Who is Richard Rodgers?

Jaron Foster

rodgers Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in what will be a weekly series focusing on a lesser known rookie or young player who dynasty owners should have on their radars or watch lists. The “Who is” series is designed to give us more information about some of the less mainstream players who are hoping to make some future noise in dynasty leagues. Jaron Foster has taken the helm on these and we’re excited as Jaron has proven to be a huge asset for DLF over the years.

While the majority of rookies that are likely to become fantasy relevant are already rostered, the next Zac Stacy (fifth round in 2013), Alfred Morris (sixth round in 2012), or Charles Clay (sixth round in 2011) could be on the waiver wire. Featured in the second article of this series is tight end Richard Rodgers, selected by the Green Bay Packers with the #98 overall pick in May.

Rodgers is an intriguing player queued up for this week’s feature and he’s the one suggested by Chris in the first article in this series, Rodgers has received rave reviews during OTAs. Though these are off-season practices in shorts, being one of the primary targets of passes and vocal admiration from Aaron Rodgers is an excellent start for the third-round pick from the University of California (CAL). [inlinead]

Scouting reports are widely varied on Rodgers, with his draft selection at the end of the third round topping out the projected range. A disappointing Combine, including a 4.87 40-yard dash, left some to question if he would even be a day three selection. After all, the athleticism to be displayed at the weekend event was expected to overshadow the deficiencies in his game (which are discussed below).

The Packers selected him envisioning a tight end with wide receiver agility and immense upside, raving about his hands and some of the incredible catches displayed on his game tape. Though his previous experience on the field was as a wide receiver and defensive end, at 6’4” and 275 pounds, Rodgers was recruited to CAL as a tight end. He returned to the wide receiver position after losing 30 pounds, but was ultimately drafted as a tight end. In his collegiate career, Rodgers caught 59 passes for 896 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed seven times for nine yards in 2013, though the statistics are misleading as he was used to move the sticks on third down.

Though raw due to position changes and limited action as a result of injury, Rodgers has displayed strong receiving skills, the ability to make contested catches, the necessary speed and agility for the tight end position and an overall strong work ethic and dedication to learning his craft. He accelerates well off the line of scrimmage and has proven to be difficult to block with his size and agility in the slot. Experience at the end of the offensive line, in the slot, running deep routes and even in the backfield add to his versatility. Though his statistics don’t jump off the page, a career 15.2 yards-per-catch (particularly accounting for all the various formations in which he lined up) is impressive for a player drafted as a tight end.

On the downside, inconsistency pervades Rodgers’ game in many aspects. Though he makes highlight-reel catches, he is often plagued by dropping easy passes and lapses in focus leave him short of the sticks on third down. Rodgers only started 11 games in his career at CAL, and while this can be partially attributed to offensive scheme (he may have been on the field in the second series in some situations) it also speaks to his shoulder and foot injuries, and consequently his relative inexperience.

Blocking has also been an issue, which will need to be improved upon for Rodgers to stay on the field, and his overall physicality and toughness have been concerns for scouts. A limited catch radius and a lack of proficiency in the red zone (only two career touchdowns, one of which came on a 75-yard reception) ultimately raise questions on Rodgers’ upside. 

Heading into the draft, the top of the Packers’ tight end depth chart consisted of average talents Andrew Quarless and Brandon Bostick with injury likely spelling the end of Jermichael Finley’s tenure in Green Bay. Extremely talented and troubled undrafted free agent Colt Lyerla was signed several days after the conclusion of the draft, but will have a much shorter leash than Rodgers given his reputation and the minimal investment made by the team.

As such, the door is wide open for Rodgers and judging from his first-team reps in OTAs, the opportunities should be plentiful. The versatility and athleticism that convinced the Packers to spend a day two draft pick on him will make Rodgers fantasy relevant, particularly on routes where he can create mismatches in the middle of the field. The most common NFL comparison to Rodgers’ game is Garrett Graham, but I see a higher ceiling and would be more apt to say Charles Clay is a better assessment.

Deceptive athleticism and adequate speed for his size give him value even if he may not be a true number one target in an offense. With this in mind, I project Rodgers a a mid-TE2 in the 16-20 range at the position. His ceiling could be higher, but first he will need to make the aforementioned improvements and polish his skills as the slot player he evolved into as a junior.

Despite his shortcomings, Rodgers is in a great situation with Green Bay and has the talent to produce when given the opportunity. Some feel he will make a better professional football player than he was in college, and building his rapport with a Pro Bowl quarterback who will be able to emphasize his strengths will help in the maturation process. If Rodgers can improve his blocking and overall physical play to spend more time on the field, as well as refine his fundamentals, his ceiling will rise.

Until the recent positive news out of OTAs, including the possibility that Rodgers will start, he was barely on the radar in dynasty leagues. In June he didn’t crack the top 40 in Average Draft Position (ADP) in DLF mock drafts, though Colt Lyerla (#21), Jermichael Finley (#25), and Brandon Bostick (#38) were all ranked. Expect Rodgers to rise in July mock drafts, but despite being picked off many waiver wires in early July he may still prove to be a value pick with upside in the late rounds of a startup.

Comment below or contact me on Twitter with suggestions for future installments of this series. Follow me on Twitter @JLFoster10. [ad5]

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