Taking advantage of some of the NFL’s best to ever play their position is smart if you’re a high-profile rookie or an established veteran, but the tutelage can be vital for a pair of hidden gems trying to make the final 53-man roster for the Washington Commanders, who are attending the famed “Tight End University.”
The learning opportunity was established by three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce, six-time Pro Bowler George Kittle and former first-round draft pick Greg Olsen in 2021. TE U’ aims “to bring the Tight End community together for an immersive three-day program” unheralded Commanders Cole Turner and Tyree Jackson are using to their advantage.
They are participating at the camp that began in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday, June 23, per the event’s Instagram page (h/t The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov).
Attending this educational refresh in how to play tight end is a smart career move for Tuner and Jackson. Both are intriguing athletes who could become size and speed mismatches at a position where the Commanders have room for younger, more dynamic pass-catchers.
One member of this duo has already caught the eye this offseason, so taking advice from dominant tandem Kelce and Kittle is another part of the positive impression he is making on Commanders’ coaches.
Exciting Commanders Duo Learning from NFL’s Best
The official site of Tight End University describes how attendees engage “in a variety of activities including film study, on-field drills, recovery, rehabilitation, and more. In addition to current players, TEU also features several retired legends who provide attendees with the invaluable opportunity to learn from some of the best to ever play the game.”
Footage from 49ers on NBCS shows some of the work being undertaken during the program.
Learning from the best is guaranteed when a two-time first-team All-Pro like Kittle is putting youthful and developing players through their paces. The San Francisco 49ers standout is something close to a throwback at the position, a tight end who can still play on the line of scrimmage and is as valuable as a blocker, as he is as a receiver.
Jackson and Turner could both stand to add greater physicality to their skill-sets, even though the Commanders aren’t short of formidable blocking tight ends. Incumbent John Bates and last year’s second-round pick Ben Sinnott take care of the dirty work, but the latter has disappointed as a receiver.
Sinnott’s struggles could open the door for 6-foot-7, 249-pound Jackson. The towering converted quarterback is expected to thrive at training camp, but he’ll need to absorb all the lessons he can from Kansas City Chiefs great Kelce.
Seven-straight seasons with at least 90-plus receptions prove Kelce’s talent for route-running and getting open. He’s essentially operating as a wide receiver in a tight end’s body, but Kelce has expanded what’s expected of those playing his position.
Jackson can follow this example, but he first needs to get on the field to showcase his QB’s understanding of route concepts. Meanwhile, Turner’s 6-foot-6 frame and background in basketball and as a wide receiver, make him a potential asset, provided he gets off the practice squad.
If he can’t, the Commanders have another hybrid athlete who’s impressed at tight end this offseason.
Commanders Not Short of Hidden-Gem Hybrid TEs
An undrafted free agent who played both running back and wideout in college was growing into a new position at minicamp. His emergence gives the Commanders another potential complement and even eventual successor to ageing but still effective starter Zach Ertz.
The three-time Pro Bowler remains an underrated part of this offense, but Ertz is also 34. He needs help in the receiving department, help Jackson and Turner could offer, if given the chance.
Opportunities will be earned if they return from Tight End U’ with a more refined game and nuanced understanding of the position. Those things would provide second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels with another hybrid playmaker to make his job easier.
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