The job of a Running Back and Wide Receiver is fairly self explanatory. The role of the Tight End may not be so familiar to everyone so I thought I'd start with a brief description.
Tight End (TE) is a position on the offensive team. The tight end is sometimes the last man on the offensive line, but has a slightly different role than other linemen. The role of tight ends can change depending on tactical preferences but their main jobs are blocking for the running back, catching passes from the quarterback and to help develop a stronger pocket by assisting fellow linemen in blocking during passing plays.
To start I will mention a few top TE's that didn't quite make the cut. Kevin Boss of New York and Brent Celek of Philadelphia both had solid seasons. They didn't put up a lot of yardage but both found the end zone on a regular basis - Boss 12 times and Celek 14.
Heath Miller is considered one of the best in the business, but like Pittsburgh he has not had his most productive season.
Another Miller, Zach of Oakland has been solid again. Averaging 13.0 yards per reception he has helped a very mediocre Raiders side in the few matches they have managed to win.
Jason Witten was in many peoples view a suprise inclusion in the NFC Pro Bowl team but he has missed out on a Nuttie, in fact he hasn't made the top 5. 954 yards at an average of 10.8 are decent figures but he has only contributed 1 touchdown and for my money others have played much more significant roles.
So the top 5 are Dallas Clark (Indianapolis), Antonio Gates (San Diego), Kellen Winslow (Tampa Bay), Vernon Davis ( San Francisco) and Visanthe Shiancoe (Minnesota).
Tampa Bay picked up Winslow this season from Cleveland and it was a great acquisition. Winslow puts up good figures year on year and has stood out in what has been a very poor Tampa team. Winslow didn't match his career high stats of 2007 but has had another very productive year with 828 yards at an average of 11.5 scoring 5 touchdowns. For this he grabs 5th place.
4th place is given to Brett favre's favourite red zone target. Visanthe Shiancoe has scored incredibly well for Minnesota this year especially considering how many options they have offensively. Shiancoe can be very proud of his 12 touchdowns this year and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the end zone during the play offs. Shaincoe does a lot of short work for the Vikings so his 472 yards at an average of 9.6 does not tell the tale of how good he has been.
Dallas Clark stands at the top of the NFL TE rankings but he finished in 3rd place in the race for a Nuttie. Another great season with The Colts who are among the favourites for Superbowl glory, Clark who already has a Superbowl ring has made career high stats this year putting up 1,054 yards at an average of 11.3 and notching 10 touchdowns.
This was a close call but in the end 2nd place is handed to Vernon Davis. The 49ers have not had a good year but their TE has stood out. Davis has contributed a huge 12 touchdowns this season for a team ranked 29th offensively. Davis has added 876 yards at an average of 12.2 per reception.
So the winner is Antonio Gates. The Chargers are on fire and Gates is a major player on their O-Line. With more receiving yards than many WR's Gates has 1,145 yards at a huge average of 14.7. QB Phillip Rivers knows he can rely on Gates for the big plays and quite often will find him free in the end zone. Gates has 7 touchdowns so far and I expect him to play a big part in San Diego's charge for the Superbowl.
Tomorrow I will review the Rookie's performances.
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