49ertruebluefan
03-16-2007, 11:37 AM
Coming out of college, the San Francisco 49ers ' Vernon Davis -- a former University of Maryland star -- knew how valuable a commodity he was even before signing the largest contract for a tight end in NFL history.
"I want to revolutionize the tight end position," he said at the time. "I want to be remembered as someone who changed the way people think about tight ends and what they can do."
And though he didn't do exactly that during his rookie year, partially because of a broken fibula suffered in Week 3, his first-year stats are right on par with innovators Tony Gonzalez (Kansas City) and Antonio Gates (San Diego).
In Gonzalez's first season, he accumulated a modest 33 catches for 368 yards and two scores. Through 15 games in his rookie year, Gates caught 24 passes for 389 yards and two TDs. Statistically, Davis' first season in the league is almost identical to both Gonzalez's and Gates' numbers (20 receptions for 265 and three TDs). The only difference is that Davis did it while missing nearly a third of the season, playing in only 10 games because of his leg injury.
If the statistical trends hold true like they did for Gonzalez and Gates, then Niner fans should expect solid production from Davis in Year Two.
In his second season, Gonzalez doubled his yardage (621) and receptions (59) from the previous year. The following season, he scored a career-high 11 TDs. Gates, meanwhile, had 81 catches for 964 and 13 TDs in his sophomore year and became a household name.
At 6-foot-3, 253 pounds, Davis fits the mold that was popularized by the success of Gates but was actually introduced to the league by Gonzalez. A former college basketball player at the University of California, the mix of size, athleticism and power that Gonzalez displayed on the hardwood translated nicely onto the football field.
Gonzalez's success spurred a league-wide transition that transformed the tight end position from being viewed as solely an extra blocker to a legitimate offensive weapon used to create matchup havoc.
Because of Gonzalez, Gates, a former Kent State basketball player, was signed by the Chargers without playing a minute of football during his college career, and he's helped facilitate the evolution of the position even further, boxing out his man near the goal line on his way to scoring 34 touchdowns in four pro seasons.
For all that Gonzalez and Gates have done for the position, Davis is primed to take it even further because of his ability to score from anywhere on the field.
The thing that separates Davis from Gates and Gonzalez is his speed. At the 2006 NFL Scouting Combine, Davis ran a 4.38 40-yard dash (the fastest ever recorded for a tight end), outrunning almost every wide receiver and running back in attendance. To put that into perspective, the average speed for tight ends was 4.81 seconds and the next fastest tight end behind Davis was 4.54 seconds.
Davis' ability to accelerate down the middle of the field means that most linebackers cannot cover him, forcing a safety to undertake the task, leaving Davis alone in man-to-man coverage with a smaller defender.
With all of his talent and unlimited potential, it seems to be inevitable that Davis will have a breakout year at some point; the only question is, Will it be next season?
If the 23-year-old is able to produce and maximize his talent, he will be the first tight end to force opposing defenses to respect the position as a deep threat, furthering the evolution in a way that others at the position before him could not.
Original San Francisco 49ers offseason insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
"I want to revolutionize the tight end position," he said at the time. "I want to be remembered as someone who changed the way people think about tight ends and what they can do."
And though he didn't do exactly that during his rookie year, partially because of a broken fibula suffered in Week 3, his first-year stats are right on par with innovators Tony Gonzalez (Kansas City) and Antonio Gates (San Diego).
In Gonzalez's first season, he accumulated a modest 33 catches for 368 yards and two scores. Through 15 games in his rookie year, Gates caught 24 passes for 389 yards and two TDs. Statistically, Davis' first season in the league is almost identical to both Gonzalez's and Gates' numbers (20 receptions for 265 and three TDs). The only difference is that Davis did it while missing nearly a third of the season, playing in only 10 games because of his leg injury.
If the statistical trends hold true like they did for Gonzalez and Gates, then Niner fans should expect solid production from Davis in Year Two.
In his second season, Gonzalez doubled his yardage (621) and receptions (59) from the previous year. The following season, he scored a career-high 11 TDs. Gates, meanwhile, had 81 catches for 964 and 13 TDs in his sophomore year and became a household name.
At 6-foot-3, 253 pounds, Davis fits the mold that was popularized by the success of Gates but was actually introduced to the league by Gonzalez. A former college basketball player at the University of California, the mix of size, athleticism and power that Gonzalez displayed on the hardwood translated nicely onto the football field.
Gonzalez's success spurred a league-wide transition that transformed the tight end position from being viewed as solely an extra blocker to a legitimate offensive weapon used to create matchup havoc.
Because of Gonzalez, Gates, a former Kent State basketball player, was signed by the Chargers without playing a minute of football during his college career, and he's helped facilitate the evolution of the position even further, boxing out his man near the goal line on his way to scoring 34 touchdowns in four pro seasons.
For all that Gonzalez and Gates have done for the position, Davis is primed to take it even further because of his ability to score from anywhere on the field.
The thing that separates Davis from Gates and Gonzalez is his speed. At the 2006 NFL Scouting Combine, Davis ran a 4.38 40-yard dash (the fastest ever recorded for a tight end), outrunning almost every wide receiver and running back in attendance. To put that into perspective, the average speed for tight ends was 4.81 seconds and the next fastest tight end behind Davis was 4.54 seconds.
Davis' ability to accelerate down the middle of the field means that most linebackers cannot cover him, forcing a safety to undertake the task, leaving Davis alone in man-to-man coverage with a smaller defender.
With all of his talent and unlimited potential, it seems to be inevitable that Davis will have a breakout year at some point; the only question is, Will it be next season?
If the 23-year-old is able to produce and maximize his talent, he will be the first tight end to force opposing defenses to respect the position as a deep threat, furthering the evolution in a way that others at the position before him could not.
Original San Francisco 49ers offseason insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com