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Jacob Tamme: Impact Player for Falcons in 2015?

By Jonathan Savitske

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Veteran tight end Jacob Tamme signed with the Atlanta Falcons this past offseason after spending time in Denver and Indianapolis throughout his eight year career.

Since Tony Gonzalez retired at the end of the 2013 season, the Falcons have had a significant void to fill at the tight end position. Levine Toilolo, a physically gifted tight end with a 6’8” 265 lb. frame, was Matt Ryan‘s primary target at the position in 2014, accruing 238 yards on 31 receptions.

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Alas, Toilolo left much to be desired following Tony Gonzalez’s departure, as the former Stanford standout has a penchant for dropping perfectly thrown balls at the worst time possible. Enter Jacob Tamme, an under the radar signing that could pay dividends for the Atlanta Falcons this season on offense.

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In Kyle Shanahan’s new offensive scheme in 2015, it seems already that Jacob Tamme will be involved in a lot of the offense’s plays going forward, evidenced by his performance this past Sunday against the New York Football Giants. Tamme was targeted 7 times by QB Matt Ryan, and came down with 4 receptions for 77 yards, including a career long 41 yard reception.

In the Falcons first game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jacob Tamme had 3 receptions for 19 yards. Now of course his performance last week in New York does not necessarily portend success for the veteran tight end, but if Shanahan has demonstrated anything over the course of the last two games, it’s that using tight ends and fullbacks as receivers to throw a defense off is part of his playbook.

During his time in Denver playing behind star tight end Julius Thomas (now with the Jacksonville Jaguars), Tamme did not have many chances to display his ability to be an impact player on offense. Tamme’s best season with the Broncos came in 2012 (his first year with the team) where he caught 52 passes for 555 yards in 16 games played. 

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Though Jacob Tamme may not be the most physically gifted player on the field at any given time, his ability to slip under the defense and power through defenders is a trait that perfectly aligns with Dan Quinn’s vision for the Atlanta Falcons. He is also a capable run blocker, and can deviate from a block to start a route whenever he needs to.

When you combine Jacob Tamme with a receiving corps of Julio Jones, Roddy White, Leonard Hankerson and Devin Hester (once he returns), the group becomes one of the most intimidating group of receivers to defend in the league. With most of the defense’s attention aimed at Julio Jones (for good reason), Tamme will most likely be the least accounted for receiver on the team. This bodes well for him and the Atlanta Falcons this season, and has already made his impact felt. 

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