So who is going to be our starting Quar...jk... Tight End?

Originally posted by 9ersLiferInChicago:
Got a feeling that Vance could be cut.

Hope you are right. Tired of watching game changing passes bounce off his hands.

Originally posted by 9moon:
Personally, I think all our TEs including NELSON can actually play and be awesome with the Machine Gun offense.. and below are my comparison to each of them.

Vance - Punisher but Stiff - GShock

Celek - The Natural - Todd Christensen

Blake - The Big Hurt - Mark Bavaro

Busta - Jay Witten

Cajustre - Brent Jones

Busta and Jason Witten I think Busta is more like Delanie Walker. Shorter but fast and good receiving skills.

It'll be Celek...they re-signed him because they saw more of the things he can do once Gabbert took over at QB. I really like our corps of TE's. Sure, Vance has been frustrating to watch, but like Celek, he began to be a bigger part of the passing attack when Blaine took the reins. The difference was BG was throwing the ball to both Celek and Vance, not through them like Kap did. Blake Bell should only get better...he got some good PT last year, improved his blocking and has some excellent hands. We haven't seen Busta Anderson on the field and I'm looking forward to seeing him in action.

Originally posted by SofaKing:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by SofaKing:

Celek is probably the favorite. He just signed a nice extension, and is the most well-rounded TE we have.

I do expect to see Kelly use some 2 TE sets. Celek as the more traditional in-line TE, and then another TE flexed out like a big slot WR. I'd like to see a competition for that flex TE role between McDonald, Bell, Anderson, and Cajuste.

Barring injury, I think Celek, Bell, and Miller are all locks. As noted, Celek with the extension. And as I mentioned in another post, Miller's versatility and fantastic STs ability keep him here. I sincerely doubt Baalke cuts Bell after matching Celek's production in yards, but with a higher YPC average, as a rookie (who was only a year removed from being a QB).

Would not be surprised if we traded McDonald. Busta Anderson, if successful, could cause a ripple effect.

Agree. I also think Celek, Bell, and Miller are locks. McDonald is a near lock for me too, but if Busta or Cajuste has a big training camp/pre-season, Vance is the first guy I look to drop from that unit.

I think the only knock on Miller is his occasional propensity to put the ball on the ground, but I think the fumbles are more a byproduct of the fact that he's rarely had the ball in his hands in his football career. We know he's capable, though, so it's another exciting battle to watch in the pre-season.

It's been such a long time since we've had such crazy battles to watch at virtually every position on the roster. I mean, just looking at the depth chart tracker I posted a little while back: http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/niners/185855-49ers-depth-chart-tracker-2016-17/ you can tell that they've heavily loaded up on virtually every position group. It's going to be fierce and I know a lot of hard decisions will have to be made.

Bruce Miller

Originally posted by SteveWallacesHelmet:

Originally posted by 9ersLiferInChicago:
Got a feeling that Vance could be cut.

Hope you are right. Tired of watching game changing passes bounce off his hands.

I hate Vance

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
I think the only knock on Miller is his occasional propensity to put the ball on the ground, but I think the fumbles are more a byproduct of the fact that he's rarely had the ball in his hands in his football career. We know he's capable, though, so it's another exciting battle to watch in the pre-season.

It's been such a long time since we've had such crazy battles to watch at virtually every position on the roster. I mean, just looking at the depth chart tracker I posted a little while back: http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/niners/185855-49ers-depth-chart-tracker-2016-17/ you can tell that they've heavily loaded up on virtually every position group. It's going to be fierce and I know a lot of hard decisions will have to be made.

I came to the same conclusion while trying to predict the 53. We're going to have to cut some guys who have real potential, which is great because that means the roster is getting better. The depth is there, but we need some of the young players to elevate their game and become true impact players.

Originally posted by DonnieDarko:

Originally posted by SteveWallacesHelmet:

Originally posted by 9ersLiferInChicago:

Got a feeling that Vance could be cut.

Hope you are right. Tired of watching game changing passes bounce off his hands.

I hate Vance

That's one of my biggest beefs with Vance, is it's not just regular drops, it's CRITICAL drops. Plays that would be first downs, or plays that would be first downs to CONVERT third downs. The one last year that he flipped up into the air for an interception was so painful.

And it's not just drops either, it's fumbles too. I remember the catch against the Rams a while back where he was running with the ball out there like he was carrying a paper grocery bag and just before the hit I muttered under my breath "oh no, he's going to fumble as soon as he gets hit" -- sure enough, he gets blasted and the Rams recover.

It's frustrating to watch an athlete like this struggle with some of the most fundamental parts of the game, and continue to do so year after year.

Originally posted by SofaKing:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

I think the only knock on Miller is his occasional propensity to put the ball on the ground, but I think the fumbles are more a byproduct of the fact that he's rarely had the ball in his hands in his football career. We know he's capable, though, so it's another exciting battle to watch in the pre-season.

It's been such a long time since we've had such crazy battles to watch at virtually every position on the roster. I mean, just looking at the depth chart tracker I posted a little while back: http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/niners/185855-49ers-depth-chart-tracker-2016-17/ you can tell that they've heavily loaded up on virtually every position group. It's going to be fierce and I know a lot of hard decisions will have to be made.

I came to the same conclusion while trying to predict the 53. We're going to have to cut some guys who have real potential, which is great because that means the roster is getting better. The depth is there, but we need some of the young players to elevate their game and become true impact players.

Exactly, it's encouraging. It'll be sad when the time comes that we have to let good players go. Based on who we've got entering our camp, I see a lot of guys that could wind up contributing somewhere else if they don't make the cut. I'm just hopeful we don't get rid of any of my favorites, or make any costly decisions.

Originally posted by SofaKing:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by SofaKing:
Celek is probably the favorite. He just signed a nice extension, and is the most well-rounded TE we have.

I do expect to see Kelly use some 2 TE sets. Celek as the more traditional in-line TE, and then another TE flexed out like a big slot WR. I'd like to see a competition for that flex TE role between McDonald, Bell, Anderson, and Cajuste.

Barring injury, I think Celek, Bell, and Miller are all locks. As noted, Celek with the extension. And as I mentioned in another post, Miller's versatility and fantastic STs ability keep him here. I sincerely doubt Baalke cuts Bell after matching Celek's production in yards, but with a higher YPC average, as a rookie (who was only a year removed from being a QB).

Would not be surprised if we traded McDonald. Busta Anderson, if successful, could cause a ripple effect.

Agree. I also think Celek, Bell, and Miller are locks. McDonald is a near lock for me too, but if Busta or Cajuste has a big training camp/pre-season, Vance is the first guy I look to drop from that unit.

I feel like Miller is the one that needs to worry. He's not fast and he isn't long to catch passes over LBs. Vance came alive once Gabbert was QB. I'll never forget the game where he had two bobbled passes that went for INTs, but that aside, he finally flashed last season as a pass catcher. Lots to be decided between now and week 1, but I see Celek and Vance getting the bulk of the snaps with Bell and Miller fighting it out for #3.

Originally posted by thl408:
I feel like Miller is the one that needs to worry. He's not fast and he isn't long to catch passes over LBs. Vance came alive once Gabbert was QB. I'll never forget the game where he had two bobbled passes that went for INTs, but that aside, he finally flashed last season as a pass catcher. Lots to be decided between now and week 1, but I see Celek and Vance getting the bulk of the snaps with Bell and Miller fighting it out for #3.

I could see that too. Miller isn't a great fit as a TE, I just think he's a solid football player and special teamer who's one of our best 53. Over the years I preferred to have him on the field than Vance, felt he was more dependable. But Vance did start to turn a corner last year, especially when Gabbert came in and utilized the TEs a bit more.

Even though we're moving away from using heavy formations, I hope there's still a spot on the team for Miller. Kind of like how Green Bay kept Jon Kuhn around for many years despite being a pass-heavy 11 personnel team. Guys like that still have worth in certain situations.

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by SofaKing:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Originally posted by SofaKing:

Celek is probably the favorite. He just signed a nice extension, and is the most well-rounded TE we have.

I do expect to see Kelly use some 2 TE sets. Celek as the more traditional in-line TE, and then another TE flexed out like a big slot WR. I'd like to see a competition for that flex TE role between McDonald, Bell, Anderson, and Cajuste.

Barring injury, I think Celek, Bell, and Miller are all locks. As noted, Celek with the extension. And as I mentioned in another post, Miller's versatility and fantastic STs ability keep him here. I sincerely doubt Baalke cuts Bell after matching Celek's production in yards, but with a higher YPC average, as a rookie (who was only a year removed from being a QB).

Would not be surprised if we traded McDonald. Busta Anderson, if successful, could cause a ripple effect.

Agree. I also think Celek, Bell, and Miller are locks. McDonald is a near lock for me too, but if Busta or Cajuste has a big training camp/pre-season, Vance is the first guy I look to drop from that unit.

I feel like Miller is the one that needs to worry. He's not fast and he isn't long to catch passes over LBs. Vance came alive once Gabbert was QB. I'll never forget the game where he had two bobbled passes that went for INTs, but that aside, he finally flashed last season as a pass catcher. Lots to be decided between now and week 1, but I see Celek and Vance getting the bulk of the snaps with Bell and Miller fighting it out for #3.

I don't know, thl. Hard for me to feel he really "came alive" when he was still dropping passes, even though the numbers went up a bit. Vernon getting traded gave him more chances to get passes, but i felt like that just gave us a chance to see even more lapses in concentration. I guess it all comes down to perception, but I felt the number of plays he left on the field that he could've made outweighed the few plays that he did manage to actually make.

Originally posted by SofaKing:

Even though we're moving away from using heavy formations, I hope there's still a spot on the team for Miller. Kind of like how Green Bay kept Jon Kuhn around for many years despite being a pass-heavy 11 personnel team. Guys like that still have worth in certain situations.

Terrific example.

Originally posted by SofaKing:

Originally posted by thl408:
I feel like Miller is the one that needs to worry. He's not fast and he isn't long to catch passes over LBs. Vance came alive once Gabbert was QB. I'll never forget the game where he had two bobbled passes that went for INTs, but that aside, he finally flashed last season as a pass catcher. Lots to be decided between now and week 1, but I see Celek and Vance getting the bulk of the snaps with Bell and Miller fighting it out for #3.

I could see that too. Miller isn't a great fit as a TE, I just think he's a solid football player and special teamer who's one of our best 53. Over the years I preferred to have him on the field than Vance, felt he was more dependable. But Vance did start to turn a corner last year, especially when Gabbert came in and utilized the TEs a bit more.

Even though we're moving away from using heavy formations, I hope there's still a spot on the team for Miller. Kind of like how Green Bay kept Jon Kuhn around for many years despite being a pass-heavy 11 personnel team. Guys like that still have worth in certain situations.

I feel there always should be a roster spot for a FB and was a bit disappointed to learn that Miller was transitioning over to 'move TE'. 3rd and 1, or at the goaline, threatening with a power run can net some easy looking TDs. 49ers had a number of these over the past few seasons with Miller as FB and VD catching TDs. It all starts with getting into the I formation and threatening to run with power. Miller at FB with Hyde right behind him should get that 1 yard. I hope there are still goal line packages involving a FB, but I don't think Chip did this.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
I don't know, thl. Hard for me to feel he really "came alive" when he was still dropping passes, even though the numbers went up a bit. Vernon getting traded gave him more chances to get passes, but i felt like that just gave us a chance to see even more lapses in concentration. I guess it all comes down to perception, but I felt the number of plays he left on the field that he could've made outweighed the few plays that he did manage to actually make.

Terrific example.

Well he did improve his TD production by infinity percent . I see the drops too, I'm not ignoring that and I understand why some posters are done with him - his drops were comedic only because the games last season didn't mean anything. But had those drops occurred in critical games, oh man I'd be done with him too. If he continues to drop passes then yeah, can't have that from a #1 or #2 TE. It's a big if, but if he can improve his hands, he has the speed and length to be a good weapon in the passing game. His blocking is already good.

Originally posted by SFBuckeye:

It's time for Vance to go. I think Celek and bell are both better receivers and in chips offense the TEs are going to block less. I hope that Stanford guy is going to take his spot.

In Kelly's offense the tight ends especially need to be able to block because they may not be coming off the field for awhile.