Eagles Camp Preview: The TEs - Piecemeal After Dallas Goedert
PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Eagles are set at the top of the depth chart at tight end with a star two-way option in Dallas Goedert and steady backup Jack Stoll, who has earned the trust of quarterback Jalen Hurts, the straw that stirs the drink when it comes to the team’s explosive offense.
Second-year player Grant Calcateera, 24, showed some promising signs as a rookie when it comes to his strength as a receiver but the Eagles brought in some interesting competition in the form of six-year veteran Dan Arnold.
Arnold, 28, stood out as a pass-catcher in the spring and his presence might be a reaction to the five-game stretch the Eagles played last season without Goedert due to a fractured glenoid bone in his shoulder.
Philadelphia persevered without the player ESPN’s annual poll of scouts and executives rated behind only the big three tight ends in the NFL, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce, George Kittle of San Francisco, and Baltimore’s Mark Andrews, but the offense changed without Goedert, 28, threatening the middle of the field with his receiving skills and YAC abilities.
Goedert finished with 55 receptions in 2022-23, just one off his career-high despite missing the five games, for 702 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Goedert also led the Eagles in postseason receptions with 16.
Goedert ranked second among all tight ends with 12.8 yards per catch last season and even with the missed time he finished third at the position in yards after the catch with 420, a number that shows how impactful he’s become with the football in his hands.
In fact, he's so gifted as a receiver Goedert has started studying wideouts to try to get better in that phase.
“I’m not really watching tight ends run routes,” Goedert said this spring. “I’m watching Julio Jones, Keenan Allen, I get the benefit of watching A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith first-hand every day, who are just phenomenal receivers who seem like they can get open at ease.”
In the modern game, typically playmakers at tight end like Goedert don’t help much when it comes to blocking but that’s not the case with the South Dakota State product, who could fit right in with previous generations who use a true Y-back or in-line tight end.
“This game is so close. Everyone you're going against is good. They're getting better in the offseason,” Goedert said. “... I feel like this is a profession you can never stop growing.
“As soon as you do that, you'll get passed."
The backup situation is the piecemeal approach with Stoll, 25, serving as the “blocker,” although he is sure-handed, just not explosive, and Arnold pushing Calcaterra for the “receiving role.”
The physically imposing Tyree Jackson, 25, (6-7, 249 pounds), once a star college quarterback at the University of Buffalo, is back to make another push at his transition to tight end that has been somewhat derailed by back and ACL injuries. The numbers game looks more daunting for Jackson this time, however.
The back end of the depth chart is 2020 New England third-round pick Dalton Keene, who is trying to kickstart a career that went south in Foxborough due to a knee injury, and undrafted rookie Brady Russell, the nephew of Eagles’ personnel executive Matt Russell.
Depth Chart: TE1 Dallas Goedert; TE2 Jack Stoll; TE3 Grant Calcaterra; TE4 Dan Arnold, TE5 Tyree Jackson; TE6 Dalton Keene; TE7 Brady Russell
WHAT’S CHANGED: The core is back with a somewhat relevant addition in Arnold, who has 95 career NFL receptions and really is a gifted receiver. He has bounced around because his blocking skills are underwhelming and he’s more of a big-bodied flex receiver. His presence is interesting because the Eagles remain a significant Super Bowl contender and can probably afford to carry a specialist who could help in a big spot.
COACHING: Jason Michael is a high-level tight end coach, who is a former NFL offensive coordinator in Tennessee, and T.J. Paganetti helps with the position and also serves as sort of the go-between when it comes to Michaels and offensive line coach/run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland.
A college quarterback at Army and Western Kentucky Michael is probably as well-rounded as it gets when it comes to teaching the position because he’s got extensive experience tutoring tight ends with the University of Tennessee, the New York Jets, the then-San Diego Chargers, Arizona, and Indianapolis before getting to Philadelphia. He’s also coached quarterbacks with the Jets, 49ers, and Titans, as well as coordinated offenses as a whole so Michael understands the big picture of how the position fits with everything else.
Paganetti first arrived in Philadelphia during the Chip Kelly days and made a short trek back to the University of Oregon before returning in 2017 on Doug Pederson’s first staff. He has typically specialized in the run part of the equation, at times serving as the assistant offensive line coach, assistant running back coach and now assistant tight end coach as well as the assistant run game coordinator and now the run game specialist.
THE CEILING: Having Goedert healthy for all 17 games and the presumed playoff run would ensure the position remains a significant strength. If Arnold can either push Calcaterra or the Eagles can figure out how to tap into his skill set without exposing him, things could get even better.
THE LONGSHOT: Keene, 24, arrived with much fanfare to a team with a history of utilizing tight ends extremely well but things didn’t work out due to injury. He’s still just 24 and spent about a month on the Eagles’ practice squad early last season which might give him a solid foundation for training camp.
WHO STAYS/GOES: Goedert and Stoll are locks with Calcaterra trying to hold off Arnold for the No. 3 spot. There’s an outside chance that the team keeps four, at least initially, if everyone excels over the summer but that’s unlikely. Also, you can’t completely rule out Jackson if he stays healthy because his physical gifts are rare.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Philadelphia Eagles? Click Here.
Want even more Philadelphia Eagles news? Check out the SI.com team page here
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
