Hello Brad? Are you there? Where are you? “It’s me, opportunity knocking”. (Mr. Cottam has failed to answer).
Some of you may remember back on June 5, 2009, I posted an article about Brad Cottam. I normally do not re-hash things, but I have to admit that I was wrong about Brad. Here is an excerpt of what I wrote back in June:
“As a rookie, this third round pick played in all sixteen (16) games last year starting seven (7) of them. He spent most of the year honing his blocking skills and playing second string to Tony. He had no passing plays until week eight (8) against the Jets when Chan Gailey finally split him out like the Chiefs did with Tony. Per Cottam “splitting him out was only to last for one series but they did it on four (4) series since it worked so well”. He had four catches for thirty four (34) yards that game. Of course those aren’t Tony numbers, but those are pretty good. He averaged 9.0 yards a catch for the year.
Additionally, Brad Cottam is bigger than any linebacker or cornerback in the league. His size will create serious mismatches. This size disparity will allow him to outreach defenders for all footballs thrown his way. Can you imagine a six (6) foot corner (which is big by NFL standards) or a six foot two inch (6’2) LB on him? That’s a five (5) to seven (7) inch height difference, and at 269 pounds he will be able to “post up” like Tony used to. (Brad Cottam will make an excellent red zone threat with Bowe probably receiving double coverage). Best of all, Brad is also very fast for his size. He can run a 4.65 forty (per rivals.com). That is faster than some linebackers in the league.
What is Brad’s only negative? He has battled the injury bug. During his career, he has had five surgeries, including one upon his wrist in 2007, and another injury as a result of a car accident. If Brad can escape the bug, I predict that he will have forty five (45) catches, five hundred yards (500) receiving and six (6) touchdowns in 2009, only to do better in 2010.”
Unfortunately, Brad has squandered, in all likelihood, his only opportunity to make a name and living for himself. The Chiefs’ starting TE position was gift wrapped for him, and he failed to make anything of it. He has played in two of the five games to date, and has one catch for eleven yards. He is has been a huge disappointment for the Chiefs.
What do you think happened to Brad Cottam?
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In answer to the question:
Maybe he’s just not very good?
I was anticipating Haley would go mauler on O-Line and blocking TE, especially the latter, espeshalecially when no significant moves were made at O-Line (until September). I really thought we’d see double (and triple) TE sets to give the Chiefs some semblance of a POWER running game. And if one or more TEs could also block, all the better.
Saw neither thing happen. TEs are mostly filtering into the pattern without blocking and being beaten soundly when they do block. Very disappointing. I wasn’t sad to see Tony G. go, because I figured they could play more winning-style football with a frickin’ BLOCKER at TE than a receiver, and the whole bunch they’ve got is mediocre at blocking, at best.
Ryan’s probably the closest thing to a lunch-bucket TE.
Anyhoo, just very disappointed in Cottam and the whole TE corps and in how they’re being employed. With the O-Line struggling the way they are and with other teams blowing everything up by blitzing, I really expected to see more max-protect looks, to PROTECT the ROT and LOT (and they DID try to protect Wade Smith at LOT with a TE lined up on the left side, when he played in relief of the injured Albert).
That stretch, with the Chiefs leaving their TEs in pass protection was actually a BETTER stretch than they had the whole rest of the game. There were other factors, but this was significant.
I don’t think anything happened to Cottam. I think he only had 21 catches for his entire college career and was a massive reach in the third round. Maybe he just isn’t very good.
hmills110: As always, you have excellent insight and opinions. keep em coming.
dbk301: he most certainly looks like a reach now.
Maybe Hailey just doesn’t like his tight ends that well. Brad is decent and trying to compare him to a great TE is ridiculous. We need to face the fact that we will NEVER have a TE as good as TG. He was an awesome athelete that we were lucky to snag. They don’t make them like him very often.
None of the players Pioli and the Toddler inherited are any good especially the ones who were drafted in the last 3 years. They have to get rid of all of the old players and bring in new players.