Should the Bills trade up in round 2 to target a TE

[TigerJ]

There will be competition for So. Carolina TE Cook

Chris Brown
Posted March 9th, 2009

South Carolina TE Jared Cook is a draft prospect that I think would be a good fit for the Bills in terms of stretching the field and pushing the seam from that position. But after an impressive combine workout, it looks like two teams picking ahead of the Bills in round two have their eye on him as well (http://www.middletownjournal.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/2009/03/08/ddn030909spbigcweb.html).
According to the Middletown Journal, the Bengals and Browns, both with tight end position needs are enamored with Cook, who is has game breaking pass catching potential. He’s still got to work on his blocking, admitting that to me himself at the combine, but offers rare athleticism and sounds committed to get the blocking end of things down.
I thought he’d. . .

http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2009/03/09/there-will-be-competition-for-so-carolina-te-cook/

[DrGraves]

Let's just wait till next year and get Jermaine Gresham... he is sick.

[bigbub2352]

Let's just wait till next year and get Jermaine Gresham... he is sick.
Man he is solid but unfortunalty we cant wait
2nd round Chase Coffman

[The Spaz]

We have been waiting for a receiving TE forever. We can't afford to wait any longer.

[Dr. Lecter]

Man he is solid but unfortunalty we cant wait
2nd round Chase Coffman

:up:

Ideal scenario is to trade down in the first and maybe get an extra 2nd or 3rd and then take Coffman.

[DraftBoy]

No need to move up there are 7 TE's in this class that can all catch better than any TE we have on the roster. We can wait till Round 3 or 4 even to take a TE.

[FlyingDutchman]

I agree with draftboy. There will be just as serviceable TEs available in the 3rd and 4th with little drop off from those selected in the earlier rounds. If we dont go TE in the first (which I pray we dont) im cool with waiting til those later rounds.

[Night Train]

No need to move up there are 7 TE's in this class that can all catch better than any TE we have on the roster. We can wait till Round 3 or 4 even to take a TE.

Which is a good thing with all our shortages on the roster. G,OLB,DE and various dpeth is needed first.

I'm thinking the Owens signing made TE less of a priority for one year.

[mikemac2001]

Trade with KC for waters and Gonzo

[X-Era]

No need to move up there are 7 TE's in this class that can all catch better than any TE we have on the roster. We can wait till Round 3 or 4 even to take a TE.

Im not a huge fan of waiting on our needs because the position is deep.

Im a fan of getting the best you can possibly get.

We know we need a DE and are likely to get one.

I think G and OLB will be handled in FA

At that point our major needs are met, we can draft our DE in the 1st or 2nd or draft our TE vice versa.

If theres something better at our 2nd rounder, OK fine. But right now, we could get a good one so Im happy with it.

[DraftBoy]

Im not a huge fan of waiting on our needs because the position is deep.

Im a fan of getting the best you can possibly get.

We know we need a DE and are likely to get one.

I think G and OLB will be handled in FA

At that point our major needs are met, we can draft our DE in the 1st or 2nd or draft our TE vice versa.

If theres something better at our 2nd rounder, OK fine. But right now, we could get a good one so Im happy with it.


Tell me the dropoff from Nelson to Cook, to Casey, to Ingram. Is it really that noticeable at all? They all do different things well but they are all very good prospects.

[X-Era]

Tell me the dropoff from Nelson to Cook, to Casey, to Ingram. Is it really that noticeable at all? They all do different things well but they are all very good prospects.

OK, I dont disagree, but you think all of those guys will make it to round 3 or 4 at our pick?

I could see only one... probably Casey. And at that point, yes I see a significant difference between Cook and Casey on the field.

[T-Long]

oh my God can you imagine adding Gonzalez to this offense?!? We would run out of ball to go around!

[LifetimeBillsFan]

I understand wanting to get the best guy you can, but, with this draft class of TEs, there are three guys who are likely to go in the 3rd round who it can be argued are just as good or better, especially as receiving TEs, as the guys who will go ahead of them.

Except for injuries, Ingram from Florida and Beckum from Wisconsin, could easily have been considered the best TEs in this draft. In fact, at one point, Beckum, Ingram and Coffman were all thought of as being the best TE in the college ranks. And, at least two of these three, if not all three are likely to still be on the board when the Bills pick in Round 3.

Pettigrew is considered the best all-around TE, but doesn't have the speed to stretch defenses like some of the other TEs who are not quite as good blockers. That helped him pass guys like Ingram and Beckum when they got hurt.

Nelson came on strong as a senior, while Beckum and Ingram were dealing with injuries, and he had a great Senior Bowl week to pull ahead of Pettigrew in some scouts eyes. He's not as good a blocker as Pettigrew but showed that he was a willing blocker and has more speed than Pettigrew.

Cook is a physical specimen who played with awful QBs in a system that really didn't use him much. Scouts are intrigued by him because of his size/speed ratio, his potential to develop as an in-line blocker, and his overall potential. That's why many have him rated ahead of Ingram, Beckum and Coffman.

Coffman is a huge target and one would expect him to be able to develop into a decent blocker, but he rarely lined up next to the OT in the Missouri offense and was never called on to really block. As a result, he never became much of a blocker and may take time to develop. He never struck me as having great speed for the position, but he has tremendous hands and does make plays (like Pettigrew).

Beckum was a fantastic receiver and very fast, but he is small for a TE--more like a converted WR. Like Coffman, he didn't play inside next to the OT much, either, so, with his slight frame, there are questions about whether he will ever become big enough to be a good blocker. But, I have to say that I saw him make some great blocks for his RB in some games, but there still is the question of how well he will come back from his injury and whether he will ever be able to put on enough weight to play inside at TE in the NFL.

Ingram, like Beckum, is a fantastic athlete who got hurt. He looked pretty good at The Combine, but there are still questions about how soon and whether he will fully recover from his injury. Like Beckum and Coffman, Ingram also didn't get used a lot inside next to the tackle so, again, there are questions about his blocking ability. But, like Beckum, I have seen him make some good blocks and he has a frame that looks like he could put on some weight without losing speed (and he is a bit bigger than Beckum, I believe). Like Beckum and Coffman, Ingram has great hands. He was a pure receiving TE in college who could stretch the field before his injury, but he looks like he could develop into a top all-around TE in the NFL in short order if he has fully recovered from his injury.

I really like all of these guys and think any one of them could develop into a big-time weapon for a NFL team. I would be delighted to see the Bills get any one of them because I think all of them can be better than what the Bills have had at the position since Keith McKellar.

Edit: I forgot to mention Casey. He's an older guy. A bit on the smallish side for a NFL TE. Not much experience as an in-line blocker. All he is is a play-maker: played QB in the "wildcat" and can throw the ball or run it like a RB, has great hands and speed. The problem is his lack of size and questions about his blocking and ability to play next to the OT in the NFL. His age and lack of size are issues, but no one who has seen him play can question his play-making ability--sometimes looked like a man among boys (which, with his age, in a way he was) in college. If used creatively (I like him as a FB/H-back or "move" TE), he can really help a NFL team. I don't know if he is a fit for the Bills because they really do need a TE who can block some in-line as well as catch the ball and get deep--I don't know if Fine is a good enough blocker to be the main man doing that for the team at TE.

[TigerJ]

Personally, I'm not inclined to trade up. If Cook and Nelson are both gone, I think Cornelius Ingram is an intriguing possibility. Beckham and Coffman are both proven receivers at the TE position. So is Casey.

Actually Derek Fine did everything asked of him last season. He got open and when the ball was thrown to him, he made the catch. He had very few, if any drops. I wouldn't mind having someone who is a little more explosive, but he can probably take on a much bigger role than he had last season.

[ParanoidAndroid]

I'll take Beckum's receiving skills. He weighed in at 243 and 6'3". Is that ideal size? No. Is that awful? Heck no. He is not like a converted WR. How many WR's out there weigh 243lbs? (Cook was 246 but 2" taller) The kid was a LB his freshman year at Wisconsin. How long did it take him to become a good receiver? Not long. Just imagine the upside this kid has as a receiving threat. He was also #1 in the bench at the combine (5 reps or 22% more than Cook) so he's strong enough to block. I just don't understand how this guy keeps getting overlooked. It's a huge mistake IMO. If all the draft prognostications are correct, he'll be there in the 3rd. If he is, the Bills had better not pass on him. Let them have Cook.

[DraftBoy]

I'll take Beckum's receiving skills. He weighed in at 243 and 6'3". Is that ideal size? No. Is that awful? Heck no. He is not like a converted WR. How many WR's out there weigh 243lbs? (Cook was 246 but 2" taller) The kid was a LB his freshman year at Wisconsin. How long did it take him to become a good receiver? Not long. Just imagine the upside this kid has as a receiving threat. He was also #1 in the bench at the combine (5 reps or 22% more than Cook) so he's strong enough to block. I just don't understand how this guy keeps getting overlooked. It's a huge mistake IMO. If all the draft prognostications are correct, he'll be there in the 3rd. If he is, the Bills had better not pass on him. Let them have Cook.

Beckum is coming off a really bad knee injury so his status is still unknown combine that with his blocking issues and you got some concerns.

I don't really see Beckum going before Round 4 at this point. Just too many question marks about his injury still.

[BuffaloRanger]

No Gonzo. Not enough balls to go around was the catalyst for TOs *****ing in Dallas. He hated Romo's mancrush on Witten.

Not having a strong TE, or having a high pick that is developing is a good thing now.

[X-Era]

No Gonzo. Not enough balls to go around was the catalyst for TOs *****ing in Dallas. He hated Romo's mancrush on Witten.

Not having a strong TE, or having a high pick that is developing is a good thing now.

If your saying that we shouldnt try to add more weapons to our team because it may hurt TO's feelings, I cant agree with that. TO will likely be gone after next season, and then what?

Im not that worried about TO and his feelings. I think hes either going to ***** and it wont matter who's starting where, or he wont and again it wont matter.

[don137]

I definitely think now is the time to draft a TE. With TO here for a year it will give the TE time to get acclimated to the NFL so he can become a major contributor to the Bills offense in 2010.

[Akhippo]

More than any year we need to trade down and get an extra pick. DE, OLB and TE first two rounds. Then interior lineman the rest of the way.

[ParanoidAndroid]

Beckum is coming off a really bad knee injury so his status is still unknown combine that with his blocking issues and you got some concerns.

I don't really see Beckum going before Round 4 at this point. Just too many question marks about his injury still.

It was not a knee injury. He broke his fibula in a freakish way. It has been repaired surgically and he has been rehabbing since November.

That is a concern but I don't know how anyone can overlook his production as a player still learning his position. He was a Mackey award nominee his first year ever playing TE. The potential for mismatches.....
I understand that this is a "what have you done for me lately" world, but....
Mark my words....