A little dynasty TE discussion... (1 Viewer)

[Coeur de Lion]

Taking a hard and fast stance on players who are drafted higher typically being better. Controversial.

There are quite a few people who somehow don't get this though.

 

[cdubz]

Why is it so quiet on the Amaro front?

He has as much upside as a guy like Eifert as they will both be in a starting roll and are young.

Will they? I thought both were going to be splitting time with Cumberland and Gresham, respectively.

 

[FUBAR]

Why is it so quiet on the Amaro front?

He has as much upside as a guy like Eifert as they will both be in a starting roll and are young.

Dalton>GenoGreen>Decker

2nd Yr TE > Rookie TE

21st overall > 49th overall

Not necessarily.

Well of course not necessarily. I thought we were talking about general trends. I mean, it's not necessarily true that Dalton is better than Geno or 2nd year TEs are better than rookie TEs, either (see: Jordan Reed). Hell, it's not even necessarily true that A.J. Green is better than Eric Decker.

But yes, in general, Dalton is better than Geno, Green is better than Decker, 2nd year TEs are better than rookie TEs, and guys picked 21st overall are better than guys picked 49th overall.

Not in the same year and it's not like one guy was taken top 10 while the other was a UDFA.

If we're only concerned with FF points, being drafted 21st vs. 49th is less relevant for TEs due to their other (normal) responsibilities. IIRC, Reed fell mostly due to his lack of blocking.

 

[Casting Couch]

Why is it so quiet on the Amaro front?

He has as much upside as a guy like Eifert as they will both be in a starting roll and are young.

Will they? I thought both were going to be splitting time with Cumberland and Gresham, respectively.

Cumberland ?

This cat averaged 2 catches per game last year playing almost the entire season.

He is a non-entity.

 

[cdubz]

Why is it so quiet on the Amaro front?

He has as much upside as a guy like Eifert as they will both be in a starting roll and are young.

Will they? I thought both were going to be splitting time with Cumberland and Gresham, respectively.

Cumberland ?

This cat averaged 2 catches per game last year playing almost the entire season.

He is a non-entity.

For FF, sure. For the Jets, I disagree. Most rookie TEs don't come in and play the majority of snaps.

If both are healthy, I think Cumberland is the favorite in terms of # of snaps; certainly for the first half of the year, and probably for the full season.

Looking at the 2nd round TEs from last year, I don't think any of them played the majority of snaps for their team last year.

 

[False Start]

Why is it so quiet on the Amaro front?

He has as much upside as a guy like Eifert as they will both be in a starting roll and are young.

Will they? I thought both were going to be splitting time with Cumberland and Gresham, respectively.

Cumberland ?

This cat averaged 2 catches per game last year playing almost the entire season.

He is a non-entity.

For FF, sure. For the Jets, I disagree. Most rookie TEs don't come in and play the majority of snaps.

If both are healthy, I think Cumberland is the favorite in terms of # of snaps; certainly for the first half of the year, and probably for the full season.

Looking at the 2nd round TEs from last year, I don't think any of them played the majority of snaps for their team last year.

Key word is most not all. I think the top 3 rookie TE all will produce. Ebron Amaro ASJ, in that order. Cumberland does not look like anything special for what its worth. For the other TEs from last year you mention, what were their situations. Were they sitting behind someone solid or the Jeff Cumberlands of the world? That matters.

 

[False Start]

Does Finley qualify for some sort of vet minimum salary?

I would think so. He would make more than that regardless wouldnt he?

 

[Run It Up]

Anyone else thinking the AZ might release Housler? I can't tell if it's just wishful thinking on my part. I think a lot of teams would love to have him (like the pats.)

 

[cstu]

Anyone else thinking the AZ might release Housler? I can't tell if it's just wishful thinking on my part. I think a lot of teams would love to have him (like the pats.)

Didn't know he was making $1.4M this year. Certainly not unthinkable given that Arians has zero interest in what he does best.

 

[Bruce Hammond]

Taking a hard and fast stance on players who are drafted higher typically being better. Controversial.

There are quite a few people who somehow don't get this though.

You know what they say: On any given Sunday... or Thursday night... or day if it's Thanksgiving... or Sunday night... or Monday night... or occasional Saturday if it's December... or Friday in pre-season.... uhhh... what was my point again?

 

[Sabertooth]

Taking a hard and fast stance on players who are drafted higher typically being better. Controversial.

There are quite a few people who somehow don't get this though.

I find it's generally guys who talk about how much "tape" they watch.

 

[steelcityman]

Is Adrien Robinson(NYG TE) worth a shot in dynasty? I heard Finley might visit there, NYG today. Any new news on Finley and a potential home in 2014?

 

[EastonBlues22]

Taking a hard and fast stance on players who are drafted higher typically being better. Controversial.

There are quite a few people who somehow don't get this though.

I find it's generally guys who talk about how much "tape" they watch.

As a general rule that holds true, but it's pretty silly when people treat that generality like an absolute, or use it as a standalone justification for an opinion for the relative worth of two players. It's not like where players are actually drafted represents a giant consensus of their actual relative value, even among professional NFL talent evaluators. There's plenty of room for productive informed disagreement on the relative rankings of various players.

How many people really believe that it's highly probable that Benjamin will be better than all the WRs drafted after him? Personally, there's at least 6 rookie WRs in this class that were drafted after Benjamin in the real draft that I would draft higher right now in a rookie draft. That doesn't mean all 6 will actually end up being better, but there's a pretty good chance that at least a few of them will be. Trying to figure out who those players will be is a worthwhile endeavor.

 

[saintfool]

Why is it so quiet on the Amaro front?

He has as much upside as a guy like Eifert as they will both be in a starting roll and are young.

Will they? I thought both were going to be splitting time with Cumberland and Gresham, respectively.

Cumberland ?

This cat averaged 2 catches per game last year playing almost the entire season.

He is a non-entity.

For FF, sure. For the Jets, I disagree. Most rookie TEs don't come in and play the majority of snaps.

If both are healthy, I think Cumberland is the favorite in terms of # of snaps; certainly for the first half of the year, and probably for the full season.

Looking at the 2nd round TEs from last year, I don't think any of them played the majority of snaps for their team last year.

the jets have a pretty *meh* offensive line. cumberland is a better blocker than amaro, as one would expect given the situation. they added Johnson and Decker but don't have many other playmakers and that's where amaro comes into the picture. i would be surprised if cumberland finished the season with better numbers over 16 games than amaro. regardless, they'll be a running team in order to take some of the load off of Geno.

 

[Adam Harstad]

Taking a hard and fast stance on players who are drafted higher typically being better. Controversial.

There are quite a few people who somehow don't get this though.

I find it's generally guys who talk about how much "tape" they watch.

As a general rule that holds true, but it's pretty silly when people treat that generality like an absolute, or use it as a standalone justification for an opinion for the relative worth of two players. It's not like where players are actually drafted represents a giant consensus of their actual relative value, even among professional NFL talent evaluators. There's plenty of room for productive informed disagreement on the relative rankings of various players. How many people really believe that it's highly probable that Benjamin will be better than all the WRs drafted after him? Personally, there's at least 6 rookie WRs in this class that were drafted after Benjamin in the real draft that I would draft higher right now in a rookie draft. That doesn't mean all 6 will actually end up being better, but there's a pretty good chance that at least a few of them will be. Trying to figure out who those players will be is a worthwhile endeavor.

You're confusing expectations and expected value. Our EXPECTATION is that several receivers drafted after Benjamin will prove to be more talented. The EXPECTED VALUE of the talent level of receivers drafted after Benjamin, however, is lower. Expectations are a single outcome, expected value measures a whole range of possible outcomes.

Similarly, I might say that, by EV, Seattle has the best chance of winning a title this year. Nevertheless, I fully expect that a team other than Seattle walks away with the Lombardi Trophy.

I agree that there's value to be gained in taking a closer look at players. I've never advocated just slavishly ranking players by draft position. I'm just saying, as a general rule, players drafted higher are typically better than players drafted lower. It's a pretty good general rule.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Taking a hard and fast stance on players who are drafted higher typically being better. Controversial.

There are quite a few people who somehow don't get this though.

I find it's generally guys who talk about how much "tape" they watch.

As a general rule that holds true, but it's pretty silly when people treat that generality like an absolute, or use it as a standalone justification for an opinion for the relative worth of two players. It's not like where players are actually drafted represents a giant consensus of their actual relative value, even among professional NFL talent evaluators. There's plenty of room for productive informed disagreement on the relative rankings of various players. How many people really believe that it's highly probable that Benjamin will be better than all the WRs drafted after him? Personally, there's at least 6 rookie WRs in this class that were drafted after Benjamin in the real draft that I would draft higher right now in a rookie draft. That doesn't mean all 6 will actually end up being better, but there's a pretty good chance that at least a few of them will be. Trying to figure out who those players will be is a worthwhile endeavor.

You're confusing expectations and expected value. Our EXPECTATION is that several receivers drafted after Benjamin will prove to be more talented. The EXPECTED VALUE of the talent level of receivers drafted after Benjamin, however, is lower. Expectations are a single outcome, expected value measures a whole range of possible outcomes.

Similarly, I might say that, by EV, Seattle has the best chance of winning a title this year. Nevertheless, I fully expect that a team other than Seattle walks away with the Lombardi Trophy.

I agree that there's value to be gained in taking a closer look at players. I've never advocated just slavishly ranking players by draft position. I'm just saying, as a general rule, players drafted higher are typically better than players drafted lower. It's a pretty good general rule.

I understand the difference. My point isn't that there isn't value in the historical averages that EV is predicated on. It's that using that argument isn't always the be-all-end-all in a value discussion between two specific players. There's a huge amount of variance in the data behind those averages. I'd feel fairly comfortable in someone using that argument to justify ranking a top 5 pick higher than a 7th rounder, but when discussing a late first and an early 2nd or two guys drafted in the same round it becomes a lot less compelling argument.

This is mostly a response to the disparaging remark directed at those who don't "get it" because they "watch tape" and don't agree with how things played out in the real draft. My counter to that is that people who treat general historical trends like absolute truth for a specific future event can be going out on a limb that's just as big (if not bigger) than those who take the time to study the variables involved in that future event and generate their own informed opinions.

 

[cstu]

Finley to New England??!! bump Finley!

the dreamer

Finley's meeting with the Packers on Wednesday did not include full-blown tests on his neck. Rather, it was just to check in with the team doctors because he had not seen them in a while. Until Finley receives clearance from the Packers, they won't begin any discussions about a possible return. The Packers would not clear former safety Nick Collins, who like Finley had his C-3 and C-4 vertebrae fused following a neck injury in 2011. Collins has not played in the NFL since.

 

[FUBAR]

Why is it so quiet on the Amaro front?

He has as much upside as a guy like Eifert as they will both be in a starting roll and are young.

Will they? I thought both were going to be splitting time with Cumberland and Gresham, respectively.

Cumberland ?

This cat averaged 2 catches per game last year playing almost the entire season.

He is a non-entity.

For FF, sure. For the Jets, I disagree. Most rookie TEs don't come in and play the majority of snaps.

If both are healthy, I think Cumberland is the favorite in terms of # of snaps; certainly for the first half of the year, and probably for the full season.

Looking at the 2nd round TEs from last year, I don't think any of them played the majority of snaps for their team last year.

What happened to Winslow?

 

[cdubz]

Why is it so quiet on the Amaro front?

He has as much upside as a guy like Eifert as they will both be in a starting roll and are young.

Will they? I thought both were going to be splitting time with Cumberland and Gresham, respectively.

Cumberland ?

This cat averaged 2 catches per game last year playing almost the entire season.

He is a non-entity.

For FF, sure. For the Jets, I disagree. Most rookie TEs don't come in and play the majority of snaps.

If both are healthy, I think Cumberland is the favorite in terms of # of snaps; certainly for the first half of the year, and probably for the full season.

Looking at the 2nd round TEs from last year, I don't think any of them played the majority of snaps for their team last year.

What happened to Winslow?

Contract was up and wasn't signed by anyone as far as I am aware.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

ESPN Panthers reporter David Newton said the team "ran a lot of two-tight end formations" during OTAs.
As they should. With few or no impact receivers on the roster, Carolina's best chance at offensive success is to run the football and target TE Greg Olsen early and often. This offensive philosophy should also benefit newly-signed TE Ed Dickson, whom Newton said "looked really good." Dickson may see a few more targets than expected, but he is still well off the fantasy radar.

Source: ESPN.com

Greg Olsen could be in for a big year with the unproven and unfamiliar WR group that Cam will be throwing to.

 

[cstu]

Rotoworld:

ESPN Panthers reporter David Newton said the team "ran a lot of two-tight end formations" during OTAs.
As they should. With few or no impact receivers on the roster, Carolina's best chance at offensive success is to run the football and target TE Greg Olsen early and often. This offensive philosophy should also benefit newly-signed TE Ed Dickson, whom Newton said "looked really good." Dickson may see a few more targets than expected, but he is still well off the fantasy radar.

Source: ESPN.com

Greg Olsen could be in for a big year with the unproven and unfamiliar WR group that Cam will be throwing to.

I expect him to be 'ol reliable for Cam this year and top 80 receptions.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Taking a hard and fast stance on players who are drafted higher typically being better. Controversial.

There are quite a few people who somehow don't get this though.

I find it's generally guys who talk about how much "tape" they watch.

As a general rule that holds true, but it's pretty silly when people treat that generality like an absolute, or use it as a standalone justification for an opinion for the relative worth of two players. It's not like where players are actually drafted represents a giant consensus of their actual relative value, even among professional NFL talent evaluators. There's plenty of room for productive informed disagreement on the relative rankings of various players. How many people really believe that it's highly probable that Benjamin will be better than all the WRs drafted after him? Personally, there's at least 6 rookie WRs in this class that were drafted after Benjamin in the real draft that I would draft higher right now in a rookie draft. That doesn't mean all 6 will actually end up being better, but there's a pretty good chance that at least a few of them will be. Trying to figure out who those players will be is a worthwhile endeavor.

You're confusing expectations and expected value. Our EXPECTATION is that several receivers drafted after Benjamin will prove to be more talented. The EXPECTED VALUE of the talent level of receivers drafted after Benjamin, however, is lower. Expectations are a single outcome, expected value measures a whole range of possible outcomes.

Similarly, I might say that, by EV, Seattle has the best chance of winning a title this year. Nevertheless, I fully expect that a team other than Seattle walks away with the Lombardi Trophy.

I agree that there's value to be gained in taking a closer look at players. I've never advocated just slavishly ranking players by draft position. I'm just saying, as a general rule, players drafted higher are typically better than players drafted lower. It's a pretty good general rule.

I take pre-draft "talent" rankings at 50% and then draft position at 50%. It moves up guys drafted unexpectedly early, like AJ Jenkins, but not all the way to their draft spot. Which is generally a good thing.

 

[Xue]

Is it possible that Janis could be a candidate to move to TE? I only ask because he seems pretty huge, as is their need at TE.

He's not "that" big. Weight 219 at the Combine, that's only 2 more lbs than Jordy Nelson.

 

[cstu]

I take pre-draft "talent" rankings at 50% and then draft position at 50%. It moves up guys drafted unexpectedly early, like AJ Jenkins, but not all the way to their draft spot. Which is generally a good thing.

I was high on Jenkins' talent prior to the draft.

 

[BeTheMatch]

Is it possible that Janis could be a candidate to move to TE? I only ask because he seems pretty huge, as is their need at TE.

He's not "that" big. Weight 219 at the Combine, that's only 2 more lbs than Jordy Nelson.

Interesting. He looked quite a bit bigger to me just watching some of his highlights.

 

[loose circuits]

People tried assuming that mark Harrison could convert to TE. It just doesn't happen very easily

 

[menobrown]

Anyone else thinking the AZ might release Housler? I can't tell if it's just wishful thinking on my part. I think a lot of teams would love to have him (like the pats.)

Didn't know he was making $1.4M this year. Certainly not unthinkable given that Arians has zero interest in what he does best.

I don't think he is making that money but I know of at least one website that is reporting that, and others that have what I believe is the more accurate amount of $755,000. This is the amount you would arrive at if you added up his signing bonus and what he's been paid in base and deducted it from the $2.9 million amount on his original deal. The $755K amount also jives with what players drafted in his slot make in their 4th season.

Roto just put out a blurb with Arians saying how good he's looked in OTA's and I've been reading similar stuff the past week but I don't think it matters for his fantasy value next season unless he gets traded or cut. I still think he's a high upside player but if it ever comes to fruition for him it won't be in this offense.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Packers TE Brandon Bostick participated in OTAs Tuesday for the first time since December foot surgery.
A former college basketball player dripping with athletic upside, Bostick will now have a chance to climb the depth chart. Jermichael Finley (neck surgery) remains a free agent and Andrew Quarless/Richard Rodgers have "just a guy" kind of ability. Bostick is a Dynasty stash as we wait to see if he he shed a "raw" label.

Source: ESPN.com

The Cowboys official site suggests Gavin Escobar has had his role expanded during OTAs.
Escobar barely played as a second-round rookie due to deficiencies as a blocker. But with pass-happy Scott Linehan in town, the need for Escobar's skill set has grown as there's very little pass-catching talent in Dallas behind Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams and Jason Witten. Escobar isn't going to steal snaps from Witten, but he should get on the field in some "12" packages as a fantasy TE3 with upside for more. He could be start-able if Witten went down.

Source: Bryan Broaddus on Twitte

 

[Xue]

Virgil Green why did you have to be such a good blocker? Is there any other freak TE being wasted as a blocker? http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=79806&draftyear=2011&genpos=TE

 

[Adam Harstad]

Virgil Green why did you have to be such a good blocker? Is there any other freak TE being wasted as a blocker? http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=79806&draftyear=2011&genpos=TE

Virgil Green isn't being held back by how good he is as a blocker. He's being held back by how mediocre he is as a receiver. He's not even that good of a blocker, but at this point, it's pretty much the only thing separating him from a guy like Fendi Onobun who also lit up the combine drills but who never got on the field at all as a pro.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

According to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 49ers TE Vance McDonald has "dropped a couple of passes" in every practice open to the media this spring.
It's notable because McDonald committed three drops on just 18 targets last season. He managed only eight total catches across 15 games as a rookie. Even with Vernon Davis angling for a new contract, McDonald won't come into re-draft value this season, and remains a low-upside option in Dynasty formats.

Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Antonio Gates is an excused absence at this week's mandatory minicamp.
Gates is believed to be dealing with a serious illness in his family, but it's not like the 11-year veteran needs these practices anyway. He's going to be the starting tight end once again despite slowing down drastically last season. Now at age 34 in a run-heavy scheme with Ladarius Green breathing down his neck, Gates is not a recommended TE1. Over the final eight games of last year (including playoffs), he averaged 3.0 catches for 27.8 yards and scored one touchdown.

Related: Ladarius Green

Source: ESPN.com

The Florida Times Union mentions undrafted rookie TE Marcel Jensen as a player who stood out at OTAs.
Jensen (6-foot-5 5/8, 259) started 18 games during his Fresno State career, recording 48 catches for 708 yards (14.8 YPR) and eight touchdowns. He earned second-team All-Mountain West honors as a senior. Already 24, Jensen is a limited-ceiling in-line tight end with 4.85 speed and a 9-foot-7 broad jump. He could develop into a useful backup with long arms (34 7/8") and a solid frame for blocking. He's competing for a job behind starter Marcedes Lewis.

Source: Florida Times Union

Ben Roethlisberger said Heath Miller has "looked healthy right from the get-go, looks kind of like the old Heath."
Miller shredded his knee in December of 2012 and missed the first two games of last season before posting a pedestrian 58-593-1 line. He clearly wasn't at or near full health for much of the year. Now fully healthy and participating in a full offseason, Miller is a big rebound candidate. He has low-end TE1 appeal.

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Norv Turner's Browns used "12" personnel on 36.9 percent of their offensive plays last season, second-most in the NFL.
The two-tight end formation helped Jordan Cameron to his predictable breakout. Now Turner is running the offense for Minnesota, meaning Kyle Rudolph projects as a major beneficiary. The contract-year tight end will be on the field for every snap, and will be freed up to run more routes while guys like Rhett Ellison, Chase Ford and Allen Reisner compete for blocking snaps. Rudolph has flashed Gronkian red-zone chops in his career, compiling 15 touchdowns in 39 games.

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Packers TE Andrew Quarless has not practiced at all this offseason.
Quarless sat out OTAs and minicamp for undisclosed reasons. The missed time has allowed rookie Richard Rodgers to get an extended look with the first-team offense. It's unknown whether Quarless is dealing with an injury. He missed 2012 because of a torn ACL, but played all 16 games last season. The Packers re-signed Quarless to a two-year, $3 million contract in March.

Source: ESPN.com

ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky said it "appears" third-round rookie Richard Rodgers has the inside track for Green Bay's starting tight end position.
Demovsky said Rodgers' size and athleticism stood out during non-contact practices, and that he made an "eye-catching play" at least once a day. Despite being viewed as more of a developmental prospect when he was selected, there seems to be a chance Rodgers beats out Andrew Quarless and Brandon Bostick. Rodgers would presumably play the old Jermichael Finley role, focusing more on receiving and less on blocking. He is a player to keep an eye on during training camp.

Source: ESPN.com

The Tennessean's Jim Wyatt pegged Titans TE Taylor Thompson as a player who could see a bigger offensive role this season.
A converted defensive end, Thompson has been used sparingly on offense with only nine receptions on 18 targets through two seasons in the NFL. Thompson is a project that may never develop into an offensive threat. He will serve as the No. 3 tight end behind Delanie Walker and Craig Stevens.

Source: Nashville Tennessean

ESPN Panthers reporter David Newton identified second-year TE Brandon Williams as a player that "stood out" at minicamp and OTAs.
A second-year UDFA out of Oregon, Williams played only 28 snaps his rookie year, but Newton believes his role will expand this season. Williams is a physical freak, standing 6'4/250 with sub-4.6 40 wheels. In order to earn playing time with Greg Olsen in two-tight end sets, Williams only has to overtake underwhelming Ed Dickson. 26-year-old Williams is a super-deep sleeper.

Source: ESPN.com

The Boston Globe suggests Brandon LaFell could play the Aaron Hernandez role in the Patriots' offense this season.
"He played all of our wide receiver positions, plus he knew the tight end position," LaFell's ex-coach Ron Rivera said. LaFell stands in 6-foot-2, 210 and manned the slot in three-wide sets for the Panthers the past four seasons. He's also a willing blocker. The Patriots are extremely shallow at tight end behind Rob Gronkowski. LaFell isn't going to put up Hernandez numbers, but he could have a significant role. This is a situation to monitor in August.

Source: Boston Globe

No. 10 overall pick Eric Ebron spent most of spring practices running with the Lions' second-team offense.
Ebron "struggled with drops" in OTAs, but finished minicamp with a bang. "He's super athletic and can get in and out of cuts," Matthew Stafford said. "He's raw, he's young, he's got to learn the NFL game like every rookie does. But there's definitely flashes of big-time talent." Ebron won't make much re-draft noise as a 21-year-old rookie, but his long-term ceiling is through the roof.

Source: MLive.com

Giants TE Adrien Robinson has "failed to separate from the pack" at spring practices, where he's rotated with Daniel Fells, Larry Donnell, Xavier Grimble, and Kellen Davis.
"It's fully open right now to all five guys," said TEs coach Kevin Gilbride Jr., who wants Robinson to "develop his consistency," improve his "body control," and become a better "point-of-attack blocker." Per beat writer Jordan Raanan, Robinson did "flash a bit more," but "failed to blow away the competition." GM Jerry Reese may have to explore upgrading tight end before or during camp.

Source: Newark Star-Ledger

Ladarius Green is working as the Chargers' No. 1 tight end during minicamp while Antonio Gates attends to a "very personal" matter."
Gates is in no danger of being phased out of the offense, but it's an opportunity for Green to build chemistry with Philip Rivers, and impress a coaching staff that's yet to commit to Green as a featured passing-game component. Green reportedly "punctuated" a two-minute drill in Tuesday's practice with a 15-yard TD catch. 24-year-old Green offers a high level of 2014 breakout appeal.

Source: Union-Tribune San Diego

According to Bengals.com, new Bengals OC Hue Jackson is "from all indications, committed to two tight ends."
In other words, he wants to play "12" football to support his voluminous rushing attack. Beat writer Geoff Hobson believes Eifert's stats will rise in 2013, although Jermaine Gresham will stay very involved, because the Bengals consider him "an underrated and effective blocker." Two tight ends make sense after Cincinnati lost Andrew Hawkins in restricted free agency. The two wideouts, obviously, will be A.J. Green and Marvin Jones.

Source: Bengals.com

Eagles tight ends coach Ted Williams said Zach Ertz has similar tools to Shannon Sharpe and Ozzie Newsome.
Sharpe and Newsome are two of eight tight ends in the Hall of Fame. Ertz is obviously nowhere near that stratosphere yet, but he has the unique size (6'5/250) and athletic traits to be a difference-maker. "He's an excellent route runner. Guys that big and run that well and have the skills and tools to be precise – body control, strength, size, leverage – I think they're different. There aren't a lot of them like that," Williams said. Ertz is going to be a major part of the Eagles' plan to replace DeSean Jackson, and is one of our favorite back-end TE1s.

Source: Wilmington News Journal

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Any thoughts from locals or Seahawk fans on Luke Willson?

 

[KellysHeroes]

thats a lot of fluff

 

[Denver724]

Any thoughts from locals or Seahawk fans on Luke Willson?

Not a local or Hawks fan, but I like Wilson. The real downside is the offense. Run first and a lot of mouths to feed. If they open up the offense Wilson may turn into something.

 

[Adam Harstad]

thats a lot of fluff

Not much else available in mid-June.

 

[Faust]

Will New York Giants opt for 'tight end by committee'?

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000360917/article/will-new-york-giants-opt-for-tight-end-by-committee

 

[loose circuits]

Will New York Giants opt for 'tight end by committee'?

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000360917/article/will-new-york-giants-opt-for-tight-end-by-committee

sounds like motivation for Adrien to get his act together

 

[Bojang0301]

Thoughts on Moeki as possible starter in Buffalo? Never had strong feelings about the guy but remember him catching some buzz out of college. Not sure if I view him as having much upside over other fringes on my roster. I cut Chandler outright before last season and never regretted that decision.

 

[cstu]

Thoughts on Moeki as possible starter in Buffalo? Never had strong feelings about the guy but remember him catching some buzz out of college. Not sure if I view him as having much upside over other fringes on my roster. I cut Chandler outright before last season and never regretted that decision.

I've signed and cut Moeaki more times than I can remember. The odds of him finally staying healthy are low and I'd rather gamble with someone with more long-term upside.

 

[cstu]

Will New York Giants opt for 'tight end by committee'?

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000360917/article/will-new-york-giants-opt-for-tight-end-by-committee

sounds like motivation for Adrien to get his act together

So you're saying it's a ploy?

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

A study done by the New York Times' Jonathan Bales last offseason showed that tight ends historically take their biggest statistical steps back beginning at age 31.
Bales' study also showed that tight ends have the shortest shelf lives off all skill positions -- even shorter than running backs. Tight ends entering their mid and late 20s make the best breakout candidates, while tight ends begin to take big nosedives going on ages 31 and 32. Some tight ends around the NFL at those ages are Heath Miller (32 in October), Jason Witten (turned 32 in May), and Owen Daniels (32 in November). Antonio Gates just turned 34.

Source: FF Today

 

[Faust]

Eric Ebron, Ladarius Green among young tight ends to watch

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Gavin Escobar - TE - Cowboys

ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer believes Cowboys TE Gavin Escobar will see an expanded role this season.

Archer is just the latest in a long line predicting a bigger role for Escobar. Standing 6-6, 249, Escobar is a big target with the athleticism to makes plays down the field, as evidenced by his head-over-heels flip into the endzone Week 17 last season. On a team devoid of pass-catching talent aside from Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, Escobar has the opportunity to carve out a decent role. He is a TE3 with upside for a lot more.

Source: ESPN Dallas

Jul 12 - 12:43 PM

 

[Bojang0301]

Why no love for John Carlson? I mean I'm getting him in Zealots leagues for nothing and those are 60 man rosters at this point. Palmer made Brandon Myers legit, Carlson had some promise coming out of school, was worth a pickup last year when Rudolph went down and it's not like Arians hasn't had successful receiving TE's in the past. I don't like his long term prospects but think he could be a solid bench guy to have around this year.

 

[Adam Harstad]

Why no love for John Carlson? I mean I'm getting him in Zealots leagues for nothing and those are 60 man rosters at this point. Palmer made Brandon Myers legit, Carlson had some promise coming out of school, was worth a pickup last year when Rudolph went down and it's not like Arians hasn't had successful receiving TE's in the past. I don't like his long term prospects but think he could be a solid bench guy to have around this year.

Solid bench guys to have around are super-cheap at TE. Marcedes Lewis and Delanie Walker were TE8 and TE9 over the last half of the season. Brent Celek and Brandon Myers were TE13 and TE14. Those four could probably be had for a half-chewed stick of gum right now. And those are just the established, proven veterans. Guys like Tim Wright and Garrett Graham put up borderline-startable fantasy numbers pretty much out of nowhere, and there'll be guys like that on the wire at every point of the season next year.

At the TE position, if I'm paying for anything, it's upside. The John Carlson's of the world don't really excite me, because I can get comparable production by just ignoring them completely and adding someone off the wire for however long I need them, cutting them again afterward.

 

[Bojang0301]

Why no love for John Carlson? I mean I'm getting him in Zealots leagues for nothing and those are 60 man rosters at this point. Palmer made Brandon Myers legit, Carlson had some promise coming out of school, was worth a pickup last year when Rudolph went down and it's not like Arians hasn't had successful receiving TE's in the past. I don't like his long term prospects but think he could be a solid bench guy to have around this year.

Solid bench guys to have around are super-cheap at TE. Marcedes Lewis and Delanie Walker were TE8 and TE9 over the last half of the season. Brent Celek and Brandon Myers were TE13 and TE14. Those four could probably be had for a half-chewed stick of gum right now. And those are just the established, proven veterans. Guys like Tim Wright and Garrett Graham put up borderline-startable fantasy numbers pretty much out of nowhere, and there'll be guys like that on the wire at every point of the season next year.

At the TE position, if I'm paying for anything, it's upside. The John Carlson's of the world don't really excite me, because I can get comparable production by just ignoring them completely and adding someone off the wire for however long I need them, cutting them again afterward.

Pretty fair point. Also an interesting perspective that I've failed to see. People would much rather roster Brandon Bostick and Adrien Robinson over a guy like Lewis. I'm guilty of that too. At the end of the day though, inconsistently, he would put up top 10 numbers for you. I've always found it invaluable to have a top of the heap TE and rarely have had to go TEBC maybe that's why I've never thought about it.

 

[treat88]

Any thoughts from locals or Seahawk fans on Luke Willson?

Love him.

One of the most athletic TE's to come out since VD. Ascending QB. Offense could open up as Lynch's time fades.

It takes a little projection, but I could see him being the #2 target behind only Harvin as soon as 2015.

Probably the single most undervalued player in any of my leagues IMO. You don't see this combination of athletic upside and opportunity come along essentially for free very often.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

ESPN Texans reporter Tania Ganguli observes third-round TE C.J. Fiedorowicz "can do everything."

"Zero problems catching the ball," Ganguli added. The Texans and Broncos are holding joint practices this week, and Fiedorowicz continues to line up as the starting in-line tight end while getting red-zone work. He's an NFL-ready blocker and drew loose Rob Gronkowski comps coming out of Iowa. Coach Bill O'Brien plans to feature his tight ends. Fiedorowicz might be a waiver-wire favorite at some point. He's not yet worth drafting in standard-sized leagues.

Source: Tania Ganguli on Twitter

Aug 20 - 1:32 PM

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

C.J. Fiedorowicz - TE - Texans

Texans rookie TE C.J. Fiedorowicz would start against the Redskins if Garrett Graham (back) is unable to play.

Fiedorowicz would have likely started as the in-line tight end regardless of Graham's status, but Graham's injury could open up more passing-game opportunities for the rookie tight end. Ryan Griffin will also see more snaps if Graham is unable to go. Graham is a game-time decision.

Related: Garrett Graham

Source: Houston Chronicle

Sep 6 - 9:37 AM

http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2014/09/rookie-tight-end-c-j-fiedorowicz-to-start-if-garrett-graham-is-unable-to-play/#26448101=0