How does the Washington Commanders' offense fare against the rest of the NFC East?
By Hunter Noll
NFC East Tight Ends
The Washington Commanders have been in a weird spot for tight ends since Chris Cooley left.
Logan Paulsen was a great blocker but not a receiving threat. Fred Davis had good moments on the field, but inconsistency and off-field issues were his downfall. Jordan Reed was a star if it wasn't for injuries. Vernon Davis was great, but it was the end of his career. Then Logan Thomas came in and had a breakout year. Injuries slowed him down, and he wasn't productive enough to justify the risk.
That brings us to now. Washington made two big moves at the position this offseason. First, they signed veteran Zach Ertz. Ertz has only appeared in 17 games over the last two years combined. So, while he has a great track record, this seemed more like a depth signing.
It was proven to be just that when the Commanders used a second-round pick on tight end Ben Sinnott. Sinnott's a versatile weapon who will make an immediate impact. A lot of people saw him as the second-best tight end in the draft (behind Brock Bowers, who went in the first).
The Philadelphia Eagles have Dallas Goedert as a legitimate number one. He has a lot of tough competition in a division loaded with talented tight ends, though. Meanwhile, C.J. Uzomah is a great blocking veteran.
The Dallas Cowboys have the best tight end in the division with Jake Ferguson. However, they have nothing going on behind him. A team doesn't need two tight ends. Most only use one. But not having a contingency plan could hurt their ranking in this category (it won't).
The New York Giants are hard to rate at the position. When healthy, Darren Waller could compete for the best tight end in the division. He hasn't been able to stay healthy, though. Daniel Bellinger is a phenomenal number two (the best in the division, and this one actually does help their ranking).
The Washington Commanders could have a great duo at tight end, and Cole Turner is an intriguing depth piece with great athleticism. Ben Sinnott will be great. However, an unproven rookie and an oft-injured aging veteran don't compare to the rest of the division yet.
NFC East TE rankings:
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders