Bills’ Nelson can catch, but can he play tight end?

By Anthony Bialy  |   Tuesday, May 12, 2009  |  Comments( 114 )

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Shawn Nelson won’t be mistaken for a wideout anymore. The Buffalo Bills need the fourth-rounder to be a functionally rugged tight end who’s really good in a typical style. The Southern Miss product doesn’t need to evolve into a sixth lineman, but he’ll nonetheless have to adapt to the drudgery that accompanies run blocking and lower personal gains. This team needs an unspectacularly steady presence at the position, which means Nelson has to get bigger while making receptions for shorter distances.

The Louisiana native posted notable collegiate statistics, especially for an ostensible tight end. Nelson made 157 receptions over his time in Hattiesburg, including 53 as a senior. While his productivity impresses, durability looms as an issue. Checking in at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, it’s understandable why Nelson was often sent wide in formations; he was used as a receiver in part because he’s not that much more huge than one.

It means he’ll have a slightly different job as a pro even though he’s keeping the same title. Nelson is a vertical threat as a tight end; unfortunately, he just joined a team stocked with vertical threats at the wideouts. He’ll be deployed more conventionally post-university, which means he’d better be preparing to become more standard.

Most prominently, he needs to add bulk in order to be an effective blocker on the line. Nelson’s average of 13.1 yards per reception as a collegian may accordingly dip in the pros. But that would be a positive development, as he’d accordingly be serving his proper function within the offense. More muscle will presumably steal some of his renowned speed; perversely, that wouldn’t hamper Nelson in his new role where his routes don’t take him far from the quarterback.

The rookie is more valuable underneath serving as an outlet for Trent Edwards and distraction from Terrell Owens and Lee Evans. He could still compile a sizable amount of receptions that way, especially considering the knack he showed at rookie minicamp for reeling in any throws that were vaguely nearby; it’s just going to take him a few extra to get the gross yardage he did in school.

Whether the Bills should have pursued a slower, sturdier tight end instead of trying to convert a faster, ganglier one is irrelevant; they’ve already picked their guy, and now must get him to meet their standards. He doesn’t need to block as well as erstwhile starter Robert Royal, who didn’t do much other than block well. But he does need to provide more crucial blocking support for the Bills than he did for the Golden Eagles.

Plus, Nelson is talented enough as a catcher that he’d still be capable of racking up four or five per game, even if his biggest gains as a pro will tend to come on runs after short receptions. It’s part of being a key piece of the offense instead of being the key piece. Getting more muscular will make Nelson more well-rounded.
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