Why no 6'10" Tight Ends???

Okay, I'll fully admit my football knowledge isn't all that worthy of starting such a discussion, but I do pride myself on being acutely aware of trends in the physical make-ups of various sports and their positions. We have linemen regulalry getting up over 6'6" (6'8" in the case of orlando pace if i'm not mistaken) in what is largely a leverage position. Additionally, QB's are getting taller and taller, not to mention wider and wider. Most telling, the size of WR's has skyrocketed...with Randy Moss seeming to be the prototype for the future. All of which prompts me to ask, why have tight ends, who traditionally have held a serious size advantage over their WR counterparts (even as the line between TE and WR became blurred in the 90's and continues with no sign of abating).

In just about EVERY sport we see this trend in increased size, for obvious reasons. It would appear to me, however, that TE's in the NFL have not kept pace (both within and without the NFL) with this trend. Why, I ask, do we not have 6'8", 6'9", or even 6'10" tight ends. Clearly, as basketball, and to some extent baseball and trace other sports, has demonstrated their are individuals over 6'8" wholly capable of fulfilling the athletic requirements of a tight end.

My own personal theory is that, as the lowest paid "skill" position in the NFL (witness the tony gonzalez fiasco) those with that kind of size and athleticism gravitate very early (and very sensibly) towards the power forward or center position in basketball, where salaries are higher, marketability more promising, and careers relatively longer. I'd like to hear all the football players (past and present) chime in though, as this has been on my mind for quite some time.

hard to be fast when ur that big, most guys over 6'3 start to slow down

as a general rule...tight ends catch short passes and they need the strength to break tackles and the speed to get down field...from what i can tell, either you're tall or your strong...i cant even imagine moss breaking through...unless he hops!

Funny you should mention this. I played HS football and at the time I was 6'4". For the exact reason that BigJB stated I was moved to right guard. It is hard to be nimble at greater heights, and it is also hard to avoid tackles. Tall people are top heavy and tend to go down easier. These days it all depends on skill not size. Coaches are going to place players in the positions that suit there playbook. A coach who runs more touch and go plays are going to want more speed from there tight ends. A coach who runs more running plays will want more strength from there TE's. TE's also play a crucial role in blocking for the backs.

As a tight end you need to shoot right out to the middle for a pass. The taller you are, the more people are going to notice the quick slant to the inside. A good tight end would be not less than 6 foot, but no more than 6'5", some good size so he can block when not going out, can catch, and most importantly isn't afraid to take a hit. It is almost guarenteed that a quick slant in the middle is gong to cause a huge train wreck. But that is the fun part. Taking the hit, then laughing in their face, why not, you just got the first down!!!

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Originally posted by mnkc
from what i can tell, either you're tall or your strong

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I'd argue that Karl Malone (in his prime), Xavier McDaniel, Charles Oakley, etc etc were all fast as hell and strong as shit (whether or not enough so to do as you suggest, I'm not sure). Having been in a practice facility with a couple of Celtics players when X-Man was there and I was on an AAU team (i was on the u-15 if i recall and our u-18 team scrimmaged with a few of them) I watched this guy, who was a truck, make our point guard, who later went on to win a national championship with Kentucky, play with the boston celtics and later the Harlem Globetrotters look pretty damn slow....so I think you can have both, and I'm starting to think that those who have both gravitate towards the higher paying sports.

You bring up a great point, however....and it likely holds true in 99% of the cases...though my prediction is that in 2015 or so, you will see this jump in TE size just as we've recently seen a huge jump (in the last 10 years) in lineman size. Just a guess though.