If Lucas gets cut, this is why

[top dawg]

I was sitting here reading the latest piece from Bryan Strickland on our Tight Ends   and was pleasantly surprised to see Marcus Lucas getting some "air time." Yeah, it's a little fluffery, but could it be a sign that maybe the tide is turning for the guy to finally catch on? Who knows? But here is what the TE coach, Pete Hoener, had to say:

 
"He's made great progress. Versus a year ago, he's getting closer," Hoener said. "His biggest thing is transitioning over into all the blocking and pass protections and everything you have to do to be a complete tight end because we don't have specialty players."

Strickland also quoted Hoener on Olsen and Dickson doing a "great" job.

Blocking and assignments are what it's going to come down to with Lucas. And even though some of you may be thinking that it's not like Ed Dickson is the best blocker---the complete TE either---I suppose that sometimes coaches are just comfortable with the status quo, all things being equal.

As for me, all things aren't equal, and sometimes you have to go with the younger, hungrier guy that has more upside. But, of course, if Lucas is just lost out there---and that would be a whole lot easier for the coaches who know exactly what they're looking at---then I can see why he'd be getting his visit from the Turk, yet again.

For his sake, and the improvement of the team, I hope that he has learned enough to justify sticking around.

Coach Hoener also gives a few words on Simonson, Sandland  and Wallace.

Can you see what the tea leaves are saying?

 

[Hogmolliesmaht]

Any TE not named Olsen is going to be primarily a blocker. People keep putting Dickson down because he doesn't catch a lot of passes, but that's not really his job in this offense.

[top dawg]

9 minutes ago, Hogmolliesmaht said:

Any TE not named Olsen is going to be primarily a blocker. People keep putting Dickson down because he doesn't catch a lot of passes, but that's not really his job in this offense.

I'm a big believer that if you show the coaches or the QB that you are a legit play maker at a skill position, they will find ways to get you the ball. 

There's an old saying that "Cards come to card players." Well, the ball comes to ball players as well. Sure, the backup tight end's job is to primarily block, but secondarily it is to make more than a couple of memorable catches per year.

 

 

Remember Shockey?

[top dawg]

And it's not like Dickson is an All-World blocker.

[Hogmolliesmaht]

5 minutes ago, top dawg said:

I'm a big believer that if you show the coaches or the QB that you are a legit play maker at a skill position, they will find ways to get you the ball. 

There's an old saying that "Cards come to card players." Well, the ball comes to ball players as well. Sure, the backup tight end's job is to primarily block, but secondarily it is to make more than a couple of memorable catches per year.

 

 

Remember Shockey?

Shockey has nothing to do with the 2016 Panthers. That was a different offense and we only had one decent WR when he was here. Our TE coach has said the same thing I just did. Even Olsen has to be a blocker first.

[top dawg]

21 minutes ago, Hogmolliesmaht said:

Shockey has nothing to do with the 2016 Panthers. That was a different offense and we only had one decent WR when he was here. Our TE coach has said the same thing I just did. Even Olsen has to be a blocker first.

Blocking first doesn't preclude TEs from making catches. But since you are so locked in on the blocking aspect, let me hip you to something.

Quote

 

PFF grade (position rank): -16.1 (73rd)
2015 salary cap hit: $1.5 million

The Panthers couldn’t field premier talent at wide receiver this year after Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL in training camp, so the Panthers often used Dickson, a backup tight end, in jumbo sets alongside first-stringer Greg Olsen.

Unfortunately, Dickson ended up grading out as the worst blocker at his position this season, his fourth consecutive year with a negative outlook in that regard from Pro Football Focus. He also failed to move the needle in Carolina’s aerial attack, gaining just 7.1 yards per reception, the second-lowest mark among tight ends with at least 25 targets

 

http://wtop.com/nfl/2016/01/the-least-valuable-player-of-every-nfl-team-in-2015/

[Millioso7]

Put simonson on the practice squad another year.. Lucas is a threat and he's ready to go..

[Hogmolliesmaht]

22 minutes ago, top dawg said:

Blocking first doesn't preclude TEs from making catches. But since you are so locked in on the blocking aspect, let me hip you to something.

http://wtop.com/nfl/2016/01/the-least-valuable-player-of-every-nfl-team-in-2015/

PFF is not without it's own flaws, but OK. Look, I'm pulling for Lucas to make it too but he has to know the offense like the back of his hand in order to supplant Dickson. I don't think the Panthers coaching staff is stupid, so obviously Dickson has been doing something right.

[KillerKat]

Dickson sucks dick at blocking. So Idk why all this "all our TEs have to block" mess keeps being regurgitated.

[Floppin]

Both Olsen and Dickson suck balls at blocking if we're being perfectly honest here.

[top dawg]

1 hour ago, KillerKat said:

Dickson sucks dick at blocking. So Idk why all this "all our TEs have to block" mess keeps being regurgitated.

 

26 minutes ago, Floppin said:

Both Olsen and Dickson suck balls at blocking if we're being perfectly honest here.

Well, I didn't want to bring those points up because I think that I've said enough, but it's not like I wasn't thinking it. LOL

[GoobyPls]

Dickson barely got any snaps last season, and the main reason Dickson is used as a blocker is cause he can't catch.

 

 

[Hogmolliesmaht]

6 minutes ago, GoobyPls said:

Dickson barely got any snaps last season, and the main reason Dickson is used as a blocker is cause he can't catch.

 

 

What are you talking about? Dickson played plenty of snaps. I'll be fine if they cut him, but he's not as easy to replace as some of you think. If he was, he would have already been gone by now. What does the coaching staff know though right? They only fielded the #1 offense in the league last year.

[GoobyPls]

6 minutes ago, Hogmolliesmaht said:

What are you talking about? Dickson played plenty of snaps. I'll be fine if they cut him, but he's not as easy to replace as some of you think. If he was, he would have already been gone by now. What does the coaching staff know though right? They only fielded the #1 offense in the league last year.

This is the worst logic regurgitated on this board "the coaching staff knows more than you, so don't question any of their moves". Appeareantly the coaching staff and front office is off limits and cannot be criticize. I mean look at our SB cabinet, it speaks for itself.

 

 Dickson is not easy to replace? Yet ravens fans don't seem to miss him much, hardly any other team seemed to be interested in Dickson when he was a FA. But I guess his 2 TD did made all the difference in our number 1 offense.