Is it the TE position...?

[JonGrudensAgent]

He was good though! Threw to him as much as any Tight end I've seen.

Integral part of the offense under Randy and Cut

 

[tennrich1]

It’s been my experience the TE position duties vary so much from system to system it’s hard to put the position in a box and describe it accurately. In fact I think it’s the most wide ranging, versatile position in football.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

The only TE that has been targeted this year is Fant. I am not sure if our TEs really suck or JG is not looking to get them the ball.

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

I want to see us hand it off to Dee 8 straight times and see what happens.

 

[West Vol]

Last TE the Vols used consistently was Witten.

Stocker and Rivera made a little noise at the position but its never been a strong suit for the program.

Witten was criminally underutilized.

 

[West Vol]

For what ever reason JG dues not seem comfortable or confident throwing to the middle of the field. I still think they could find a way to get the tight ends involved though. There a number of things on the offense that I don't get right now.

I imagine his propensity to throw high at 200mph, even on short throws, has led Chaney and maybe Weinke to discourage those throws. In the middle, those passes lead to balls bouncing off the WR hands and easy interceptions.

Jennings and Callaway could miraculously handle those bad passes, but I don’t have that much faith in any of these guys outside Palmer. Certainly none of our tight ends inspire confidence.

 

[Carp]

Last TE the Vols used consistently was Witten.

Stocker and Rivera made a little noise at the position but its never been a strong suit for the program.

Wolf was used pretty well.

 

[Carp]

DWA had potential, but we had no QB to get him the ball. Get a QB that is actually good, and he'll utilize his weapons.

 

[rikberry31]

How about this:
Let's say Beckwith is not ready size-wise to block effectively from the tight end position. So if Chaney puts him in the game at tight end, it's obvious that he's coming in as a receiver.

But if Beckwith (only for this season, until he gains the weight/mass and necessary TE blocking capabilities) is being prepared to play from the RB position, it might allow Chaney to run plays that dictate more favorable mismatches against Beckwith.

From the RB position, Beckwith might have more on-the-field value, performing either as a receiver, pass blocker, or decoy. The opposing DC will definitely not want to cover him with just anybody. So against some teams, Chaney would be able to dictate coverage by inserting Beckwith. Heck, at some point in a close game, Chaney might be able to force the D to use a timeout.

Just a thought... FWIW.

We don’t really have a big back that can block a linebacker, Beckwith could be that.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

TE = Critical against top defenses

Georgia ignored the TE and it allowed their defense to control the Tennessee offense. I remember I completed pass to #88 and I saw a lot of missed block by the TE and WRs. We will no win games with strong defenses until we get blocking on the edge and some offense from the TE and running backs over the middle or in the slot. Offensive linemen are not agile enough to block blitzing safety, Conor backs or outside linebackers. They may be able to block in short yardage situations, and we have made a good percentage of our 4th down attempts. If the QB can read the blitzes, he should be able to complete some screens, and slants. I expect we will look much better this week on the offensive side of the ball.

 

[savannahfan]

The Wolfe player committed from Savannah Tn should be a good TE potentially....I've seen him play and he can run and catch. He had back surgery back in Aug IIRC and has missed his senior season....Hope he keeps his weight down and doesn't come in at OT size.

Not likely.. See him every few days and his weight does not seem to have changed. As to running and catching, yes as good as you will find anywhere. However, I'm not so sure about blocking. If a guy is out on a pass pattern on most every play, you don't get a very good handle on his ability to block.

 

[kcvols1]

Last TE the Vols used consistently was Witten.

Stocker and Rivera made a little noise at the position but its never been a strong suit for the program.

Dude was an all time TE, not just serviceable.

Rivera, Stocker, and David Martin were all solid pros.

DWA says hi. Guy would have been all conference if JG ever looked for him. Chaney raved about him. Made a great career of running wide open with his hands up, though.