Offseason Extra: Going into the deep end of the tight end pool

Here's what we know for sure when it comes to tight ends coming off the board in drafts this summer: Rob Gronkowski is going to go first, then Jimmy Graham a couple of rounds later.

From there it gets complicated. Julius Thomas is still my third-best tight end, but it's a close call between him, Greg Olsen, Travis Kelce and Martellus Bennett. All of them are in that 900-or-so, six or seven touchdown range and will be the next four tight ends off the board in some order, probably as soon as Round 5 and as late as Round 8.

When they're gone, Antonio Gates and Dwayne Allen will get attention as start-worthy tight ends. Gates has at least 700 yards and at least seven touchdowns in 10 of his last 11 seasons, so there's merit to drafting him. Allen is completely touchdown dependent but he should still be a regular in the end zone -- even with Andre Johnson in Indy. Both will get picked near or in the double-digit rounds.

What we have after those guys are a steady stream of nerve-wracking, red-flag bearing tight ends that will be as fun to juggle as switchblade-covered pianos on fire.

Consider this is an early preview of those tight ends -- and potentially the argument against waiting for a tight end.

Remember this fun fact: The average for the Top 12 tight ends last year was 7.4 Fantasy points per game, which means if you got eight points from your tight end, you were doing all right. Only six tight ends hit that number (or higher) in half of their games last season. You could probably name them -- they've all already been named in this blog.

Owners will have to decide how frisky they are once they go late-round searching for a tight end. Most of the guys you might look at are young and have lots of potential. A couple are older and don't have a lot of allure but could still be safe fixtures for your Fantasy lineup.

Coby Fleener, Colts
The good: He's on the Colts and should find favorable matchups all the time.
The bad: Last season he scored his eight touchdowns over six games including two scores in Week 17. And like everyone else in Indy, he'll lose opportunities to Andre Johnson -- perhaps more than Allen will since Fleener is essentially a receiver. Fleener would be fabulous if they made him their dedicated No. 3 receiver instead of Donte Moncrief/Duron Carter. It's possible.

Jason Witten, Cowboys
The good: Ol' reliable. Witten will play a lot and catch a healthy amount of passes, especially if the Cowboys end up throwing more without DeMarco Murray.
The bad: His numbers are trending in the wrong direction and he's as exciting as filing taxes. Despite finishing as a Top 10 tight end last year, he had just two games with 10-plus Fantasy points and five games with eight-plus.

Zach Ertz, Eagles
The good: Philadelphia's passing game might have to lean on Ertz more than last season by default.
The bad: Philadelphia seems headed toward being a run-heavy offense. They were pass-happy last season and Ertz had just three touchdowns to show for it.

Jordan Cameron, Dolphins
The good: Landing in Miami seems like a good move for Cameron, where he'll be featured in an up-tempo offense featuring a good short- and mid-range quarterback who has always had an eye for his tight ends.
The bad: There's legitimate health concerns with Cameron as he has a history of concussions. He also has posted 424 yards and two touchdowns or less in three of four seasons. But that one season he didn't ...

Owen Daniels, Broncos
The good: He's working with a coach he knows in Gary Kubiak and Peyton Manning sure loves throwing to his tight ends. It wouldn't be a shock to see Daniels set a career-high in touchdowns in his 10th NFL season (it would take seven scores).
The bad: Daniels is an elder statesman of the league and has had his fair share of injuries. He also isn't promised the "Julius Thomas" role just yet -- Virgil Green could take that spot, too. Daniels isn't a very sexy pick, but he'll get taken because of where he plays.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Buccaneers
The good: Seferian-Jenkins should be a reliable short-area and red-zone target for the Buccaneers' new young quarterback. New offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter has a very good track record of leaning on his playmakers and has seen his tight ends do well. 
The bad: ASJ is realistically the Bucs' third option in the passing game as he's a third big-bodied receiver in the offense. That limits his potential for, say, 700 yards and six touchdowns. He'll be tough to draft because he's barely made plays in the pros.

Jace Amaro, Jets
The good: Like a lot of second-year tight ends, Amaro has all sorts of potential because of his big frame and role as a short-area and red-zone outlet for his quarterback. He's clearly more of a receiver than a blocker, too.
The bad: Like a lot of second-year tight ends, he'll have to share the field with two big, polished receivers. The Jets quarterback situation is also murky and new coordinator Chan Gailey doesn't have a rich history of using tight ends.  

Charles Clay, Bills
The good: Welp, the Bills certainly wanted Clay by offering him a giant front-loaded contract. That has to mean something. And tight ends have done well in Greg Roman's offenses in San Francisco, so Clay could be sort of a utility player in Buffalo. He also should get open often with defenses distracted by Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin.
The bad: Clay hasn't ever been a stud pass catches, topping out at 69 catches for 759 yards and six touchdowns. And even though Roman had great success with Vernon Davis in San Fran, Clay isn't nearly as explosive.

Delanie Walker, Titans
The good: Walker set a career-high in receiving yards last season (890) and has at least 60 catches in each of his first two seasons with the Titans, adding 10 touchdowns over 30 games. It helps that the Titans receiving corps isn't exactly brimming with playmakers.
The bad: He's not overly exciting, nor is the Titans offense in general. He'll get the job done in PPR leagues but doesn't offer a ton of upside in general. He had four games last year with over 60 receiving yards.

If I had to bank on one of these tight ends in a standard league, it would be Fleener. That makes me mad because I've been burned by him so many times but I can't help but love his situation in Indy. Plus, if I miss on Fleener and decide to cut him, at least one of these other tight ends should be on waivers. And off I'd go on a never-ending safari for a starting tight end.

That's how life is when you don't take a tight end early on.