Jennifer Hilderbrand-USA TODAY Sports
Now that the Philadelphia Eagles’ absurdly overrated quarterback competition is over (considering we all knew that QB Michael Vick would be the guy since day one), it’s time to start putting some thought into the rest of the Birds’ off-season position battles.
And one of the most intriguing trench-fights in all of Eagles’ camp at this point is the showdown for the starting tight end spot. In reality, new Eagles head coach Chip Kelly may not even run with a specific starter off that bat, as Brent Celek, James Casey and rookie 2013 second-round draft pick Zach Ertz all have tremendous utility in different areas of play.
When Kelly decided to welcome Casey to Philly as a free agent after four anticlimactic seasons with the Houston Texans, it looked like Celek’s days with the Eagles could be numbered. But now that Vick is back with the Birds, and has been named the starter, Celek still has a chance to produce considering he is the only tight end on the Eagles’ roster that Vick is familiar with. We all know that Vick loves a safety valve, and Celek has been that go-to guy for the gun-slinger in times of desperation.
But when it comes down to a combination of raw athleticism, size, field-vision and all-around upside, Ertz, the NFL newbie, is the tight end to lookout for in this revamped, high-powered Eagles’ offense. And if he can prove his value quickly and emphatically, there will be no real reason to even keep Celek on the roster.
Look for Celek and Casey to be Vick’s primary targets in the early going, but I will tell you now that Ertz will emerge as the dominant force by season’s end.
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