Rookie Report Card: Dez Fitzpatrick and John Bates
Each week throughout the season, I’ll cover at least two rookies in the Rookie Report Card and try to always include the biggest performers from that particular week. On top of reviewing my expectations for each player coming into the league and how well he’s lived up to those expectations at the NFL level to this point, I’ll grade the player in three categories. Those categories are performance to date, rookie season potential and long-term upside.
The series continues as we highlight a pair of relatively unknown rookies with very little production to this point in their careers, Dez Fitzpatrick and John Bates.
Dez Fitzpatrick, WR TEN
Week 11 Stats: three receptions, 35 yards, one touchdown (six targets)
Coming out of Louisville, Fitzpatrick had a small cult following in dynasty circles. His excellent size (6’-2”, 210 pounds) and highlight reel full of big plays made him an intriguing prospect. In his four years with the Cardinals, he piled up 154 catches for 2,589 yards and 21 touchdowns but never really established himself as anything more than a deep threat.
Despite his obvious speed (4.46-second 40-yard dash), Fitzpatrick appeared on film throughout his college career to lack burst – both at the line of scrimmage and out of breaks. A long strider, he builds up to full speed which creates an opportunity for physical defenders to keep him from getting into his route quickly, and gives more athletic defenders an opportunity to catch up after he makes his break. Despite those weaknesses however, Fitzpatrick’s Relative Athletic Score of 8.88 placed him in the 88th percentile of receivers that have come out in the last ten years due to his strong 40-yard dash, short shuttle (4.26) and three-cone (7.06) to go along with a 35” vertical at his pro day.
It’s safe to say his raw athleticism simply hasn’t transferred directly to the football field, but it was enough for the Titans to trade three picks to get him in the fourth round of the draft as the 16th receiver selected.
Despite the draft equity and a relative need at the position in Tennessee, Fitzpatrick was cut at the end of training camp in favor of Josh Reynolds and unknowns such as Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Racey McMath and Chester Rogers. Landing on the practice squad, it wasn’t until Julio Jones, McMath and Cameron Batson went on injured reserve – along with the release of Reynolds – that Fitzpatrick got called up.
Even then, it took Marcus Johnson getting injured early in week 12 for Fitzpatrick to get on the field. He took advantage of the opportunity however, catching an 18-yard touchdown on a skinny post in the third quarter. Overall, he caught three of six targets for 35 yards while leading Tennessee wide receivers with 64 snaps (79%) and 46 routes run.
Having watched each of those 46 routes, I can say emphatically that Fitzpatrick still struggles to gain separation against man coverage. Rounding off breaks at the top of his routes and regularly re-routed on crossing routes, he was rarely open. A couple of his targets were throwaways from Ryan Tannehill as he just had to unload the ball to somebody as pressure got to him.
At this point, it appears Fitzpatrick is just another depth wideout with good measurables. Clearly, he was overdrafted by the Titans based on size and speed and there’s a reason he was ninth on the depth chart coming out of training camp.
Many dynasty managers are adding Fitzpatrick off the waiver wire based on his performance against the Texans. While I don’t have a problem making that move because it appears he will be on the field in the short term and somebody has to catch passes from Tannehill, my expectations moving forward remain very low.
John Bates, TE WAS
Week 11 Stats: three receptions, 23 yards (three targets)
A couple of years ago on a Saturday night while going through my dynasty lineups in preparation for a Sunday of fantasy football action, I just happened to have Boise State and Marshall on TV. John Bates caught my eye that night.
A traditional in-line tight end, Bates caught only 47 passes for 579 yards and just two touchdowns in his four years on campus but that night against the Thundering Hurd he made an impression on me. Making five grabs for 63 yards on the evening, there was one particular play where he ran a vertical route out of the slot and skied over a defender for a pass that was thrown on his back shoulder. The play went for about 25-yards but that – along with a couple of other noteworthy catches – was enough for me to keep an eye on him for the rest of his career with the Broncos.
In a draft with a blue-chipper like Kyle Pitts and another tight end with big upside in Pat Freiermuth, Bates didn’t garner much attention from dynasty managers during the draft process but there are a few things to like about his potential including surprising quickness for a guy his size (6’-5”, 250 pounds), the ability to make acrobatic catches and very natural hands.
Landing in Washington as a fourth-round pick, Bates was buried behind Logan Thomas and Ricky Seals-Jones to begin the season. When injuries sidelined both in week 11 though, Bates stepped into a bigger role – playing 66 snaps while running 24 routes. Catching all three of his targets for 23 yards, he was primarily a short option in the passing game against the Panthers, running curls and crosses for a majority of his routes. It was exactly what happened in week 10 after Seals-Jones went down and Bates caught three short passes for 25 yards.
It appears Thomas is on the verge of returning from injury so it’s unlikely Bates continues to play a role as a pass-catcher in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, his name is one worth remembering. A very deep dynasty sleeper, I see him as a developmental tight end with the upside to become a seam stretcher. In the right situation, he could have dynasty value down the road.
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