Tag: Jared Cook

Jared Cook’s 46-yard reception is the Saints Play of the Day

Jared Cook’s 46-yard reception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is our play of the day as we count down to the Saints’ Week 1 kickoff:

There are only 46 days remaining to the New Orleans Saints season opener against the division rival Carolina Panthers. With that, we continue our play of the day countdown to their Week 1 kickoff with today’s play, a 46-yard reception from Jared Cook against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers which you can see here. In Tom Brady’s first game as a Buccaneer, against the Saints in the Superdome, it would be New Orleans stealing the spotlight.

Jared Cook had a phenomenal night to start off the year, with 5 receptions for 80 yards. His 46-yard reception in the fourth quarter came at a great time however, with 14 minutes left Cook would get open on the left sideline over Jamel Dean, and Drew Brees would put it up above them both where only Cook could get hands on it. The throw was good enough to allow Cook to run for another 11 yards before being pushed out of bounds, rather than forcing him to go up and get it.

This throw and catch wound up being crucial for the Saints’ start to the season, as they would end the drive with a touchdown to Emmanuel Sanders. This set them up at 31-17 over the Buccaneers, and the next play would be the line drive kickoff by Thomas Morstead which resulted in a Buccaneers muff and recovery by Bennie Fowler. This ultimately ended any chance the Buccaneers had in the game, and gave the Saints their first win against the Brady-led Buccaneers squad, a common occurrence over the next few seasons.

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Demario Davis named Saints’ best free agent signing of the last 5 years

This isn’t a surprise: Pro Bowl linebacker Demario Davis was named the Saints’ best free agent signing of the last five offseasons

NFL free agency is right around the corner, so it’s a good time to take a look back at some of the New Orleans Saints’ biggest hits on the open market. The easy pick for the team’s best free agent signing was quarterback Drew Brees, who came to New Orleans and accomplished a career worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They also found key players like Darren Sproles and Jabari Greer in free agency, and more recently landed Pro Bowlers like Larry Warford, Jared Cook, and Tyrann Mathieu.

But there’s one Saints free agent pickup who stands above the rest (behind Brees, anyway). ESPN’s NFL Nation panelists listed every team’s best free agent pickup since 2018, with Saints beat reporter Katherine Terrell making the obvious choice for New Orleans: linebacker Demario Davis. Here’s what she wrote of the 2022 Pro Bowler:

This was true several years ago and still holds true today. The Saints got a steal when they signed Davis to a three-year, $24 million deal. He has started 81 games in New Orleans, earning one first-team All-Pro nod, three second-team All-Pro honors and his first selection to Pro Bowl this season. Davis helped turn a struggling defense into one of the top units.

Davis outplayed his contract and then some, regularly ranking among league leaders in tackles each week and captaining a Saints defense that’s placed inside the top-10 every year he’s been in town. It’s a crime that Davis didn’t get more recognition from the annual all-star game earlier in his career, but fans know just how important he’s been to the team’s success since his arrival.

So how many more years will Davis be leading the team on and off the field? He celebrated his 34th birthday in January and has two more years left on his contract after a recent restructure, with his deal set to void in 2025 and leave behind a modest $6.8 million in dead money. But Davis carries a whopping $18.1 million salary cap hit in 2024, so he’ll likely restructure it again to kick that can further down the road (where the always-rising salary cap diminishes its cost). Unless he’s ready to step away from the game and retire, anyway. But that’s a conversation for another day.

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3 tight ends Vikings could sign after Irv Smith Jr. injury

There are still veteran tight end options out there for the Vikings.

The one thing the Minnesota Vikings hoped wouldn’t happen happened with tight end Irv Smith Jr. going down with an injury before the season started, again.

Unless the team plans on rolling Johnny Mundt and Zach Davidson out there as their primary tight ends, it would make sense for them to start thumbing through the free agent pages in search of a veteran playmaker to come in and contribute.

Smith is hopeful to return by the start of the season, but there are no guarantees at this point.

It would have been nice to see the team pull the trigger on that Kyle Rudolph reunion while it was still a thing. Now, the former longtime Vikings tight end is catching passes from Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But we’re not here to cry over spilled milk. It isn’t like general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had a crystal ball with the future in it sitting on his desk. Things happen and the team is now in a position where they need to make the best of their situation.

Here are three tight ends the Vikings should consider calling up right now.

Bleacher Report suggests Giants consider these 3 free agents

Bleacher Report suggested 3 free agents the Giants should consider.

It is becoming well-known that the New York Giants could use some veteran help at several positions as they enter their first year under head coach Brian Daboll.

The secondary is in flux and could use an inexpensive veteran to slide in and take some key snaps until the youngsters get their feet under them.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes the Giants could benefit from signing a veteran such as cornerback Joe Haden and/or safety Tashaun Gipson on one-year deals.

“New York should take a long look at Tashaun Gipson, who spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears. Gipson started all 12 games in which he appeared last season and allowed an opposing passer rating of just 76.0…Gipson should be an option who fits into New York’s budget. He played on a one-year, $2.6 million deal last season. He’s another candidate for a one-year deal and could help give New York a little stability on the back end of its defense. “

Gipson is 31 and could be a stop-gap presence in the secondary for the Giants but they seem content at safety with their young group of Xavier McKinney, Julian Love, Dane Belton and Jarren Williams at the moment.

Haden is 33 and reportedly is mulling several offers this summer. He’ll surely be on an NFL roster bypass month’s end.

“New York is expected to rely heavily on young corners like second-year man Aaron Robinson and rookie third-round pick Cordale Flott. Having a seasoned vet like Haden in a leadership role would aid their development.

Haden can still be a reliable starter as well. He had his fair share of ups and downs with the Steelers last season but was also dealing with a foot injury for much of the year. In 2020, Haden allowed an opposing passer rating of only 75.9 in coverage.”

Not the worst idea. After Adoree’ Jackson, the other five corners that are favored to win roster spots have a total of 17 NFL starts between them.

Knox also sees the Giants as being in the market for a veteran tight end. They signed free agents Ricky Seals-Jones and Jordan Akins this offseason but are relying on fourth-round pick Daniel Bellinger to develop quickly and win the job this summer.

One suggestion for the Giants is Jared Cook, who was catching passes from Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers last season.

“While Cook is undoubtedly nearing the back end of his career, he was a potent weapon for Herbert in 2021—he finished with 48 receptions, 564 yards and four touchdowns.”

Daniel Jones could sure use a reliable pair of hands at tight end. Maybe that will be Bellinger but having Cook around wouldn’t hurt.

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6 tight ends the Panthers should consider in free agency

It’s not at the top of the Panthers’ to-do list, but the TE position needs some added juice in 2022. Here are six cost-effective options they could target in free agency.

The Carolina Panthers and head coach Matt Rhule need a tight end! They need a tight end!

But seriously, they really do.

Since the departure of franchise great Greg Olsen, the Panthers have had some frighteningly barren production out of the position. Over the past four (yes, four) seasons, Carolina tight ends have totaled 206 receptions for 2,076 yards and 13 touchdowns.

While it’s not totally for a lack of talent or effort, as the franchise has played a sick game of musical chairs under center since then, there’s no doubt the Panthers could see some improvement in that spot. So, here are six cost-effective options they should consider in free agency.

Kings of third down: Tight Ends

The best tight ends on third down.

Tight ends always have around five elite players each season, and another five with enough production and consistency that they merit fantasy attention. All the rest – “just another player.” And the usage of a tight end on a third-down play is the least of all positions. Just five players ended up with more than 17 third-down plays, therefore averaging more than one per game.

This breakdown is very fantasy relevant in that it shows the true importance that these players have to their offenses. And those with the higher yards-per-catch are used more as a receiver than as a blocker.

The below considers any tight end that had at least ten third-down catches.

Third-down receptions

Tight End Third Downs First Downs
1 Pat Freiermuth 24 14
2 Travis Kelce 22 19
3 Anthony Firkser 21 10
4 Mark Andrews 19 15
5 Kyle Pitts 19 13
6 Mike Gesicki 17 13
7 Evan Engram 17 9
8 Noah Fant 17 4
9 Zach Ertz 16 11
10 Hunter Henry 15 14
11 Dalton Schultz 15 13
12 Tyler Higbee 14 11
13 George Kittle 14 10
14 Tyler Conklin 14 5
15 Jared Cook 13 11
16 Gerald Everett 13 9
17 Dallas Goedert 12 12
18 T.J. Hockenson 12 8
19 Cole Kmet 12 3
20 Rob Gronkowski 11 10

The rookie Pat Freiermuth impressed on a Steelers team that did not  throw the ball downfield due to weak-armed Ben Roethlisberger. That called up his number more often than expected, and it could change with a new quarterback taking over for 2022. But he’s already a big cog in the passing machine and in just his first season. Freiermuth will only get better.

Kyle Pitts also ranked well with 19 first-down catches. Anthony Firkser was an oddity in that he had a very marginal year (34-291-2) but well over half of his catches came on third down, after The first two downs usually went to Derrick Henry. Mike Gesicki turned in a career year (73-780-2) and stepped up not only in fantasy points but on how often the Fins looked his way when they needed a first down.

Third-down yards-per-catch

Tight End YPC Third Downs
1 Rob Gronkowski 17.0 11
2 Dallas Goedert 16.3 12
3 George Kittle 15.4 14
4 Mark Andrews 15.1 19
5 Dawson Knox 14.3 10
6 Kyle Pitts 13.6 19
7 Travis Kelce 12.5 22
8 Dalton Schultz 11.5 15
9 Jared Cook 11.3 13
10 Dan Arnold 11.3 11
11 Mike Gesicki 10.9 17
12 Tyler Higbee 9.9 14
13 Zach Ertz 9.4 16
14 C.J. Uzomah 9.4 10
15 Cole Kmet 8.9 12
16 Hunter Henry 8.9 15
17 Anthony Firkser 8.9 21
18 Tyler Conklin 8.8 14
19 Evan Engram 8.8 17
20 Gerald Everett 7.9 13

The average tight end gains under ten yards per catch, so producing more than that on the most critical down of a drive is a true measure of what value they bring to the passing scheme. And the top five – Rob Gronkowski, Dallas Goedert, George Kittle, Mark Andrews and Dawson Knox all averaged higher on third down than their overall averages. They got better when the pass was thrown on third down.

There are no major surprises here, but Dallas Goedert’s hefty 16.3-yard-average impressed more considering the offense around him.

Third-down success rate

Player Success Third Downs First Downs YPC TD
1 Dallas Goedert 100% 12 12 16.3 1
2 Hunter Henry 93% 15 14 8.9 4
3 Rob Gronkowski 91% 11 10 17.0 4
4 Dalton Schultz 87% 15 13 11.5 2
5 Travis Kelce 86% 22 19 12.5 4
6 Jared Cook 85% 13 11 11.3 3
7 Dawson Knox 80% 10 8 14.3 3
8 Mark Andrews 79% 19 15 15.1 1
9 Tyler Higbee 79% 14 11 9.9 3
10 Mike Gesicki 76% 17 13 10.9 0
11 George Kittle 71% 14 10 15.4 1
12 Gerald Everett 69% 13 9 7.9 2
13 Zach Ertz 69% 16 11 9.4 1
14 Kyle Pitts 68% 19 13 13.6 0
15 T.J. Hockenson 67% 12 8 8.4 1
16 Dan Arnold 64% 11 7 11.3 0
17 C.J. Uzomah 60% 10 6 9.4 2
18 Pat Freiermuth 58% 24 14 6.9 2
19 Evan Engram 53% 17 9 8.8 2
20 Anthony Firkser 48% 21 10 8.9 1
21 Tyler Conklin 36% 14 5 8.8 0
22 Cole Kmet 25% 12 3 8.9 0
23 Noah Fant 24% 17 4 7.2 1

Once again, Dallas Goedert bubbled up to the top as the only tight end that logged a first down each time he caught a pass on a third down. Hunter Henry (93%) and Dalton Schultz (87%) did not gain  many yards on third down but were more successful than most. Any tight end with more than 50% success on third down is notable for their team, but the Top-10 were all 75%.

Pat Freiermuth fell in this metric, and worse yet, he only gained 6.9 yards per catch. Such was the Steelers passing game last year. Noah Fant also fell badly in this measurement with only four first downs despite 17 third-down passes.

The most notable here were Goedert, Henry, and Schultz. Jared Cook rated well but at 34 years old, may not be back. That could get more work for Donald Parham, who caught three third-down passes  and two were touchdowns.

4 free agent tight ends the Texans should consider

Tight end is a position of upside for the Houston Texans, but here are four free agents they should take a look at.

Talent acquisition and roster construction never stops with the Houston Texans.

As the Texans are coming off a 4-13 finish and seek to complete the rebuild over the course of the 2022 offseason, one area where Houston may need to dip into the free agency pool is at tight end.

The Texans spent a fifth-rounder on Brevin Jordan in 2021. The Miami product caught 20 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns in nine games, two of which he started. Houston has to find a way to develop Jordan while also shoring up the position.

Here are four free agent tight ends that could help the roster.

Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in Week 18 loss to Raiders

Spotlighting Pro Football Focus’ highest and lowest graded Chargers players from the loss to the Raiders.

On Sunday, the Chargers’ season came to an end after losing to the Raiders.

Along the way, some players performed well, and there were a few who struggled.

With that being said, here are the best and worst performers from the Week 18 contest, according to Pro Football Focus player grades.

Note: To be more accurate, this is based on players who played at least 30% of the snaps on offense (93) or defense (80).

Top 5 Offense

QB Justin Herbert – 78.8

WR Mike Williams – 78.7

C Corey Linsley – 73.6

OT Rashawn Slater – 67.7

OL Michael Schofield – 65.4

Top 5 Defense

S Nasir Adderley – 87.0

LB Kyzir White – 79.4

S Alohi Gilman – 72.4

S Derwin James – 72.2

NT Linval Joseph – 69.9

Bottom 5 Offense

RB Austin Ekeler – 58.5

WR Keenan Allen – 56.3

OL Matt Feiler -53.2

TE Stephen Anderson – 47.6

OT Storm Norton – 43.3

Bottom 5 Defense

DT Christian Covington – 51.4

CB Chris Harris Jr. – 47.8

EDGE Joey Bosa – 47.0

DT Jerry Tillery – 42.6

LB Kenneth Murray – 28.9

First injury report for Chargers ahead of matchup vs. Raiders

The Los Angeles Chargers had two players who did not practice on Wednesday.

Looking to make the playoffs, the Chargers returned to work preparing for the Week 18 matchup against the Raiders.

Here is a look at Wednesday’s injury report:

The Chargers had two non-participants: edge defender Joe Gaziano and center Corey Linsley.

Linebacker Drue Tranquill was a limited participant.

Brandon Staley said they are going to be cautious with Linsley this week after he left last Sunday’s game against the Broncos with back tightness. If he can’t go, Scott Quessenberry will start in place of him this weekend.

In other related news, tight end Jared Cook and linebacker Kenneth Murray were removed from the COVID-19 list. The team does not have a player on the reserve list.

Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in Week 16 loss to Texans

Spotlighting Pro Football Focus’ highest and lowest graded Chargers players from the loss to the Texans.

On Sunday, the Chargers fell to the Texans in an unexpected manner, 41-29.

Along the way, some players performed well, and there were a few who struggled.

With that being said, here are the best and worst performers from the Week 16 contest, according to Pro Football Focus player grades.

Note: To be more accurate, this is based on players who played at least 35% of the snaps on offense (62) or defense (68).

Top 5 Offense

OT Storm Norton – 78.2

TE Stephen Anderson – 75.5

TE Jared Cook – 68.5

OL Michael Schofield – 66.5

WR Josh Palmer – 66.2

Top 5 Defense

DT Christian Covington – 81.8

DT Breiden Fehoko – 68.1

EDGE Uchenna Nwosu – 66.0

DT Jerry Tillery – 64.8

LB Kyzir White – 61.1

Bottom 5 Offense

WR Jason Moore – 64.1

RB Justin Jackson – 62.3

OL Scott Quessenberry – 61.9

WR Keenan Allen – 61.7

OT Rashawn Slater – 60.0

Bottom 5 Defense

EDGE Kenneth Murray – 50.9

CB Asante Samuel Jr. – 48.5

S Alohi Gilman – 47.5

NT Linval Joseph – 42.3

CB Davontae Harris – 38.3