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Over the past few days, I have been presenting you with Ryan Van Bibber's rankings for various groups throughout the NFL. We have gone over safeties, offensive lines, defensive lines and more. So far, the Cardinals have ranked highest at the safety position, coming in at third in the league.
Today, they take a giant step back as Van Bibber goes over his tight end rankings. The Cardinals did not get the type of production they were looking for out of their tight ends, but how they are placed seems to be a bit unreasonable. Van Bibber puts them in dead last, describing them as the worst tight end corps in the NFL.
Here is what he had to say:
The dry desert air did not do much for Todd Heap, who caught just 24 passes and struggled with a hamstring injury. At 32, his best days are behind him. Second-year player Rob Housler will be expected to do more in the passing game this season.
There are a couple statements, yet again, that need some correction. First of all, we already knew Heap's best days were behind him coming in. That was obvious. His health was a concern, but that is a part of football. He can still be a better than average tight end when his body is right.
As for Housler, it wasn't just about him last season. On multiple occasions, he was open down the field and the quarterbacks were simply unable to hit him with the ball. I think his struggles were more due to the quarterback inconsistencies than anything else.
The biggest error in this whole paragraph is the lack of even a mention of Jeff King. King was easily the best tight end for the Cardinals in 2011. He brought plenty of skill as a blocker and surprised us all by cathcing 27 passes for 3 touchdowns. He adds another dynamic to this offense.
Overall, the team is well rounded and deep at the tight end position. They have guys that each bring different skillsets to the table. If I were to rank them, they would be somewhere in the low twenties or the high teens even.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you find these rankings to be fair or a bit harsh? Tell us in the comments below.
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