Philadelphia Eagles: Who Starts at Tight End?

Tight end will be critical to the Philadelphia Eagles’ revamped offense. But who gets the start and the majority of targets in the passing game? Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Check out more of the brothers in Seesaw Sports Debate on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.

TODD:

The Philadelphia Eagles have a number of changes and decisions they are dealing with this preseason. However, one of the more intriguing position battles for this club deals with two players who have both been with the club previously.

It’s about who should be the team’s starting tight end, the veteran Brent Celek or up-and-comer Zach Ertz.

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First of all, Ertz is the boyfriend of USA Women’s World Cup Champion Julie Johnston, so that has to count for something! But besides that, this debate has raged ever since the Eagles selected Ertz in the second round of the 2013 draft.

Celek has been with the club his entire career, 2015 being his ninth season. He isn’t one of the elite pass-catching tight ends in the NFL, but he has been an effective and established player for roughly five of the eight years he’s played. Even though he saw action in all 16 games last season, starting 15 of them, it was the first time since his early years that he failed to be much of a factor in the box score.

And that’s where Ertz comes in. Ertz seems to be the bigger threat, the weapon opposing defenses have to watch out for. Yet he’s never started more than a couple of games in a season. Celek has the system down pat, including blocking assignments, routes, etc.

Philadelphia obviously uses two-tight-end sets as does every club, but this position-battle distinction is more about who will become the guy at the position. Most signs point towards Ertz finally taking over that spot, especially with the departure of some of the team’s other outside weapons. How much weight should a team put on consistency and reliability over giving snaps to the guy with the faster 40-time? And is it too ironic for a team like Philly to even think about making a move for the sake of consistency and reliability after the offseason it has had?

I’ve always liked Celek a bit, but I feel like his time may be up. Since Ertz has been in the league, each guy has scored seven touchdowns and been targeted more than 100 times. Both of those figures are trending heavily towards the young buck though.

May 28, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz (86) during OTA

DAN:

For a team like the Eagles with such a dynamic offense, and a shiny new running back to show off, it’s not obvious why tight end would be so critical. Yet it is critical, and all one has to do is look towards their quarterbacks to realize why. Sam Bradford and backup Mark Sanchez come with serious questions, and a shaky quarterback’s best friend is his tight end. A running back can fill this safety net in the passing game, but usually the best nets are tight ends. They are big targets that often block first, then release into the flats. When a quarterback checks down, he finds the biggest man in the open field, his tight end.

A solid blocking tight end is a great commodity, but that won’t be enough for Brent Celek to keep his starting job. As you noted, the Eagles love to go double tight, putting two tight ends on the field. But I fully expect Zach Ertz to ultimately win starting duties and continue to receive the majority of targets in the Eagles’ passing game.

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Celek has only been targeted over 100 times once in his career, back in 2009, and received only half those targets in each of the last two seasons. His yards dropped of sharply last season as well. Now that the Eagles are in need of a new passing threat, enter Ertz. Zach Ertz has seen both his targets and yards go up significantly from his rookie year to last season. In year three Eagles’ fans can expect more of the same in a very good way. Averaging 12.5 yards per catch, Ertz should excel in an ever-growing role within Philadelphia’s offense.

Even if Ertz is unable to assert himself into Philadelphia’s passing attack, the Eagles’ three running backs are more than capable of shouldering a passing load. This would hinder the versatility of the offense, however, and we all know that Chip Kelly loves versatility. Ertz must step up and into a larger role. Brent Celek is not going to be the receiving threat that Philadelphia is looking for.

Dan Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Vlogger at BuzzChomp, and a New York Jets Analyst for Pro Football Spot. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also a Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp, a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, and an Analyst for Tipster Labs, among others. Follow him on Twitter.

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