Fauria 'just scratching the surface,' future uncertain

PHOENIX – Joseph Fauria lost most of last season to a nagging ankle injury, but in the brief time he was on the field, one of his mentors said he made major strides in his play.

"He started off so well," former NFL tight end Christian Fauria, Joseph's uncle, said last week at Super Bowl XLIX. "I thought he did a great job blocking. I think the most important thing that he showed is that he can become a dominating blocker. And he's just scratching the surface. The rest of his game is going to follow that."

Fauria missed six games in the middle of the season after he said he suffered a severely sprained ankle while chasing his peeing dog down a flight of stairs.

He returned to play four games in November and December, but hurt his ankle again and finished the year on injured reserve.

In parts of seven games, Fauria caught six passes for 74 yards while splitting time at tight end with Brandon Pettigrew and rookie first-round pick Eric Ebron.

"I hope they're not getting frustrated with him, and I know they got a lot of tight ends over there and who knows if he's even going to stay because they got so many tight ends," Christian Fauria said. "But we'll see. He's committed and he's not going to give up and he's got a definite long-term future in this league, but you got to stay healthy, you got to stay humble and you got to stay hungry."

Fauria's future with the Lions might depend on how well he continues to diversify his game.

He showed improvement as a route runner last year after playing mostly in goal-line situations as a rookie, and the gains he made as a blocker were due in part to studying film of tight ends with similar body types such as one-time New York Jet Kyle Brady.

But Ebron is considered the Lions' future at the position and Pettigrew remains the team's best blocking tight end.

Christian Fauria said the season was "very frustrating" for Joseph overall, but that it will pay dividends down the road – no matter who he's playing for.

"I think he's got a future in the league,' Christian Fauria said. "Someone's going to pay him to play, people notice that he has the ability, and I still really think he's raw. I really do think he's raw. So again, Ebron's a different body type. Pettigrew's a different body type. Joseph, they're all around the league. But I think he can be a starter in this league, he needs to have a commitment from the team and the coaching staff."

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.