Tag: blocking tight end

Greg Dulcich’s blocking technique can improve, but ‘the willingness is there’

“The technique has to come, and he’s going to get there pretty shortly,” Justin Outten said of Greg Dulcich’s blocking.

When the Denver Broncos picked UCLA tight end Greg Dulcich in the third round of the NFL draft last month, pundits were quick to note Dulcich’s receiving ability while also noting his struggles a blocker.

Dulcich has rebuffed the criticism of his blocking, dubbing himself a “great blocker” after the draft. Analysts clearly disagree. Perhaps the disconnect between opinions stems from Dulcich’s willingness to block. The tight end doesn’t shy away from it (and believes he’s good at it), but his technique could use refining.

“The willingness is there. The willingness is there,” offensive coordinator Justin Outten said last week. “The overall college mindset of being an effort guy [is there]. The technique has to come, and he’s going to get there pretty shortly.”

Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett also noted Dulcich’s willingness to block last week, so it’s clear that the coaches are on the same page.

Dulcich is known as a receiving tight end and having played a versatile role in a pro-style offense in college has already helped him in the NFL.

“He lined up all over the place [at UCLA],” Outten said. “In order to do that in any system, you have to be a smart player. Reading coverages is one of his strengths.”

The smarts are there and the receiving talent is well-known. Denver’s staff is hoping the blocking technique will soon following, making Dulcich a complete player.

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Schultz searching for more than Cowboys’ peanuts in pivotal season

After two seasons on the roster, Dalton Schultz is still searching for his fit in the Cowboys offense.

In April 2018, future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten announced his retirement from the NFL in the middle of the draft. Three rounds later, the Dallas Cowboys selected Stanford’s Dalton Schultz with the No. 137 overall selection in the NFL Draft, and he appeared in prime position to be an integral factor in the tight end room.

In his final season as a Cardinal, Schultz was used primarily as a blocker, explaining him only registering 22 receptions for 212 yards. However, he was one of the driving forces that helped running back Bryce Love rush for 2,118 yards. Schultz would use this particular skill as a rookie to keep himself on the field as well. He totaled 300 snaps in the 11 games he appeared in, including six games in which he was on the field for at least 31 plays. He had a pedestrian 12 receptions for 116 yards but he assisted Ezekiel Elliott in winning his second rushing title in three seasons.

Coming off a first-team All-Pac-12 selection, the question was how Schultz’s game would translate to the pro ranks.

A setback arrived in the performance of Blake Jarwin in the Cowboys season finale vs the New York Giants. Jarwin would catch seven passes for 119 yards and three touchdowns as the Cowboys survived a 36-35 shootout. An even bigger hurdle was the return of Witten after a year in the booth on Monday Night Football.

Once the 2019 season kicked off it was apparent Schultz was, at best, the third tight on the depth chart. After nine games with double-digit snaps as a rookie, he would only achieve that five times last season.

Even though he appeared in all 16 games, he only managed to log 117 snaps, 183 fewer than the year before. As far as his role in the passing game, well, it was virtually nonexistent as he was only targeted twice all season and caught one pass for six yards.

Jarwin. on the other hand. logged 434 snaps and was second to Witten in receptions, yards, and touchdowns for all tight ends. Witten was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders at the end of March in free agency which seemingly left the door open for Schultz to claim playing time as TE2.

That was of course until the Cowboys added tight end Blake Bell to the roster who won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019.

Schultz has an uphill battle ahead of him to reach the top of the tight end depth chart and with restrictions placed on all teams this offseason because of the COVID-19 pandemic that challenge has become even greater. Will he breakthrough in 2020? Only time will tell.

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Cowboys to sign TE to augment Blake Jarwin, round out position

Dallas has added depth behind assumed starter Blake Jarwin with the journeyman tight end who was a rushing quarterback for much of college.

With Jason Witten now officially an ex-Cowboy, Blake Jarwin theoretically ascends to the starting role at tight end. He won’t have any trouble remembering the name of the new guy behind him.

The Cowboys have agreed to terms with 28-year-old Blake Bell, primarily a blocking tight end, who spent last season in Kansas City. News of the signing was reported by ESPN’s Todd Archer on Wednesday morning.

Bell earned the nickname “Belldozer” while at Oklahoma as a nod to his blocking prowess, but he actually began his college career as a quarterback, serving as the understudy to Landry Jones in 2011. He logged plenty of playing time in the team’s “jumbo” package, though, rushing 44 times for 171 yards and three touchdowns that season alone. In the 2011 Insight Bowl, his three scoring runs netted him the game’s MVP award.

He moved to tight end in 2014, and was selected in the fourth round of 2015’s draft by the 49ers. He spent two years in San Francisco, then did one-year stints in Minnesota and Jacksonville before landing with the Chiefs last April.

Behind superstar tight end Travis Kelce, Bell struggled to make much of an impact on the stat sheet. He did appear in 15 regular-season games in Andy Reid’s offense, though he averaged one target per contest. He scored his first NFL touchdown in Kansas City’s dramatic comeback win over the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs. He caught one ball for nine yards in Super Bowl LIV.

Bell apparently had the opportunity to return to the reigning champs, but opted for a new opportunity with the Cowboys.

Now in Dallas, Bell joins Dalton Schultz and Cole Hikutini in the tight end room behind Jarwin. And he adds an intriguing wrinkle for the Cowboys should offensive coordinator Kellen Moore choose to dust off Bell’s quarterback rush skills.

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