Source: Dallas Goedert will Start at TE, Even if Zach Ertz Remains on Roster
PHILADELPHIA - When the Eagles take the field in Atlanta for Week 1 of the NFL season, there will be a changing of the guard at the tight end position.
Regardless of Zach Ertz’s status with the team, Dallas Goedert will sit atop of Philadelphia’s depth chart as the tight end.
The departure of Ertz is still expected, but a source indicated to SI.com Eagle Maven regardless of the veteran’s presence on the roster, the Eagles are fully committed to Goedert as the team's top tight end going forward.
Ertz, if he were to remain in Philadelphia, will become Goedert's backup. Not vice versa as it had been for Goedert's first three seasons in the league.
Pro Football Focus appears to already be under the impression that Goedert is the Eagles' No. 1 tight end. The site recently put Goedert into their top-five tight end rankings, eight spots ahead of Ertz on the list.
His on-the-field ability is that of a dual-threat tight end. Pro Football Focus has Goedert ranked first in run-blocking grade since 2018 and seventh in receiving. The 26-year-old is the only tight end in the NFL with grades of 80.0 or higher in that period.
Last year did not get off to the best start for Goedert. He was involved in an altercation in a South Dakota bar, a situation the led to him being knocked out by a sucker punch from a patron.
Once the season began, he did not last long before an ankle injury struck in Week 3, sidelining him for four weeks. He also missed the regular-season finale.
In nine games, he caught just 39 passes for 447 yards and three touchdowns, a considerable dip from his sophomore season when he posted a line of 58-607-5
Goedert always was highly thought of since the Eagles selected him in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Now, entering his fourth season, Goedert will be stepping out of his predecessor’s shadow and become Jalen Hurts’ security blanket.
The unknown of what Hurts can become could hinder or cloud projections for Philadelphia’s pass catchers, but the last couple weeks of the 2020 season saw Goedert ranked as high as second on the team in target share percentage (17 percent).
Hurts and Goedert built a connection early that was sustained during the quarterback’s brief starting stint as a rookie. The two have also worked together during the offseason to build upon their chemistry.
Ertz was Philadelphia’s top receiving option for years. Given the current state of the Eagles' unproven pass catchers, Goedert will have his opportunity to claim that crown and follow his predecessor’s lead.
The offense ran through the tight end during Doug Pederson’s tenure. That may not be the case in Sirianni’s offense, but the position will still play a vocal role in his system.
Tight ends saw over 390 targets during Sirianni’s three-year stint as offensive coordinator in Indianapolis.
In Shane Steichen’s Los Angeles Chargers offense, the tight ends saw over 170 targets during his tenure as offensive coordinator (2019-2020).
With the restraints are entirely gone for him in Philadelphia, Goedert will see plenty of opportunities in the new-look Eagles offense.
Living in Ertz’s shadow has come to an end, the chemistry with Hurts is established, and the new offensive player callers will utilize the tight end position as one of the top weapons in their offenses.
Goedert has every opportunity in Philadelphia this season to become the top-five tight end Pro Football Focus endorses him to be.
Conor Myles is a contributor for SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Reach Conor at ConorMylesSI@gmail.com or Twitter: @ConorMylesNFL
