Drafting a TE This Year: Why it Would Possibly Be a GREAT Move

Hear me out on this, fellas. I have begun to SERIOUSLY start to feel on board with drafting another TE for this Harbaugh system that loves to utilize them. I am beginning to consider that with what we and the Patriots have done, the league may copycat and start to shift towards a 4WR-4TE or 4-4 offensive package where every team has 1-2 TEs that can double as WR's like Gronk/Hernandez and Davis/Walker. What if we (or they, the Patriots) added another monster TE to the team? How do you cover THREE BIG, FAST, TEs running around the field all at once? It's a mismatch nightmare. You have to have someone who can physically matchup with all of them both in terms of size and/or speed.

I mean, think about it. Say we draft Fleener in the 1st and then one or two other receivers to compete with our current corps. This year, we carried 2 FB, 3 TE, and 5 WR (until Braylon was let go). What if next year, we hold 4 TEs and just the one FB. Byham can double as an H-back/FB.

Laying it out, a possible scenario:

WR Crabtree
WR Morgan
WR ROOKIE**
WR Ginn
WR Williams or ROOKIE**

TE Vernon Davis
TE Delanie Walker
TE Coby Fleener**
TE Nate Byham (TE/FB)

FB Bruce Miller
FB Nate Byham (TE/FB)

I actually, after thinking about it, could come to LOVE this idea. Again, mismatch NIGHTMARE. With the development and emerging of these "Super TEs" .. teams are going to have to figure out a way to stop them. These "Super TEs" seem like an especially great idea for us because they can help as much in the pass game as they could with their size and power in the run game.

Think of the packages we could run. Just think about it. Here are a few draw-ups.

I think it would be a great idea OTC! I would be very happy with Fleener or Ladarius Green.

I'm on the TE train too lol.

It would be really hard for defenses to cover both sides with two big TE's stretching the field, opening up space for crabtree/morgan in the middle.

I'm also ok with losing one of walker or byham, byham can do a lot of the utility blocking stuff walker does and walker can do some of the same things byham used to do before he got hurt. A loss of one of them wouldn't be big compared to what we'd gain in someone with fleener's pass catching abilities.

I do think there's enough FA talent available at the WR position that we can address it too. Someone like Meachem would make sense to me since we usually don't get the vjax/colston types.

Originally posted by tohara3:
I think it would be a great idea OTC! I would be very happy with Fleener or Ladarius Green.

I wanna know more about that guy. VD can already run block like a bus, so I'd like to see a freak-athlete w/height help light up the passing game, while getting coached up in the blocking techniques. If there are no must-haves at the end of the first, I'd like to trade back w/a team that is antsy to get there guy before day 2 gets started. An early 2& late 2 could get us a RG and Streeter (or someone w/similar upside, ince I believe in this coaching staff like none other), then they could take Green with the early 3 (packaged w/ the early 2 to get our 1 in my scenario). Imagine the redzone lineup of Streeter, D-Love, VD, and Green, w/Frank in the backfield. How do you cover that height and athleticism in the red zone, w/out conceding the run?

Originally posted by tohara3:
I think it would be a great idea OTC! I would be very happy with Fleener or Ladarius Green.

a compelling, and convincing argument...a couple other tes to consider would be dwayne allen of clemson and michael egnew of missouri

I agree get our own version of Gronk, since VD forgot how to break tackles. and our wr's either drop the ball or get injured. Get more TE's on the field then gore and hunter can carve up the other teams, and maybe alex won't get sacked so much.

Fleenerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Hmm....
1st Colby Fleener TE
2nd Chase Minniefield CB
3rd Senio Kelemete OG
4th Codarro Law OLB
5th Marvin Jones WR
6th Devon Wylie WR
7th Christian Thompson FS

I would like a DT in the draft but unlesss you trade for more picks this would be a pretty good draft for the 49ers...I would be concerned that Marvin Jones stock is going up right now. Kelemete is a solid physical mauler...Thompson has the physical tools but he is very raw,
This draft would put the Offense at a whole new level... Fleener and Jones would be the perfect remedy for the 49er's red zone woes. Wylie can really stretch defenses...BTW you can never outrun the long arm of the Law

Originally posted by Orlando49erfan:

Hmm....
1st Colby Fleener TE
2nd Chase Minniefield CB
3rd Senio Kelemete OG
4th Codarro Law OLB
5th Marvin Jones WR
6th Devon Wylie WR
7th Christian Thompson FS

I would like a DT in the draft but unlesss you trade for more picks this would be a pretty good draft for the 49ers...I would be concerned that Marvin Jones stock is going up right now. Kelemete is a solid physical mauler...Thompson has the physical tools but he is very raw,
This draft would put the Offense at a whole new level... Fleener and Jones would be the perfect remedy for the 49er's red zone woes. Wylie can really stretch defenses...BTW you can never outrun the long arm of the Law

Seems a little high for Law, but a guy that productive, if his combine measurables are as good as expected, could get some 5th-6th round consideration with some nice workouts. Southern Miss had a really good defense, stopping what some considered an "unstoppable offense" with Houston and Case Keenum.

Originally posted by Orlando49erfan:
Hmm....
1st Colby Fleener TE
2nd Chase Minniefield CB
3rd Senio Kelemete OG
4th Codarro Law OLB
5th Marvin Jones WR
6th Devon Wylie WR
7th Christian Thompson FS

I would like a DT in the draft but unlesss you trade for more picks this would be a pretty good draft for the 49ers...I would be concerned that Marvin Jones stock is going up right now. Kelemete is a solid physical mauler...Thompson has the physical tools but he is very raw,
This draft would put the Offense at a whole new level... Fleener and Jones would be the perfect remedy for the 49er's red zone woes. Wylie can really stretch defenses...BTW you can never outrun the long arm of the Law

I think we flip the need of corner with Wide Receiver.

Interesting premise, but drafting Fleener in the first? Seems like a reach to me, but anything is possible. Byham is the wild card in this whole scenario. If he comes back healthy, he is definitely a better blocker than Peele and would free Walker to get more involved as a pass catcher to create mismatches. Byham also showed decent hands last year, so that doesn't hurt either.

Excellent POV and agree. This O's heart n soul seem to be the TE so why not get yourself a "Graham"-type TE who can stretch the field, has reliable hands, can block and already knows this O. Stick him in to compete against Walker for that #2 and whoah, you're third TE is Walker? That's an impressive 3 TE set that can interchange between pass n run.

He would be a viable candidate at #30.

Originally posted by m_brockalexander:

Interesting premise, but drafting Fleener in the first? Seems like a reach to me, but anything is possible. Byham is the wild card in this whole scenario. If he comes back healthy, he is definitely a better blocker than Peele and would free Walker to get more involved as a pass catcher to create mismatches. Byham also showed decent hands last year, so that doesn't hurt either.

It's just a thought, and it depends on what Fleener displays in his workouts. I trust our staff to look at these guys and if they see someone like Fleener and say, "You know what, this guy has all the athleticism of a receiver, just the size of a tight end. We need weapons, so why not employ Fleener as a hybrid?"

The NFL is hybrid crazy these days. Hybrid DE/OLBs, DE/DT's, OLB/ILBs, RB/FBs, TE/WRs, WR/DBs even..

I think we should draft another TE but not because of the system but because I believe Delaine will walk after next year.

Originally posted by niners4lyfe:

Originally posted by Orlando49erfan:
Hmm....
1st Colby Fleener TE
2nd Chase Minniefield CB
3rd Senio Kelemete OG
4th Codarro Law OLB
5th Marvin Jones WR
6th Devon Wylie WR
7th Christian Thompson FS

I would like a DT in the draft but unlesss you trade for more picks this would be a pretty good draft for the 49ers...I would be concerned that Marvin Jones stock is going up right now. Kelemete is a solid physical mauler...Thompson has the physical tools but he is very raw,
This draft would put the Offense at a whole new level... Fleener and Jones would be the perfect remedy for the 49er's red zone woes. Wylie can really stretch defenses...BTW you can never outrun the long arm of the Law

I think we flip the need of corner with Wide Receiver.

Completely agree. If we re-sign Rogers we need a guy to compete with Brock for the #4 CB. Not a starter and even if we lost Rogers the team clearly thinks Culliver could start as soon next season meaning we could still be looking for a #3/#4 guy. We don't need a high end CB, which is kind of depressing because I love Casey Hayward in the 2nd/3rd round, not as fast as cully but he could be an excellent nickel back.

Walterfootball thinks Juron Criner WR has boosted his stock into the the near 2nd round status with his performance at the senior bowl practice. He could be the best available receiver at the end of round 2.

1. Fleener
2. Criner
3. Audie Cole(OLB depth)
4. Jordan White(receiver/PR)
5. Omar Bolden(CB depth)
6. Jerrell Young(FS depth)
7. Montori Hughes(DL depth)

This = pure win.