Green Bay Packers fans are aglow after the spectacular show tight end Jared Cook put on Tuesday in his first Packers’ training camp action. Could it be the Packers have found a diamond in the rough?
For a likely answer, let’s examine some other NFL tight ends. It’s the original hybrid position, with some teams using its tight end as a key receiver and others primarily as a blocker. Those used primarily as receivers tend to get all the recognition, the gaudy statistics and the All-Pro honors.
A look at how many times a tight end is targeted by the quarterback says a lot about which role the tight end plays in his team’s offensive attack.
Seven tight ends were targeted 100 times or more in 2015: Tennessee’s Delanie Walker (133), Cleveland’s Gary Barnidge (123), Carolina’s Greg Olsen (123), New England’s Rob Gronkowski (120), Washington’s Jordan Reed (114), Dallas’ Jason Witten (104), and Kansas City’s Travis Kelce (100). Not surprisingly, these were the seven top-yardage tight ends. The first four each amassed over 1,000 receiving yards on the year.
The careers of several of these players give us reason to believe Jared Cook might rank in this group in 2016.
Greg Olsen’s 1,114 yards ranked second among tight ends and 17th among all receivers, last year. In his three non-rookie seasons with the Bears, however, he averaged only 87 targets. His receptions have steadily been rising, since being traded to the Panthers five years ago. Now he’s a star.
Jimmy Graham, however, has been going in the opposite direction since being traded to the Seattle Seahawks. Graham averaged 138 targets from 2011 through 2014, while in New Orleans. A combination of injuries and the Seahawks not utilizing him as a key receiver caused Graham’s targets to dip to 73 last year. After twice having 1,000+ yard seasons with New Orleans, Graham managed only 605 yards in 2015.
You probably never heard of Gary Barnidge until last year. He was an afterthought in his first four years with the Panthers and the Browns, averaging only 18 targets per season. Last year he gets thrown to 123 times (by Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel, and Austin Davis!), accumulates 1,043 yards and is suddenly a star at age 30.
Delanie Walker has an even more promising history for Jared Cook fans. In seven years with the 49ers, this no-name was never targeted more than 44 times in a season. After being traded to Tennessee, however, he’s averaged 109 targets over the past three years. Walker’s 1,088 receiving yards in 2015 was the third best among tight ends and his 133 targets was tops for the position. Walker will be 32 on Friday, three years older than Cook.
Cook was never a featured receiver with the Titans or the Rams. Last year he had 39 catches for 481 yards – nineteenth among tight ends – but was only thrown to 73 times.
Richard Rodgers was targeted 85 times last year, hauled in 58 of them for 510 yards, and was ranked sixteenth among tight ends in yardage – but his 8.8 yards per catch was disappointing.
With Aaron Rodgers now zinging the ball to Cook, will he be the next Delanie Walker or Gary Barnidge? After Tuesday’s showing, it’s a plausible scenario.