Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said there weren’t many "move" tight ends in the draft, and the Falcons will use more of a traditional player at the position. The transition fits with the team’s desire to be more physical on the line of scrimmage.
“There’ll be a change in the type of tight end we’ll have on our roster,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “We’ll have a ‘Y’ tight end, where he’ll be an inline player (lined up tight to the formation). They won’t be moving around nearly as much as what we call a ‘F.’ Tony Gonzalez was more of a ‘F’ tight end than a ‘Y’ tight end.”
Levine Toilolo, one of the Falcons’ third-round draft picks in 2013, is the presumed starter at tight end for 2014. He played in all 16 games as a rookie (198 snaps) and had 11 catches for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
Toilolo is an interesting sleeper at TE, though anyone expecting him to step into Gonzo's role will be disappointed. Harry Douglas figures to be used heavily in the slot, but he's not going to get the same workload that he saw last season with Julio Jones out and Roddy White gimpy.
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