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TE Jake Ballard Waived


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Played better than I expected too. I never said a bad thing about his play. But nobody here can tell me with a straight face that they were excited when we signed Jake Ballard.....especially you Bleedin. And this has been my argument all along.

 

Bleedin, if you can find me one article where TC and/or Eli gave ANY type of opinion (good or bad or indifferent) on the Jake Ballard signing before he stepped foot on the field as a NY Giant, I'll happily eat crow. To say that TC and Eli are sad to see him go now, is a completely moot point. It doesn't back your word against mine at all. Of course they are upset. Why wouldn't they be?

 

No one gets excited about players on the practice squad. Not enough information to go on. We've also had Christian Hopkins on the practice squad off and on since 2008 and he's dangling a Super Bowl ring on his finger. He's smaller than Ballard at 6'5", 255 and he didn't play in a big time program like Ohio State against Big Ten competition or a couple of Rose Bowls the way Ballard did, but I have kept an eye on him. I don't think he's going to be brought up if he hasn't touched the field on Sundays in 4 years.

 

Regardless....TC and Eli weren't "sad", they were "angry". And Eli said in an ESPN interview yesterday that Ballard was a big part of their future and he was truly disappointed in losing him (but what does he know? surely not as much as fans on a message board, but I digress). And the coach and QB aren't angry and disappointed because they are so shallow that they hold grudges against Belichick....it's because they knew Ballard was coming along just fine and fit in very well with the program and where they want to head. And as big an asshole as Belichick is....he didn't grab an injured scrub TE off the waiver line unless he also realized Ballard was a quality player. If Ballard was a scrub or a nobody.....the Patriots wouldn't have looked at him twice and there would've been zero emotion from TC and Eli and the Pats wouldn't have pissed away a half million dollars just to make TC angry for a week or two. The player who gained the most in this deal is Pascoe because with Robinson and Bennett coming in, it was going to shake out for him to be nudged out of a job. Personally, I like Pascoe....but Ballard was 2 years younger, a little bigger, far better hands, and had proven in his rookie year that he could move the ball.

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Every post Bleedin writes is longer than my college thesis.

 

Wow.....you must have gone to a Junior, Junior Community College if they allowed you to write a thesis that is less than a hundred words. My college papers mandated that they be at least 25 pages with a set font, font size, and spacing. Must have been nice to write a thesis on a half sheet of paper that was triple spaced. Sounds like you went to one hell of a good college.

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I don't recall anyone on this board comparing him to Bavaro, but if you want to go that route, Bavaro started all 16 games, caught 37 passes for 511 yds in his rookie year and fans were ecstatic.

 

His best year he caught 66 passes for 1001 yds. In the last five years in the NFL, he wracked up 278 yds, 393 yds, 315 yds, 481 yds, and 215 yds respectively. He averaged 526 yds per season in his career.

 

Regardless.....Bavaro brought something to the game that few TE's ever do and no one is saying that Ballard is Bavaro. But to write Ballard off as a scrub and yawn as if it's nothing is kind of silly.

I don't recall anyone on this board comparing him to Bavaro, but if you want to go that route, Bavaro started all 16 games, caught 37 passes for 511 yds in his rookie year and fans were ecstatic.

 

His best year he caught 66 passes for 1001 yds. In the last five years in the NFL, he wracked up 278 yds, 393 yds, 315 yds, 481 yds, and 215 yds respectively. He averaged 526 yds per season in his career.

 

Regardless.....Bavaro brought something to the game that few TE's ever do and no one is saying that Ballard is Bavaro. But to write Ballard off as a scrub and yawn as if it's nothing is kind of silly.

 

I didn't think he was a scrub, but he is replaceable. For the all the good he did, the bad outweighed it. I think Bennett is gonna be a better fit, and like Storm said, Pascoe can fill right in as well

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I didn't think he was a scrub, but he is replaceable. For the all the good he did, the bad outweighed it. I think Bennett is gonna be a better fit, and like Storm said, Pascoe can fill right in as well

 

I like the Bear, but let's be honest. He's managed 22 catches for a total of 217 yds and zero TD's over three years. He's been given every opportunity to take the leading TE role, but is always getting beaten out, whether it was Boss or Ballard. He's not known for having soft hands and being able to get free. He does have a lot of heart though.

 

I think Bennett was picked up for no other reason than the loss of Ballard as a stopgap until he returned. I've heard good things about Bennett and I like his size (although his going over the 300 lb mark makes him sound like a blocking only TE). I also have great hopes of Robinson, but I know he'll need some time to learn the Giants' system. He's smaller, shorter armed, and faster than Ballard, but so is Beckum. I love a muscular bruising TE that knocks a linebacker or safety on his ass that tries to tackle him.

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Bennet 6-6 291 (not over 300 pounds)

 

Robinson 6-4 270 super long arms (not small)

 

Besides, you can't just google a tight ends' height and size and pigeon-hole him as a blocker or receiver. That's pretty laughable.

 

In fact, a guy like Martellus Bennett I would most certainly consider a receiving tight end, despite his size.

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Besides, you can't just google a tight ends' height and size and pigeon-hole him as a blocker or receiver. That's pretty laughable.

 

In fact, a guy like Martellus Bennett I would most certainly consider a receiving tight end, despite his size.

Yea Bennet should be a good player for us. Hrs actually a good blocker. He can catch some passes too and runs really well for his size

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Besides, you can't just google a tight ends' height and size and pigeon-hole him as a blocker or receiver. That's pretty laughable.

 

In fact, a guy like Martellus Bennett I would most certainly consider a receiving tight end, despite his size.

 

Bennett is considered a in-line blocking TE, who can catch.

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Besides, you can't just google a tight ends' height and size and pigeon-hole him as a blocker or receiver. That's pretty laughable.

 

In fact, a guy like Martellus Bennett I would most certainly consider a receiving tight end, despite his size.

 

:LMAO:

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Wow.....you must have gone to a Junior, Junior Community College if they allowed you to write a thesis that is less than a hundred words. My college papers mandated that they be at least 25 pages with a set font, font size, and spacing. Must have been nice to write a thesis on a half sheet of paper that was triple spaced. Sounds like you went to one hell of a good college.

 

No, it was around 78 pages if I remember correctly.

 

Why are you so long winded? What you can say in 2 sentences is dragged on into 20. That's female bitching about useless whore prattle.

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Besides, you can't just google a tight ends' height and size and pigeon-hole him as a blocker or receiver. That'

s pretty laughable.

In fact, a guy like Martellus Bennett I would most certainly consider a receiving tight end, despite

his size.

Wait was this directed at me? Cuz I was correcting There size. Bleeding had the siEr wrong

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Wait was this directed at me? Cuz I was correcting There size. Bleeding had the siEr wrong

 

no, I was talking about BB...players with typical TE size can excel at blocking and still catch passes...was just saying you can't restrict them by just looking at size

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no, I was talking about BB...players with typical TE size can excel at blocking and still catch passes...was just saying you can't restrict them by just looking at size

 

I wasn't restricting him because of his size....heck, Witten and Gronk are two of the best in the league and are in the 6'6" / 265 lb range. Personally, I (always the optimist) have a lot of hope for Bennet. No one really knows how good he can be because he was stuck behind Witten while in Dallas. Because of it, he was basically used for blocking and spelling Witten to keep him on fresh legs. Bennett did have 33 catches in 2010, but only wracked up 260 yds. and no TD's... compared to Ballard who only had 38 catches, but wracked up more than 600 yds. and 4 TD's. Last year Bennett only played in 14 games because on an injury, but had 17 catches for 144 yds. Bennett had above average speed for a TE at his college combine 5 years ago, but wasn't particularly speedy when with the Cowboys and he didn't gain a lot of yards after the catch - a key measurement in rating TE's. In this past offseason, Bennett added a lot of weight to his frame and rarely does more weight mean more speed. In fact, just the opposite....hence the reason I'm a little worried that JPP bulked up in the offseason as more weight (muscle or not) usually means less agility and as a simple matter of physics.....carrying more weight in a footrace doesn't equate to faster times.

 

Regardless....I hope Bennett can duplicate Ballard's numbers, but it's still an unknown. I believe we picked up Bennett as a stop gap measure until Ballard returned or one of the rookies breaks out and shows he's got the talent to play at the NFL level at TE. Hence the reason we signed Bennett to a one-year contract and not a 4-year contract. We really don't know what we have in Bennett yet. When Dallas was the focus of Hard Knocks, they painted Bennett as "lazy and selfish" and he was having a difficult time learning the NFL system under Dallas coaching. Hopefully, Pope can wave his magic wand and turn him into a solid TE. But just in case he doesn't work out, he's only here for a year.

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yeah, yeah, I know you weren't, BB, you were bringing up their size and linking them to what you think they would play on our team for our health. I know. I know. :ermm: :confused: :jerkoff: :rolleyes:

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For all you guys who called Ballard a "scrub", an "unheard of nobody", "too slow", "easily replaceable", etc.....check out his highlights in his rookie year last year with the Giants. Maybe it will help some of you guys understand why TC and Eli are really pissed that the Patriots snapped him up.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1-qUp47B78

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For all you guys who called Ballard a "scrub", an "unheard of nobody", "too slow", "easily replaceable", etc.....check out his highlights in his rookie year last year with the Giants. Maybe it will help some of you guys understand why TC and Eli are really pissed that the Patriots snapped him up.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1-qUp47B78

 

You should show all the drops he had, like the three against the Eagles, that hit him right in his hand. Yeah Pascoe doesn't have soft hands but neither did Ballard or Boss.

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You should show all the drops he had, like the three against the Eagles, that hit him right in his hand. Yeah Pascoe doesn't have soft hands but neither did Ballard or Boss.

 

Your hatred for the guy is really weird. And Ballard had very soft hands.....at least that's what Pope said....but hell, what does Pope know about things like that.

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Your hatred for the guy is really weird. And Ballard had very soft hands.....at least that's what Pope said....but hell, what does Pope know about things like that.

 

Yeah, Ballard's soft hands....that's definitely your area of expertise....

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Your hatred for the guy is really weird. And Ballard had very soft hands.....at least that's what Pope said....but hell, what does Pope know about things like that.

I don't think he hates the guy, I don't think any of us hated him. He was a good Giant, but at the end of the day he really just want that good. Bennet can be much better especially as a blocker and like I've said many times Robinson is our future who happens to have a really high ceiling. Much higher then Ballards and even higher then Bennets.

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4 pages arguing over Ballard? Why?

 

It's a shame he's gone, but it's not like we lost a league leading TE. He had 600 yards in receptions? Not all that impressive when the QB throws for nearly 5,000 yards.

 

Not like 1,001 yards when your QB throws 3500, AND you're known for your blocking.

 

I'm also wondering when Bear Pascoe had all these big chances to win the TE spot. Two years ago, he played fullback.

 

Fact is, if Beckum wasn't such a total fuck-up, neither of these guys would have had much playing time.

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4 pages arguing over Ballard? Why?

 

It's a shame he's gone, but it's not like we lost a league leading TE. He had 600 yards in receptions? Not all that impressive when the QB throws for nearly 5,000 yards.

 

Not like 1,001 yards when your QB throws 3500, AND you're known for your blocking.

 

I'm also wondering when Bear Pascoe had all these big chances to win the TE spot. Two years ago, he played fullback.

 

Fact is, if Beckum wasn't such a total fuck-up, neither of these guys would have had much playing time.

 

Because it's June? :)

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Yeah seriously, Fish.

 

Ballard ranked 17th in the NFL for yards by a TE. That's starting 14 games. He was 16th in yards per game by TE's. He was tied for 20th among TE's in the NFL in touchdowns.

 

These are pedestrian numbers we are talking here, particularly when others that ranked higher on these lists had inferior QB play in offenses that focused on running the ball more. Not to mention Ballard was the last guy opposing defenses had to worry about with Nicks and Cruz on the field, and even Manningham. You think Ballard is drawing ANY doubles? Because of the other receivers in this offense, Ballard was matched up with linebackers most of the time, and that's a player he can win against from time to time.

 

It's no indictment of him that he was the 4th or sometimes 5th option in our passing attack. It's a credit to the talent we had at receiver last year. But ideally you want someone who can exploit those favorable matchups better than Ballard can. What you saw on that video you posted, Bleedin', is a guy with good concentration, good effort, good hands, who is also unable to make sharp cuts, separate from defenders, with little to no speed. Nobody's knocking the guy, he is what he is... and more often than not, I'll take a effort guy with physical limitations like Ballard over a great athlete with no desire. But he is a guy that's replaceable, and he's not a prototype TE. Robinson is closer to the prototype because he's big AND can run and cut.

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