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KC Chiefs: Travis Kelce Considered Fourth Most Complete Tight End

By Leigh Oleszczak

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KC Chiefs fans are well aware that Travis Kelce is an up and coming star in the NFL. Now others are noticing too.

Kelce was recently ranked as the fourth “most complete” tight end in the NFL, according to Steve Palazzolo of ESPN.com (the article is an Insider edition so you must be subscribed to read the full thing). Here is what Palazzolo had to say about Kelce,

"It might be early to crown Kelce, but the results were impressive in what essentially amounted to his redshirt freshman season in 2014. He picked up 862 receiving yards, good for sixth in the league among tight ends, but it was his league-high 503 yards after the catch that turned heads. It was the third-highest total at the position since 2007, as Kelce proved to be Gronk-like in the open field.As a blocker, Kelce drew easier assignments than his teammate, Anthony Fasano, but he showed well with a grade that ranks 13th heading into 2015. Another step forward could put Kelce even higher on this list in a year’s time."

Travis Kelce showed up in a big way in 2014 for the Kansas City Chiefs after missing his entire rookie season due to injury. He was Alex Smith‘s go-to guy last season and fans only expect the young tight end’s production to go way up in 2015. In fact, sometimes it seems odd that Kelce only had five touchdowns last season, as it seemed like he was always making huge plays.

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So what exactly is a “complete” tight end?

Here was how Palazzolo began his story,

"Everyone loves a versatile threat on the football field, and no position exemplifies versatility quite like tight end. Traditionally the position was one part receiver, one part offensive lineman. Of course, as the NFL has moved to more of a pass-happy approach, the old-school, in-line blocking tight end has become something closer to a novelty, with many tight ends around the league acting essentially as oversized receivers."

Basically, they’re someone who can block and catch. Neat.

With Jeremy Maclin joining the KC Chiefs in 2015, Kelce’s targets might decrease a bit, but I doubt by much. He was Smith’s most reliable target on the field and was an absolute monster once he had that ball in his hands.

The rest of the article had Rob Gronkowski ranked first followed by Jimmy Graham and Martellus Bennett. Kelce came in at number four on the list and should continue to turn heads as his young career is only just starting.

Next: Alex Smith Ranked 14th on Jaws' QB Countdown

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