National Football League

Season Grades For The Washington Redskins Tight Ends

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:10 p.m. ET

Fansided, Jacob Camenker/FanSided via Riggo's Rag

Nov 29, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed (86) carries the ball as New York Giants defensive back Craig Dahl (43) defends during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Redskins have some pretty talented tight ends on their roster. Are they the best positional group on the team?

In 2016, the Washington Redskins got yet another solid year out of their tight ends. Coached by Wes Phillips, the tight ends put their best foot forward all year long, and they really turned out to be the most consistent group on the Redskins roster.

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That said, they dealt with their share of injuries, and they did cycle through a couple of players as the season went along. This is inevitable in the NFL, but the Redskins had to make the most of what they had to work with.

Without further ado, it is time to have an in-depth look at the Redskins tight end group. Here are their grades for the 2016 season.

Nov 15, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins tight end Derek Carrier (89) runs after a reception against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Derek Carrier

At the midpoint of the 2016 season, Derek Carrier had not played a single snap for Washington. He spent the beginning of the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, and missed the first eight games of the season. However, the Redskins had him for the latter half of the season and he was just about as average of a tight end as there is.

Carrier essentially took over Niles Paul’s role as the No. 3 tight end. He did not play a lot on offense, and was mostly in during blocking situations. He recorded a couple of catches, but he really did not offer much in the receiving game.

On special teams, Carrier did a decent job of helping to block, getting downfield, and opening things up for the Redskins return men. Frankly, he did not do anything particularly well, but he was far from a liability.

The defining trait for the performance of Carrier in 2016 was average. He did not play much, but where he was on the field, he did well enough to get by. Carrier is never going to be more than a depth option, but he is about as average as they come.

Carrier’s Season Grade: C

Next: Niles Paul

Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Redskins tight end Niles Paul (84) prepares for a game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Niles Paul

In our midseason grades for the Redskins tight ends, I expressed some positivity about the performance of Niles Paul. He graded out as a B player, and this is what I said about his performance.

It was no surprise that Niles Paul was named a captain prior to the 2016 season. The former Nebraska Cornhusker has developed into one of the more solid all-around tight ends since he converted positions years ago. Paul is a great blocker, can catch passes, and he is a strong special teams player as well. There is nothing he cannot do.

In 2016, Paul has not seen as much offense as he has seen in the past. He is firmly entrenched as the third option on the depth chart, but he has still had an impact. He only has two catches, but his blocking has been strong. That is what the team relies on him for.

On special teams, Paul has been fantastic. He thrived on special teams early in his career, and that has not changed as he has aged. Paul has been a great blocker on returns and punts, and he has also shown an ability to make tackles. Frankly, he is underrated because his abilities are not fully quantifiable by stats.

Unfortunately, Paul went down with a season ending injury shortly after the team’s bye week. He was missed by the team, and his absence will affect his grade. Still, Paul put forth a solid effort and deserves a good grade for his 2016 performance.

Paul’s Season Grade: B-

Next: Vernon Davis

Nov 13, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins tight end Vernon Davis (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Vernon Davis

The 2016 season was a bit of a renaissance for Vernon Davis. In his first year in Washington, the veteran tight end experienced a rebirth as he functioned as the team’s No. 2 tight end. He recorded 583 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and had his best statistical season since 2013. In that year, he was a Pro Bowler.

Davis was mixed into the offense in a few different ways. Early in the season, he was used as a receiver to spell Jordan Reed and also create mismatches with the duo on the field. Davis also saw some time as a blocker, and he made excellent strides to improve that aspect of his game.

There really was not much to dislike about Davis. He put his best foot forward with the team and capitalized on all of his opportunities. His days as a top option are numbered, but he absolutely has found a role that works for him. Hopefully the Redskins will elect to bring him back in 2017, as he would be a key asset to their offensive attack.

Davis’ Season Grade: B+

Jordan Reed

At the beginning of the season, it seemed like Jordan Reed was going to be on pace for a career year with the Redskins. He had a great start to the season, and it looked like he was finally going to entrench himself as one of the Redskins top options. However, Reed hit some problems that really hurt his ability to play in the second half of the season.

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After missing a couple of games with a concussion in the first half of the season, Reed had a major injury that occurred during the team’s Week 12 battle with the Dallas Cowboys. Reed separated the AC joint in his shoulder, and was never the same after that. Reed sat out two of the next five games, but had some limited production when he suited up. In the three games he was active for, he caught only seven passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Most disheartening was his performance against the Carolina Panthers. In a game that was a virtual must win for the Redskins, Reed was used only as a decoy, but he grew frustrated with some of the hits the Panthers were putting on him. He made the mistake of punching one of them in the facemask and got ejected, while also costing the team 15 yards due to a penalty. It was a selfish move, and it was one that I am sure he regrets.

Still, despite the bad parts of Reed’s season, he is still a well above average player. The Skins are much better with him on the field, and they need to hope that he can stay healthy during the next season. He just misses out on a grade in the A range, but he could get there if he does not miss time next year.

Reed’s Season Grade: B+

Overall Positional Grade

The tight ends have continued to be one of the best positional groups in the roster, as I pointed out in my midseason tight end grades:

The tight ends may be the best positional group on the Redskins team. They are a small but mighty group that all accomplish the tasks that they are given. The team has arguably the second best tight end in the league in Reed, and their backups are strong as well.

Because of this, it only seems fair to give them a great grade. If injuries had not been a problem, this would have probably been a perfect grade, but we will still give them an upper echelon mark for their successes in 2016.

Overall Tight Ends Grade: A-

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