Adrian Fedkiw
C’mon baby make it Ertz so good!
Zach Ertz was supposed to break out the last two years and failed to play up to expectations, but with a new coach in town maybe he’ll finally break through and live up to that five-year, $42 million contract.
Ertz has seen just 49.96 and 68.25 percent of the teams snaps the last two years, respectively, due to a ravaged offensive line and ineptitude of former head coach Chip Kelly. To compare that to some of the elite tight ends who played all 16 games last year, Ertz’s snap count doesn’t come close to Kansas City’s Travis Kelce (92.12 percent), Carolina’s Greg Olsen (95.92 percent) and Jason Witten (99.12 percent). Obviously, Brent Celek is seen as the better blocker between he and Ertz, but with the Eagles lacking weapons at wide receiver, Ertz should’ve seen more snaps.
I think head coach Doug Pederson will utilize him properly. I’ve been watching a lot of Chiefs tape over recent weeks and love the way they moved Kelce all over the field. He didn’t just line up at tight end, he’s also been in the slot, backfield and out wide. Pederson also uses some two and three tight end sets. Ertz might be the best offensive weapon the Eagles have and Pederson will find ways to get him the ball.
Ertz finished strong in 2015, racking up 450 of his 853 yards receiving over the final four games.
For Training Camp and the preseason, I want to see what type of strides Ertz has made with his blocking. I did notice improvements from him as a run blocker last season, although the pass blocking is still a work in progress.
The two biggest differences that will help Ertz out most come 2016; the emphasis on improving the offensive line and a head coach that will utilize him properly. Hopefully his blocking gets better as well. The Eagles went out and spent big bucks on Brandon Brooks and made minor splashes by bringing Stefen Wisniewski and Isaac Seumalo on board to help out the offensive line. That will allow Pederson to feel more comfortable trotting Ertz out there as opposed to Celek.
And speaking of Celek, what does the 31-year-old have left? He signed a three-year, $13 million contract extension during the offseason and has steadily declined over recent years. His blocking will remain key.
Come the regular season I can’t wait for Pederson to unleash these three tight end sets. I’m loving the deception of this package from what I’ve been watching on tape and the play-action passes that derive from it. I expect Trey Burton, who has practiced as a fullback at times during the voluntary practices, to line up everywhere. The tight end group is a strength on this team.
Training Camp Preview: Quarterbacks
Training Camp Preview: Running Backs
Training Camp Preview: Wide Receivers