Tight End Number Two

The Lions have six men on the roster at the tight end position. Brandon Pettigrew will be the team’s number one, but who will fill the second tight end spot. The battle is between veteran lion Casey Fitzsimmons, Will Heller who was acquired from the Seahawks, Jake Nordin who was on the practice squad last year, Sean Conover who has played defensive end in his first three seasons in the league mostly on practice squads and Dan Gronkowski who was taken in the seventh round of this years draft.

I believe that the real battle is only between three guys, Fitzsimmons, Heller and Gronkowski. Cononver and Nordin will be nothing more than practice squad guys. Fitzsimmons has the most experience at the position with the lions, but a new coach and new system puts him on even ground. Heller has a few years in the league under his belt, and the blocking skills that could land him the job as a situational player. Then there is Gronkowski, the rookie out of Maryland. He spent most of his career as nothing more then a blocker. He finally saw some receptions in his senior year showing that he might be more of a complete TE then people thought.

> Find Detroit Lions hats & Merchandise online through Pro Football Fans for all your team gear!

Out of these three players I believe the rookie has the advantage. He was one of the most athletic tight ends at this year’s combine and projected to go in the third round. Another reason is that all the other tight ends have been with the coaching staff since March. Gronkowski came in with the other rookies about two months behind in the program. This should have been a major advantage for Nordin, Conover, Heller, and Fitzsimmons. Yet this last week Detroit signed Dan Gronkowski to a three-year deal. Besides Pettigrew, Gronkowski is the only other tight end on the roster to have been drafted. This has to make you think that Gronkowski is doing things right and showing the potential to make plays. Training camp will show that Gronkowski has the strength and speed to be a starting tight end.

When season comes and Detroit has two rookie tight ends in the line up. Remember that Schwartz’s drafting system to take the best player instead of team needs was definitely the right move.

By: Patrick Stone
ProFootball-fans.com Detroit Lions Correspondent