Welcome to Washington John Bates TE Boise State

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

This was the only pick that made me groan this weekend.  Was kind of shocked, honestly.  Especially after reading Mayhew’s comments made him sound more like a free agent pickup than a 4th round pick.  But what do I know?

[Malapropismic Depository]

5 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

This was the only pick that made me groan this weekend.  Was kind of shocked, honestly.  Especially after reading Mayhew’s comments made him sound more like a free agent pickup than a 4th round pick.  But what do I know?

 

We were so desperate for a #2 Tight End, that I was practically at the point that no matter what player they selected, as long as he had the 2 letters, T.E., next to his name and that was all - then I was going to celebrate.

Our backup TE's have literally been that horrendously bad. Literally anything would be an upgrade for players behind Logan Thomas

[carex]

looking further into Bates, his 12 catches did come in only three games, and Boise State played only seven

 

Maybe we plan on playing a lot of three receiver sets, so our primary concern is competent backup

[FootballZombie]

3 hours ago, mistertim said:

 

 

They clearly were reaching for specific needs and holes in this draft and our TE2 last year (Sprinkle) was a big bodied guy who was expected to take a pounding while blocking and rarely go out for passes. This new guy slides into that role day one, with the potential to grow beyond it.

 

Considering how poorly Sprinkle performed in his role, I  think its safe to think the new guy will be an upgrade very quickly.

 

They were clearly not looking for any kind of weapon here, just a player who gives us the chance to continue to run the kind of offense we are looking to employ. If he is a regular contributor as a blocker both on O and ST, that is great value for where he was picked. 

 

Unlike an UDFA, he is on a rookie contract now so we will now have that roll filled for the next 4yrs, as opposed to 3

Edited May 3, 2021 by FootballZombie

[CommanderInTheRye]

From Brugler’s pre-draft player analysis:

 

 

 

10. JOHN BATES | Boise State 6053 | 250 lbs. | rSR. Lebanon, Ore. (Lebanon) 11/6/1997 (age 23.48) #85

 

BACKGROUND: John Bates grew up in Nyssa, Ore., (located on the Oregon-Idaho border) and attended Nyssa High School as a freshman and sophomore. His family moved to Lebanon on the opposite end of the state and he enrolled at Lebanon High School as a junior and senior. Bates played wide receiver, defensive back and punter, earning All-Conference and All-State honors his final two seasons. He also lettered in basketball and track and was a three-time qualifier for the state championships, leading his school to titles in 2014 and 2015. Bates was the 5A boys athlete of the meet as a junior, winning the state title in the javelin (194’2) and 110-meter hurdles (14.65), taking second in the triple jump (43’7.5) and fourth in the long jump (20’7.75).

A three-star tight end recruit out of high school, Bates was the No. 63 ranked tight end in the 2016 class and the No. 13 recruit in the state of Oregon. He originally committed to Oregon State, but growing up 45 minutes from Boise, he was a Boise State fan and flipped to the Broncos before signing day. His mother (Laura) played volleyball at Boise State. Bates accepted his invitation to the 2021 Senior Bowl.

 

YEAR (GP/GS) REC YDS AVG TD NOTES
 2016: Redshirted
2017: (14/2) 2018: (13/8) 2019: (14/13) 2020: (5/4) Total: (46/27)
3 34 10 155 22 273 12 117 47 579
11.3 0 15.5 1 12.4 1 9.8 0 12.3 2
Honorable Mention All-MWC
Honorable Mention All-MWC; Missed two games

 

 

HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
COMBINE N/A (Combine canceled)
PRO DAY

6053 250 32 1/4 9 3/8 78 1/4 4.82 2.83 1.71 31 1/2 10’0” 4.35 6.85 19
 

 

STRENGTHS: Looks the part with a projectable frame...stays balanced into contact to seal edge defenders...delivers pop and placement with his hands and constantly resets himself as a blocker to stay attached...works his hips into position to leverage angles...displays the necessary tenacity for run-blocking duties...rolls into his routes and doesn’t run stiff...impressive track background (state titles in the javelin and 110-meter hurdles)...soft hands and drops were uncommon (three in his career)...maintains his focus through traffic...extensive experience on special teams coverages (525 snaps).

 

WEAKNESSES: One-speed player with monotone routes...struggles to separate vs. man coverage with predictable breaks at the top of his routes...his adjustment skills are only average...not a YAC threat and big plays were hard to find on his tape (of his 47 career catches, none were longer than 30 yards)...unproven red-zone threat (only two red-zone catches and zero touchdowns in his career)...room to improve as a move blocker...only average length and long-armed defensive ends will get him in reverse...missed two games as a senior due to a hamstring issue (November 2020).

 

 

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Boise State, Bates played Y tight end in former head coach Bryan Harsin’s offense, lining up mostly inline and occasionally detached. He posted underwhelming numbers as a pass catcher with only two touchdowns, but his impact as a blocker and on special teams was his true value to the Broncos. Bates keeps his eyes, hands and feet on the same page as a blocker to stay balanced at contact while maintaining his aggressive nature. While he struggles to separate down the field, he does a nice job settling in zones with reliable hands. [Teammates nicknamed Bates, “Master”, after an embarrassing locker room incident. (Just testing to see if anyone actually reads this.) lol] Overall, Bates is not a dynamic pass-catching threat, but he can be a serviceable short-to-intermediate target and effective inline blocker. He projects as a classic Y tight end who will contribute on special teams from Day 1.
 [82]

 

GRADE: 6th Round

[KDawg]

3 hours ago, mistertim said:

 

If this is true then they completely screwed up IMO. Drafting a TE to be a pure blocker in the 4th round is lunacy. You can get those guys as UDFAs all over the place and teach them to block. I really really hope that their belief is that he can be a top notch blocker, but that he also has the skill to develop as a good passing threat. He seems to have good hands and while he isn't a master at getting separation, he seems good at boxing guys out with his frame as well as high pointing balls. He didn't get many targets but that could possibly be more about scheme than his ability.

 

I have to believe there's more to their plan than only bringing him in to be a blocker. That would be silly.

Throwing words like lunacy around makes you sound like a guy who enjoys to jog and you’re so much better than that, brother.

[mistertim]

5 minutes ago, KDawg said:

Throwing words like lunacy around makes you sound like a guy who enjoys to jog and you’re so much better than that, brother.

 

Yeah that's a fair point. I think I was just feeling out of sorts earlier and posted reflexively without thinking it through. Thanks for the check.

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/nfl/broncos/.amp/draft/denver-broncos-senior-bowl-notebook-day-3-benjamin-st-juste-jake-curhan-john-bates
 

Here’s an interesting write up on Bates and St-Juste after the Senior Bowl. Pretty glowing for both. I’m not good at posting articles so this is my best effort.

[CommanderInTheRye]

9 hours ago, AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy said:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/nfl/broncos/.amp/draft/denver-broncos-senior-bowl-notebook-day-3-benjamin-st-juste-jake-curhan-john-bates
 

Here’s an interesting write up on Bates and St-Juste after the Senior Bowl. Pretty glowing for both. I’m not good at posting articles so this is my best effort.

 

 

That’s a great read! Here’s the portion about St-Juste (a lot in there I didn’t know about his briefly retiring from football etc.). Overcoming adversity both builds and reveals character. I am really warming up to this guy...

 

 

“Originally from Quebec, Canada, there was a lot of excitement from the scouting community that St-Juste accepted a last-minute invitation to the Senior Bowl. The 6-foot, 200-pound cornerback began his college career in Ann Arbor with the Michigan Wolverines where he appeared in three games in 2017. 

 

However, a serious hamstring injury that he sustained in 2018, caused St-Juste to retire from football. But after his recovery, he entered the NCAA transfer portal where he was contacted by Minnesota who brought him in for a visit. Coaches inquired about his love for the game, injuries, and whether he could still play college football and ultimately decided to suit him up. 

 

In 15 games for the Golden Gophers, St-Juste had a remarkable comeback logging 59 tackles (47 solo), and 11 passes defended. During all three days of practice, St-Juste not only balled out but he received loads of praise from the Miami Dolphins coaching staff on the National Team. 

 

During one-on-one drills, St-Juste challenged receivers on the perimeter and proved to be extremely physical and aggressive. He’s a big-bodied corner with a low stance pre-snap, allowing him to backpedal smoothly and swivel his hips. 

 

During every practice, St-Juste demonstrated remarkable instincts, and closing ability resulting in multiple pass break-ups that frustrated a host of receivers and quarterbacks. Although he had one of the strongest DB performances of the week, medical concerns will most likely make him a late-round selection in the upcoming draft. 

 

St-Juste was a player with something to prove headed into the week, and he should leave Mobile feeling confident and comfortable with his performance.”

 

 

XXXXX

 

 

And below is the equally, if not more, impressive section concerning Bates. We really took the Senior bowl seriously in our evaluations. Makes sense, particularly in a year where many games, practices and face to face interviews were lost to covid ramifications.

 

 

Most Impressive Receiver | TE John Bates | Boise State

The most unlikely Bates could be the most valuable receiver at the 2021 Senior Bowl as a tight end. At 6-foot-6 and 259 pounds, the Oregon native demonstrated that he’s an impressive athlete with loads of talent. 

 

As a track star in high school, Bates competed in hurdles, the long jump, the triple jump, and the javelin. As he competed in the Mountain West Conference, the redshirt senior’s numbers might not jump off the page: 23 games with 47 receptions for 579 yards, and two touchdowns, averaging 12.3 yards per reception. 

 

But Bates' athleticism and abilities landed him on the John Mackey Award Watch List twice, in addition to All-Mountain West honorable mention honors. 

 

Bates had scouts and analysts audibly ‘oohing’ and ‘awing’ in every single practice with his impressive catches, and route-running ability. With shades of Tampa Bay's Cameron Brate and Philadelphia's Zach Ertz to his game, Bates was a dynamic red-zone monster the entire week. 

 

Bates routinely bailed out his QBs on poor throws, lifting the offense out of what should have been incompletions or interceptions. He uses his explosive tree-trunks of legs to jump into the air and pull down contested and 50/50 balls in mid-air. 

 

The former long jumper also used his length and reach to hurl himself into the end zone, scoring multiple touchdowns in team drills. With excellent hands, and the willingness to fight through a contact there’s little doubt that Bates will absolutely have an opportunity to prove his worth in the NFL. 

 

Again, it's exceedingly early to project which round prospects will be selected but if you had to pin me down with a draft projection, I’d argue that Bates’ performance elevated him to the middle rounds of the draft.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by TrancesWithWolves

[redskinss]

That does seem like a bit of a red flag, retiring from football in college because of a hamstring injury makes me question his commitment.

But I'm sure our scouts and coaches covered that plenty and felt comfortable with his answers.

Edited May 3, 2021 by redskinss

[Conn]

That senior bowl practice week assessment of Bates makes him seem like an ENTIRELY different player. Is it possible he was extremely misused and underused? Or did he just have the week of his life during these practices and it isn’t representative of his ceiling, whatever it may be, at all? 

[lovemaskins]

The Terry McLaurin of Tight Ends....

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

3 minutes ago, ConnSKINS26 said:

That senior bowl practice week assessment of Bates makes him seem like an ENTIRELY different player. Is it possible he was extremely misused and underused?

That’s the million dollar question. With TK’s intel on our high interest in Bates, it certainly appears that our FO feels that way. And the guy who wrote this blog agrees with them.
 

I don’t remember Ertz being much of a burner either. We shall see. 

[CommanderInTheRye]

8 hours ago, redskinss said:

That does seem like a bit of a red flag, retiring from football in college because of a hamstring injury makes me question his commitment.

But I'm sure our scouts and coaches covered that plenty and felt comfortable with his answers.

 

 

He made a mistake.

 

He was a teenager that faced serious, perhaps even career changing adversity, and made a mistake.

 

But he got up off the canvas, stopped feeling sorry for himself, worked his butt off to rehab his injury and came back a better, wiser, and hungrier player. 
 

In subsequent interviews about the incident he made no excuses.

 

He Answered every damn fool question steely eyed without blinking or equivocating.

 

He was reborn samurai.

 

All he’s asking for is an opportunity.

 

Rivera looked in his eyes and gave it to him.

 

We will see soon enough if he made the right decision.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by TrancesWithWolves

[Bifflog]

https://www.ktvb.com/article/sports/ncaa/ncaaf/boise-state-football/todd-mcshay-on-john-bates-hes-a-guy-that-you-would-love-to-target-in-the-redzone-boise-state-football-senior-bowl/277-cea34b2a-93f4-4b63-9c31-f2e822c96272

 

"He's a big target," said ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay. "[He had] thirty-four catches in 19 games the past two years. He's not a speed guy but he's got a great catch radius and he's a guy that you would love to target in the red zone."

Edited May 3, 2021 by Bifflog

[Bifflog]

 

[mistertim]

Speaking of Ertz, here he is breaking down John Bates. It's from the perspective of basically him talking TO Bates and giving him advice as opposed to just talking ABOUT him, so that's cool.

 

Overall likes his tape, gives some pointers on his game, especially in the pass game, so he can take it to the next level. Seems like Bates may have a lot of untapped potential as a receiving threat. The Senior Bowl article appears to support that as well.

 

 

[RWJ]

2 minutes ago, mistertim said:

Speaking of Ertz, here he is breaking down John Bates. It's from the perspective of basically him talking TO Bates and giving him advice as opposed to just talking ABOUT him, so that's cool.

 

Overall likes his tape, gives some pointers on his game, especially in the pass game, so he can take it to the next level. Seems like Bates may have a lot of untapped potential as a receiving threat. The Senior Bowl article appears to support that as well.

 

 

I like the little tape we have have on him.  

[“Misdirection”]

This guy is exactly what we needed idk why some of y’all so pressed about him. TEs that can’t block are luxuries, and only valuable if they’re elite talents IMO. Otherwise, they’re just as much a liability. It telegraphs too much to a defense, cause you take them out on running plays, or ask them to do something they can’t.

 

a guy like this, with excellent blocking, if you think his hands were undervalued in college, has more value to our offense than a receiving tight end you have to teach to block.

 

im see bates as a critical contributor this year, that will seriously help the run game 

[COWBOY-KILLA-]

The more I see and read the more I like this pick. This guy was certainly underutilized in the passing game. And backs up the stats of being a top two blocker at the position in both the run and pass. Love the track background as well. 

[Jericho]

1 hour ago, ConnSKINS26 said:

That senior bowl practice week assessment of Bates makes him seem like an ENTIRELY different player. Is it possible he was extremely misused and underused? Or did he just have the week of his life during these practices and it isn’t representative of his ceiling, whatever it may be, at all? 

 

Yeah, the reports on Bates are bit conflicting. The normal line is that he's a decent blocker who has some ability to catch. But overall a pretty blah player. Which is why some made the Jeremy Sprinkle comp. That makes you think he's not very athletic. But then you read about him and you see he was a fantastic high school athlete and seems to have good agility. Maybe not huge speed, but good athleticism overall. I obviously hope he's more than just another Sprinkle.

[FuriousD]

 Feels like a Joe Gibbs type player.. 

Sure, the flashy pass catching TE’s get all the glory but a solid blocking TE is a must. Bates will get reps early on in short yardage, goal line and ST’s while they coach up his route running.

And later in 2 TE sets with Thomas on the other end, the playbook is equally open to run and pass options without tipping any hands. And anyone who is 6-5 and 250lbs competing in the 110 meter hurdles at college level has to have above average athleticism! 
I like this pick!

[Fresh8686]

Man I’m glad to read that write up, it validated a lot of the initial feels I had about this guy. When I watched his cut-ups I thought he played faster than his 40 time and had decent speed for his position. But, one of the main things that stood out to me was how often he used his impressive wing-span to bail out his qb on off target throws. His blocks were a highlight as well, but I’m also super glad that that tenacity also extends to his play in the red zone during senior bowl practice. I think this guy could be a massive upgrade over Sprinkles by the end of the season. 

Edited May 3, 2021 by Fresh8686

[KDawg]

Bates is boring. He is a in-line blocker with excellent hands and a good catch radius. He isn’t off the charts athletically and he doesn’t have tremendous route running.

 

But he’s solid. 
 

I don’t get the angst. 

[Koolblue13]

I'm one of the loudest TE guys here and I'm certainly happy with this pick. Bail out pass catchers who can find the holes in a soft zone are critical, especially for a young QB. In close games, those random hard to find 1rst downs can quietly be game changers. Having an athletic 260lbs blocker helps a ton too. 

 

He's not a weapon and isn't intended to be one, but he's a trenches guy and adds value. I can't imagine Boise st being a TE factory either.