Spann-Ford #2 TE?

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pharmacygopher said:
Makes sense why he came back for another year. Sounds like this TE draft class is deep.

Hopefully he's another JMS. He could have left last year and been drafted but he returned and now he's arguably the #1 center in the draft and getting lots of hype.
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I wished that Daniel Fa'alele stayed an extra year.
 


I would think him seeing that, he's going to work extra hard this off season to justify the rating.
 




I've considered Spann-Ford to be the Gophers best NFL prospect since Faalele left for the Ravens. I was surprised he returned for this season, as I expected more NFL interest. Maybe he had it and just wanted to come back? Who knows?

He's enormous for the position, is agile, blocks well, and has at least flashed high level receiving skills at times.

I think if Simon can have him as one of the top 2 Gophers in receiving yards next season that he could be a pretty high draft pick.
 

Bowers is a really great player, but is he really an inline TE at the NFL level? No doubt he'll a first-round pick provided he stays healthy, but I see him as a bit of a hybrid.

Great to see Spann-Ford get some deserved recognition. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does in 2023.
 



Most NFL prospects thinking about declaring for the draft get evaluations from NFL teams.
If the teams suggest staying in college for another year to improve aspects of your game that is what they do.
 

#2Gopher said:
I would think him seeing that, he's going to work extra hard this off season to justify the rating.
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I agree, but will he have a head coach and OC that’s willing to put the ball in the air more to showcase and take advantage of his talents? That is the real question/concern.

I’m also a Georgia fan since I live here so I see Bowers a lot. While I don’t think BSF has the breakaway speed of Bowers after he catches the ball, I think he could be every bit as good a weapon in the offense as Bowers is for Georgia. But you have to at least try to take advantage of the weapons at your disposal. Bowers caught almost 30 more balls last year than BSF. I realize the line needs to give the QB time to throw, but we have to put the ball in the air a little more. There are very few defenders who can adequately cover BSF. We need to take advantage of that.
 






TE is about being able to use your body to consistently create space so you can catch the ball. BSF has the athletic ability to create space. What he has lacked is the understanding of the game to do this consistently. While the offense might be partially to blame, I do think he needs to be a better route runner and use his body more to create space. This year will be able working on the little things that can make him great. If he does do, and things click, he has the athletic talent to be a 1st or 2nd rounder.
 

BSF is a nice tight end, not great by any measure from what I can tell. He certainly hasn’t gotten to the Max Williams/Matt Spieth level. When I look at the really good tight ends in the NFL, they catch most everything and find themselves open most all the time, if BSF can do that this next year, I will become a believer. My guess is that Iowa has 3 guys that are better than BSF.
 


Fair enough.

On the other hand, Bowers had 63 catches for 942yds in 15 games. :)
 



HoustonTXGopher said:
BSF is a nice tight end, not great by any measure from what I can tell. He certainly hasn’t gotten to the Max Williams/Matt Spieth level. When I look at the really good tight ends in the NFL, they catch most everything and find themselves open most all the time, if BSF can do that this next year, I will become a believer. My guess is that Iowa has 3 guys that are better than BSF.
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That's one take

Here's another

Comment: I'm sad that I don't get to predict Brevyn Spann-Ford as a breakout candidate in 2023, but I'm relieved that the breakout finally happened for him last fall, as he caught 42 passes, which is the most a Gopher tight end has caught since Matt Spaeth in the mid-2000s. To go with that, he was the #1 graded run-blocking tight end in the Big Ten, via Pro Football Focus. Hell, he was the #1 graded tight end in the Big Ten overall with a bullet with a 90.0 grade. Yet, the number one gripe I see about Spann-Ford's 2022 season was "he dropped too many passes."

He dropped three of his 60 targets. That's a drop % of 6.7, which ranks 9th of 18 Big Ten tight ends with 25 or more targets. You thinking he dropped a lot of passes is strange, but there's still another gear left for Spann-Ford, which is why he opted to come back for another season. If he can find that gear for another 13 games in 2023, he'll be an NFL draft pick.

The other thing I think you'll notice in 2023 is a reduction in Spann-Ford's snaps. He played on 746 snaps last fall, which is the highest number of any non-offensive linemen. If the Gophers drop him back a little, I'd expect to see more Jameson Geers in his third season. Minnesota is high on what Geers can bring to the tight end room, and now after two years in a collegiate weight room, I expect to see more of the Illinois native in year three with Nick Kallerup as the run-grader as well.

www.thedailygopher.com

Breaking down the Gophers’ returning production for 2023

A closer look at who will — and who won’t — be coming back for Minnesota next season
www.thedailygopher.com www.thedailygopher.com
 

PMWinSTP said:
He was clearly the featured receiver in Georgia's offense. Makes a huge difference.
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Is that true?? I did not watch a game of Georgia's this year.

The stats seem to indicate they spread the ball around through the air, but you're obviously correct that he's probably their top guy.

GamesRecYdsAvgTD
Brock Bowers1563942157
Ladd McConkey155876213.17
Kenny McIntosh154350511.72
Darnell Washington152845416.22
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint152933711.62
Kearis Jackson152132015.20
Dominick Blaylock151522715.11


Are you saying BSF could not do that in our system?
 

Gophers_4life said:
Is that true?? I did not watch a game of Georgia's this year.

The stats seem to indicate they spread the ball around through the air, but you're obviously correct that he's probably their top guy.

GamesRecYdsAvgTD
Brock Bowers1563942157
Ladd McConkey155876213.17
Kenny McIntosh154350511.72
Darnell Washington152845416.22
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint152933711.62
Kearis Jackson152132015.20
Dominick Blaylock151522715.11


Are you saying BSF could not do that in our system?
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Not saying that, but until last year the TE was not really part of Fleck's passing offense. BSF causes mismatches no matter who covers him. I hope they indeed build on last year's production from him.
 

pharmacygopher said:
To go with that, he was the #1 graded run-blocking tight end in the Big Ten, via Pro Football Focus. Hell, he was the #1 graded tight end in the Big Ten overall with a bullet with a 90.0 grade.
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Yup, pretty much what I was going to post. BSF has developed into a devastating in-line blocker -- the very skill that was rumored to have cut into his playing time early in his career. Is he a top 3 TE in the country? I have no clue. But I do know that playing the position requires a lot more than catching passes, and BSF has become one of the best in the country at some of those things according to PFF. FWIW, I'm surprised but excited he's returning next year.
 

pharmacygopher said:
That's one take

Here's another

Comment: I'm sad that I don't get to predict Brevyn Spann-Ford as a breakout candidate in 2023, but I'm relieved that the breakout finally happened for him last fall, as he caught 42 passes, which is the most a Gopher tight end has caught since Matt Spaeth in the mid-2000s. To go with that, he was the #1 graded run-blocking tight end in the Big Ten, via Pro Football Focus. Hell, he was the #1 graded tight end in the Big Ten overall with a bullet with a 90.0 grade. Yet, the number one gripe I see about Spann-Ford's 2022 season was "he dropped too many passes."

He dropped three of his 60 targets. That's a drop % of 6.7, which ranks 9th of 18 Big Ten tight ends with 25 or more targets. You thinking he dropped a lot of passes is strange, but there's still another gear left for Spann-Ford, which is why he opted to come back for another season. If he can find that gear for another 13 games in 2023, he'll be an NFL draft pick.

The other thing I think you'll notice in 2023 is a reduction in Spann-Ford's snaps. He played on 746 snaps last fall, which is the highest number of any non-offensive linemen. If the Gophers drop him back a little, I'd expect to see more Jameson Geers in his third season. Minnesota is high on what Geers can bring to the tight end room, and now after two years in a collegiate weight room, I expect to see more of the Illinois native in year three with Nick Kallerup as the run-grader as well.

www.thedailygopher.com

Breaking down the Gophers’ returning production for 2023

A closer look at who will — and who won’t — be coming back for Minnesota next season
www.thedailygopher.com www.thedailygopher.com
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TE U?
 

MGGopher said:
Yup, pretty much what I was going to post. BSF has developed into a devastating in-line blocker -- the very skill that was rumored to have cut into his playing time early in his career. Is he a top 3 TE in the country? I have no clue. But I do know that playing the position requires a lot more than catching passes, and BSF has become one of the best in the country at some of those things according to PFF. FWIW, I'm surprised but excited he's returning next year.
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Isn't there a poster around here who argued endlessly a year ago that BSF could not be a starting TE because he could not block?
 



HoustonTXGopher said:
BSF is a nice tight end, not great by any measure from what I can tell. He certainly hasn’t gotten to the Max Williams/Matt Spieth level. When I look at the really good tight ends in the NFL, they catch most everything and find themselves open most all the time, if BSF can do that this next year, I will become a believer. My guess is that Iowa has 3 guys that are better than BSF.
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I’d say that your guess is wrong.
 

HoustonTXGopher said:
BSF is a nice tight end, not great by any measure from what I can tell. He certainly hasn’t gotten to the Max Williams/Matt Spieth level. When I look at the really good tight ends in the NFL, they catch most everything and find themselves open most all the time, if BSF can do that this next year, I will become a believer. My guess is that Iowa has 3 guys that are better than BSF.
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Interesting take. Go look at their best years.
 

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