Spotlighting the Cleveland Browns' TE Position Heading into the 2012 Season

The Cleveland Browns have five tight ends on the roster, all of whom saw playing time in 2011, thanks in part to injuries suffered by starting receiving tight end Ben Watson and blocker Alex Smith.

With injuries still a concern, the five men the Browns have at the position will all need to step up in different ways this season. Further, Cleveland needs more receiving talent, and they just may find the missing pieces they need by getting more tight ends involved in the passing game.

Here's a closer look at these five tight ends and what we can reasonably expect them to contribute in the upcoming season.

Ben Watson

The Browns' biggest pass-catching tight end threat in the past two years has been Ben Watson. But Watson suffered three concussions last year, and though he's cleared to play and is back to being healthy, questions remain about his long-term durability.

As such, Watson may see his role shrink this year, with more of his snaps lost to 2011 breakout player Evan Moore. Watson's still an important member of the offense—he had 37 catches for 410 yards and two scores last season—but the tide is slowly turning away from him and toward Moore.

Evan Moore

Evan Moore stepped in admirably as a receiving target for the Browns when Watson was felled with injury, catching 34 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns.

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer believes that Moore (as well as fellow receiving tight end Jordan Cameron) should see increased playing time this season, as tight ends will not be as heavily relied on to block now that the Browns have a reliable right tackle in rookie Mitchell Schwartz.

Moore and Cameron aren't blocking tight ends—they're primarily pure receivers—and the decreased need for blockers means more chances for them to get passes. Between the two, Moore is likely to be the favorite.

With Moore and Watson as passing targets for Brandon Weeden (or Colt McCoy), the Browns will have a better variety of weapons—and that's a very good thing.

Alex Smith

Though Alex Smith's 2011 season was cut short by a season-ending shoulder injury, he is the best blocking tight end the Browns have, which is why they re-signed him to a one-year deal this offseason.

Smith did contribute in the receiving game last year with 14 receptions for 131 yards and a score, but that role will likely be diminished this year with Moore, Watson and Cameron vying for targets.

Smith may have to concede some of his snaps to rookie fullback Brad Smelley, who could also line up as a tight end. But as long as Smith stays healthy, he'll be Cleveland's primary blocking tight end this year.

Jordan Cameron

Jordan Cameron came to the Browns last year after spending most of his years as a basketball player. That meant the learning curve was steep for a first-year player entering the NFL in the midst of a lockout.

As such, Cameron notched just six receptions for 33 yards in 2011. With more time to acclimate himself to the game, he should get far more attention from his quarterback this season, especially since he won't be asked to block.

Cameron stands at 6'5" tall, and if he can get more comfortable on the field, he could prove to be a massive and fast receiving target for Cleveland. He'll get his chance to prove himself this year.

Dan Gronkowski

Dan Gronkowski (the older brother of another, more celebrated NFL tight end) was brought on by the Browns in December of last year to add depth to what had become a depleted tight end corps, especially from a blocking standpoint.

Gronkowski remains on the Browns' roster, but his status could be in jeopardy depending on how involved they'd like the aforementioned rookie (Smelley) in blocking situations.

If Gronkowski sticks around, he'll likely suit up as a blocker and rotate out with Smith on a play-by-play basis. He's not much of a receiving threat—he caught no passes last year—and that kind of one-dimensionality could doom his odds of lasting through camp.

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