The Importance of the Tight End

[cincyhokie]

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d817e334b&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

If you ask most of the men who evaluate NFL talent, they will tell you that this was an exceptionally strong draft for tight ends.

We're not just talking about the ones that only excel at catching passes and are, in reality, glorified wide receivers. We're talking about complete tight ends -- those capable of blocking as well as catching.

Beginning with Cincinnati's first-round choice (Jermaine Gresham of Oklahoma), 19 players at the position were selected, making it one of the more popular spots in the draft. Three teams (Baltimore, New England, and St. Louis) even picked two tight ends apiece.

"Those clubs really took advantage of the draft," said Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik, whose team did not select a tight end because it didn't have a need, but actually considered doing so. "I'm not surprised. It can be such a pivotal position when you're attacking opponents."

Teams clearly are having an increasing awareness of that. Twenty tight ends were drafted last year (although one, Chicago's Lance Louis, ended up at guard). That's double the total from 2005.

There were 15 tight ends selected in 2006, 12 in 2007, and 16 in 2008.

In addition, tight ends have been involved in some key trades the past two seasons. In 2009, the Atlanta Falcons acquired Tony Gonzalez, arguably the NFL's all-time greatest player at the position, from the Kansas City Chiefs. That same year, the Buccaneers picked up Kellen Winslow from the Cleveland Browns.

Earlier this month, Tony Scheffler joined the Detroit Lions as part of a three-way trade involving his former team, the Denver Broncos and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Lions also have Brandon Pettigrew, a first-round choice from '09 who suffered a serious knee injury as a rookie but is expected to fully recover.

That deal is reflective of the mentality that many teams have regarding tight ends. Scheffler, who is a talented receiver, will work mostly from the slot, similar to the way the Indianapolis Colts use Dallas Clark. Pettigrew will mainly be used as an in-line blocker, although he is capable of contributing as a receiver.

The Patriots used a second-round choice on one tight end, Arizona's Rob Gronkowski, and a fourth-round pick on another, Florida's Aaron Hernandez. Gronkowski is more of a complete tight end, capable of blocking and catching, while Hernandez is more of a receiver.

The Rams had the same idea when they spent a fifth-round pick on Illinois' Michael Hoomanawanui, whose blocking and receiving should allow him to be an every-down player, and a sixth-rounder on Houston's Fendi Onobun, a standout receiver, whose blocking needs plenty of work.

"In past drafts, over the past few years, there have hardly been any (true) tight ends," Rams general manager Billy Devaney said. "This was a great year to get 'dual guys,' that can run block a little bit and also contribute in the passing game."

Among the major reasons that so many teams are aggressively pursuing tight ends is to better handle the pressure defenses are able to apply through creative blitzing. Through that approach, the 2009 New York Jets had the NFL's top-ranked defense and reached the AFC Championship Game. Another strong, blitz-oriented pass rush also went a long way toward helping the Pittsburgh Steelers to win a Super Bowl two seasons ago.

Both teams utilize a 3-4 scheme, to which a steadily growing number of clubs have shifted largely because of the benefits it provides in rushing the passer. To keep those defenses honest, offenses must give them something to worry about in the passing game beyond what they get from wide receivers and running backs.

"Even if you have a tight end that isn't a 4.6 (40-yard-dash) guy, the tight end is a real nice safety valve for the quarterback to have," Devaney said. "If you've got to spit the ball out fast, it's a comfort knowing you've got a sure-handed tight end as a receiver, even if he's not running down the middle of the field. If you have someone like that who knows how to read blitzes and knows how to get open, that becomes a quarterback's best friend."

Tight ends also factor heavily in an offense's ability to generate big plays against two-deep coverage. A tight end with good enough speed and pass-catching skills can force a safety to cover him in the seam or underneath zone coverage and leave a wide receiver one-on-one with a cornerback.

"Absolutely," Dominik said. "A tight end going down the seam or underneath can always find the soft spot (in the coverage). If you get a smart, instinctive guy like we feel like we have here in Kellen and certainly that they feel like they have in Atlanta (in Gonzalez), when they find that soft spot it's a high-percentage pass for your quarterback and a move-the-chains kind of throw. And if the safety comes over to cover him, you can take a shot (deep)."

A tight end can expand options when teams use the "Wildcat" and other formations where the quarterback isn't under center. That becomes an even larger factor near the goal line, where the tight end is always a primary target.

For the most part, when tight ends are on the field, opposing defenses will stick with base personnel and cover them with outside linebackers. However, that becomes risky when the tight end has more speed and athleticism. At that point, a defense has the dilemma of choosing whether to cover the tight end with a linebacker or defensive back, and weigh the positives and negatives of both strategies.

"If you've got a really good, athletic (tight end) there, do you have a linebacker that's good enough to cover him or do you have to go nickel and put a corner in?" Devaney said. "If that's the case, then you're weakening your run defense. That's what (offenses) are looking for all the time."

Said Dominik, "That was the main genesis behind us trading for Winslow last year -- to create those mismatches and give your quarterback higher-percentage passing plays and also be able to take advantage of sometimes being lined up against linebackers who don't have the athleticism that a corner does to cover a wide out."

[Kazkal]

And now we have two!

[cincyhokie]

And now we have two!

Yep. If Gresham is the player he's thought to be, expect alot more success in:

The intermediate passing game

3rd down completion percentage

Red zone offense

[BengalszoneBilly]

And now we have two!

Yep. If Gresham is the player he's thought to be, expect alot more success in:

The intermediate passing game

3rd down completion percentage

Red zone offense

Yeah, that may happen but only if Bratkowski actually utilizes the position. In his tenure here in Cincinnati he has shown he is overly infatuated with WR's, (the position he himself played at Washington State) and only mildly interested in throwing to a TE or RB.

I'm not holding my breath on Bob.

[cincyhokie]

And now we have two!

Yep. If Gresham is the player he's thought to be, expect alot more success in:

The intermediate passing game

3rd down completion percentage

Red zone offense

Yeah, that may happen but only if Bratkowski actually utilizes the position. In his tenure here in Cincinnati he has shown he is overly infatuated with WR's, (the position he himself played at Washington State) and only mildly interested in throwing to a TE or RB.

I'm not holding my breath on Bob.

I feel the same way but we have a few things going for us:

Bob's contract is up. The offense performs or he's likely out. (We hope)

The Bengals drafted a TE to open up the offense. There's an implied organizational emphasis, from MB to Palmer, on the use of the TE.

[BengalszoneBilly]

I feel the same way but we have a few things going for us:

Bob's contract is up. The offense performs or he's likely out. (We hope)

All right hokie, for the sake of argument, what if Brat screws the pooch again as OC. What, or should I say who, then?

Personally I feel the Bengals finally have a quality DC, but our OC isn't really impressing me. Many times even my wife can predict which play will come next, especially on 3rd down. Maybe Gresham can change that, but that dude BETTER be an all downs TE, not just one brought in on passing situations. That does nothing but telegraph the upcoming play to the defense.

Much like bringing in Chris Perry did on 3rd and long plays. We all knew what was coming...

[cincyhokie]

I feel the same way but we have a few things going for us:

Bob's contract is up. The offense performs or he's likely out. (We hope)

All right hokie, for the sake of argument, what if Brat screws the pooch again as OC. What, or should I say who, then?

Personally I feel the Bengals finally have a quality DC, but our OC isn't really impressing me. Many times even my wife can predict which play will come next, especially on 3rd down. Maybe Gresham can change that, but that dude BETTER be an all downs TE, not just one brought in on passing situations. That does nothing but telegraph the upcoming play to the defense.

Much like bringing in Chris Perry did on 3rd and long plays. We all knew what was coming...

I hear ya. But right now it's what we got...and what we got is better with the addition of Gresham. So look at it this way...it's a win-win situation. We play well or we don't and Brat leaves.

It helps that it's the offseason because when the season starts I'm one of the biggest Brat haters I know.

By the way, my beer is half full tonight.

[BengalszoneBilly]

I hear ya. But right now it's what we got...and what we got is better with the addition of Gresham. So look at it this way...it's a win-win situation.

Well IMHO it's only a win if he can line up for a full set of downs for the better part of a game, otherwise it just more of the same from our TE position.

[Kazkal]

Yeah, that may happen but only if Bratkowski actually utilizes the position. In his tenure here in Cincinnati he has shown he is overly infatuated with WR's, (the position he himself played at Washington State) and only mildly interested in throwing to a TE or RB.

I'm not holding my breath on Bob.

I thought the same thing but in his defense what Tight Ends has he had worth utilizing? I also look at like last year Marvin wanted more Run Oreintered Offense Brat put his tail between his legs and gave Marvin what he wanted,Now Marvin wants the Tight Ends to be utilized properly and hopefully will do so or worst case scenario he's fired next year

but that dude BETTER be an all downs TE, not just one brought in on passing situations. That does nothing but telegraph the upcoming play to the defense.

Agreed and how Marvin & Hayes talked about the guy that seems to be the plan,He'll be every down TE then probabily since him in with either Coffman or Coats(reggie) depending on the play.

[JoePong]

And now we have two!

Yep. If Gresham is the player he's thought to be, expect alot more success in:

The intermediate passing game

3rd down completion percentage

Red zone offense

Yeah, that may happen but only if Bratkowski actually utilizes the position. In his tenure here in Cincinnati he has shown he is overly infatuated with WR's, (the position he himself played at Washington State) and only mildly interested in throwing to a TE or RB.

I'm not holding my breath on Bob.

Don't be an idiot. Brat has always utilized the TE whenever he's had one that's any good. Just look what he did in Seattle. A good OC uses the strengths of the team. For a long time we had very good WRs and horrible TEs, and horrible receiving RBs like the one-dimensional Rudi Johnson. If you don't think he uses the TE, well, I bet our 4th and 5th string TEs caught more passes than any other 4th or 5th stringers in the NFL last year.

[BengalszoneBilly]

And now we have two!

Yep. If Gresham is the player he's thought to be, expect alot more success in:

The intermediate passing game

3rd down completion percentage

Red zone offense

Yeah, that may happen but only if Bratkowski actually utilizes the position. In his tenure here in Cincinnati he has shown he is overly infatuated with WR's, (the position he himself played at Washington State) and only mildly interested in throwing to a TE or RB.

I'm not holding my breath on Bob.

Don't be an idiot. Brat has always utilized the TE whenever he's had one that's any good. Just look what he did in Seattle. A good OC uses the strengths of the team. For a long time we had very good WRs and horrible TEs, and horrible receiving RBs like the one-dimensional Rudi Johnson. If you don't think he uses the TE, well, I bet our 4th and 5th string TEs caught more passes than any other 4th or 5th stringers in the NFL last year.

I got to give it to you Joey, nobody talks up 4th and 5th stringers better than you, and please educate us in what he did in his years with the Seattle SeaChickens because it's just not that memorable.

[Kazkal]

Don't be an idiot. Brat has always utilized the TE whenever he's had one that's any good. Just look what he did in Seattle.

Pot meet kettle? I was defending Brat because he hasn't had the Tight Ends to utilize with the bengals,Even as much as I hate the guy I was "Defending" him...But after looking up the Seahawk Tight Ends

Carlester Crumper

1994:19 yrds

1995:254 yrds 11yrd avg

1996: 258 yards 9.9 avg

1997:361 yrds 11.6 avg

1998:52 yrds 8.7 avg

Christian Fauria

1995: 181 yrds 10.6 avg

1996: 214yrds 11.9 avg

1997:110 yrds 11.0 avg

1998 377 yrds 10.7 avg

So 1996: was his most productive year using Tight Ends 472 yrds Most productive year with Bengals 2006: 374 still not very impressive but hey it's a slight improvement.