The Washington Redskins might end up with four tight ends on their roster, but one stands way above the others. After Jordan Reed finished with 87 catches, 952 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, it wouldn't be surprising if he posted numbers that were similar or even a little greater.
Jordan Reed
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 932.8 yards, 8.5 touchdowns
Over or under: Over on yards and cross-your-fingers over on touchdowns. The projections have him with 90.2 catches and averaging 10.3 yards per catch. But Reed has averaged 10.53 yards in his career so if he finishes with that many receptions, I'd expect him to finish a little over on the yardage total. In the last six regular season games of 2015, Reed averaged 12.73 yards per catch while being targeted eight times per game. Reed's durability always will be a factor until he proves he can play 16 games -- he missed two last season, which was the fewest of his career. But he's also someone who constantly works on his game -- a big focus this offseason was making sure he could explode out of cuts in either direction. That's a strength, and it'll make him an even more dangerous matchup for linebackers. Reed was Kirk Cousins' favorite target in 2015 (with 113) and based on training camp that's not about to change. If Cousins spots a mismatch at the line involving Reed, he will immediately change the play so he can get the ball to him. That seemed to happen more with Reed than any other target. Don't forget, Cousins' passer rating while throwing to Reed last season was 130.1. As for the touchdowns, the Cleveland Browns' Gary Barnidge was the only tight end with more red zone targets (22) last season than Reed (20). Reed, by far, remains the Redskins' best red zone weapon.
Who else could see time: Vernon Davis, Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen. The Redskins could end up keeping four tight ends, though Paul and Davis would be the bigger pass threats here. Between strong weapons at receiver and Reed, it'll be tough for this group to get a lot of targets.
