With the 2012 NFL season
steadfast approaching, it’s time to continue an original Garden State Sports
Guy production: The NFL Top 10 Series. As the Top 10 countdown approaches for
each position, we’ll be looking at honorable mentions for each position as those
steadfastly approach. We experienced a tight end revolution in the 2011 season
and it is a wonder, to me, why it took so long. Tight ends have always been a
valuable resource to offenses, and considering they are getting bigger,
stronger, and more athletic by the year, I do not doubt for one second that
that won’t continue as time goes on. The following honorable mentions feature a
lot of familiar faces, and some that could be argued to be top 10 tight ends,
but the guys in front of them, at least I think, should remain there and have
done a lot more to be there.
Honorable Mentions for the Tight End Position
Marcedes Lewis: Lewis is somebody who I think in the group of very-good tight ends, but
unfortunately for his sake I think that his peers have surpassed him but
perhaps not all of it is his fault. After having a career year in 2010 where he
caught 10 touchdowns for 700 yards on 58 receptions, and being elected to his
first Pro Bowl, Lewis viciously dropped off and did not find the end zone at
all in 2011 and caught just 39 catches for 460 yards. We have to remember
though that he did play with one of the worst quarterbacks in 2011 in Blaine
Gabbert, and perhaps with another year under his belt, Gabbert can improve a
bit (for his sake he can only hope he does otherwise Chad Henne will swipe his
job out from under him) and throw the ball Lewis’ way because the UCLA Bruin
has flashed a whole heck of a lot of talent in his career thus far.
Owen Daniels: If it were 2009, I would have no qualm in putting Owen Daniels in the
top 10 for tight ends, especially after his spectacular 2008 season that got
him to the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately for him, since then he has not really been
the same. He has not played a full season since the 2008 season and while last
year he did look a little rejuvenated, catching 54 balls thrown his way for 677
yards, including a game against Pittsburgh that ProFootballFocus ranked as the
10th best receiving game for a tight end the entire season, in which he caught
five catches for 69 yards, I still think you cannot ignore the fact that his
injuries have hindered him quite a bit.
Chris Cooley: Chris Cooley has been one of the better tight ends when he’s on the
field. But 2009 and 2011 were seasons where he did not even play half of a
season and, much like Daniels, I feel that that hinders him a bit. Cooley
brings a lot to the table when he is on the field, where he is great in
underneath routes and is a big-time pass catcher, having three seasons where he
caught over 70 balls including a 2008 season where he caught 83 thrown his way
for his best season since entering the league. He also is a terrific edge
blocker and helps out a lot in the run game and is sure to be a reliable target
for Robert Griffin III, along with Fred Davis.
Jared Cook: Now
here’s a guy who I think is a blossoming star in the National Football League.
And why not? He possesses everything that you want in a tight end. He’s
supremely athletic, he’s a monstrous figure (6’5”, 245 lbs.) and was extremely
productive in the 2011 season for the Tennessee Titans. His 759 yards on 49
receptions were much more productive than his 2010 season where he only had 361
yards on 29 catches, and found the end zone three times compared to just once.
Cook had a terrific outing against Indianapolis in Week 14 of the NFL season
that was graded as the seventh best receiving game of the year by PFF, where he
caught nine catches for 103 yards and followed that up for an incredible
performance in a game against Jacksonville, where he had eight catches for 169
yards and a touchdown. He caught each ball that was thrown his way and beat not
one, not two, not three, not four, but five different Jacksonville defenders
for catches. Cook is a superstar in the making, and, in my opinion, will be the breakout player of 2012.
Brent Celek: Brent Celek was supposed to help out Kevin Kolb big time in 2010. Well,
there were two problems with that: one, Kevin Kolb was not featured much at all
in 2010 for the Eagles as we all know. Two, Brent Celek had an extremely
forgetful season. However, Celek followed up his forgetful 2010 with a superior
2011 where his production arguably eclipsed that of his great 2009 season where
he nearly picked up 1,000 yards receiving (815 yards on 62 catches for an
awesome 13.1 YPR). Celek has been a very underrated player since entering the league,
as he has not missed one game his entire career and has recorded zero fumbles.
His blocking has improved since he has bulked up over the last few seasons and
so I think Celek is worthy of an honorable mention.
Kellen Winslow, Jr.: Kellen Winslow, Jr. is a player who seems like he has
been around forever. That to me is because we have been talking about him ever
since he was denounced as a “@#(*$ing soldier” at The U. Since entering the
league Winslow’s numbers have been incredibly consistent for a tight end and is
right on the cusp of being in the Top 10. His production has not really dipped
at all, besides the fact that in 2007 he had a career year and has not yet been
able to reach that mark since but he has remained who he is. He’s a pretty
great pass catcher, netting 75 receptions last year for 763 yards and two
touchdowns for the abysmal Bucs, who curiously shipped him off to Seattle and
then signed Dallas Clark, who has not been able to stay on the field the last
two seasons. I personally think that move will bite the Bucs, even if Winslow’s
character may have been an issue for new head coach Greg Schiano. Winslow will
help out Matt Flynn, or whomever the quarterback may be for Seattle, on what I think
is a very underrated team right now in the league. He isn’t his father, but
make no mistake: Winslow is very good.
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