Getty Dallas Goedert stands at 6-foot, 5 inches.
Snip snap. Snip snap. Snip snap. The trolls and internet sleuths were out in full force over the weekend when Dallas Goedert posted the scissors emoji to his Twitter account. The Eagles tight end has never been an active social media user, so the message drew many interesting guesses from Eagles fans.
The logical assumption was that Goedert had just gotten a new haircut while others ventured into the more speculative and obscure, ranging in everything from asking whether he had just undergone a vasectomy to pondering if the Eagles were going to cut him. The latter can be immediately dismissed since Goedert remains one of the most promising young stars on the roster, a player who has been continually hyped up and labeled a breakout star for 2019. One fan boldly interpreted it as meaning the Sixers were a lock to win the Eastern Conference.
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Whatever Goedert’s reason was for starting a conversation about scissors — the haircut thing seems like the odds-on favorite — the second-year tight end has caused quite the stir with his play in the Eagles’ offseason training program. Goedert was a beast during the organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, spectacularly showcasing his statuesque 6-foot-5 frame in 7-on-7 red zone drills. It’s almost unfair to have him down there competing for jump balls against undersized and overmatched NFL cornerbacks. He was seen making one-handed grabs.
In his rookie year, Goedert was used rather sparingly after hauling in 33 catches for 334 yards and four touchdowns. He was targeted 44 times which is a pretty big number considering the limited number of opportunities he had. Remember, starter Zach Ertz set the single-season NFL record for receptions by a tight end with 116, including 156 targets. There is a palpable buzz around Goedert for 2019 as his growth and production as a reliable pass-catcher should allow Ertz to float all over the field, instead of being restricted to the slot.
“Catching the ball is one of the reasons we drafted him,” Eagles tight ends coach Justin Peelle told reporters, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He’s got phenomenal hands, he’s got great body control. Yes, that is obviously a strength of his. He’s made a couple catches out here. Once we get into live games, put the pads on, where the defense is (facing him) I wouldn’t expect that to change. He’s always had good hand-eye coordination.”
His teammates agreed with the coaching staff’s assessment. An informal poll among Eagles players picked Goedert as the most impressive person this spring.
“Who impressed me? Dallas Goedert,” cornerback Jalen Mills said. “In that red zone, he crazy. He’s dangerous in the red zone.”
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Meanwhile, Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski recently chronicled and analyzed every one of Goedert’s targets in 2018 and the results are kind of mind-boggling. Kempski hypothesized that “it’ll be malpractice if he doesn’t play substantially more in 2019.” Goedert only dropped one ball on 44 targets last season and his drop rate clocked in at a minuscule 2.8 percent.
The South Dakota native consistently showed he was more athletic than most linebackers, including the Cowboys’ Leighton Vander Esch, and was nearly unguardable when lined up on the outside as a wide receiver. He’s also one of the best young blockers in the league, according to Brian Baldinger.
.@eagles @goedert33 is already one if the best blocking TE’s in the league and he is just getting started. My 85 year old mother can gain yards behind this block. #BaldyBreakdowns
Goedert will be at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota on July 9 for a free youth football camp hosted by Sanford POWER. The camp is open to students entering grades 5-12 and registration is limited.
“This is a great opportunity to have an NFL player who is also one of our hometown heroes come back to South Dakota and spend time with our young athletes,” said Sam Herauf, strength and conditioning specialist at Sanford POWER in Aberdeen. “This will be a fun camp where Dallas and our area coaches will show youth football players some important skills to improve their game.”
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