Rock Bowers

[bojanglesman]

this thread should've been called The Adventures of Bork Bowers

Bork Boners

[bojanglesman]

Our TE room is fine.  Conklin is going to ball out with Rodgers.  Not sure about Ruckert. 

Which player we draft would be most likely to start week 1?  I don't know if any of them would after the past few free agent signings.  I default to OL.  Maybe a Gordtackle.

[Jumbo]

You can win it all with mediocre tight ends but you won't win much with mediocre tackles and receivers.

It's funny because the 4 teams that made the conference championships this year arguably have the 4 best TEs in football: Chiefs (Kelce), Ravens (Andrews), 49ers (Kittle), Lions (LaPorta). If anything if you can get an elite TE it seems to help quite a bit if you have the QB in place.

The team sucked because of the Rodgers injury last year so I don't think people have wrapped their heads around the fact that this is a win-now operating team. Bowers is good enough to take a swing on, pending the board of course.

[Johnny English]

It's funny because the 4 teams that made the conference championships this year arguably have the 4 best TEs in football: Chiefs (Kelce), Ravens (Andrews), 49ers (Kittle), Lions (LaPorta). If anything if you can get an elite TE it seems to help quite a bit if you have the QB in place.

The team sucked because of the Rodgers injury last year so I don't think people have wrapped their heads around the fact that this is a win-now operating team. Bowers is good enough to take a swing on, pending the board of course.

You're right, but those 4 also have the best lots of other things in football as well. How much did those TEs really impact their postseason performance? Hard to argue that Andrews or Kittle were significant factors.

[Derek Smalls]

Bowers has elite production at a young age at the best school in college football. If he did that as a wide receiver, we would take him in a heartbeat. Doing it at tight end shouldn't be a major knock.

I am perfectly fine with a Bowers pick. I think he is an awesome prospect. I've been saying this for a while that I am OK with taking Bowers.

Here are the 2 knocks on a Bowers pick
- Tight end positional value is a thing. If Bowers is a star, there is less value in getting that star at TE than there is at a premium position. However, if Bowers is truly a blue chip prospect who lives up to it, then he'll make a lot of money anyway, so I'm less concerned with this.
- Tight ends often need creative offensive coordinators to be fully unlocked. We have Nate Hackett. That concerns me.

However, if you think Bowers is a blue chip prospect and pass catcher, he's worth the pick. We had similar arguments about Kyle Hamilton a few years ago, and people didn't want him because he wasn't a premium position. But he is a superstar. Bowers is similar to Hamilton, except the offensive version, and he makes a ton of sense for what we are doing.

I would not take him over Harrison or Nabers. I probably take Odunze over him. But if it comes down to OT vs Bowers, I am leaning Bowers. I'm fine either way though.

[Derek Smalls]

You're right, but those 4 also have the best lots of other things in football as well. How much did those TEs really impact their postseason performance? Hard to argue that Andrews or Kittle were significant factors.

Travis Kelce nearly won Super Bowl MVP. LaPorta had an awesome postseason. Kittle had one very good game and 2 lesser games, but he always helps blocking. Andrews was hurt.

[Derek Smalls]

Our TE room is fine.  Conklin is going to ball out with Rodgers.  Not sure about Ruckert. 

Which player we draft would be most likely to start week 1?  I don't know if any of them would after the past few free agent signings.  I default to OL.  Maybe a Gordtackle.

Our TE room is one of the worst in the NFL. We can get by with our TE room because the position is less important. But our TE room is not good.

Even if we don't take Bowers, I expect us to draft a TE somewhere.

[bojanglesman]

We desperately need younger tackles that aren't major projects.  We have the starters covered but it's Turd City after that.  Fuaga is my pick.  Can be a really good RT or guard. I think the chances of Tyron and Moses coming back next year are slim.  Their chance of finishing the season isn't high. 

[Johnny English]

Travis Kelce nearly won Super Bowl MVP. LaPorta had an awesome postseason. Kittle had one very good game and 2 lesser games, but he always helps blocking. Andrews was hurt.

OK, let me try asking my question another way. Replace any of those tight ends with, say, Ty Conklin. Does it significantly hamper their postseason performance? I think it does the Chiefs, because Kelce is so special and he draws so much attention from the defense. LaPorta is pretty important to the Lions and I think there's a reasonable argument that they don't make it past the wildcard without his contribution. I don't think the Niners or Ravens miss a beat.

So here's the question, is Bowers a Kelce or a LaPorta?

[reuben]

Lock this thread and throw it in the ocean.

[Derek Smalls]

OK, let me try asking my question another way. Replace any of those tight ends with, say, Ty Conklin. Does it significantly hamper their postseason performance? I think it does the Chiefs, because Kelce is so special and he draws so much attention from the defense. LaPorta is pretty important to the Lions and I think there's a reasonable argument that they don't make it past the wildcard without his contribution. I don't think the Niners or Ravens miss a beat.

So here's the question, is Bowers a Kelce or a LaPorta?

Bowers is one of the best TE prospects of all-time on paper.

All four of the final four teams last season had elite tight ends. The Ravens and Chiefs have 2 pretty bad WR groups. The Lions basically had one WR in ARSB.

And I disagree that the Niners miss a beat without Kittle. He contributes in other ways

[AlioTheFool]

Lock this thread and throw it in the ocean.

I feel like you might not be in favor of picking Bowers in R1

[Jumbo]

You're right, but those 4 also have the best lots of other things in football as well. How much did those TEs really impact their postseason performance? Hard to argue that Andrews or Kittle were significant factors.

On paper, we have some of the best lots of other things in football. We have probably the best CB duo + MCII, a top 5 RB in Breece, a top 5-10 DL, good LB  corps with Mosley + Quincy. Rodgers also although it's unclear how he'll perform.

Kittle definitely is a huge cog in the 49ers engine. Their offense gets worse when he's not out there. Andrews is the exception on that list because he's the worst of them and also has by far the best backup in Likely.

imo the better argument is that all of these guys were taken outside of the first round, and only LaPorta was a 2nd rounder, so even if a prospect looks great on paper at TE it may be smoke and mirrors.

[Heismanberg]

So here's the question, is Bowers a Kelce or a LaPorta?

Yes, but both of those players were selected outside of the first round mainly due to positional value.

[CatoTheElder]

Lock this thread and throw it in the ocean.

I'm with him.