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TE Travis Kelce, KC (2 Viewers)

Bucky86

Footballguy
Ended up with him during my rookie draft. Unfortunately, I didn't hear about pitta until after eifert had been drafted.
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What do know about Kelce? Predictions?

 
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I got him in a rookie draft too and was pretty happy about it. He's a move TE, perfect fit for Reid's system with big hands and a large catch radius. he can stretch the field vertically although not extremely athletic. His only real downside is that he loves his weed, but who doesn't. Though he might not start right away, all signs point to him beating out Fasano and Moeaki at some point during the season. Could play a role similar to how Celek was used in the past but might be more of a goal line presence. I see him as a low end TE1 for a long time (or at least that's what I'm hoping).

 
I liked this article because it reads a bit like something you might read here in the SP:

As the long wait between the draft and training camp continues no position group for the Kansas City Chiefs is more interesting to me than the tight ends. Future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzales has been gone for four seasons already and the Chiefs have struggled to fill the void left by his departure. After a solid rookie campaign, Tony Moeaki appeared to be the heir apparent to the position. However, a history of injuries in college have followed him to the NFL. Now it appears Moeaki (who has already been ruled out until training camp after having his knee scoped) will have to compete for playing time and possibly even a roster spot.

The Chiefs signed former Miami Dolphin Anthony Fasano to a four year 16 million dollar contract this offseason. That’s pretty big money to pay someone to just compete for a job, so one would assume that Fasano will get regular playing time as either the #1 or #2 TE. Then they spent their first of two third round draft picks on Travis Kelce out of Cincinnati. With several solid prospects still on the board the fact that Andy Reid and John Dorsey felt that Kelce was the best pick despite having Moeaki and Fasano on the roster tells me they think he is going to be a really good player.

So the Chiefs literally have three different players who all have a shot at being the starting TE this season. Usually when a team has three people competing for one starting spot it’s because the team doesn’t really have anyone good enough to claim the spot. I don’t think that’s the case in KC this season. I think all three of these guys are good enough to start in the NFL.

Making this battle even more exciting is the added importance of the tight end position in the KC offense. No one has actually come out and said this, but all one has to do is look at the recent history of Andy Reid’s offenses and the play of Alex Smith and it becomes pretty clear.

In the past five years the average combined numbers for TEs on Reid’s Philly teams was:

70.6 receptions
809.8 yards
5.2 TDs

Alex Smith’s use of the TE takes a little more digging since he hasn’t played for entire seasons that frequently. However, if you include the 2011 playoff games, over the past 4 seasons Smith has played in 48 games. That’s the equivalent of three 16 game seasons. So I added up all of Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker’s stats from those 48 games and divided it by 3 to get the average numbers for a 16 game season. Those combined numbers were even bigger than those from Reid’s offense:

87.6 receptions
1144.3 yards
11.3 TDs

Now, those numbers are obviously inflated by the fact that Smith had arguably the best playmaking TE in the NFL in Vernon Davis. However, Davis’s numbers dropped off last season once Smith was benched. So clearly Smith has shown that he likes to use the TE. If you average the Reid and Smith numbers together you get:

79.1 receptions
977.05 yards
8.25 TDs

So those are probably a good estimate for what the tight end production should be in an Andy Reid offense with Alex Smith as the QB, IF the TEs are up to the challenge. That would certainly be a lot more production from the position than KC has seen since Tony Gonzalez left. In those four seasons the KC TEs have averaged:

46 receptions
503 yards
2.75 TDs

So in order for Reid and Smith to utilize the TE like they have in the past KC will have to almost double their production at the position. Is one of the three guys fighting for the starting job capable of putting up the bulk of those stats or will it have to be a combined effort? Thus far in their career Fasano and Moeaki’s numbers fall well short of the mark.

Fasano’s averages as a starting TE:

35.4 receptions
420.8 yards
4.6 TDs

Moeaki’s averages as a starting TE:
40 receptions
504.5 yards
2 TDs

So thus far in their careers as full time starting TEs you would have to combine their stats to get the numbers we said Reid and Smith will be looking for from the TE position. Now, they both have been working with inferior QBs for most of their careers so its possible their production will be increased just from better QB play. If either of the two are capable of producing bigger numbers its probably Moeaki. Fasano is a great blocker and has good hands, but his playmaking ability is very limited. He’s more of a safety valve/drop off type receiver than an actual receiving weapon. Moeaki has shown more down the field upside, but his injuries may make it hard for him to win the job.

That leads us to Travis Kelce. I’ll admit that I’m a big Kelce fan, so this opinion is probably biased. That having been said, I believe that if any TE on the roster is going to step up and give KC the production at the position that Reid and Smith will be looking for it is Kelce. If you haven’t watched THIS VIDEO yet, do it now. It does contain NSFW lyrics in the music, so be warned. What you see in that video is a tight end that lines up all over the field. He has soft hand, runs after the catch, and blocks with a ferocity that is rare for the position. If he can get the playbook down I think Kelce will be the one that eventually claims the job.

When asked what TE he would compare himself to, Kelce’s answer was Jeremy Shockey. In his rookie season Shockey tallied 74 receptions, 894 yards, and 2 TDs. A season like that would be huge for Kelce and the Chiefs. I don’t know if that’s realistic for Kelce, but I do think he has a chance to be a real weapon in the KC offense.

Will he be good enough to help KC’s TEs meet the demand put on them in this offense? Only time will tell, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on these guys when training camp rolls around.

What do you think Addicts? Will the TE position be a focus in this offense? Will one of these three guys step forward and claim the job outright? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://arrowheadaddi...t-end-position/
Rookie TE rarely perform very well but Kelce is such a nasty blocker I think he will be on the field a lot. He does not seem that special after the catch but he does a very good job of making a nice target for the QB. Alex Smith likes to dump the ball off. I think Kelce can get 40 receptions in 2013 if he can hold off Moeaki who did recently come off the PUP list.

 
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I liked this article because it reads a bit like something you might read here in the SP:

As the long wait between the draft and training camp continues no position group for the Kansas City Chiefs is more interesting to me than the tight ends. Future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzales has been gone for four seasons already and the Chiefs have struggled to fill the void left by his departure. After a solid rookie campaign, Tony Moeaki appeared to be the heir apparent to the position. However, a history of injuries in college have followed him to the NFL. Now it appears Moeaki (who has already been ruled out until training camp after having his knee scoped) will have to compete for playing time and possibly even a roster spot.

The Chiefs signed former Miami Dolphin Anthony Fasano to a four year 16 million dollar contract this offseason. That’s pretty big money to pay someone to just compete for a job, so one would assume that Fasano will get regular playing time as either the #1 or #2 TE. Then they spent their first of two third round draft picks on Travis Kelce out of Cincinnati. With several solid prospects still on the board the fact that Andy Reid and John Dorsey felt that Kelce was the best pick despite having Moeaki and Fasano on the roster tells me they think he is going to be a really good player.

So the Chiefs literally have three different players who all have a shot at being the starting TE this season. Usually when a team has three people competing for one starting spot it’s because the team doesn’t really have anyone good enough to claim the spot. I don’t think that’s the case in KC this season. I think all three of these guys are good enough to start in the NFL.

Making this battle even more exciting is the added importance of the tight end position in the KC offense. No one has actually come out and said this, but all one has to do is look at the recent history of Andy Reid’s offenses and the play of Alex Smith and it becomes pretty clear.

In the past five years the average combined numbers for TEs on Reid’s Philly teams was:

70.6 receptions

809.8 yards

5.2 TDs

Alex Smith’s use of the TE takes a little more digging since he hasn’t played for entire seasons that frequently. However, if you include the 2011 playoff games, over the past 4 seasons Smith has played in 48 games. That’s the equivalent of three 16 game seasons. So I added up all of Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker’s stats from those 48 games and divided it by 3 to get the average numbers for a 16 game season. Those combined numbers were even bigger than those from Reid’s offense:

87.6 receptions

1144.3 yards

11.3 TDs

Now, those numbers are obviously inflated by the fact that Smith had arguably the best playmaking TE in the NFL in Vernon Davis. However, Davis’s numbers dropped off last season once Smith was benched. So clearly Smith has shown that he likes to use the TE. If you average the Reid and Smith numbers together you get:

79.1 receptions

977.05 yards

8.25 TDs

So those are probably a good estimate for what the tight end production should be in an Andy Reid offense with Alex Smith as the QB, IF the TEs are up to the challenge. That would certainly be a lot more production from the position than KC has seen since Tony Gonzalez left. In those four seasons the KC TEs have averaged:

46 receptions

503 yards

2.75 TDs

So in order for Reid and Smith to utilize the TE like they have in the past KC will have to almost double their production at the position. Is one of the three guys fighting for the starting job capable of putting up the bulk of those stats or will it have to be a combined effort? Thus far in their career Fasano and Moeaki’s numbers fall well short of the mark.

Fasano’s averages as a starting TE:

35.4 receptions

420.8 yards

4.6 TDs

Moeaki’s averages as a starting TE:

40 receptions

504.5 yards

2 TDs

So thus far in their careers as full time starting TEs you would have to combine their stats to get the numbers we said Reid and Smith will be looking for from the TE position. Now, they both have been working with inferior QBs for most of their careers so its possible their production will be increased just from better QB play. If either of the two are capable of producing bigger numbers its probably Moeaki. Fasano is a great blocker and has good hands, but his playmaking ability is very limited. He’s more of a safety valve/drop off type receiver than an actual receiving weapon. Moeaki has shown more down the field upside, but his injuries may make it hard for him to win the job.

That leads us to Travis Kelce. I’ll admit that I’m a big Kelce fan, so this opinion is probably biased. That having been said, I believe that if any TE on the roster is going to step up and give KC the production at the position that Reid and Smith will be looking for it is Kelce. If you haven’t watched THIS VIDEO yet, do it now. It does contain NSFW lyrics in the music, so be warned. What you see in that video is a tight end that lines up all over the field. He has soft hand, runs after the catch, and blocks with a ferocity that is rare for the position. If he can get the playbook down I think Kelce will be the one that eventually claims the job.

When asked what TE he would compare himself to, Kelce’s answer was Jeremy Shockey. In his rookie season Shockey tallied 74 receptions, 894 yards, and 2 TDs. A season like that would be huge for Kelce and the Chiefs. I don’t know if that’s realistic for Kelce, but I do think he has a chance to be a real weapon in the KC offense.

Will he be good enough to help KC’s TEs meet the demand put on them in this offense? Only time will tell, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on these guys when training camp rolls around.

What do you think Addicts? Will the TE position be a focus in this offense? Will one of these three guys step forward and claim the job outright? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://arrowheadaddi...t-end-position/
Rookie TE rarely perform very well but Kelce is such a nasty blocker I think he will be on the field a lot. He does not seem that special after the catch but he does a very good job of making a nice target for the QB. Alex Smith likes to dump the ball off. I think Kelce can get 40 receptions in 2013 if he can hold off Moeaki who did recently come off the PUP list.
Kelce averaged 10.6 YAC. More than any WR among BCS players.

https://twitter.com/NU_Gap/status/327946485645844483

 
Thanks for pointing that out Xue. This is why I do not trust my eyes as much as I do objective data.

FWIW Kelce looks really good to me. I was mainly focusing on his blocking in the clip linked in the article and my perception of his YAC ability obviously off and not a very well thought out comment.

In many things I have read Kelce's YAC ability is mentioned as a strength as well. 4.6 40 time at his pro day is certainly fast enough even if the time is a bit embellished on.

 
Rotoworld:

Chiefs third-round TE Travis Kelce admitted he needs to work on his blocking.
Kelce has been lighting up camp with highlight-reel catches, underscoring his freakish athletic upside as a "move" tight end. If he can get his blocking assignments down, there will be some sleeper TE2 appeal here. Kelce has far more upside than Tony Moeaki or Anthony Fasano.


Source: Kansas City Star
 
Rotoworld:

Chiefs third-round TE Travis Kelce missed Saturday's third preseason game against the Steelers with an undisclosed injury.
Kelce's injury appears minor, but it's the exclamation point on a disappointing camp and preseason. Kelce will finish with just one exhibition grab for 17 yards if he sits out Thursday's finale. Although still a fine Dynasty-league prospect, Kelce is well off the radar in redraft leagues.
 
I saw him get wide open at the goal line vs the Saints, nice move, had position, had the size advantage.... and he dropped the ball.

Fasano has gotten a lot of targets (relatively for KC) this PS though. vs the Saints they came right out throwing to him and later Kelce.

 
From Rotoworld:

Anthony Fasano - TE - Chiefs

Chiefs TE Anthony Fasano (ankle) was held out of Tuesday's practice.

Fasano's status is unclear, but it's irrelevant for fantasy purposes. Fasano has fallen far down the target totem pole in Kansas City, and is off the roto radar.

Sep 17 - 1:19 PM

 
Kelce is quickly entering major VAG category. I picked him up in A LOT of my leagues, and i am starting to regret that decision. He has shown absolutely NOTHING since entering the NFL.

 
Rotoworld:

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday.

Kelce never got over the bone bruise he sustained in the preseason, turning his rookie season into a lost year. The Associated Press suggests he could be placed on injured reserve. It's a disappointing turn of events for Kelce, a physically imposing third-round pick that had a major chance with only Anthony Fasano ahead of him on the depth chart. Kelce remains a hold in deeper Dynasty formats.

Oct 9 - 12:57 PM

Source: Dave Skretta on Twitter
Updating a previous item, Chiefs rookie TE Travis Kelce's Tuesday knee surgery was a microfracture procedure.

Kelce had several setbacks after suffering a "bone bruise" on his right knee in training camp. The surgery apparently isn't a major microfracture because the Chiefs haven't yet ruled Kelce out for the year, though that's almost certainly coming. "This is an injury that people get better from," Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said. "He's a young guy and has a healthy knee."

Oct 12 - 12:54 PM
Source: Arrowhead Pride
 
Still have hope for his outlook long term. Bummer that he sustained this injury because he could've fit nicely with Smith at qb.

 
Still have hope for his outlook long term. Bummer that he sustained this injury because he could've fit nicely with Smith at qb.
I traded for him after reading that the microfracture was done on a non-weight bearing part of the knee. Hopefully the surgery is successful since he looked to have a bright future.

 
I regret drafting him in one league and ranking him pretty high. Despite the stats and the explosive workout numbers, I don't think he's very agile.

If he has a big season or generates some hype in the future, I'll probably look to move him.

 
Rotoworld:

Chiefs GM John Dorsey expects 2014 to be a "big year" for TE Travis Kelce.

"This will be a big year for him coming up," Dorsey said. "It will be good for him to move forward and it will be good for us just to show everybody why we drafted him in the third round." Kelce, the 63rd pick in last April's draft, basically missed his entire rookie season after undergoing microfracture surgery. It's a tough injury to come back from, but the Chiefs still have high hopes for Kelce. He should compete with Anthony Fasano for the starting job this summer.


Source: Kansas City Star
 
Rotoworld:

If healthy, Travis Kelce (knee) is expected to get "plenty of playing time" in 2014.

Kelce's entire rookie season was wiped out by microfracture surgery. If he can get back to 100 percent, he brings the unique "move" skills to the Chiefs that Anthony Fasano and Sean McGrath can't. During the offseason and training camp, beat writer Adam Teicher noticed Kelce lining up all over the formation and showing "he could get down the field to make catches more like a wide receiver than a tight end." It's a situation worth monitoring closely.


Source: ESPN.com
 
Rotoworld:

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (knee) is expected to be ready for OTAs.
Kelce missed his entire rookie season due to microfracture surgery, but is on track to be cleared for the Chiefs' offseason program. The 63rd overall pick in last April's draft, Kelce is a strong candidate to overtake Anthony Fasano for the starting tight end job in 2014.

Source: ESPN.com
 
definitely a nice sleeper this year. With noodle arm Alex Smith he should get a lot of looks in this offense. And remember Smith had given V.Davis a nice bump before he was traded in SF. He'll use his TE.

 
Q and A: Should Chiefs trade down in draft?

Excerpt:

nathanbeckrules@nathanbeckrules
@adamteicher #chiefsmail what's the plan at TE? Will kelce be ready for the season?

@adamteicher: They have Anthony Fasano as their starter but Travis Kelce will be their pass-receiver at tight end. Kelce is an important piece of their passing game. He showed the ability last year in offseason practices and at training camp to line up in a variety of places and get down the field to beat coverage and make a catch. He's not just an end-of-the-line tight end. No matter where they come from, the Chiefs need more than the 53 catches they got from their tight ends last year.
 
Kansas City - ESPN Chiefs beat writer Adam Teicher wrote that second-year TE Travis Kelce will be the team's "receiver at tight end" and an "important piece of their passing game".

Why It Matters - It's just offseason coachspeak, but Kelce deserves your attention as a sleeper tight end for fantasy drafts this year. He had Gronkowski-esque moments at Cincinnati, and the Chiefs sorely need a strong third receiving option to go along with Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe.

 
Kansas City - ESPN Chiefs beat writer Adam Teicher wrote that second-year TE Travis Kelce will be the team's "receiver at tight end" and an "important piece of their passing game".

Why It Matters - It's just offseason coachspeak, but Kelce deserves your attention as a sleeper tight end for fantasy drafts this year. He had Gronkowski-esque moments at Cincinnati, and the Chiefs sorely need a strong third receiving option to go along with Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe.
As long as the Chiefs don't take a WR in the 1st round I feel very good about Kelce.

 
Kansas City - ESPN Chiefs beat writer Adam Teicher wrote that second-year TE Travis Kelce will be the team's "receiver at tight end" and an "important piece of their passing game".

Why It Matters - It's just offseason coachspeak, but Kelce deserves your attention as a sleeper tight end for fantasy drafts this year. He had Gronkowski-esque moments at Cincinnati, and the Chiefs sorely need a strong third receiving option to go along with Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe.
As long as the Chiefs don't take a WR in the 1st round I feel very good about Kelce.
If Andy Reid is there, you can pretty much guarantee that won't happen.

 
Kansas City - ESPN Chiefs beat writer Adam Teicher wrote that second-year TE Travis Kelce will be the team's "receiver at tight end" and an "important piece of their passing game".

Why It Matters - It's just offseason coachspeak, but Kelce deserves your attention as a sleeper tight end for fantasy drafts this year. He had Gronkowski-esque moments at Cincinnati, and the Chiefs sorely need a strong third receiving option to go along with Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe.
As long as the Chiefs don't take a WR in the 1st round I feel very good about Kelce.
If Andy Reid is there, you can pretty much guarantee that won't happen.
Pretty sure Macklin was a 1st rounder.
 
Kansas City - ESPN Chiefs beat writer Adam Teicher wrote that second-year TE Travis Kelce will be the team's "receiver at tight end" and an "important piece of their passing game".

Why It Matters - It's just offseason coachspeak, but Kelce deserves your attention as a sleeper tight end for fantasy drafts this year. He had Gronkowski-esque moments at Cincinnati, and the Chiefs sorely need a strong third receiving option to go along with Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe.
As long as the Chiefs don't take a WR in the 1st round I feel very good about Kelce.
As long as Smith is the QB it doesn't matter who is at WR. The guy is completely adverse to taking any risk throwing the football, so a talented TE is going to be very valuable. If Bray makes some strides and takes over for Smith, that might be a bigger concern, but I see that as allowing Reid to throw the football tons like he did at PHI so that could end up shaking out in the wash.

 
Rotoworld:

Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed Monday that second-year TE Travis Kelce is "progressing well" from last year's microfracture knee surgery, and "doing everything" in the offseason conditioning program.

Kelce had the operation on his right knee last October. It was considered a "minor" version of microfracture surgery. Beat writer Adam Teicher expects the Chiefs to use Kelce as their primary "pass receiver at tight end" in his second season, with Anthony Fasano and Sean McGrath focusing on blocking. A Heath Miller-type talent, Kelce has 2014 breakout appeal. He could benefit statistically if the Chiefs use their first-round pick on a position other than wide receiver.

Source: Terez Paylor on Twitter

Apr 21 - 2:16 PM
 
What are people expecting from Kelce this year? I personally think he can be a top 10 TE. The Chiefs are void of receiving talent, Smith likes his TE's, and he was looking nice last offseason.

 
Still have to consider this somewhat like a rookie season for him as he only managed one snap on offense before being injured.

 
What are people expecting from Kelce this year? I personally think he can be a top 10 TE. The Chiefs are void of receiving talent, Smith likes his TE's, and he was looking nice last offseason.
Chiefs expecting big things, Kelce has tons of physical talent and mean streak. Hopefully the microfracture is minor when all is said and done, and the team didn't make any big moves at TE in FA/Draft (altho they were hamstrung in FA). He has a chance to be the #3 target behind Bowe and Charles for sure.

 
Rotoworld:

Travis Kelce - TE - Chiefs

Chiefs GM John Dorsey singled out second-year TE Travis Kelce as "hopefully that weapon adds another element to the passing game."

Kelce missed his entire rookie season due to microfracture surgery on his right knee. He's stepping back into a golden opportunity, as the Chiefs have very few playmakers behind Dwayne Bowe and Alex Smith is prone to checking down a ton. If the knee is right, Kelce will bring plenty of fantasy upside as a TE2 flier.

Source: SI.com

May 26 - 9:42 AM

 
He's a TE1 if he's healthy, perhaps top 5-7 range
I mentioned in the TE thread that the Chiefs didn't add any receiving options and let McCluster (53 receptions) go.

Due to the lack of receiving options a Charles Clay type year seems reasonable.

 
He's a TE1 if he's healthy, perhaps top 5-7 range
I mentioned in the TE thread that the Chiefs didn't add any receiving options and let McCluster (53 receptions) go.

Due to the lack of receiving options a Charles Clay type year seems reasonable.
Don't overlook De'Anthony Thomas. I think he adequately fills the void left by McCluster. That being said, I do like Kelce to emerge, and a Charles Clay type year seems very reasonable.

 
Curious where people would slot him into the rookie class in terms of value.

To put it another way, what sort of rookie pick would you give up for Kelce?

I'm trying to gauge relative value of him here vs. the current rookie class since we've seen so little of him actually play in the NFL.

 

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