GUARANTEED Ted has a list of unheralded guys.

Still, it's gonna take a year for a rookie to get up to speed. Maybe two.

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You mean guys like Ryan Taylor, D.J. Williams and Andrew Quarless?

I don't doubt that they have a couple of guys on their radar, but the gems we're looking for just haven't been there in the later rounds or as UDFA. Or, at least, we haven't picked them up.

This situation reminds me a lot of when we couldn't seem to find an OLB opposite of Clay. We passed on every single DE/OLB we could get year, year out, settling for guys like Zombo, Obiozor, So'oto, Briggs and Moses. And I got excited about every single one of them every year, while none of them made any sort of impact eventually.

Firstly, you should never draft for need, but you can hope to find diamonds in the rough later on. What you certainly can't do is try to fill big holes in your team with guys in later rounds and just gamble that they'll step up. It seems to be the way we're operating, though, with signings like Peppers being the exception to the rule.

Want a later round sleeper of a Tight End Project... a pass catching threat... would not be an inline prospect coming out although he has blocked a fair share in college. Tanner McEvoy out of Wisconsin. Played a wide array of positions.. including WR. 6-6... 225 to 230ish. Not fast enough for the perimeter in the NFL.. but would tax most Backers in coverage. Physical enough as he played safety as well in college.

A guy that would be limited in sets early in his career... but runs decent routes and knows a bit of what a QB needs out of their targets as he also played QB. Versatile player... would be a good special teamer out of the gate.

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Part of the problem with TE's is that they come in 2 types. The pass catching WR type who will wow you with stats and acrobatic catches (Gronk, Kelce, Olsen, Eifert, Graham and that guy in Washington spring to mind) and the type that are not that type. Everybody wants one of the former type but there are not that many around. If you have one of those, chances are he is either the #1 or #2 pass catching option on your team. If you have three or 4 really good WRs and add in a really good pass catching RB your TE may be the 4th or even 5th receiving option on your team. If your receivers and RB have a down year your 4th or 5th receiving option becomes even more important and when he doesn't step up he looks even more pedestrian in comparison.

I think that's what happened with the Packers an RR last season. He was never going to be more than the 4 or 5th pass catching threat on the team and if guys in front of him would have produced like we expected RRs shortcomings would have been far less obvious. Who knows, if the guys in front of him in the pass catching pecking order would have performed up to expectations maybe RR's numbers would not have been so pedestrian.

A lot has been said about the Packers needing a big, fast TE who can jump 4 feet into the the air and catch anything that comes within 5 yards but do they really NEED that guy? No doubt that guy would be nice and I wouldn't complain if we found him somewhere but I have other concerns about our passing game that goes beyond our TE. Obviously I would like to see THAT TE in Green Bay and I would like to see our receivers get back to what they were the year before but like I said in another post, might have been on another forum, If my choices were the Packers passing game, minus the TE, of 2014 and Richard Rodgers or the Packers passing game, minus the TE, of 2015, and the best TE in the game, I'd go for the former in a heartbeat.

IMO Rodgers will be a more than adequate TE if the rest of the Packers passing game comes around and if the rest of the Packers passing game doesn't come around I don't know how much that stud TE will help.

Like I said, I wouldn't mind that TE that Uffda is calling for. He would be a great benefit to our team but IMO it is not the most important issue we have right now. Two things I would like to see addressed before the TE position would be ILB, we need a guy that can be a sideline to sideline player and not be a hindrance in pass coverage and a second pass rusher to pair with Clay be it another OLB or a D-lineman. After seeing what Denver did to the Panthers and after seeing the Packers defense become its saving grace, if there was one, this past season I'm convinced that a top 5 defense and an average offense will take you further than and average defense and a top 5 offense. Even without an improved TE I think the Packers have a better than average offense so if they can boost their defense it will help more than boosting their offense.

That said, if Ted Thompson decides to go after a guy like Ladarius Green in FA or take Hunter Henry in the draft I won't complain. Its not our biggest area of need but a better player at the position would make us better an that is what the off season is for.

Richard Rodgers is only good when he's wide open. He's not gonna burn anybody and he doesn't scare anybody.

We're better off bringing back Colt Lyerla.

I love RR as much as the next guy, but there's nothing dynamic about him. He's not Finley and he isn't even Donald Lee.

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My big concern is it appears we have nobody to exploit the middle of the field. Perhaps when Cobb comes back to being the slot guy with Jordy taking the heat, but all I see is sideline play after sideline play. I agree it may be tough to find the type of TE we are all talking about, but if we don't get one, we better get a WR who can open the middle instead.

Don't forget Finley was nothing special for most of his first two years. Most important thing whether we find a new TE or not is McCarthy needs to get back to running short routes that cross the middle of the field. If not, it won't make much of a difference.

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I just posted this exact thing in the Kiper draft thread. I don't dislike Rodgers but his deficiencies make it clear that he is not a #1 TE. Richard Rodgers would work better in this offense if he had someone (Jermichael-like) running routes, extending the field and demanding top coverage. At this time, Rodgers is only demanding coverage from a linebacker and sometimes not even the best LB on the field. This is why I wouldn't mind the Packers taking Hunter Henry in the 1st round or going after a free agent like Ladarius Green.

Using the Detroit game for this thread makes sense to prove your point, Barfan. I don't blame you for going that route. However, he was inefficient (as well as the rest of our offense) in other games throughout the season. His next best game was a 59 yard game against the Vikings.

I'm not calling him a bad tight end but he is average.

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That is a legit concern and in my conception of it all Cobb will become that threat once again. I may be wrong but Its what I obviously hope will happen and its what I think will happen.

How about the GBPs start putting weapons on the field at every position possible? I hate this thread because it is just another feeble attempt to try and make a star out of mediocrity. RR has good hands and is an adequate blocker. That is it, nothing more needs to be said. He can't break a tackle and can't outrun anybody. At best he is a #2 tight end in this league. If he catches two passes a game and gets a first down, damn, he did his job.

Would everybody please quit trying to make this kid into something he isn't. With his skill level, he should have been a sixth rounder, not a third. Thanks Ted.

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