Is there any 49er that is more over-rated than Delanie Walker?

Originally posted by valrod33:
The guy is a mismatch, too fast for LBS and safeties and too strong for CBs no he is not a Gronk or Hernandez but he is a very good player, no reason to have this much hate for the guy

Yeah, his stat-line really reflects the mismatches he's creating for opposing defenses. Going half the season without a reception on a team that regularly is in the 2 TE set.

If Delanie was this dangerous weapon like you describe him...he'd be...well, a lot more difficult to shut down.

He does do a lot that doesn't show up in the stats but at the same time what we need most is to improve in the redzone and on 3rd downs and his stats aren't doing that. We can always get other players to block and play special teams or whatever. I like him, but he is not a big threat.

Why isn't there an Unlock smiley?

Originally posted by Marvin49:
To understand why people (myself included) like Delanie, you have to look at more than numbers. That game isn't played on teh stat-sheet. You have to look at what he's capable of WHEN HE GETS A CHANCE. The guy is better than Vernon with the ball in his hands. He just doesn't get as many opportunities to get his hands on the ball. This season looked like it was going to be his year. He was playing very well and then all of the sudden they stopped trowing him the ball.

My issue with him isn't height....it's the fact that he tends to fumble. Other than that tho he is dnagerous with the ball in his hands and while he wasn't a very good plocker early on, he has improved dramatically.

Originally posted by Legbreaker:
Why is Delanie so highly regarded?

Here's why:
1) Great blocker
2) Natural receiver
3) Extremely hard worker
4) Great in space

The guy does a bunch of little things that don't show up on the stat sheet. He's a really good player, and a great complement to Vernon.

Here, let's try this. Michael Crabtree does a lot of stuff that doesn't show up on the stat-line, he's a very good blocker.


"YEAH HE STILL GOT SHUT OUT IN THE PLAYOFFS #%%$ THAT GUY!!!!!"



Call me crazy but I'd like to have a guy who does stuff that DOES show up on the stat sheet. Having a TE that is a threat in the red-zone doesn't make him a piece of s**t when it comes to blocking the same as Delanie being a great blocker doesn't make him an actual threat. One thing this team has is a lot of good blockers....and not a lot of guys getting open and making plays. If what they really want is a blocker, hell they got Byham, he's about as pure as a blocking tight-end gets, he won't be a threat to score much either.

Uh, what?

I think underrated would be a little more like it.

Because we've seen him make plays with the ball in his hand. Quite frankly I cannot understand how KW beat him out for a Kick or Punt returner as I believe he played that roll quite well when he was doing it a few years back. KW is fast but has a huge history of mistakes (even beyond the NFC championship game). I Dont remember walker having trouble handling kicks etc.

Clearly this issue is why isnt he doing well...It was, at one point, easy to blame Alex for failing to find open receivers, but now it's hard to tell.

Yes. Michael Crabtree is far more overrated than Walker.

You act like this guy is number 1 TE, he is a very good 2nd TE, no one is saying anything more than that

Originally posted by 1swift:
Because we've seen him make plays with the ball in his hand. Quite frankly I cannot understand how KW beat him out for a Kick or Punt returner as I believe he played that roll quite well when he was doing it a few years back. KW is fast but has a huge history of mistakes (even beyond the NFC championship game). I Dont remember walker having trouble handling kicks etc.

Clearly this issue is why isnt he doing well...It was, at one point, easy to blame Alex for failing to find open receivers, but now it's hard to tell.

When??? He had less than 200 yards receiving this season, his career high is 330, supposedly he's this huge threat with the ball in his hands, so why not put it there often, why isn't he making plays in the red-zone for a team that desperately needs touchdowns? Why is it he goes entire games without making a catch and is often shutdown by a single safety and sometimes a cornerback.

He's a good player but not as good as everyone on here makes him out to be. I like him a lot but the problems he used to have fumbling did kill me though. He's got good speed for a TE and good moves with the ball in his hands. Plus he is a good blocker. We could use a bigger target that is Gronk sized or Witten sized. I don't see the harm in adding a 3rd TE that is a legit reciever because it could open a whole new dimension to our offense. a 3 TE offense where you have 5 guys who can legitimately catch the ball. You could force the other team to their nickle D and then just bully them down the field by running the ball down their throat. Walker and Vernon stretching the field vertically, and the big TE in the middle as a posession reciever or on a fade route in the end zone. You could use vertually any play out of this package pretty much, screen passes to Hunter and Gore, play action to Walker and/or Vernon deep, any run play, etc.

Overall I think Delanie definitely has a place on this team and he deserves to play and get the ball, but I don't think we should pass on another TE because of him. Mainly because I think they could play together and do well, and open up some new plays for us to use.

When will people get over statistics? Great players don't always have the best statistics, and stats are just number and extremely deceptive.

Originally posted by valrod33:
You act like this guy is number 1 TE, he is a very good 2nd TE, no one is saying anything more than that

Really? Compared to what? Olson? Aaron Hernandez? For a team that used 2 TE's as often as the 49ers you think you'd see more of a contribution, you'd expect it, no?

Originally posted by LoneWolf:
When will people get over statistics? Great players don't always have the best statistics, and stats are just number and extremely deceptive.

So what's his value then, to be a blocking tight-end? Its certainly not as a receiving tight-end. And if that is his value, you don't think that the 49ers could find someone who would be a better receiving threat while being just as good a blocker?

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by 1swift:
Because we've seen him make plays with the ball in his hand. Quite frankly I cannot understand how KW beat him out for a Kick or Punt returner as I believe he played that roll quite well when he was doing it a few years back. KW is fast but has a huge history of mistakes (even beyond the NFC championship game). I Dont remember walker having trouble handling kicks etc.

Clearly this issue is why isnt he doing well...It was, at one point, easy to blame Alex for failing to find open receivers, but now it's hard to tell.

When??? He had less than 200 yards receiving this season, his career high is 330, supposedly he's this huge threat with the ball in his hands, so why not put it there often, why isn't he making plays in the red-zone for a team that desperately needs touchdowns? Why is it he goes entire games without making a catch and is often shutdown by a single safety and sometimes a cornerback.

Well Alex did miss him on two huge plays this year, against Baltimore and against the Giants in the playoffs, he is a solid player for us and does everything that is asked of him, again this guy is our 2nd TE he isnt gonna have as many plays called for him as a VD or Crabtree, you are going a little overboard for a 2nd TE

So what I've learned in this thread is that stats don't matter when it comes to certain guys but they matter when it comes to other guys(Alex Smith, Michael Crabtree). Delanie Walker does a lot of stuff that doesn't show up on the statline so the 49ers shouldn't bother looking for someone who would show up on the statline.


Gotcha.

Originally posted by valrod33:
Well Alex did miss him on two huge plays this year, against Baltimore and against the Giants in the playoffs, he is a solid player for us and does everything that is asked of him, again this guy is our 2nd TE he isnt gonna have as many plays called for him as a VD or Crabtree, you are going a little overboard for a 2nd TE

The point is, if you can pull the trigger and bring in someone a lot bigger, more physical, a better scoring threat, even say in the 3rd or 4th round, do you do it, or is Walker still "a very good TE, we don't need anyone else."