jiggins7919 Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 It’s time to start previewing the Cleveland Browns’ tight ends heading into training camp! There are five tight ends in camp, and we’ll start with the top two in Part 1, and then go to the three-way battle for the third spot in Part 2. 1. David Njoku - Starting Tight End Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Height: 6-4 | Weight: 246 lbs | Age: 21Experience: Rookie | College: Miami I am completely on board the Njoku bandwagon heading into 2017. Monday morning, I named him the player I’m most excited about seeing in 2017. Last week, I also commented that I thought he could be the 4th most marketable player on the team, due to the hot trend of pass-catching tight ends in the NFL. If you’re interested in digging deeper into some of the finer aspects of Njoku’s game, here is some of the work he did in college against Notre Dame. Njoku is most known for his ridiculous leaping ability and his ability to create yards after the catch with his speed and elusiveness. He's also known as a capable blocker, but it's an area he'll try to grow in to become a complete tight end, particularly in run blocking. Another reason to be optimistic about Njoku is that for as many “wow” plays as he had in college, our Miami affiliate said, “he's barely scratching the surface for his potential.” For as much as we praise his athleticism, here are the types of things besides blocking that Njoku needs to polish: A couple things Njoku can work on are his concentration (there was usually 1 BAD drop per game, and that can be eliminated with focus and repetition), route running (he's bigger, stronger, and faster than most players covering him in college, so that didn't need to be the most refined part of his game, although he ran some GREAT routes, like the whip route for a TD at Notre Dame. That was gorgeous), and blocking. They also acknowledged that blocking is not a weakness for him — it’s just something that he can still work on technically. I think the AFC is still stacked enough with tight ends, and Cleveland lacks a big-time quarterback, to prevent Njoku from having a Pro Bowl season as a rookie...but I could buy into the thought of him being a legitimate offensive MVP for the team in year one. Final Roster Odds: 100% 2. Seth DeValve - Backup Tight End Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Height: 6-3 | Weight: 245 lbs | Age: 24Experience: 2 years | College: Princeton Even though I anticipate Njoku getting the most reps at tight end for the Browns this year, I expect a significant uptick in reps in 2017 for DeValve. Similar to some of the Browns’ rookie receivers last year, the team was patient with DeValve’s usage. It was a bit frustrating to see him make a nice catch early in games at the tail end of last season, only to be relegated to the bench the remainder of the game. As a rookie, he had 10 catches for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns. With a beefed up offensive line this year, there is less of a need for a blocking tight end (that’s not to say DeValve or Njoku won’t be used as blockers). Cleveland can present some mismatches with 12 personnel (1 running back, two tight ends, two receivers), and can have one of their tight ends go out to the slot. 12 personnel is how DeValve used his speed to get open last year on a play like this: Follow Princeton Tigers ✔@PUTIGERS TOUCHDOWN, SETH DEVALVE! What a week for @PUTigerFootball! 9:21 PM - 10 Nov 2016 8181 Retweets 121121 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy This offseason, head coach Hue Jackson described DeValve as an “emerging player.” While drafting Njoku was one big reason that the team released veteran Gary Barnidge, I think the fact that they had DeValve waiting in the wings was the other big reason — they knew they wanted both Njoku and DeValve to see a lot of reps moving forward. “This is not the same Seth as a year ago. He came out and was banged up and learning his way in the NFL,” Jackson said. “I’m sure he’d probably tell you he felt a little overmatched. But I think he’s worked extremely hard, and I think it shows in what he’s done this offseason to give himself a chance to compete and I think he’s done a good job.” It also sounds like DeValve might have bulked up a bit this offseason. Although he’s still listed at 245 pounds, Jackson noted in May that he was up around 260 pounds, which should help him be a little more physical. Final Roster Odds: 100% Ok, count me in the group of people that weren’t happy about our team cutting Gary Barnidge. He wasn’t expensive, and he was a guy that “did things right”. The younger guys could’ve learned how to handle themselves and also benefited from Gary’s massive NFL experience. Gary was also a solid football player and was one of the very few members of our team that actually made a few big plays. Granted, his last season wasn’t nearly as good, but our QB’s were garbage and it’s safe to say our passing game left a lot to be desired. Gary’s 2016 season started in an awful fashion as he dropped an easy pass for a first down on our very first drive of the damn season. I could be mistaken, but I’m pretty sure that’s when it happened. I know it was just one play, but boy did that hurt. The guy I’m very interested to see is Seth Devalve. Obviously most of the hype will surround our 1st round draft pick, David Njoku, but fans need to understand how rookie TE’s generally fare, and probably need to temper any crazy expectations. As we all know, TE’s need to learn all three facets of the offense. Run blocking, pass blocking, and pass-catching routes. That’s A LOT, and it’s one of the reasons that so many rookie TE’s don’t make the kind of huge impacts fans hope for right away. Devalve started last year hurt and stayed that way for quite a while. When he finally did earn some playing time, he made the most of it by displaying good speed, solid hands, and some toughness and elusiveness as well. That touchdown against the Ravens was a huge play for our team because it was a “rookie to rookie” connection, on the road, in a division game. Additionally, Kessler stood tall against the blitz and delivered a dart DOWN the field. That safety Devalve toasted was Eric Weddle btw, the same guy who basically played all-world last season. While I don’t expect Njoku to immediately “blow up” statistically, I DO see him potentially having an impact in the red zone. Red zone plays are shorter, and the routes can be less complex. Hell, we can have a play where we literally send Njoku to the side of the field and tell him to run to the corner and jump for the ball if we have one-on-one coverage. That play is extremely difficult to defend, and it’s pretty safe too. With Pryor gone, we needed a “jump ball guy”, and boy did we get one. I see Njoku getting around 450 yards receiving, and 4-5 TD’s. What do you guys think about our TE’s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flugel Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 Interesting post Jiggins - thanks for putting that together! This is a cut and paste of what I posted in the 2 TEs System thread - Here's part of an article titled "Browns coveted Princeton TE Seth DeValve for his mismatch potential" from Andrew Gribble I found on him in www.clevelandbrowns.com: as DeValve described it, he was an "H-back adjuster" who moved all across the field like a chess piece. On some plays he'd line up wide, on some he'd be in the slot and some he'd have his hand in the dirt like a traditional TE. "I was doing TE in various amounts depending on the year," DeValve said. "I was always used as a hybrid TE/WR so to say I'm making a transition from WR to TE isn't extremely accurate." Sounds like a nice guy to have especially if nobody can step up at WR or if we need an H-back or Slot Receiver. It sounds like he's going to be lined up inside and/or outside - on or off the line of scrimmage. When Hawkins arrived here as a FA from Cincy - the guy that played in the slot for Cincy during their 12-4 season in 2015 was a 6'2" Mohamed Sanu. We have not really signed a Slot Receiver in his absence leading me to believe it will be DeValve at times we choose a slotover an H-back. When Cincy wanted any compact shake and bake they often looked to their 5'9" 205 lb RB Giovani Benard. They drafted Eifert to play TE and he contributed 10 TD receptions. They also had a 6'4" WR AJ Green enjoying 10 TDs 86 rec 1297 yards and a 6'2" Marvin Jones contributing 65 rec for 816 yards and 4 TDs. Long story short, the bigger catch radius and size of targets were extremely helpful to the QB of this offense Hue coordinated. It looks to me like Hue and the FO want to set something up similar here. Duke Johnson is the compact Giovani Benard receiving back. Clearly, we don't have an AJ Green at 6'4" but the 6'3" Kenny Britt was a 1st round pick who is coming off his best season receptions-wise (and he DID stay at a Holiday Inn). DeValve looks like he will either be the Slot Receiver equiv to Mo Sanu or TE/H-back Ryan Hewitt (he resembles less IMO) or a blend of both roles Princeton used him in. Also keep in mind, it doesn't look like we've signed a slot receiver which also leads me to believe they could be seeing DeValve in this role (unless Higgins or Payton emerges). The one part I don't find parallel to Cincy is the 5'11" Corey Coleman to the 6'2" Marvin Jones (who now plays for Detroit) but the 6'2" Ricardo Louis is the guy Hue kept putting out there the 6 weeks Coleman was injured. Notice most other options/sophs are at least 6'0" tall such as Payton, Higgins, Hall and Louis... It'll be interesting to see how they all look with some experience under the belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 What do you guys think about our TE’s? Is there a blocker amongst them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombo Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 A lot of people missing Barnidge. I'm surprised there isn't a bigger market for 31 yo slow white tight ends who don't block so well. Zombo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieHardBrownsFan Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 How about 31 year old slow black tight ends? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gipper Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 How about 31 year old slow black tight ends? Such as Who? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flugel Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 Is there a blocker amongst them? To be determined. Keep in mind though, this isn't the era of a Mark Bavaro or a Dave Casper with a hand in the ground every play. You have TEs that line up wide in 2 point stances or inside, inclusive of Gronk or Graham or Gates (who didn't even play college football). Gronk's build may resemble Bavaro's but he gets injured far more frequently dating back to and throughout college. While he can help set an edge once in a while; he's used far more frequently as a matchup advantage anywhere he lines up. This really helps his WRs and gives them liberties other WRs in the division can only dream of. The closest thing to Mark Bavaro I've seen in terms of dual purpose was Heath Miller and 15 year vet Jason Witten. There's a college highlight of Miller putting Shawn Merriman on his back they showed on daft day; and it wasn't a double team. IMO, the college spreads are no longer producing the throwback pedigrees some of us grew up accustomed to. When OJ Howard was Njoku's age, he felt the thing he needed to work on most was his blocking and consistency with it. I went to look up Ozzie Newsome's WR career at Alabama before we transitioned a 6'2" 220 lb prospect to an NFL TE weighing in at 232 lbs. Aside from his 20.3 yards per catch in the SEC (a record that stood for over 20 years). This jumped out at me in Wikipedia: He was a 2 time All SEC player (76 & 77), and named him SEC Lineman of the Year in 1977 by the Birmingham QB Club and the Atlanta Touchdown Club. Coach Bear Bryant called him "the greatest end in Alabama history and that includes Don Hutson. A total team player,fine blocker, outstanding leader, great receiver with concentration, speed, hands." As great as all that sounds, he's much better known in the NFL for his ability and threat downfield than setting the edge. When he was a WR in college, he blocked many corners he outweighed by at least 20 lbs. When he was in the NFL, he was usually outweighed by DEs. Infante used a lot of spread formations; and if memory serves me right here - he wasn't afraid to move Ozzie around in the formation for the vertical game. That's kind of the hope/idea here with Njoku while I hope DeValve can either be our Frank Wycheck (H-back) or Mohamed Sanu (slot receiver) or Brian Brennan with height... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiggins7919 Posted July 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 Is there a blocker amongst them? This is discussed a little bit in today's Part Two of Browns' TE's: In Part 2 of our tight end preview for Cleveland Browns training camp, we look at the remaining three players on the roster who will be competing for that third tight end spot: Randall Telfer, Taylor McNamara, and J.P. Holtz. 3. Randall Telfer - Blocking Tight End Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports Height: 6-4 | Weight: 250 lbs | Age: 25 Experience: 2 years | College: USC Telfer returns to the Browns for his third season, but is very much on the bubble in terms of securing a roster spot. He served as the team’s second tight end last year, primarily as a blocker, for an average of 16 snaps per game. This year, the team will place a little more trust in the blocking of their two receiving tight ends, David Njoku and Seth DeValve. More damning that that, though, is the fact that Telfer was not a stellar blocking tight end last season. Whether that was a function of a depleted offensive line remains to be seen, but the fact that he’s in camp with an upgraded line will allow him a chance to show he has a place on the team for some blocking situations. The team hardly targeted him last year (2 catches, 4 yards), but he doesn’t have hands of stone if the ball comes his way, including when he made a 30-yard catch in the preseason. It is worth noting that Telfer missed all of 2015 after having mid-foot surgery, so 2016 basically served as his rookie season. I’m more-than-willing to see how Telfer has improved with an offseason of work, but I’m not so confident on his roster odds at this point. Final Roster Odds: 50% 4. Taylor McNamara - Rookie Tight End Southern California Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler (6) talks with tight end Taylor McNamara (48). Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Height: 6-5 | Weight: 251 lbs | Age: 22 Experience: Rookie | College: USC When the Browns signed 11 undrafted rookie free agents following the 2017 draft, most of the players were on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, the only offensive UDFA player remaining on the team is McNamara, a tight end who has ties to quarterback Cody Kessler from their days together at USC. McNamara started his college football career out at Oklahoma before transferring to USC in 2015. He did not pile up a lot of yardage over his two seasons at USC, combining for 24 catches for 194 yards and 5 touchdowns. Scouting reports say that he is a limited route runner and won’t get yards after the catch, but that his hands are good — at his Pro Day, reports were that he caught the ball “exceptionally well,” which “built off of a terrific performance at the Shrine Game.” Expect things like this: Follow Trevor Sikkema @TampaBayTre USC TE Taylor McNamara looking good early. Splits zone coverage pretty easily here. 4:46 PM - 16 Jan 2017 2020 Retweets 3939 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy McNamara will enter camp as more of a blocking tight end, competing directly with his fellow alum (Telfer). He received good reviews for his blocking at USC, and if he can hold his own in camp, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him beat out Telfer. Final Roster Odds: 40% 5. J.P. Holtz - Backup Tight End Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Height: 6-3 | Weight: 240 lbs | Age: 23 Experience: 1 year | College: Pittsburgh You might not remember Holtz, but he signed with the Browns last year as an undrafted free agent. He was with the team throughout training camp and had 2 catches for 8 yards in the preseason before being waived. The team signed him to their practice squad in mid-December after being on the market for several months. Last year, our scouting report on Holtz was that he was limited athletically, but displayed good hands and a willingness to catch passes over the middle. Holtz' strength came in the pass-blocking department, and he had some experience as a tight end and H-back player. We’ll see if he takes any backup reps behind Danny Vitale at fullback, but heading into camp, I just view him as an extra body at the tight end position. Final Roster Odds: 10% The short answer is "no", we don't really have a true "blocking TE". Telfer was supposed to be that guy, but he didn't grade out all that well as a blocker, but like the article says, that could be just a result of the Browns' overall poor OL play throughout the season after injuries and shuffling. It wouldn't really surprise me if the Browns add a veteran TE who specializes in blocking in the near future. I've also read several times that David Njoku wasn't bad at blocking, he's just kind of raw at it. The effort is there, and the tenacity is there, but it will take time for him to really develop. Devalve bulking up to 260 from 245 is very nice, but I don't ever see him as somebody who will be a true "blocking TE". If we plan on running the ball as much as Hue SAYS we want to, then we will definitely need to invest in somebody who knows how to bring the business. It's another reason I find the Barnidge move puzzling. I never considered Gary as being a dominant blocker, but I'm certain he was better than anybody else on our roster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasAg1969 Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 A lot of people missing Barnidge. I'm surprised there isn't a bigger market for 31 yo slow white tight ends who don't block so well. Zombo Pretty in Pink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wargograw Posted July 13, 2017 Report Share Posted July 13, 2017 Surprised Holtz hasn't shown anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted July 13, 2017 Report Share Posted July 13, 2017 If Telfer's roster spot depends on his blocking, then he's in trouble... We don't need a Gronk, although one would be nice. He's the rarest of the rare... a receiving weapon and a 6th lineman in one body. But we need to sacrifice less blocking ability than we have in the pursuit of an added aerial weapon because we want to run the ball. Seattle fucked up royally when they acquired Graham. They sacrificed too much blocking from the position for the promise of more air attack... and in the process they lost their Offensive identity. While it's not as if we have an identity to sacrifice, we are trying to (re)establish one... and all signs point to it being very much like the "made-for-the-AFCN" one Seattle had. It is not a matter of being able to set an edge or drive-block a DE. If my TE can reliably chip a DE as he releases to his route or 2nd level assignment, cut off backside pursuit and fill pursuit lanes downfield, then I'm happy. If I can get more, sure, I'll take it, but again, we've not seen the minimum reliably since Dray left. Couple more comment replies... I agree that we have a couple youngins that may fill the bill, however, I do not see a vet being added... and keeping Barn was not an answer. While not remembered for his blocking, Ozzie was a better blocker than he was often given credit for being. While Gronk stands alone today, there are a handful of other "balanced" TEs still playing that I'd love to see a Brown emulate... Olsen, Kelce both spring immediately to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted July 13, 2017 Report Share Posted July 13, 2017 Stumbled across this "analytic" set in a PFF article on Seth by Mark Chichester • Cleveland Browns • Seth DeValve • Jul 12, 2017 I omitted a couple unfortunate MKC mentions... In his rookie year, DeValve played just 92 snaps for the Browns, and caught all 10 catchable targets thrown his way. He received a PFF overall grade of 69.6, the third highest grade by a rookie tight end. He was productive on his limited snaps, and averaged 2.31 yards per route run, which led all rookie tight ends. DeValve was good with the ball in his hands, forcing three missed tackles on his 10 receptions, tying for the most among rookies with Hunter Henry, who saw 26 more receptions. When targeting DeValve, Browns quarterbacks earned a passer rating of 150.3, the second-highest mark of all tight ends in the league with at least 10 targets. In 2016, The Browns used two tight ends on 20.2 percent of their offensive plays... https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-te-seth-devalve-jumped-out-at-browns-camp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flugel Posted July 14, 2017 Report Share Posted July 14, 2017 Tour, Good stuff on your points about the TEs and thanks for the article on DeValve! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumby73 Posted July 15, 2017 Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 Awesome 2 part post jigg's..Part 1, we will fool no one with TE's used as single check downs..Part 2, When Hue had to make Durango a eligible TE? That should tell you enough about Telfer's & on down the TE roster about our non-blocking TE failures.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted July 15, 2017 Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 I think we kept 4 TE's last year. The blocking was bad last year with Mack & Schwartz gone. And it only got worse as injuries hit the guard positions. I agree that we may pick up a veteran blocking TE....unless the McNamara kid turns out be a good blocker at the NFL level. (that would be cool) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flugel Posted July 15, 2017 Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 I think we kept 4 TE's last year. The blocking was bad last year with Mack & Schwartz gone. And it only got worse as injuries hit the guard positions. I agree that we may pick up a veteran blocking TE....unless the McNamara kid turns out be a good blocker at the NFL level. (that would be cool) Good points. Like I've said before and Gumby just alluded to - we actually lined Spencer Drango up as a TE quite a bit last year if that says anything on behalf of the blocking we were getting from our Tight End position. But when we do something like this - it pretty much assures the defense we aren't throwing the football. I remember back when he had Winslow after countless lower body surgeries for knee and staph infections - he was only a fraction of the blocker he was coming out of college. Back then, we had to pick up a dual purpose guy and found a very underrated TE (Steve Heiden) from the Chargers. Using him kept us from tipping off any pass/run tendencies. Good Lord, that already feels like a lifetime ago. Hopefully, we'll find someone this preseason or discover we already have someone capable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted July 15, 2017 Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 No problem do I see. Njoku is not afraid of contact - just the opposite. He was a college YAC monster. https://youtu.be/qYG9h_nILVs and, he's very, very smart, can play different places in the offense. So can DeValve. They are both -really- athletic, and they are both -real- football players. should be exciting stuff. Two TE offense plays... can not wait to watch that. http://nflspinzone.com/2017/06/19/cleveland-browns-utilizing-multiple-tight-ends-y-and-u/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted July 16, 2017 Report Share Posted July 16, 2017 No problem do I see. Njoku is not afraid of contact - just the opposite. He was a college YAC monster. https://youtu.be/qYG9h_nILVs and, he's very, very smart, can play different places in the offense. So can DeValve. They are both -really- athletic, and they are both -real- football players. should be exciting stuff. Two TE offense plays... can not wait to watch that. http://nflspinzone.com/2017/06/19/cleveland-browns-utilizing-multiple-tight-ends-y-and-u/ Coleman and Britt outside........Njoku and DeValve TE..............Crow or Duke at RB. - Is that you're thought? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted July 16, 2017 Report Share Posted July 16, 2017 more like, DeValve (TE), in the slot maybe. I'm thinkin move them all over the place, find mismatches. http://www.footballoutsiders.com/strategy-minicamps/2006/too-deep-zone-multi-tight-end-sets-passing-game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted July 16, 2017 Report Share Posted July 16, 2017 One tidbit in a local Texans broadcast overview... Last year Texan QBs (mostly Brock) completed over 110 passes to TEs... 50 or more to each of their top two TEs, Fiedorowicz (54) and Griffin (50). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudfly Posted July 16, 2017 Report Share Posted July 16, 2017 One tidbit in a local Texans broadcast overview... Last year Texan QBs (mostly Brock) completed over 110 passes to TEs... 50 or more to each of their top two TEs, Fiedorowicz (54) and Griffin (50). So....what do you think the reason for this stat is? The Texas QB's like TE's?.....or the Texas offense likes TE's?.....or the Texas WR's bite?.....all of the above?.....none of the above? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumby73 Posted July 17, 2017 Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 So....what do you think the reason for this stat is? The Texas QB's like TE's?.....or the Texas offense likes TE's?.....or the Texas WR's bite?.....all of the above?.....none of the above? We lead the league with our QB's being hit with 140. Houston's OL was not the greatest allowing 97 hits on their QB's..It's got to be easier dinking a RB or dunking a TE before you would ever see a WR on a come back? Unless your name is Rogers(man what a arm) EDIT::With this Wide of Receiver Corp group we have Njoku should never be put in a 3 point stance on end of line..slot or Gronk wide is his moneymaker.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wargograw Posted July 17, 2017 Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 One tidbit in a local Texans broadcast overview... Last year Texan QBs (mostly Brock) completed over 110 passes to TEs... 50 or more to each of their top two TEs, Fiedorowicz (54) and Griffin (50). What's the implication (if any)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted July 17, 2017 Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 Main point was that Brock threw a lot to TEs that on paper are nowhere near as gifted receivers as ones heading our roster... but: Certainly nothing wrong with a WR crew led by Hopkins, Strong, Fuller and Miller... In Bill-O's O I think TE are simpler, safer choices... lots of seams and delayed crosses... relatively easy reads. Fiedorowicz is a now very good, well-balanced TE... one I happened to covet a couple drafts ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted July 18, 2017 Report Share Posted July 18, 2017 you secretly kept Fiedorowicz a secret.... "covert" ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted July 18, 2017 Report Share Posted July 18, 2017 Could have been worse... could have culverted him. Fat finger output fixed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.