Philadelphia Eagles: Tight Ends Could Highlight Offense
By Leo Kennedy
The Philadelphia Eagles have some deficiencies on offense with an  unproven wide receiver corps and a rush game led by an aging Darren Sproles. One area which has been strong lately and will likely shine in 2016 is the tight ends.
Coach Doug Pederson has said that he plans to have four tight ends on the 53 man roster this coming season and his training camp has shown us that they will play important and varying roles in the upcoming season.
Entering his 10th season in the NFL, all with Philadelphia, tight end Brent Celek has become an Eagles mainstay in recent years. Having missed only one game in his entire NFL career, Celek has been, for the most part, the model of consistency.
Both he and Zach Ertz have shown field awareness and solid strength when they are charged with blocking defenders. Their blocking ability will be especially important this season with a shaky Offensive Line, not helped by the recent PED allegations against Lane Johnson. Celek also had his shining moments in producing offense for the team.
Although he wasn’t targeted at the same level as his teammate Ertz, he caught a respectable 27 of 35 passes, netting almost 400 yards and 3 touchdowns. In the transition to Doug Pederson’s slower, more traditional pro-style offense, expect to see Celek frequently in the mix, being targeted more often.
Much like Celek, Zach Ertz has been great at taking care of his body and staying healthy. In his 3 seasons since being drafted by the Eagles in 2013 he has missed only 1 full game and a large part  of another, this hiatus occurring last season. Despite the short setback, Ertz posted career numbers in 2015, catching 75 passes for an impressive 853 yards. Ertz feels he still has a lot more to contribute to the Eagles offense in 2016, citing hope that the Pederson’s newly implemented offesne will boost his scoring production.
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When asked about his ability to convert in key situations, Ertz said “I think the scheme change this year will help me…I think I’m going to have my opportunities this year and I’ve just got to go out there and make the most of them.” Coming fresh off a five year contract extension, Ertz knows that he has a lot to prove. If he can duplicate or exceed his production from last season, he will solidify his status as an important element of the Eagles offense and increase his value considerably.
In addition to Celek and Ertz, 24 year old Trey Burton has likely earned himself a roster spot due to his impressive performance in camp and his display of versatility. Pederson’s offense has a large chunk of plays that require a full back, and with the Eagles lacking a true full back like the majority of NFL teams, the team has had to get creative. Burton has caught the eye of the coaching staff by
jumping in to the full back position at camp and performing quite well. Burton also excelled at special teams last season, having the Philadelphia Eagles highest number of tackles on special teams, and has continued to take reps with STs at camp. Pederson’s offense with the Kansas City Chiefs last season often lined up 3 tight ends with a lot of success. If this carries over into his Philadelphia Eagles offense, which it almost certainly will, Burton will be seeing a lot of field time at his true position. Burton has done well to secure his spot as a versatile role player on the Philadelphia Eagles roster and will get a fair amount of playing time this coming season.
The last TE that is looking likely to have be suiting up for the Philadelphia Eagles next year is former Jets Undrafted Free Agent Chris Pantale. An area native, he played high school football in New Jersey, Pantale was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad part way through last season. Much like Burton, Pantale has been taking snaps at full back and has been excelling in his role in the special teams. Although he won’t get nearly as much time on offense as the fourth TE on the depth chart, he has probably gotten himself regular playing time in 2016.
Next: Philadelphia Eagles: The Running Back Committee
With an offense that will regularly line up three talented tight ends and holes in the rest of the Philadelphia Eagles offense, 2016 could be the year of the tight end.