Chris Manhertz Looking to be "The Garbageman" Like His Basketball Days
Chris Manhertz is widely known as a blocking tight end, and for good reason. With his massive 6'6", 255 pound frame, he is able to latch onto defenders and use his power along with his technique in order to neutralize them. Matt Rhule has even stated this about him:
"I think Chris Manhertz has the chance to be one of the best blocking tight ends in the National Football League, if not the best."
That's a lot of praise coming from the head coach. However, Manhertz will not be limited to just blocking on the field. He will also be looking to catch a lot more passes from Teddy Bridgewater. Manhertz has an underrated skill set that has been developed from his experience in playing basketball.
Tight ends such as Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, and Jimmy Graham have utilized their basketball abilities to form very successful NFL careers, and Manhertz plans on doing the same thing with his own. Here's what Manhertz had to say about how his skills from the court translate to the field:
"I was a back to the basket (player) -- garbageman pretty much, defended the rebound, you know, so that was my game. Just a hustle player, a hard-nosed player, and I think a lot of it or some of it at least has transferred over here to football.”
Teddy Bridgewater is well aware of Manhertz's potential as a pass catcher and has been stressing the significance of his basketball background. When Bridgewater spoke about Manhertz, it's clear that he sees his playmaking potential:
"As a tight end, we hear a basketball player, you think about a guy who will go up and rebound for you. So I just told Chris, man, I just want to continue to just try to add a little more to his game. Get him out of that mindset of just thinking that, 'I'm just coming in the game to block.' No, you're going to be catching passes, and this offense is going to rely on you in the red zone, on third downs, and things like that. I just told him, pretend you're on the basketball court."
With Greg Olsen gone, Manhertz will be working alongside Ian Thomas at the tight end position this season. The two could become legitimate threats in the passing game alongside the rest of the skill players, which could lead to some matchup nightmares for opposing defenses in the future.
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