Cleveland Browns: Rob Housler Signing Not Enough to Truly Solidify TE Position

The Cleveland Browns took a major step in getting the tight end position in order last week by bringing on free-agent pass-catcher Rob Housler. Housler joins fellow tight ends Jim Dray and Gary Barnidge on the Browns roster and serves as the de facto replacement for Jordan Cameron, who left last month in free agency.

Still, the signing of Housler does not mean that the Browns are done adding to the position. While it may not be the Round 1 draft priority it was prior to the signing, it remains an area that the Browns should seek to further address.

Housler is a dynamic athlete—when given the chance. Housler intimated to Kevin Jones of the Browns' official website that he "agreed his former team [the Arizona Cardinals] maybe could've used him as more of a vertical threat."

Housler himself added, "I like to be able to stretch the defense," and he cited the Browns' offensive balance, which will "open up play-action passes, which does get your tight ends and slot guys open, which is an intriguing element in my mind."

Year	Games	Tgts.	Rec.	Rec.%	Rec. Yds	YPR	TD
2011	12	26	12	46.2%	133	11.1	0
2012	15	68	45	66.2%	417	9.3	0
2013	13	57	39	68.4%	454	11.6	1
2014	15	17	9	52.9%	129	14.3	0
Total	55	168	105	62.5%	1,133	10.8	1

"If you have the targets, then you can have the stats," said Housler, likely referencing his four-year career in Arizona, one that never seemed to reach its full potential because the Cardinals' offensive scheme wasn't particularly tight end-friendly.

Housler appeared in 15 games in 2014 but had just 17 targets and nine receptions for 129 yards and no touchdowns. Even though he averaged 14.3 yards per reception last year, he was not heavily used as a vertical threat.

In fact, Housler has never reached the 500-yard mark as a receiver thus far in his career. In Cleveland, he will certainly have ample opportunities to make plays in coordinator John DeFilippo's passing offense, one that Housler is confident will be about mixing up targets and spreading the ball around.

But Housler's low production in Arizona is not why the Browns should add another tight end. Housler should have no trouble seeing increased targets and greater responsibility in Cleveland than he experienced in Arizona and is welcoming the chance to finally make an impression in the NFL.

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press/Associated Press

The issues, instead, are injuries and run blocking. 

Housler has never completed a full 16-game season. Ankle, hip and groin injuries caused him to miss three games in 2013, and the hip cost him another one in 2014. He also missed three games in his rookie year and one in his second season. 

Though Housler's durability questions aren't huge, they still exist. Dray and Barnidge could certainly step in should he miss time, much as they did during Cameron's absence with a shoulder injury last season. But the two are more suited for blocking duties. Neither will be able to replicate what the Browns have planned for Housler, much as they couldn't fully fill Cameron's shoes.

Run blocking is the other concern. It's likely what held him to play just 338 snaps for the Cardinals in 2014, given his minus-6.2 grade given to him in run blocking by Pro Football Focus. In fact, out of 67 tight ends graded by Pro Football Focus last year, Housler ranked 54th in run blocking. Cameron, for whom run-blocking was also not a strong suit, ranked 60th.

Therefore, to provide insurance for Housler's injury potential and his struggles as a blocker, the Browns would be smart to draft another tight end this year. It doesn't have to be Maxx Williams in Round 1. But someone like Penn State's Jesse James or Ohio State's Jeff Heuerman, who both possess high, if untapped, ceilings as receivers as well as top-notch blocking skills, would better round out the position group. 

Housler's signing fills a void, to be sure. No longer will the Browns have to keep their fingers crossed that Williams falls to them, that Dray or Barnidge can emerge as true playmakers or hope a middle-round draft pick can prove to be a diamond in the rough in a weak tight end class.

But Housler isn't without his risks, either. So, while tight end may have dropped a few notches on the Browns' list of draft priorities, it's not completely off the list entirely.