I know that now that he's going to leave the team he's going to get decidedly unpopular with most of us but this was a guy who was already in my doghouse (for whatever two sh!ts in a handbasket thats worth). I posed that question to Jason Cole only a few days before Battaglia considered retirement, about whether or not Perry's recent work at mini-camps suggests that Battaglia could be on the way out in favor of rostering only 3 TEs. And while that question seems rather ominous in light of recent news about Battaglia considering retirement, Jason Cole's ANSWER proved to be even more ominous in light of Perry's season-ending knee injury. Cole said that a long snapper is too valuable (see Giants) to a team to risk his body with some regular action as a tight end. If he blows a knee playing TE you could be S.O.L. for long-snapping.
D'oh! Well, at least it wasn't playing TE where he blew his knee, it was long-snapping.
Anyway I think Battaglia was still listed #2 on the depth chart so this is worthy of note, but nonetheless Donald Lee's assumption of the #2 job was IMO only a matter of time...since basically the two-TE formations we had been using against the Titans and Bucs were Lee and McMike. Lee has looked real good. Not just good in Mini Camps then disappearing in pads, that was Battaglia's MO. Lee looks good with the pads on too, and Battaglia has not.
Couple notes...
IceStorm:
But who would be our #2 TE??? Not a rookie I hope.
I seem to recall a ROOKIE...I forget his name, started with an R, starting the entire 2002 season for the dolphins and not only looking pretty good in the process but helping us win more than a few games. God what WAS his name...
Muck:
Whomever the new 3rd TE is would be pretty much useless for a while.
True, but we borrowed Desmond Clark's talents really really late in the offseason in much the same fashion in 2002, and I seem to recall us coming out alright from that situation...where the TE is concerned (not with the rest of the team). We nabbed Clark off waivers from Denver and his arm was still injured through most of preseason.
JuniorSeau55:
Gadsen is our third tight end since he is weighting in at 250 lbs for camp. haha
Since the first time I watched Gadsden play, the first time he took a catch in the flats and turned upfield and it took 3 tacklers to get him down properly, I've felt that Gadsden was a TE in a WR's body. Honestly I would like to see this turn into more than just a Message Board joke...it would be a great way of keeping OG on the roster to keep the locker room happy, while allowing the youngsters a real chance. But I doubt Gadsden has ever or will ever take on a defensive end in his life...and since he would definitely need to be able to do that, if we dont sign another TE it will probably be cuz we're utilizing Rob Konrad and Femi A in the TE/H-Back role which we've done before.
Dude:
They tried to start a QB contraversy between Griese & Sage
In my mind, there should be a controversy brewing between these two. Sage has flat out looked BETTER in my opinion, against the Titans and against the Buccaneers and yes I know Sage had inferior defensive players working against him but he also had inferior offensive players working with him. Sage needs to work on consistency but he's got the gun, willingness, and knowledge of the offense to score points, even with his gaffes, rather than leading the poster-offense for erectile dysfunction. I don't think poise in the pocket is somethin you can really blame on knowledge of the system. If you can't find an open guy you can still throw the damn ball away. Rosenhaus is right, Griese has NOT looked like the same man he was in Denver. When that guy shows up in a Dolphins uniform, then I'll lay to rest my own misgivings and smote Sage back down to clear #3 in my eyes.
