In Deshaun Watson, the Texans might have the NFL’s next great quarterback. But will that help them also have a fantasy relevant tight end? Right now, they don’t even have a clear starter.
C.J. Fiedorowicz was their most complete tight end, but he retired after suffering three concussions last year. An article in the Houston Chronicle suggest they’ll likely employ some kind of committee approach.
Ryan Griffin, this article suggests, has some pass-catching ability but isn’t as good as a blocker. Griffin caught 50 passes two years ago. While it’s not mentioned in the article, Griffin has also had problems with concussions – two concussions helped limit him to only nine games last year.
Stephen Anderson caught 5 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown at Tennessee in Week 13 last year, but he’s not big enough to be an in-line blocker. At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, he looks more like a wide receiver than a tight end.
Jordan Akins (pictured) could be a factor. He posted modest numbers at Central Florida, catching 55 passes for 862 yards and 6 TDs in 21 games over the last two years. But he at least showed some ability to get downfield, averaging 15.7 yards per catch.
The Texans selected Akins late in the third round, so they have some interest in him, but he’s on the small side to be an effective blocker – he weighed 249 pounds at the combine. And it’s rare for a rookie tight end to be able to step in and produce right away. Akins spent some time trying to play pro baseball, so he’s older than most rookies – 26.
“I think they all have different strengths and weaknesses that they have to work on," says tight ends coach Tim Kelly "As far as replacing anybody, I don’t know if one person is going to do it.”
And while Watson might be an up-and-coming star at quarterback, the offense doesn’t seem to be built around getting the ball to tight ends. Using standard scoring, only three teams finished with worst tight end production than Houston last year.
| TEAM TIGHT END PRODUCTION | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | No | Yards | Avg | TD | Points |
| Philadelphia | 110 | 1,202 | 10.9 | 14 | 314.2 |
| Kansas City | 108 | 1,358 | 12.6 | 9 | 297.8 |
| Tampa Bay | 82 | 1,099 | 13.4 | 13 | 269.9 |
| New England | 95 | 1,303 | 13.7 | 9 | 279.3 |
| Seattle | 84 | 797 | 9.5 | 15 | 253.7 |
| NY Giants | 96 | 1,049 | 10.9 | 8 | 248.9 |
| Tennessee | 97 | 1,015 | 10.5 | 6 | 234.5 |
| LA Chargers | 81 | 943 | 11.6 | 7 | 217.3 |
| Washington | 85 | 966 | 11.4 | 6 | 217.6 |
| Buffalo | 78 | 947 | 12.1 | 5 | 202.7 |
| San Francisco | 66 | 866 | 13.1 | 6 | 188.6 |
| Detroit | 74 | 797 | 10.8 | 7 | 195.7 |
| Minnesota | 70 | 646 | 9.2 | 9 | 188.6 |
| Cleveland | 68 | 817 | 12.0 | 5 | 179.7 |
| Baltimore | 104 | 811 | 7.8 | 5 | 215.1 |
| Indianapolis | 98 | 870 | 8.9 | 4 | 209.0 |
| Arizona | 57 | 701 | 12.3 | 6 | 163.1 |
| Dallas | 69 | 673 | 9.8 | 6 | 172.3 |
| Cincinnati | 56 | 542 | 9.7 | 8 | 158.2 |
| Oakland | 71 | 844 | 11.9 | 2 | 167.4 |
| Denver | 50 | 657 | 13.1 | 5 | 145.7 |
| Chicago | 47 | 543 | 11.6 | 6 | 137.3 |
| Atlanta | 61 | 648 | 10.6 | 4 | 149.8 |
| Jacksonville | 43 | 505 | 11.7 | 6 | 129.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 57 | 560 | 9.8 | 4 | 137.0 |
| Carolina | 49 | 645 | 13.2 | 2 | 125.5 |
| Miami | 56 | 525 | 9.4 | 4 | 132.5 |
| NY Jets | 62 | 516 | 8.3 | 4 | 137.6 |
| Houston | 53 | 630 | 11.9 | 2 | 128.0 |
| Green Bay | 56 | 627 | 11.2 | 2 | 130.7 |
| LA Rams | 41 | 539 | 13.1 | 3 | 112.9 |
| New Orleans | 45 | 476 | 10.6 | 4 | 116.6 |
—Ian Allan