2007 Tight Ends Failure

[Diomedes]

through fifteen games this year:

LJ Smith has 22 receptions for 236 yards, which works out to 10.7 ypc.  His longest reception was 26 yards and he has scored just one touchdown.  Schobel has 10 receptions for 100 yards--10ypc average--with a long of 18 yards and also just one touchdown.  Brent Celek logged 13 catches for 160 yards and zero touchdowns.

Together they have 46 receptions for 496 yards and 2 TDs.

That's pathetic.

There are 12 TEs in the league who boast more yards alone than these three combined.  40 tight ends have as many or more TDs alone than Philly's entire TE squad. 
 
And these number are coming out of an Andy Reid offense.  Addicted to the pass.  In which the TEs are supposedly an important feature of the offense.

By any measure, the TE position was awful for the Eagles this year.

Where is this team going with the TE position?  I hope to hell LJ is gone as soon as this abortion of a season is over.  I don't know what he'll get paid elsewhere, but whatever it is, he's not worth it; Celek is obviously no worse. 

Celek and Schobel going into next year then, with Celek as the starter?  Do they add a real TE via FA?  Pickings are slim, see below.  Draft another?  Pick up a scrub and preach the 'we're fine at TE' gospel?



FA TEs..
Klaus Alinen     ERFA     Atlanta Falcons     
Billy Bajema    RFA    San Francisco 49ers     
Dwayne Blakley    UFA    Atlanta Falcons    
Chris Cooley    UFA    Washington taterskins    
Bryan Fletcher    UFA    Indianapolis Colts    
John Gilmore    UFA    Chicago Bears    
Ben Hartsock    UFA    Tennessee Titans    
Nate Jackson    UFA    Denver Broncos    
Eric Johnson    UFA    New Orleans Saints    
Ryan Krause    UFA    Cleveland Browns    
Billy Miller    UFA    New Orleans Saints    
Matt Murphy    UFA    Buffalo Bills    
Marcus Pollard    UFA    Seattle Seahawks    
Sean P. Ryan    UFA    New York Jets     
Ben Troupe    UFA    Tennessee Titans    
Aaron Walker    UFA    St. Louis Rams    
Jermaine Wiggins    UFA    Jacksonville Jaguars    
Kris Wilson    UFA    Kansas City Chiefs    
Dallas Clark UFA    Indianapolis Colts


2008 TE draft prospects (* underclassman)

Fred Davis, USC
John Carlson, Notre Dame
Martin Rucker, Missouri
Jacob Tamme, Kentucky
Chase Coffman*, Missouri
Martellus Bennett*, Texas A&M
Travis Beckum*, Wisconsin
Dustin Keller, Purdue
Shawn Nelson*, Southern Miss
Darius Hill*, Ball State
Joe Jon Finley, Oklahoma
Chris Hopkins, Toledo
Kory Sperry, Colorado State
Craig Stevens, California
Brad Cottam, Tennessee
Joey Haynos, Maryland
Tom Santi, Virginia
Gary Barnidge, Louisville
Kolo Kapanui, West Texas A&M
Darrell Strong, Pittsburgh
Adam Bishop, Nevada
Robbie Agnone*, Delaware
Kellen Davis, Michigan State
Cornelius Ingram*, Florida
Jonathan Stupar, Virginia
Tate Casey, Florida
Eric Butler, Mississippi State
and don't forget whoever BYU has at TE

[MadMarchHare]

I thought a big part of the lack of production was because they continued to insist on playing LJ, who wasn't healthy enough to help.  Schobel was clearly a piece of shtein last year.  Celek has looked OK so far, nothing more.  Of course, that may be all you can expect from a rookie 5th rounder.

The real question is has Celek shown enough to warrant starting?  Or do you go get someone else.  I'd lean toward the latter, just because you need to cover your ass if Celek doesn't work out.

[pinoyboy2pt0]

Cooley re-signed

http://www.taterskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=4216

I thought Tamme was too small to play TE, but Spads said Gasperson could see some time there and he's only 6'4" 220, albeit in an emergency type of situation.  Tamme is 6'5" 240, Celek 6'3" 250, LJ 6'3" 260.  Tamme (white boy) took over in the Tennessee game.  Big catches, good grabs at times Kentucky needed them.  I'm not sure if he's an NFL level TE though, 240 is pretty light and he's more of a wr than LJ (not sure about his blocking though), but if Gasperson was even thought of a TE vs NO, why not Tamme. And like mentioned before, this offense needs a gamebreaker TE, and seeing as how he's kinda a WR first type of TE, maybe he could be that guy.  I feel he's a better athlete than LJ.  Or an H-back type of deal.  ...or he could end up being like Spach/Thorn.   

[Diomedes]

Yeah, I knew Cooley signed.  I meant to take him off that list, but now it's there for all eternity.

[MadMarchHare]

Boy, based on that free agent list, we'd be better off with LJ.  Blech.

[Diomedes]

Any chance the Saints let Eric Johnson go?

[shorebird]

Unless Reid pulls a rabbit outta' his hat, it's LJ next season.

Our TE's suck, and Reid is lucky as hell he has three players in one coming out of the backfield. Westbrook is so friggen' great he almost makes you forget that this offense even has a TE.

Even a guy who would catch 4-5 balls a game for 50 yds. with a TD every 3rd or 4th game would be a great boost to this offense. It's sad how Reid hasn't given Dmac the help other qb's in the league have on offense.

[Rome]

http://www.concretefield.com/forum/index.php?topic=19649.0

[BigEd76]

Dallas Clark voided the last year of his contract so he's a UFA too

[MadMarchHare]

Odds he hits the streets?  Pretty low I gotta think.  Comes down to whether they think they need Bob Sanders worse.

[Seabiscuit36]

Dallas Clark Please

If not, draft a TE by the 3rd round

[SD_Eagle5]

Dallas Clark should be the #1 choice but he's gonna get mad money in free agency and I doubt the frugal Eagles will go that high for a TE. I'd like to point out the Eagles could have selected their TE of the future (Olsen) with their 1st round pick last season then taken Kolb in the second. If LJ comes back so be it, he's not my first option but he isn't a horrible TE, however I feel that's a long shot.

My guess is the Eagles sign a second tier TE then call it a day.

[Rome]

Celek is their tight end of the future.  I don't know why you guys are even bothering with this.  Either you haven't been paying attention or you're deluding yourselves.

Olsen was sitting there and the Eagles passed.  They passed knowing L.J. wasn't going to re-sign and they drafted a tight end later in the draft.

Celek's it so long as Reid's in charge.

Case closed.  (Unfortunately)

[ice grillin you]

celek might be a player...have you seen enough of to know otherwise romey...i havent...i wouldnt be opposed to going into next year with him and a competent veteran battling in camp for the starting job


id be shocked if dallas clark made it to the open market...at the very least he would get franchised i think...but i expect him to be signed

[Rome]

I don't know if he's a player or not, IGY.  I wasn't advocating for him either.  All you need do is read the signs that are flowing from NovaCare, specifically the Spadaro suite, to know what they think of him.