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Our Philadelphia Eagles roster outlook series following the 2022 season continues by examining the tight end position. PREVIOUSLY: Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver.
THE PLAYERS
DALLAS GOEDERT
REGULAR SEASON STATS: 735 snaps, 69 targets, 55 receptions, 702 yards, 12.8 yards per reception, 3 touchdowns, 1 drop, 1 fumble (that was caused by a blatant facemask penalty that was inexplicably missed)
PLAYOFF STATS: 203 snaps, 18 targets, 16 receptions, 141 yards, 8.8 yards per reception, 1 touchdown, 0 drops, 0 fumbles
REVIEW: This was the first year Goedert entered a season as the Eagles’ undisputed top tight end. No more sharing snaps with Zach Ertz. There was every reason to believe Goedert could thrive in a bigger role ... but it was important to see it happen. And it did! Goedert was an incredibly efficient target. Eagles quarterbacks had a 123.7 passer rating when throwing his way. Goedert also ranked fifth in his position when it came to yards per route run and yards after the catch per reception. He really should’ve made the Pro Bowl and he probably would’ve if the NFL didn’t have a dumb system where he was ineligible to receive votes while he was on injured reserve. And he was only hurt because a Washington Commanders player blatantly face masked him ... and somehow didn’t get called for it. Goedert’s great catches in the Super Bowl will be overshadowed by the unfortunate outcome of the game.
OUTLOOK: Goedert is signed through 2025, his age 30 season. He’s an elite-level player in his prime. They can rely on him to be a big part of the offense for years to come.
MY TAKE: Stay.
Poll
Dallas Goedert: Stay or go?
JACK STOLL
REGULAR SEASON STATS: 574 snaps, 14 targets, 11 receptions, 123 yards, 11.2 yards per reception, 0 touchdowns, 0 drops, 0 fumbles
PLAYOFF STATS: 84 snaps, 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 drops, 0 fumbles
REVIEW: Stoll mostly did the dirty work; he was often utilized as a blocker. On the rare occasions that the ball came his way, he was not a liability as a pass-catcher.
OUTLOOK: The Eagles could certainly do better at TE2. But they could also do worse. Stoll is at least cromulent. And he’s very cheap as he plays on the final year of his undrafted rookie free agent deal.
MY TAKE: Stay.
Poll
Jack Stoll: Stay or go?
GRANT CALCATERRA
REGULAR SEASON STATS: 227 snaps, 9 targets, 5 receptions, 81 yards, 16.2 yards per reception, 0 touchdowns, 0 drops, 0 fumble
PLAYOFF STATS: 23 snaps, 0 targets
REVIEW: Calcaterra showed some intriguing pass-catching potential early in training camp before getting hurt and missing most of the summer. The rookie flashed again with his first-ever NFL reception in Week 3 that went for 40 yards. Calcaterra’s playing time was mostly limited as TE3 behind Goedert and Stoll.
OUTLOOK: Calcaterra is a bit on the older side relative to his draft class; this year is already his age 25 season. Still, the best might be to come for him after he showed some positive signs in limited snaps. He might be ready for a bigger role in Year 2. It would help if he showed some improvement as a blocker, though he’s probably never going to be a regular in-line option.
MY TAKE: Stay.
Poll
Grant Calcaterra: Stay or go?
TYREE JACKSON
REGULAR SEASON STATS: 34 snaps, 0 targets
REVIEW: Jackson began the season recovering from his January 2022 ACL injury on the reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP), which necessitated him missing the first four weeks. The Eagles activated his practice window in late October. He joined the active roster after Goedert went on IR with a shoulder injury. Jackson played sparingly as the third tight end behind Stoll and Calcaterra before then going on IR after Goedert was ready to return to the roster. Quite the coincidence in terms of Jackson’s practice injury lining up with Goedert being ready to play!
OUTLOOK: 2022 was a lost year for Jackson after he showed promise in 2021. Now healthy, the pressure is on for him to show why he deserves a roster spot. He’s fighting an uphill battle but he can do his best to make a case with a strong summer.
MY TAKE: Stay.
Poll
Tyree Jackson: Stay or go?
NOAH TOGIAI
REGULAR SEASON STATS: 12 snaps, 1 target
REVIEW: Two of Togiai’s three temporarily practice squad elevations were used up in the first two weeks. He lost his role (to Jordan Davis) on the edge of the place kick protection after allowing a Jake Elliott attempt to get blocked. Togiai finished out the season on the practice squad and signed a reserve/future contract with the Arizona Cardinals, joining Jonathan Gannon in the desert.
DALTON KEENE
REVIEW: The Eagles signed Keene to their practice squad in early September. They cut him a month later. Then they signed him to a reserve/future contract during the playoffs.
OUTLOOK: Despite entering the league as a third-round selection (No. 101 overall) in 2020, Keene only turns 24 in April. Dalton Kincaid, who is considered to be one of the top tight end draft prospects this year, turns 24 in October. And so perhaps there’s still some untapped potential in Keene’s case. He’s really struggled to stay healthy so making it through the summer unscathed will be critical for him. Assuming his listed size is accurate, Keene is the Eagles’ heaviest tight end at 275 pounds. That’s nearly 20 pounds more than Goedert’s weight. Under-the-radar player to keep an eye on during offseason practices.
MY TAKE: Stay.
Poll
Dalton Keene: Stay or go?
FREE AGENCY OR TRADES
Richard Rodgers is a free agent if the Eagles want to bring him back for the eleventy billionth time! Seriously, though, no real reason to add anyone for more than the veteran minimum.
NFL DRAFT APPROACH
Many have said the 2023 NFL Draft offers good tight end talent. Some have suggested the Eagles could look to draft one higher than expected since they previously did that in 2018 when Zach Ertz was entering his age 28 season. Goedert is now entering his age 28 season.
But it’s not like the Goedert pick was an amazing use of resources. Though it was hardly the only factor, the offense as a whole only got worse each year with the rise of heavy 12 personnel usage. It wasn’t until after Ertz got moved in 2021 that it started to flourish again.
Having a top-notch second tight end wouldn’t be a bad thing in a vacuum but it is a luxury the Eagles shouldn’t be investing in at the expense of leaving other roster holes open.
The guess here is the Birds look to sign an undrafted rookie free agent or two at this position.
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