Given this offense's role for the tight end, one to play, a cheap backup, one to groom, and one on crutches early in the season would seem to meet the Rams' criteria.
The one to groom can be a day three pick.
It's not as if we run two TE sets - ever. It's not as if we have developed plays for an H-back/TE hybrid like Ernie Conwell. We do what we do - and that's all. McVay values receivers in the pattern - and the TE might be there for fewer than half the passing snaps, and only a handful of targets.
The TE is expected know how the offense works, know multiple roles in it, to block for other receivers, block for runners. chip a little in pass pro in a complex offense that demands a lot from the TE position. But when targeted, McVay's ideal TE is expected to have hands like Jimmy Graham and run like Tony Gonzales. I remember Johnny Mundt, who didn't meet that latter criteria but could block. Our TE on crutches does well enough in the McVay system as a receiver to be counted upon to deliver, and the rest of the time is a valuable - and much overlooked - blocker.
Allen can become that Leatherman Tool TE. So can another middle round pick. We would probably under-utilize another Tony Gonzales if we had him, and could better utilize another Tyreek Hill instead.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2024 09:46AM by mtramfan.
