In this edition of tight end confidential, we take a look at arguably the most athletically gifted tight end group, the Detroit Lions as they check in at #9..
The Lions have two of the more physically imposing tight ends in football. It’s just a shame they don’t get them more involved in the offense. With a head coach like Jim Caldwell, who knows the value of a weapon at tight end from his days with Peyton Manning, you would think there would be more targets for the position. One could also argue that the reason those targets have been low is because the Lions have been force-feeding recently retired receiver Calvin Johnson.. But with Johnson now out of the equation, Brandon Pettigrew and Eric Ebron have a chance to be more prominent in the Lions offensive gameplan.
Pettigrew set a career high in touchdowns (5), receptions (83) and yards (777) in 2011; his third season in the NFL. But over the last four seasons he has seen those numbers drop precipitously. Last season he set career lows in receptions (7) and yards (67) but he also set a career low in another statistic, games played. He only laced them up right times last season. Over the previous two seasons he has battled injury and has only competed in 22 of a possible 36 regular season games. That is almost an entire season lost to injury. But there is no denying the talent when healthy, which he seems to be. He has the ability to stretch the field, work between the hashes, go over the top of defenders, and block for runners. He’s a three-down tight end.
Ebron is essentially a wide receiver playing tight end. As a receiver, he is definitely a threat and a defensive nightmare. His speed makes him an option to take the top off a defense, and his big frame allows him to work intermediately. He’s too fast for safeties and linebackers, and far too big for corners. The crazy part is that he’s going into his third season in the NFL and he is only 23 years old. If you put that into perspective, his teammate Pettigrew was 24 when he broke into the league. Last season, Ebron was fourth on the team in receiving behind Johnson, Golden Tate, and Theo Riddick. He still managed almost 50 receptions over 500 yards and 5 touchdowns. As he continues to grow as a blocker, it will only make him more valuable and allow him to see more time on the field.
Johnson’s 150 targets last season, and all the production that comes with it, will have to be absorbed elsewhere. And if the Lions want to put more wins on the books, these two guys should take a large portion of those. Pettigrew should get back to form and Ebron should continue to elevate as both their roles grow in the post-Megatron era. This will be a dangerous duo in 2016.
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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.
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.