Position Group Breakdown 2021: Tight Ends

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May 21, 2021

by Jamual Forrest

Led by Logan Thomas, the tight end unit for Washington is filled with inexperience. Behind Logan, whom himself has only four years of experience at the position, are rookies John Bates and Sammis Reyes. In 2020, the tight end position lacked versatility, something head coach Ron Rivera was very aware of, making the tight end position a priority for Washington in the off-season. Thomas had a good year, catching a career-high 72 receptions for 670 yards, but his limitations as a route runner and blocker encouraged the coaches to seek a player who could compliment Thomas.

So, back to the rookies: John Bates has the blocking ability that the coaches are looking for. More importantly, as a receiver, Bates has good route running and hands, which will allow coaches to utilize both Bates and Thomas interchangeably. He is not the playmaker that Travis Kelce or Evan Engram can be with their top-tier athleticism, but he can create space between him and defenders before the catch, which is always needed as a pass-catcher.

For Reyes, his story is unique. He is a top-tier athlete who coaches and the team desperately need at the position but has never played organized American football in his life. He was signed through the International Player Pathway Program. Reyes came to the United States to play basketball but tried his hand at tight end during the University of Florida’s pro day, where the Washington Football Team found him. Due to his inexperience, it will be hard to project how good he can be in the pros or even make the team. After his first practice with the team during rookie minicamp, Reyes’s coaches told some reporters how much work he has to put in throughout the summer to become a pro tight end. Again, his athleticism is there, and his work ethic per his coaches is commendable, but that is only half the story with Reyes and his journey.

Where does Washington stand heading into the season now? Thomas is the clear-cut number one tight end still and probably will be after the season ends. The question for Washington is whether they did enough at the position. The rationale behind going for a player like Bates and his profile would be completely understandable, but the bottom line behind Washington’s current situation at the position is that you cannot count on the inexperienced players. Further, expecting Thomas to be the do-it-all tight end would be unreasonable, too. This unit is still one of the more significant question marks on the team as constructed regardless of how well-balanced Bates may be or the athleticism Reyes appears to have.