Washington Football Team could have historically athletic TE duo

Athleticism isn’t everything. But at tight end, it’s an especially important thing. And now, the Washington Football Team might have a historically athletic tight end duo.

Yes, athleticism isn’t everything. But it’s a very important piece to the puzzle at every position, and in general, dating back to when athletic testing first took place, there is a positive correlation between athleticism and success in the NFL. The premise is simple: Get players who can do more. But for teams like the Washington Football Team, analyzing and employing that philosophy is more complicated.

Nevertheless, the Washington Football Team has succeeded in adding supremely athletic players in recent years, and particularly in Ron Rivera’s first year, they succeeded in quickly developing athletic talents. Players like Chase Young and Kamren Curl stand out as examples, but one of the most notable ones is not a young player, but instead veteran tight end Logan Thomas.

Thomas, who turns 30 years old in July, was drafted as a quarterback back in 2014. He kept that positional designation until 2016, when the Lions signed him to their practice squad and switched him to tight end.

Quarterback-to-tight end switches aren’t particularly common, but in Thomas’ case, it was easy to see why it happened. Thomas tested as an elite athlete for his size, logging a 4.61 40-yard dash, a 35.5-inch vertical, and a 118-inch broad jump at 6-foot-6, 248 pounds. Thomas earned a Relative Athletic Score of 9.65 at the tight end position — more athletic than 96.5% of tight ends ever to test.

Washington Football Team fans know the rest of the story. Thomas was a rotational tight end for a few years, before being signed by Washington as a high-upside value bargain in the 2020 offseason. Thomas proceeded to have a breakout campaign, amassing 72 catches, 670 yards, and six touchdowns, while catching passes from Dwayne Haskins, Alex Smith, Kyle Allen, and Taylor Heinicke.

Now, with less tread on his tires than the usual 30-year old, Thomas is expected to maintain his heavy role in 2021. And Washington might have a running mate for him in new signee Sammis Reyes.

With Reyes, the Washington Football Team is following the same blueprint it followed with Logan Thomas: Athleticism above all else. And Reyes, athletically, might be one of the most athletic tight ends ever. At a pro day, Reyes earned a 4.65 40-yard dash, a 40-inch vertical, a 125-inch broad jump, and 31 bench reps at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds. The former basketball player has an unofficial Relative Athletic Score of exactly 10. I think you know what that means.

There is a degree of uncertainty with Reyes. He’ll certainly have a large transition ahead of him, and he may not hit the ground running due to his lack of football experience. Thomas broke out in 2020, but Thomas had the luxury of learning the tight end position over the previous four seasons.  Reyes is coming into this one cold, so he may need extra time to acclimate to his new role.

Nevertheless, Reyes — who turns 26 years old in October — has the dominant athletic traits to translate well to a tight end role that emphasizes vertical ability and explosiveness, and he won’t be pressured to take on the workload of a No. 1 tight end right away. Additionally, Logan Thomas has undergone a similar transition before, and his mentor-like presence might help quicken the process for Reyes.

Reyes said in a recent press conference that he has been training for months in preparation for his opportunity on the NFL stage. He has the physical traits, and he appears to have the work ethic. Now it’s just a matter of converting those traits into production on the field. At the very least, the Washington Football Team is swinging for the fences athletically, and it’s good to see.