Eagles expected to make tight ends major part of offense
The Eagles' running backs and wide receivers won't be near any lists for the top groups in the NFL, but their offensive hopes go beyond those skill positions. Look for the tight ends to fill a major role in the offense, with Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, and Trey Burton all a part of the passing game.
"Tight end is a strength of this roster, this offensive unit," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. "If you look at Doug's [Pederson] system and what they did in Kansas City with their tight ends and how we'll utilize them here, it'll be very consistent with that, and we've got the players to do it. We can mix it up. They're all real good, smart route runners – every one of them. So, we expect really good production from that unit."
Ertz will be the biggest contributor of the group. Ertz caught 75 passes last season for 854 yards and two touchdowns. The receiving yards and touchdowns could see a jump this season. There were five tight ends who led their teams in receiving yards last season. Ertz might join that group that season. Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, and Darren Sproles will all be big parts of the passing offense, but the best mismatch could come from Ertz.
"We feel like Zach has a great feel in route running," Reich said. "He just knows how to create leverage; he knows how to use his body; he has a big catch radius. Trey is like a wide receiver out there, and you get him out there and he's got the speed, he's got natural instinctive moves for a tight end. The one that surprises me though has been Brent. I came in here thinking, 'Hey, Brent is our blocking tight end.' But the guy knows how to run routes. He's a really smart route runner, and I have a lot of confidence in him, and I know the quarterbacks do as well. So, that's a really good thing for us."
Burton is the under-the-radar name to watch. He has only three career catches and spent his first two years mostly as a special teams player. But he's been a tough cover throughout the summer. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz pointed it out on Sunday, and Burton is forcing the Eagles to find ways to use him.
Reich mentioned three-tight end sets as one way to do it because of the versatility of the players. Burton can be split wide at times or come out of the backfield. However he's used, Burton won't just be a special teams contributor any more.
"He has made so many big plays out here," Reich said. "There are a lot of talented guys playing in the NFL, so you're going to see flashes of great plays. But really, what you're looking for as a coach, is the consistency of it. Anybody can do it one time. We could all go out there and somebody could throw us a ball and we could make a nice, one-handed catch and tell them, 'Man, we feel like we can do it.' But really what separates these guys out here, and really what we're looking for, is guys who can make those kind of plays routinely."