Where Firkser belongs in 2019 is tough to peg. His mother was Jack Perry’s sister. Mack Brown even told Scaife he probably should retire. He led Texas in receptions in both 1964 and 1965 while playing on both sides of the ball. I will say this, he was a receiver in a tight end’s body.”. He was a natural. Iowa actually has the top two tight ends this year as Noah Fant joins Hockenson at the top of the class. His never-say-die spirit was nothing short of magical. The panel who voted on these lists include former University of Texas two-sport star Keith Moreland, who is now the color announcer for the Chicago Cubs, Ted Koy, who played running back for the Longhorns in the 60s and is an avid follower of the Longhorns, Ken Dabbs, the former recruiting coordinator at Texas during the 60s and 70s, Kirk Bohls, long-time columnist for the Austin American-Statesman, and Bobby Burton, who is a Texas graduate, editor of Hookem.com and former editor-in-chief of Rivals.com. Cook still remains allergic to blocking which makes him an older, more established version of Jonnu Smith and not a good fit for the Titans. What they’re saying Ted Koy: “He was a big, strong kid who could catch anything in sight. Special thanks also goes to former Texas coaches David McWilliams and Fred Akers who helped fill in a lot of the gaps in the recruiting sections for this series. So, any time he gets into the end … And Mackovic offered him after only one year at the Juco, so he had three years of eligibility at Texas. It’s really hard to see the Titans making a move for him given that track record. Further down the list, Georgia’s Isaac Nauta, Utah State’s Dax Raymond, Stanford’s Kaden Smith, Texas A&M’s Jace Sternberger, Ole Miss’ Dawson Knox, Kentucky’s C.J. In an era where he was used more as an offensive lineman than a tight end, Lammons still managed 47 receptions for 706 yards and five touchdowns. The Titans parted ways with outside linebacker Cameron Wake and running back Dion Lewis on Thursday. As the Tennessee Titans begin to assess the off-season and rank priorities regarding which of their free agents to try and retain, one position group stands out as a glaring. Perhaps the most athletically gifted player on this list, Finley might have been No. In 2019, Smith helped the Titans rebound from a 2-4 start to advance to the AFC championship game for the first time in 17 years. His best season might have been 1995 when he found the end zone eight times and was named to a couple of All-American teams. Eifert has one of the worst injury histories of any current NFL player, appearing in just 28 of the last 80 games. Fitzgerald’s recruitment was unorthodox because he was a California junior college player that was a full qualifier out of high school. However, he suffered a shoulder injury during his first practice as a Titan that sidelined him for the season. It also helps when your biggest game is also the best game in your career. His profile coming out of Southern Illinois in 2015 suggests that he might be able to do more as a pass catcher if needed. It’s also important to keep in mind that the draft is as much about needs two to three years down the road as it is immediate needs. The Titans could choose to bring Stocker back on a cheap contract to help supplement the blocking in this group, but he really doesn’t bring more to the table than Pruitt at this point. Offensive Scheme: Erhardt-Perkins. After bouncing down to the practice squad to make room for Pruitt, Firkser would eventually earn another promotion to the active roster. He was just a big, old tight end that had speed. His versatility and toughness have taken him a long way. Texas would go on to win the national championship. MyCole Pruitt and Anthony Firkser are interesting pieces, but both of them are relatively one-dimensional at this point in their careers. Part 1 covered the Titans cap situation and roster decisions, Part 2 covered the offensive line, and Part 3 covered the wide receivers. Walker is one of just 16 tight ends in NFL history with 500 career receptions or more, and he’s the Titans’ all-time leader in receptions for a tight end with 381. Titans Offseason Roster Breakdown: Tight Ends, Arthur Smith reportedly hires Dean Pees in Atlanta. Owner: Amy Adams Strunk. 2018 Stats: 4 catches on 7 targets (57.1%), 52 yards, 0 touchdowns, 13.0 YPC. How he ended up at Texas? At the time, head coach Mike Vrabel stated that the team promoted Firkser in part because he kept getting open and making plays as a part of the scout team working against the Titans first team defense in practices. Randy was going to do what needed to be done when it needed to be done. Not elite by any means, but pretty good for a second year tight end. Kerry played tight end and Keith played wide receiver. That would be a 48-catch, 694-yard pace over a 16 game season. However, after the Titans Week 8 bye, Smith took some noticeable steps forward as a pass catcher even though the run blocking was still inconsistent. The Titans had an eventful season in 2018 at the tight end position. Still, he was instrumental in Texas beating Alabama in Bear Bryant’s last bowl game. He finished with 80 receptions for 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns. Hockenson would immediately help the running game and the passing attack, giving Marcus Mariota a massive target in the middle of the field (where he just happens to do his best work). While that sounds like a good thing — and it is good for those players individually — it really speaks to just how inexperienced this group was for most of the season. However, his run blocking, while not as elite as Hockenson’s, is good enough that he’s not just a glorified receiver. To his credit, Smith was often seen getting extra work after practice during the 2018 season, catching passes from Marcus Mariota or working the Juggs machine. Formed a dynamic trio with his twin brother Keith and receiver Johnny Walker during their four years on campus. If anything, he was behind his time, because he could play all the positions. Jonnu Smith, Titans vs. Texans. He finished his career with 71 receptions for 979 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was a lot like David Thomas. He combines that size with good athleticism and outstanding blocking, route running, and body control. Smith’s early struggles as both a receiver and a blocker were pretty glaring and . Tennessee Titans tight end Geoff Swaim scored only the second touchdown of his six-year NFL career Sunday at Jacksonville. His strengths are elite speed and leaping ability that make him capable of both stretching the field up the seams and dominating in the red zone. But you can feel free to blow me up when he goes for 80 yards and a touch this week. We saw how quickly the drop off came for Brian Orakpo this season and he is actually two years younger than Walker. He had more athletic ability than David Thomas but didn't always put that together on the field. He always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. BALTIMORE, MD - JANUARY 11, 2020 - Tight Ends Coach Todd Downing of the Tennessee Titans Tight end MyCole Pruitt #85 of the Tennessee Titans and Tight end Jonnu Smith #81 of the Tennessee Titans on the bench during the divisional playoff game between the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round game at M&T Bank Stadium in … The Chiefs — the league’s most explosive offense — ran 12 personnel (two tight ends) more than all but two NFL teams last season per Sharp Football Stats. What they’re saying Kirk Bohls: “Jermichael Finley didn't always live up to his vast potential and left two years of eligibility at a time when Texas had no other tight end options. He could come off of his stance from the blocking position, which a lot of people really struggled to do, but it never was an issue for him. Pruitt’s primary function was as a run blocker and he performed very well in that role, grading out as the 16th best run blocker out of 81 qualifying tight ends per PFF. On Tuesday Hookem.com looked back and ranked the best defensive backs, which is one of (and possibly the) strongest position in the history of the school. If you needed him at quarterback or running back, he could have played it. Defensive … As the Tennessee Titans begin to assess the off-season and rank priorities regarding which of their free agents to try and retain, one position group stands out as a glaring All four Titans tight ends headed toward free agency | Titans News | titaninsider.com One of the first tight ends who was utilized all over the field by Coach John Mackovic. He looked like a guy that wasn’t completely sure what he was supposed to do at times in Matt LaFleur’s offense, but the promotion of his old position coach to offensive coordinator and keeping the same terminology and framework of the offense intact heading into a new season should allow Smith to focus on improving the details of his game. That’s why I won’t necessarily dismiss tight end as a possibility, even in Round 1. He is under contract for 2019 and 2020 thanks to the two-year extension he signed at the end of training camp, but it’s pretty hard to see a scenario where he is still playing in 2021 and beyond. There is a pretty large crop of notable free agent tight ends slated to hit the market in March if they aren’t re-signed prior to the end of the league year. The coup de grace was his 10 catches against Southern Cal in the national championship game. He took over as tight ends coach in 2015. Finley originally committed to Arizona, in part because they would let him play basketball, too. Why he’s in this spot? Scaife fought back from his second knee injury and posted solid seasons in 2003 and 2004, including several key catches in a comeback win against Oklahoma State as a senior. If he is brought back I would expect him to be firmly on the roster bubble heading into camp. However, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see them turn most of his blocking tight end role over to Pruitt and decide that Stocker’s time here has run its course. He just abused USC's linebackers and they ended up rotating a safety on him and that didn’t work either, it just opened up more running lanes for Vince.”, ALL-TIME TOP 10 SERIES Monday: Running Backs Tuesday: Linebackers Wednesday: Defensive Backs. Fant is also 6’-5” but slightly lighter at 241 pounds. Other Notable Asst. Run blocking still needs to be a major point of emphasis with him. He wanted to align himself with other guys who were like him. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. 1 Alabama in the 1965 Orange Bowl and was part of the 1963 national championship team. Jonnu Smith, MyCole Pruitt, and Anthony Firkser each had some positive moments in 2018, but none of them have shown they can be a consistent mismatch in both the running game and passing attack. Tight ends can be included, too! That list is essentially four of the five best tight ends of all time and Ben Watson who never seems to age. Yet, he is still a popular pick as a regression-target this year. With that, let’s jump into a look at which tight ends are returning from last year’s roster, which ones might not be, and what the Titans might do to improve this group for the 2019 season. Conrad, San Jose State’s Josh Oliver, UCLA’s Caleb Wilson, and LSU’s Foster Moreau are also considered possible top 100 picks. Sampleton, who had a great wingspan, had 68 receptions for 1,071 yards and seven touchdowns as he showed time and again that he was just a big, athletic target with soft hands. That work ethic combined with his natural gifts make me interested to see what Year 3 looks like for Jonnu. Only five tight ends in the last 50 years have had a 500-plus yard season at 35 or older: Tony Gonzalez, Ben Watson, Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, and Shannon Sharpe. He was a two-time all-SWC player who helped lead the Longhorns to a win over No. What they’re saying Ted Koy: “He is a multi-talented guy. I think the Titans will select a tight end at some point before the end of the draft even if they don’t end up with Hockenson in the first. Through six weeks, he’d tallied just three catches for 33 yards on nine targets in the passing game. One of two very talented tight ends in the state that year, along with Martellus Bennett. Firkser stood out early on at training camp and then put up 10 catches, 108 yards, and a touchdown in preseason action before making the 53-man roster as a surprise inclusion. Getting him back in 2019 figures to be a huge boost to the offense, but one of the biggest questions of the offseason will be whether he can get back to the level he played at from 2015 to 2017. He has great hands, is a terrific athlete and is just now coming into his own in the NFL. How he ended up at Texas? ... 997 yards and five touchdowns and ended up playing for the Tennessee Titans … Would the Titans be comfortable with Smith as TE1 if something were to happen to Walker? He said he charted every single catchable ball thrown to David as a senior and that Thomas caught every single one. The only reason he chose junior college is he didn’t have any offers. Regardless of where you come down on the question of a possible first round tight end, I think we can all agree that seeing Delanie Walker streaking down the seams at Nissan Stadium will be a sight for sore eyes in September. The simplest answer to this question is to get a healthy Delanie Walker back in the lineup and watch him do his thing. He stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 258 pounds. Delanie Walker only has a year or two remaining at an elite level. The ability to do both at a high level makes Delanie Walker a rare commodity in the NFL. Today we look back at a position that arguably falls on the other side of the spectrum: Tight end. He finished his career with 40 receptions for 645 yards and a touchdown. 2018 Stats: 19 catches on 20 targets (95.0%), 225 yards, 1 touchdown, 11.8 YPC. He finished his career with 75 receptions for 997 yards and five touchdowns and ended up playing for the Tennessee Titans in the NFL. A Denver native, Scaife was a Tim Brewster special. How he ended up at Texas? Chris Simms being on board the previous year really helped. However, the Titans have other holes on the roster that can use a first-round talent before adding to the tight ends room. It would be pretty surprising if he wound up making the 53-man roster out of camp. What they’re saying Bobby Burton: “I remember listening to Mike Mayock on his NFL Draft coverage talking about how much he liked David Thomas. Only Rob Gronkowski and George Kittle among current tight ends provide the kind of run blocking advantage that Walker does along with elite pass catching skills. 1 if he had spent one more year on campus. The Titans … Why he’s in this spot? Titans RB Derrick Henry Named 2020 NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the PFWA, If that was it for Corey Davis in Tennessee, it deserved better. He was a threat when the Longhorns got close to the end zone and a threat to stretch the middle of the field. He could find that opening from his tight end spot and sit down in those little zones. He had a very good family on top of everything.”. And now all of the rando tight ends on the Titans roster are starting to outscore him. In his five healthy games after the bye, he produced 15 catches, 217 yards, and three touchdowns on 17 targets. You got the feeling he was about to break through to become a big-time player after his redshirt-sophomore season. It’s uncomfortable and sad, but it would be irresponsible for the Titans not to prepare for the possibility. Kerry never had that huge season, but he always was solid every time he stepped on the field. The Titans targeted the tight end position 25% of the time last season (eighth-highest), but because of their run-heavy playcalling, the total targets for tight ends … I would prefer to see them bring in a new player at the position that could serve as a complement to Smith long term. He wasn’t just the team’s leading receiver in 2017, but he was also a top 10 run blocking tight end in the NFL according to PFF’s charting. Well, not only was he a great blocking tight end, but he also was a part of one of the greatest plays in Longhorns history. Judy Battista, a member of … And that’s the way it worked out. 2018 Stats: 9 catches on 11 targets (81.8%), 102 yards, 1 touchdown, 11.3 YPC. With Texas trailing 14-8 and just 4:47 left in the game against Arkansas in 1969, Peschel made an extremely difficult over-the-shoulder catch from quarterback James Street in double coverage to gain 44 yards and convert a key fourth down. Tight end isn’t an immediate need if Delanie Walker comes back and plays at a similar level to his elite pre-injury ability. At the combine he checked in with massive 10-1/4-inch hands before running a 4.58-second 40 yard dash and jumping a 37-inch vertical. Visit ESPN to view the Tennessee Titans team stats for the 2020 season. An athletic guy who could both block and catch passes. In reality, Firkser functioned as something of a jumbo slot receiver for Tennessee. Where would tight end rank among the Titans biggest needs if you removed Delanie Walker from the picture? BALTIMORE, MD - JANUARY 11, 2020 - Tight Ends Coach Todd Downing of the Tennessee Titans Tight end MyCole Pruitt #85 of the Tennessee Titans and Tight end Jonnu Smith #81 of the Tennessee Titans on the bench during the divisional playoff game between the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD. He was really known more for his defensive play at Texas, but he ended up on the Jets Super Bowl team as a tight end. All four # Titans tight ends are heading toward free agency this off-season, making for some tough decisions for the front office. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. The talented tight end is a big-bodied target with soft hands and obvious potential as a blocker. What about Pruitt or Firkser as TE2? A season ending injury for three time Pro Bowler Delanie Walker derailed what was expected to be a … How he ended up at Texas? As much as I like Firkser and believe he can be an effective piece in the right offense, Walker’s return is going to squeeze tight end snaps and could leave him without a defined role. On Sunday, he’ll be looking to find the end zone for the third time in six games against the Bengals. He finished his career with 98 receptions for a position-high 1,367 yards and 15 touchdowns. How he ended up at Texas? 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