Positional Breakdown: Tight Ends

With the exception of the recently franchised Dallas Clark, L.J. Smith was the best available tight end on this year's free agent market. Had the Eagles let L.J. go rather than using their own franchise tag, he most certainly would have been another team's important offseason acquisition.

L.J.'s ceiling is high, (an expression I hate but need to use for the purpose of this clever joke!) but only to house the plethora of question marks that surround him. Once upon a time when he was backing up fan-favorite Chad Lewis, L.J. showed us flashes of greatness and appeared to be the definite future at tight end. In 2004, L.J. represented 5 of the 8 touchdowns that came from the tight end position, all but signaling the end of the Chad Lewis era in Philadelphia.

When I posted the short report of L.J. re-signing with the Eagles a few weeks ago, one reader took exception to my comment about the tight end's fumbling problem, noting that "L.J. has only fumbled 3 times in 5 years." While this low number of fumbles does appear to contradict my statement, it does not take into account his two playoff fumbles, one of which being a very costly one in the Eagles trip to the Super Bowl following the '04 season.

L.J. Smith's biggest problem is, indeed, his inability to secure the ball. This problem has resulted in too many wasted opportunities and shortened drives, and now that L.J. will be one of the top-five highest paid tight ends, this is a problem that needs to be fixed. When compared to some of the other elite NFL tight ends, Smith's fumbling problem does appear "chronic." To see a list of some of the top tight ends and their respective fumbling totals, refer to comment #14 in the previous L.J. article. Enough about Mr. Smith, let's move on.

Brent Celek will be poised to have a productive sophomore season. When you've finished taking time to view the odd alliteration in the previous sentence, consider that eight of Celek's sixteen catches (including two 29-yarders and a redzone TD) came in the final three games of the season when he was given extended playing time. Hopefully maturity and more tick will result in Celek giving the Eagles a new and improved two-tight end package. Celek's 6′4, 255 lb. frame makes him a big target in the redzone, and you've got to believe that with one NFL season under his belt, Celek could provide some sort of cure to the Eagles' woes inside the 20.

Matt Schobel, a free-agent acquisition two years ago, has done little of anything in his tenure with the team. He managed to pull down only 11 catches for 108 yards (1 TD) in 2007, despite playing in 15 games. There is not much to say about Schobel, other than I hope to see Celek take most his playing time away.

The tight end position will be an important one for the Eagles in 2008 because of their redzone problems, Donovan McNabb's ability to spread the ball around, and the Eagles occasional philosophy of using the umpire to set a screen for the tight end in the middle of the field.

Another wide receiver would greatly aid L.J. Smith's and Brent Celek's ability to get open by taking more focus off of them. The Eagles' most productive season in recent history from the tight end position was 2004 (as stated above), when they had their number one receiver who enjoys a good cry.

Best case scenario? L.J. has his breakout season that we've all been waiting for, while Celek develops and enables the Eagles to wreak havoc in two-tight end sets.

Worst case scenario? The tight end position is every bit as irrelevant as it was in 2007.