The Eagles home opener was a chance to right the ship early on before the question about the team and in particular, Carson Wentz started. Unfortunately, the Rams had a different plan for the Eagles at home. The Rams came across the country to put the smackdown on the Eagles to the tune of 37-19. Jared Goff came out firing on all cylinders and completed his first 13 passes including a pair of touchdowns to Tyler Higbee. By early in the second quarter the Eagles were down 21-3. The Eagles started to show some fight and by halftime had scored twice to bring the score within 5 points. Alas, that was not enough for the Eagles as they only went on to score 3 points in the second half of the game. Carson threw two interceptions and had a turnover on downs that eventually closed the door on the Eagles chance at victory. 

Overall on the day, the Rams look to be returning to that 2018 form when they had one of the best offenses and defenses in the game. McVay and that squad had the offense hitting on the short passes and screen game, while running back Darrell Henderson took over as the lead back that day and showed great potential. The biggest X factor was the tight ends and Higbee shined. He finished the game with 5 catches for 59 yards, but was lethal in the red zone with three touchdowns. The defense was rolling as well, with the previously mentioned two interceptions. The Eagles line held up well with no sacks allowed to Donald and Co., but still, the defense held a potent Eagles offense down. 

On the flip of this is the struggling Eagles team that now has a lot of questions starting to rise up. The offense is back again looking hit or miss and the turnovers are the main culprit in that aspect. Miles Sanders came back after missing the first game and started the first drive off with a fumble. The Rams capitalized on it and scored to have the Eagles down early. They responded well with at least a field goal the next drive, but it wasn’t until the second quarter they started to pick it up. They scored two more touchdowns in the first half to close the gap to a five-point game. Then the turnovers again reared their ugly head and Carson threw interceptions on two of their last four drives. The other two drives only resulted in three points and a turnover on downs. These types of ineffective drives and costly turnovers are why people in the media are questioning Carson Wentz as the franchise guy. He has all the tools but seems to continue to make stupid plays when he knows better. 

Hopefully, the Eagles can get back on track with their next game being against a Bengals team that has promise but needs more team with Joe Burrow to be a threat. While the Rams hope to continue to roll on through there schedule with the Bills coming up.

Writer

-By: Darren Braxton:

Tight End Day: Kittle and Kelce Get Massive Extensions 

When you look at the layout of every team, the highest-paid players are usually the quarterbacks and defensive linemen. Very rarely will you see a tight end making big money, but Thursday that became more common when Travis Kelce and George Kittle signed massive extensions. Let us dive into both players.

George Kittle

For weeks now, the 49ers have been negotiating with George Kittle and today they finally hit paydirt. Kittle inked a 5 year/$75M contract, with $40M in total guaranteed money. $30M of that is guaranteed at signing. This is the largest contract for a tight end in NFL history, and it is money well spent. Many will say that you should not spend a lot on a tight end, but when he is your team’s most important offensive player, you do not let him even touch free agency. With the quarterback also locked up and Kyle Shanahan’s ability to get the most out of low market running backs and receivers, the 49ers offense is going to be scary in 2020.

Travis Kelce

Only a few hours after the Kittle extension, the Chiefs locked up yet another key player on their roster. Along with Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones, Travis Kelce is now going to be a Chief for the foreseeable future. The Super Bowl champion agreed to a four-year deal worth up to $57.25M, $28M guaranteed. While Kittle’s deal is longer in years, the annual amount is close if not the same as Kittle’s. The Chiefs are doing an outstanding job locking up their key cogs before they hit the market, making it even more likely that they can become the next dynasty in the NFL.

What this means for the Rest

Football is a sport of trends and copying success, which leads to the question, will teams start to value tight ends more and pay them? The answer to this in my opinion is that it depends on who are you paying, just like every other position. If you have a tight end with the talent of Kittle and Kelce or someone that is arguably your best offensive player outside of the quarterback position, then you make the signing. Despite this, I do not believe anyone in the league will make as much as either of these guys. Zack Ertz is the closest, especially factoring in that he is the Eagles best weapon on the offensive side of the ball. Besides Ertz, guys like Mark Andrews, Darren Waller, and Hunter Henry will most likely get between $10M-$12M. Even with these deals, I am not sure the rest of the NFL is completely sold on giving tight ends a lot of money in such a quarterback-driven league. 

Contract details from sportingnews.com

-By: Richie Dordas

Writer

10.  Noah Fant, Denver Broncos

Starting off the top ten is up-and-coming Noah Fant from the Denver Broncos. In his rookie season, the Iowa product had 40 catches for 562 yards and 3 touchdowns. While these numbers are not great, Fant’s potential is extremely high as a “receiving tight end” because of his speed, quickness, and route-running ability. If Drew Lock can be a solid quarterback, Fant’s production should complement that. Expect big things from the young Bronco in 2020.

9. Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams

One of the more underrated tight ends going into 2020 is Los Angeles Rams Tyler Higbee. Higbee, 27, had a breakout season in 2019, totaling 734 yards and 3 touchdowns on 69 catches, all career highs. These numbers nearly doubled his career totals, which started in 2016. Joining Higbee in the tight end group is Gerald Everett, but Higbee is clearly the number one at this position, and the losses of Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley may lead to more targets for Higbee, too. Many think that 2019 was a one-year wonder, but I think otherwise. Tyler Higbee is a good tight end who should be talked about more in 2020.

8.  Evan Engram, New York Giants

While he has not lived up to expectations, Evan Engram has still had a decent career to start: in three seasons, Engram has 1,766 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. The problem is not his production, but rather his injury history. In three years, Engram has appeared in 34 of the 48 games, so he’s not exactly durable. If Engram is ever able to put together a full season, he can be very productive, but he cannot produce if he is on the sidelines. QB Daniel Jones may be a good change for Engram, but the main goal is staying healthy in 2020.

7. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers

Like Engram, Hunter Henry has had some trouble staying on the field, but the talent is still there for Chargers tight end. When Henry is healthy, he could be considered one of the best tight ends in football, easily top-five. Henry is coming off a career year, totaling career highs in catches and receiving yards. The problem was that he only played 12 games. In 2020, Henry will play under the franchise tag with a chance to really prove his worth. Like a lot of the tight ends on this list, Henry will have a young quarterback throwing to him in rookie Justin Herbert. If Henry has a big year, not only will it help the Chargers get back to winning, but it will help the young tight end during contract time.

6. Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns

Coming in at number six is newly acquired Cleveland Brown Austin Hooper. As a member of the Atlanta Falcons for his first four seasons, Hooper put up very solid numbers and consistently got better each season. In each year, Hooper’s receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns increased or stayed the same. The last two resulted in Pro Bowl appearances. On March 16, the 25-year-old signed a four-year deal with Cleveland. New head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense is known for using tight ends frequently, meaning this could be a match made in heaven. If I were a betting man, I would bet that Hooper takes yet another leap forward in year five, and ends up as a crucial part of the Browns offense.

5. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

While playing time was hard to come by in his first three seasons, Waller broke out in an enormous way in 2019 with 90 receptions for 1,145 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. His receptions and receiving yards led all Raider receivers, and were ranked second behind only Travis Kelce for tight ends. Waller is an athletic tight end with excellent speed and good hands. He also is a big, physical target for QB Derek Carr to throw to in the end zone. If Waller can consistently put those numbers up, the newly-rebuilt Raiders offense will be tough to stop. 

4. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

After a solid rookie season, Mark Andrews' game took an extreme leap forward in 2019. The former Oklahoma standout caught 64 passes for 852 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading all tight ends in touchdowns. In the run-heavy offense that Baltimore uses, a tight end is extremely important in the run blocking and play-action game, which is Andrews’ bread and butter. QB Lamar Jackson is only getting better, and Andrews will only benefit from this. With a big year in 2020, Andrews can easily creep into the top-3 at the position.

3. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

For seven years, Zach Ertz has consistently been one of the top tight ends in the NFL. In those seven seasons, the three-time Pro Bowler has 525 receptions for 5,743 yards and 35 touchdowns. Ertz was a big part of the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl run in 2017, and has been the focal point of the Eagles offense for the last couple of seasons. In 2018, Ertz broke the single-season receptions record with 116, topping Jason Witten’s previous record of 110. The Philadelphia Eagles will have high expectations in 2020, and one thing they can guarantee is that Zach Ertz will be the same consistent player he has always been.

2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

In many people’s eyes, Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the NFL. While he is second on this list, the two-time All-Pro could have been at the top. Through six seasons, Kelce’s stat line is extremely decorated, going over 1,000 yards and 80 catches four times. Kelce also has five pro bowls in his career, and even has a super bowl ring. In 2020, it will all be about repeating. With the roster the Chiefs have and the consistent star production out of Kelce, the Chiefs are poised to have another shot at a super bowl in 2020.

1. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

After getting his feet wet in the league in 2017, George Kittle has exploded onto the scene over the last two seasons. In those two years, Kittle has gone to two pro bowls and earned first-team all-pro honors in 2019. Kittle has 216 receptions, 2,945 yards and 12 touchdowns in his career, and he is the all-around best tight end in the NFL. Whether it’s run blocking, catching passes, or just being a leader on the football field, Kittle is always doing it at a high level while having more fun than any player in the NFL. After falling short in the Super Bowl last year, Kittle and the 49ers are poised to make a run for a ring again, and he will be an extremely big part of their success.

Stats from profootballreference.com

Contract Details from cbssports.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas