Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson found himself in a very unique predicament this offseason. Last year, the Eagles selected South Dakota State University tight end, Dallas Goedert, with the 49th overall pick in the draft. A move that surprised many because of the raw talent Dallas carries. What made the move even more eye-opening is the fact that the team jumped the Dallas Cowboys to snatch the young tight end. A team that was in desperate need of a player with his skill set due to the retirement of Jason Witten.
At the time, most were thinking that Goedert was drafted to just fill the void that Trey Burton’s departure left. The Eagles needed a backup tight end due to Burton signing with the Bears and Brent Celek retiring. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the Philadelphia Eagles organization is that nothing is how it appears.
See, back in 2011, the New England Patriots were on to something special. The team had drafted two tight ends the year prior in Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. I mentioned the year after their rookie season for a reason. In 2011, Hernandez finished the season with 910 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns. As for Gronkowski, he finished the season with 1,327 yards with 17 touchdowns; which was the best season of his pro career.
Now, am I saying that Ertz and Goedert will be that good? Numbers-wise maybe not, but the reason I say no to that is simply because the Patriots only consistent receiver at that time was Wes Welker. As for the Eagles, the team’s receiving corps is too talented to let the tight ends dominate. But! Yes, there is a but, I do believe Ertz and Goedert can have the same impact that Gronk and Hernandez had. With Jeffery and Jackson opening up the middle in 12 man personnel, I can’t see how defenses can shut this offense down.
Zach Ertz thrives in the middle of the field. He’s coming off a huge season in which he ended with 116 receptions, 1,163 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns. As for Goedert, although he only finished the season with 324 receiving yards on 33 receptions and 4 touchdowns, he showed flashes of stardom when running after the catch with passes caught in the middle. Both tight ends also finished in the top 10 of Pro Football Focus rankings.
As OTAs continue to move forward, the dual-threat tight ends will be a hot topic for Eagles’ fans and the media. Some have suggested trading Ertz for heavy draft capital but there’s no way that Howie or Doug would even consider subtracting from this offense at this point. I truly believe the NFL is in line to see something special out of this Philly offense.
As long as Doug Pederson’s offensive creativity is behind this Eagles team, the sky is the limit for Goedert and Ertz. With a consistent backfield, Desean Jackson stretching the field and the return of Wentz; one can only witness the rise of GoedErtz.(See what I did there?)
