The New York Giants are expected to start undrafted free agent rookie Will Tye at tight end in Week 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Starter Larry Donnell is dealing with neck spasms and will likely miss at least one week.
Tye has a ton of athletic ability, which he proved at his Pro Day when he ran a 4.57 40-time and recorded a 9’8” broad jump.
Tye has played sparingly this season in five games. He has recorded eight passes for 77 yards. If he looks impressive in Week 9, Donnell could find his starting job in jeopardy. Although a great red-zone threat, Donnell has struggles at times this season. Through eight games he has hauled in 29 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns.
At just 6’2”, Tye isn’t quite the red-zone threat Donnell is, but he could end up being a better weapon between the 20s.
Consider Tye a low-end TE2 in Week 9. He has a good matchup and quarterback Eli Manning does like to spread the ball around. However, the Giants will likely focus more on establishing the run game against the Bucs.
In other news, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olson has been extremely pleased with rookie running back T.J. Yeldon thus far this season, especially as a pass blocker.
"He’s a guy that’s been able to handle the load," Olson said, according to ESPN. "We were going into the season thinking that he may not be our third-down back. Again, he proved that he can handle that responsibility and he’s done well."
Yeldon has played over 75 percent of the team’s snaps when he has been active. It’s obvious that the Jaguars are going forward with Yeldon as the team’s franchise back.
In the six games that he has played in, Yeldon has compiled 406 yards on 101 carries for an average of four yards per carry. He has one touchdown on the ground and one through the air to go along with 16 receptions for an additional 82 yards.
With the Jaguars facing a tough New York Jets defense in Week 9, Yeldon is a low-end RB2 at best. But against an average defense, Yeldon can be considered a high-end RB2.
Going into the season, I thought the team would split carries between Yeldon and Denard Robinson, but that hasn’t been the case as Robinson has barely seen the field. Dynasty owners who were smart enough to draft Yeldon have to be pleased with their decision.