, Alameda Ta'amu, Rashard Johnson (whom I think we can all agree was massively overdrafted, but at his current salary and with his draft class far in the rearview mirror, I'm not going to bang on too much).

Thanks for the response and I agree with the majority of it.

I would put Bethel a bit higher than the others you listed but if he doesn't start getting some snaps on D then you would be correct.

So we need some Ron Wolfley's on the team and I agree. I guess what I'm shooting for is fewer Dray's and more Shaughnessy's or better.

 

[Buckybird]

I don't watch enough of the Line play to know how well Ballard was blocking but it had to better than Dray. I notice Dray getting blown up a lot and rarely see him make a good block.

 

[Buckybird]

I think it's unlikely we'll do that though. It's quite possible we have 2-3 new starters on the OL next year, I doubt Arians is also going to want to have 3 new TE's to teach his offense to.

I hope we have a #1 TE next year presumably by draft since they don't normally hit FA. But I'd expect at least to have 1 guy back and probably 2.

if we had a #1 I'd be just fine with Ballard and Dray as the other 2.

I agree that is unlikely Russ, but Dray has only has 16 games in BA's O & Ballard about 8 so I'm not sure it would be a hard transition. I just think this team will be better for it, if Housler & Dray are gone at the least.