Redskins tight ends Fred Davis and Chris Cooley were third and fourth on the team in catches in 2009, but their position coach doesn’t want anyone thinking of them as receivers first and blockers second.
“They’re not both pass catchers,” Redskins tight ends coach Jon Embree told the Washington Post. “They can block. I don’t like labeling people run block or pass block. Those two guys can block. They can do things in the run game. I don’t see them being a liability in the run game.”
The Redskins will have a rookie, Trent Williams, starting at left tackle, but Embree said that whether his tight ends stay in and help on pass blocking will be determined more by opposing defenses than by Williams’ ability to handle opposing defensive ends one-on-one.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a young line or a veteran guy, if you’re going against Dwight Freeney, people help,” Embree said. “So it’s more your opponent that dictates what you do.”
Davis became an integral part of the Redskins’ passing game last season after Cooley was lost for the season in Week Seven, which leads to the question of whether there are enough passes for both of them when they’re both healthy. When asked about that, Embree answered, “Is there enough wins?”
