Eagles Better or Worse 2015: Tight End

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The 700 Level’s annual Philadelphia Eagles training camp preview returns. We’re taking an in-depth look at Birds position by position and asking whether the club got better or worse. Check out the introduction for more details on the series.

 

BETTER

Zach Ertz

Beware the hype machine. Ertz didn’t make the leap some envisioned for the breakout candidate in 2014. Of course, Pro Bowls and 1,000-yard seasons are lofty goals for any player, particularly tight ends entering their second season.

Enter 2015, and while there doesn’t seem to be quite as much buzz surrounding Ertz, he’s still an ascending talent with star potential. Maybe the lack of attention stems from his “disappointing” 58-catch, 702-yard season—12th and 11th respectively among all tight ends. For what it’s worth, Ertz wasn’t content with that, either, so he went about this offseason trying to figure out how to reach the next level.

In April, Jeff McLane for The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Ertz has been working with and taking advice from some NFL greats. The 24-year-old knew he needed to improve as a blocker in order to increase his playing time, and his path led him to train with famed offensive line coach Hudson Houck. Ertz also received tips from legendary tight end Tony Gonzalez, who owns every just about every tight end record in the book.

At 6’5”, 250 pounds with deceptive 4.7 speed, Ertz is already a far superior receiving threat to Celek. Depending how far the 2013 second-round pick has come as a blocker, he could finally push the nine-year veteran for a starting role in Philadelphia’s offense this season. And if Ertz is on the field more, naturally that means his production should increase.

Head coach Chip Kelly has taken notice of the work Ertz is putting in, telling reporters at the owners meetings back in March that he believes there can be a big jump from Year 2 to Year 3. As long as he’s stuck in a timeshare with Celek, trips to the Pro Bowl might be a stretch, but there’s no reason Ertz shouldn’t be one of the Eagles’ leading receivers again tin 2015.

 

WORSE

Depth

Last season, Philadelphia carried four tight ends on the 53-man roster. In 2015, that number will likely dip back to three, unless one of the undrafted rookies really impresses this summer.

Regardless, it would be difficult to match the depth the Eagles had when James Casey was the No. 3 tight end. Scheduled to earn $4 million this year, Casey was released during the offseason, which was the right decision, but a bit of a shame. He isn’t a particularly threatening receiver, but his blocking is probably almost on par with Celek’s. Now, if Celek is unavailable for any reason, Philly will be lacking a proven, dedicated in-line tight end.

That may not sound like the end of the world, but Celek and, to a lesser extent, Casey have been a very underrated component of the Eagles’ ground attack. I’m not sure the combination of Ertz and Trey Burton can reproduce that.

 

THE SAME

Brent Celek

In truth, Celek is likely approaching his decline, but that’s based on his turning 30 this year, not his numbers. Celek’s totals have dropped each of the past three seasons, although there’s a simple explanation for that—he’s being used less and less in the passing game, which is largely a function of having an exceptional receiver in Ertz.

The fact of the matter is Celek is still an elite blocking tight end. Kelly believes Celek is the best in the league. He’s certainly up there, particularly his run blocking, where Pro Football Focus awarded him the second-highest cumulative score among tight ends in 2014.

There’s little reason to think this will change overnight. Celek understands his role and is as tough as they come. He may start to slow down a little, but this job is about technique and leverage, which the veteran has honed over nine NFL seasons. The days where Celek puts up big numbers may be over, but he’s more than just a serviceable starter—his ability as a blocker makes him a weapon.

 

THE UNKNOWN

Trey Burton

There’s a lot to like about Burton. He made an impact on special teams last season, finishing with seven tackles, a blocked punt and a touchdown. An undrafted free agent, Burton also demonstrated tremendous versatility at the University of Florida, playing tight end, wide receiver, running back and even quarterback. We actually got a glimpse of Burton’s unique talent in Week 6, when he recorded five fourth-quarter carries to help ice a 27-0 shutout victory over the New York Giants.

Of course, that was literally all we saw of Burton on offense, so while it’s comforting to know Kelly trusted him in a spot like that, it’s not like we can project much from it. Is the 23-year-old going to be a reliable No. 3 tight end? Probably, but I don’t know, and it’s not exactly a microscopic role, either—Casey played 173 snaps in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus.

Nor do we know what other tricks Kelly might have up his sleeve. It was certainly a surprise to see Burton come in and play running back. Who knows where he’ll line up next, but it could be anywhere on the field—he could even attempt a pass. The unknown isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s merely impossible to say where this dynamic goes from here.

 

BETTER OR WORSE?

Any strides Ertz has made should far exceed whatever is lost from Casey’s departure, plus Burton probably has a lot more upside anyway. Depth is a concern, but the young guys are still developing, so the unit will be more talented overall. In fact, there’s a chance Philadelphia’s tight ends are even dramatically improved if Ertz elevates his game to the next level or Burton becomes a player.

Better

 

Previously:  Running BackWide ReceiverDefensive Line, Outside Linebacker, Interior Linebacker, Cornerback, SafetySpecial Teams

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