Atlanta Falcons: Jacob Tamme, Rob Housler, or both?

The Atlanta Falcons biggest issues are obviously still on the defensive side of the ball, as adding the likes of Adrian Clayborn, Brooks Reed, and Justin Durant to a unit that allowed a bottom-five 26.1 points per game with a league-worst 7.6 net yards per attempt per contest isn’t nearly enough. That said, the Falcons also need to make a big upgrade at the tight end position, and I was surprised they didn’t go after Jordan Cameron, though it is possible that he didn’t get along well with new Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan when both of them were together on the Cleveland Browns last season.

Levine Toilolo is still penciled in as the Falcons starting tight end, and it’s obvious that Matt Ryan needs a better player at the position. Not only is Toilolo is a horrendous pass-catcher who, per Advanced Football Analytics, managed to average just 4.5 yards per target, but he also fails to make up for his lack of pass-catching ability due to subpar run blocking.

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Cameron would have been a key, high-upside signing for the Falcons at the position, but they’re now left with a bunch of middling options on the free agent market. Many of these players would still be clear upgrades over Toilolo, but the market is barren. If the Falcons want to add a top tight end, then it would have to be through the draft, though they also have plenty of needs on defense to take care of, too.

The Falcons have zeroed in on a pair of tight end targets in former Arizona Cardinal Rob Housler, who left a visit with the team without a contract, and Denver Broncos free agent Jacob Tamme. According to the Denver Post’s Mike Klis, Tamme recently visited the Falcons and was immediately offered a contract by the Broncos, so Peyton Manning‘s pal could end up sticking around in Denver with Virgil Green and newcomer Owen Daniels as the No. 3 TE.

Of course, Tamme would be the Falcons No. 2 tight end in the worst-case scenario, since it’s clear that he’s much better player than Toilolo, who can’t catch, run routes, or even block effectively. Maybe he’s due for an improvement, but the Falcons need to do much better for themselves than to rely on someone who looks like a TE3. If Tamme signs with the Falcons and isn’t their starter, then that would be because they paired him up with someone else in free agency or in the draft.

While the Falcons need to prioritize the offense over the defense, tight end is actually their weakest position. At least on defense, they have useful players at each level in William Moore, Desmond Trufant, Paul Worrilow, and Paul Soliai. On offense, they have nobody at tight end, and that’s not nearly enough to make up for a declining Roddy White and a departed Harry Douglas, who is now a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Ryan is a star quarterback who deserves to have a full arsenal of weapons, and Julio Jones would also benefit from a pass-catching tight end who can scare defenses and move the chains a la the versatile Tony Gonzalez. They obviously don’t need to draft or sign the next Gonzalez, and they wouldn’t be able to find someone close to that level anyway. But it’s clear that they need to find an upgrade, and even though the free agent and draft markets aren’t particularly attractive, the likes of Housler and Tamme would be upgrades.

Attempting to delve into the draft prospects wouldn’t do justice to the complexity of evaluating TEs, so let’s just focus on the merits of the two free agent tight ends the Falcons have targeted. Perhaps Jermaine Gresham could join the mix, but he’s still recovering from an injury and hasn’t been formally linked to the Falcons- on the other hand, Housler and Tamme have.

Housler was once a darling child breakout tight end like Cameron, but he never really broke out as a member of the Arizona Cardinals despite Ken Whisenhunt‘s supposed desire to get him involved. Young enough at 27, Housler’s skill-set (he’s 6’5″, 250 pounds and ran a 4.46 forty as a prospect), potential versatility as a pass-catcher, and lack of snaps still makes him a high-upside candidate on a one-year deal.

It’s more likely Housler would do a whole lot of nothing for the Atlanta Falcons, but given his likely price tag, it’s worth the flier, especially in an offense that could maximize his size/speed combo, assuming he is as fast as we think.

That said, Housler has just one career receiving touchdown in four seasons and has never hauled in 500 passing yards, so the Falcons couldn’t sign him and legitimately say, “We’ve solved the problem.” If Housler does finally break out as a new member of the Falcons offense, then they would seemingly be vindicated. However, it’s just too risky, because, again, Housler hasn’t actually done anything of note to this point in his career.

Additionally, he’s a significant liability as a run blocker, so the Falcons would be better off coupling him with a more in-line rookie or free agent signing. If they choose to go the veteran route, then Tamme could fit in.

Unlike Housler, Tamme isn’t very athletic and has just about no upside as a 30-year-old in-line TE. He’s a No. 2 tight end at best, and that’s realistically what Housler will amount to be, barring a sudden outburst following a change of scenery. However, Tamme is a safe bet to produce as a blocker and pass-catcher, though he has undeniably benefited greatly from Manning’s ability to find open guys, especially at TE.

Nov 24, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Rob Housler (84) against the Indianapolis Colts at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Tamme caught 52 passes in 2012 before becoming a clear afterthought in the Broncos offense after Julius Thomas exploded as a true star at the position, but he still has something in the tank and can prove to be serviceable. However, the Falcons cannot expect to use him as a starter, and that’s almost certainly not the plan; everyone knows he is a clear backup TE.

Look, it’s no secrete that the tight end position is a must-upgrade area for the Falcons, and I would strongly recommend a mid-round pick and a veteran as the solution. They need to add two players to the position and forget about Toilolo as a top-two option, because that would be a risky move without enough upshot to make up for it.

I’m fine with either Housler or Tamme as an option, but if the Falcons are indeed interested in drafting a TE (that would be the wise scenario), then they have to pair him up with a veteran. They can’t expect to hit on every mid-round rookie at a difficult-to-evaluate position, especially since they need a significant upgrade now.

Housler has the more intriguing skill-set in a pass-catching offense, but Tamme is the more proven option who would counter the inexperience and boom-or-bust nature of a rookie at the position. Adding both Housler and Tamme makes sense if the Falcons don’t want to draft a TE, but it’s more likely that they will choose a veteran and add a rookie.

Next: Reed and Durant the solution??

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