I hope all of you are familiar with the Nazareth song so that the title makes sense.

Zach Ertz is a great fit for the Eagles. He was an outstanding college player and was going to be highly rated by most teams, but he really is what Chip Kelly wants. The phrase “tight end” meant pretty much the same thing in the Andy Reid era. Some were bigger. Some were more athletic. Some were better blockers. But the TEs all got used in a similar way (many would argue not enough).

As I’ve explained, Kelly has 2 different TEs. There is the tradition TE (Y) and the H-back (F). Beyond that, Kelly can go for different players. And this is where Ertz is so important. He is a Y-TE, but is much more than just a guy who will line up on the line of scrimmage (LOS). Ertz can line up outside or in the slot.

Now put on tape of many prospects and they also line up in those spots. The difference is that Ertz runs such good routes that he can actually get open when playing out in space. Ertz has fluid hips and sells his fakes well. This is critical when coming off the ball and trying to get a DB off balance. If you just run hard off the line, the DB can turn and run right with you. A good receiver must be able to put moves on the DB as he releases. Most WRs do this well. Very few TEs do. It’s hard for a 6-5, 250 guy to sell a 200-pound DB with a fake because most TEs are a bit stiff. They might have strength and/or explosion, but those are muscle-related. Being fluid and agile at 250 isn’t common.

Ertz is smooth, fluid, and has great body control. This allows him to get that little advantage that it takes to get open in space. All you have to do is get the DB leaning one way or the other. If the DB plays off, Ertz can get on top of him quickly and then put a quick move on the guy to get a step on him and create separation. This will only give Ertz a a couple of feet, but that’s wide open in the NFL.

There are other TEs who are bigger. There are some that are stronger. I think Ertz is the best at route-running and getting open. Add in the fact that he has great hands and is a willing blocker and you’ve got an outstanding prospect.

I’ve talked for 6 weeks about how Chip Kelly wanted weapons for the slot. If Kelly can’t get Tavon Austin, Ryan Swope, or Marquise Goodwin, he can use Ertz in that role. Ertz gives Kelly the kind of flexibility he wants, especially in a no-huddle attack. I’ll get more into that later, but hopefully this will give you an idea of why Ertz was so important to the Eagles.

Cal used Safety Josh Hill on Ertz quite a bit and Ertz gave him fits. Here’s the game:

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