• March 28, 2024

Eagles Have a Log Jam at Tight End

There’s been much talk about the Philadelphia Eagles’ tremendous depth. There are multiple, young cornerbacks that are waiting in the wings, as there are talented receivers backing up DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Even the depth at quarterback is respectable in Vince Young and Mike Kafka.

But not too many people are talking about the tight ends.

Maybe it’s because Brent Celek is the clear-cut starter. Or because the other tight ends vying for a spot on the roster are unknowns around the league.

Aside from Celek, there are four tight ends that all have the making to play this season; whether or not that is for the Eagles or for another NFL team is to be determined.

The lone returning tight end to this team (besides Celek) is Clay Harbor. He has had his fair share of impressive moments so far in training camp, many of which have come via Kafka, who appears to have developed some chemistry with the second-year man out of Missouri State.

In limited action, Harbor compiled 72 yards and one touchdown on nine receptions. To improve his chances of making the team and seeing more opportunities, Harbor added 10 pounds in order to become a better blocking option.

And then there’s Donald Lee, who was signed this offseason after the Green Bay Packers decided to part ways with him. When healthy, Lee is a dangerous receiver over the middle. From 2007 to 2009, Lee racked up 37 or more receptions in each of those three seasons and amassed 12 touchdowns between that timeframe. Once again, he needs to stay healthy in order to contribute to this team; however, he appears to be in good shape and focused on returning to his former self.

Another acquisition this offseason was undrafted free agent Martell Webb out of Michigan. Webb is an interesting prospect. He has potential, yet didn’t play much at Michigan, making just three starts in 38 career games. However, he found other ways to contribute to the Wolverines: special teams and blocking.

Oddly enough, Webb was a top 20 wide receiver coming out of high school; clearly, he has the tools to be a receiving tight end if developed properly. His chances of making the Eagles squad aren’t very high, but he should find another spot around the league if he does, indeed, get cut.

Speaking of auditioning for other teams, Cornelius Ingram, who has multiple ACL surgeries, is doing just that. Perhaps one of the most talented tight ends in college football during his time at Florida, Ingram suffered an ACL tear his senior year that drastically dropped his stocked; to add to that, Ingram missed out on his rookie season with another ACL surgery.

He appears to be in great shape at camp, but because of the injury concerns and the aforementioned log jam at tight end, Ingram will most likely land with another team before the season opens. If that fails, he will probably find a spot on a practice squad somewhere.

When all is said and done, Celek, Harbor and Lee will most likely be the active tight ends come Week One, while Webb and Ingram should be able to hop aboard another team’s depth chart.

Kyle Phillippi

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paulman
paulman
August 14, 2011 8:07 am

Sources of mine up in Newark, tell me the Giants would love to gethier their hands on TE Martell Webb
I think the Eagles carry 3 TE’s this season (Celek,Lee & Harbor) with INgram being released for the final time and M Webb placed on the Practice Squad.
One thing to keep in mind, with MAclin’s Illness and S SMith still recovreing for injury their could be times when aHArbor is split out wide, and or more Double TE Sets with both Celek/Lee in the line-up.. I think they definitely keep 3
2 Other positions where there is quality depth and a tough call is the
Safety Position and the DT Positions and maybe you can write about those this week to give your analysis

paulman
paulman
August 14, 2011 10:27 am

I know it’s early in the Preseaon, But here is Paulman’s Top Teams in the NFC after the 1st Weekend of games.. (Remember all teams have had the same practice time, and many teams have completely new coaching staffs,schemes and players including Rookies playing

#1) Detroit Lions (Contributions from many players and awesome DL)
#2) TB Bucs (May have the most talented & young skills players in the NFL (QB/RB/WR and yes this includes the Eagles skill players and had a shutout)
#3) SL Rams (Bradford sharp at QB, rushed for 175 yds and S Jackson didn’t even suit up)
#4) NO Saints – Defense is much improved from last years squad
#5) Washington Redskins- Strong Defensive performance vs the Steeler
#6) Seattle – Nice comeback win after being down, have an excellent WR corps now with Mike Williams, Sydney Rice and Golden Tate and 2 very good TE’s in J Carlson and Zach Miller
#7) Arizona – Nice start to a revamped team which will rely on a more physical style of play (modeled after the Steelers team which is where their Coaching staff is from both offensively and defensively
#8) Carolina PAnthers – Nice 1st Game by Cam Newton, Front 7 on Defense man-handled the Giants in 1st half when Starters were playing
#9) Dallas Cowboys – Showed some offense with back-ups, QB McGee will be their QB of the future and will take over for ROmo sooner than people think
#10) Eagles – a good solid start but missed on Scoring opportunities and still struggled running the ball
#11) Packers – Offense was sharp, but Browns McCoy had his way vs their Defense.. (they will miss Jenkins,Jolly, & Barnett)
#12) Atlanta – Looked sharp on Offense, but Defense still has many holes
#13) Bears – Won but Offensive Line looks very bad so far
#14) Giants – HAve sreious OL issues, and lack of Depth at WR & TEand SPecial teams look bad vs the Panthers
#15) Vikings – Will struggle to score points when teams key on Petersen
#16) 49ers – Were flat out man-handled by the Saints all game between the Starters,2nd Strings and everryone else.. Is QB Alex Smith the answer..

daggolden
daggolden
August 14, 2011 2:01 pm

Great Article from Phila Inquirer-What is Desean worth? The Answer is definetly subjective. And when the subjects are Joe Banner and Drew Rosenhaus, the answers are likely to be far apart – at least with negotiations for a contract extension still in their initial stages.
In real terms, the Eagles president and Jackson’s agent are probably much closer in quantifying the Pro Bowl wide receiver’s value than their first volley in talks indicated. Asked to assess the divide between the two, a league source familiar with the negotiations held one hand at eye level and the other at the waist.
But it shouldn’t take long to bridge the gap now that Jackson, who is entering the final year of a four-year contract he signed as a rookie, is back at Eagles training camp after holding out for 11 days. He wants a new deal, conceivably one in line with the top receivers in the game.
Jackson, though, is a uniquely talented receiver. The difficulty in meeting halfway could hinge on how steadfast each side is in its argument.
Banner and Rosenhaus both declined to be interviewed for this story.
“I think it’s all relative how far apart they are,” ESPN NFL analyst Andrew Brandt said. “The Eagles recognize they have a special player. . . . I guess there are different degrees of how you define special player. But they have an ascending young player they can lock up long-term, and that’s been their history.”
Brandt, also the editor of National Football Post, brings a unique perspective to this particular negotiation because he once handled contracts for the Eagles, sometimes haggling with Rosenhaus himself.
He negotiated Eagles running back LeSean McCoy’s contract with Rosenhaus, although it was a cookie-cutter deal, as Brandt put it. Jackson’s deal could be complex, with an assortment of escalators and incentives written in because there really is no precedent.
“In some ways he’s hard to compare to anyone,” Brandt said. “The fact is he’s going to be compared to the top receivers regardless. . . . And the contracts top receivers have gotten in the last few years will be used and it will be up to the sides to find a meeting point.”

The argument

It could take a while just to get in the same ballpark because the 24-year-old Jackson’s value cannot be measured simply by catches, yards, and touchdowns. He’s a threat to score anytime the ball is in his hands.
“I think both sides recognize that you’ve got a game-changing player,” Brandt said. “He’s a human joystick. There’s a value for that. It’s a unique player that’s hard to put in the box.”

Still, Jackson’s sometimes lopsided numbers will be used in both arguments.

“I think each side will selectively use numbers,” Brandt said with a laugh.

Rosenhaus can go right to the Eagles media guide for some statistical support. Since 2008, Jackson leads the NFL in yards per catch (18.3) and punt return yards (1,112). In 2009, he tied a league mark, scoring eight touchdowns of 50-plus yards. Last season, he became the first player in NFL history to score a game-winning punt return as time expired.

Other stats, Rosenhaus may have to comb for, like this one: Since the NFL merger in 1970 only one receiver with more than 150 catches in his first three seasons has a better yards-per-reception average than Jackson’s 18.3 – Randy Moss with 18.4. No. 3 is Jerry Rice (17.9).
The Eagles could present as strong a case. If Jackson considers himself an elite receiver then why, since 2008, have 25 receivers had more receptions than Jackson’s 171? They could also point out that Jackson has caught only 171 of the 331 passes thrown in his direction for a 51.7 percent rating, which isn’t close to the league leaders.
Considering that Jackson probably runs more deep routes than any other receiver, that metric is probably not an accurate gauge of Jackson’s pass-catching abilities.

He does get lost for long stretches of games, however, although there are times when the Eagles simply use Jackson as a decoy. Still, when he doesn’t get involved early in a game he tends to struggle the rest of the way and the Eagles lose.

Since Nov. 8, 2009, the Eagles are 12-3 when Jackson has one catch or more in the first quarter, 3-6 when he has none.

Of course, Rosenhaus could use those numbers as an example of how important Jackson is to the Eagles’ success.

Brandt negotiated receiver Jeremy Maclin’s contract after he was the team’s top pick in 2009, and one of Maclin’s agent’s arguments was that the Eagles like to spread the ball around.

“At the end of the day, the Eagles are a passing team,” Brandt said. “And Jackson has become an important piece of their offense.”
The market
In the last few years, the top receiver contracts were dished out for a variety of reasons. Brandon Marshall received a four-year, $47.5 million deal from Miami last season after the Broncos traded the disgruntled receiver. After having a career season in his third year, the Cowboys locked up Miles Austin with a six-year, $54 million extension to take effect after the final year of his original contract at $3 million.

Less than three weeks ago, the New York Jets retained Santonio Holmes, an unrestricted free agent, with a four-year, $50 million deal.

The Holmes deal obviously set the bar for Jackson. Many equate the two because of their similar skill set. Their statistics are also comparable over the last three seasons, with Jackson averaging 3.8 receptions per game for 69.4 yards (an 18.3 yards per catch average) to go along with 17 TD receptions during that span, to Holmes’ numbers of 4.3, 65.5, 15.1, and 16 TDs.

Each player brings an additional facet. While Jackson can score in more ways than just receiving – he has four punt returns and three runs for touchdowns in his career – Holmes had a clutch performance in Super Bowl XLIII, when he was named MVP for the Steelers.

Holmes, however, was a free agent and Jackson is not, so he can’t leverage an Eagles offer against another team’s. He could play out his contract this season and try to hit the open market in March, but the Eagles could cut him off by placing the franchise tag on him.

The Eagles also have incentive for wanting to get a deal done sooner rather than later.

“I think what’s going to knock the market out of whack is the Cardinals’ negotiating with Larry Fitzgerald, and I think for the second time in four years he’ll be the highest-paid receiver in the history of football,” Brandt said.

Fitzgerald had his contract reworked in 2008, when he agreed to a deal that would pay him $40 million over four years with $30 million guaranteed. He likely could have gotten a longer deal but risked taking a shorter one for a second big payday.

Jackson could go that route or play it safe and accept something analogous to Austin’s deal.

“I think the Eagles would be more than willing to puff up the money on a longer-term deal,” Brandt said. “And DeSean and Drew would have to decide if they wanted something shorter – like Fitzgerald did – and then come back for another bite of the apple.”

The deal

Negotiations had not started as of Friday evening. There is the belief that the Eagles would have to extend quarterback Michael Vick – as they plan to do – before they get to Jackson.

Vick is slated to earn roughly $16 million this season under the franchise tag. The Eagles have nearly maxed out their salary-cap number so they may need to get that figure down to make room for a Jackson increase.

“I know from working there as a consultant that it was always important to keep flexibility,” Brandt said. “So they don’t necessarily have to redo Vick to gain cap room.”

The Eagles know the 5-foot-10, 175-pound Jackson doesn’t want to play this season – and risk a career-threatening injury – without an extension. They also have a player on a minimum contract looking for a raise.

Jackson knows the Eagles need him if they really are pushing all their chips in this season. He could also create some angst in the front office by being a distraction and affecting the locker room.

“It’s up to the front office to respond to that or to not respond to it,” Brandt said.

Or maybe negotiations go much smoother than anticipated.

“The one thing about Drew is that he’s a deal maker,” Brandt said. “Sometimes teams get frustrated with agents because they don’t pull the trigger. Drew will pull the trigger. I think if the Eagles want to get this done sooner rather than later it could go quickly.”
How Does DeSean Compare?

If you include DeSean Jackson among the top wide receivers in the game and compare how much they earn, he is grossly underpaid. There are valid reasons for this. Jackson did not score a big rookie contract because he was selected in the second round of the 2008 draft. Some of the top receivers to whom he is compared are already onto their second contracts.

The question with Jackson – especially considering the negotiations that are about to take place about an extension – is this: Is he is one of the NFL’s top receivers? Arguments can be made either way, and they will be by twisting numbers. But considering run-of-the-mill statistics, through his first three seasons, Jackson at least belongs in the discussion.

Here’s how Jackson compares statistically to five other receivers who recently scored big paydays. Players are listed based on average salary per year, and statistics are for the three seasons before their new contract.

Player, team Years Games Rec. Yards Avg. TD Yds/Gm Contract*

BRANDON MARSHALL, Dolphins 2007-09 46 307 3,710 12.1 23 80.7 4 yrs/$47.5, $24 guaranteed

LARRY FITZGERALD, Cardinals 2005-07 44 272 3,764 13.8 26 85.5 4 yrs/$40, $30 guaranteed

GREG JENNINGS, Packers 2006-08 43 178 2,844 16.0 24 66.1 4 yrs/$37, $16 guaranteed

SANTONIO HOLMES, N.Y. Jets 2008-10 43 186 2,815 15.1 16 65.5 4 yrs/$50, $24 guaranteed

MILES AUSTIN, Cowboys 2007-09 44 99 1,674 16.9 14 38.0 7 yrs/$57, $18 guaranteed

DeSEAN JACKSON, Eagles 2008-10 45 171 3,124 18.3 17 69.4 ????

paulman
paulman
August 14, 2011 2:26 pm

Good stuff Dag..thnx for sharing

Butch007
Butch007
August 14, 2011 3:22 pm

If Ingram makes it through training camp without being injured I suspect the Eagles are going to keep him…you guys do realize Victor Abiamiri is still officially an Eagle right? With the lack of talent behind the starting WRs and potential injury issues it makes sense for the Eagles to keep the fastest receiving TEs should they need them to play out wide at some point during the season. Reid has also mildly complained about Celek’s lack of speed on more than one occasion publicly, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he took a gamble on Ingram over Harbor. (split the difference between size and speed)

Butch007
Butch007
August 14, 2011 3:27 pm

Jackson should get a 4 yr/$50M deal, but how much guaranteed is probably the issue. My guess is that it should be in the area of $15M-$20M.

daggolden
daggolden
August 14, 2011 3:47 pm

One bad contract. This FO is masterful at maintaining the cap and structuring contracts with high reward low risk deals. This is the exception. The Eagles can absorb 1 potentially bad deal in this one case. I refuse to believe we couldnt withstand a bad deal and still function at a high level. Teams are littered with potentially bad contracts. DJax is 24 years old and a superstar. (He is Iverson like on the football field). Yes theres a risk and I would understand if in 3 years he was done. I am willing to take that risk So should the Eagles, just once.

paulman
paulman
August 14, 2011 3:48 pm

I would think the Eagles would offer a 3 Year $35 Million to limit their risk..
Offer him a $15 Million Roster Bonus (spread out over the 3 Years) and then a base salary of $5.5 for 2011, $6.5 in 2012 and $8 in 2013

paulman
paulman
August 14, 2011 3:53 pm

V Abiamri was hurt while practicing and a player cannot be released while injured until he is medically cleaed.. He was placed on IR and whenever he get medically cleared and passes a Physical, they will activate him and then release him, but that won’t happen after after this season most likely..
TO Butch, I do agree that potentially a 4th TE could make opening day roster until a Steve SMith/MAclin are ready and like you said, have a HArbor/INgram kind of play that 5th WR in spread out formations.. I think they are planning to do with Harbor a little bit anyways to utilize matchups that favor Eagles/Harbor over a LB out in space..

Jon Hart
Jon Hart
August 14, 2011 4:08 pm

Cut ingram, webb and trade Celek, Then keep harbor and lee then bring back Chad Lewis..

nev856
nev856
August 14, 2011 4:21 pm

i really would love to see what ingram could do if he could stay healthy and that is a big if!
my fear is he is on the same course as abiamiri, marlin jackson , and mcdougle, as far as having bad luck / injury prone !

PhillySupremacy
PhillySupremacy
August 14, 2011 4:25 pm

I want to see an article about how jerry jones said that asomugha’s heart is in dallas… haha hows pathetic

paulman
paulman
August 14, 2011 10:03 pm

I think Webb lasts longer in camp than Ingram..but in the end it will be 3 TE’s making teh final roster Celek,Lee and Harbor (barring any injuries)

Iggles
Iggles
August 15, 2011 10:41 am

Neither Ingram or Webb will make this team over Harbor. It took a while for Harbor to learn the complicated offense, but by end of last season he had begun making some really nice plays and became more reliable. He has a lot of speed and strength for TE’s. Agree that Celek, Harbor, Lee are the ones to make squad. Really like Ingram and surely hope he can stay healthy and make our practice squad.