(02-25-2020, 12:38 PM)Caldrac Wrote: (02-25-2020, 11:24 AM)NYC4jags Wrote: I'm not sweating it for a 5th or 6th round pick. The ravens are deep at TE. Not shocked they are willing to part with one. I'm sure they are surprised that the one they are willing to part with is the guy they drafted ahead of Lamar Jackson, but that's how it ended up.
If the director of pro personnel is telling Dave that Hurst for a fifth round pick is better than any TE he'll get in the fifth round of the 2020 draft, then it's not an unreasonable way of adding talent to the position group.
Hurst had a mere 39 targets in 2019 (30 receptions). I'm not going to pretend I've watched all of them and have a report put together on his receiving abilities. Maybe he's worth a 5th, maybe he's not.
But I do understand why the Jags are exploring all avenues to bolster the TE room. And if they see Hurst as a viable option, so be it.
There's a reason he went 25th overall initially and he's subsequently had a rookie season spoiled by injury, and a second year where he ended up behind a very good TE in Andrews, and essentially split the #2 snaps with Nick Boyle who also played well. I'm not so sure that there's nothing to salvage from Hurst.
Personally, I had my eyes on a couple of free agents that I'd still prioritize, but I get it.
There were a ton of people here lamenting the loss of O'Shaughnessy as a reason for the offense's sputtering mid season. If you believe that - and many do - Is that player not worth a fifth round pick?
Remains to be seen. The problem now is that the entire offense will be new and every player involved will have to learn it and pick up on it. It's not that I don't think he's worth a draft pick. I just don't see how he fits at the moment here in particular because you already have a guy built just like him.
And how good can Hurst possibly be if he was one of the least utilized components to that offense in 2019? That's a problem for me. He was out played by Andrews and essentially split time with Boyle in 2019.
O'Shaughnessy and Hurst don't look like Gresham, Eifert nor Reed to me on paper as far as natural receiving ability. Those are the types of guys we need based on Gruden's history. And the only splash plays I have seen out of them two were mostly from broken coverage. I haven't seen them really separate or split a defense wide open right down the middle.
Hopefully Oliver showcases some of that ability in year two in that move role like he did at San Diego St. Honestly I am just really high on those three particular TE's from this year's class. And I think they would be better compliments to what we have already in O'Shaughnessy and Oliver.
In fairness. I could be completely full of [BLEEP] and he ends up here anyway and produces like Marcedes Lewis did back in 2010. We'll see.
I think the role/expectation for Hurst here would be to compete for the #2 role with O'Shaughnessy with the loser providing quality depth or rotation. Which feels reasonable for a 5th round pick and 3 mil per year.
I don't think anyone is looking at him as the big fix for the TE drought in Jacksonville. Just a piece of the puzzle that at the least prevents a starting lineup of 2 street free agents in week 14.
