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2002 camp battles: Tight ends loosening up

Defenses may give Todd Heap a heap of trouble this year. Andy Lyons/Getty Images

By Bob Harris, Special to CNNSI.com

The fourth of a five-part series previewing some of this year's more interesting training camp battles -- both traditional and non-traditional -- from a fantasy perspective. This week: tight ends.

Atlanta Falcons: Alge Crumpler vs. Reggie Kelly
Crumpler comes off an impressive rookie campaign in which he proved the Falcons might have come up with the steal of the 2001 draft by snagging the former North Carolina standout with the 35th pick overall. Deceptively athletic for a big man, Crumpler, who started two games last year, should move ahead of Kelly to become the full-time starter this year.

Don't overlook the fact that Crumpler entered the league with Mike Vick. It's not hard to envision the two men serving as a dangerous and very productive combo for years to come.

Baltimore Ravens: Todd Heap vs. Lack Of A Solid Supporting Cast
Heap heads into his second season as a pro facing the challenge of replacing Shannon Sharpe, one of the Ravens' top offensive weapons the last two years. While Heap clearly has the athleticism necessary to emerge as one of the league's elite tight ends, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the "Golden Retriever" has a hard time breaking out this year.

While you might be able to argue that an overall lack of talent at the offensive skill positions this year will work in Heap's favor, you'd probably lose.

The primary concern here, of course, lies in the dearth of talent at quarterback and wide receiver in Baltimore. The bottom line? If anybody is capable of shutting down a talent like Heap, it's probably Baltimore QB Chris Redman.

One last note here: Neither Heap, who missed four games with a high ankle sprain last year, nor the Ravens can afford similar injury trouble or downtime this year.

Buffalo Bills: Jay Riemersma vs. Dave Moore
According to Buffalo News staffer Allen Wilson, Riemersma has gone from a possible salary-cap casualty to one of the most valuable pieces of the team's offensive puzzle. He has become an immediate favorite of Drew Bledsoe, who knows Riemersma will be where he's supposed to because he runs such precise routes.

A former quarterback, Riemersma has a great feel for the passing game and knows how to read defenses. He also has the deceptive speed to make catches downfield. Riemersma's biggest weakness is his blocking, which is part of the reason the team signed Moore away from Tampa Bay.

Carolina Panthers: Wesley Walls vs. All Odds
Don't look now, but Walls appears to be on the verge of making yet another amazing recovery from reconstructive knee surgery. As Charlotte Observer reporter Pat Yasinskas recently noted, offensive coordinator Dan Henning likes to throw to tight ends and Walls remains one of the game's best.

Chicago Bears: John Davis vs. Fred Baxter vs. Luther Broughton vs. Dustin Lyman
Talk about a zoo. According to Chicago Tribune beat writer John Mullen, Davis could easily emerge as Chicago’s starting tight end, at least for all-around purposes.

He's not the physical blocker that Fred Baxter is or the receiver that Luther Broughton is, but Davis graded out extremely well from last season and has continued to make quiet strides as a receiver and blocker.

Nonetheless, Broughton is the Bears' best pass catcher among tight ends at this point and the offense has made no secret of the need for more production out of that position, a linchpin of the West Coast offense.

Dallas Cowboys: James Whalen vs. Inability To Meet My Expectations
Anybody familiar with my work realizes full well that I've been riding the Whalen bandwagon ever since the Buccaneers drafted him out of Kentucky.

And even though he's failed to live up to my lofty expectations up to this point in his career, I'm tellin' ya -- 2002 is going to be Whalen's breakout season. Maybe.

Dallas Morning News beat writer Jean-Jacques Taylor recently noted that even though he's still listed as the team's fourth tight end, behind Tony McGee, Mike Lucky and Jeff Robinson, Whalen intrigues offensive coordinator Bruce Coslet, who views the former Kentucky star as a resource he must figure out how to use.

Also according to Taylor, Whalen has added 30 pounds of muscle over the last two years -- without sacrificing any speed or affecting his ability to catch the ball.

Wooooooooo!! Anybody else as excited as I am?!? No? Fair enough.

Detroit Lions: Mikhael Ricks vs. Past Failures
David Sloan's offseason departure prompted the Lions to sign Ricks, a converted wide receiver, to a one-year deal that included a $25,000 signing bonus.

Ricks, a second-round choice of the Chargers in 1998, appeared in all 16 games for the Chiefs last season and had 18 catches for 252 yards and one touchdown.

Although he's the most likely candidate to replace Sloan, Ricks' career numbers -- 91 catches, 1,166 yards, three TDs in four seasons -- hardly instill tremendous confidence in his ability to get the job done now.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Kyle Brady vs. Pete Mitchell
After following up his remarkable 64-catch, 729-yard, three-TD 2000 season with a rather pedestrian 36-catch, 386-yard, 2-TD performance last year, Brady heads into the 2002 season with Mitchell breathing down his neck.

A longtime favorite of head coach Tom Coughlin's, Mitchell returns to Jacksonville after a three-year absence.

Even though he's expected to work almost exclusively as the second tight end in two-tight end sets, Mitchell, a sure-handed receiver who caught 166 passes for 1,845 yards during his first stint in J-ville, will almost certainly cut into Brady's opportunities this year.

Kansas City Chiefs: Tony Gonzalez vs. (Tom Condon vs. Carl Peterson)
I can't do this battle any more justice than Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock did in article published back on July 15. One of the nation's most colorful, controversial and enjoyable local scribes, Whitlock put this one in perspective as follows:

Unless Chiefs president Carl Peterson retreats from his primary negotiating position in regards to Tony Gonzalez -- that position being Gonzalez should be paid like a tight end -- I expect Gonzalez to sit out a portion, if not all, of the 2002 NFL season.

But when we last left this bubbling feud in May, Peterson had just taken a bite out of Gonzalez's thigh, leaking misleading information that portrayed KC's franchise-tagged tight end as selfish and greedy. Iron Carl also vowed to eat Condon's unborn contract proposals, hinting that the Gonzalez contract negotiations would be mean-spirited and personal between himself and Condon.

Outstanding!

So, where do things stand as of today? As the Chiefs' franchise player, Gonzalez has no choice but to sign the one-year tender if he doesn't want to retire.

Bottom line? I'm still convinced this is a matter of "when" rather than "if" and I'll be very surprised if the situation isn't resolved before the regular season opener. Jason Dunn will line up as the starter until Gonzalez returns.

Miami Dolphins: Jed Weaver vs. Randy McMichael
Here’s an interesting bit of trivia: During his 11 seasons as an NFL head coach or offensive coordinator, Norv Turner has had a tight end, halfback or fullback finish among his top two pass-catchers every year.

And Weaver clearly realizes this is his chance to shine.

“It's exciting to come in and see this offense, and looking at the plays in the book and seeing most of it all starts with the tight end and the fullback,” he recently said. “This is our chance to go out and do something.”

Maybe.

Weaver will face stiff competition this summer in the form of fourth-round draft pick Randy McMichael, who has a reputation for making tough catches in the clutch -- something he clearly demonstrated by leaping over a New Orleans defender for a touchdown in Miami's Aug. 15 loss to the Saints.

On Aug. 12, Pro Football Weekly reported that McMichael has been working as the "F" tight end in Turner's two-tight end sets and he has responded well.

For the record, the "F" tight end in Norv's system is generally considered the pass catcher of the two, and McMichael hasn’t disappointed in that role. In fact, the former Georgia star has been stretching the field down the seam, has made big plays and looks as though he could be an impact player for Miami.

PFW further noted that if Turner uses him as he did former Cowboys great Jay Novacek, McMichael could become one of the steals of the draft.

New England: Daniel Graham vs. Christian Fauria vs. Cam Cleeland
The Boston Globe reports that rookie Daniel Graham, who has been sidelined with a groin injury, is reportedly close to returning to the practice field.

"I'm real close," the youngster said. "I'm working my way back into practices soon, hopefully this week."

On Aug. 12, Pro Football Weekly stated that the team's situation at tight end is looking a bit clearer, albeit to the dismay of those who might have hoped Graham would be the next Ben Coates.

The main problem lies in the fact Graham hasn't caught the ball as well as the Patriots expected he would -- a weakness that has allowed Christian Fauria to tighten his grip on the starter’s job. Fauria has been the total package in camp and has caught the ball well. Graham will still be used frequently in the offense, but if he has his eyes set on the starter’s job, he needs to turn around his camp performance.

It’s also worth noting that Cameron Cleeland, who was carted off the field with a hip injury on Aug. 13 -- only his second day of active practice -- returned and was back on the field a day later. According to observers, the talented-but-tender ex-Saint was especially impressive during the afternoon session, making some nice catches during a 7-on-7 drill.

According to PFW, Jabari Holloway has been lining up as a fullback, a less-crowded position, which may allow him to stick with the team.

New York Giants: Jeremy Shockey vs. The Ghost Of Mark Bavaro
Any doubts regarding Shockey's ability to step right in and make an impact as a rookie were probably erased in the second quarter of the exhibition win over the Texans. That's when the first-round draft pick caught a short pass and stiff-armed Houston's Jacoby Shepherd before heading up the sideline. He ignored his face mask being grabbed about 5 yards later, and after picking up 30 yards, Shockey knocked safety Kevin Williams to the ground with his forearm. It took two more Texas defenders to drag the 6-foot-5, 252-pounder down. Two plays later, Shockey caught an 8-yard TD pass.

Hear me now: The 6-6, 255-pound Shockey is a bad dude; a big, strong, fast kid whose receiving skills might only be exceeded by the mean streak he flashed by going "thumbs up" with veteran linebacker Brandon Short on his first night at camp.

Draft him. Draft him early.

Oakland Raiders: Roland Williams vs. The New Boss
The Raiders' brief flirtation with then-free agent Shannon Sharpe, and the subsequent decision burn a second-round pick on BYU standout Doug Jolley in this year's draft, lend credence to recent reports out of Oakland indicating that Williams isn't especially popular with the coaching staff.

According to those who follow the team closely, Williams is viewed as one of Gruden's "guys," and they further contend that the new staff isn't as keen on the former Ram.

The truth is, Williams failed to put up the kind of numbers team officials expected when they sent a fourth-round draft pick to St. Louis in order to secure his services. He also failed to demonstrate the big-play ability Al Davis demands from those who line up at tight end in Oakland.

And if you're not sure just how effective a defender Al Davis can be, just ask Marcus Allen.

Seattle Seahawks: Jerramy Stevens vs. Itula Mili
As impressive as Shockey has been this summer, the 6-6, 265-pound Jerramy Stevens is still the most physically gifted of all this year's crop of rookie tight ends. He could be especially effective in the red zone because of his ability to shield defenders from the ball with his body.

More importantly, Seahawks honcho Mike Holmgren has been absolutely sold on Stevens from day one. The fact that inconsistent veteran Itula Mili is the only thing standing between Stevens and a starting job also weighs heavily in the newcomer's favor.

There you have it, folks. Check back next week for a preview of this year's most intense preseason place-kicking competitions.

Bob Harris is Editor and Webmaster of the TFL Report and Senior Editor for Fantasy Sports Publications. He will be one of the many experts competing in the World Championship of Fantasy Football, drafting in Las Vegas on Sept. 7.

 

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