Tag: Jared Cook

Saints training camp: Long shots, roster locks, and tight ends on the bubble

Adam Trautman may be the Big Fish in New Orleans, but the thin depth at tight end around him might raise some concerns:

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Few positions saw as much turnover this offseason for the New Orleans Saints as tight end. Both of the team’s co-starters — Jared Cook and Josh Hill — were released as salary cap cuts earlier this year, opening up a combined 825 snaps on offense and 70 targets in the passing game. That’s a huge void to fill, and while the Saints like their options as-is, they’re making a big bet on an unproven second-year pro to accomplish their goals. Here is how the depth chart shakes out going into training camp:

Where Chargers’ skill players rank heading into 2021 season

Find out what Bill Barnwell thinks of the Chargers’ offensive weapons.

The Chargers enter the 2021 season with the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, quarterback Justin Herbert at the helms.

Beyond him are a slew of skill players that Herbert will have at his disposal, with the notables being Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson and Jared Cook.

The weapons don’t stop there, as Herbert will also have ascending pass-catching options like Tyron Johnson, Jalen Guyton and Donald Parham.

In addition, there are young yet intriguing pieces that include Josh Palmer, Tre’ McKitty, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree III.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked the “offensive weapons” for all 32 NFL teams, from best to worst, and Los Angeles checked in at No. 20.

Here is what Barnwell wrote:

As impressive as Justin Herbert’s rookie season was, it’s hard to point to one of his weapons as having a similarly exciting campaign. Keenan Allen’s 100 catches generated just 992 yards, with the veteran fumbling three times and dealing with a hamstring issue. Mike Williams had his usual mix of mammoth games (wins over the Saints and Chiefs) and whisper-quiet performances (six games of 26 yards or fewer). Hunter Henry, who left for the Patriots in free agency, averaged under 44 yards per game. Austin Ekeler, coming off a breakout season, missed the better part of seven games with a hamstring injury and scored just three times. In true Philip Rivers fashion, Herbert coaxed the occasional big game out of guys on the bottom of the depth chart: Tyron Johnson, Jalen Guyton and Donald Parham.

Now, with Herbert entering his second season and Joe Lombardi taking over as offensive coordinator, Los Angeles’ star weapons need to play their part. Allen can’t average fewer than 10 yards per reception again. Ekeler doesn’t need to be Derrick Henry, but he has to be effective across 200-plus touches. Williams, who is in a contract year, needs to put together his first consistent season as a pro. And with Henry gone, the Chargers need to find a solution at tight end between Parham and Jared Cook. On paper, they should have more than enough talent around their quarterback. Nothing good, however, ever comes from a sentence that starts with “On paper, the Chargers …”

To some, Barnwell’s ranking might be unfavorable, but he takes quarterbacks and scheme out of the equation and comes up with the list by projecting how team’s running backs and receivers would do if they were placed in the most average offense with the most average quarterback and coach.

Barnwell believes that the group looks promising on paper, but the stars must stay healthy and produce at a consistent level in new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s system, which is something they struggled with last season, which forced them lean on others like Johnson, Guyton and Parham.

I believe that the unit is capable of finishing within the top-10, but sustaining durability will be key to making it come to fruition.

For reference, the team’s offensive weapons ranked No. 16 in 2020 and No. 11 in 2019.

Fantasy football outlook, projection for Chargers TE Jared Cook

Entering Year 13, Jared Cook is in a great position to have another productive season.

With fantasy football drafts soon to be in full swing, I am going to do a series for each Chargers skill player and how they will fare this upcoming season and the production I project them to put up.

Today, we start with tight end Jared Cook, who replaces Hunter Henry.

Cook signed with Los Angeles this offseason after playing the best football of his career over the past three seasons with the Raiders and Saints.

In 2018, under Frank Smith, the Chargers’ offensive line coach, who was his position coach with the Raiders then, Cook had a career year, catching 68 passes for 896 yards and six TDs en route to his first Pro Bowl.

Cook spent the last two seasons with the Saints alongside offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, who served the quarterbacks coach then. He had 80 catches for 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Cook’s 14.2 yards per reception over the past three seasons are more than any other tight end in the NFL with at least 100 receptions over that span, per Pro Football Focus.

This season, Cook will be joined by Donald Parham and Tre’ McKitty. Parham is an ascending option who could see an uptick in targets. McKitty will primarily serve as an in-line blocker, with potential to receive targets down the road.

As for Cook, he will provide a big frame in the middle of the field and in the red zone for Justin Herbert. 22 of Cook’s 41 career touchdowns were inside 20 yards and in 12 seasons, he has 100 career receptions of 20 yards or more.

With Lombardi transferring some of the New Orleans concepts over to L.A., the familiarity should only maximize his potential connection with Herbert.

During the final season that Lombardi called plays for the Lions, QB Matthew Stafford targeted the tight end on nearly 25% of his passes. In addition, Saints’ Drew Brees relied heavily on his tight ends.

At the moment, ESPN has him ranked 23rd out of 35 tight ends heading into the summer. But Cook, who has been playing the best football of his career since turning 30, is a strong TE2, with potential to finish top-12 at his position.

My projection: 68 Tgts | 47 Rec | 642 Yds | 6 Rec Tds

Who is the Chargers’ most overrated player entering 2021 season?

Pro Football Network names the Chargers’ players who is touted higher than they should be.

The Chargers have a roster filled with talented players. For the most part, a good chunk of them have lived up to or exceeded their expectations. However, there are a few that seem to downplay them.

According to Pro Football Network, tight end Jared Cook is Los Angeles’ most overrated player.

Cook has been a quality journeyman tight end throughout his career, as the Chargers are his sixth team in 13 years. Regardless, he’s 34 years old and nowhere near the same field stretcher he used to be. He averaged just 3.4 yards after the catch per reception in 2020, along with 2 broken tackles. Furthermore, Cook played less than 50% of offensive snaps the last two years. While a serviceable addition, Cook is little more than a stop-gap as Los Angeles aims to replace Hunter Henry.

L.A. lost one of their best skill players of the last few seasons in Hunter Henry this offseason and filled the void with Cook.

The signing wasn’t a splash, but it was serviceable. While he isn’t on the same caliber as Henry, Cook is a reliable and experienced player at the position who is familiar with offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and the scheme he is going to implement.

Even at over 30 years of age, Cook has still proven to be reliable, having posted 312 receptions for 2,783 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns the past four seasons, with one Pro Bowl appearance coming back in 2018 with the Raiders.

Cook hasn’t received a lot of recognition in the media, whereas someone like wide receiver Mike Williams has but has failed to live up to his first round status, failing to surpass 50 catches in his career and has just seven touchdowns over the past two seasons.

Fantasy Football: Chargers TE Donald Parham presents value as deep sleeper

Chargers tight end Donald Parham could be in for decent production in his sophomore season.

During his stint in the XFL before it was cut short due to the pandemic, Donald Parham was electric, leading led all tight ends in receiving with 24 receptions for 307 yards and four touchdowns.

Parham was a No. 1 fantasy TE in the XFL and enters a new year which could see him provide value to NFL fantasy football owners.

Signed by the Chargers last year, Parham took advantage of his limited opportunities behind Hunter Henry and Virgil Green, recording 10 catches for 159 yards (15.9 yards per reception) and three touchdowns on 20 targets in 2020.

At 6-foot-8, Parham showed he could be a promising target for quarterback Justin Herbert with his ability to outpace defenders down the field and the insane arm length and reliable hands to pluck the ball in the air.

Heading into the 2021 season, even after the additions of Jared Cook and rookie Tre’ McKitty, Parham’s upside is endless due to his elite physical and athletic traits coupled with offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s system.

During the final season that Lombardi called plays for the Lions, QB Matthew Stafford targeted the tight end on nearly 25% of his passes. In addition, Saints’ Drew Brees relied heavily on his tight ends.

Expected to draw parallels to the Saints offense, the team has produced five top 10 fantasy tight ends. Three of those came from Jimmy Graham in 2011, 2013, and 2014. Ben Watson in 2015 and Cook in 2019.

With Lombardi’s offense heavily predicated on matchups in which he will be show a wide variety of personnel packages, Parham could be the mismatch to threaten seams and in the red zone.

Lombardi said he liked what he saw from Parham on film last season, and that he’s excited to unlock his potential. Could he be in for a big year? Only time will tell, but stashing Parham in your respective leagues could pay dividends.

Ranking the AFC West: Tight Ends

Ranking the AFC West: Tight Ends

The AFC West happens to have two of the only teams in the league whose tight ends outshine the rest of their wide receiver corps. Most look at the Raiders’ situation with targeting the tight end so much as a product of the lack of talent at other offensive skill positions. But the Chiefs don’t have that problem, and yet the tight end is still a huge part of the offense.

Basically, what it comes down to is when you have talented players, you get him the ball. Regardless of any other factors. These two guys are not just the best in the division, but the best in football. So, naturally, that’s where we start.

1. Chiefs

Starter: Travis Kelce

Kelce is such a ridiculous talent. His 1416 yards were second in the NFL at any position. He also had 11 touchdowns which were tied for fifth. And he did this while sitting out the season finale along with several Chiefs starters. Just unreal. He was a unanimous first-team All-Pro selection; his third All-Pro selection of his career and his sixth Pro Bowl.

2. Raiders

Starter: Darren Waller

Waller set a franchise record with 107 catches. That was good for the fourth most at any position last season and two more than Kelce. Waller’s 1196 yards and 9 touchdowns were both 10th in the league. He would have at least been second-team All-Pro had it not been for Kelce’s insane numbers last season. Though Waller had more yards after the catch than Kelce and led the NFL in contested catch percentage (73%).

3. Broncos

Starter: Noah Fant

The 2019 20th overall pick has not taken the league by storm, but he has put up respectable numbers. He improved his numbers in his second season, catching 62 passes for 673 yards and matching his rookie touchdown total (3).

4. Chargers

Starter: Jared Cook

Hunter Henry left to sign a three-year deal with the Patriots. The Chargers replace him with the 34-year-old Cook. His numbers came down considerably last season from his previous couple of seasons in Oakland and New Orleans. In 2018 with the Raiders, he had career highs in catches (68) and yards (896). In 2019 he had career highs in yards per catch (16.4) and touchdowns (9). Last season he had his second-lowest yards per game (33.6) in the past ten years. He figures to see some rebound with a better QB, but it’s hard to predict a career upswing at the age of 34.

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Projecting the Chargers’ tight end depth chart in 2021

The Los Angeles Chargers tight end group is led by veteran Jared Cook.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be breaking down the depth chart at each position for the Chargers.

Quarterback

Running Back

Wide Receiver

Next up, I project what the tight end room will look like heading into the 2021 season.

TE1: Jared Cook

Cook signed with Los Angeles this offseason after spending the last two seasons with the Saints in which he had 80 catches for 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns. He will primarily offer upside as a pass-catching option for quarterback Justin Herbert and a guy to clear out space for the wideouts. His familiarity with offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s scheme should pay dividends. While he’s at the tail end of his career, Cook is in a prime position to produce.

TE2: Donald Parham

Signed last year, Parham took advantage of his limited opportunities, recording 10 catches for 159 yards (15.9 yards per reception) and three touchdowns on 20 targets in 2020. Heading into Year 2, Lombardi said he liked what he saw from Parham on film, and that he’s excited to unlock his true potential. Expected to be a threat up the seams and in the red zone, the 6-foot-8 Parham could be in for a big season in 2021.

TE3: Tre’ McKitty

Drafted in third-round, McKitty was selected for his blocking skills, where he will have a role as an in-line blocker right off the bat. Underutilized as a pass-catcher in college, McKitty has flashed enough traits to be a reliable option in that department in this league. As he refines his game more, McKitty has the potential to be a physical mismatch with big-play potential.

Chargers rookie TE Tre’ McKitty impresses with intelligence at spring practices

The Los Angeles Chargers’ third-round pick made an impression at OTAs.

When a rookie arrives in the spring, they typically spend that time getting adapted to the playbook and learning all the nuances of the NFL. But for tight end Tre’ McKitty, he seems to be ahead of the curve.

Veteran TE Jared Cook mentioned McKitty when asked about the group as a whole, highlighting his ability to absorb information and translate it to the field.

“I’m impressed,” Cook said. Very smart individual. He actually understands the offense, and you don’t really see rookies understand the playbook until training camp.

McKitty was drafted for his blocking skills, where he will have a role as an in-line blocker right off the bat in offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s system. However, he has more potential to make an impact through the air than most realize.

While he was not that used that much in the passing game in college, McKitty has the athleticism, ability to separate at the top of routes, a frame and great hands, along with impressive power and contact balance to gain yards after the catch.

It might not be from the get-go that he gets targets since Cook and Donald Parham are ahead of him on the depth chart, but don’t be surprised if McKitty carves up a role in that department sooner than later.

TE Jared Cook on Chargers offense: ‘Has what it takes to become high prolific’

Chargers tight end Jared Cook believes Los Angeles has better offensive talent than what they had in New Orleans.

Heading into the new season, the Chargers will have some of the same faces from last year, but they will be joined by some new ones, including veteran tight end Jared Cook.

Cook signed with Los Angeles earlier this offseason after spending the last two seasons with the Saints, which is the team that new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi comes from.

With Lombardi taking over the offense, it’s expected that he will bring over  elements of New Orleans’ system.

Today after the first session of mandatory minicamp, Cook said that 30-40%” of the Saints playbook is present, adding that everything else is new and he likes the new offense.

In addition to influence from New Orleans’ scheme, wrinkles of the 49ers offense will be brought over, but most importantly, it’s going to be tailored to quarterback Justin Herbert’s strengths.

Cook said Herbert is a “smart quarterback.” He said he has been with quarterbacks of his age in the past who can’t get the offense down, but that has not been the case with No. 10. “He is on it, man….he is on it.”

With the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year engineering the offense, a slew of talented skill players to distribute the wealth to and a revamped offensive line, the sky is the limit in the upcoming season.

“I definitely think this offense has what it takes to become a high prolific offense in the NFL,” Cook said.

Way-too-early stat predictions for Chargers’ top skill players

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez predicts how Los Angeles’ top skill players will fare under new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.

In new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s system, the Chargers boast a good-looking crop of skill players that are primed for success.

With that being said, I project what each of their seasons might look like in 2021, starting with the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, quarterback Justin Herbert.