Strength in numbers is the name of the game in Baltimore as our #8 tight end corps check in for our Tight End Confidential series.
The Baltimore Ravens signed 35-year-old Benjamin Watson this offseason. The 12-year vet had a resurgent season in 2015 after spending the previous two seasons as the backup to Jimmy Graham in New Orleans. When Graham was traded to Seattle in the offseason, that opened the door for Watson to take a starting role in the Saints passing offense. He responded with his best season ever; 74 receptions, 825 yards, and six touchdowns later, Watson was sought after on the free agent market and chose to go to another team that values the tight end position in the Baltimore Ravens. He will bring his veteran leadership to a tight end group that was very young last season.
The future is bright and relatively secure for the Ravens with the youth movement that was forced into action last season. In his second season, Crockett Gillmore was the third leading receiver despite being seventh in targets. He amassed 412 yards on 33 receptions while hauling in four touchdowns. His massive frame (6’6” 270 lbs) and blocking ability makes him a promising three-down tight end, and he’s only 24 years old.
The other youngster that’s making plays for the Ravens is their 2015 second round draft pick Maxx Williams. At only 22 years old, he will have the opportunity to become as good as he wants to be. He possess the talent to be a 1000-yard receiving tight end in the NFL. Williams is your prototype pass-receiving tight end in the mold of Dallas Clark. He still needs to get better as a blocker, but he will definitely be a factor in the passing game. With 32 receptions in only seven starts, it shows the promise of what he will be able to do in this offense going forward.
The wild card in the bunch is Ravens veteran Dennis Pitta. The 31 year old has not been a factor for Baltimore since 2012 due to major hip injuries, but he has been receiving rave reviews this offseason. If he is healthy, he could provide the Ravens with the deepest and most diverse corps in football. During Pitta’s last healthy season, he amassed 669 yards on 61 receptions and added seven touchdowns. It will be interesting to watch this battle in training camp as these four jockey for position. I think that competition will help to raise all of their levels.
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Many believe Jacksonville is a team on the rise. They have accumulated many weapons on both sides of the ball. Although it has not affected the win/loss column yet, the offense has the ability to be explosive. Much of that is thanks to the work of these mid-level guys in Marcedes Lewis, and Julius Thomas.
Bills head coach Rex Ryan’s calling card has always been defense and an effective run game. But one of the byproducts of an effective run game is equally good play-action passing. That passing game became more potent last season with the addition of former Miami Dolphins tight end Charles Clay. Clay was a weapon for the Dolphins and has brought his play-making ability to Buffalo. He is a first down machine averaging over 10 yards per reception. This is extremely valuable to a team with a conservative offense. Clay has the toughness to play between the hashes but the explosiveness to stress safeties. Those skills help a quarterback like Tyrod Taylor, who may throw the best deep ball in the NFL, stretch the field when necessary. That has resulted in nine receptions of over 20 yards.
The Titans tight end corps is anchored by two veterans who have continued to improve in their roles over the years. As a result, they probably have one of the more seasoned group of tight ends in the NFL. Both Delanie Walker and Anthony Fasano are over 30; 31 and 32 respectively. Not only does it seem that both have much more left in the tank, but one could say that both are in the prime of their careers.
After four seasons with the San Diego Chargers and playing second fiddle to future hall of famer Antonio Gates, Ladarius Green joins the Steelers to finally be the man at tight end. I’m sure Green thought he was going to be the heir apparent to Gates, but Gates doesn’t seem like he wants to retire so Green has to find his shot elsewhere. He could not have landed in a better position than with the Steelers. It is not only an upgrade at the quarterback position for Green, but because they have a much more potent running game, he will see a far more vacant secondary as defenses have to focus on stopping the run. At 26 years old, Green’s best days are still ahead of him and anything less than 1000 yards, and 10 plus touchdowns, should be seen as a disappointment for him.