A renaissance: the tight end position was all but dead, but players like Tony Gonzalez have led it back to the forefront

Football Digest, Jan, 2005 by Barry Wilner

WHO NEEDS A TIGHT END? FOR years in the 1980s and '90s, the prevailing opinion of NFL personnel directors, GMs, and coaches was to avoid drafting tight ends. The colleges weren't developing the kinds of players needed for the position on the pro level, and a tight end's responsibilities and contributions were diminished on many teams.

Man, has that changed. Possibly the best athlete in last April's draft was Miami tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., selected sixth overall by the Cleveland Browns. In all, 14 tight ends were chosen in that grab bag, including another in the opening round, Ben Watson by the New England Patriots. Oddly, both Winslow and Watson had their seasons ended by injuries in September. In recent years, the likes of Jeremy Shockey, Todd Heap, Dallas Clark, Bubba Franks, Daniel Graham, and Anthony Becht also were opening-round choices.

Tight end has become a stacked position, as those players join Tony Gonzalez, Alge Crumpler, Jim Kleinsasser, Chad Lewis, Randy McMichael, Billy Miller, Christian Fauria, and Erron Kinney as dangerous, effective players at the previously underutilized position. And keep an eye on players like L.J. Smith, Jason Witten, Boo Williams, and Antonio Gates, an undrafted free agent who played basketball in college.

"There's not a team in the league now that doesn't have a strong role for the tight end," Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis says. "There are a lot of good ones around, although maybe not all of them are good at everything."

No, there aren't as many versatile tight ends as teams would like, but when a Shockey or a Winslow or a Smith can get downfield behind even safeties, or when a Kinney or a Franks or a Lewis provides too big a target to miss, then a quarterback is going to look for the tight end.

"I think you see that all over the league," says Gonzalez, still the most multifaceted and toughest to defend at the position. "It's not just finding a tight end in the seams [of a zone] or in the flat. Offenses are being more creative with what they let us do."

Such as having Crumpler run a semi-fly pattern. Or letting Shockey operate as a combination H-back/wing back. Or even putting two tight ends on the field--not for blocking, but for receiving.

The Philadelphia Eagles can do that with Lewis and Smith, a dynamic pairing that presents nightmares for linebackers or safeties. They have become even more effective with the addition of Terrell Owens on the outside.

"The ball got spread around and it is going to get spread around. That is the beautiful thing about this offense," Smith said during Philadelphia's fast start this season. "T.O. is going to get his passes, and I am going to get a piece of the pie as well. He's going to get his pieces, and guys like me and Lewis and [Freddie] Mitchell are going to come in and contribute."

But a tight end doesn't have to catch the ball more frequently and gain a lot more yards to be more important in an offensive scheme. More noticed, yes. But coaches value the blocking skills of a Kleinsasser or a Becht as much as they do the downfield forays of a Heap or a McMichael.

"Every tight end wants to catch the ball and get into the end zone and show what he can do," Shockey says. "But that's not the entire job."

Indeed, some of the best tight ends in history were glorified tackles who were fourth and fifth options in the passing game. But when their teams ran the ball, the likes of Ron Kramer with the Green Bay Packers and Mike Ditka with the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys certainly knew how to put opponents on their butts.

Why has there been an NFL renaissance at tight end? Here are a few reasons:

* As defenders have become quicker and more powerful, it has become essential for offenses to have better athletes on the field. New-wave tight ends tend to be far more athletic than quasi-offensive linemen who used to man the position.

* In college and the pros, coaches have placed an emphasis on athleticism and versatility with the ball. No other position is required to have the combination of strength, speed, and size more than tight end. So better all-around athletes are being placed at tight end.

* The West Coast offense run by so many teams emphasizes the role of the tight end, who can find the gray areas in defensive alignments better than wideouts. And take the punishment handed out for running those routes. Also, because many tight ends are expected to throw blocks, they can get lost after making that initial hit. If a defense can't find a guy, the quarterback will. Defenses always account for a Randy Moss or an Owens, but not necessarily for the tight end.

* With so many superb running backs in the NFL, nearly all of whom have excellent burst to the outside, having a tight end who can seal the corner and allow the back to break free is essential.

* Matching up with a Shockey or a Heap or a Crumpler can be a nightmare for defensive coordinators. So teams look more closely at college tight ends and big wideouts who could make an impact in the pros.