In this NFL day and age of prodigious scoring offenses and tight ends that perform more like giant wide receivers, it's surprising that a player with Zach Ertz's skillset isn't putting up 100-yard games week in and week out.
However, as fantastic as his skillset is when it comes to running routes and catching passes, he's deficient in an area that most don't talk about, but that coaches, especially ones like Chip Kelly, deem immeasurably important - blocking.
Due to of his difficulties with in-line blocking, Ertz has missed time on the field this season, with veterans Brent Celek and, to a lesser extent, James Casey, taking the majority of the snaps instead. Ertz played 64.2 percent of the Eagles' offensive snaps in the first four games, but has participated in only 40.9 percent since, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
"Players want to play in this league and we want to show what we can do each and every game," Ertz said. "But we have a great team. I have a great tight-end room with James [Casey] and Brent, so I'm happy for their success. They've been great to me helping me transition into the league, but at the same time, I want to be on the field. I think they know that."
Ertz is a receiving tight-end playing in a run-first offense - he must first help the team via his blocking before he can help the team via his pass-catching.
He recently told Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com that he doesn't think even the venerable New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham - a prime example of one of those tight ends who plays more like a gargantuan wide receiver and routinely victimizes safety's with his size and linebackers with his speed - could function in Chip Kelly's run-first, run-second, run again offense.
"Probably not, to be honest," Ertz said. "I don't want to take anything away from Jimmy, but the things I've seen, he is more of a pass-catching tight end. In this offense we are a run-first team and we don't sub because we go at (a fast pace)."
Ertz can apparently expect his lessened playing time to continue - unless and until he fixes his blocking issues; which is something he spends extra time working on, with the help of his coaches and one very knowledgeable veteran - Jason Peters.
"I'm working toward it," he said, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. "Every day. I can get a lot better. I think I've got to be a little more dominant on certain plays."
Kelly, Celek and everyone else concerned with Ertz's development seem to agree on one very important thing, though: no matter what happens this season, he is and will continue to become a fantastic player in this league.
