2. Jared Cook, South Carolina
At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Jared Cook is the size that NFL teams love to see for tight end prospects. At South Carolina as a junior, Cook had 573 yards and three touchdown grabs. His improvement throughout his college career is a good sign.

3. Shawn Nelson, So. Mississippi
In the past four season, Shawn Nelson has been one of the most impressive tight ends in college football. His consistency is very impressive and he has a few big games under his belt. This season against Auburn, Nelson had 12 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

4. Chase Coffman, Missouri
Although a few NFL scouts wonder if his skills will translate to the professional level, there is no denying Chase Coffman’s amazing stats while at Missouri. In his senior season, Coffman had 90 catches for 987 yards and ten touchdowns.

5. James Casey, Rice
Rice had a deceptively powerful offensive attack in their 2008 campaign, with James Casey deserving much of that credit. This Texas native had 111 catches for 1329 yards and 13 touchdowns in only his sophomore year. Although he’s still raw, his talent gives him the potential to be a game-changer.

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It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Giants make a trade. Shockey is a good player but he has an overbearing personality on the field. Some experts around the Giants have suggested that Shockey’s injury allowed Eli Manning to grow into more of a leadership role with the Giants. Bringing Shockey back into the fold would mess with their proven Super Bowl championship level chemistry.

Additionally, Kevin Boss (Shockey’s backup at tight end) played well for the Giants in the playoffs last season. He’s not as good of a receiver but he has good hands and he’s a good blocker. His team-first personality was also praised throughout their postseason run.

If Shockey is traded, the team that seems to be most interested is the New Orleans Saints. This comes as a bit of a surprise because the Saints have two solid tight ends under contract in Eric Johnson and Billy Miller. Johnson and Miller combined to come up with big plays for New Orleans last year. Although, it’s undeniable that Shockey would be an upgrade for the Saints. The Saints would likely offer draft picks to the Giants in their trade offers.

Another team that makes sense is the Detroit Lions. The Lions are desperate for a star tight end and Shockey would be a good match for their passing offense.

Check out this Jeremy Shockey tribute video:

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Crumpler would make a lot of sense for the Titans. First of all, Vince Young is a quarterback who likes to find his tight ends. That was true both in college and in his first could years in the NFL. While Crumpler may not be as explosive as he used to be, he still has the tools to be a top-flight pass catching tight end.

If Crumpler were to land in Tennessee, his fantasy football stock would be rather high. The Titans don’t have many quality receivers, which could lead to Crumpler being Young’s go-to option in the passing game. If that where the case, Crumpler could easily finish the 2008 NFL season with five or six touchdowns to go with 70 receptions.

The Carolina Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks are also interested, however those teams don’t need him as much as the Titans need him.

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The surgery is a relatively major one that will have Gates sidelined anywhere from four to six months. Even though he faces a long recovery time, Gates shouldn’t see his fantasy football stock drop too much. If he has to miss a few games early in the season, there’s no reason to believe that he won’t be a top of the line tight end once he returns.

In 2008, Gates should have a big season. As Philip Rivers matures into a better and better quarterback, that will only help games. A double-digit touchdown year for Gates in 2008 is certainly possible.

Keep an eye on how he’s recovering from this toe surgery but it shouldn’t have too much of an affect on his 2008 fantasy football season.

Top 10 NFL Tight Ends …

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Owen Daniels, Houston Texans
Quietly, Owen Daniels is emerging as a very quality tight end for the Houston Texans. He has good hands and should become a mainstay in the Texans’ passing game for a long time. In 2008, look for even more catches and even more touchdowns.

LJ Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
Spending most of the season injured, LJ Smith had a forgettable 2007 campaign. However, the Eagles made Smith their franchise player and they expect him to be a key part to their success in 2008. No matter who the quarterback is, Smith figures to have a bounce back season.

Alex Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In Alex Smith’s first couple of seasons in the NFL, he has shown very good promise. If he can stay healthy for an entire season, he has the potential to be a tight end who racks up a lot of touchdowns. He’s big, strong and has good hands – a nice combination near the end zone.

Greg Olson, Chicago Bears
After an up and down rookie season, Greg Olson should become a very good tight end in 2008. He started off his rookie season injured but slowly integrated himself into their system. In 2008, he should bust out and become a fantasy mainstay.

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