New York Jets

Gailey will easily utilize Austin Seferian-Jenkins on Jets

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The New York Jets have acquired tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins off of the waiver wire. It’s the perfect move for the Jets because they are in dire need of a pass-catching tight end.

The talk around the NFL is already that offensive coordinator Chan Gailey of the New York Jets won’t utilize tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. He has a reputation of underutilizing tight ends in his career as an offensive coordinator.

Seferian-Jenkins will be the 12th tight end to play in a Gailey system with him as the offensive coordinator since 1996. Seferian-Jenkins may just be the second-best of the 11.

Here’s a look at ten of the other 11 tight ends:

Gailey’s other TEs since 1996
Player	Year(s)	Targets	Receptions
Mark Bruener	1996-97	54	30
Mitch Lyons	1997	4	4
Kirk Botkin	1997	2	1
Hunter Goodwin	2000-01	23	10
Jed Weaver	2001	25	18
Brad Cottam	2008	11	7
Jeff Cumberland	2015-16	15	5
Kellen Davis	2015-16	12	3
Brandon Bostick	2016	1	0
Total	147	78

When you look at those numbers it’s hard to argue that Gailey doesn’t use his tight ends that much. With that being said, those names don’t exactly jump off the page either. So, maybe the reason they were underutilized was because they were good pass catchers.

On the other hand, he did have one quality tight end in his career as an offensive coordinator. In fact, that tight end would end up being a 14-time Pro Bowl selection and a five-time All-Pro.

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In addition to that, when he’s eligible in 2018, he will most likely be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His name is Tony Gonzalez.

In 2008, with the Kansas City Chiefs under the guide of Gailey, Gonzalez had 117 receptions on 155 targets. That is eight more targets and 37 more receptions in that one season than the other ten combined.

In his career, Seferian-Jenkins has 45 catches on 80 targets for 603 yards, and seven touchdowns. So, he has shown he can be a reliable target, and he’s better than any tight end Gailey has had not named Tony Gonzalez.

It’s clear that Gailey just didn’t have confidence in his tight ends in the past. However, there doesn’t seem to be a reason for him not to trust Seferian-Jenkins (on the field). So, there’s no reason not to utilize him in this offense.

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