The Washington Redskins entered free agency with tight end being arguably their biggest position need. There were high aspirations on who they would find to replace the released Jordan Reed and retired Vernon Davis. However, after missing out on Austin Hooper to the Cleveland Browns, the tight end market dried up quickly.
The Redskins were left out in the cold and forced to settle on a pair of lackluster signings, inking Logan Thomas and Richard Rodgers to go along with Jeremy Sprinkle, Hale Hentges, Caleb Wilson and Marcus Baugh.
They have no second-round pick, no trade of Trent Williams, lack of depth at tight end in this year’s draft, and other needs. There is a chance Washington will have to deal with what they have at tight end. It’s a far cry from what many imagined for the Redskins. That’s unless they address the position in the draft. They were not supposed to replace Reed and Davis with Thomas and Rodgers.
But, this group is full of youth and untapped potential.
Let’s sort through this underwhelming six whom will be vying for roster spots and a chance to emerge as the lead tight end.
6. Marcus Baugh
Baugh is one of three project tight ends on the roster. He was signed by the Redskins just before free agency to bolster their depth at the position.
Baugh’s familiarity with both head coach Ron Rivera and offensive coordinator Scott Turner set the stage for his signing. He spent training camp with them while with the Carolina Panthers in 2019. Unfortunately, a foot injury placed him on injured reserve.
However, he also has familiarity with quarterback Dwayne Haskins and top wide receiver Terry McLaurin, as they were college teammates at Ohio State.
Coming out of college the rap on Baugh was he lacked overall athleticism needed to get out of breaks on routes and separate from defenders. He will need to improve on his area of weaknesses in order to have an adequate chance in the NFL.
5. Caleb Wilson
Wilson is also long shot to make the team when looking on paper. As the last pick of last year’s draft by the Arizona Cardinals, Wilson is the 2019 Mr. Irrelevant. He didn’t make Cards’ final cuts. The Redskins signed him off the Cardinals’ practice squad in December with season-ending as the team placed Davis and Reed on injured reserve.
Wilson is the son of former NFL defensive lineman Chris Wilson, who also has a long coaching resume that has included USC, Oklahoma, Colorado and stops in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cardinals.
Caleb was a high school quarterback, but switched positions. After transferring to UCLA from USC, he had a breakout junior season in which he earned All-Pac-12 honors. He declared after that season, maybe prematurely.
A big plus is his flat out speed. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash. However, he is a one-trick pony, more of a pass catcher. He lacks the frame to box out defenders or help in the blocking game. That lack of versatility is alarming within Rivera’s ideal makeup of players.
And while he could develop into a solid pass-catcher with time, it’s more than likely that development may have to come as part of someone’s practice squad. To be part of the Redskins’ practice squad, he will may have some competition.
4. Richard Rodgers
Rodgers is the most seasoned of the group. He was a third-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2014. His peak season was in 2015 when he had career-highs of 82 targets, 58 catches, 510 yards and eight touchdowns.
That season he had the highlight of his career, catching a game-winning Hail Mary from Aaron Rodgers to beat the Detroit Lions in a Thursday Night Football game.
Unfortunately, Richard Rodgers has yet to duplicate the season of that season. In 2016 he lost his job to Jared Cook, and was out of Green Bay after the 2017 season. He signed with Philadelphia, but injuries in back-to-back seasons in 2018-19 limited him to one catch over the past two seasons.
At 28 years of age, he has an opportunity to bounce back. His father of the same name is the Redskins’ new assistant defensive backs coach.
Rodgers has the most starting experience on the Redskins at tight end. He also has the capability to being a bona fide starter. However, there are questions about his durability and ability to stand out in a competition, even against unproven options.
3. The Sleeper: Hale Hentges
One would expect Hentges would be further down on the list. He only had eight receptions in his young NFL career following just 15 catches in his collegiate career at Alabama. However, Hentges did well for himself when the opportunity knocked last season with the Redskins.
Hentges caught six of his eight career catches in the final two games of the season, including lone touchdown. He became the Redskins’ primary tight end option after Sprinkle struggled.
The undrafted rookie also stood out while in training camp with the Indianapolis Colts as a receiving-tight end before he was waived in October. Washington claimed him and once he was eased into the offense, he performed.
He definitely fits the mode of versatile player that Rivera prefers. He has good blocking skills and character qualities as he was a team captain of the Nick Saban-coached Crimson Tide. If he can continue to showcase he can be an asset in the passing game, along with his other attributes, don’t be surprise if he rises on the depth chart.
2. Jeremy Sprinkle
Last season Sprinkle was thrust into the primary tight end after both Reed and Davis suffered concussions that ultimately ended their seasons. Sprinkle started 13 games, but his contributions were minimal in the passing game.
He had 26 catches on 40 targets for 241 yards and one touchdown. The fact his catches and yards led the team among tight ends illustrates the struggles of the Redskins’ offense during their 3-13 season.
When free agency begin, it was clear the Redskins had to upgrade at tight end which normally wouldn’t bold well for Sprinkle. However, that was when the team was expecting to land a big name tight end like Hooper or Hunter Henry. Both are no longer options, and barring a steal in next month’s NFL Draft, Sprinkle may be one of the stronger options on the roster.
Sprinkle is good for depth like he was expected to be when he was drafted in 2017 with Reed and Davis on the roster. The optics have certainly changed, and if Sprinkle is asked to be a focal point of the passing game, the Redskins may be in store for another long season offensively.
1. Logan Thomas
Most local football fans are familiar with Thomas. He was a standout quarterback for Virginia Tech. Thomas entered Blacksburg as the nation’s top tight end prospect over such others as Zach Ertz, Tyler Eifert and Dion Sims whom all made the NFL as tight ends. He was talked into switching to QB at Virginia Tech by legendary coach Frank Beamer. All-around athletic, Thomas played multiple positions in high school including quarterback
Thomas was the sixth QB taken in the 2014 NFL Draft by Arizona. However, after he struggled his rookie season, he landed on the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants practice squads in 2015 and 2016, respectively. After being released by the Giants, he switched his position to tight end.
Since he has continued to improve, displaying glimpses of his tight end skills in stops with Buffalo and Detroit. Last season he started three games with the Lions, catching a career-high 16 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown.
Those numbers are nothing to write home about, however, he was the Redskins’ first of two tight end signings in free agency. Also, his contract may signal he will get an opportunity at an increased role at least in the first year.
Also keep in mind the Lions’ offense was a disaster the final eight games of the season after Matthew Stafford’s injury.
While normally a player turning 29 years of age would suggest there may not be room for improvement, Thomas is relatively new to the position from a pro perspective. He also has an ideal size and frame for the position, standing at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds. Throw in the fact, he ran a 4.61 40-yard dash, he has superb athleticism that would draw coaches into his potential.
