This isn't going to be one of those "Keller sucks etc etc" threads. I think Keller is actually a good TE with some strong points and some weak ones. The problem is his strengths and weaknesses are atypical and don't fit ths style of offense we want to play. Not to say he isn't useful, he is, just that in hindsight I don't agree with the selection (with a guy like John Carlson still on the board). Strengths: Keller is a circus catch TE. He isn't very big for a TE (both in height and in weight) but he is very fast and athletic. That allows him to create mismatches and, when you throw the ball to him in tight coverage, to make some highlight catches. Weaknesses: The word highlight unfortunately doesn't mix well with the word consistency. If you always have to rely on being the best athlete to make the catch it's very hard you beat the defender 90% of the times (especially in traffic down the middle). Sometimes being 6'5" instead of 6'2" is really helpful when you go down the middle. And that is what I think a TE for the Jets should be, a reliable target down the middle. IMO the selection of Keller fit perfectly with having Favre on the team. Say what you want about the old man but the thing he did best was throwing a precise, fast, strong ball to the TE in the only place he could catch it. He didn't need his TE to be reliable (in getting open), he needed a TE that could make an athletic catch because he (Favre) already knew where to throw the ball. With Sanchez the situation is a lot different. He's an inexperienced player (not his fault, just a fact) and when he goes through his reads he has difficulties to understand if a man is open or not (again, not his fault, he'll get better at it). When that happens having a big target like a 6'5" TE running down the middle is a big help because it's easier to understand when he is physically outplaying his opponent. With Keller it's hard to evaluate wether he'll outplay his opponent or not... and it's also hard to understand how to throw it to him so he can make the play. Sanchez needs a TE that gives him the reassurance that if he throws the ball to him strong and high in the middle he is going to catch it, Keller potentially is a bigger weapon/threat but he needs a QB with the experience/ability to use him right. Add to this analysis the fact that Keller is not a very good blocking TE in a run first team and you get the picture... PS I'll point it out again... Keller will be useful and will have success in this offense... just not as much as he coul have in an offense with a more experienced QB. I'm not saying he is a waste and he sucks... PPS Just to make an example... we have a "Braylon Edwards" type of TE (can go for th home run but can fuck it up bad) and we need a "Jerricho Cotchery" type of TE (doesn't matter how you throw it to him, he'll catch it... but his physical tools aren't so overwhelming).
Nope... but I wanted to analyze why Keller wasn't having the success he had last season. Wouldn't mind having John Carlson though... he got selected in the 2nd rd of the 2008 draft by the Seahawks. http://www.nfl.com/players/johncarlson/profile?id=CAR142530 http://www.nfl.com/players/dustinkeller/profile?id=KEL091879 But again, I'm cool with having Keller... just as long as we realize he's not the typical TE.
I'm a Nortre Dame fan. When the Jets selected keller I was happy, but in the back of my head I did say to myself, "Carlson is still on the board, WTF?" I love the career he's having so far in Seattle. A truly complete TE.
At Least we got worst post of the day out of the way early today. Keller has been open all year. Keller's blocking has improved dramatically and will continue to improve. When Sanchez catches up to with the speed of the game, Keller will be his best friend. Not rocket science.
One thing is to say he is open when watching TV, another one is to understand when he is open when playing QB. One thing is to throw to an "open" 6'2" TE down the middle, another is to throw to an "open" 6'5" TE down the middle. Also he has good but not great hands so he can't be the player you always use as an escape route. As I have said I agree Keller has/will have more big play capability than many TEs in the league... but I also think it's harder to use him than other TEs. My point
When Sanchez develops into an experienced QB, Keller will be there, and shockingly enough the connection will click. Hell the whole football team isn't equipped to have a rookie learning on the job. If we had a solid veteran QB, we would be 7-2, and riding high. That said, I prefer the situation we have right now. in a year, maybe two Sanchez will have this offensive core clicking. look at the future of our offense. QB Sanchez RB Greene RB Washington FB ? WR Cotchery WR Edwards TE Keller LT Ferguson LG ? C Mangold RG Moore RT ? That is 8 positions locked down for the future on offense. 8! While he obviously isnt a long-term solution, I would not be surprised to see Tony Richardson back for a year, or maybe two more. The guy is still exceptional, and I would be happy to have him on my team until he doesn't want to play another down.
you would kind of hoped it panned out that way but 1 or 2 of those guys will be gone via FA. thats just the business. however the most important position, QB, is a lock and its a huge one. at least 1/3rd of NFL teams go into every offseason with ? at QB.... thats just not the way to win consistently jil
Hey, I was the one that made the thread about how much young talent we have on offense so I completely agree with you . My point is: A) You want a TE that matches our team skillset straight away. If you want this you can bitch about Keller because he isn't that guy (for the reasons stated at the beginning of the thread). B) You understand they need a couple of years to play to each other talents and are willing to go with that. If that's the case there is no reason to criticize Keller now because, as you have said, it's obvious they need time to play to each others stregths. BUt in no way Keller = Becht = other TE of the Jets past...
Who will be gone? Greene just signed his rookie contract. LW is in a bad contractual situation (we have all the leverage). Cotchery is signed though 2012. Edwards will get signed long term this off-season. Sanchez is on his rookie contract. Keller is in the second year of his rookie contract. D'Brick and Mangold will share the money currently used to pay Faneca and Woody. Moore just signed a 3 year contract. For the next 3 years I think we are pretty much set on offense (contract-wise). That's big... PS If we redo D'brick and Mangold contracts this year (as I'm sure we will, Johnson needs to sell tickets for the stadium next year and this is what the fans want) we can give them big signing bonuses that don't reflect on the cap. This no cap year comes at an excellent time for us.
Thanks for the reasonable reply for my probably over the top worst post comment. I disagree on Keller. I think as Sanchez progresses Keller will be a probowl tight end. I also believe his blocking is coming along. I think we probably both hope I'm the one who is right on this one. As to being consistently open this year, the tape and the coaches back me. Sanchez has been coming off reads early all year and has missed open receivers, not just Keller, consistently. Bottom line for me is this team has been very good this year except for the QB position. I don't blame Sanchez for this. The coaches made the call to put him in this situation as a rookie. He hasn't progressed as quickly as the coaches obviously hoped but I do believe he will. I think over the next several years we'll have a different perspective on both players just so hard to say wait til next year again.
he just needs a good kick in the ass. someone has to put him in his place. Maybe the media can do that to him and next year he at least shows up to the games.
Oh I agree, i was just bringing back the fact that our team has a great young core. to be honest, i would be curious to see the breakdown on how long our young Defensive core is signed for.
I must be mistaken, i thought it was the coaches job to get on his ass and get the guy going. Rex talks a big game but he doesn't get on people and make them better. Maybe he will learn this.
For as many balls as Keller has dropped this year, its really hard to even say he has "good" hands at this point. I dont know if its a lack of concentration or what, but his drops are being an all too common thing lately.
I completely disagree with the premise of this thread. Keller is the perfect hybrid TE/H-back that Schotty has been trying to find since he was hired in 2006. One of the staples of Schotty's philosophy is versatile players that can shift from position to position. We've seen a couple of nice TE screens run to Keller, we've seen mixed results with his run blocking, but we have also seen some very nice potential from Keller this season and it can only get better once he and Sanchez are getting chemistry - hell, we even saw a pretty effective TE reverse yesterday. The difference between this year and last year is that last year DK had a Hall Of Fame QB that knows the benefit that a fast, strong, pass-catching TE can have as a dump-off option and to draw safeties into the middle of the field, and this year he has a rookie who is just getting used to working with NFL-level receivers at NFL-level speed. Keller is the perfect fit for this offense. If the execution reaches the unrealistic level that the play-calling demands, Keller will be a staple of a high-powered offense.
Wasn't Pettigrew the other TE that the Jets were supposedly targeting in that draft? From what I've heard he's much more of a complete TE. He may lack some of Keller's athleticism but makes up for it with superior blocking. I don't know. I was loving the Keller pick last year. This year, not so much.
