NFL News
Gene Clemons TE Confidential: Patriots
Gene Clemons, FBGP Analyst
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Our final team, and #1 ranked unit in our Tight End Confidential series, should not be surprising to anyone. The New England Patriots not only possess the most dominant non-quarterback in the NFL at tight end, but in the offseason they added another top ten tight end, and one of the most effective H-backs in the league.
When you talk tight ends in the NFL for the past six years Rob Gronkowski has been the gold standard. He arrived on the scene in 2010 with ten touchdowns and followed it up in 2011 with a staggering 17 touchdowns. His effectiveness is partly the product of his size, 6’6” 265 lbs, and athleticism. The other part is that he is the epitome of a complete tight end. He is just as effective as a blocker in the run game. You can routinely see him collapsing ends or kicking out, and drive blocking linebackers. He’s a match-up nightmare for defenses. He’s far too big and strong for the average defensive back to guard, and he’s too athletic and agile for linebackers and safeties. Every team in the NFL is looking for a Rob Gronkowski, which has increased the value of tight ends coming out of college. Over 1,000 yards and double digit touchdowns has become the norm for Gronk, who many believe is already the best tight end ever.
In addition to Gronkowski, the Patriots added the ultra talented and enigmatic former Chicago Bear Martellus Bennett. Bennett is just one year removed from his best season ever when he amassed 90 receptions, over 900 yards and six touchdowns. Now as the number two guy, Bennett will have the benefit of not being the major focus of a defense and having Tom Brady throwing him balls won’t hurt as well. Bennett provides the Patriots with two bonafide, complete tight ends that are both similar in stature and athleticism. It gives them the ability to run two-tight sets without giving away anything in the pass game. They both can be split out or perform just as effectively inline.
Gronk and Bennett are enough to make the Patriots the number one unit but, to add the cherry on top is H-back specialist Clay Harbor. Harbor will be entering his seventh season in the NFL. He spent his first three with the Philadelphia Eagles and the past three with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Prior to last season, the 6’3” 240 pound receiving end had his most productive three year stretch where he amassed 75 receptions and over 750 yards. Impressive numbers for a guy who has been the third option at tight end. His versatility has made him effective and allowed him to earn his way on the field. He has been successful in different offenses and he will definitely have an opportunity to shine in a Patriots offense that really favors the tight end. You can see him full a role very similar to how Aaron Hernandez was used.
This three-headed monster is the scariest in football and will keep defensive coordinators up all night. There is no better safety blanket to have for an inexperienced quarterback, and no better weapons to take advantage of if you are a veteran, than a good tight end. The Patriots will deal with the Tom Brady suspension just fine.
Questions? Comments?
Tweet: @geneclemons
Email: gclemons@footballgameplan.com
Gene Clemons TE Confidential: Panthers
Gene Clemons, FBGP Analyst
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We reach the penultimate spot in our Tight End Confidential series, and find a tight end corps responsible for helping their team get to the Super Bowl last season, the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers tight end unit begins with the fantastic play of University of Miami alum Greg Olsen. Since arriving in Carolina, he teamed with reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton has lit up the league. Olsen logged another 1000-yard season and cemented himself as the second best tight end in the league. Olsen has proven his value as a pass catcher and his prowess as a blocker in the run game is highly underrated. He has also been instrumental in one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL. Newton is continuing to improve, and with Kelvin Benjamin returning from injury this season, it will be extremely difficult to keep Olsen away from another 1000-yard season.
The number two guy for the Panthers is an end who has the ability to start and be a playmaker for any squad but is a great teammate who accepts his role in the offense. Ed Dickson joined the Panthers from Baltimore two years ago and he’s been a great compliment to Olsen and a very valuable asset in the run game.
The beauty of the Panthers tight end corps is that have adopted the carbon copy approach, as all of their ends have similar builds and skill sets. That allows them to interchange seamlessly and if someone is injured, they are able to fill in without changing the gameplan. Most teams have various types of ends. They have a guy who is valuable as a run blocker, but doesn’t offer much in the pass game, and they also have pass catchers that don’t have the ability to block in the run game effectively. This makes these teams much easier to game plan for because their personnel dictates what they are doing.
Both Olsen and Dickson are complete ends who stand around 6’5 and 250lbs. Braxton Deavers, Marcus Lucas, Beau Sandland, Scott Simonson are also all in that same physical mold. Those four guys will be battling it out for two spots most likely so that battle in camp will be fun to watch. All four have the ability to be effective for the Panthers offense, but with the quality and relative health of Olsen and Dickson, there may not be many snaps for anyone else but the other four will be counted on to make their mark on special teams.
The Carolina offense was spectacular last season despite dealing with injury and shaky offensive line play. They are hoping to have a much healthier team and improvement from every position, tight ends included. If that happens, Panthers nation should be overjoyed and looking forward to another great season much of that will be a product of the number two tight end group in the NFL.
Tweet: @geneclemons
Email: gclemons@footballgameplan.com
Gene Clemons TE Confidential: Browns
Gene Clemons, FBGP Analyst
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In our 13th edition of Tight End Confidential, we take a look at the 3rd ranked group on our list. This is a group headlined by a breakout star and a gang of unproven, yet talented players; the Cleveland Browns.
This ranking has just as much to do with the organization as it has to do with the players involved. For some reason the Browns have been really good at identifying tight end talent over the years, and they have hit on a number of acquisitions at the position. Also sweetening the pot is the addition of head coach Hue Jackson, who has a reputation of getting the best out of quarterbacks as well as utilizing the tight end in his offense.
The Browns tight end corps is led by Gary Barnidge, who spent his first four seasons in the NFL as a member of the Carolina Panthers. In 2009, his second in the league, Barnidge flashed signs of brilliance when he averaged 20 yards per reception in limited action. Unfortunately his growth was stunted and playing time limited by injury, and the addition of Greg Olsen to the fold. His move to Cleveland saw him fighting for playing time with Jordan Cameron and others. But when Cameron “took his talents to South Beach”, it opened up an opportunity for Barnidge to really display all of his talents.
His blocking was instrumental in establishing a legitimate run game led by rookie Duke Johnson. In addition, he was the Browns leading receiver amassing 79 receptions for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. His effectiveness comes from his ability to be used in both aspects of offense; a talent that only a few tight ends seem to posssess in the NFL today.
At 30 years old, the 6’6” 250 pound Louisville product is in the prime of his career and just in time to inherit a motivated coach in Jackson, and a motivated quarterback in Robert Griffin III. The sky’s the limit for Barnidge in this offense and we can expect that his breakout season last year was not a one hit wonder.
Behind Barnidge is a slew of young talented inexperienced tight ends who have a chance to be part of a rebirth in Cleveland. The first man up will be EJ Bibbs, a pass receiving tight end out of Iowa State. In his final collegiate season, he hauled in 45 passes and accounted for eight touchdowns. He has a year under his belt with the Browns and with this new regime, he has the opportunity to be utilized split wide, in the slot, and in the backfield. That versatility pairs perfectly with Barnidge and could make them a very good tandem.
Other young ends who will look to find their way onto the roster are: Conor Hamlett, a massive 6’7” end from Oregon State, Ivy Leaguer Seth Devalve from Princeton, Southern Cal thumper Randall Telfer and Pittsburgh standout JP Holtz. They possess skills that are valuable to a team and the decision will most likely come down to who will be the most versatile.
Regardless of how it shakes out this group will be heard from and ultimately they will prove their ranking.
Questions? Comments?
Tweet: @geneclemons
Email: gclemons@footballgameplan.com
Gene Clemons TE Confidential: Vikings
Gene Clemons, FBGP Analyst
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Our 4th ranked unit in our Tight End Confidential series boast a lot of young talent at the position. The Minnesota Vikings have players who can be game changers in the run and pass game, especially with a conservative head coach and a lights out defense.
Kyle Rudolph is a very talented tight end from Notre Dame who was slowed in previous seasons by injury. Last season was his first full season since 2012 and he responded with 49 receptions for 495 yards and five touchdowns, in an extremely conservative offense. As head coach Mike Zimmer becomes more secure with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, hopefully the defensive-minded coach will loosen the reigns on Bridgewater. That will result in an even better season for Rudolph, who at 26 years old, is just entering into the prime seasons of his career. Rudolph is one of the rare starting tight ends who is effective as a blocker and pass receiver, which is why he is so dangerous in the play-action passing game. Rudolph has Gronkowski-like ability, but has not had the opportunity to have the type of production that warrants that comparison.
Rudolph is backed up by another talented, and complete tight end, in Rhett Ellison. At 27 years old, Ellison and Rudolph have had the opportunity to grow together. They both have been developed with the idea of being intricate parts of the Vikings offense, which makes them dangerous in two tight formations. Ellison make be even a little more bare knuckles than Rudolph. That will need to be the case when they are asked to stay in and help an offensive line that struggled in pass protection. Ellison is just as valuable as Rudolph because he possesses starting ability.
The third end in this group is MyCole Pruitt. At 6’2” 250, Pruitt is a guy who brings a different dynamic to the table. He has the ideal size and athleticism of an H-back. He can line up in the backfield and split out wide. While his blocking still needs to improve to NFL caliber, it isn’t horrible. Pruitt has really good hands and can be a change of pace guy at the position and helps the Vikings stretch the field down the middle even more.
The three guys make this group complete and the offense makes it very hard to gameplan for them. The result is a really valuable unit to an offense that will need a counter to the run game led by Adrian Peterson. That’s what makes them so important and really high on this list
Questions? Comments?
Tweet: @geneclemons
Email: gclemons@footballgameplan.com
Top NFL QBs with 5 or Less Years of Experience
Chris James, FBGP Analyst
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Marcus Mariota (8th):
The ability to extend plays is becoming more important in a league that has elite pass rushing talent. Mariota has elite level speed for the position with the size to complement it. He’s an intriguing prospect since he’s extremely accurate while lacking high level anticipation. This is likely the result of wide open receiving targets during his collegiate career. Marcus had some injury issues in 2015 that should be buoyed by additions to the backfield (Murray, Henry) and the OL (Conklin).
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Teddy Bridgewater (7th):
A great freshmen campaign was followed up by a pedestrian sophomore year. Bridgewater was my top QB in the 2014 class and things point to him being a successful selection. The Vikings had success in a numerically regressed 2nd season for Bridgewater. I’m on record saying that this is the proper way to bring along ANY young QB for optimum success. Limit their chances for error and allow them to make plays when necessary; the Seahawks took a similar approach with Wilson on the way to a Super bowl. Let’s see what the result is for Bridgewater in 2016.
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Blake Bortles (6th):
The 2014 & 2015 campaigns for Blake Bortles couldn’t have been more different for judging his future success. In 2014 there were multiple games that made you wonder if he would be a bust. He missed simple throws, failed in his progressions, and CONSTANTLY starred down receivers. To his credit (and the coaching staff’s) Bortles learned from his failures to have a quality 2015 season. Blake looked like the best young QB in the league in a few games this season, but he still has a way to go. I had a 3rd round grade on Bortles as I sighted the issues displayed in 2014. The Jags proved equipped to handle his shortcomings and mold him into a franchise caliber player in year two.
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Jameis Winston (5th):
The #1 pick is a pressure filled selection especially when you’re the guy under center. You have the pressure of a franchise on your shoulders in a league that has become more pass happy. Winston is more of a traditional QB than our #8 QB (Mariota) in the sense that he’s seen as a pocket passer. This is interesting when you consider that Winston rushed for 3 TDs in 2015. He’s in for a great 2016 campaign as he continues to gain comfort with former OC, and now HC, Dirk Koetter.
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Derek Carr (4th):
The 2014 draft class produced quality talent and none has been more consistent than Carr. Carr was my #3 QB for that class with a late day one projection. So far in the NFL all he’s done is proven to be the most NFL ready QB entering the league that season. He still makes mistakes, none bigger than forcing passes up the seam. Derek Carr was helped immensely by the additions of a vet like Crabtree and a rookie in Amari Cooper. His future looks bright as he’s ahead of the curve compared to his contemporaries from that class.
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Andrew Luck (3rd):
The gap between #3 & #4 is massive especially when compared to the gap between #2 & #3. In 2012 the Colts chose to go with a future franchise QB over a guy that is arguably the GOAT. The move actually seems to have paid off for both QBs involved as Luck hasn’t disappointed (at least not much). He’s gone to the playoffs in each of his first 3 seasons and gotten a round further each season. Luck came into the NFL garnering the most adoration I’ve ever seen from analysts and talking heads; I had Luck as my #1 QB for the 2012 draft. The physical tools and the production have matched up in a lot of respects. The area of concern that I still have was highlighted during his time on Gruden’s QB camp. The now infamous “Spider 2 Y Banana” is something that was a staple of the Stanford offense. One of the issues that Luck exhibited was an affinity for trying to drive the ball into the TE on the corner which resulted in a few TOs. Since entering the NFL, Andrew Luck has been in the top 3 in TOs in every season except 2015. He led the NFL in TOs at the time of the injury that cut his 2015 season short. Although the top guy for some, I can’t make a guy that doesn’t take care of the ball my top QB when offered an alternative.
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Cam Newton (2nd):
Cam Newton entered the league in 2011 and made a splash with back to back 400+ yard games. His team has made multiple playoff appearances and Newton has played well in big games. The 2015 season was his coming out party on the way to a 15-1 record, MVP, and Super bowl appearance. He did more with less (on offense) in 2015 than any other QB in any season on this list. Newton did show that he has areas of improvement that reared their ugly head in SB50. He still doesn’t drive off his back foot which allows the ball to sail especially on out breaking routes; Cam will be an unsolvable problem once he develops more consistency in his lower body mechanics.
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Russell Wilson (1st):
The top QB with 5 or less years of experience in the NFL is Russell Wilson…period! Okay, let me explain why this guy is the top QB for this analysis. I’ll start with a conversation I had with a guy before the 2015 season about Luck & Wilson; the guy said that Luck was better because of his stats and what he’s asked to do. My retort was simple…there is no other young QB I would rather have in winning time. Period! Winning time (for me) is 3rd down & long, 4th down, the last 2 minutes of a game, or when trailing by double digits. He’s not the biggest, fastest, strongest, etc. from a physical standpoint but he’s the closest thing to Tom Brady or Joe Montana that we have in this league during winning time.
Questions? Comments?
Tweet: @cjflorida9
Email: cjames@footballgameplan.com
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