Alge Crumpler

Crumpler’s days as a major receiving threat are over, and though he’ll see more action in the Patriots’ passing game this season, he’s not likely to rack up fantasy worthy production. For one, he’ll be primarily used as a blocking tight end. And the Patriots likely will be intent on developing rookies Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, whom Crumpler will mentor. In fact, expect the rookie duo to see more action in the red zone than Crumpler.

Crumpler is a multi-dimensional, four-time All-Pro tight end who can get some decent numbers in the Titans' style of offense. He may lose some playing time with the drafting of Jared Cook in 2009. He should get a decent amount of catches though and play a significant role in the running game, especially in the beginning of the year while Cook continues to get adjusted to the professional game.

With Michael Vick out of the picture in Atlanta, Crumpler's production dropped off significantly last year as he struggled to get used to the three-headed monster of Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich and Chris Redman – while battling nagging knee, ankle and foot injuries that cost him two games. He joins a team in Tennessee that's weak at wide receiver and that just re-hired tight-end friendly offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger. Expect a major bounce back as Vince Young makes Crumpler one of his favorite targets, especially in the red zone.

His receptions suffer because Michael Vick isn’t a very accurate passer, and the team runs the ball more than it passes, but Crumpler is generally among the position leaders in yards per catch (13.3) and per game (48.8). The Falcons did little to improve the situation at wideout, aside from signing 35-year-old Joe Horn, so look for Crumpler, who was fifth in overall targets (103) and second in red-zone targets (19) in 2006, to be a big part of the passing offense.

Crumpler led the Falcons with 65 receptions in 2005, catching 17 more passes than during the previous year, and was second among all TEs in red-zone targets. He will continue to be a focal point in Atlanta’s passing game in ’06. The Falcons’ tight ends accounted for 31.2 percent of the team’s receiving yards last season, with the league average hovering around 18 percent. QB Michael Vick will continue to look for him downfield, too, where Crumpler had 16 catches for 20 yards or more which tied him for first among tight ends with Gates.

Since 2001, Crumpler has improved his yardage in each successive season. Largely a result of the team’s less-than-stellar wideout situation in 2004, Michael Vick looked downfield more often for Crumpler, who averaged 16.1 yards per catch, up from 12.5 the year before. He was also second in the league among tight ends in receptions of 20 yards or more. The Falcons selected wide receiver Roddy White with their first-round pick in the draft and are looking for the Alabama-Birmingham product to create more downfield space, which will only enhance the value of Crumpler, who has grown into Vick’s safety net.

Coming off a nice season in 2002, Crumpler increased his productivity, despite the loss of Michael Vick, catching eight more passes for 97 more yards, but scored two fewer touchdowns. The Atlanta offense as a whole dropped from fifth to 20th in points scored and ranked 31st in passing yards. Vick, provided he can stay healthy, should make that all better, and Crumpler should score more touchdowns in 2004 as a result. The club added WR Dez White in the offseason and drafted a big red-zone target in Michael Jenkins, but Crumpler should remain the No. 2 target behind Peerless Price, at least for 2004.

Crumpler benefited from the Falcons weak receiving corps and became a quality target for QB Michael Vick. Although he caught just 36 passes in 2002, he was among the top five in yards per catch with 12.6 (455 yards). His value has increased based on his finish last season. He averaged three catches over the final six games and scored four times in that stretch. Peerless Price was added in the offseason, but that should only serve to help Crumpler by taking the heat off of him. The Falcons were primarily a running team inside the 20 (67 percent of the time), but Crumpler led the team with four touchdowns in the red zone.