NFL Has Not Figured Out How To Defend Modern Day TE - Can Bills?

[jwhit34]

There are more and more TEs that are matchup nightmares. The league had 3 TEs top 1,000 yards (Kelce, Andrews, Pitts), 10 had over 750 receiving yards and two others, Darren Waller and Noah Fant, missed multiple games and still had 665 and 670 yards, respectively. 

 

Outside of that group of 12 are Dawson Knox, TJ Hockenson and Hunter Henry, plus emerging players like CJ Uzomah, Cole Kmet and Pat Freiermuth. Then there's guys that seem to always be mentioned with potential like Jared Cook, Gerald Everett, David Njoku, Evan Engram and  Tyler Higbee.

 

It doesn't seem like any defenses have come up with good ways to defend these guys. 

 

So what is the prototype for defending the modern day TE? The player that comes to mind from the Bills past is Cornelius Bennett. He had the size and speed that could cover. Of course, he was one of the Bills' top pass rushers. Teams have flirted with the "big nickel" concept but they don't seem to go far enough, guys like Siran Neal really aren't that much bigger. 

 

It would seem like you need the hybrid LB/S, maybe a guy around 6'2" and 215-230 with good coverage skills. Teams like the Bills have evolved defensively to go with 5 DBs and 2 LBs now, with the nickel matching up with the slot receiver. Many of these teams have better TEs than slot receivers so I wonder if they're better off having a guy who can effectively cover the TE.

 

I don't know what kind of talent pool exists with the physical tools but I would think it's worth trying to find defensive players that could fit this type of role. You'd think they would be decent vs. the run too with their size. Maybe the Bills could be trend setters.

[Dr.Sack]

Speed, length, quickness instinct. 

[NewEra]

Tremaine Edmunds!!!  That’s one of the reasons we drafted him right? Now we just need to teach him how to turn and run without falling down

[Dr. Who]

Just now, NewEra said:

Tremaine Edmunds!!!  That’s one of the reasons we drafted him right? Now we just need to teach him how to turn and run without falling down

I hear he's still young. Toddlers have that problem.

[ghostwriter]

It’s extremely difficult, make no bones about it. When you have a mammoth receiver like Kelce, Pitts and Andrews, they’re open even when they’re not open. It’s hard for a 5’10 DB to cover a guy that’s half a foot taller. Complete mismatch nightmare.

[Thurman#1]

50 minutes ago, jwhit34 said:

NFL Has Not Figured Out How To Defend Modern Day TE - Can Bills?

 

 

No.

 

Your post illustrates a lot of the problem. You ask if we can defend the modern-day TE, and then spend the whole post talking only about defending them on pass plays. 

 

The problem is that they can go out but the best ones are also really good blockers, on both pass and run plays, and that the guys who can cover them on pass plays mostly can't even begin to block them. They don't have the size. You can take a TE out of the play in coverage, using either a tremendous coverage guy or doubling him. But then he'll punch a hole in your run coverage, or help neuter one of your best edge rushers.

 

Or the good ones will.

 

Any really athletic player at any position is going to create a problem, even for a good defense.

 

 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Thurman#1

[Big Turk]

It's hard because they are too fast for LBs and too big for safeties. They are matchup nightmares.

[fasteddie]

Tre did a good job in the first KC game. Only if he would have been healthy....

[Nextmanup]

2 hours ago, Victory Formation said:

It’s extremely difficult, make no bones about it. When you have a mammoth receiver like Kelce, Pitts and Andrews, they’re open even when they’re not open. It’s hard for a 5’10 DB to cover a guy that’s half a foot taller. Complete mismatch nightmare.

That's true, but most of the time, they are just "open" in the conventional sense.

 

It's not about their raw size allowing them to catch the ball.

There's a lot more to it than that.

 

Bills need to cash in on the TE party while it's available.  I thought Knox made huge strides but he needs to continue to progress.

 

Eventually teams will figure out how to shut it down.

 

 

[Bookie Man]

That's why I think Kyle Hamilton will go top 5