NFL Tight Ends Taking Lumps: Dallas Clark and Jermichael Finley Out for Season

Modern football's tight end is one of the most versatile players on the football field. There was a time when tight ends were little more than an additional blocker who would roll out in the flat at the goal line.

But that was before Shannon Sharpe, Kellen Winslow and Tony Gonzalez.

Now, the tight end isn't only in the flats. He drags across the middle, hits the seam in Cover 2 and runs outs, posts and even fly patterns all over the field.

Or he sticks tight and holds off a blitzing linebacker, or mauls a defender to clear the way for a running back breaking to the outside.

The tight end is like the power forward in basketball, dominating their space and reaching above the defender for the ball. Gonzalez, in fact, played power forward in college for the University of California. Their combination of size and agility provides favorable matchups in the passing game; they're too quick for the average linebacker, but too big for a cornerback.

A number of teams still play without a "marquee" tight end, but high-scoring offenses like New Orleans, Baltimore or San Diego wouldn't be quite the same without Jeremy Shockey, Todd Heap and Antonio Gates, respectively.

This is why the latest series of injuries is such a blow to teams, as two of the best tight ends have been lost for the season, while others (including Gates) are banged up heading into the halfway point of the regular season.

Of the teams looking at injuries to their tight ends, Green Bay is arguably hurting the most. In their matchup against the Redskins on October 10th, the Packers lost upcoming star receiver Jermichael Finley for the season to a torn meniscus. Reserve tight end Donald Lee was also injured during that game.

Finley was a key piece of Green Bay's offense, which is already at a disadvantage from the loss of starting running back Ryan Grant. And for a team whose playoff hopes center around their ability to move the ball, missing two key players such as these really hurts a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

The Packers are not alone in their tight-end misfortune, though. Indianapolis just announced they have placed Dallas Clark on injured reserve. The Colts, likewise, have already been hit by injuries on offense. Peyton Manning may be a miracle worker behind center, but injuries to receivers Anthony Gonzalez, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie have left Manning with few reliable options.

Indianapolis also hasn't had a respectable running game since the departure of Edgerrin James. And with the loss of Clark for the season and other injuries throughout the receiver corps, it will be much easier for teams to focus on star receiver Reggie Wayne.

Other teams are looking at some uncertainty, even though their tight ends have avoided the dreaded injured reserve list. Ravens tight end Todd Heap and Redskins tight end Chris Cooley are both questionable for Sunday's games. Both are prime examples in the latest discussion about helmet-to-helmet hits and concussion concerns. Heap is nursing a neck injury, while Cooley is still recovering from a concussion following the Redskins' game against the Colts last week.

The Redskins are plenty familiar with the effect of losing a tight end. Cooley was knocked out for the season last year after breaking his ankle against the Philadelphia Eagles.

And then there's Gates. The Chargers star, arguably the best tight end in football today, has been phenomenal in 2010. Only six games into the season, Gates has 490 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. Had he not been injured in last week's game against St. Louis, he would almost certainly have added to that total, as he only had time for two receptions for 12 yards before injuring his toe.

Gates, also questionable for this Sunday, is vital to the Chargers rebounding from a 2-4 start. With the prolonged holdout/suspension of receiver Vincent Jackson and injuries to Malcolm Floyd and Legedu Naanee, the San Diego passing game is sorely lacking in reliable options. Floyd and Naanee are both listed as doubtful for tomorrow with hamstring injuries.

A decade ago, this list of injuries at the tight end position wouldn't have mattered much to their respective teams. That is certainly not the case now, as any of these teams can attest. While the tight end once was a minimized position of little importance, it could now mean the difference between the playoffs and a January on the couch for some teams.