Freiland Carnivoren » but still caught 36 passes for 516 ya

Tight end has become almost a glamour position in the NFL these days, as more and more of these inline receivers put up numbers that work for fantasy owners. There have been at least six tight ends with a minimum of 800 receiving in each of the past three seasons. In the previous seven seasons, there was one season with more than five 800-yard receivers at the tight end position. More passes are being thrown in the NFL and tight ends are included in that aerial expansion. The best of them is a guy who spent his offseason trying to shed the tight end label. The Saints Jimmy Graham was angling for wide receiver money after New Orleans hit him with a franchise tag, but all was eventually sorted out once Graham inked a new deal. Hes coming off a season in which he accumulated 1,215 receiving yards and a league-high 16 receiving touchdowns. Over the past three seasons, there have been four tight ends with at least 2,000 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns; one (Tony Gonzalez) has since retired and there is no one in Grahams stratosphere. That makes Graham a first-round value in most formats. If there is one tight end who might compare with Graham, its New Englands Rob Gronkowski, who has averaged more yards and touchdowns per game in the past three years, but Gronk has had problems staying on the field, playing 34 out of a possible 48 games. Hes an incredible talent, a difference-maker, when healthy, but his value for fantasy purposes is diminished somewhat by his propensity for injury. Back and forearm issues have plagued Gronkowski to this point of his career, but hes only 25. Usually the wear and tear comes a little further down the road. A safer pick than Gronkowski might be Denvers Julius Thomas, who emerged as a big-play target for Peyton Manning last season, scoring a dozen times while catching 65 passes for 788 yards. That was the first regular playing time of Thomas career, so if he can build upon those results, he has a chance to join the elite at the position. While were looking at potential, Washingtons Jordan Reed showed some flashes in nine games last season, gaining 499 yards with three touchdowns. Project that over a full season and Reed could go for 800-yards-plus. The Carolina Panthers have a patchwork receiving corps, so veteran tight end Greg Olsen, with back-to-back seasons of more than 800 receiving yards, ought to be a prime target for quarterback Cam Newton. One of last years big breakouts came from Browns tight end Jordan Cameron, who had 917 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. There may be uncertainty at quarterback in Cleveland, but suspension of Josh Gordon leaves Browns quarterback with few solid receiving options, making it all the more likely that Cameron puts up big numbers again this season. With a bolstered receving corps in San Francisco, maybe Vernon Davis wont be used as much as he was last season, when he tied a career-high with 13 touchdowns, but hes also been held under 790 receiving yards once in the past five seasons. Davis is now 30-years-old, but hes not the only veteran that still produces enough to have fantasy appeal. Antonio Gates only had four touchdowns for the Chargers last season, his fewest since his rookie year in 2003, but also had 77 catches for 872 yards, his most since 2009. Dallas Jason Witten is another in the over-30 brigade who still puts up big numbers and Witten has consistently been one of Tony Romos favourite targets for a long time. Wittens 851 receiving yards last season counted as his lowest since 2006, but he hasnt missed a game since 2003 and last years eight touchdowns counted as the second-best total of his career. Beyond that group, the options start to open up a little more. Charles Clay had a breakout year (759 YDS, 6 TD) in Miami last season and second-year tight ends Tyler Eifert and Zach Ertz have potential to do big things in Cincinnati and Philadelphia, respectively. Minnesotas Kyle Rudolph (nine touchdowns in 2012) and San Diegos Ladarius Green (376 YDS, 3 TD last season) are a couple more possible breakout candidates. There are a couple of good options coming off injury-plagued 2013 seasons. Baltimores Dennis Pitta had 669 yards and seven touchdowns in 2012 before managing just four games last year, and Indianapolis Dwayne Allen had 521 yards and three scores as a rookie in 2012, before getting hurt in Week One last season. Among the darkhorse candidates, to consider for deep leagues, Kansas Citys Travis Kelce appeared in one game last season, but his last year in college, at Cincinnati, was productive (722 YDS, 8 TD, 13 GP) and hes expected to have a regular role in the Chiefs offence. Lions rookie Eric Ebron was a force at North Carolina (62 REC, 973 YDS, 3 TD as a junior last season), so he offers a new dimension for a Detroit passing game that is already one of the leagues most prolific. As you can see, beyond the first eight or ten, the field opens up with lots of potential, but there is reason to secure the guys at the high end. Even as the field of talent gets deeper, the guys at the very top are creating big enough gaps to retain value. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Fantasy Football Report powered by Coors Light. Buccaneers Jerseys China . 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Wholesale Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys . The question all fans want to know heading into this light heavyweight affair is will Rua display his true potential. Working with UFC welterweight fighter Demian Maias team in Sao Paulo Brazil and having training partners such as fellow UFC stand outs Fabio Maldonado and Daniel Sarafian, the 32-year old feels very well prepared for Friday nights encounter.WINNIPEG -- With injuries already becoming an issue for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, coach Mike OShea had his players doing a little yoga Wednesday to stretch their muscles at the end of practice. "It does concern me because Im responsible for player safety too," he said. "Its a response to what I noticed. There werent enough guys stretching after practice. If theyre not taking it upon themselves to do the right thing then Im going to coach them to do the right thing." Cory Watson just returned to the field this week after a hamstring injury he suffered on opening day of training camp this season. "Its football," said the teams top Canadian receiver. "Injuries are going to happen in any sport so youve got to be prepared for those things and be patient and hopefully things work out." OShea had nothing but praise for the way Watson plays football but says he may at some point discuss what he does in the off-season and other things that might help with injuries. "I cant tell you what he did all off-season and what he does (for conditioning) during the season i just know one thing. He plays football the way it should be played and with that there are ramifications." The coach got linebacker Ian Wild to lead the stretch since he does the same thing anyway every day after practice, but OShea says there is only so much players can do in the off-season. "Its virtually impossible to be in game shape come training camp," he said. "The only way to get in game shape is to play those games." He says the intense physical contact cant bbe simulated during the off-season.dddddddddddd Many might argue it wouldnt be a great idea even if it could, since thats where injuries happen. Watson, 30, a native of Dollard des Ormeaux, Que, has missed a lot of games in his four previous seasons with the Bombers yet shines as their best Canadian receiver when hes on the field. He appeared in just 11 games in 2013 but still caught 36 passes for 516 yards and ranked third on the teams receivers list. His best year was his second with the team. In 2011 he caught 69 passes for 793 yards and he says he thinks he can beat that. In his 45 starts over four seasons he has four times exceeded the 100-yard mark. "I think I can do better than what I did in my second year," he suggests. "This year I have a role that demands a lot so I have to make sure Im in there, thats the most important thing. I have to make those plays happen." Watson is also a force on special teams and says thats a role he loves as well. He hasnt had much time to work out with the teams four quarterbacks so far but says he has studied lots of film and will be able to get his timing down. "The most important thing for me right now is trying to get my conditioning in," he said as the Bombers prepare to open the regular season at home June 26 when they host he Toronto Argonauts. "Thats the focus right now. Timing is going to come." Defensive back Johnny Sears also returned from the injury list this week. But there were plenty of other players on the sidelines, including promising new Canadian receiver Julian Feoli-Gudino. ' ' '