Bye-bye Bobby Branchflower

[ALLD]

And hello Ray Hamilton.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Steelers-Make-Roster-Moves/13c35ec3-06cb-4b61-a070-826b04832ac4

Steelers claim tight end Ray Hamilton off waivers from Dallas.
PITTSBURGH ─ The Steelers claimed tight end Ray Hamilton off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys, the team announced today.

Hamilton originally signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted rookie free agent out of the University of Iowa on May 9, 2015.

To make room for Hamilton on the team’s active roster, the Steelers placed tight end Rob Blanchflower on the Waived/Injured List.

[86WARD]

Can we stop the "Rob Gronkowski" comparisons now?

[Count Steeler]

Can we stop the "Rob Gronkowski" comparisons now?

Let's see how long it takes for Belicheat to snatch him and turn him into a superstar. Wonder if certain draft gurus track their defeats as much as their successes?

[steelreserve]

I had high hopes that he would break the string of "useless TE/useless Defensive Lineman" that we have with our 7th-round picks, but alas, it was not to be ...

[Count Steeler]

I had high hopes that he would break the string of "useless TE/useless Defensive Lineman" that we have with our 7th-round picks, but alas, it was not to be ...

We do have Beachum from 2012?

[86WARD]

I forget how many it was, but there was a good amount of those 7th round picks that were useless tight ends. I think I said it here once or twice after Blanchflower was drafted.

[hawaiiansteeler]

I forget how many it was, but there was a good amount of those 7th round picks that were useless tight ends. I think I said it here once or twice after Blanchflower was drafted.

the only 7th round picks that were TEs the last 20 years or so that I can think of besides Branchflower are David Johnson and David Paulson.

[86WARD]

Maybe it was 6 and 7 or 5-7? I forget..but there were guys like Kranchik, Keith, Gavza or something like that? Basically a lot of useless picks...however, there was a nice solid lineage of Starters with Eric Green, Mark Bruener and Heath Miller. But most of the "supporting TEs" were pretty terrible...

I'll have to go back and see what that conversation was...

[Steelman]

Let's see how long it takes for Belicheat to snatch him and turn him into a superstar. Wonder if certain draft gurus track their defeats as much as their successes?

Honestly wouldn't surprise me if they gave him a look. Blanchflower went to UMass if I recall so I'm sure Bill is familiar with him.

I also thought he had a good chance to break the 7th round mold, but I guess drafting Jesse James this year pretty much sealed his fate.

[TeeTee]

the only 7th round picks that were TEs the last 20 years or so that I can think of besides Branchflower are David Johnson and David Paulson.

To me, they morph into all being the same player: slow white guy (except DJ who is slow but not white) who isn't good at blocking or receiving. When you can't beat out Matt Spaeth, you're not that good.

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Honestly wouldn't surprise me if they gave him a look. Blanchflower went to UMass if I recall so I'm sure Bill is familiar with him.

I also thought he had a good chance to break the 7th round mold, but I guess drafting Jesse James this year pretty much sealed his fate.

And I can't help to think that JJ won't be more of the same: not really fast, not very athletic, not great at anything, not great hands. Same deal.

[tube517]

the only 7th round picks that were TEs the last 20 years or so that I can think of besides Branchflower are David Johnson and David Paulson.

Tuman was taken 2 rounds too soon. He could have completed this cycle. :chuckle:

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Maybe it was 6 and 7 or 5-7? I forget..but there were guys like Kranchik, Keith, Gavza or something like that? Basically a lot of useless picks...however, there was a nice solid lineage of Starters with Eric Green, Mark Bruener and Heath Miller. But most of the "supporting TEs" were pretty terrible...

I'll have to go back and see what that conversation was...

Bruener had a promising rookie year and then he morphed into a 7th rounder by the time he left the Steelers.

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Can we stop the "Rob Gronkowski" comparisons now?

Does Bobby Floweringbranches dance like Da Gronk?

[ALLD]

Maybe it was 6 and 7 or 5-7? I forget..but there were guys like Kranchik, Keith, Gavza or something like that? Basically a lot of useless picks...however, there was a nice solid lineage of Starters with Eric Green, Mark Bruener and Heath Miller. But most of the "supporting TEs" were pretty terrible...

I'll have to go back and see what that conversation was...


Bennie Cunningham was a 1st round pick in 1976. He was pretty good.

[86WARD]

Yeah...they had a nice string of starters with only a few gaps in between. I think Adrian Cooper was there after Eric Green and before Bruener?

[TeeTee]

Yeah...they had a nice string of starters with only a few gaps in between. I think Adrian Cooper was there after Eric Green and before Bruener?

Cooper and Green left around the same time. Cowher didn't like Cooper. Bruener was way overrated. Every game, the announcers would talk about how he was the best blocking TE in the NFL. Yea, and he couldn't catch a cold, so you better talk about his blocking.

[86WARD]

all Bruener needed to do was block. Cooper actually left before Green. Maybe I'm thinking Jonathan Hayes? He arrived and played a few seasons?

[Mojouw]

Cooper and Green left around the same time. Cowher didn't like Cooper. Bruener was way overrated. Every game, the announcers would talk about how he was the best blocking TE in the NFL. Yea, and he couldn't catch a cold, so you better talk about his blocking.

And when Bruener was a Steeler, the team ran a Power I offense with a series of massive running backs and fullbacks. Over 1800 yards rushing with Peagram and Bam Morris his rookie year. Over 2200 yards on the ground with Bettis and Peagram his second year (1996 season). I could continue, but I think you may see the pattern. Bruener was not ever intended to be a pass catching threat. He was intended to road grade like a 6th offensive lineman out there so that the power/big back (the engine of a Ron Earhardt derived scheme) could simple hammer on opposing defenses until they collapsed. In terms of Earhardt, Bavaro for 2 years is the exception that proves the rule!

For some context:

1. The leading pass catcher at TE in 1996 (a year the Steelers threw for a ton of yards) for the entire NFL was Pete Mitchell with Jacksonville for 575 yards on 52 catches.
2. The second leading TE was Keith Jackson with Green Bay with 40 catches for 505 yards.
3. The next guy has 301 yards on 26 catches.
4. Best I can tell the ENTIRE rest of the league at TE started guys with less than 300 yards receiving and less than 30 receptions.
5. Bruener w/ 12 for 141 is right in line with the rest of the league.

The point is that for the majority of Bruener's career the TE's job in almost every offense in the league was to BLOCK. Catching passes with a thing only freaks of nature like Keith Jackson did on a regular basis. Every once and awhile QB's threw to their TE's out of sheer desperation and panic. It was a run dominated league.

I could continue with a history lesson on NFL offensive styles/eras and we could look at when the TE really started becoming a position that was prioritized and utilized in the passing game. Could mention names like Tony Gonzalez. Antonio Gates. We could look at Kellen Winslow Sr. and see how much of an outlier he was for his era. That could lead to a discussion about the receiving roles in an Air Coryell offense vs. the run and shoot vs. the West Coast vs the Power I (you know the major offensive systems in place around the league for much of Bruener's early career). We could discuss the fact that the rise of the 3-4 and the zone-blitz as a counter the West Coast offense forced teams to consider how to exploit match-ups in the flats, down the seams, and in the soft spots in zones. Does that sound like how one would define the modern route preferences for the "move" TE?

Or we could go with your pithy comment and simply move on.

[steelreserve]

For some context:

1. The leading pass catcher at TE in 1996 (a year the Steelers threw for a ton of yards) for the entire NFL was Pete Mitchell with Jacksonville for 575 yards on 52 catches.
2. The second leading TE was Keith Jackson with Green Bay with 40 catches for 505 yards.
3. The next guy has 301 yards on 26 catches.
4. Best I can tell the ENTIRE rest of the league at TE started guys with less than 300 yards receiving and less than 30 receptions.
5. Bruener w/ 12 for 141 is right in line with the rest of the league.

The point is that for the majority of Bruener's career the TE's job in almost every offense in the league was to BLOCK. Catching passes with a thing only freaks of nature like Keith Jackson did on a regular basis. Every once and awhile QB's threw to their TE's out of sheer desperation and panic. It was a run dominated league.


Really depends what kind of offense they were running and what kind of QB they had. Brent Jones and Jay Novacek used to routinely catch for 700 yards or so for the '90s 49ers and Cowboys. Todd Christensen would go for over 1,000 with the '80s Raiders. But no, not a lot of teams were like that. The Steelers had neither a good QB nor a pass-heavy offense during that period, so you wouldn't expect Breuner's numbers to be good. Still, 12 catches for 141 yards blows.

I don't remember the guy being a BAD tight end, just not a very good one either.

[86WARD]

He was a blocking TE and that's what he did and he was one of the best blocking TEs in the league. He wasn't meant to catch the ball in that offense...lol.

[fansince'76]

Still, 12 catches for 141 yards blows.

Well, it also doesn't help your cause when you have a guy like Korkie either one-hopping the ball in the dirt in front of you or rocketing it ten feet over your head....

[TeeTee]

all Bruener needed to do was block. Cooper actually left before Green. Maybe I'm thinking Jonathan Hayes? He arrived and played a few seasons?

Probably Hayes, yes.

[Mojouw]

Really depends what kind of offense they were running and what kind of QB they had. Brent Jones and Jay Novacek used to routinely catch for 700 yards or so for the '90s 49ers and Cowboys. Todd Christensen would go for over 1,000 with the '80s Raiders. But no, not a lot of teams were like that. The Steelers had neither a good QB nor a pass-heavy offense during that period, so you wouldn't expect Breuner's numbers to be good. Still, 12 catches for 141 yards blows.

I don't remember the guy being a BAD tight end, just not a very good one either.

Not really.

Jones' #'s - http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JoneBr00.htm

Novacek - http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/NovaJa00.htm

The best pass catching TE of that era, Keith Jackson only cracked the 700+ mark once - http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JackKe00.htm

That is why guys like Christensen and Winslow Sr. were so damn strange -- no one else was doing what they were doing at the TE position. But it never started a "trend" these guys (throw Bavaro in there, reach why back for Ditka, John Mackey, throw in Casper and fast forward to Ozzie Newsome) were one of 2 or 3 guys in the league at any given time that were big enough to play TE and good enough to force their team's to scheme to get them the ball.

I think folks forget how much of a revelation Tony Gonzalez, Shannon Sharpe, Ben Coates were in the mid to late 90's. Obviously that is Breuner's era, but he was not part of this "new breed" of TEs. He was of the traditional school - block first, second, and third. The TE position has been totally re-defined in the past 15 years or so. It is perhaps one of the most significant tactical and strategic developments in the recent NFL.

[TeeTee]

Really depends what kind of offense they were running and what kind of QB they had. Brent Jones and Jay Novacek used to routinely catch for 700 yards or so for the '90s 49ers and Cowboys. Todd Christensen would go for over 1,000 with the '80s Raiders. But no, not a lot of teams were like that. The Steelers had neither a good QB nor a pass-heavy offense during that period, so you wouldn't expect Breuner's numbers to be good. Still, 12 catches for 141 yards blows.

I don't remember the guy being a BAD tight end, just not a very good one either.

He was a virtual bust in my mind. Sure, they weren't pass happy back then. Sure, they ran more. But even considering that, MB still sucked. He would fight with the ball when it was thrown to him. The reason they didn't throw much to him was because he pretty much sucked at catching it. If ALL HE WAS was a blocking TE, YOU DON"T USE A FIRST ROUND PICK ON A BLOCKING TE. That is just a moronic use of a high pick. MB couldn't carry Miller's jock strap. HM is every bit the blocker and 100 times the receiver.

[TeeTee]

Then Shannon Sharpe nearly re-invented the position, and now we have Gronk and Jimmy Graham also being big time offensive weapons at TE. I think Graham is gonna infuse the Hawks with a much bigger passing attack. He will become Russell's new best friend.

[Mojouw]

He was a virtual bust in my mind. Sure, they weren't pass happy back then. Sure, they ran more. But even considering that, MB still sucked. He would fight with the ball when it was thrown to him. The reason they didn't throw much to him was because he pretty much sucked at catching it. If ALL HE WAS was a blocking TE, YOU DON"T USE A FIRST ROUND PICK ON A BLOCKING TE. That is just a moronic use of a high pick. MB couldn't carry Miller's jock strap. HM is every bit the blocker and 100 times the receiver.

I don't think that was the debate. Like even at all. No one (myself included) ever came within shouting distance of arguing that Bruener was anywhere close to the complete TE that Miller is.

You're arguments totally ignore scheme. If you want your QB to turn around and hand off to a massive freight train of a RB on the order of 30-35 times per game (in an era where teams maybe got 60 some offensive snaps a game), then a devastating blocker on the end of the line is not a waste of a pick. Not in 1990 whatever the hell it was. In 2015 - sure waste of a resource.

Remember this is when Dawson was leading backs around the end on the weakside (http://www.steelers.com/videos/videos/Dermontti-Dawson-Video-Highlights/0df41cb7-ed72-4738-8d5e-f35a337234f3) and you leave the TE to seal off the backside. Allows your back to pile up a ton of yards on runs where he isn't touched until the 2nd or 3rd level. Or you can run to the TE side and to borrow a phrase from Lombardi a seal here and a seal here and an alley there. Who the hell do you think was blocking on a bunch of those 20+ yard "scampers" by the Bus early in his career with the Steelers? I don't care if Mark Bruener never caught a single damn pass in his career - he was a key component on some dominating rushing teams.

Look at his college stats (http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/mark-bruener-1.html#all_receiving). The Steelers knew what they were getting. Bruener was NEVER valued for his receiving abilities.

Additionally, for much of Bruener's career Chan Gailey called the shots and he took the TE off the field whenever he wanted to throw the ball. Sure, the fact that Bruener was not the best receiving option on the team played in to to that, but some of it was Gailey's fascination with multiple WR sets. As good as Miller is, Arians never fully used him. Arians scheme, like Gailey's doesn't feature the TE - like at all.

Bottom line, is you can't make simplistic comparisons between what a TE is now and what a TE was 20 years ago.

And yes, I know that Shannon Sharpe re-invented the TE position, it was key point in my earlier post. I suspect you don't read so good though - as you're arguments are not very sound.

Finally, if you want to talk about wasting a first round pick on a TE, then we need to be talking about Eric Green, not Bruener. Eric Green was drafted to be a key cog in the passing game, and it simply never happened. That dude was a bad first round pick.