Blocking TEs v. Receiving TEs

Did you not see the stat that one game Cook was in for 60 snaps and 48 of them were passes while not pass blocking on any of them. I would take that as a sign that the team doesn't trust you to block.

Stop trying to troll. Everyone here has figured you out already.

Yes. Thinking outside of your cliche' box is trolling...


I could easily flip the stat and show you that Taylor Thompson or Craig Stevens were used mostly only on run plays. Does that mean we don't trust them to catch? -- ok, bad example.


Cook is a better blocker than this goofy fanbase gives him credit for. He's the typical blocking caliber receiving TE.

Cook is underrated as a blocker. He isn't great, but he isn't as bad as he is made out to be on here. He made several key blocks last year.

Also, I'm not sure what the snap counts mean. How many times do any of the top 15-20 receiving TE's stay in on a pass? It probably isn't many. ...and if we threw at least 48 passes, there wasn't any balance to the offense that game anyway.

He was an average run blocker, below average pass blocker - pro football focus


Just dont feel like finding the link again

My main thing with "blocking" TE's is... they'd better be getting paid the minimum.

You can find any blocking TE bum and pay them the vet min.

it depends what system you have. In our system we need a blocking TE. Were too dumb to know how to use a great receiving threat. For example, look how the Pat's use hernandez b/c he cant block.

Both qualities matter, that's why the position exists. If all they needed was blockers, theyre would be an extra Tackle out there, but the allure to TE's is they can be both linemen and receivers which keeps the defense guessing.
If you have a Cook-like TE no one will respect the run, and if you have a Crumpler-like TE no one will think he's running out in space.
So you need a guy who can do both. He doesn't even have to that good at either, but has to be able to do both to some degree.

The point of modern TE's is to force the defence to make a personel decision: keep a LB in to respect the run or put an extra CB in to cover. If they put a CB in, you run the ball, if they keep a LB in you pass. The TE who comes in to help in runblocking is a thing of the past or at least only seen in conservative offences.

I think the perfect mild for Tennessee is a guy we already have - Craig Stevens. He makes clutch catches and is very sneaky because he generally blocks. That is what TEs used to be all about.

So I think if we lose Cook then we will definitely be increasing the role of Stevens and move away from putting the TE out wide. Maybe they use Thompson in that situation every now and then, but he has a lot to prove. I would say they would be more apt to actually bring in another big WR for the 5 wideout sets and sign a block-first TE like James Casey or someone similar.