Titans Add a Weapon for Vince Young

March 17, 2008 @ 13:07:23

By Herija C. Green
Edited by Cory J. Bonini

Tight end Alge Crumpler (Atlanta Falcons) agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Tennessee Titans to become their starting tight end. The move should provide developing quarterback Vince Young with another reliable target as the team tries to build off of their playoff appearance last season.

Crumpler was long viewed as the most reliable and favorite target of incarcerated quarterback Michael Vick. The comparisons between Vick's success throwing to Crumpler and Young's prospects for 2008 will invariably be made since Young is also viewed as a scrambling quarterback with shortcomings in the accuracy department. While whether or not such comparisons are fair may be open to debate, it is fairly certain that Crumpler hopes to enjoy the same success he had with Vick from 2004-06 when Vick started 46 of Atlanta's 48 games.

Table: Alge Crumpler Statistics, 2003-07

Year	Gm	Rec	Yds	TD
2003*	16	44	552	3
2004	14	48	774	6
2005	16	65	877	5
2006	16	56	780	8
2007	14	42	444	5

* - Vick played in only five games due to injury in 2003

As the table above demonstrates, Crumpler was fairly average with Vick missing 11 games in 2003 and completely out of the picture last season. It's interesting to note that Crumpler's down years featured numbers nearly identical to what tight end Bo Scaife did for the Titans last season when he caught 46 passes for 421 yards and a score. Crumpler's addition should give the team a clear upgrade at tight end while pushing Scaife into a reserve role. Scaife's expected move to the bench also robs him of any potential fantasy value for the upcoming year.

On the whole, this appears to be a good move for the Titans as Crumpler knows what it's like to play with a mobile quarterback, and he knows how to make himself available by keeping his routes alive while they scramble. Of course, Crumpler is coming off a season marred by lingering injuries to his knee and ankle so the ability of the 30-year-old tight end to remain healthy figures to be paramount to his success.

Assuming he enters the 2008 season healthy, Crumpler could arguably be the most talented receiving target Young has had to work with in Music City. If he's not the same player he was two or three years ago then he'd more than likely just be part of a seemingly improving group along with receivers Justin Gage and Roydell Williams. Still, Crumpler will likely serve as a safety net of sorts for Young, which should help him post some solid reception numbers.

While Crumpler's addition should help Young, viewing his signing as enough to turn Young into a 3,500-yard and 20-touchdown passer in 2008 seems farfetched. What is more likely is that Crumpler will help Young improve on his completion percentage - a respectable 62.3 percent, though many were short routes - and yards per completion as Crumpler works the deep middle quite well. In terms of fantasy value, view Crumpler at best as a low-end No. 1 with some upside and give him a boost in point-per-reception leagues while docking him in touchdown-only formats. He would be ideal as a strong reserve option and possible trade bait if his 2004-06 form resurfaces.

KFFLians are saying....

Comment

 

---

What do you think? We want to hear from you!

Name: E-mail: Please, enter the number that you see

Comment Guidelines

Herija C. Green

Herija is a graduate from California State University - San Marcos. He was a contributing writer and editor with KFFL.com

Talk Sports 24/7!
KFFL Sports Forums: Over 24,000 strong and growing!

Impact Analysis: Dallas Cowboys' backfield (08/02)
Impact Analysis: Nate Burleson, WR, Detroit Lions (07/29)
Fantasy Football Impact Analysis: Cleveland Browns backfield (06/15)
Impact Analysis: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions (11/13)
Impact Analysis: Pittsburgh Steelers RBs (10/17)
Impact Analysis: Steve Slaton, RB, Houston Texans (09/24)
Impact Analysis: New Orleans Saints RBs (09/23)
Impact Analysis: John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks (08/28)
Impact Analysis: Ted Ginn Jr., Miami Dolphins (08/25)
Impact Analysis: Pittsburgh Steelers backfield (08/07)