TTP77
05-04-2009, 01:58 AM
By Terry McCormick
Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger said he has coached one other player who had a similar size to third-round tight end Jared Cook. But the player Cook’s frame reminded Heimerdinger of wasn’t Shannon Sharpe or even more recently, former Titans Ben Troupe.
It was instead Ed McCaffrey, who was a star receiver when Heimerdinger coached that position with the Denver Broncos.
McCaffrey teamed with Rod Smith to form the nucleus of the Broncos’ receiving corps in the mid to late 1990s when quarterback John Elway and running back Terrell Davis led them to back-to-back Super Bowl titles.
However, there is just one problem with that comparison. McCaffrey was a wide out. Cook, at 6-5, 246, is a tight end.
“Ed McCaffrey was that big. I don’t know if there are many tight ends that big. I can’t remember any tight ends like that, because he’s so big,” Heimerdinger said.
Heimerdinger’s eventual goal with Cook is to use him in mismatch situations as his size and athletic ability should be able to terrorize opposing linebackers and safeties.
Cook made several athletic plays during the rookie orientation and a couple of times ran away from coverage with his 4.5 speed much more like a wideout than a tight end. Even Titans coach Jeff Fisher admits it is tempting to use Cook as a wide receiver, simply because of his size and speed combination. But he and Heimerdinger will resist that urge because of what Cook could eventually bring to the tight end spot.
“He’s got real natural soft hands, and he adjusts very well,” Fisher said. “One can make the case that maybe he is a wide receiver after what we saw today, but he’s got a lot of work to do. He’s a very smart kid. He runs good routes and understands them well, and I think he’ll be pretty good for us.”
Fisher envisions Cook at somewhere around 255 to 260 pounds eventually without losing any of his speed or shiftiness.
Full article here
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/content/sports/coaches-plan-cook-some-mismatches-cook
Sounds like he's a quick learner too. I can't wait to see this guy on the field.
Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger said he has coached one other player who had a similar size to third-round tight end Jared Cook. But the player Cook’s frame reminded Heimerdinger of wasn’t Shannon Sharpe or even more recently, former Titans Ben Troupe.
It was instead Ed McCaffrey, who was a star receiver when Heimerdinger coached that position with the Denver Broncos.
McCaffrey teamed with Rod Smith to form the nucleus of the Broncos’ receiving corps in the mid to late 1990s when quarterback John Elway and running back Terrell Davis led them to back-to-back Super Bowl titles.
However, there is just one problem with that comparison. McCaffrey was a wide out. Cook, at 6-5, 246, is a tight end.
“Ed McCaffrey was that big. I don’t know if there are many tight ends that big. I can’t remember any tight ends like that, because he’s so big,” Heimerdinger said.
Heimerdinger’s eventual goal with Cook is to use him in mismatch situations as his size and athletic ability should be able to terrorize opposing linebackers and safeties.
Cook made several athletic plays during the rookie orientation and a couple of times ran away from coverage with his 4.5 speed much more like a wideout than a tight end. Even Titans coach Jeff Fisher admits it is tempting to use Cook as a wide receiver, simply because of his size and speed combination. But he and Heimerdinger will resist that urge because of what Cook could eventually bring to the tight end spot.
“He’s got real natural soft hands, and he adjusts very well,” Fisher said. “One can make the case that maybe he is a wide receiver after what we saw today, but he’s got a lot of work to do. He’s a very smart kid. He runs good routes and understands them well, and I think he’ll be pretty good for us.”
Fisher envisions Cook at somewhere around 255 to 260 pounds eventually without losing any of his speed or shiftiness.
Full article here
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/content/sports/coaches-plan-cook-some-mismatches-cook
Sounds like he's a quick learner too. I can't wait to see this guy on the field.