Bills could equal tight end output with one pick

By Anthony Bialy  |   Monday, February 23, 2009  |  Comments( 63 )

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The Buffalo Bills own the equivalent of one decent tight end in three not-so-decent ones. Their entire pool at the position would have been above average last season were they one player, a statistical exception that the NFL doesn’t allow. The franchise hasn’t evolved with the rest of the league: Everyone else is downloading music, and the Bills are still ordering cassettes from Columbia House. They need to upgrade from obsolescence their first chance this draft.

Buffalo’s tight ends were impressively unimpressive last season. Robert Royal was relatively good compared to his teammates and relatively underwhelming compared to the league’s other tight ends, catching 33 passes for 351 yards. Derek Schouman reeled in 15 for 153 yards, while rookie Derek Fine caught an average of a pass per game during the 10 in which he appeared.

Even together, that wasn’t much. Those 58 total receptions were enough for a top end in today’s game, not for a team’s top three ends combined. By comparison, six tight ends exceeded that catch quantity on their own in 2008; on top of that, the Tennessee Titans’ Bo Scaife tied the three, while Zach Miller of the Oakland Raiders finished just behind the trio with 56.

Nobody’s expecting any Bills tight end -- or any other tight end, for that matter -- to match the 96 catches made by the Kansas City Chiefs’ still-astounding Tony Gonzalez, who completely unsurprisingly led the position in 2008. But this franchise still lags desperately when it pertains to even half-amazing tight ends; the fact that Buffalo’s three mustered a touchdown each is just further evidence that they together equal about one productive player.

The men they have won’t suddenly explode with productivity, either. Royal is a stout blocker who can sometimes catch, and sometimes cannot. Schouman hasn’t delivered on his workout potential, while Fine is a mid-round pick who could turn out to be nothing more than serviceable.

Exceptional tight ends do exist; it’s just that teams must spend a high, and perhaps their highest, pick on them. On the other hand, there’s Buffalo: Waiting to draft a tight end until 132nd overall last April as they did with Fine was a wishy-washy move that fixed nothing.

Instead of using a first-day pick on one the previous draft as needed, they procrastinated, and now must spend a first-rounder on one this year in addition to the fourth-rounder they used on Fine last year. They should be running around the combine trying to chat up tight ends before anyone else.

The Bills obviously need to nab a center and a different kind of end, namely defensive. But those two positions along with all the others compete for second-highest priority, as Trent Edwards needs and deserves a reliable tight end. Not only will a solid pass-catching end open space for the wideouts and runners, it will show that Buffalo is finally joining the 21st century.

Specifically, everyone else realizes tight ends need to offer more than competent blocking and the occasional reception. They’ve become far more active presences in an offense’s success, and nabbing a dynamic quasi-big wideout with their first chance is the path to choose. The Bills would be realizing that late; thankfully, it’s not too late, provided they’re working on seeking out a tight end right now.
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CommentsComments: 63  |  Sign Up  View all comments
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No.1
ddd		10:38 AM
02/23/2009
Yes, tight end is a need for us but we have more critical positions that need to be filled IMO- #2WR, OLB, C, and DE. It's also...
No.2
Rockpile		10:41 AM
02/23/2009
I agree about Royal and Schuman.Fine did show some ability to get open.I'd cut Schuman antry Fine
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No.3
ba bye		10:45 AM
02/23/2009
"...nabbing a dynamic quasi-big wideout with their first chance is the path to choose..." Bialy at his best! ...seizing a brisk...
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