2006 TE rankings

Here are the 2006 keeper league TE rankings as of the middle of March... rookies are not included in the rankings until after the NFL draft. The number after the player's name indicates his age for a majority of the 2006 season. There will be updates as the offseason continues...

1. Antonio Gates -- 26 -- the clear #1 TE... everyone asked Gates to prove that 2004 wasn't a fluke, so he registered his first 1000 yard season in 2005. He has tremendous hands to go with an agile, big frame. Even Phillip Rivers will be able to keep him on top of the TE world. Nobody is close to him right now.
2. Jeremy Shockey -- 26 -- Shockey had a good season by TE standards, but he wanted the ball more often than he got it. Still, 65-891-7 isn't a bad output. He should continue building rapport with Eli Manning, and will take the next step to a 1000 yard season.
3. Tony Gonzalez -- 30 -- Gonzo was still #2 in catches and yards among tight ends, but only two touchdowns? He might be starting to decline ever so slightly. He only had nine catches for 20 or more yards, compared to 19 in 2004. He could erupt again, but expect 75-850-7 and you'll be happy.
4. Jason Witten -- 24 -- He's only 24, and he already has two excellent seasons under his belt. Witten's 2005 numbers fell off a little from his 87-980-6 in 2004, but he still scored six touchdowns and improved his yards per catch. With TO on board, Witten could be more effective as the #2 option in the Dallas offense.
5. Todd Heap -- 26 -- It's still hard to believe that he produces in that terrible Baltimore offense... had the best season of his career in 2005, posting 75-855-7. That will probably be the ceiling for Heap, but you won't be upset if he does that every season until he's 32.
6. Kellen Winslow -- 23 -- If the injuries are healed, and Charlie Frye likes tight ends, Winslow will be special. He's a physical freak, and he will be impossible to cover for a linebacker. He has the ability to make everyone on the offense better, just by his presence. Now he just needs a safer hobby...
7. Chris Cooley -- 24 -- He's now scored 13 touchdowns in 32 games, and has moved into the top-10. Cooley is a fantastic possession TE, who rarely goes deep into the secondary. Of his 108 career catches, only nine have gone more than 20 yards. He's efficient in the red zone, and that's what wins games.
8. L.J. Smith -- 26 -- should have flourished last season as the full-time starter, but didn't... Smith might benefit from Terrell Owens' departure, but it's hard to see him catching 80 passes. Look for his touchdown numbers to increase, but remain just below elite.
9. Heath Miller -- 24 -- Miller showed Big Ben that he should be trusted in the red zone. He's a big target, and with the Steelers slowly letting Rothlisberger open up the passing game, he should be productive for several years.
10. Randy McMichael -- 27 -- Battled issues off the field and his game showed it. Although he set a career high with five touchdowns, the rest of his numbers declined. With Daunte Culpepper calling the plays, look for a nice rebound season, and expect 70-800-6.
11. Alge Crumpler -- 28 -- Crumpler is the only guy that Mike Vick can find on a regular basis. His career 13.7 yards per catch shows that he'll go deep, but he needs to be more of a red zone presence. His 65-877-5 is about right, until Vick makes strides as a passer.
12. Jerramy Stevens -- 27 -- former 1st round pick was a nice surprise, scoring four touchdowns in the last six weeks of the season... he should be the full-time starter in 2006 and go over 60 catches for the first time in his career.
13. Dallas Clark -- 27 -- Clark didn't do anything to improve on his promising 2004 campaign. He's still the #1 TE target of Peyton Manning, but the Colts have too many other weapons for Clark to join the elite. Expect a mild statistical bump... he should get to 50-600-5 this year.
14. Ben Troupe -- 24 -- If he and Erron Kinney were one person, everyone would be happier. It was a toss-up as to who would be the better TE week in and week out. Troupe caught 55 passes last year, but only four went for longer than 20 yards. He'll play more underneath, which should mean more red zone touches.
15. Ben Watson -- 25 -- Watson can run... his 29 catches had an average of 15.2 yards per, which led all tight ends. If he could shake Daniel Graham from his spot, Watson could be dangerous. Both will play a factor in 2006, and Watson should end up around 45-600-5.
16. Eric Johnson -- 27 -- 2005 was the second time in three years that he's missed an entire season due to injury, but you can't ignore the 82 catches in 2004. If he's healthy, he'll put up numbers, even in a terrible offense. He's not a deep threat, but has solid hands and runs clean routes.
17. Alex Smith -- 24 -- scored two touchdowns on opening day, and didn't find the end zone the rest of the season... only averaged 9.0 yards per catch on his 41 grabs, but he'll get the tough yardage for the first down. He should be the Bucs #1 TE, and will reach 40 catches again, but not much more.
18. Jermaine Wiggins -- 31 -- 140 catches over the last two seasons, five touchdowns. If you like a player who gives you a little bit of yardage every week, Wiggins is your guy. If you prefer someone who scores more than once every six games, look higher on this list.
19. Erron Kinney -- 29 -- his numbers were identical to Ben Troupe's... the only reason Troupe is higher is because he's five years younger. Both possess good hands, and both have no downfield presence. Both won't catch 55 passes again, and I'm betting Kinney is the odd man out.
20. Courtney Anderson -- 26 -- a giant target who didn't meet expectations in 2005... Anderson had four games in which he started and didn't catch a pass. He should be a presence inside the red zone because of his 6'7" 270lb frame. He could be a sleeper candidate for 2006, or just asleep.
21. Eric Edwards -- 26 -- hasn't produced anything in his two years in Arizona, but he'll be the starter on one of the most potent offenses in the NFL... if he gets a chance to play full-time, Edwards could be a major surprise. Don't expect anything in 2006, but the future looks good.
22. Brandon Manumaleuna -- 26 -- a 300lb tight end? Manu played more like an extra lineman last year, catching 13 passes in 14 games. The Rams would like to use him more in their offense, but it would strictly be in the red zone and when they need to run over a secondary foe.
23. Doug Jolley -- 27 -- a sexy sleeper pick by many experts last season, Jolley lost touches and starts to Chris Baker... since Baker probably won't be back, Jolley has a chance for a rebound season. Could produce 50-600-5, or could lose his job to someone you've never heard of.
24. Daniel Graham -- 28 -- still scores about once for every six catches, the problem is that he only caught 16 passes in 2005... quickly losing his job to Ben Watson. If Graham gets traded, he could have a big impact in the right offense. If not, be careful.
25. Bubba Franks -- 28 -- Franks had his 2005 season cut short by head and neck injuries, but this isn't a trend. He hadn't missed a game in his career before that. If Brett Favre returns, Franks could crack the top-15 again. He has great hands, and he's Favre's favorite end zone receiver. While he averages just more than 20 yards per game for his career, he scored 27 touchdowns between 2001-2004.
26. Reggie Kelly -- 29 -- Kelly is primarily a blocking TE, evident by the fact that he's caught between 13-16 passes for the last five seasons. The Bengals want to get him more involved in the offense, which could mean 30-400-5, or it could mean 14 catches again.
27. Robert Royal -- 27 -- Royal will be the starter in Buffalo after four non-productive years in Washington. He's a big target with soft hands, and could catch four or five touchdowns in 2006.
28. Jeb Putzier -- 27 -- I'm sure he'll end up higher than this, but it's hard to rank a guy in the top-20 when he has only two career touchdowns and signed with the Texans. If David Carr moves the ball around and Putz gets in the action, he could be a 50-600-4 player.
29. Zach Hilton -- 26 -- could be the next big thing... already has the "big" part for it. Hilton checks in at 6'8" 277lbs and has good speed. If the Saints decide to use him full-time, he has a chance to be a top-15 TE this year, and better in the future. Honestly...
30. Desmond Clark -- 29 -- he never duplicated his 2001 season of 51-566-6, but he's still a good player. If Rex Grossman stays healthy and looks to Clark, he'll be a nice surprise. The bad news is that Grossman can't stay healthy, and he doesn't look to Clark...