Cooley quietly shines in D.C.

By Connor Byrne  |   Wednesday, May 10, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

Washington Redskins
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When people think of the premier tight ends in the NFL, names like Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, Todd Heap and Jason Witten automatically come to mind. However, one name quietly, yet conspicuously absent from that list is Washington Redskins tight end/h-back extraordinaire Chris Cooley.

An unheralded rookie in 2004, Cooley impressed on a hapless Redskins team, receiving 37 passes for six touchdowns. Even though he was a third-round pick, few expected the 6-3, 250-pounder to make much of an impact in his rookie season with the wretched duo of Mark Brunell and Patrick Ramsay throwing him the ball. Cooley managed to defy the doubters en route to a respectable year.

Last season when Washington became one of the better teams in the NFC, Cooley was a big part of the Redskins' renaissance, catching 71 receptions for 774 yards, and seven touchdowns from the suddenly-refreshed Brunell. The former Utah State star has been a major part of the Redskins' offense, formerly orchestrated by legendary head coach Joe Gibbs.

Now that the Redskins brought in former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Al Saunders to take the reins as the play-caller, Cooley should become even better next season. No disrespect to Gibbs, but Saunders will likely be an upgrade, which is why Gibbs unselfishly deferred to him. Thus, the new coordinator will likely find a way to utilize Cooley even better in what was a somewhat conservative offense in Washington last season. Clinton Portis and the running game will still come to the fore in 2006, but Cooley will be an even bigger weapon.

The only thing that might hold Cooley back from further progression next season is Brunell. Although the 35-year-old played surprisingly well last season, Washington never knows what they'll get from him each week. Sometimes he looks like the former Pro Bowler from Jacksonville, and sometimes he looks like the injured, old Brunell who can't find a receiver to save his life. If Brunell can play up to par, Cooley could make his first Pro Bowl. However, should Brunell fail to stay in his form of last season, the burden will fall on the right arm of backup Jason Campbell, who has never attempted a regular season pass.

Washington Redskins fans would love nothing more than to have Cooley develop into a better tight end than Jason Witten, a member of the archrival Dallas Cowboys. If the 23-year-old can get some consistent play from his quarterbacks, the Redskins and their fans may be looking at the next big thing at the tight end position in the NFL. Judging by the youngster's development thus far, this possibility should not be ruled out.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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