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Philadelphia Eagles: Trey Burton will be a breakout player in 2017
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Trey Burton will be a breakout player in 2017.
It hasn't been a secret that the Philadelphia Eagles added new weapons for the 2017 season. It also wasn't a secret that they needed to add those weapons. The additions of wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith should help immensely. Jeffery is a bonafide No. 1 receiver. Smith may not be as talented as Jeffery, but he will have a role to play as well. Philly also added former New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount, who led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns in 2016.
These new additions join tight end Zach Ertz and wide receiver Jordan Matthews. Ertz has shown he has the talent to be a top tight end in the NFL but has failed to put it all together for a full season. Matthews is a solid No. 2 option or a slot receiver, but he doesn't have the talent to be a star in the NFL.
Jeffery, Ertz, Smith, Blount, and Matthews will be huge for second-year quarterback Carson Wentz. The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft struggled at times last season because of the lack of weapons. Luckily for him, the excuse of not having weapons is out of the window. One name that wasn't mentioned among Wentz's best weapons is the tight end, Trey Burton.
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Burton was the No. 3 tight end last season, but he finished the year with 37 receptions for 327 yards and one score. Those aren't significant numbers until you realize that Burton only played 233 pass snaps. With those 233 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, Burton was targeted 26 percent of the time he ran a route. That was good enough for second best among all tight ends in the NFL.
That says two things: One, Burton can make the most of his snaps because he gets open enough to be targeted. Two, Wentz obviously has a sense of trust in Burton to target him that much when he runs a route. Both of those statements are a reason that Burton will be a breakout player in 2017. Keyword: player, not "star".
Philadelphia put a second-round tender on Burton during the offseason, so they believe in his talent. Burton will be below Ertz on the depth chart, so he will eat after Ertz does. However, the Eagles know that Burton can make things happen when he is on the field so that they will increase his snaps. If Burton plays 400 pass snaps, and we use his numbers from 2016; he would end the year with 64 receptions, 561 yards, and two scores. Those are solid numbers from a tight end that is No. 3 on the depth chart.
Burton has an impressive skill set because he was asked to do everything in college. He played quarterback, running back, H-back, tight end, and I think he even filmed games from the end zone while scoring touchdowns. All jokes aside, the former Florida Gator did it all and was able to do whatever he was asked well. That highlights his ability to play the game, but he found his best fit at the tight end position in the NFL.
Now that he has a set position, Burton is mastering his craft. He is a great route-runner and has excellent hands. But the best aspect of his game is his dependability, which goes hand and hand (pun intended) with the other aspects. Wentz will keep building a great rapport with Burton, and I expect that to show up on the stat sheet. Look for Burton to end the year with more than 50 receptions, 500 yards, and four touchdowns.
He may not be a "star", but Burton will be a breakout player for the Eagles in 2017.
