Tag: Tight Ends

Cowboys TE coach talks drops, development, ‘babies talking to babies’

From @ToddBrock24f7: On Tight Ends Day, Lunda Wells acknowledges his group’s dropped passes but says it’s more about his guys looking forward and improving.

He was assessing just the handful of players under his immediate jurisdiction, but Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells could have been speaking for the team’s entire fanbase and grading the organization as a whole, heading into the bye week with one-third of the regular season complete.

“I like where we’re at, but I’m not satisfied with where we’re at. We’ve got more to give.”

Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Sean McKeon, and Peyton Hendershot- before he went on injured reserve- have indeed contributed to the Cowboys’ 4-2 record, but perhaps not in the splashy highlight-reel ways that fans often equate with success.

“We always talk about our room being accountable, being available, and being reliable,” Wells told reporters during the team’s bye week. And in a West-Coast-style offense that is heavily predicated on short passes, the Cowboys tight ends are still working on that last trait.

The unit has 23 total receptions on 38 targets in 2023, a 60.5% catch rate. If they were combined into one player, that number would have our composite tight end sitting in Pat Freiermuth/Colby Parkinson territory- just below Dalton Schultz, the former Cowboy they’re all trying to replace.

Drops have undoubtedly been a high-profile issue thus far for the Dallas group. Hendershot had his hands on a surefire touchdown in Week 1 and couldn’t haul it in; Ferguson had two drops of his own in that same game. The rookie Schoonmaker missed an on-target end zone catch in Week 4’s rout of New England and has snagged just one pass thrown his way all season.

Wells is aware of the problem, but he’s focused more on finding a solution than giving an excuse.

“You’ve got to own the success and the failures,” he said. “We own those drops, but then, hey, keep going forward. You’ve got to own the next opportunity.”

Often for a tight end, the next opportunity comes in some other phase of the offense, like providing key blocks in the run game or simply hustling to be in the right place at the right time, like when McKeon trailed KaVontae Turpin and recovered a fumble 55 yards down the field against the Patriots.

“A lot of times, we talk in our room about having great energy. Energy is great, right? It’s solid. It’s dope, right? But if the energy is not showing up between the white lines, meaning the way that you play the game on a high level, with effort…” Wells trailed off. “I don’t care if you missed the block, didn’t make the catch, we’re moving forward and having great energy.”

Dak Prescott and the offense have looked to Ferguson to step into a leading role after Schultz’s departure in the offseason. While the second-year product out of Wisconsin currently sits third on the team in both catches and receiving yards, Wells has credited him with doing a lot of what he calls “sleep money,” or behind-the-scenes work- like protections- that doesn’t show up in a box score but makes the rest of the offense go.

“Ferguson has done a heck of a job handling the responsibility, preparing himself to get to this point,” Wells said of the 24-year-old. “And then with some of the success he’s had in the passing game, he’s handling it very well every day. He’s coming in, continuing to work hard on the field and off the field, in meetings. He’s doing a nice job.”

Schoonmaker has had a rougher transition to Sunday play. There were big expectations for the second-round draft pick out of Michigan, but the return on the Cowboys’ investment thus far has been minor.

“We got behind the 8-ball a little bit in the offseason,” Wells said, referring to a plantar fascia injury suffered by the rookie this summer, “but since he’s been able to get back on the grass, he’s continually gotten better. Some of the things that we’ve been emphasizing in the run game [are] playing with a little bit more play strength. And in the passing game, just being more decisive, so we continue to work on that, and then also, just the ball skills and the RAC [run-after-catch] ability. So he’s progressing; hasn’t had a ton of production.”

With a group that’s still evolving, every bit of input helps. And that’s why Prescott, the offense’s field general, has taken it upon himself to start sitting in on tight end positional meetings, something he’s not done in years past.

Wells shared that he used to take Schultz to the QB room for meetings. But with a platoon of young and inexperienced tight ends all vying for snaps, Prescott’s presence at the Saturday-morning sessions allows him to get on the same page with all of his tight ends at once.

But it’s doing far more than that.

The quarterback is “really showing them what he’s thinking,” Wells said, “but even more so, showing them that he sees them. That’s been encouraging for the room. That gets them a little bit excited.”

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It’s all part of the overall maturation of the Dallas tight end room, whose members- including practice squadder Princeton Fant- have an average age of under 25 and an average pro resume of just 18 games.

So yes, they still have much to learn. And if special Saturday-morning classroom work with their $40-million quarterback helps their development and communication, then so be it.

“It’s like babies talking to babies,” Wells said of his troops. “Nobody else really needs to understand it, but as long as they understand it, then it’s all good.”

Then Wells laughed and clarified a key point about his 6-foot-tall pupils.

“Not saying that they’re babies.”

Except in NFL terms, they are.

Cowboys Nation, though, is hoping they do some growing up fast.

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Broncos stock up/down: Risers and fallers after first preseason game

Broncos Wire examines five risers and fallers from their first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals

After the Denver Broncos’ first preseason game, an 18-17 loss against the Arizona Cardinals, we take a look at biggest risers and fallers from the game.

PHOTOS: Tennessee tight ends through the years

PHOTOS: A look at Tennessee tight ends through the years

The University of Tennessee first fielded a football team in 1891.

Throughout its history, the Vols have won six national championships (1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1998) and 16 conference titles (13 SEC, 2 Southern, 1 SIAA).

Throughout Tennessee’s football history, the Vols have produced nine tight ends selected in the NFL draft: Mychal Rivera, Luke Stocker, Brad Cottam, Jason Witten, Gary Theiler, Ken DeLong, Elliot Grammage, Austin Denney and Bill Anderson.

Bill Anderson was selected in the third-round of the 1958 NFL draft by Washington (No. 31 overall).

Jason Witten was selected in the third-round of the 2003 NFL draft by Dallas (No. 69 overall).

Below are photos of Tennessee’s tight ends through the years.

Reading the room: Evaluating tight ends on Patriots’ roster

It’ll be the Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki Show at tight end, but others could contribute at the position for the Patriots.

The New England Patriots have always loved their tight ends, and they doubled down at the position in 2021 by signing Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith at the same time.

Fast forward to 2023, and Smith is in Atlanta, while the Patriots brought in Mike Gesicki as a replacement.

Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien pioneered 12 personnel for the Patriots in his first stint with the team. He brought in Will Lawing, who has followed him in his previous stints, to coach the tight end position. There’s hope the two can work together to create a new gold standard at the position.

For now, here’s what things look like for the Patriots’ 2023 tight end group:

Baker’s Dozen: Power ranking the best tight ends in college football

Ranking the 13 best tight ends for the 2023 college football season.

In today’s age of high-flying offenses across the college football landscape, tight ends seem to have taken a backseat to the wide receivers. But don’t let that fool you, there are plenty of tight ends who can take over games as receivers.

The best tight end in the country resides in Athens, Georgia. Brock Bowers burst onto the scene as a freshman with the Bulldogs helping them win their first national championship in 40 years. He was just as dangerous last season as well.

There might be no better program for developing tight ends than the Iowa Hawkeyes. They have produced George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and T.J. Hockenson among others. Last year’s top guy, Sam LaPorta, is now in the NFL as well. We will soon find out if Luke Lachey is ready to keep that trend going in 2023.

Check out our preliminary rankings for the top tight ends in the country for the 2023 campaign.

State of the Roster: 49ers tight end room could get massive shakeup

State of the 49ers Roster moves to tight ends, where the position group could look very different this season:

With 49ers OTAs in full swing, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the team’s roster to figure out the strengths, weaknesses, potential dark horses to make the team and other nuggets about the players who will be competing for jobs on the 53-man roster.

There won’t be a ton of turnover on the 49ers’ roster this season, but the tight end room could get a pretty significant makeover.

San Francisco since George Kittle’s emergence as a star at the position hasn’t done much to invest in players behind him on the depth chart. They’ve gotten capable play from players like Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner, but Dwelley was undrafted and Woerner was a sixth-round pick who was known for his blocking.  Free agent ads like Jordan Reed and Tyler Kroft have been mostly uninspiring.

It’s been clear they’re trying to at least find another player capable of taking some of the pass catching onus off of Kittle. Having a second TE who can get out in routes and affect the passing game would give head coach Kyle Shanahan another wrinkle of versatility to throw at defenses.

This year they invested two draft picks in the position, leaving the door open for a significant overhaul at a position group that’s been mostly stagnant over the last four seasons.

Let’s dive into the 49ers’ offseason roster at tight end:

Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson to attend Tight End University in June

From @ToddBrock24f7: The second-year TE will learn with and from the best at his position over the three-day event put on by George Kittle and Travis Kelce.

Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson will spend a few days this June learning with and from the best at the position as he embarks on his second pro season and bid to be the starting tight end in Dallas in 2023.

Ferguson has committed to attend Tight End University, the popular summit put on annually by NFL stars Travis Kelce and George Kittle, as well as former pro tight end-turned-broadcaster Greg Olsen. This will be the third year for the program, whose mission is “creating a space for players to learn from each other and continue to elevate the level of play at the position,” as per the official TEU website.

News of Ferguson’s attendance was confirmed in an Instagram post Wednesday.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsooVrWpMwc/?hl=en

Last year’s TEU saw over 80 tight ends take part in a schedule that included classroom time as well as hands-on technique and strategy sessions. This summer’s program promises opportunities for invitees to “bond, collaborate with, and learn amongst their peers while participating in a variety of activities including film study, on-field drills, recovery, rehabilitation, and more.”

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Ex-Cowboy Dalton Schultz participated in TEU in both 2021 and 2022. At the time of writing, Noah Fant (Seahawks), Dallas Goedert (Eagles), Daniel Bellinger (Giants), Chig Okonkwo (Titans), and Pat Freiermuth (Steelers) have all confirmed they’ll be there this year. A full list of attendees has not yet been released.

Ferguson, the Cowboys’ fourth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin in 2022, caught 19 passes in his rookie season, amassing 174 receiving yards and scoring two touchdowns while playing on 37% of the offense’s snaps.

He’ll be jockeying for his place in Mike McCarthy’s new offense in Dallas alongside fellow second-year man Peyton Hendershot and second-round draft pick Jake Schoonmaker. No word yet on if either of them will also attend Tight End University.

TEU will be held June 20-22 in Nashville.

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10 free agent tight ends the New Orleans Saints should consider

The New Orleans Saints could use a blocking tight end after they traded Adam Trautman. Here are 10 free agents who could help the team:

The New Orleans Saints could use a blocking tight end after they traded Adam Trautman during the NFL draft — Juwan Johnson has developed into a competent blocker but he’s at his best running routes, catching passes, and scoring touchdowns. And he should benefit in that department with Derek Carr throwing to him. But someone needs to pick up the 519 snaps Trautman played last year.

Maybe one of the backups impresses this summer. Guys like Lucas Krull, Miller Forristall, and Joel Wilson have put up some good game tape in the past. But as a group they don’t inspire a ton of confidence, and this looks like a role the Saints could upgrade without investing a weighty contract. Taysom Hill isn’t a big part of this equation either given all of his other responsibilities on offense.

And the clock is ticking. Veteran tight ends like Eric Tomlinson (Houston Texans), Stephen Carlson (Chicago Bears), and even Dan Arnold (Philadelphia Eagles) have all been signed by other teams during the last week. The Saints do need to take action sooner or later. Here are 10 free agents who could help the team:

Steep learning curve ahead for Packers rookie TEs Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft

The learning curve is steep at tight end. Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft might play right away but patience is required.

The Green Bay Packers drafted two dynamic and “all-around” tight ends with Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft. However, recent history at the tight end positions suggests it will be a steep learning curve for the duo as they make the transition from college to the NFL.

In a 2018 article from ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, he wrote that in the prior 15 years (so going back to 2003), only two rookie tight ends surpassed the 600-yard receiving mark. Since then, only Kyle Pitts has been added to that list. In an excerpt from the article, former Ravens tight end Todd Heap was told by a coach of his that only the quarterback should know more about the offense than the tight end. The reality is that most tight ends don’t hit their stride until Year 2 or even 3 in the NFL.

This position comes with many responsibilities, especially in the Matt LaFleur offense, where in addition to the tight end’s role as a pass catcher, different alignments, along with being a willing and capable blocker, are important as well. In short, tight ends have to know route concepts like a receiver and blocking techniques and assignments like an offensive tackle while also being able to execute in those areas as well.

“There’s so many demands on the tight end,” said GM Brian Gutekunst. “They have to know their passing trees and all the things we are doing from that standpoint, and also run blocking and pass blocking. It’s a very demanding position. As you guys have seen how Matt uses multiple tight ends it’s very important to our offense, so I think sometimes that can be scheme related, but to us it’s very, very important.”

With the state of the Packers’ tight end room at the moment, they don’t have the luxury to bring Kraft and Musgrave along slowly, something that we’ve seen Green Bay take advantage of at other position groups over the years. Josiah Deguara, and his 600-plus snaps, is the most experienced player in this position group, while Tyler Davis has primarily been utilized on special teams.

For this reason, adding a veteran tight end to this roster always made sense as he would provide Jordan Love someone to lean on as Musgrave and Kraft inevitably go through ups and downs. However, as we all know, the Packers don’t have much in terms of spending power with their salary cap situation.

Most likely, any addition would be signed to a near-league minimum deal, or Green Bay would again have to utilize void years – pushing more cap charges to 2024 and beyond – to keep the cap hit. The tight end free agent market at this stage is also low on options, although it’s worth noting that Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Co. would report that there is some mutual interest in a reunion between the Packers and Marcedes Lewis.

Musgrave will provide the Packers with a vertical presence at the position with the speed he possesses, while Kraft brings YAC ability–two elements that the Green Bay tight end room did not have in 2022. Robert Tonyan was the Packers’ only true pass-catching threat at the position, and he averaged just 8.9 yards per catch. If you take a look around the NFL at many of last season’s playoff teams, a number of them had a playmaking threat at tight end.

These aspects of Musgrave and Kraft’s games leap off the screen, but Gutekunst would call both “all-around” tight ends because of the willingness that each brings as a blocker. Being able to impact both the run and passing games is important for the Matt LaFleur offense as it helps add unpredictability to it, thus keeping defenses guessing and opening up the playbook for him as a play caller.

The potential and big play ability that Musgrave and Kraft bring to the Packers offense is evident, but at a position that has a wide variety of roles to be filled, the last 20 years tells us that the learning curve is steep, and the production may not reflect their skill sets or what either player can truly add to this unit right away.

“I think it just all depends on what you’re asking these guys to do,” said LaFleur after the draft. “I think both these guys are big and can run. Certainly, they’ve got a lot of growth. I think this is one of those positions where there is a little bit of a transition from the college game to the NFL, and some of the things schematically that we are going to ask them to do, not only in the passing game but in the run game. We will see how it evolves over the course of OTAs, our offseason programs, and into training camp.”

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Packers rookies Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft add new element at TE with ‘all around’ skill sets

Gutekunst on tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft: “They’re both all-around tight ends that can kind of do everything.”

When Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst discussed tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, he mentioned Musgrave’s vertical ability and Kraft’s YAC ability.

If you’ve watched either player, those aspects of their games leap off the screen. Musgrave ran an impressive 4.61-second 40-yard dash, while Kraft averaged a whopping 8.0 yards after the catch in 2022. However, while those dynamic elements are needed in this Packers offense, what Gutekunst kept going back to when discussing each player following Day 2 of the draft was their well-rounded skill sets.

“They’re both all-around tight ends that can kind of do everything,” said Gutekunst following Day 2. “They’re not pigeonholed into being a receiving tight end or a blocking tight end. They both have very good size, very good speed. So I’m excited. I think they’ve got their best football ahead of them for different reasons. They will complement each other and be a good fit with the guys we have.”

With how the Green Bay tight end room was set up last season, they did not have a player with that truly well-rounded skill set on the roster, or at least the Packers didn’t utilize them in that capacity. Robert Tonyan was the only true pass-catching threat at the position. Marcedes Lewis and Josiah Deguara, meanwhile, were used primarily as blockers.

Not that Tonyan wasn’t asked to block or that Lewis and Deguara weren’t running routes, but they all had relatively defined roles. This took away that element of unpredictability — or the illusion of complexity — that the Matt LaFleur offense is trying to achieve. In order to do so, versatility is key.

But when you add a tight end to the mix — let alone two — who can be an effective pass catcher and run blocker, it will open up the playbook for LaFleur, providing him with more flexibility as a play caller and better keep defenses off-balance. Not only will this benefit Musgrave and Kraft, but it will also create opportunities for others within the Packers’ offense and, hopefully, make things easier for Jordan Love.

“We’ve talked about it before,” said Gutekunst, “just how much Matt and his staff are able to do and like those guys. The flexibility of being able to have multiple tight ends. I really like this whole group now. We have a couple young players with a lot to prove. Josiah (Deguara) and Tyler (Davis) coming back. I really like the group now, and it’s going to be interesting to see how Matt and his staff use those guys. If you have interchangeable guys, it makes it easier, and I think these two have the potential to do that.”

Both Musgrave and Kraft have over 500 career run-blocking snaps from their time in college. Although perhaps known more so for their impact as pass catchers, Gutekunst would categorize each as above-average blockers, and perhaps most importantly, they are more than willing to take on that blocking role and can be successful because of their size and physicality.

Given the state of the Packers’ tight end room, both Kraft and Musgrave are going to step into large roles right away. Green Bay won’t have the luxury to bring them along slowly. With all of the responsibilities that come with being an NFL tight end, many struggle as rookies, and we should be prepared for ups and downs with Musgrave and Kraft.

However, if both can make strides and improve as the season progresses, it will unlock an element in this offense that was missing in 2022, benefitting both the running and passing games.

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