Looking back » Chris Cooley was having a solid, but not spectacular season before he suffered a season-ending injury in the seventh game. Cooley finished with 29 catches and two touchdowns. It would have been hard for him to duplicate his Pro Bowl run given the increased talent at this position in the NFC. But he was definitely a top tight end. At least as a pass-catcher. Fred Davis was a non-factor in the first six-plus games. Both he and Cooley were wildly inconsistent as blockers and that hindered the run game. However, Davis got serious about the game when Cooley was hurt, putting extra time in and it showed. Davis was very good the rest of the season. His blocking improved dramatically, though he still had a couple tough games. His routes were crisper and his athleticism was more evident. He looked like he did early in training camp. Davis needs reps and he got them without Cooley around. Todd Yoder was Todd Yoder; a capable blocker who can make a catch on occasion.
What they need » A strong blocker at the line. Yoder is fine, but they can do better than him and don’t be surprised if they look for someone else to fill this role.
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Grade » B+. Cooley was having this sort of season before he went down and Davis had that sort of season when he played more. Both served as focal points in the pass game. Of Davis’ 48 receptions, 41 came after Cooley was hurt. Davis caught six touchdown passes. Yoder was effective.
Where they’re headed » There was some talk that perhaps there wouldn’t be room for both Davis and Cooley; maybe trade one to get extra draft picks. They can use talent at other positions, no doubt. But right now you can count on both players in the passing game; you can’t count on much more (aside from Santana Moss). Also, one Denver source who knows Mike Shanahan well said the Redskins new coach would love to have two pass-catching tight ends. The good thing for Washington is that they’re different types of receivers; Cooley is more precision and beating zones. Davis is more athletic and good vs. man coverage. Both run well after the catch. A bad offense does not need to lose weapons.
