2012 Free Agency Preview - Tight Ends

by IanHenson on Jan 25, 2012 3:00 PM MST in 2012 Denver Broncos Offseason

To the astute Denver Broncos fan it came as little surprise that Denver hardly used a tight end to catch a pass in 2011. John Fox's offenses have barely ever featured a tight end who caught more than just a handful of passes each season.

What the Broncos went for were tight ends who could block--gone were the days of Shannon Sharpe, here were the days of Daniel Fells a 6'4" end who at times has neared 300 lbs. Denver ran so much that they often had a sixth offensive lineman playing on the line.

Two draft picks were used to take Denver in the Fox's direction one on Julius Thomas and another on Virgil Green. They then picked up Fells and former Carolina Panther Dante Rosario. Thomas showed much promise in preseason, but never saw much regular playing time after suffering an injury and being demoted to fourth string.

Fells and Rosario accounted for several key plays in Tim Tebow comebacks. Rosario saw the most time as a receiving tight end of the group. Amongst the four Fells is the only unrestricted free agent this offseason.

This 2012 free agency class could go down as the year of the second-string, lots of names who have tons of talent, but have been playing in the shadows of a much more well known tight end their entire career.

Let us start with the rainmaker Jermichael Finley from the Green Bay Packers, arguably the best tight end in the NFL will be back in Green Bay next season. Scott Chandler is another player who is probably too valuable to his team, the Buffalo Bills should not let him test the market. Weirder things have happened though and Chandler's decent season could have made him too expensive for Buffalo's billfold.

Here are two immediate impact tight ends who will be day one starters and continue the evolution of Tim Tebow. The first is Joel Dreessen, the man has played second fiddle to Owen Daniels, which is difficult enough, but here is what really impresses me. He has averaged more than 12-yards per catch since 2008.

Dreessen should be one of the major players amongst tight ends in free agency, so I'd nominate my next favorite as Jacob Tamme from the Indianapolis Colts. He has sat quietly as Dallas Clark has pounded the NFL into the ground, Tamme's 2011 effort doesn't appear to be much, but who on the Colts had a good season in 2011? I'd offer either Tamme or Dreessen whatever they wanted to play here.

Missed something? Here are my other free agency previews: quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers.

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Here's hoping to Jay Jay Thomas!

hcamhfcolanholanwsanvlaplayoffsljahnanlanvamwehpncwnwlnsuperbowlljcanlncnfjlhwvjdlvknhsglsjvscandiceswanepoelolkjmvpjaofchajhvajchajhflawhgak

Can you find the 'W' in this mess? Tebow can.

by Zac Man on Jan 25, 2012 3:10 PM MST reply actions

Marcedes Lewis AND Jack Del Rio

that would be a good haul, who says the Jags are worthless?

Brad James

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With Coach Zorro on our side, we will slice opponents to ribbons. Tim Tebow gives me hope and I already have faith and charity in my heart! I see a propitious future rife with Lombardis for our Broncos!

by the new Bradfather on Jan 25, 2012 3:19 PM MST reply actions

Only 1 of them is available.

Lewis signed a five-year, $35 million contract. The deal contains $17 million guaranteed. 8/5/2011
Rotoworld

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.
John Wooden

Believe you can and you're halfway there.
Theodore Roosevelt

by Digger24 on Jan 25, 2012 4:27 PM MST up reply actions

oh crap

Brad James

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by the new Bradfather on Jan 25, 2012 4:59 PM MST up reply actions

Don't feel bad, he's only had one good year

and that was two years ago. He stunk it up after he got paid.

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My ship finally came in, but it was the Kobayashi Maru.
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by KaptainKirk on Jan 25, 2012 5:06 PM MST up reply actions

Absolutely True

It was like Lewis’s hands turned to concrete. He did get better as the season progressed but he dropped a lot of “catchable” passes. Hopefully he goes back to being a weapon because Gabbert really needs him. Not sure he is much of an upgrade on the TEs the Bronco currently have.

by cyngato on Jan 25, 2012 8:50 PM MST up reply actions

My feeling is we stand pat at TE and watch the development of our two youngsters, Thomas and Green.

Plus second year talent Cornelius Ingram on the PS…Age isn’t a factor with this group, but continuity and familiarity is..Let them grow…

Win, lose or draw, we are the Denver Broncos! 13-3 Baby!!! Until we ain't!

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by bfree2bronc on Jan 25, 2012 3:44 PM MST reply actions

If Ingram is healthy he could be great.

Until he got injured in 2007, Ingram caught 7 of Tebow’s 33 TD. He was the guy before Hernandez.

by cyngato on Jan 25, 2012 8:51 PM MST up reply actions

There’s no point in spending a draft pick or money in free agency on a TE. Fox’s offenses never utilize their TEs. I really wish they’d open up the offense next season, but Fox has never been known to do that. Hopefully they pass more. I’d like to see another season or two of what a healthy Julius Thomas can do.

by jbbroncosfan27 on Jan 25, 2012 3:55 PM MST via mobile reply actions

he was hurt all year.

Virgil Green wasn’t/isn’t going to be what Thomas will be.

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.
John Wooden

Believe you can and you're halfway there.
Theodore Roosevelt

by Digger24 on Jan 25, 2012 4:28 PM MST up reply actions

NEVER!

NEVER SAY NEVER!

by Nelliott34 on Jan 25, 2012 4:33 PM MST up reply actions

You're right.

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.
John Wooden

Believe you can and you're halfway there.
Theodore Roosevelt

by Digger24 on Jan 25, 2012 4:44 PM MST up reply actions

Yeah, that’s my thinking too. Green is a good blocking TE, but Thomas will hopefully be the pass-catching TE we need. It sucked seeing him get hurt so soon this season.

by jbbroncosfan27 on Jan 25, 2012 4:53 PM MST via mobile up reply actions

How do you figure? Thomas impressed in camp. How many players have we seen impress in camp only to do nothing in the regular season..

I’m not saying Julius will fall of the radar but I don’t see how you can say that Julius will be a better prospect than Green. Green is more athletic, a better blocker and had great production in college as a pass catcher. If anything IMO Green will end up being the better TE than Julius but I’d love it if they both became great options for us.

I just think Julius isn’t nearly as athletic as Green. I think Green has the potential to be similar to Vernon Davis and Shannon sharpe because physically he is way ahead of Julius.

Tim Tebow wears 3WM and drinks Tuscan whole milk.

by BroncoMath101 on Jan 25, 2012 6:52 PM MST up reply actions

I don't mind putting an extra OL in to block.

Everyone knows we run on 1st down anyway.

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.
John Wooden

Believe you can and you're halfway there.
Theodore Roosevelt

by Digger24 on Jan 25, 2012 4:32 PM MST reply actions

IMO TE is OK moving forward.

Kreese and Lawrence will decide if Tim Tebow can develop into our future.
Bronco fan since 1966. Current biggest Bronco fan in Vegas, living the good life.

by DLMyers on Jan 25, 2012 4:45 PM MST reply actions

Oops, senior shake.

J. Thomas will get healthy and V. Green is on track. D. Fells is quite serviceable with a passing QB. And I love C. Ingram.
NAH use FA and draft in other need areas.

Kreese and Lawrence will decide if Tim Tebow can develop into our future.
Bronco fan since 1966. Current biggest Bronco fan in Vegas, living the good life.

by DLMyers on Jan 25, 2012 4:48 PM MST up reply actions

Hey

anybody know where Richard Quinn ended up?

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.
John Wooden

Believe you can and you're halfway there.
Theodore Roosevelt

by Digger24 on Jan 25, 2012 5:18 PM MST reply actions

He was in Shanny town....

NFL.com shows that he played a game for the Redskins.

by Puckhead1 on Jan 25, 2012 5:28 PM MST up reply actions

I actually really like Fells and feel he was under utilitzed like the rest of our TEs. I don't think bringing in a FA TE will change how the coaching staff uses the position all of a sudden.

Stand pat and give Green more in the route tree and see if Julius can make progress as well.

Tim Tebow wears 3WM and drinks Tuscan whole milk.

by BroncoMath101 on Jan 25, 2012 5:25 PM MST reply actions

Wasn't he Bradford's top target in 2010?

I thought he had potential, too. Maybe he just needs more chemistry with Tebow.

by Orange Rush on Jan 26, 2012 9:58 AM MST up reply actions

I think it's worth the wait on Julius Thomas. There is too much potential there.

The reward of waiting/giving him an offseason would be the potential of a Jimmy Graham type TE Tebow can throw to.

by tiderfootball09 on Jan 25, 2012 9:32 PM MST reply actions

We're set at TE....

The offense we run requires the TEs to block most of the time or run medium range routes to catch the defense off guard. So from a statistical stand point we won’t be seeing any 70 catch seasons from anybody. Any 1 TE shouldn’t even get 70 targets let alone 70 catches.

Word is… Fells and Green were good enough in the blocking department by season’s end… so no sense trying to fix something that isn’t broken.

by Triz06 on Jan 26, 2012 5:16 AM MST reply actions