Outside of quarterback, you can make the argument that no one offensive position is drastically more important than the other.
The offensive linemen need to have success blocking so that the quarterback can throw, and so that the running back can find space. The running back needs to be able to make plays out of the backfield in different ways, to take pressure off the quarterback, and the receivers need to be able to bail out their signal caller, and complete the two-player transaction known as the pass. If they can do something after the catch, even better.
Yes, even the tight ends have a crucial purpose for the Washington Redskins. On one hand, it’s the dreaded position which fans scoff at when teams pick from it in Round 1. But on the other hand, tight ends are offensive weapons all the same, and a good enough tight end can transcend a unit, with both the ability to make an impact catching downfield and block inline with the offensive linemen.
Tight ends don’t always get the most respect, but a good, well-rounded tight end can help an offense take the next step. And while the Redskins don’t have that do-it-all tight end, they have some intriguing options in their own right. Let’s break down their tight end depth chart for 2019.
Redskins Starters: TEs Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis
In these two players alone, the Redskins have approximately $16 million tied up in cap space. They have three Pro Bowl berths between the two of them, but Vernon Davis‘ last appearance was in 2013, and Jordan Reed hasn’t made it back since 2016.
For Reed, injuries have been a massive detriment. The Miami product looked like he was on his way to becoming one of the Redskins most explosive and reliable offensive weapons after 2015 and 2016. His ability to shimmy and gain space quickly up the middle of the field was matched by few with his size, and he was very solid after the catch as well.
Reed has always had the talent, and when he could stay on the field, his dynamic receiving ability, in a sense, cancelled out his inconsistent blocking. But he hasn’t once played a full sixteen game season, and over the course of the past three seasons, he’s missed 17 total games. There’s no one problem area for Reed; it’s all a problem. Concussions, hamstring, shoulder, et cetera.
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But it’s too late to cut anyone now. The Redskins are stuck with Reed’s cap figure, and if they released him now, they’d have nothing to gain. The best thing to do is to at least give themselves the chance for a healthy Reed. It’s a lot to ask for, but Reed has another offseason to prepare his body. Will it amount to anything, from a health standpoint? It hasn’t yet. But if it does, Reed still has some talent left in the tank.
Surprisingly, at 35 years old, Vernon Davis also has talent left in the tank. The former first-round pick has always been known for his athleticism, and while some parts of his game have deteriorated, that part has not. Davis, at his ripe old age, is still a potential big play threat for the Redskins. He’s not anywhere near the blocker he used to be, and he’s grown inconsistent. But the man can still run near his timed 4.38 speed, and he still has the burst to find space against linebackers. But all players have that ability sapped by time eventually. The question is, when will it happen for Davis?
For now, the Redskins have a pair of uncertain assets up top at tight end. They have two players who both have playmaking ability, but struggle with consistency, as well as providing utility value in the blocking department. With any luck, the next name down can help with the latter issue.
Redskins Top Backup – TE Jeremy Sprinkle
Since 2017, the Redskins have been waiting for development from Arkansas product Jeremy Sprinkle. In 2018, there was modest growth. He more than doubled his catch total… from two to five. He did play all sixteen games of the season, something the Redskins’ top tight ends can’t boast.
But while Sprinkle’s availability has rarely fallen under question, his problem is the inverse of his predecessors. Sprinkle, a former fifth-round pick, was expected to undergo some development, but with his size, and his decent athleticism, he was, at some point, expected to help relieve the Redskins of their cumbersome tight end situation. He hasn’t done that yet.
In his two years with the Redskins, Sprinkle has been decent at best, but nothing more. He has two red zone touchdowns on seven catches, an impressive ratio, but one that ultimately needs an inflated sample size to hold more weight. At his best, he is a very effective blocker, and there were times in 2017 and 2018 where Sprinkle’s blocking helped set up a big play. But he also disappeared on occasion. Consistency has been a concern for all the Redskins tight ends, and Sprinkle is not immune.
Can Sprinkle take a leap in Year 3? I’d lead on the skeptical side of that fence. Sprinkle doesn’t have elite athleticism, and he’ll need injuries above him to see the field consistently. For now, Sprinkle is decent depth, with decent blocking and receiving ability. But the former fifth-round pick still has a lot to prove.
Redskins Reserves – TEs Matt Flanagan, J.P. Holtz, and Manasseh Garner
Did you know all three of these guys went to college at Pittsburgh? I have absolutely no idea what to do with this information, but I do know what to expect from the Pittsburgh products in 2018.
The short version of the explanation? Not much. The long version? There’s a chance one or more of these players could produce. Matt Flanagan has the size to be effective at 6-foot-6, 260, and former Redskins tight end Chris Cooley was hyping Flanagan up early in the offseason. J.P. Holtz was a preseason darling last offseason, and his versatility as a tight end who can line up in the backfield could be valuable. The same goes for Manasseh Garner, although his best chance might be special teams.
In the recent past, the Redskins have favored keeping only three tight ends on the active roster, so in the early goings, the chances of these reserves aren’t looking great. Flanagan figures to have the best chance, but he’ll need to convince the Redskins he’s worth keeping on the active roster. As uncertain as Jeremy Sprinkle is, he’s at least established himself as a young player to give more time. Sprinkle, barring a disastrous offseason, isn’t going anywhere, so these tight ends need to make room for themselves.
Holtz and Garner could give themselves more favor by filling in as part-time full backs, but while spectators have long hyped up the position in the offseason, the Redskins themselves haven’t placed much value into it. Last season, when they needed a full back, they threw Ryan Anderson in there, and he actually cleared some space on the goal line. As of now, it doesn’t appear to be a priority, personnel-wise, for the Redskins. And thus, these three players are on the outside looking in.