By SN correspondents - SportingNews Each week, Sporting News correspondents provide insight and analysis on every NFL team. Here's a sample of what you'll find in the latest AFC team reports. EAST DIVISION Buffalo Bills Defensive tackle John McCargo's progress is hindered by a second surgery on his broken left foot. He had surgery on Oct. 9 and a clean-up procedure in February. The team hopes McCargo will be ready by training camp but faces uncertainty at an crucial position. The team needs McCargo's talent to improve last season's 28th-ranked run defense. If healthy, he will line up at nose tackle, where he could rotate with second-year man Kyle Williams and perhaps Tim Anderson. With McCargo, the nose tackle spot looks decent, but his absence would weaken a vital area. McCargo is working on his upper body. He's noticeably thicker in the shoulders and chest. He needed the extra strength and bulk to be more of a force against the run. Miami Dolphins Ronnie Brown is being asked the same questions he faced a year ago: Can he handle the bulk of the carries without a partner like Ricky Williams in the backfield? He handled the doubt last season with his best numbers as a two-year pro, 1,008 yards on 241 carries. But Brown has yet to become the elite back some expect. He must work extra hard to develop durability and explosiveness, since he came to camp more than 10 pounds over his playing weight. Brown already has the measurables to be an effective and bruising back. He is fast and powerful, quick and controlling. But he must show he has the work ethic to fill expectations. New England Patriots By re-signing Junior Seau, the team addressed its linebacker depth shortage. Seau, 38, returns for his 18th season after a gruesome broken arm ended last season following 11 productive games. With Adalius Thomas on hand, coaches should be able to limit Seau to first and second downs, cut his reps and keeping him fresh. Seau remains a playmaker. For an early stretch, he was the team's best linebacker, particularly against the running game. He also shook off concerns that he'd be too undisciplined to play in the team's system, making the correct reads off his defensive linemen and filling the proper gaps because of his superb instincts. If coaches can keep his snaps down, Seau should be able to provide bursts of energy in the linebacker rotation. New York Jets Tight end Chris Baker hopes to become a bigger part of the passing game. He did well last season in limited opportunities and deserves a chance to have an expanded role. He's the only tight end on the roster with pass-catching ability, so it makes sense to get him involved. If coaches can establish him as an over-the-middle threat, it would loosen the coverage on wide receivers Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=afcteamreportsworkingtow&prov=tsn&type=lgns
I feel like this is posted every year. If he isn't more involved this year you know that we need to get a better tight end next offseason.
The guy's a middle of the road player. nothing more, nothing less. He's not bad, but in an era that has Gates, Gonzales, Shockey and Winslow Part Duex, his stock doesn't look appealing. If his performance doesn't improve or take a more important role in the offense this season, then it's time for an upgrade.
Nothing of substance there. Each year we hope they use baker more and each year he does a LITTLE better but never really becomes anything more then an average TE. I wish they would use him more...but it hasn't happened yet and as long as we need him more for blocking and protecting Chad his chances of making a difference catching the ball will be limited.
ICWT, Stinky, and Duk already said everything I was gonna say. It's the same story every year with this guy.
i'm not ready to give up on baker, he was basically a third tackle last year, i can't hold 2005 against him either even without the injury. but i think his numbers go up in a direct correlation with better offensive line play.
The other thing that you guys hear every year is that it takes a QB with a good arm to properly utilize a pass-catching tightend. Unlike the sideline throws that most receivers get as their main diet the tightend is used in the middle of the field and balls thrown his way have to be delivered with accuracy and speed. Otherwise they get picked too often. Expecting Baker to step up his production dramatically when Chad is not capable of making many of the throws that would do that is unrealistic. Chad is still going to be looking at 2 or 3 potential defenders in the vicinity every time he checks down to Baker and he's still going to be outletting to the sidelines or throwing it away in those situations.
So now Chad can't make any throws over the middle??? Seriously, the depths that people will go to in order to bash Chad has no limits. Most of Baker's catches were over the middle last year. He even had an out pattern for a TD against the Titans that Chad delivered to a perfect spot away from the defender, so some of his catches were to the sideline, but most were over the middle. I'm fully aware of Chad's limitations in throwing the deep outs, but let me see if I get this straight. According to people here, he can't throw a deep bomb, he can't throw a deep out, and now he can't throw it over the middle. I'm sure glad the coaches don't read these boards because obviously fans posting on message boards know more than the coaches. If all Chad could do was dump off to the RB's, he would not be playing in the NFL.
^ Chad can throw it anywhere on the field, it just takes twice as long to get there than just about any other QB in the league.
HUH? His short range passing is excellent as is his quick decision making and release. Over the middle his passes are very catchable and I would say more suited to throwing to a TE.
but if you're talking about stretching the seam and loosening coverage from Coles and Cotchery, you need a QB with an arm who can get the ball there quickly, which Chad can't. obviously he can throw 7-10 yard passes to Baker in the middle of the field, but he's not going to threaten D's with throwing to Baker down the seam, thereby freeing up Coles and Cotchery -- the D's know he can't. hopefully this year, he's lifting instead of fishing (heck, even more karate instead of fishing) and he'll make those throws. cheers
I agree with what others have said. So far he's shown to be an average TE but I also see potential to have more of an impact. If our O-line can improve with both pass protection and run blocking, he will almost certainly begin to make more of an impact. Improved pass protection will allow him to run patterns rather than help block, and improved run blocking will open up that play action pass a lot. Jones will help the running game a bit, but better run blocking would help more. There are only a handful of top tier TE's in the league before you hit the middle of the pack where I believe Baker is. No reason to give up on him as he does a good job (not outstanding). If we had all the other pieces in place, then maybe we could focus on getting that top tier TE.
Which is what he was doing last season , with either screens or short range passes . Love it or loathe it , its his game and very affective it was last year too.
