Back Page

2003 Camp Battles: Tight ends securing their grip

Frank Wycheck had just 40 catches last year after averaging more than 66 from 1997-2001. Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.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.

Buffalo Bills: Dave Moore vs. Mark Campbell
We got a pretty good indication of the direction Buffalo’s offense will take this year when team officials let receiving tight end Jay Riemersma escape to Pittsburgh via free agency shortly before cutting a deal to acquire Mark Campbell from Cleveland.

The Bills snared a blocking tight end to complement their current blocking tight end, Moore,a move obviously made with an eye towards improving a rushing attack that tailed off late last year.

Unfortunately for fantasy owners, a cursory examination reveals that Campbell and Moore, acquired last year from Tampa Bay, are the same guy. They’re both solid blockers and occasional red zone targets with reliable hands but no run-after-the-catch ability whatsoever.

Do you remember the recent action flick in which kung fu expert Jet Li was pitted against himself? No? I rest my case.

Carolina Panthers: Kris Mangum vs. Mike Seidman
Seidman, a third-round draft pick out of UCLA, is worth watching. Although Mangum opens camp as the starter, the Sports Xchange last week described Seidman as "the heir apparent to five-time Pro Bowler Wesley Walls."

The Panthers like Seidman's abilities as a blocker and a receiver. In fact, team officials were so high on Seidman back in April they seriously considered selecting him in the second round instead of the third.

The fact that Mangum struggled last year as a receiver -- supposedly his strong suit, certainly doesn't work in his favor. The good news? He spent considerable time this offseason working on his hands.

"I think I did some good things last year but I didn't catch as many balls as I normally do and I had some drops and that's something I haven't done," Mangum said. "It wasn't like they were hard catches. It was more mental."

Chicago Bears: Desmond Clark vs. Dustin Lyman, John Davis and John Gilmore
The Bears started four different players at tight end last season: Fred Baxter, Davis, Lyman and Gilmore. That won’t be the case this year; three of the four return (Baxter is gone), but Clark is No. 1 on the depth chart.

"[Clark] can stretch the field vertically," head coach Dick Jauron said after watching the converted collegiate wideout during initial offseason workouts. "He's got good hands. He's got a feel for the game. To my knowledge, he's never been the starter. That's the difference now, he is the starter. He is our guy. We expect him to step up and play like that athlete that you all saw out there."

Two years ago, Clark caught 51 passes for 566 yards and six TDs for Denver. He’s not likely to match those totals with the Bears, but I'll be surprised if he fails to account for more than half of the team’s production from that spot this year.

Cincinnati Bengals: Reggie Kelly vs. Matt Schobel
Already known as one of the better blocking tight ends in the league, Kelly finally will get a chance to demonstrate his receiving skills in Cincinnati. His arrival also makes tight end spot the most competitive position in Cincinnati.

"You’re going to see a combination," offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said when asked how he planned to use Kelly and returning starter Schobel. "We're going to utilize more two-tight-end sets, maybe even three tight ends, depending on [reserves] Tony Stewart and Sean Brewer and the makeup of our squad offensively."

Brewer, the team's 2001 third-round draft choice, is rehabbing a knee injury that landed him on the IR last November.

Schobel, who started 10 games as a rookie, knows he has to compete for playing time. "I proved I can play at this level," he said. "Now I need to prove I can play at a high level."

The real question here is whether Schobel can play at a high enough level to supplant Kelly as the team's primary weapon at the position. The short answer is probably not.

Dallas Cowboys: Tony McGee, Dan Campbell, James Whalen and Jason Witten vs. TEBC
Although McGee is penciled in as the starter, the Cowboys appear to be locked into taking a "Tight End by Committee" approach to this season.

It goes something like this: Campbell, a free-agent signee from the Giants, is the designated run blocker; McGee and Whalen are pass catchers; and Witten, a rookie third-round pick, is capable of handling both chores fairly well.

Bottom line? The dearth of talent under center in "Big D" combined with the wealth of talent at this spot makes it hard to imagine any of these guys emerging as more than fantasy backup material this season.

Houston Texans: Billy Miller vs. Relative Anonymity
He's not the best-known prospect on your list of up-and-coming fantasy tight ends, but it would be foolish to dismiss Miller, who pulled in 51 passes last year, come draft day.

A converted wideout, the former Bronco runs great routes, has the best hands on the team and is too fast for most linebackers and safeties. Better yet, his blocking has improved to the point where he no longer is a liability, making it easier for coordinator Chris Palmer to keep him on the field.

Nonetheless, Miller continued to work ardently on his blocking this offseason, seeking the advice of teammates -- including the now-retired Tony Boselli -- along the way.

Asked to explain his emergence as David Carr’s favorite target as the 2002 season progressed, Miller said: "I think [Palmer] has put me in a position to catch balls. I think [Carr] has been a guy that has looked for me in the offense, plus I took him out to dinner a couple of times to try to loosen him up. … Just joking."

In fact, Carr and Miller are good friends off the field and their families spend considerable time together -- a relationship I suspect will become readily apparent again this fall when Carr finds himself pinned down by opposing pass rushers.

Indianapolis Colts: Marcus Pollard and Dallas Clark vs. Three-Receiver Sets
The Colts two-tight end approach, so effective in the past, came up short in 2002 because the team did not have a suitable replacement to complement Pollard after Ken Dilger's release last spring. As a result, the former Bradley power forward found himself regularly being taken out of the passing attack -- his specialty -- in order to serve as a blocker.

All of which means the arrival of Clark, considered by many to be the best receiving tight end available in this year’s draft, should come as no real surprise. Nor should it be viewed as a threat to Pollard’s status as the team’s go-to guy at the position.

Having the athletic Clark as another intermediate option should clear the way for Pollard to be even more productive than he’s been the past five seasons, when he averaged five TDs per year.

Although Clark clearly isn't the blocker Dilger was, his presence (and a lack of talent at fullback) all but guarantees the Colts will use more two-tight end sets and fewer three-receiver sets.

For what it's worth, those who follow the team closely are hinting that Manning has already taken a shine to Clark.

Tony Gonzalez vs. Jeremy Shockey and Todd Heap
He might be coming off a down season, but it's still impossible to overlook Gonzalez when it comes time to review NFL tight ends. After all, the former Cal star still possesses the same prototypical combination of size, speed, agility and receiving skills that paved the way for the rest of the league to fully utilize the skills brought to bear by up-and-comers like Shockey and Heap.

Until somebody else demonstrates the ability to produce as consistently as Gonzalez in his six years as a pro, it's hard to argue with anybody who decides to go with the cagey veteran over either of the above-mentioned youngsters.

New England Patriots: Daniel Graham vs. Christian Fauria
While most of New England's 2002 free-agent acquisitions crashed and burned, Fauria excelled. In fact, the former Seahawk accomplished more in one season as a Patriot than he did in seven years with Seattle.

Despite the presence of heralded rookie Graham and Cam Cleeland, Fauria quickly emerged as Tom Brady's top option in the red zone, finishing with seven touchdowns among his 27 receptions, and those TDs were no accident.

Not surprisingly, Fauria loves his new role as scoring threat. "When we get down to the 15 and the 10, my ears kind of perk up and I'm expecting to do something in there," he recently said. "The end zone is really intoxicating and it really changes your attitude."

All of which is very impressive. But I'm not sure it's enough to overcome the speed and talent Graham, who reportedly has been one of the most improved players in New England this offseason, brings to the table.

Asked to explain that improvement, Graham said: "I've been working on my route running with [offensive coordinator] Charlie Weis. I need to run sharper routes and I've been watching other tight ends to see how they run routes."

He’s also reviewed the work of former Patriots great Ben Coates to further understand the nuances of route running. He hopes to surpass the 15 catches he totaled as a rookie -- something he should be able to doblindfolded -- as long as he can avoid the injury problems that slowed his progress last year.

New York Jets: Anthony Becht vs. Chris Baker
After yet another less-than-earth-shattering season, Becht’s failure to meet the expectations that go along with being a first-round NFL draft pick are bound to catch up with him sooner or later. It’s starting to sound like sooner is a distinct possibility.

Although Becht has the quickness and hands to threaten opposing defenses in the red zone, his overall route running is somewhat lacking. According to Pro Football Weekly, team officials were so impressed with Baker’s performance at the end of the year, that he has a chance to unseat Becht as the starter in camp this summer.

Either way, offensive coordinator Paul Hackett reportedly is planning to use more two-tight end packages this year, not because Becht and Baker are such dangerous receivers, but because he wants extra muscle for the running game.

Philadelphia Eagles: Chad Lewis vs. Diminishing Foot Speed (and L.J. Smith)
While there might not be much gas left in the ol' tank, Lewis has a knack for maximizing his ability and still provides the team with a reliable short-route receiver. But as dependable as he’s been over the last three years, Lewis no longer boasts tremendous run-after-the-catch ability -- a shortcoming that’s resulted in diminished production the last two years.

Of course, that same shortcoming is why the Eagles went into April’s draft looking to add sufficient speed at the position to create mismatches against opposing linebackers and safeties.

They think they've found that in Smith, who boasts 4.6 speed and an ability to separate Lewis has never demonstrated.

Bottom line? Lewis remains the starter, but Smith, who has reportedly looked very smooth early on, will definitely get an opportunity to contribute working opposite Lewis in two-TE sets.

St. Louis Rams: Brandon Manumaleuna vs. Cam Cleeland
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch staffer Jim Thomas, the unexpected departure of Ernie Conwell to New Orleans means it's time for Manumaleuna to step up.

Manumaleuna was impressive in training camp last season but made some costly mistakes once the season started. He needs to minimize those mistakes while accentuating his positives: very effective blocking at the point of attack. Although not as fast as Conwell, Manumaleuna has deceptive speed and soft hands.

Speaking of soft, Cleeland was brought on board specifically to provide veteran depth behind the less experienced Manumaleuna. During his five NFL seasons, Cleeland has played in 48 games, starting 33. The Washington product has caught 109 passes for 1,259 yards with 12 touchdowns. By the way, Cleeland, who missed practice Tuesday with a sore groin, is currently listed as day-to-day. Get used to it.

Seattle Seahawks: Jerramy Stevens vs. (Jerramy Stevens and) Itula Mili
In May, Stevens -- a 2002 first-round draft pick despite carrying copious off-field baggage -- was charged with drunken driving, stemming from an incident in April. It was his seventh moving violation since last July. That's not good.

Stevens missed much of his rookie season with a high-ankle sprain, but was impressive when he came back late in the year. Eighteen of his 26 receptions and three of his four touchdowns came during the final six games, when Seattle led the NFL in offense.

So, while it once appeared this would be the season Stevens moved in as a full-time starter, Mili's impressive 2002 effort suddenly looms very large indeed.

At the very least, that performance -- and Stevens' apparent inability to avoid trouble off the field -- means Mili has a fairly reasonable chance of emerging as the latest in a long string of successful tight ends (Mark Chmura, Keith Jackson, Jackie Harris) head coach Mike Holmgren has fostered.

Don’t overlook the fact that Mili, who no longer seems to fall prey to the kind of mental lapses that plagued him early in his career, is the better blocker of the two.

Tennessee Titans: Frank Wycheck vs. Father Time and Erron Kinney
Make no mistake about it; this is no longer the Wycheck who was Tennessee’s leading receiver for five straight seasons. While his touches aren’t going to completely dry up, the tight end is less of a factor in the team's current pass attack, and younger teammates Kinney and Shad Meier will continue to cut into Wycheck’s touches.

"I'm not opposed to that," the prolific veteran said. "I think we have great talent at the tight end position, really good players we want to break out.”

Kinney is the most likely candidate to earn that distinction. In three seasons, he's been a mostly reliable pass-catcher when called upon, with 57 receptions for 633 yards. Kinney missed one game last year and six in 2001 with leg injuries that lingered and slowed him even after his return. Also note that, when healthy, Kinney is also the best blocker Tennessee has at the position.

There you have it kids. Check back next week when I review the summer's most intense (c’mon now -- quit giggling) place-kicking battles.

Bob Harris is Editor and Webmaster of the TFL Report and Senior Editor for Fantasy Sports Publications.

 

Related information

Stories

Back Page: 2003 Camp Battles -- Quarterback Back Page: 2003 Camp Battles -- Running back Back Page: 2003 Camp Battles -- Wide Receiver

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video